Austin stood suddenly and walked to one of the windows of his Atlanta office staring down at the busy traffic on Peachtree Street. He and Zoe might have been the best of friends, but there was no way he was going to discuss another woman with her. Assuming there was one. Okay, maybe there was.
Almost ten years now, and there was a woman who was never far from his thoughts. A woman who had walked out of his life and hadn’t looked back, taking a chunk of his heart with her. The same woman he had seen from a distance six months ago and had been dreaming about ever since.
Janna Morgan.
* * *
“Okay, Iris, I have to get off this phone. I’m standing outside Cupcakes Allure,” Janna said to her sister Iris. Janna had arrived in Atlanta an hour ago and couldn’t wait to indulge in one of her guilty pleasures—a cupcake.
“I don’t know how you can eat that stuff and not gain a pound. Aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to fit into one of those ridiculously skimpy outfits the designers insist you wear?”
As a supermodel, maintaining her weight and her dimensions was always at the forefront of Janna’s mind.
“For the last two weeks, I have added a few extra workouts to my routine specifically for this occasion. There’s a chocolate swirl cupcake loaded with chocolate chips and coconut with an obscene amount of chocolate fudge frosting on top that has my name on it.” To make sure, she had called Iona, the bakery owner, to place her order.
“Well, enjoy all of that chocolate. Are you coming to our house once you leave there? Ms. D has the guest room ready for you.”
Ms. Dalton, her sister and brother-in-law’s live-in housekeeper, was actually more like family.
“She’s so sweet, but I’m staying in a hotel during this trip.”
“What? For three weeks? You know we have more than enough room.”
“I know. Macy said the same thing about their place.” Iris and their other sister, Macy, always insisted that she stay with one of them. “Though I appreciate the offers from both of you, I think it’ll be better for me to stay in the hotel. Besides, I already have a reservation.”
“Cancel it.”
Janna didn’t want to. This vacation was about more than just spending time with her family. She also planned to think about her future. She loved modeling but was ready to expand her brand and clean up her image. Being seen with some of the country’s sexiest A-listers and music moguls was intended to keep her visible to the public, but lately the media had turned innocent situations into juicy gossip. She was ready for the world to see her as more than just a pretty face. If her future plans panned out, they would also see her as a businesswoman.
“So, how are the boys?” Janna asked of her twin nephews, Stephen and Trevon.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice how you changed the subject, but the boys are great. They’re busier than ever. Not even two yet and they’re getting into everything. But I love my little angels.”
“Yeah, the angels that got kicked out of heaven,” Janna mumbled.
“I heard that.” Her sister laughed, knowing she couldn’t argue the fact that at times they were out of control. “Is that why you don’t want to stay here, because of the boys?”
“That’s part of it.”
Janna explained her goal for this trip to her sister and stepped out of the way when several women headed up the walkway to the bakery. She wore a pink baseball cap to match her outfit and a large pair of designer sunglasses to shield her identity, in hopes no one would recognize her. Today she just wanted to be a normal person who was taking her first vacation in months.
Janna glanced at her watch. “Listen, sis. I really do need to get off this phone. I’ve been standing out here for almost ten minutes and my driver is waiting. I’ll be there for dinner.”
They talked for a few minutes longer before Janna disconnected. Dropping her cell into her Birkin handbag, she hurried into the bakery, glad to see it had temporarily cleared out.
“Well, there she is,” Iona crooned the moment Janna removed her sunglasses. “I was starting to wonder if you weren’t going to make it.” Iona walked around the counter and pulled Janna in for a tight hug.
“It’s so good seeing you again. I’m sorry I’m late. I got stuck on the phone with my sister.”
“Not a problem. I have your treat ready for you. And it’s low in calories and low in fat, just the way you like it.” Iona winked. She and Janna shared a laugh, knowing there were easily five hundred calories in the cute little pink-and-brown box Iona placed on the counter. “Oh, and did you want your soy latte today?”
“Definitely. If I’m going to ruin my diet, I might as well make it worth my while.”
Unable to resist, Janna opened the small box and licked the top of the cupcake. A sweet peace settled in her soul and her eyes drifted closed as the chocolate frosting melted on her tongue. This little bit of heaven was so worth the wait.
Janna talked with Iona for a few minutes until more customers started showing up.
“I’m going to head out, since you guys are getting busy. I can’t wait to eat my cupcake.” She held the box up as she turned to leave.
“Oh, wait! Don’t forget your drink,” Iona said and hurried to make Janna’s latte.
While she was standing off to the side waiting, Janna’s cell phone rang. Normally she wouldn’t have taken the call inside the bakery, but it was her manager and she’d been expecting his call.
“Hey, Nelson. I hope you have some good news for me.”
“Let’s just say that you picked the perfect time to be in Atlanta. Philanthropist Blake Dresden agreed to a meeting with you.”
Yes! Janna tried to keep from doing a happy dance in the semicrowded bakery. Instead, she retrieved her latte from Iona and bade her farewell before heading toward the entrance. She had identified several people to pitch an idea she had to start a nonprofit for teens aging out of foster care to adulthood. Unlike her, many foster children didn’t have a loving family to depend on once they turned eighteen. For those individuals, she wanted them to have a safe place to stay that would not only provide a roof over their heads, but also an environment that would support them as they transitioned into adulthood. This cause was very personal to her and she couldn’t wait to speak with Mr. Dresden.
Juggling her boxed cupcake and her drink, Janna wove through the small crowd in order to get to the door.
“Nelson, thank you so much for making this happen.”
“My pleasure, doll. There is one catch, though.”
Distracted and tuning out her manager, Janna slowed to reposition her cell, holding it to her ear with her shoulder. She pushed against the door, but someone yanked it open at the same time.
“Oh, crap!” Her cell phone slipped from her ear and her drink went flying when she lost her balance. Her baseball cap and sunglasses—gone. Trying to catch the cupcake box, she would have fallen face-first had it not been for the strong hands gripping her arm.
Face-to-face with the front of a man’s suit jacket, she realized where her latte had landed.
“Oh, no, no, no.” She wiped her hands feverishly down the guy’s jacket until he took a step back out of her reach. Janna pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and stood upright.
“I’m so sor...” Her words lodged in her throat and her breath caught when she met the gaze of the fine specimen standing before her. It couldn’t be. “Au-Austin?”
At five-eleven, wearing three-inch wedge heels, she was taller than most women, but he still towered over her by at least three or four inches. Prior to seeing him from