“Who said I was a gentleman?” he murmured, still looking at her. He heard her gasp and averted his eyes from her breast to glance up into her eyes. Her expression was one of shock as she stared back at him.
“Well, damn, our boy isn’t a lost cause after all,” he heard Tom say.
“Shit, I guess not,” this came from Nick.
“Now that you’ve had an eyeful, I’ll just go—”
“But I didn’t,” he said, interrupting her flow of words.
“You didn’t what?” she asked, lifting a perfectly arched brow.
“Technically, I didn’t get an eyeful. An eyeful would be seeing them naked. You have them covered. From what I could see of them, I know they’re beautiful,” he said.
Brad heard chuckling all around him and wished everyone would just shut the hell up. Princess appeared to be embarrassed, and he didn’t like that. He hadn’t meant to embarrass her. He was just stating the obvious. As a matter of fact, not only did he want to see her naked breasts, he wanted to see her naked—period.
“Uh…hmm….uh, Nick, I’m sure I’ll see you before I head back to Chicago. I’ll just grab a sandwich to go,” she stammered. As an afterthought, she looked at him and Tom. “Nice meeting you two. Have a nice lunch. Goodbye.” With that, Princess turned and hurried away, leaving a stunned Brad to watch her retreating form.
Brad cocked his head to one side to look at Nick and Tom. They both had their menus up to their faces, and he knew they were laughing by the rise and fall of their chests.
“What?” he asked, not sure what just happened. The only answer he got was his two friends’ full-blown belly laughs. Throwing up his hands, he asked again. “What?”
“Man, you really don’t know what happened?” Tom asked.
Brad gave them both a blank stare. Then they went on to explain the folly of his ways.
Chapter Four
Princess got back to her hotel room, dropped her packages on the bed, and was now sitting at the little table in her room eating her soup and sandwich and drinking bottled water. The nerve of that guy. First he tells her that her skirt is too short; then he had the audacity to make reference to her breasts in a very intimate way. When she’d first noticed the three of them sitting in the eatery, she’d thought them all very handsome men. Even if the one named Brad was a bit overdressed, in a short-sleeved dress shirt with a tie knotted so tight at his throat you’d have thought he was choking. Hmm…she could have pointed that out when he’d commented on her skirt, her attributes---oh yeah, that little one wasn’t lost on her either—and her boobs. Imagine talking about seeing her breasts naked in the middle of a restaurant. The treacherous things had the nerve to harden at his inspection too. Just went to show she’d been without sex for far too long. She was turned on by a classic nerd.
A smile lifted at the corner of Princess’ mouth. He was cute, though. His dark, neatly trimmed wavy hair, square jaw, and thick eyebrows only complimented his features. Even behind the cover of his dark rimmed glasses, she could tell that his eyes were a deep blue. They were eyes she could get lost in. And he appeared to be around six feet tall.
Princess had noticed that Nick’s other friend Tom, was fine too. He was a tall broad-shouldered African-American with short-cropped curly hair and gray eyes. Princess sighed. Why wasn’t she attracted to him? She had to be attracted to the doofus in training with the big mouth.
Finishing off her food, she got up to dump the trash, reminding herself that she needed to call her office to see how Sam was getting along. Samantha, along with Trisha Grant and Princess herself, was one of the co-owners of the building that housed all three of their offices. Sam designed clothes, and Princess and Trisha designed and decorated houses. They all looked out for one another.
Princess took a seat at the desk and used the hotel’s telephone to call Sam. She knew Trisha was away designing the interior of some rock star’s home. Sam was handling anything urgent.
Princess placed her call and waited for Sam to pick up.
“Hello, Sam?”
“Hi, Princess, what’s up?”
“Nothing, I was just checking in. Is there anything urgent that needs my attention?” Princess asked.
“No, there isn’t. In fact, one of your appointments was rescheduled.”
Princess hated when that happened. It always threw her off. “Oh, which one?” she asked.
“Mrs. Wilmington. She had an emergency and had to go out of town. I’ve rescheduled her for next week. I checked your calendar, and other than something six months from now, you’re pretty much free.”
“Okay. That’s fine. I always give myself enough space for situations like this. Have you heard from Trisha?”
Princess heard Sam chuckling on the other end of the phone.
“I sure have, and her little rock star is driving her batty. I think if our friend doesn’t finish this man’s house soon, we’ll be sending her bail money.”
“Is he really that bad?” Princess chuckled. She knew if anyone could handle the rock star, Trisha could.
“According to Trisha he is. She’s threatening to brain him with one of the kitchen fixtures.”
“Good Lord, what’d he do?”
“Uh, he wanted to know if she’d like some cream in her coffee, if you know what I mean—and that’s the tamer version. He’s pretty wild. I think Trish is so busy keeping him in line that she’s behind schedule. You have to let Trish tell it. I was laughing my ass off.”
“Oh, good grief, and they say the freaks only come out at night. Maybe she should refund him some of his money and come home. Deposits are non-refundable, it’s written in the contractbut either way, no amount of money is worth putting herself in harm’s way for. We’ll just sue his ass for sexual harassment.”
“She’s all right, momma bear. His security guard set him straight. He’s now being a good boy.”
“Okay. That’s good.”
“So when are you headed back, and what did you buy at the expo?”
Princess went on to tell Sam about the bags she’d purchased and that she’d probably be heading home in a day or two. She also told her about Tonya’s new man. Princess didn’t mention the little incident at the luncheonette with Professor Thornton. Some things were just not shareable material.
* * *
Brad sat in the little luncheonette, barely paying attention to what his friends were saying. They’d just finished their meal and were going over plans for Nick’s computer migration. Brad’s answers to Nick’s questions were automated, as he knew the information like the back of his hand; his mind was still on Princess. Even though she’d left in a huff, he knew he’d had some effect on her. He might be what some consider a geek, but he wasn’t totally clueless, he’d seen her nipples harden under his watchful eye. Oh man, what he wouldn’t do for a chance to explore her body fully.
Brad had been instantly attracted to her. He knew he didn’t stand a chance with her, but he wanted to give it a try anyway. Wait a minute, didn’t she say she was going back to Chicago? Dammit, she didn’t live in Atlanta. How was he supposed to get to know her better if she lived in another state? He’d find a way—starting tonight. First he needed to find out where she was staying.
“Nick, is she staying with Tonya?” Brad asked out of nowhere.
“Is who staying with Tonya?” Nick inquired.
Brad looked at Nick as if he’d grown a third eye. “Princess, Tonya’s sister,” he replied.
“Oh. No, she’s staying at the Montage down the road. Why? You interested?” Nick asked.
“Maybe. Will that be a problem?” he asked.
“Why would it be a problem with me?”
“I don’t want to embarrass you or anything, youknow, my being a geek in all.”
“Cut the shit, Bradley. We’ve been friends too long for you to get stupid now. If you want her, go for it, it has nothing to do with me. Just be careful, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Brad was touched by N
ick’s concern. He’d just been messing with Nick. Brad knew his friends never thought of him as an embarrassment. In fact, they often defended him. They’d been doing it since high school. What they didn’t know was that he was a skilled boxer and could pretty much take care of himself.
“Oh man, I wish I could stay for a few more days. I have a feeling this is going to be good,” Tom said. “Don’t forget the condoms. If you need some, I have a case. I can give you some.”
“You have a case of condoms?” both Brad and Nick asked simultaneously.
“Yes, I do, and I’m not ashamed. In fact, I have more than one case, if you must know—a guy can never be too careful. Trust me, there aren’t any little Reid’s running around, because this dude never rides bareback.”
“Two cases of condoms,” Brad frowned at Tom, “just how much sex are you having?” he asked.
“A lot, and I’m enjoying every minute of it.” Tom smirked.
“Condoms break, you know. You’d better be careful, Thomas,” Brad scolded with a shake of his head. He’d called him Thomas on purpose to let him know he was serious.
“Shut up, Professor. What you’re trying to do, jinx me or something?” Tom said.
“No, I’m not trying to jinx you. It’s just…that’s a lot of sex.”
“Man, do you want the condoms or not?” Tom asked.
“No. Thanks anyway. If I get that far I can get my own condoms,” Brad informed him.
“I’ll take your word for it, Professor. I have to get going. I’ll talk to you guys soon,” Tom said, pushing his chair back and standing up. “You two sit—I got this one.”
“I have to get back as well,” Nick said. “Brad, I’ll give you a call later, since your mind is clearly not on business today. I can throw some steaks on the grill and invite Princess and Tonya over. That’ll give you a chance to talk with her.”
“Can we do it another time?” Brad asked. “I have something important that I need to take care of this evening.”
“Sure, but Princess is only here for a few more days. If not at the house, we can always go out to dinner before she leaves. Just let me know,” Nick said.
“Thanks, Nick, will do,” Brad said.
“No thanks necessary—that’s what friends are for. Talk to you soon, buddy,” Nick said as he and Tom walked over to the cashier to take care of the tab.
Brad sat for a few more minutes. He wanted to approach Princess on his own; he didn’t want others around when he did it. He knew where she was staying, so he would just go by her hotel room after he went home to change his clothes.
Brad smiled to himself. Yep, this day was turning out to be pretty good. Hmm…maybe he’d go by the hotel now and invite her over to his house for dinner. That way, he would be able to spend some time alone with her. He didn’t want to share her with anyone yet. Luckily, he knew the owner of the Montage very well. He would be able to get Princess’ room number easily. He wouldn’t invade her privacy, though. It would be her choice whether or not she let him into her room.
Getting up from his seat, Brad ordered a cup of coffee to go, then made his way out of the eatery in the direction of the Montage Hotel.
Chapter Five
After obtaining Princess’ room number, Brad took the elevator up to the second floor of the hotel. He hesitated a moment before knocking at the door. Suddenly he didn’t feel as confident as he had when he’d left the restaurant. The fear of rejection weighed heavy on his chest. She was gorgeous, and on top of that she was African-American, Why would she want anything to do with him? Maybe she wasn’t into white guys. Brad groaned deep, then turned to walk away. Just as he was turning away from the door, it opened.
“Professor Thornton, what are you doing here?” he heard her ask.
Brad turned around slowly to face her and was rendered speechless—Again. There she was standing in her doorway with even less clothes on than she’d worn earlier. She was wearing a bathing suit…well, what he guessed was supposed to be a bathing suit. The thing looked like a few pieces of material held together by strings. The little piece of fabric she had wrapped around her waist was totally useless. It didn’t hide what was underneath it at all. He guessed the little scrap was more for fashion than coverage. Brad had never considered himself a possessive man, but by God, he couldn’t allow her to go out like that, showing all of her assets to anyone with eyes—And what beautiful assets she had. Her body was to die for. Perfect, but practically naked. Where was she going naked?
“Ah, Professor, is there something you wanted?” Princess asked.
“You,” he said before he could stop himself.
“Excuse me?” he heard her say around his lust-fogged brain.
“I mean…I need to speak with you. I…mean…can I have a word with you?” Brad asked in a rush.
She seemed to hesitate before finally inviting him inside.
“Sure, come on in. I was going for a swim, but I guess it can wait. Is there something wrong?” she asked before moving aside and allowing him to enter her room.
Brad released the breath he’d been holding and walked in ahead of her. He didn’t turn around to face her until he heard the door click shut. He looked up in time to see her placing a pair of sunglasses on the table along with what appeared to be a beach bag. Funny how he hadn’t noticed she’d been holding the bag before. Brad did a quick perusal of her body again and noticed that it glistened with what was probably sunscreen. Oh man, her legs were long and shapely. They would look good tangled with his.
Suddenly his trousers felt too tight. His zipper was cutting off the circulation to his manhood. He was hard as a rock and appeared to be getting harder. She was having a serious effect on his libido. Brad stuffed his hands into his pockets to try to pull his pants away from his erection and moved a little, trying to adjust himself. He prayed like hell that Princess didn’t notice his growing hard-on.
“I’m still waiting for you to tell me why you’re here, Professor.”
Brad shook himself out of his musings. “I came over to invite you to dinner this evening. And please call me Brad. I haven’t been a professor for a few years now.”
“You want to have dinner with me?” Princess asked with a look of disbelief on her face.
“Yes, I do. Why are you acting as if I’ve said something wrong?”
“It’s just that you didn’t appear to like me earlier. In fact, you seemed to enjoy pointing out the errors of my ways, then you show up out of the blue wanting to have dinner with me. What’s up with that?” She crossed her arms under her chest, which only pushed her breasts together, giving him a better view of the creamy globes.
Brad gave a deep, guttural moan. “Do you mind putting on some clothes?” he choked out.
“Yes, I do mind. If you have a problem with the way I’m dressed, you can leave and I can go have my swim,” she replied, then made to pick up her bag.
“No, wait!” he shouted. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s just you’re kind of distracting me. I didn’t mean to offend you. You’re beautiful. You have the strangest effect on me. I just wanted to have dinner with you.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” she asked.
“Very,” he responded.
“You said that you wanted to have dinner with me—does that mean you don’t want to anymore?”
Brad relaxed when he saw the smile pasted on her face. All was not lost. “No, I would still like to have dinner with you.”
“Good, then I accept your dinner invitation. What time should I be ready?”
Brad stared at her in shock for a moment, mouth agape. She’d said yes. She’d actually said yes. Yes! He had a date.
“Uh, Professor, are you okay?” she asked as a frown knitted her brow.
“Wh…what?”
“I asked if you were okay. You’re kind of just staring off into space. Before that, I asked what time should I be ready for dinner.”
“Oh yes. How about I pick you up at six this evening?”<
br />
“Six it is. I’ll be ready. Where exactly are we going?” she wanted to know.
“My place, if that’s okay with you?”
Brad noticed the frown that marred her brow and the tension in her body, and he figured she was having doubts about having dinner at his place. “I’m trustworthy. I promise. You can even ask Nick,” he said in a rush. He could have suggested taking her to a restaurant, but he wouldn’t feel comfortable. He knew he would surely say the wrong thing. Brad relaxed a little when he noticed her body loosen.
“Sure,” she said with a lift of her hands. “If that’s all, I’ll see you this evening.”
Brad knew she wanted him to leave. He couldn’t think of a single reason why he should stay, other than the fact that he wanted to throw her down on the king-size bed and have his way with her. Apparently his cock was in full agreement, as it twitched behind his zipper. He needed to get out of here before he made a complete fool out of himself. He was so hard it felt as if he’d blow his load any minute. He needed to calm down.
Brad started to walk out and found his manhood so stiff that he would surely walk with a limp. He inhaled then exhaled, trying to bring his body under control. He needed a distraction.
“Princess, before I go, can I ask a favor of you?”
“That depends on the favor,” she responded.
“Fair enough,” he said, taking a step toward her. Thank God, he brought some semblance of normalcy to his personage. Once he came to stand in front of her, her scent flooded his nostrils, and he instantly hardened again. Still, he needed to say this for his own peace of mind. “Could you please not go out in that?”
Seeing that she was about to get huffy again, Brad held up his hands to ward off her words. “It’s just that… guys are going to be looking at your stuff, and I don’t want that. I don’t want them touching you or looking at you,” he rushed on.
“Guys are going to be looking at my stuff. Professor, I’m going swimming. I’m sure there will be plenty other women around the pool and I won’t have to fight off anyone. Trust me, I don’t have that kind of effect on the male species,” Princess snickered.
Beauty & the Geek: Princess and the Professor Page 2