by King, Thayer
But he said nothing and it made her nervous. Was he regretting their agreement? Oh, God, could he be contemplating dumping her?
Keith cleared his throat. “Um, how is your beef?”
“It’s good. How’s your salmon?”
“Delicious.”
A beat of awkward silence followed. Imani put down her fork. She wasn’t hungry anymore. It wasn’t her to ignore a problem. She’d rather face it head-on and have it out rather than stew over it. “Keith, are you angry with me?”
“No, of course not.”
She sensed that he was being honest, but she couldn’t leave it at that. “There’s clearly something bothering you. You’ve been distracted all day.”
“I’m sorry. The last thing I want to do is ruin your weekend.” He emptied his wine glass. “I beg you for your patience. I’d rather not discuss it until I’ve had more time to wrap my brain around the situation.”
She frowned. “What situation?” she asked, her tone sharper than she’d intended, but she’d been worried since last night. His vague answers weren’t reassuring.
He winced. “I don’t mean to upset you.” His eyes met hers before darting around the restaurant. “Kissing you is the most…” He broke off with a strangled noise, his gaze focused somewhere over her left shoulder.
Imani turned in her seat as Keith stood to acknowledge the approach of a dark-haired goddess in a black blouse and charcoal gray skirt. Both items molded her curvy frame to perfection. She had long raven hair that was pulled back from her beautiful face into a high glamorous ponytail. A sensual smile stretched her full lips as she kissed the corner of Keith’s mouth. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, Imani supposed that she could have been aiming for his cheek.
“Fancy meeting you here,” she was saying.
“Um, yeah. We were doing the tourist thing. What brings you to town?”
“This and that,” she replied with a flirtatious shove to his shoulder. “Don’t you look handsome? But then you always cleaned up well.” She turned to Imani. “And who is this lovely creature?”
Keith looked even more uncomfortable than he had before. “Um, Harlow, this is Imani. Imani, this is Harlow. She’s helped me with research for my books in the past.”
“Oh, are you also a librarian?”
Harlow laughed. “Oh, no. I’m…well, it’s difficult to explain. Listen, I don’t want to interrupt your dinner. It was nice meeting you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon. Keith, call me.” She swept off as swiftly as she’d appeared.
Keith resumed his seat and refilled his wine glass.
“Well, I guess you have a type.”
“What’s that?”
Imani cast a significant glance down at her bosom. “She’s an ex, right? You like busty women.” She tried not to be upset that he hadn’t introduced her as his girlfriend, and failed miserably.
His eyes dropped to her breasts before meeting her gaze. “Harlow and I are just friends. We’ve never been anything more.”
“Not that she doesn’t want more,” Imani surmised.
“She knows I’m unavailable.”
“Umm-hmm.” Unavailable or not, Harlow was interested. Fantastic, she thought sarcastically. Just what she needed—an attractive woman after her man… But she couldn’t say anything about it without sounding jealous. Or insecure. Which, she was. Harlow didn’t look to be the sort who wouldn’t enjoy sex. In fact, she appeared to revel in her sexuality. Could she compete and win against such a confident, sexy woman who was also his friend?
He grinned at her, the first genuine smile she’d seen from him the entire day. “As I was saying before Harlow arrived, kissing you is the most pleasurable experience of my life.”
Chapter Nine
Imani couldn’t resist hugging the soft cream-colored bear. The fur was as plush and luxurious as it looked and the filling made the stuffed animal pleasantly squishy. “I love it,” Imani said to Thea. “I’m getting this for the baby.”
Thea patted her gently rounded belly. “Baby James or Jamila says thank you.”
“He or she is quite welcome.” She put the bear in their basket. “Besides, I owe you for checking on Asha while I was away.”
“I told you that was no biggie. Which of these blankets do you like the best?” Thea asked, indicating a pale yellow blanket and a blanket that was a mix of baby blue and pastel pink. Both were furry and Imani couldn’t resist touching them.
“This one,” she said, picking up the blue and pink one. It was softer than down. “My God, why don’t they make these for adults?”
Thea laughed and added the blanket to their growing pile of baby items. Though Dwayne was excited about the baby, Thea had burned through his patience when it came to shopping. Thus Imani had been appointed as her surrogate shopping partner. It was a position she enjoyed. Only looking at all the tiny clothes and other baby items made her long for something that she may never have.
Keith had never revealed what had caused him to become so distant. But he didn’t really need to. She knew it was about their lack of a sex life. It was the same every time. This wasn’t her first foray into attempting to have a sexless relationship. She’d dated a little after the break up with Colin. In the beginning, her dates always claimed they could accept her aversion to sex, but they always thought she would change her mind. But when it became apparent that she wouldn’t, they grew angry and brooding. And then they cheated. Or they broke up with her.
God, she didn’t want that to happen with Keith. She liked him more than she’d ever liked anyone. If she could have sex with anyone, it would be him. But taking that risk wasn’t something she could do right now. Or, maybe ever.
This was all her fault. She’d pushed him too far. It was just that his kisses made her so…hungry for more. His gentlemanly manners only increased the burn. She wanted to feel his hands on her everywhere. Not just at her waist. So she had let herself get carried away while they were in Seattle. Her nipples had ached unbearably as his tongue stroked against hers. She’d needed his hands on her. The mere memory of his hands…and oh, God his mouth on her breasts made her flush with heat. If he’d wanted to make love to her in Seattle, she wouldn’t have been able to say no.
“Ugh,” Thea groaned. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Again. Wait here for me?”
Brought back to the present, she cleared her throat. “Sure.” Watching her friend’s retreating back, she shook her head. With effort, Imani dragged her mind out of the bedroom and inspected a three-pack of gowns. The colors were gender neutral. She held on to them to show to her friend when she returned. Thea had purchased so many baby items and she wasn’t sure if she didn’t already have pajamas.
“Should I be congratulating you and Keith?”
Imani turned to find Harlow behind her. She blinked. The surprise made her gauchely ask, “What are you doing here?” They’d just run into the woman in Seattle this weekend. Why was she here in Montesano so soon? Did Keith know she was in town?
Harlow smiled. If she intended for it to come off as friendly, she failed. Imani thought she more closely resembled a snake baring its fangs. “I go where business takes me. So…bun in the oven?” She arched a well plucked brow and nodded toward the pile of diapers, stuffed animals, and blankets.
“No, this is for a friend. You know, you never said. What is it that you do for a living?” After dinner and the tense two-hour drive back to Montesano, she’d forgotten to ask Keith more about her.
“I guess you could call me a personal advisor.”
“And how did you help Keith with research?” She’d read every one of his books. She didn’t recall an advisor being in a single one of them.
“In my line of business, you run into many different types of people. My experience is vast. We have much in common, Keith and I.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, we share many interests. Horticulture, for one. I’ve helped him with his plants on many occasions. Do you have an interest in gar
dens?”
“Sorry. Strolling through them is the extent of my experience.”
“Mmm. Curious.” Harlow narrowed her eyes and studied her. Tilting her head, the other woman scanned her from the roots of her curly hair to the tips of the sensible flats she’d worn to the library.
Imani frowned. She’d never been so thoroughly scrutinized. Not even by a man. This went well beyond sizing up the competition. It was downright creepy. What the hell was this woman’s deal?
Gaze locked with hers, Harlow stepped closer until she was infringing upon her personal space. “About you and Keith…”
“I hate public restrooms,” Thea announced with a shudder. “Thanks for waiting for me.” She paused when she saw Harlow. “Oh, hi, I’m Thea.”
“Thea, this is Harlow. She’s a friend of Keith’s,” Imani said by way of introduction.
“And soon to be one of yours also, I hope,” Harlow added with a small smile.
“My husband and I think the world of Keith.”
“He is pretty extraordinary.” She glanced at a slim gold watch on her wrist and winced. “Well, I must get going.”
“Oh, you’ve got to have dinner with Keith and me before you leave town.”
Her eyes glittered with some unknown emotion before she murmured, “Oh, you can count on seeing me again.”
Imani and Thea watched her sashay away. “Ugh,” Thea muttered. “I’d hate for Dwayne to have a female friend like that.”
“Tell me about it,” Imani agreed. And she couldn’t have shown up at a worse time. Harlow’s flirtatious, sexy nature only served to highlight Imani’s shortcomings. And there was something about her that was . . . familiar. She just couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Prior to Seattle, she was certain that their paths had never crossed. Imani was good at recalling faces. She would have remembered her.
***
Keith stripped off his sweaty, dirty clothes and dropped them in the hamper in the corner of his bathroom before climbing into the shower. Puttering around in his garden usually helped him clear his thoughts. He liked to do it while plotting his next novel and so he’d had hopes that it would be just as effective at helping him plan what to tell Imani. Being with her was torture. Exquisite torture, but torture nonetheless. How did he explain that to her, without her misunderstanding? He didn’t want to break up. Hell, he didn’t know what he wanted besides to have Imani as his bonded mate. How he would achieve that, he didn’t know either.
It was enough to give him a headache.
He could deal with no sex. That was fine. But making out with her was a temptation tantamount to asking a person to taste the most delicious ice cream on earth. And then pointing a gun at their head and demanding they spit it out.
He squeezed a dollop of shampoo in his hands and lathered it up before washing his hair. Of course as soon as the suds were flowing down into his eyes, Bear started barking. Bear only barked for a reason. Otherwise he was silent.
“Damn.” He rinsed the soap from his hair in brisk motions before flinging back the shower curtain. Eyes closed, he felt around for a towel.
“Looking for this?”
He jerked and almost landed on his ass. Once he regained his balance, he hid behind the curtain and tried to blink the water from his eyes. “Harlow, is that you? What are you doing here?”
“I was in town doing a little shopping and decided to pop in.”
Keith took the towel from her and dried his face before hastily wrapping it around his waist. He was beginning to regret allowing her first visit. Because of that, she had a standing invite. She could decide to magically materialize at any time.
“Shopping in Montesano? You were just in Seattle.”
She shrugged. Her eyes ran over his body without shame. “I didn’t say I bought anything. But you’ll never guess who I saw…”
He felt crowded in the bathroom. It was almost impossible to avoid physical contact with her. He led the way to his bedroom but didn’t feel any more comfortable in that room. Especially since she got in front of him and sat on the bed. Picking a t-shirt and shorts out of a drawer, he said, “I don’t have to guess. The only other person you know in town is Imani.”
She crashed back onto his mattress. “Why did you say she was worthy? She clearly is not. So far from, it’s laughable. She’s just some ordinary human.” Bear sniffed at her foot tentatively and she kicked at him.
He scampered over to stand behind Keith. Keith put his clothing on the dresser and bent to give him a reassuring pat. Bear was really just a big baby. He’d never bite anyone. “What she is,” Keith said, his voice firm, “is my mate. Human or not, I won’t deny that.”
She whipped her head up. “You’re fucking kidding me, right? You want that weakling? You’d taint your line with her?”
Without even thinking about it, he lashed out with his magic, binding her arms and legs to her sides. He lifted her off his bed and brought her to float in front of him. “What she is, is my mate,” he reiterated. “I will caution you to remember that when you speak of her.”
Her gray eyes filled with heat. But not the heat of anger. No, it was admiration and desire that filled her gaze. “Excellent. You’re as good as I knew you would be. Can you imagine how powerful we’d be together?”
He rolled his eyes and released her. He made his way to the den, hoping that she’d follow. He didn’t like the sight of her reclining on his bed. “It wasn’t meant to be. Has it occurred to you that fate chooses our mates for a specific reason? We’re both strong witches, but we weren’t paired with equals. It’s nature’s way of ensuring a balance of power.”
“You can’t tell me that you weren’t disappointed when you realized that she had no magic.” He hesitated for a split second and it was all she needed. Harlow laughed. “I knew it! Nature’s way, indeed. Admit it. You thought of walking away just like I did.”
Keith flushed. “My initial reaction was less than ideal, but that doesn’t matter. She’s mine. I love her.”
Harlow closed in on him so that he was trapped between her and the back of the couch. He gripped his towel. She reached out and ran her nails down his chest. “You think you do. Whatever it is, it’s temporary. Being with me would allow you to reach your fullest potential.” She curled a hand around his towel and yanked. “And I’ll keep you so satisfied, you won’t be able to remember what’s-her-name.”
“That’s not how it works.”
Her index finger swished back and forth like a metronome through his pubic hair. He covered her hand and managed to pull it away without losing his towel. “Keith, if it’s her you want…” She began to glow and when she reappeared she was Imani’s spitting image. “I’ll do this for you whenever you want.”
He recoiled. “Are you really so desperate for power?”
She smiled. “It’s the greatest aphrodisiac.”
Hearing Harlow’s voice coming from Imani’s face was nauseating. “God, turn back.”
She did so immediately. “Is this about your male vanity? You needn’t worry about that. I do find you sexually attractive. But beauty isn’t high on my list of priorities. What makes my pussy purr about you is your magic.”
“Harlow, I’ve made my choice.”
“It’s a poor one. Lucky for you, I’m such a good friend that I will guide you in this matter.” She reached up and filled her hands with his hair. Tugging on the strands, she stood on tiptoe and fitted her mouth to his.
***
Imani filled Asha’s box with fresh kitty litter. Asha watched this procedure for a moment before taking off for parts unknown. The cat had a habit of disappearing for hours. Imani suspected that Asha was napping under her bed, but she had yet to catch her at it.
She shoved the litter box into the corner of the bathroom where she wasn’t likely to bump into it. She put the container of kitty litter away in the small closet in the hallway before returning to the bathroom to wash her hands.
She contemplated her options for dinner.
Concentrating on any topic but one proved impossible. Imani heaved a sigh. She wasn’t in the mood to cook. And she wished she were with Keith. She made a disgusted face at herself in the mirror. They hadn’t talked much since arriving back in town on Sunday. Keith never got around to discussing what was bothering him. And she was afraid to ask again. “Coward,” she muttered at her reflection. Was the knowing, really worse than being in this limbo between hope and despair?
Running into Harlow this evening had increased her feelings of anxiety regarding her situation with Keith. Despite Harlow’s offer of friendship, Imani couldn’t ignore the signs. That woman wanted her man.
Imani wondered if Keith knew that Harlow was in town. He hadn’t mentioned it, if he did. Would he feel it necessary to tell her? He might not, as he only considered Harlow a friend. Keith might not even realize that the woman was after him. At times like this, his modesty could prove to be dangerous.
She opened her fridge, hoping to find a snack that wouldn’t be too much trouble. Nothing appealing jumped out at her. Actually, she was too tense and keyed up to eat. She closed the fridge. Asha brushed against her leg and meowed.
Imani got her cat treats out of the cabinet and gave Asha a few. Once they were gone, Asha went to her water dish. Imani sat on the couch and turned on the television, but soon found that she was too restless to concentrate.
Maybe she should call Keith.
She flipped the channel. Or she could go over. He had given her a standing invitation. And a key in case he ever locked himself out or was out of town and needed her to feed Bear. Would it be considered jealous girlfriend behavior for her to pop over without any warning? Would it be stupid girlfriend behavior to avoid a painful truth?