Fortress (Forde Family Series Book 2)

by nikki blaire

  “This is how you are with women? This is why they have such a hard time letting you go?”

  “Not exactly, well I don't know.” He shrugged. “I was forced to take one of those love language tests once. I think it said that I like to do shit for people.”

  “Acts of service.” Charlisse corrected.

  “Yeah, that.”

  Marcus went into his refrigerator for orange juice and then grabbed one of the pastries that he had gotten from the coffee shop before sitting down next to her.

  “What about you? What’s your love language?”

  “Words of affirmation.” She gave a small smile. "But that's how I like to receive it. I show it in acts of service too."

  “Well then, good morning to your fine ass.” He laughed. “Was that affirmative enough?"

  “It'll work.” She giggled, while cupping her coffee with both hands.

  Charlisse always came across as a powerhouse to him, but this morning, she looked delicate wearing his oversized T-shirt. Her hair was mussed and her face was bare. This was the real Charlisse and he was so thankful to be able to fully experience her.

  “So, are you adjusting to being CEO?” She put the cup down and the innocent shine in her eyes was replaced with her usual fervor.

  “No.” Marcus was honest. “I have no idea what’s going to be thrown at me and I’m still waiting to hear if my dad can get a deal for cooperating.”

  He sighed. “My family wants to celebrate, but I can’t celebrate anything until that’s done. Everything could still fall apart.”

  “But it won’t.” She reassured him. “And you should focus on yourself. That’s what he would do.”

  “I know.” He shook his head. “But I still haven’t been able to shake having some sympathy for the man. He’s my father. I mean, I don’t know what it’s like to be a father, but I hope it’d be just as difficult for my son to just walk away from me."

  “Well, my advice to you is to use this time, while everyone is waiting on the outcome, to stir up your own positive press. Get on some national outlets or covers to set yourself apart from your father, while people are still curious about you. Strike while the iron is hot.”

  Marcus pondered over what she said for a moment. “You’re right, as always. I guess I can get our communications manager on it, even though I’m sure they’ll have no idea where to even begin. They're better with business news.”

  Charlisse’s lips formed into a sly, wide grin. “I made a list. I just text it to you. It’s got a mix of Black media, pop culture and business media outlets that you can start with.”

  “Of course you made a list.” Marcus looked down at his phone with a chuckle. “You never cease to amaze me.”

  He leaned in to kiss her, but Charlisse moved out of the way just in time.

  “And I have a small favor. I need to repay a friend who’s done a great job of helping me through all of this.”

  Marcus groaned at not getting to taste her lips. “Sure, whatever you want.”

  “Hear what it is first.” She giggled. “I’d like for you to do an exclusive interview with Terry Fields for the Post. It’ll be an opportunity for you to,”

  “It’s done. Whatever you want.” He leaned and took the kiss that he had been dying for.

  “That was too easy.” She shook her head once they pulled apart. “What’s the catch?”

  “No catch, Charlisse. I trust you. You’re good at what you do. Shit, you're a hot commodity.”

  He knew he had said something wrong by the look on her face. Her light-hearted smile had morphed into an inquiring side-eye that made Marcus feel like he was on trial.

  “C’mon, you know I didn’t mean it like that.” He tried to fix it, but she was already processing every negative interpretation of his words.

  “But you said it for a reason. What’s the reason?” Her eyes narrowed in on him.

  For a moment, he wished that Charlisse wasn’t so intuitive because it was always getting him into trouble.

  “Alright, fine. Brandon pulled me aside last night. He got in my face about Vanessa, but his real reason for talking to me was his jealousy over our relationship. I know Vanessa’s been in his ear, but he’s also got a stick up his ass on his own.”

  Charlisse’s face turned pale. “He did what?”

  “Don’t stress over it. Seriously.” Marcus chuckled thinking about it. “He even tried to make me jealous by telling me how close he was to your dad.”

  “My dad? He’s never met my dad.” Charlisse hissed. “They met for the first time at the gala.”

  Her response made Marcus laugh even louder. “What a sucker. He’s really that hard up.”

  “Did you tell him about us?” Her eyes were wide.

  “I told him that he was wasting his time sniffing around you, but that’s it. No confirmation. Calm down.”

  He didn’t want her to get upset. They had been doing well.

  “I handled it properly. I couldn’t let him disrespect you and he sure as hell wasn’t going to disrespect me.”

  Charlisse exhaled, which made him stand up and wrap her in his arms. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you upset.”

  “It’s fine.” She took a sip of her coffee. “I’m really trying to let this feeling go, but it’s not happening as quickly as I’d like.”

  “That’s okay.” He rocked her. “But I promise you that your work speaks for itself. Nothing can interfere with that.”

  “You think so?” She swayed in his arms, while he inhaled her scent.

  “Hell yeah, you worked wonders for me. I value your counsel more than anything.”

  “But I got fired” She smacked her teeth.

  “You're going to use that forever, aren't you?" Marcus pinched her then let her go.

  "You know, I meant what I said about my father doing us a favor. I can’t work with you again, not after experiencing this with you.”

  He broke off a piece of his pastry then delicately placed it in her mouth.

  “But you just said you value my counsel,” She made sure to enclose his fingers with her lips then slowly licked the pastry crumbs away.

  Marcus moved in closer and then lifted her onto the counter.

  “I do, but I don’t have to work with you for it. I’d hope you’d want your man to succeed enough to give him advice.”

  “My man.” Charlisse laughed. “When was that decided?”

  She looked down at him with his face in her hands.

  “I want to be with you, Charlisse.” He shrugged. “I know what I want and then I go after it.”

  “Just like that?” She tilted her head, still staring at him.

  “Hell yeah. I don’t do subtlety. I want to be with you. You let me know when you want the same. I’ll be here until you decide.”

  “Marc, this is overwhelming.” She let her head fall, which felt like the perfect moment to steal a kiss.

  “Give me some time to think about it?”

  “Sure.” He said, but inside he wished that she was as absolute about her feelings for him as he was for her.

  Marcus was not the hesitant type, but Charlisse did think things out more long-term than he did. That was one of her traits that he loved about her. So, he would give her the time that she needed. But, that didn’t mean that he couldn’t do things to influence her decision.

  “How do you usually spend your Saturdays?” He wanted to talk about anything else other than his failed proposition for a relationship.

  “Oh, hmm, well, honestly, I usually just have breakfast, do some yoga or run errands. But, I really like to just lay in bed and chill. I rarely have any “me” time, so I like to savor it. I know it’s lame, but,”

  “Not at all.” Marcus began to slide his hands up her thighs.

  “We can do all of that right here together.”

  Charlisse slowly spread her legs for him, while his hands traveled up under the T-shirt that she was wearing.

  “Can we?” Her tone was low
and sultry, which revved him up.

  “Of course.” He sat down on a stool, which placed his face right between her legs.

  “And we can start with breakfast.”

  Sex had not been his plan, but somehow their conversation turned into another steamy session. They made it back to his bedroom and the next thing he knew, Charlisse was on top of him. She was a vision with the morning sun shining through the curtains onto her body.

  “Fuck,” He moaned, but not just because she felt amazing.

  It was also because he knew that he was a goner.

  He had never been so mesmerized by a woman straddling him, but watching Charlisse sent him over the edge faster than he expected. A few moments later, she collapsed on top of him then snuggled her face into his chest, while he rubbed her back.

  “I love you, Charlisse.” He whispered to her then left a soft kiss on her cheek.

  “I love you too, Marc.” She said it back.

  His heart skipped several beats, while he squeezed her with no intention of ever letting her go.

  Thirteen

  The largest bouquet of flowers that Charlisse had ever sat in her doorway.

  “Thank you so much.” She beamed, as the delivery man picked them back up to hand to her after getting her signature.

  “These are beautiful.” She brought them inside then closed the door behind her.

  Charlisse sat them on the nearest table before picking up the card that came with them.

  Here’s to a new beginning. Love, Marc.

  She read the card to herself, gushing even though she knew better. Marcus was overwhelming her already and they had only spent a few weekends together. She glanced at the card again before setting it down next to the flowers.

  So far, Marcus was like being in a dream. He catered to her every whim. It was like being lost in their own love nest.

  “Even a bath with him is magical.” She thought back to the warm soaking bath that Marcus had drawn for her the night before.

  At first, she had thought it was just another interlude to sex, but Marcus had suprised her by leaving her alone and encouraging her to simply relax. Those were the moments with him that sent tingles down her spine. Yes, the sex was immaculate, but Marcus had also showed her a side of himself that was deeply devoted.

  "Snap out of it." Charlisse knew she could spend all day just sitting around trying to analyze everything about Marcus, but she still had work to do. Clients still called on her to figure out their most pressing matters, so she had to keep moving.

  Her first stop of the morning was to Terry’s office. She wanted to surprise him with the interview that Marcus had promised her...and she wanted to gush.

  “An early morning visit from the queen herself? What’s really going on?” Terry greeted her at the receptionist's desk after she walked into the building.

  “Would you stop it?” She tried to hush him, while they went to his office.

  “Girl, somebody’s gotta sing your praises since you refuse to do it. So, what’s up?” He sat at his desk, while she took her favorite chair in his office.

  “Well, I just came to give you some good news.” She crossed her legs. “I’ve arranged for you to have Marc Forde’s first interview as CEO of Forde Financials, Inc.”

  Terry cut his eyes at her. “I thought you weren’t working for them anymore. I thought we were done with that raggedy nigga?”

  “I’m not and I was...but he apologized.”

  “With how many carats?” Terry retorted.

  “No carats, but he did send flowers this morning. It’s fresh, Terry. He wants to be exclusive.”

  “Charlisse, my girl, my ace...you’re not falling for the foolery, are you? These men are known for the games. I mean, didn’t he toss Vanessa aside like a bad habit?”

  Charlisse swallowed hard. “That was complicated.”

  She wouldn’t dare put all of Marcus’ business out there.

  “You’re right and I don’t even know the half, but I’m just protective of you. I just watched you get all upset over him. It’s hard for me to jump for joy at hearing this news.”

  He reached into a brown paper bag and pulled out a bagel for his breakfast.

  “I’ll save my celebrations for something more solid...like a ring.”

  “Whoa, now, Terry. That’s a long way off.”

  “Well then,” He put cream cheese on his bagel then took a big bite. “It’ll be a long time before I celebrate.”

  Charlisse couldn’t help but laugh. “So, does that mean that you don’t want the interview?”

  “You did not hear me say that at all.” He pointed his bagel at her, sending the smell of raw onion straight to her nose.

  She always hated onion bagels, but today, the smell seemed ultra offensive.

  “I don’t see how you eat those and still interview people.”

  She scrunched up her nose, while her stomach grew queasy. “It smells terrible.

  “Girl, this is brain food.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyways, I will most definitely be taking that interview. Tell me who I need to contact to set it up.”

  “Well, it smells disgusting, friend. Goodness gracious.” She grabbed her bag and stood up to leave. “And I’ll handle setting up the interview for you.”

  “Thank you, dear.” Terry smiled sweetly, as she made her way to the door. “And watch out for your heart, Sis. The man’s got a reputation and it ain’t for passing out turkeys on Thanksgiving.”

  Charlisse nodded over her shoulder, but couldn’t give much of a comeback because she needed to get to the closest restroom. The smell of Terry’s bagel was stuck in her nose and making her sick. She carried herself to the closest toilet then let out the contents of her stomach into the bowl.

  “Oh my goodness.” She gathered herself then stood up, but another wave of nausea knocked her back down.

  She stayed there a little while longer just to make sure that she was fine before wiping her face and straightening her clothes.

  “You okay, girl?” She asked herself, while she fixed her hair and then reapplied her lipstick.

  Sudden nausea wasn’t usual for her, but then again, she had also experienced enough to make anyone's head spin these past couple of weeks. Actually, the past month, to be honest. Her body just probably hadn’t recovered.

  She tucked her lipstick back in her bag then hurried out of the restroom. She needed to get across town to her next meeting, but decided to walk a little ways to get some fresh air, hoping that would ease her stomach. Her phone began to vibrate while she strolled across the busy streets of downtown D.C. She looked down to see a text message from Marcus.

  I want to see you.

  “A man of few words.” She shook her head, as she typed her response.

  When? This week is busy for me. And thank you for the flowers. They were beautiful. I felt very special.

  Terry was right to tell her to slow her roll. Marcus didn’t have the best reputation with women, so she needed to let things play out more before she went too far in. She was no better than Vanessa or any other woman that he had dated for that matter.

  ASAP. Unbusy it. There’s more where that came from. Those are just Monday flowers.

  She read once he typed back.

  “Monday flowers.” The words didn’t sound any better coming out of her mouth than they did in the text message.

  It almost sounded like this was a routine. It was if Charlisse was just another girl of the week to him.

  “Stop it, Charlisse.” She shook the thoughts from her mind.

  She could weigh what Terry said without turning everything that Marcus did into a negative.

  Her career had taught her that she didn’t need to look for reasons not to trust him. If they existed, they would show up on their own.

  *****

  “These are the days that work for me.” Marcus read Charlisse’s text out loud then frowned up his face.

  “So, is this the game we’re playing?” He started to type
back when there was a knock on his office door.

  Charlisse had just been in his bed all weekend. He had told her that he loved her and she had said it back. But now, all of a sudden, they needed to coordinate schedules. He wasn’t buying it.

  “Come in.” He said to whomever was on the other side of the door.

  A second later, the firm’s general counsel peeked his head in. Marcus motioned for him to come sit down at his desk then pushed his phone away. He would deal with Charlisse later.

  “Good morning, Mr. Forde.” The man sat across from him.

  “Stop, it’s always been Marc. That’s what it’s going to stay. Mr. Forde is my father.” Marcus responded, partially out of reverence for his father’s legacy.

  Marcus Forde, Sr. had built all of this and he wanted to respect that, even under the circumstances.

  “So, give me the news. Is it good or is it bad?” He asked the general counsel, who sat with his hands clasped and his lips tightly pressed into a thin line.

  “Well, the good news is that he’s not going to prison.” He sighed.

  “So, I’ll start with that. The not so good news is that I could only work out a deal to give him a misdemeanor. He’s going to have to plead guilty to the charge and will get a fine and probation.”

  Marcus’ head fell back. His father wasn’t his favorite person right now, but he also didn’t want this outcome for him either.

  “When does it hit the news?” Marcus groaned.

  “It’ll be be made public in a few days. Maybe a week. I just think it’s best we let it run its course. Damn, I sure wish he hadn’t fired Ms. Lageaux. She would know what’s best to do.”

  “She would.” Marcus nodded in agreement. “But we just couldn’t afford her fee at the time. Nobody knew what financial state this firm would be in after he resigned.”

  He had come up with an excuse for letting Charlisse go after his father had simply dismissed her without regard for how it would impact everyone else working on this with her.

  Marcus sighed at the thought of his father’s carelessness. And he was left to pick up the pieces of everything that his father had left in shambles.

  “Maybe you could reach out to her just to ask her this one question? Hell, maybe you can hire her back now that we know what we’re facing.”