She leaned back against the counter and nodded, seeming deep in thought. When she folded her arms across her chest, the move snagged Kenton’s attention. He was definitely a breasts man and tried not to stare, but it was hard not to. Her Coke bottle figure would attract any man’s attention.
From the moment he met her, she reminded him of the singer, Lauryn Hill. Not today’s Lauryn with the short afro. More like 1990’s Lauryn. More like Miseducation Lauryn. The dreadlocks, those intriguing eyes, full, kissable lips, and nice curves that a man could appreciate. Like the singer, Egypt was a looker.
“Feel free to cook for me anytime.”
She smirked. “I would, but I don’t think I can afford to. You eat enough for three people.”
“Hey, I’m a big guy. I need a lot of fuel.”
Kenton shoveled another fork full of the ziti into his mouth, trying not to moan. She often brought home-cooked dishes to Supreme, especially when they had companywide meetings. Each time, the guys raved about her culinary skills.
He had often wondered why she wasn’t married or in a serious relationship. Did that asshole, Ross, have anything to do with Egypt keeping herself closed off from men? It had only been recently that she’d started dating.
Kenton snatched one of the napkins from the napkin holder and wiped his mouth. Now that she seemed more relaxed, it was time to get some answers.
“All right, Egypt. Let’s talk about Ross.”
Chapter Six
Let’s not. Egypt sighed heavily, knowing Kenton would bring up Ross at some point, but she had hoped that it would be later, much later.
Instead of responding, she watched him move around her kitchen, looking right at home. Well over six feet tall and as wide as a doorway, the sexy man filled the tight space and seemed to suck the oxygen right out of the air.
Egypt liked looking at him, soaking up every aspect of his low-cut hair, smooth dark skin, and a body she would love to be wrapped up with. He was always well groomed, and that included his thin mustache that flowed into a perfectly trimmed goatee. And damn if he didn’t smell divine. The scent of sandalwood with a hint of amber had her pulse thumping loudly in her ears.
“Any day now, Egypt. Heck, I’ll even get the conversation started. Where was your date, and who the hell is Ross?” Kenton asked as he shrugged out of his dress shirt, revealing a white T-shirt underneath.
Egypt swallowed hard. Warmth soared through her body. His broad shoulders and wide chest might have been covered, but the tight-weaved fabric did nothing to hide the way his muscular arms contracted with each move.
Good, Lord. The man was perfection. Pure perfection.
“Sweetheart, if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll have no other choice but to kiss you again.”
Egypt’s brows shot up, and her mouth dropped open. “Uh…what?”
Kenton chuckled and hung the shirt on one of the dining chairs. “You’ve been watching my every move for the last ten minutes. Clearly, you like what you see. After we talk, I’ll be happy to let you have your way with my body.”
“Yo—you wish,” she sputtered, embarrassed that he’d caught her staring. He didn’t need to see her drooling over him. He already knew the effect his presence had on her since she wasn’t good at hiding her attraction.
He snapped his fingers. “I know what I was planning to ask you when I stopped by your office earlier. Am I the only person who didn't know that Nelson isn’t your real brother?”
“I didn’t know you didn’t know. Nelson is…”
Not only was Nelson Harmon one of Atlanta’s finest, he was also a very important person in her life. How could she explain to Kenton just how important he was to her without revealing too much of her past? Nelson had claimed her as a little sister, but he was actually the man who had saved her life.
Instead of saying all of that, she said, “He’s just like a brother to me, and it’s because of him I have my job.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was out of work for a while and had no prospects. Nelson put in a good word for me with Mason and Hamilton, and they hired me shortly after.”
Kenton nodded, still studying her as if he was waiting for her to say more. The man had a way of looking at people as if he could tell they were lying, or in this case, withholding the full story.
Without another word on the subject, he grabbed his beer from the table and reached for her hand. “Come on. Let’s have a seat.”
Once they were seated on the sofa, Egypt noticed he had removed his shoes and was walking around in dark socks. A warm, fuzzy feeling flowed through her at the sight. Admittedly, she liked him in her space, and he looked like he belonged.
Kenton turned slightly, and draped his arm on the back of the sofa behind her. “I want to know who this Ross guy is, but first, what happened to your date tonight?”
“He canceled.” She stared down at her folded hands. The night had been one disappointment after another.
“Was this before or after you left the office?”
“He sent me a text after I had already been seated at the restaurant. I ended up treating myself to dinner.”
Kenton didn’t respond, but he toyed with one of her dreadlocks. It felt so intimate, Egypt sighed and laid her head back, relishing the moment.
“Why didn’t you call me?” he finally asked. “I would’ve met you there. At least then you wouldn’t have had to eat alone.”
“I’m used to eating alone.”
“But, sweetheart, you don’t have to.”
What could she say to that? He made it no secret that he wanted to be more than friends. Yet, she couldn’t date him. Even worse, she couldn’t give him the real reasons why. Well, she could tell him about her relationship with Ross. Then he’d understand why she didn’t want to risk dating a coworker again.
“Who is Ross to you?”
“My ex.”
Kenton’s hand stilled in her hair and seconds ticked by as the silence grew. He probably thought that she’d been in an abusive relationship when that wasn’t the case at all. At least not exactly.
Kenton moved his arm from around her and sat forward. He lifted the beer bottle from the table and took several gulps before setting it back on the coaster.
“I want to know everything about the guy. Let’s start with his full name.” When Egypt didn’t respond, he said, “Tell me. You know I’ll find out one way or another.”
“His name is Ross Hoakley.”
“Why does that name sound familiar? What does he do?”
“He’s the CFO of Hoakley Manufacturing. Ross and his brother started the company, but I heard a few years ago, his brother sold his shares to Ross. While I was with the organization, I was an administrative assistant.”
“Okay, so you were dating the boss. Why did you guys break up?”
She gave a slight shrug even though Kenton was still leaning forward and not looking at her.
“We just didn’t work out.” He looked at her with those serious, dark eyes and Egypt huffed out a breath. “I don’t want to talk about this. It’s over. Just drop it.”
“The hell it’s over. That asshole hit you. In the face. In public.”
Egypt winced then started to speak, but Kenton stopped her by lifting his hand.
“I don’t care if he was drunk, high, or whatever. That still doesn’t make it okay. I’m a little surprised that you wouldn’t want to make sure he didn’t have a repeat of tonight with someone else.”
“Of course, I don’t want him doing anything like that to anyone else!” she snapped and lunged from her seat. “Do you have any idea how embarrassing tonight was? He caught me off guard. Yes, he was a jerk when we were together, but he never hit me.”
“Are you sure?”
“What type of question is that? Of course, I’m sure. We dated years ago. It didn’t work out, and shortly after, I started working at Supreme.” Standing near the fireplace, Egypt stared at her favorite painting. “I had hoped when
I left Hoakley Manufacturing that I would never see Ross again. He wasn’t…” She stopped and rubbed the side of her still aching cheek. “He’s not a nice guy.”
“No shit,” Kenton mumbled and strolled out of the living room. Within seconds he was back, carrying the icepack that he had made earlier, along with the towel Egypt had been using. “Come and sit back down.”
Not bothering to argue, she reclaimed her seat and put the ice on her cheek. Hopefully, the swelling would be gone by morning.
With his arm around her shoulder, Kenton pulled her close and placed a kiss on her temple. Such a simple gesture, but Egypt felt as if he’d given her a lifeline. The guys at Supreme and their spouses were her only friends, her family. She didn’t have anyone else and having Kenton come to her rescue tonight, and now hanging out with her, meant so much.
No, she didn’t want to talk about Ross, but it felt good not to be alone. The events of the evening, and her interaction with Ross had shaken her more than she cared to admit.
“The last thing I want is for you to relive something that hurt you, but I think it will do us both good if you tell me about your relationship with Ross.”
Egypt leaned away and studied him. “Why? What are you going to do to him? Because I’m sure you’re not asking just to be asking.”
“The only thing I’m going to do to Ross is make sure he stays away from you.”
Egypt didn’t want Kenton anywhere near her ex-boyfriend, but saying that to him would be a waste of time. Like the other men at Supreme, he was fiercely overprotective and did whatever he wanted to do.
Instead, she reflected on her past relationship with Ross. Thinking about him, she couldn’t help remembering her own bad choices. Maybe she could blame her terrible decisions on being young and inexperienced, but she’d been twenty-eight. Naïve yes, but not that young.
“We dated for about five months if you can call it that. At first, it was meeting for coffee or breakfast before work. Then it was a walk occasionally through Piedmont Park at lunchtime. I was okay with how slowly our relationship progressed. I wasn’t very experienced at dating.”
Actually, that was an understatement. Egypt could count on one hand how many men she’d been with and still have three fingers left over. Her lack of experience was also a reminder that Kenton was out of her league.
“Dating someone I worked for made me a little uneasy,” Egypt continued. “And part of me was always a little unsure about him.”
“Why?”
She gave a slight shrug and lowered the icepack. Kenton moved her hand back up to her cheek, Egypt rolled her eyes, which only made him flash that sexy grin. He really was handsome, and more than that, he was the nicest man she’d ever met.
“Getting back to Ross. What made you unsure about him initially?”
“For the most part, he was all right to work for, but if he was having a bad day, everyone felt his wrath. Ross wasn’t beyond yelling if someone screwed up an order, or he would fire people for no apparent reason. Once, he was so pissed at an intern that he swiped everything from her desk onto the floor.”
“Did he ever do anything like that to you?”
“No, actually he was always nice to me, at first.”
Tension crept through Egypt’s chest as flashes of memories invaded her mind. Ross had been good at making her feel special. The occasional bouquet of flowers delivered to the office, the compliments on how nice she looked and the constant praise about her work went a long way. Until they didn’t.
How could she have been so wrong about him and his intentions?
“What exactly happened between you two, Egypt?” Kenton, usually a patient person, had an edge in his voice that proved her hesitation was wearing on him.
He blew out a breath and brought the beer bottle to his lips, taking a long drag of the dark liquid.
“He almost raped me.”
Chapter Seven
Beer spewed from Kenton’s mouth, spraying them both and landing on the table in front of the sofa. “Wh-what?” he croaked, pounding on his chest while coughing. He’d heard her loud and clear, but the question popped out anyway.
He wiped his forearm across his mouth. Instead of cleaning up the mess on the table, he turned to Egypt, who looked both embarrassed and horrified.
“But he didn’t,” she said in a rush. “Things got out of control one day in his office, and—”
“And now I know why the bastard didn’t want the cops involved tonight, but what I don’t understand is why you didn’t. Clearly, this asshole has a problem.”
“He might have a problem, but it’s not what you thi—”
“If he manhandled you, trust me, he has done the same to someone else. You keeping quiet is only giving him the power to go after others, Egypt! What the hell does he have on you? It’s like you’re condoning his behav—”
“Stop!” She threw the ice pack across the room and shot up from her seat. “Just stop. I’m done talking. I didn’t tell you any of that so you can judge me. You don’t know…” Frustrated, she ran a hand through her locks. “You…you don’t know me like that!”
Now Kenton was out of his seat, standing in front of her. “I do know you. I know enough to know that you don’t usually take crap from anyone. You’re quick to set someone straight if they step out of line. You’re also the one who has gone beyond the call of duty to help and defend others, but I’m confused as hell. Why are you protecting this guy?”
“I’m not protecting him. I’m protecting myself!” Egypt screamed, shaking uncontrollably.
A tight fist squeezed Kenton’s heart as he looked at her, shaking in front of him. She folded her arms around herself, and her teary-eyed gaze darted around.
She was scared, but of what?
Instead of saying anything, he pulled her roughly against his chest, holding on tight as if that would make her fears go away. What the hell had happened to her? How was not reporting this guy protecting her? Normally, a fierce advocate, she wasn’t the type to run scared or allow someone to mistreat others. But this…
Kenton had witnessed her raise over ten thousand dollars, within a few days, for a homeless shelter. Then she helped find jobs for their clients. So many examples of her efforts to help those who were less fortunate came to mind.
Considering all she did for others, including Atlanta’s finest, it was easy to forget she probably had her own life issues. She was a woman with a big heart. Apparently, one with secrets and maybe scars too. Internal or external, Kenton didn’t know, but something had happened to her. He just had to find out what.
Egypt lifted her hands and pushed against his chest, forcing Kenton to loosen his hold. “Excuse me. I need to um…I need a moment.” She hurried out of the room.
He huffed out a breath and leaned against the wall, the night’s event starting to wear him out. It was safe to say he’d handled this conversation completely wrong. There had always been a mysterious air around her, and now some of it was coming to light. She’d said Ross had never hit her before, but that he had tried to rape her.
Anger, like a noose, tightened around Kenton’s neck as he picked up the ice pack and returned it to the kitchen. Snatching several napkins from the holder on the dining table, he cleaned up the mess he’d made with the beer. His mind galloped with one question after another. Why was she protecting Ross? What was she afraid of in going to the police?
More importantly, despite them being good friends, it was apparent that she didn’t trust him. At least not enough to share this part of her life with him.
With the television remote in his hands, he settled back on the sofa and turned on the TV. He’d give it a few minutes before going to check on Egypt, but first, he needed to get his own frustration under control.
A short while later, when she returned to the room, Kenton sat up straight. Her cheek was still a little puffy, and her eyes were red but other than that, she looked like herself. Looking like she was back in control.
She sat
on the sofa, keeping space between them. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped like that. I know you’re only trying to help.”
“And I’m sorry I pushed too hard.” Though he knew he was taking a chance that she’d pull away, Kenton reached for her hand. “By now, you have to know how important you are to me, and not just as my friend. If someone hurts you, they hurt me. I’m not going to lie, seeing Ross standing over you and then hearing what he did to you, it was hard. Hard as hell. So of course, I want to beat his ass and make him sorry he ever stepped to you.
Staring down at their joined hands, Egypt squeezed. “You’re one of my best friends, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me tonight, but… Some topics are off limits.”
“Is that because you don’t trust me?”
The last thing he wanted was for her to shut down on him, but Kenton could almost see the walls around her going back up.
“You’re one of few people I trust, but there are some aspects of my life that I have no intention of sharing with anyone.”
Kenton remained silent as he processed that bit of information. In their business, some of the first thoughts that come to mind when dealing with closed-mouthed people was to—do a background check. Supreme had run background checks on all of them. Maybe he could get access to her information, but he wanted her to tell him everything. Digging into her life without her knowledge would be a last resort.
“Can we keep everything that happened tonight between us?” Her troubled eyes sought out his.
Kenton hadn’t planned on saying anything to anyone, even though he wanted to file a report with the cops on her behalf. The night’s events were her business. He was just glad he’d been there to stop that guy from hurting her more.
Kenton brought the back of her hand to his lips. “I won’t say a word, but if you insist on dating anyone other than me, you have to promise to be careful. You also have to agree to more self-defense training and remember what you’ve been taught.”
“I’m done with dating. I’ve had enough of men.”
Accused Page 5