Anything For Your Love Read online

  Ty and Chris came over to where Alex was standing, still watching Ami drag Jada around and introducing her to various people.

  “Do you see that woman with Ami?” Chris cut in. “That just doesn’t make any sense! A woman with a face that gorgeous and a body like that should be banned from walking around!”

  Ty laughed, but when he saw Alex was not amused, he elbowed Chris. Alex quickly recovered. “Yeah, she’s alright. I come in contact with plenty of beautiful women everyday.” Alex knew in his heart, though, that this woman far outweighed any woman he had ever laid eyes on.

  Just then, Ty, reminiscent of when they were little, began to sing in a low voice that only Alex and Chris could hear. ”I think you like her... 'cause she’s so pretty... you wanna date her... 'cause she’s so pretty...”

  Alex pushed Ty to make him shut up and Chris laughed. Joi joined the boys. “What’s going on, guys?” She asked. “Nothing much, baby sis,” Ty replied. “Just, Alex is in love.” Ty joked as Chris continued to laugh. “What are you talking about?” Joi asked. At that point, Alex was glaring at his brother, but that never stopped Ty before. “See the woman with Ami? She has captured our dear brother’s attention, which in itself is an amazing feat. If it doesn’t have a docket number on it, Alex isn’t looking, but this woman has brought the same look to Alex that Rhonda Jenkins did back in high school!”

  “Ohhhh!!” both Chris and Joi said and laughed.

  The Love children knew Rhonda Jenkins was the love of Alex’s life in high school, but Rhonda was not the type to wait around while Alex went to school for a million years. She was high maintenance and needed a man with money much faster than that. The last any of them heard, she had moved down south with some fella claiming he was going to be a big music star. They hadn’t heard from her in years. Rhonda’s departure made Alex concentrate on school and work.Thanks, Rhonda, Alex thought.

  “Shut up before I tell Mom that all of you have been frequenting a swinger's club,” Alex threatened. The laughter stopped. Although Alex knew it wasn’t true, the interrogation alone from their mother would be torture.

  “All right, Alex, dang, we were just playing,” Ty backed down. Alex was always in charge, even as adults.

  “Come on, guys,” Alex said, hugging all three of them at once, “let’s get something to eat.” In the back of Alex’s mind, he thought about how he’d have to have a conversation with little Ms. Ami. She never really mentioned Jada in their many conversations and he wondered why.

  Finally, Ami and Jada sat down at a table under the tent to grab a couple of cool drinks.

  “Ami, your family is great!” Jada said over the music playing.

  “Yeah, I like them,” Ami said with a smile. Then, Ami leaned in close to Jada and asked, “What is up with the look you gave my cousin, Alex?”

  That was one of the reasons Jada liked Ami so much. She didn’t miss a thing. She would be very successful in movies because of that.

  “Nothing, girl! He’s handsome, just like the rest of your cousins and brothers.” Jada tried to sound casual. “A girl can just appreciate a good looking man, right? Lord knows the ones on the west coast are just too pretty for me!” The ladies laughed together at that comment. Both Ami and Jada had their fair share of experience with the pretty boy, Hollywood type. Dating in their profession was anything but easy.

  The sound of Jada’s laughter floated over to Alex and caught his attention as if it were the only sound in the yard. Jada felt his eyes roam over her, but refused to turn around for fear she would not be able to turn back.

  “Well,” Ami said, cutting into her thoughts, “Alex is my favorite cousin and I love him dearly. Something’s going on with him and I intend to find out while we’re here the next couple of weeks. I haven’t seen that look on his face since...” Ami stopped.

  “What?” Jada asked. Ami remembered the look clearly, Rhonda Jenkins. Damn!

  “Nothing,” Ami responded with a smile. “I was just remembering something from when we were kids.” It wasn't a total lie.Then, Ami thought,why not?Alex and Jada needed to have some fun. They both worked too hard. She needed to talk to Ty, David and Sean.

  “So, anyway,” She turned her attention back to Jada, “we are going to have so much fun while we are here for two weeks. I will show you everything Philly has to offer. My cousins, Ty and Chris, own a restaurant called The Love House, and I have got to take you there.” Ami went on about plans while they were in Philly, and Jada wondered if those plans would include Alex. Philly was looking kind of sweet.

  The party began to wind down, and family and friends started to leave. Alex, after avoiding Ami and her friend most of the day except for small talk, finally joined them at the table. They were sitting with Madison, Joi, and Hannah. Jada turned to him as he sat at the table with those dark eyes and brilliant smile. He immediately thought the already warm evening got a little warmer.

  Alex joined in pleasant conversation with the women. Since basketball was the family’s sport of choice and the conversation turned that direction, Ami found a way to excuse herself.

  “Alex, take of care of Jada until I get back, I need to talk to David,” Ami said.

  “Alright,” Alex replied, and looked over to Jada among the other women debating which of the Philadelphia 76ers should be traded. Jada felt like his eyes looked right through her and her spine tingled. He smiled at her and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed. What was wrong with her? She just met this man. She hoped Ami would return sooner rather than later.

  Ami quickly left the table to find David, Ty, and Sean. “Look guys, Jada is one of the greatest people I know and Alex needs to have some fun, so what can we do?” she asked them. Ty was immediately in on the idea, but David and Sean were not so quick. Alex would kill them if he knew they tried to set him up. “Listen, you nimrods, I’m not saying marry him off, just show him, both of them, there’s more to life than work.” At that point, Ami knew she could count on Ty, but David and Sean were still on the fence.

  Ty suggested Ami bring Jada to dinner at his house Sunday. Sunday was the only day Ty did not spend at the restaurant except for family functions, which he never missed. Everyone looked at him in surprise. “I got a new flat screen, and I know Alex wants to see it,” Ty countered to all the inquiring looks. Ty never invited anyone over because he was protective of his personal space.

  “Cool, we’ll get Maddy, Hannah, and Joi to come, too. Then, we can really see what is up with Alex,” Ami said.

  “Bet,” Ty replied. Ty was always down for the cause, Ami thought. That was why she loved him. The game was on!

  As Jada listened to the conversations going on around her, she thought to herself that Alex was painfully good looking.It should be illegal, She thought. She wondered how many women had fallen victim to those eyes. The sound of her name brought her back from her thoughts.

  “Jada.”

  She turned toward Alex and noticed his lips were moving in a fashion that seemed to speak her name, but she could not recall hearing anything. She instantly wanted to reach out and touch them.

  “Jada.”

  With that last call of her name, she was fully back to attention, fully aware that heat was rising in her blood.What the heck is going on here?“Yes, Alex, sorry,” She pleaded. “I don’t know where my mind was for a minute there.” She grinned.

  “Where ever it was, you seemed to be enjoying it. You were smiling.”

  “Was I? I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize, it was captivating.” Alex thought about what he said after it came out and he noticed Jada blush. He instantly thought he liked her blush and he tried to shake the thought. In the Love Family, you did not date close friends of the family. That was asking for trouble. He couldn’t help but think she was the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen. She stirred something deep inside of him that hadn’t been disturbed in a very long time, and he liked it.

  “Thank you, Alex.” Jada smiled. She figured s
he’d better change the subject because if he kept smiling at her like that, she may do something very unladylike. “Ami has told me a lot about you. She’s proud of the work you do and your achievements.” She tried, again, to sound casual.

  Alex blinked. He felt her eyes were seducing him, although he knew that was impossible. Love men were the seducer, not the seducee. “Yes, Ami and I are close. We always were. She told me she made some good friends in L.A. She mentioned one good friend is a film production exec. Is that you?” He asked.

  “Yup!” Jada excitedly said. She loved her job. She never wanted to be before the camera, always behind it. Her family was killed in an auto accident when she was fourteen. She lived with her grandparents before leaving home to attend film school in New York. She returned to California after graduating and landed a fantastic job at a top studio. She worked her way through the ranks, starting with commercials and small documentaries. Now, at thirty-one, she was very successful with many blockbuster movies and successful TV shows under her belt. Her job kept her busy. Too busy to be concerned with anything or anyone else.

  “How did you meet Ami?” Alex asked as he sipped his drink.

  Jada watched intently as his lips touched the rim of the glass. Images flashed in full Technicolor of what those lips could do with her body. She quickly pulled herself together. “A party the studio gave. Ami’s manager brought her. He and I have worked together on several projects, and he introduced us. We hit it off instantly and became good friends, which is not easy in Tinsel Town,” She replied.

  For some reason, the thought of Jada working with another man bothered Alex. “How long will you ladies be in Philly?” Alex asked.

  “Two weeks. Then we have to go back to work on a project,” Jada responded.

  Ami appeared next to Alex. “Is my cousin being nice to you, Jada? He can be rude sometimes,” She teased. Alex flashed an amused grin that Jada knew could be trouble, especially for her.

  Ty appeared on Ami’s heels. “Listen, guys, since this thing is almost over and Mom will be officially releasing us soon, you ladies want to hang out with me and Alex? I know a great jazz club.”

  “Sure,” Ami replied before Jada could blink. “I need to catch up with my cousins.”

  “Good. Meet us at 3rd and Market at 9:30. Alex, let’s get outta here before Mom finds something for us to clean,” Ty said, knowing he hated cleaning and Abigail would insist.

  “OK, Ty. Jada, nice to meet you. I’ll see you ladies later,” Alex said. With that, Alex and Ty said their goodbyes and left the party.

  Ami and Jada got into Ami’s rental and headed across the bridge into Philadelphia. Ami liked to stay in hotels when she came home. Her mother still waited up for her at night and she didn’t want her to worry. She was in no way a “struggling” actress, her parents saw to that, but her mother still worried. “So, what do you think?” Ami asked Jada. “About what?” Jada replied. “My family, silly!” “Oh, they’re great. It’s nice to see how close everyone is. I didn’t have that growing up. I mean, all the people around. It must have been hard though with so many brothers and male cousins,” Jada expressed with a slight hint of longing in her voice.

  “Yeah, they can get a little crazy sometimes. Dating has never been easy for any of the girls. They seem to be everywhere, the Love men,” Ami chuckled. “We are going to have a great time, Jada. You never know what might happen in the city of brotherly love!”

  Jada smiled as she looked out the window at the city and thought, love, could it be possible for her? An image of Alex’s handsome face flashed in her mind. She let out an inaudible sigh. She hoped it didn’t get complicated. She had at least two upcoming projects and did not need complications at that point in her life.

  Ty was yet again dressing at Alex’s house. “Don’t you ever go home?” Alex yelled to Ty downstairs.

  “Why? Your house is much closer to everything. Plus, you know I hate driving,” Ty shot back.

  “Do you ever drive either one of your cars? Why do you even have them?”

  “Because a brotha needs a nice ride, just in case.” Ty smiled. Alex shook his head. His brother was on top of his game, as usual.

  Forty-five minutes later, the fellas headed out. They arrived at a friend of Ty’s club in Old City. It was not often that two gorgeous men walked around without a woman on their arm, so the women in the club were on high alert. Within minutes of being seated at a table, the usual game started. They both were used to it by now. The dropping of items very near the table so they could pick it up. The asking of where the ladies room was. Some were even bold enough to just sit down and start talking. Alex and Ty were gracious and pleasant. No woman, even turned down, ever felt slighted. Boy, the Love Family charm was killer! Then, they walked in, Ami and Jada. The same female attention that was on the men was now the male attention on the ladies. “Damn!” Ty breathed.

  Alex felt a flash of anger touch him. “What?”

  “I hate it when Ami dresses like that. I swear if one of these brothers gets out of line tonight, you and Dad may have to defend me in court,” Ty said.

  Quickly, the anger was gone at his brother’s words and a smile spread across his face. Alex took in the full sight of Jada. She had changed in to a burnt orange, strapless baby doll dress that hugged her full breast, but flowed loosely over her hips. Then, there were her shoes. They had to be three and a half inch stiletto heels that perfectly matched the dress. She had a runway walk. Strong, confident, sexy. Alex needed to be careful, very careful, because she was Ami’s friend.

  “Hey, cousins!” Ami sang. “What’s up?”

  Daggers were suddenly flying from the women who could not hear their conversation. Alex and Ty stood as their mother had taught them to do in the presence of a beautiful woman, and waited for the ladies to take their seats.

  “Nice to see you two again,” Ty said. “You ladies look great.”

  Jada saw the intensity in Alex’s eyes and blushed. Alex liked her reaction to his look a little too much. She could become a real distraction in the next two weeks. He also took notice to how his body reacted to her presence. Yeah, a real distraction.

  The foursome sat and ordered drinks. Ty asked Ami how things were going with the new role in the movie she was in.

  “Oh, it’s a great opportunity,” Ami started. “I am playing an investigator who is looking for a serial killer. It’s really exciting. Jada is a co-producer on the film and she has been great. She is always front and center.”

  “Ami, please. Your talent makes my work on the film feel like nothing,” Jada complimented Ami.

  Alex thought about the fact that he loved the way her mouth moved. Her voice was a caressing melody that sent heat rushing to his groin. It was completely feminine, yet, he knew she could stand on her own. The way her lips parted when she talked had him hypnotized. The way her eyes lit up when she was excited made the throbbing between his legs that much worse. It was crazy because he’d only known this woman a few hours.

  “Alex, any high profile cases in the mix?” Ami asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  Alex turned his attention to his cousin. “You know I can’t talk about that stuff, Ami.” Ami did know, but something about the way he was looking at Jada made her draw him into the conversation.

  “How did the partnership come about?” Ami asked, wanting to study him further.

  Alex explained how he tried and won several high profile cases, and helped several other attorneys win their cases, also. Alex loved the courtroom. He thought of his work in the courtroom like a chess match.

  He could move the pieces and manipulate the game until he called checkmate.

  As Alex talked, Jada watched him intently. His jaw line flexed. His hands looked strong and smooth. His muscles beneath his shirt flexed and relaxed with every movement. And, those eyes, damn. Jada listened closely to the sound of his voice. She imagined him close to her ear. Feeling the warmth of his breath against her neck. She wondered what his lips felt li
ke. For the second time in a day, she felt the heat rising in her body. She absently picked up her glass and took a long swallow.

  The jazz musicians started to play their set. Alex turned to Jada and asked her to dance before he had a chance to analyze what he was doing.

  “Sure, Alex,” Jada replied a little hesitant, just recovering from her fantasy.

  Alex took Jada’s hand and led her to the dance floor. Her hand in his sent shock waves throughout his body. She trembled slightly at his touch and he was certain she felt the heat from his body.She is Ami’s friend, he reminded himself, but could not deny the attraction he had for this woman. He wanted her and that was dangerous.

  On the dance floor, Alex put his hand at the small of Jada’s back and she wrapped her hands around his neck. He pulled her in close to his body and they began to sway with the music. Her scent was wreaking havoc on his senses as he was taking her in. He was memorizing her smell and feel as if it would be his only chance to do so.

  Jada couldn’t believe how she felt safe in Alex’s arms. His hands were strong, just like she had imagined. The scent of him was masculine and uniquely he. She instantly got nervous and her body stiffened.

  “Are you all right?” He asked as he felt her body change.

  “Oh, yeah. I’m uh, fine,” She replied, unable to hide her nervousness.

  He blessed her with an award-winning smile that would melt the polar ice caps. “Don’t worry,” He assured her, “nothing will ever happen to you as long as you’re with me.” He felt her relax as she studied his light brown eyes. He thought he saw the slightest hint of trust in her eyes just before she broke his gaze.

  As she dropped her head, she smiled before asking him, “Do you always openly flirt with the women you dance with?”

  He inhaled the floral scent of her hair as they swayed to the sensual sound coming from the stage. “I don’t dance often, Jada. I often don’t feel compelled to dance. I just wanted a reason to hold you close.”