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What Natalie did know about her family was that her mother, Norris-Jean, had come from her own humble beginnings. She had been a teenager herself, pregnant with her eldest son, when she’d followed their father, a traveling minister, to Utah, trusting the promises he’d made to her. Those promises had been broken when Norris-Jean discovered the man of her dreams had a wife and another family who were more important to him.
After Noah was born, a second string of promises, which had never materialized, led to the birth of the twins, Nicholas and Nathaniel. Their mother should have known better but it wasn’t until Naomi and then Natalie had come into the world that Norris-Jean finally accepted that the man she loved with all her heart had never loved her enough to want to do right by her.
Natalie had asked her mother once why she’d never gone back to her own family and it was in that brief moment that she had seen the embarrassment and the regret that had eventually hardened Norris-Jean’s spirit, the wealth of it spinning in the woman’s eyes. Their mother had preferred to suffer in silence than admit her mistakes and seek help from people who might have been willing to lend them a hand. Pride had been Norris-Jean’s one shortcoming and her children had suffered for it. But for everything the woman hadn’t been able to provide she’d given them love tenfold, its abundance overflowing.
Days earlier Norris-Jean had slipped quietly away in her sleep, leaving her five children to mourn the loss. Natalie had last spoken to her mother right before Paris fashion week, her requisite call to check that the matriarch had received the check Natalie had been sending every month since the day she’d left home. In the beginning, some months had been much harder than others. Most recently Natalie had been grateful for the steady income that allowed her to share her wealth so readily.
A man’s deep baritone voice suddenly broke through the meditation Natalie had fallen into. “Those are not good airport shoes. Especially not in this weather!”
Natalie lifted her eyes to stare at the man who was speaking to her. He was tall, lean and well dressed in a charcoal-gray silk suit, white dress shirt and burgundy red necktie. His shoes were expensive Italian leather, highly polished to a spit shine. He bent down and picked up her high heels, eyeing them too closely. She met the look he was giving her, one eyebrow raised curiously.
“You must have worn these right off the runway,” the handsome stranger crooned.
Her gaze trailed from the top of his head down to the floor beneath his large feet. His complexion was the color of Riesen’s chocolate-caramel candy, his eyes a deep, dark brown and he had full, luscious lips that pouted ever so slightly. His hair was cropped closely, a precision fade that complemented the thick texture of his tight curls. He suddenly smiled, his mouth widening into a deep grin that showcased the prettiest set of bright white teeth and accentuated the hint of a goatee across his chin.
“Excuse me?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously as he waved her shoes in his hands.
“These are from Jimmy Choo’s new fall collection. They haven’t even hit the stores yet!” He sat them upright by her side.
Her gaze narrowed. “You know shoes?”
He laughed. “It’s what I do,” he said as he extended a hand in her direction. “I’m Tinjin Braddy. Do you mind if I join you?”
Natalie stared. He had the hands of a piano player, large appendages with elongated fingers. She raised her eyes back to his, not bothering to lift her own hands from her lap.
Tinjin chuckled warmly. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, not at all offended by her chilly reception. He settled himself down into the seat beside her.
“Tinjin. What kind of name is that?” she asked, shifting her body ever so slightly.
He smiled again. “It’s very country, is what it is. I’m told it’s an old family moniker. I was named after my father, who was named after his father, who was named after his father.”
“So does that make you Tinjin the third or the fourth?”
“The sixth, actually. I come from a long line of men named Tinjin and I fully intend to pass it down to a son of my own someday. There’s a lot of history in this name.”
“Huh,” Natalie grunted. “I’m sure that will make your father proud.”
Tinjin shrugged. “I really wouldn’t know. My father left shortly after my baby sister was born. We never knew him. My mother disappeared soon after that. I was raised by my grandmother.” Tinjin was suddenly surprised that he’d shared so much information so quickly. He met the look she was giving him.
Natalie felt herself staring as she reflected on his comment. She suddenly realized he was staring back and a wave of heat flushed her face with color. She took a deep breath. “My name’s Natalie,” she said, changing the subject.
Tinjin flashed her his brilliant smile one more time. “It’s nice to meet you, Natalie. So, where are you headed?”
She glanced over her shoulder, eyeing the snow that fell outside. “I was headed to Salt Lake City. Looks like I’m stuck here until this blows over.”
“Isn’t that a coincidence,” Tinjin exclaimed. “So am I. I’m going to meet my sister and her husband, to spend some time with my niece and nephew.”
“Do you come from a big family?” Natalie asked.
He shook his head. “Not really. It was just me and my sister, Tierra, growing up. But she married into a big family and it seems to be getting bigger and bigger every day,” Tinjin said with a soft chuckle.
Natalie smiled ever so slightly. “I come from a big family. Three brothers and a sister. There were five of us.”
“Where do you fall in the lineup?”
“I’m the youngest,” Natalie answered.
Tinjin stared as Natalie drifted off into reflection. He’d spied the woman from the entrance and had purposely maneuvered his way to her side. He figured if he had to be stuck at the airport then why not be stuck in the company of a beautiful woman?
And she was beautiful. Her eyes were pale, a shimmery hazel with flecks of green and brown. She had extraordinary cheekbones and her jawline was strong, angular and defined. Her skin was the color of light molasses, a rich, warm brown with red cinnamon undertones. She was exceptionally thin, and even seated he could see that she was tall. There was an essence of grace about her and with her light brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail, diamond studs decorating her earlobes and the barest hint of makeup adorning her chiseled features, she was stunning. At first glance Tinjin had sensed that he’d seen her somewhere before but couldn’t for the life of himself remember where. Then it came to him.
“You’re Natalia!” he said, leaning forward in his seat. “Vogue cover model, House of Dior ingenue and one of the most sought-after, high-profile models in the world,” he added as he waved his index finger excitedly.
Natalie blushed, color warming her complexion as her cheeks became heated. She rolled her eyes. “So what are you? Some kind of stalker? Do I need to be afraid? First my shoes and now my résumé? How do you know so much?”
Tinjin laughed. “I’m a shoe designer and I spend a lot of time following women’s fashion trends.”
“A shoe designer? Really?” Natalie didn’t look convinced, eyeing him warily.
Tinjin chuckled again. “I actually designed those shoes,” he said, pointing to the pair on the floor. He reached into his leather portfolio and pulled out a collection of pencil drawings. He passed them into Natalie’s hands, watching intently as she studied them.
The sketches were good; detailed drawings of footwear for the fashion-forward female. If he had designed them, she mused, then he had a great eye for heel height and lines. As Natalie flipped through the drawings in her hand she instantly recognized the pair of heels resting on the floor.
“So you work for Jimmy Choo?” she asked, duly impressed with his skills. She handed his artwork back to him.
“I did. I was one of their head shoe designers until last week.”
“What happened last week?”
“I resigned. I’m moving on to bigger things.”
“What things?”
“I’m opening my own design house.”
“Here in the United States?”
Tinjin shook his head. “No. In Paris.”
“Is that where you live?” Natalie asked, her curiosity peaking.
“Right now I live in London but I also have a flat in Paris and I’ll be moving back there next month.”
“Interesting...” Natalie said, her voice fading ever so slightly.
Tinjin smiled. “Give me a chance and you’ll soon discover that I’m a very interesting man,” he said, his tone slightly smug. “I’m also quite the gentleman. It’s my European aesthetic with my Southern upbringing. My granny raised me well. I love my granny!” he exclaimed, his smile widening.
She leaned forward, her gaze narrowing slightly. “So does that mean you’re a little bit of a mama’s boy?” she asked. There was a hint of teasing in her tone.
Tinjin laughed. “Yes, ma’am! And I’m proud of it. There’s no shame in my game!”
For the first time, Natalie smiled back. She found him amusing. He was clearly confident and had just enough attitude without being arrogant. He was direct, but not pushy and definitely quite the charmer. She liked him and his devil-may-care attitude, and she found herself curious to know more about the man.
* * *
Travis Stallion eased his body against his wife’s, snaking his arm around her waist as he pulled her to him. The two stood quietly together, staring down at their children as both slumbered peacefully. He pressed a kiss to the back of Tierra’s neck.
“They’re growing too fast,” Tierra whispered. “Tianna’s lifting her head up by herself already.”
“They are,” Travis whispered back. “You should have seen Lorenzo on the horses today. Once he warmed up to everyone, there was no stopping him.”
“He’s got a little crush on Gabrielle. I saw how he was following her around.”
Travis chuckled. “That’s my boy! I’m going to hate to have to tell him that she’s his family.”
Tierra giggled as she grabbed her man’s hand and led him from the room. They closed the door and moved to their own bedroom. Inside, both slipped beneath the covers and cuddled close against each other.
“I still haven’t been able to reach Tinjin,” Tierra commented. “That girl who works for him said he’s stuck at the airport in New York.”
“Your brother might not make it. I was listening to the news and they said the weather has made a mess of things. Flights have been canceled up the entire east coast. They’re getting hit hard.”
She blew a low sigh. “I hope he’s still able to meet us. I really wanted to see him. Since he moved abroad we barely spend any time together anymore. I love my brother and I want our kids to know him.”
“You know you can always fly to London to see Tinjin, Tierra. I told you that. In fact, I think you should still go and take Mama Dee with you. You both deserve some time away. I can watch the kids or you can take them with you. You know I’d support whatever you wanted.”
Tierra nodded. “Maybe after I’m not breast-feeding anymore. I think my grandmother would like to go visit Tinjin.”
Travis eased a warm palm across her abdomen and up until his fingers lightly grazed the curve of her breast. He gently stroked the lush tissue, his heated touch teasing.
Tierra laughed. “You’re trying to start something!”
He nodded his head. “I am.”
“You starting something is how we got Tianna. We were going to wait until Lorenzo was four before we had another baby, remember?”
He nuzzled his face into her hair. “I can’t help it if you’re abundantly fertile.”
She laughed again as he continued to stroke her gently, his hands gliding up and down her body. They lay together for only a brief moment, relaxing into the soft inhalations of each breath and then minutes later both were sound asleep.
* * *
Natalie and Tinjin had been talking on and off for a couple of hours. Despite the conversation being lighthearted and easy, there was a hint of sadness behind her eyes and Tinjin felt it tugging at his heartstrings. The emotion surprised him just enough to give him reason to pause. He stared at her as her gaze moved to the window and the weather outside. It was still snowing, white flakes of ice and cold blanketing everything in view.
“So why are you going to Salt Lake City?” he asked, breaking through the quiet that had moved between them.
He watched as she bristled, biting down against her bottom lip. Her eyes misted but she fought back the urge to cry. She tossed him a quick look, then returned her stare to the window and the landscape outside.
“You ask a lot of questions, TJ,” she finally answered, shifting in her seat to meet his eyes. “You’re like a woman, you’re so nosey.”
Tinjin laughed. “You’re one to talk. And don’t call me TJ. My parents named me Tinjin and I like my name. It’s the only thing the two left me with.”
She chuckled softly. “I like your name, too, so don’t be so sensitive.”
“I’m not being sensitive. Just don’t call me TJ. We don’t know each other that well.”
“I think we know each other very well. Well enough that you deserve a nickname. If it makes you feel better you can give me one. Something just between the two of us.”
Tinjin paused briefly. “Okay, Gnat. I’ll call you Gnat. Like the bug.”
“You’re calling me a bug? An annoying bug?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It fits. I’m giving you a nickname just like you gave me one. We’ll be TJ and Gnat. Gnat and TJ. Airport buddies forever!”
“You’re not funny. And you’re a pain in the ass, do you know that?”
Tinjin laughed. “Takes one to know one.”
Natalie rolled her eyes.
“Now that you’ve walked all around my question, are you going to answer it?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
She eyed him intently, the look he was giving her moving her heart to skip a quick beat. She took a deep breath and held it for a second. “No, I’m not,” she said finally. “It’s still none of your business.”
“I told you why I was headed in that direction.”
“But I didn’t ask. You just volunteered it. Just like you’ve been volunteering all of your business.”
Tinjin smiled, his full lips bending warmly. “I’m an open book. I have nothing to hide.”
“Bully for you. I don’t know you that well, so my business is none of your business.”
“I thought we were becoming friends.”
“It’s good they don’t pay you to think.”
“And you’re a mean girl, too!” Tinjin exclaimed. “Beautiful and mean!”
“You should be careful,” Natalie said, her expression smug. “That’s a lethal combination.”
They were interrupted as a hostess suddenly moved between them. “Can I get either of you anything to drink?” the woman asked as she looked from one to the other before letting her gaze rest on Tinjin’s face. She gave him a suggestive smile.
He smiled back. “I’d love a scotch. Straight,” he said. He looked toward Natalie.
“A glass of white wine, please,” Natalie said.
“And white wine for my friend,” Tinjin said as he passed the woman his credit card.
“I’ll bring those right over.” She gave Tinjin a quick wink of her eye.
Tinjin winked back.
When the woman was out of earshot Natalie shook her head. “Really?” she snapped, her eyes narrowed into thin slits as she stared at him.
“What?”
“You’re really going to flirt with another woman right in front of me? Really?”
“That wasn’t flirting. Besides, you set the rules. You said that it’s not like we’re friends, remember?”
“It’s still low of you. But then you’re a man, I guess I shouldn’t have expected better.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that I don’t have a lot of expectations when it comes to you and your kind, TJ. That’s what it means.”
Tinjin crossed his arms over his chest. “Beautiful, mean and bitter. You’re just a walking contradiction, aren’t you?”
“Am I?”
A wry smile pulled at his full lips. “You’re like an angel’s trumpet.”
“A what?” Confusion washed over her expression.
“Angel’s trumpet. It’s this incredibly beautiful flower. It has amazing color and seductive lines. In low doses it can be a highly effective hallucinogen. Too much and it’s lethal. It’s also called devil’s weed.”
Natalie paused as she pondered his comment. Before she could respond the hostess returned with their drinks.
“If you need anything else please let me know,” she said, the comment directed straight at Tinjin.
“Thank you. We’ll do that,” Natalie said.
Tinjin laughed. “I think you like me.”
“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t,” Natalie said nonchalantly.
He nodded. “Yeah! You like me a lot!”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m getting used to you, TJ. Don’t misread me.”
“Oh, I’m reading you just fine, Gnat!” Tinjin said with a soft chuckle.
Natalie met the look he was giving her. Despite her best efforts she couldn’t fight the smile that pulled at her mouth. An easy laugh slipped past her lips. She rolled her eyes a second time.
Chapter 3
Natalie had never known a man who slept with his eyes half open but Tinjin did, the dark lids at half-mast as he slumbered. If it were not for the soft lull of his breathing, with the wispy whistle at the end of each breath, she would have sworn he was staring at her. But he snored softly, lost in a deep sleep.
The length of his body was stretched across the cushioned seats. His arms were crossed over his chest, his hands tucked beneath his armpits. His head rested on a pillow beside her leg. He was so close to her that she could feel the heat from his body warming her own. She resisted the desire to draw her finger across his forehead, to tease the slight arch to his brow with her manicured nail. She didn’t know him like that, yet she had the strongest urge to trail her hand across his profile.
There was something about him that she liked and it had as much to do with his deft sense of humor as it did with his good looks. He made her laugh and feel as though she didn’t have a care in the world, even if it was a false sense of comfort in the moment. Because truth be told, Natalie had a lot on her mind and she couldn’t imagine anything about the next few days being carefree or easy. But something about being with Tinjin had her feeling as if things might settle upright when it was all done and finished. She blew a deep sigh, a shiver running up her spine.
Tinjin suddenly shifted, his body jumping slightly as he was startled from a sound sleep. He sat upright, wiping at his face with the palm of his large hand. He swiped the sleep from his eyes, then moved his gaze in her direction.
“I guess I fell asleep,” he said, murmuring softly.
“You think?” Natalie responded. “You snored and you drooled. It wasn’t pretty, player.”
He met her gaze. “I see waking up to your warm personality is quite the thrill.”
“Enjoy it while you can,” Natalie said smugly.
Tinjin’s full lips lifted in a slight smile. He shook his head then stretched his arms up and out as he shook the last remnants of sleep from his system. He moved onto his feet and reached for his carry-on bag.
Natalie shifted forward in her seat. “Where are you going?”
Looking down at her he couldn’t help but smile. Her nervous expression belied her efforts to appear tough and distant. Her eyes were wide and curiosity shimmered in the pale orbs. Her lips were parted ever so slightly and he suddenly wondered what they might taste like against his own. He took a deep breath.
“Restroom,” he finally answered. “I need to wash my face and rinse my mouth out.”
Natalie blew out the breath she’d been holding. She nodded. “When you get back we can go find something to eat. I’m hungry.”
Tinjin laughed. “Is that an invitation?”
Natalie shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t make anything out of it. I just didn’t see any reason why you should eat alone.”
Tinjin laughed a second time. “I don’t remember saying I was hungry.”
“You look hungry. I was helping you out.”
“Just say you enjoy my company, woman! You’re not fooling anyone! I can see right through you.”
Natalie laughed with him. “You are just so full of yourself!”
Tinjin nodded. “I don’t eat fast food so figure out where we’re headed,” he directed. “I shouldn’t be long.”
As he moved in the direction of the restrooms, Natalie mumbled under her breath. “God, I like a man who takes command!”
* * *
Neither spoke as they made their way to terminal four and the Palm Bar and Grille. They maneuvered through a maze of stranded travelers, warm bodies resting wherever anyone could find to lay their head. When they reached their destination there were only a handful of people inside and an enthusiastic waitress waved them into the space.
The chatty young woman was eager to have someone new to talk to. “Welcome to the Palm!” she greeted them excitedly. “Are you both from the city? Were you headed on vacation?”
Natalie eased into a seat as Tinjin answered. “No. We flew in from London and our connecting flight was canceled.”
“It’s something! This storm is crazy!” the girl exclaimed. “My name’s Hannah and I’ll be serving you. We’re a little shorthanded and I need to apologize now because we’re out of lobster. The trucks couldn’t get here this afternoon.”
“I’m allergic to seafood so I won’t be interested in the lobster,” Natalie said.
“That’s good to know,” Tinjin said, lifting his gaze from the menu to her face. “I was just about to order the calamari appetizer for us to share.”
Natalie shook her head. “I’d look like a bruised tomato if I ate that and I’d be scratching hives for days. It’s not pretty.”
“I guess it’ll be the beef tenderloin carpaccio then,” Tinjin said.
“Good choice,” Hannah said as she jotted a quick note down on the lined pad in her hand.
“Would you ask the chef to put extra shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on that, please? I like good cheese,” Natalie said.
“No problem, miss.”
Tinjin’s eyes shifted back and forth across the menu. “Do you want to share the New York strip?
Natalie hesitated before answering. “Yeah, we can do that,” she said, nodding.
“We’ll have the thirty-six ounce prime double-cut New York strip,” Tinjin ordered.
“And two of your house salads. Plus the green beans, the wild mushrooms and the asparagus fritti for our sides.”
“I have to have potatoes,” Tinjin said, meeting her gaze. “I need something to offset all those vegetables.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. I’m a meat and potatoes man.”
“The three-cheese potatoes au gratin are really good,” Hannah interjected, her eyes moving from one to the other. “They’re my favorite.”
“We’ll have a side order of those, too!” Tinjin said with an air of finality.
Natalie shook her head. “Unnecessary carbohydrates. Calories neither of us needs.”
“This coming from the woman who asked for extra cheese on the appetizer.”
Natalie laughed. “Yes, I did. That little bit of cheese won’t hurt me. Those potatoes, however, will put twenty pounds on my hips and I make a living with this body.”
“Are you an actress or something?” Hannah queried, her eyes wide as she stared at Natalie.
“Or something,” Tinjin said with a wry smirk. “She’s an adult film star. She does porn. Hardcore, dirty porn.” He winked an eye at Natalie.
“Oh,” Hannah said, suddenly blinking, her cheeks warming with color.
Natalie laughed. “Good one,” she said as Tinjin gave her a bright smile.
He winked again. “And Hannah, we’ll take a bottle of your best red wine. If you’ll ask your resident wine steward to make the selection for us, please.”
“Yes, sir,” Hannah said. “I’ll be right back with your salads.”
When the young woman was out of sight, Natalie gave him a light kick under the table. “A porn star? Really?”