Strategic Seduction

by Cheris Hodges

  As she left, Alicia was all smiles and ready to see Richmond. Before she headed to the office, she called Marie and told her about the fabulous new designer that she’d been working with.

  “You know I’m all for new clothes. Where can I see his stuff?”

  “RoyalJDesignsInc.com,” Alicia said. “We launched the online boutique today and the response has been amazing.”

  “I have to check this out. And Richmond invited us to Atlanta. He wants to use some of Devon’s recipes at the hotel, so we’re taking a little break in the States. That’s going to be so much fun.”

  Alicia was surprised that Devon was going to actually come to Atlanta. He didn’t have a lot of good memories in his hometown since the death of his father and the revelation that the former NBA star had abused Devon’s mother.

  “Besides,” Marie said, breaking into Alicia’s thoughts, “he wants to show the baby her roots, and that includes Atlanta.”

  “That sounds like Devon,” she replied. “All right, Marie, this call is costing me a fortune, so email me when you check out the site.”

  “I will. Hey, how are things with Richmond? Wedding date set yet?”

  “Ha! No, and no one is going to plan a surprise wedding either,” Alicia said. “We’ll talk soon.”

  Pulling up to the office building, Alicia was surprised to see a police car there. Fear flowed through her body. Had something happened to Richmond? She quickly parked her car and ran inside, expecting to see yellow tape and a crime scene.

  When she saw Vivian and Richmond talking to a police officer, she was confused. What was going on?

  Chapter 22

  Richmond stroked his chin as he listened to Vivian recount her story about how she and Felix came up with their plan.

  The officer turned to Richmond and tapped his pen against his pad. “I’m curious,” he said. “This woman and Felix were trying to bilk you out of a million dollars. Why are you trying to help her?”

  “Felix Thompson is an educator and he could be doing this to young girls who he’s in charge of, and someone I really care about told me that he should be stopped. And quite honestly, I’m sick and tired of my ex-wife asking me for money to pay him.”

  The officer laughed. “I can appreciate your honesty.” Then he focused his glare on Vivian. “You realize that Mr. Crawford could press charges against you.”

  She glanced at him. “I hope you won’t,” she said.

  Richmond shrugged and looked out the door, locking eyes with Alicia. He waved for her to come in, but she shook her head and headed for her office. He didn’t miss the smile on Vivian’s face.

  “Trouble?” she mouthed.

  “Are we done?” Richmond asked the officer.

  “For now. Ms. Crawford, don’t leave town right away. We’re going to have to find a way to prove the video exists and move forward from there.”

  Vivian grabbed a Post-it note from Richmond’s desk and wrote her number down on it. “This is where I can be reached, and I’m going to be staying at the Days Inn on Spring Street.”

  Richmond raised his eyebrow, thinking how the mighty had fallen. As the officer and Vivian left the office, Richmond headed for Alicia.

  “Knock, knock,” he said as he opened the door.

  She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Do I even want to know?”

  “We’re—Vivian—is going after Felix.”

  “Is she really going to actually go through the whole process? Or is your ex-wife just playing a role to get back in your pants and pocket?” Granted, Alicia wanted to get Felix, but she didn’t want to deal with Vivian without a long-handle spoon.

  “I told Vivian that this is it. She’s not welcome here, and if she didn’t press charges on Felix so that he would stop trying to blackmail her, I was going to press charges on her.”

  Alicia’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  He nodded. “I’m not going to let my past dictate my future anymore. She can try, but nothing and no one comes before the woman I love.” He stood in front of her chair and noticed the garment bag draped across the back. “I thought you were just launching a boutique. Had no idea you were going shopping.”

  “And I was going to give you a fashion show,” she said. “You’re kind of messing that up.”

  “Let me straighten up and fly right, then. How did the launch go?”

  “Amazing,” she said. “Just amazing. As a matter of fact, the site keeps getting more hits and most of the inventory has sold out. Royal is over the moon, and I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Wow. No wonder you got a new dress.”

  “And if you play your cards right, you’ll get to take it off me.” She winked at him.

  “I have a lunch meeting with the developers to talk about when we’re going to break ground on the hotel. Solomon and Kandace will be here in the morning.”

  “Great. Then we all go out tomorrow night and you can see my dress.”

  “Why do I have to wait?” he asked with a faux pout.

  “Because I didn’t freak out when I saw your ex-wife sitting in your office, and that’s a win.”

  Richmond leaned in and kissed her gently. “I’m glad you know that she’s nothing to me and not a threat to us,” he said.

  “But what do you think Felix is going to do when he finds out that he’s under investigation?”

  Richmond shrugged. “As long as he stays away from us, I don’t give a damn.”

  Alicia offered him a nervous smile but didn’t say anything.

  * * *

  When Richmond left for his meeting, Alicia wondered about Vivian going after Felix and if there would be repercussions that would come back to haunt her and Richmond.

  “Shit,” she muttered as she tried to keep an eye on Royal’s web views. “I don’t want to be involved in this crap with Felix and Vivian.” Alicia rose to her feet and stalked back and forth in front of her desk. “I’m overthinking this. Felix probably will drop all of this once he finds out that the police are involved, and I won’t have to deal with this bullshit.”

  She decided to call Jade and Serena on three-way to tell them about the latest development in the drama with Vivian and Felix.

  “Alicia,” Jade said when she answered the phone. “Royal Designs is your baby, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but that’s not why I’m calling,” she said. “Serena, are you there?”

  “I’m here, feeling like I’m in high school,” she replied. “What’s going on?”

  Alicia sighed and recounted the story about Vivian and Felix making a sex tape and how he was using it to blackmail her. “She thought Richmond was going to give her a million dollars so that she could pay him off.”

  “Why is she in Atlanta?” Jade asked. “I thought she was all about making people’s lives hell in New York only.”

  “She’s broke, I guess,” Alicia said.

  “Or she’s one of those slimy bitches who doesn’t want a man until she sees how happy he is with someone else,” Serena interjected.

  “I don’t care what kind of woman she is, I’m just tired of her being around. But Felix does need to be stopped. What if he does this to the girls at his school or their parents and . . .”

  “How is that your problem?” Jade asked.

  Alicia sighed and dropped her head. “Because I knew a long time ago that he was a . . . When we were undergrads, Felix nearly assaulted me and I kept quiet about it for years.”

  “Alicia, really?” Jade asked. Alicia could imagine the tears welling up in her friend’s eyes. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “Because she knew you’d overreact,” Serena said. “You’re crying, aren’t you?”

  “And Serena, you still wanted to go and fight him some fifteen years later.”

  “Wait!” Jade exclaimed. “You knew about this and didn’t say anything?”

  “I’ve known for a few days, so calm down.”

  Alicia sighed. “I’m just worried that this is going to somehow hurt m
e and Richmond.”

  “So, you made up with him?” Serena asked.

  Alicia smiled as if her friends could see. “He told me that he loves me.”

  “What?” Jade exclaimed. “Wait, wait. Why am I being left out of everything these days?”

  Alicia kicked her feet up on the desk and leaned back in her chair. “Because, Jade, you overreact to everything. And you have a busy life with the kids and James.”

  “Well, Serena’s pregnant!”

  “Jade, that’s why we don’t tell you anything, you can’t keep your mouth closed for shit!”

  Alicia cheered for her friend. “That’s awesome. And if it’s a girl, remember our deal.”

  “What deal is that?” Jade asked.

  “I’m ending this call right now,” Serena said.

  “I know she didn’t tell you that she was naming the baby after you,” Jade snapped.

  “Yes, she did.”

  “Serena!”

  “What? That was the only way to get y’all off my back. Jeez, you three made me feel like I was the most helpless woman in the world. But thank you for being there for me.”

  “So, your baby’s name is going to be Alicia Jade Kandace?” Alicia asked with a laugh.

  “Hopefully I’ll have a boy,” Serena said. “Look, y’all are stressing me out and Antonio just walked in.”

  When Serena hung up, Alicia and Jade burst into laughter. “I can’t wait to see her with the baby,” Jade said.

  “That’s going to be a special sight. I’m so happy for her.”

  “Me too. Antonio is over the moon. But I’m worried about you, though.”

  “I’m going to be fine, I’m sure of it,” Alicia replied.

  “Well, if Felix tries something, just know Atlanta is a short trip from Charlotte.”

  Alicia laughed. “Y’all love resorting to violence, as if we don’t have everything to lose.”

  “Well, what are you going to do if he tries something? And don’t say you aren’t above violence, because I saw Richmond knock Felix on his ass.”

  Laughing, Alicia thought about that night and how everything changed with one punch. She was never the kind of woman who thought she needed a hero, and yet that was exactly what Richmond had become to her lately. But that night, all he’d been missing was a white horse and a shiny sword.

  Maybe she did love him. But could she drop the fear and tell him how she felt?

  “Hello!” Jade said, reminding her friend that she was still on the line. “Where did you go?”

  “I was just thinking about this whole thing with Richmond. Jade, when did you know that you loved James and that telling him wouldn’t make him run away?”

  “You said Richmond told you that he loves you, so why are you too afraid to tell him the same?”

  “Because I’ve never felt this way before and I’ve never had to respond to those three words.”

  “That’s because you normally run away before you get to this part. Tyson doesn’t count because he’s a piece of . . . His wife finally left him.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, and it was big news because he was having an affair with the new mayor, who just resigned. I wish you could’ve been here to see it.”

  Alicia sucked her teeth. “Please, Karma may not come when you want her to, but she is always right on time.”

  “I wish I was there to give you a high five.”

  Alicia glanced at her watch. “I have to go. I was so excited about the dress Royal gave me that I forgot to go to the Busy Bee and get dinner.”

  “Yeah, you better hurry.”

  After hanging up with Jade, Alicia headed to her car and drove back to the West End. She was going to make tonight special for Richmond and tell him how she felt about him.

  She made it to the café just in time to get a chicken dinner box for her and Richmond, then she headed to the liquor store and picked up some top-shelf vodka so that she could make the famous “Serena Punch.”

  Alicia arrived home before Richmond did, which gave her a chance to prepare for dinner. She placed the chicken in the oven to keep it warm and moist. Then she mixed the ingredients for the potent drink. After the food and drinks were ready, Alicia headed upstairs and took a warm shower. She figured that she’d channel her inner Serena all the way and meet Richmond at the door in black lace.

  * * *

  Richmond was tired of shaking hands and drinking sweet tea, but was excited that he had the support of so many people in the community with the building of the hotel. He could only imagine what things would be like when the article in Atlanta Scene came out.

  Richmond knew the success of this hotel launch would be the beginning of his new life in business, his chance to overcome all of the rumors about his paternity and if he was “Crawford” enough to take on a project like this. He’d been enjoying Solomon’s hands-off approach, but Richmond couldn’t imagine the groundbreaking without him. Especially since he was thinking that would be the perfect day to ask Alicia to be his forever.

  “Richmond,” Clover Hughes, owner of one of the city’s biggest construction firms, said as they headed for the door. “You have to let me introduce you to some of the best contractors in the city. Being that this is the South, you don’t have all of those union issues.”

  “We’re going to pay everyone fairly, I want that to be clear, and my working conditions are going to be as safe as if it is union supervised.”

  “Whoa,” Clover said. “I guess it is possible to find an honest real estate developer from New York. Still, I want to get you the best to build this hotel.”

  “I look forward to it. And thanks for the help.”

  “Do you know how long we’ve been trying to get a Crawford hotel in the city? You guys do luxury like no one else.”

  “Hopefully this will be the first of many. Atlanta is a magical place, and I look forward to making this place home.”

  Clover nodded. “If you do make Atlanta home, you better get used to writing checks to the big three.”

  “The big three?”

  “Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta.”

  Richmond smiled, thinking about how great he and Alicia were going to look at next year’s AUC ball. “I can’t wait to write checks and sign up interns. Besides, one of the best people I know went to Spelman. Depending on how we do over the first five years, I might endow a scholarship in her name.”

  “She must be a hell of a woman.”

  Richmond nodded. “You have no idea.” He looked down at his watch. “She has dinner waiting for me, so I better get going.”

  After shaking hands with Clover, Richmond dashed to his car and headed home. While he was looking forward to the crunchy chicken from the Busy Bee, he couldn’t wait to kiss his woman.

  When he got home, Richmond was treated to a surprise he hadn’t been expecting. Alicia answered the door in a black lace teddy with a can of whipped cream in her hand.

  “Welcome home, Mr. Crawford,” she said.

  “I don’t know what I did to deserve this kind of welcome home, but let me do it again tomorrow.”

  She squirted some of the sweet cream on her index finger and ran it across his lips. “So, you have a choice. We can eat dinner or have dessert first. And I have to say, Busy Bee chicken is so good cold. Now, it’s in the oven heating and we can certainly eat dinner first.”

  Richmond slowly licked the cream from her fingers. “I’m all for cold chicken if you’re going to be my hot dessert. Turn that oven off.” Alicia covered his mouth with hers and before he could get in the door, Richmond knew that chicken was going to be ice-cold before he took a bite of it.

  When he felt her tongue dancing against his, he knew that he was going to have to pull away from her or they would be making love in the foyer. Alicia’s fingers dancing on the back of his neck as they kissed only seemed to fuel the passionate fire burning inside him.

  He pulled back from her and stared deeply into her eyes. “We have to stop or . . .�
��

  Alicia took his face into her hands and said, “What if I don’t want to stop?”

  Richmond groaned. “Don’t we have things to talk about? I don’t want another misunderstanding to come between us.”

  “We can talk later.” She moaned, then ran her tongue across his lips.

  Before Richmond could answer, Alicia captured his mouth in a hot kiss. Stepping back, she placed her hand against his chest. “I’d better turn the oven off before we burn this place down.”

  She strutted to the stove and he drank in her sexy image. This woman had gotten so deep under his skin that he couldn’t imagine a day without her. When she crossed over to him, Richmond wrapped his arms around Alicia. As he stroked her smooth skin, his dick stood at attention. Richmond swept Alicia into his arms, then brought his lips on top of hers as he carried her into his bedroom.

  Gently, he laid her against the comforter and gazed down upon her. She looked so alluring, so demure and so sexy. Richmond quickly undressed, but he wasn’t going to rush anything else as he parted her legs, slipping his finger inside her lacy lingerie.

  Alicia moaned as he probed her hot body with his finger. It was as if he was on an expedition to discover what pleased her and how to make her revel in delight. Each touch made her hotter, wetter, and Richmond could barely contain his desire to melt with her.

  “Richmond,” she moaned as his tongue replaced his finger. He pressed her body closer to his lips so that he could taste every inch of her. Alicia grasped the back of his neck as waves of pleasure washed over her while he pushed her teddy off her body. Richmond traveled up her body, spending time around her navel before reaching her breasts and sucking them until they swelled against his lips. Easily, he could have taken her. His hardness pressed against her thighs, and the heat radiating from her body made it difficult to control his desire. When she wrapped her legs around his waist, Richmond knew it was going to be hard to hold on to his restraint.

  “Slow down, baby,” he whispered. “We have all night.”

  “I want you,” Alicia moaned. “Need you inside me.”

  “And you’re going to have me.” Richmond took her breast back into his mouth as she ground against him. Pulling back, he reached for a condom from his nightstand. Alicia stroked his chest with her fingertips as he slid the sheath in place. He pulled her against his chest and their lips met. Alicia took Richmond by surprise as she kissed him passionately, drawing his tongue into her mouth. As they broke off their kiss, Richmond found his way into hot wetness. He felt as if he’d gone straight to heaven as her warmth enveloped him. She kneaded his back softly as they fell into a sensual dance, fueled by passion and desire. Alicia matched Richmond thrust for thrust. He’d never felt like this before, and when she took control, rolling over so that she was on top of him, his body went into overdrive.