by AliyahBurke
Gavin sat across from her, totally ecstatic. She was here in his condo, and she came on her own. Not only, but she brought food. His body thrummed with the need to make her his own. He wanted to possess her, to have her soft, curvaceous figure writhing underneath his hard form in his bed as he made her moan and cry out with passion.
This woman amazed him.
“Tell me about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
“How did you get into the restaurant business?”
“Allison and I began planning in high school. We have always wanted to own a place where we could make people happy. So we went to the same college. She majored in accounting and I doubled in business and food service/hospitality.
“Her husband—well, ex now—fronted most of the money since he is a banker and got us started. He got us a deal on that place as it was in foreclosure. We fixed it up ourselves. We have since paid him back in full and have been in business for six years a couple of weeks ago. What about you? Why architecture?”
“My father was a lawyer and my choice was that or be an architect. I didn’t want to spend my days wearing suits and being in meetings, so I chose the latter.” He laughed. “That is exactly what I am doing now. So it looks like I fu . . . screwed myself either way.” Gavin was proud of checking his language around her; he didn’t want to come off as crude. “I love drawing and watching as my creations become reality. I miss doing it. Now it seems like I spend my time trying to get accounts for the firm.”
“Why do you work there? It doesn’t seem like you fit in with the majority mindset there.”
“I don’t and don’t ever think I do. I am in the middle of transition right now. Can you keep a secret?”
“I hardly think I am going to be running to your boss to tell him something. Go ahead.”
“I am leaving the firm and starting my own. Clint is coming with me. I have secured my . . . our first client. Do you know of Richard Harris?”
“Yes. Who doesn’t? One of the wealthiest men in the city. Handles a lot of work for the underprivileged.”
“He is my first client. I’ve already begun to draw up plans for his newest building.”
“Congrats.” Sanura rose and got a cake out of the small square box and placed a piece on his plate, and watched in enjoyment as he placed the first bite in his mouth. The end result was eyes rolling back into his head.
“Oh hell, this is good cake. What is it and are you taking it with you or do I get to keep it?” He did wonder what all the rest of the boxes were, but didn’t ask.
“It’s feather sponge cake with satin cream. Don’t worry, I will leave it here for you. If I were to take it then I would eat it and I don’t need it.” She swallowed some more of her Coke. “Well, I’m going to vacuum.”
He reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her in her tracks. Flames shot up from where he touched her, spreading to places on his body that had been neglected way too long. “Thanks for trusting me enough to come over.”
“Please,” she scoffed lightly. “I am trying to help you get a woman. Then maybe you won’t be so moody.” She pulled out of his grasp, plugged in the vacuum and began to clean. She didn’t see the smile on his face, as his gaze said he had found his woman.
* * * *
Sanura couldn’t believe the heat in her body, courtesy of being in his presence. She wanted nothing more than to jump him and see if his touch moved her as much as she believed it would. With a strong mental shake she focused back on cleaning. She moved the furniture with his help and cleaned under that as well.
He mopped the kitchen floor and moved the table so she could clean under where the table sat. She moved down the hall and stopped at his bedroom door.
“Is it safe for me to go in there?”
“Depends, do you want it to be?” More of that blatant male sexuality.
No! I want you to grab me like the hero in a movie and kiss me like I mean more to you than the hundreds of psycho warriors that are bearing down on us. I want you to ravage me until I am too tired to move a single muscle in my entire body. “Is it safe to clean in there?”
“Sure. I picked everything up off the floor and stripped the bed. Tell me, Sanura McKie, what do you look for in a man?” He was in between her and the door, not letting her pass until she answered his question.
“I want someone who can make me laugh, feel safe . . . you know, what most people want.”
“That’s it? Nothing else more specific?” Sanura noticed the gleam in his eye as he waited for something else to come out of her mouth.
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt if the man knew how to make the small of my back arch. You know.” Sanura nudged him out of the way with a wink and bolted through the door. A low rumble left him and she smiled, knowing her reply had gotten to him.
She entered his room. It fit. Against one wall sat a king-sized bed. He had dark furniture and the carpet in his room was a dark blue. Turning on the vacuum, she quickly cleaned the carpet.
As she turned to leave she saw him standing in the doorway. In his hands he held some sheets. “Will you help?”
She nodded and they each took a side of the bed. The light was on a dim setting and it set the scene to be very cozy. Intimate. They worked well together as the bed became made. After the sheets came the blankets, and then there was a down comforter they folded in thirds and put across the foot of the bed.
His room done, she headed for the next one. It was his workout room. Since all that was in there was weight equipment she left it alone. The next one was an office with a couch. She left the papers on the desk alone, wiped it off and straightened up the couch. Then she vacuumed that room as well.
She had gone through three vacuum bags, but they were finally done. Sanura even took his clothes out of the dryer and folded them. Touching his boxers took her mind to places it shouldn’t have been heading. Everything was done and she set the baskets back in the doorway to his bedroom.
When she came back down the hall she saw him unloading the dishwasher and putting things away. The rumble of thunder made her look out the large picture windows. A storm had rolled in, giving a spectacular light show. He could view the beach from this room and the waves with the lightning flashes were simply to beautiful to ignore.
She walked over to the windows and sat in one of the oversized chairs that were placed beside them and curled up to watch the storm move through. That was the last thing she remembered before she woke up.
* * * *
Gavin came out of the kitchen into the dimly lit living room. He found her curled up in a chair beneath the window, the flashes of lightning illuminating her beauty. Her breathing seemed in tune with the rain that pounded on his freshly cleaned windows. Soft music still played in the background.
The whole place was clean. It looked amazing. The faint smell of lemon filled the air. Even his shoes were lined up by the door.
His cyanic gaze slid back to the sepia beauty sleeping peacefully in his chair. A tender smile came to his face. What a woman. He walked silently over to her and gazed upon her. Her hair, which he knew was silky, fell over her face and rose and fell with her breaths. She looked exhausted.
Bending down, he slid his arms under her and lifted her up. It was nothing to lift her and she felt so perfect in his arms. Straightening, he wondered where to put her, then without a second thought took her to his bedroom. Avoiding the baskets of folded clothes, he laid her on the bed, removed her shoes and pulled the comforter up over her.
Next time you are sleeping in my bed, little kitten, I will be lying right next to you. And I guarantee, your back will arch. He promised both of them silently.
Leaving her there alone was one of the hardest things he had ever done. But he did. He went to the couch out in the living room and lay down on it before closing his eyes.
* * * *
Sanura woke feeling out of place. This wasn’t her bed. She sat up and figured out where she was. Frantically she looked ar
ound for Gavin and realized he wasn’t there.
Glancing down at her body, she recognized she was fully dressed except for her boots. Whatever he did, it wasn’t take advantage of her. Damn, but then at least she didn’t sleep through it. She slid off the bed and refolded the comforter. Sanura sat in his chair to put on her boots and left the room silently to find him. She heard soft snoring the closer she got to the living room. He lay sprawled on the couch. One strong arm had been thrown up over his head and the other hung off the couch.
Sanura went to the kitchen where she put the rest of the packages in the fridge. He had cleaned up the dinner plates. In the dim light she wrote a note to him:
Sorry about passing out on you. Thanks for being such a gentleman. There are about a week’s worth of meals in your freezer, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I put instructions on the packages so just follow them and you will be fine. You need to eat better. Not that I care, but your mother might. Thanks for the evening. I actually had fun. The cleaning supplies are for you, you need them. See ya around.
~Sanura
She gathered her things and put them by the door. The note she left on the kitchen counter under a cup. Sanura walked back over to the sleeping man. She took the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over him and put his arm across his chest under the blanket, so it didn’t hang over anymore.
Unable to resist, she brushed the lock of thick hair fell over his forehead back and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. A sense of satisfaction filled her as his face nestled into her lips and he sighed deeply. “Pleasant dreams.” She let herself out and took the elevator down and left to go back home.
Sanura arrived home at three thirty in the morning. The outside light was on and as she entered Allison woke up from the couch. Allison smiled at her and her eyes asked the question.
“Nothing happened. I helped him clean his place. We had dinner and then I fell asleep.”
“Slept? Where?” That hint of imp showed its face on the blonde.
“In his bed.” At the smile on Allison’s face she added, “He slept out on his couch. He was a perfect gentleman.” What a pity.
“What a pity. Are you going to see him again?”
“I don’t know. Doubtful. How are you doing?” Sanura didn’t want to think about that right now.
“All right. I don’t want to talk about me. Tell me all about it.”
The two friends stayed up until it was time to go into to work. Sanura filled her best friend in on everything. Except how that man made her feel. She finally cried off to get a shower in before work.
* * * *
Gavin woke at his usual time. He didn’t need an alarm clock, hadn’t for years. When he realized where he was he sat straight up. He noticed he was covered by a blanket. Sanura. She must have done that.
He padded down the hallway to his bedroom. It was empty. The comforter was refolded and placed back along the foot of his bed. He touched the pillow she had been against and put it up to his nose. It still smelled faintly of lilacs.
A glance at the clock told him it was time to start his coffee and take a shower. In the kitchen he noticed her note written in neat print. Damn right, she’d see him around. He’d make sure of it.
He showered and headed for work after eating one of the portions of breakfast she had left for him. She had brought him seven days’ worth of meals, each individually wrapped in single servings.
Clint was waiting for him. “Where were you last night?” They were headed towards the break room. “I tried to call, but there was no answer. Did you have a date?”
“No. I was home. I cleaned my place. I had the music up so maybe I didn’t hear the phone.” A lie; after Sanura had shown up he turned off the phone. They walked into the room; she was already there chatting with two men as they picked out what they wanted.
“Good morning, Mac,” Clint said.
The capped head turned towards the voice. “Good morning, Mr. Hartford, Mr. Rawlins.”
Sanura gave no indication she had spent the night in his bed. There was no shame, no embarrassment, and no hesitation at all in her. She was very professional, like usual. Gavin wasn’t sure how to take that. On one hand, he was glad she didn’t seem like anything thing was wrong, but on the other, he wanted to see a different look on her face when she looked at him.
Suddenly Boyle Dorgan came in the room. His head had already begun to sweat in the early Saturday morning. “Good morning, gentlemen.” He completely ignored Sanura, which tweaked Gavin more than he wanted to admit. Why he was there on a Saturday was a surprise to both men, who rarely saw him on the weekend.
A warning glance from Clint was all that stopped him from saying something to the fat pig. Boyle picked up the two muffins Gavin himself usually ate, stuffed half of one in his mouth and began to speak around the food shoved in his fat kisser.
Sanura didn’t acknowledge him in any way, but finished up her duties and walked out silently without a word to him or Clint.
“Well, that little woman sure does deliver the goods. You know, boys, she is a pretty thing considering.”
Clint and Gavin exchanged glances. “Considering what?” Gavin asked, not really sure he wanted to know.
“Well, her skin color of course. Don’t tell I said so, but she could rock my world anytime. I have heard those black chicks sure can give good head.” He gave a raucous laugh as muffin crumbs spewed from his mouth.
Instantly enraged, Gavin stepped forward and stopped with Clint’s hand on his arm. “People do say lots of things. Excuse us, Gavin and I have to get to work.” Without letting go of his arm, Clint steered him out of the room and down to his office where he saw his secretary coming out of his door.
“Your package is on your desk, sir,” Janice said as Gavin approached.
Package, what package? He wasn’t expecting anything, especially this early in the day. He and Clint went in and closed the door behind them.
Smack in middle of his blotter sat a box. Plain white, with a piece of tape keeping it closed. “What is it? Hurry up, man. Open it.”
Gavin slit the tape and flipped back the lid. He started to laugh as he looked inside. Clint walked over and looked in as well before his eyes flicked back to the man sitting in his chair with an idiotic grin on his face. He seemed very pleased with himself.
Inside the box were six of the muffins he loved. The rich buttery ones loaded with chocolate chips. “How do you rate? She gave you muffins. Are you going to share?”
“Take one.” Gavin smiled as Clint took not one but two and sat down on the other side of the desk. That’s when he noticed the paper under the remaining four. Pulling it out, he opened the folded note and found the words:
Bet you didn’t think I knew which ones you liked. Enjoy. Share with Clint and give one to your secretary. Catch you later.
He put the note in the inside pocket of his suit as he pressed the call button for his secretary. “Janice, will you come in here for a moment.”
Seconds later she opened the door. “Yes, sir?”
Gavin held out the box and offered the muffins. “Would you like one? They’re excellent.”
Janice’s eyes flitted between the two men as if expecting a trap. She walked forward and took one. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome. That will be all for now. In fact, I’m leaving at noon today so if you want, you can as well.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” A shocked Janice backed out of the room.
As soon as the door closed, Clint looked at him and demanded, “What is going on with you? What is going on between you two?”
“Nothing. Yet.” Visions of her sleeping body flashed through his mind.
“Right. So she gives out boxes of muffins to people? That would mean I should have a box on my desk.”
“Shut up, Clint.” Gavin had that stupid little grin on his face for the next hour, which was when Boyle showed up at his door.
* * * *
That evening, as
Sanura was getting some paperwork out of the backseat of her Yukon, she heard her name. It was late Saturday night and the restaurant would be closing soon. The lot sat pretty much empty except for employee vehicles.
Her name was hissed with such venom it chilled her to the bone; it made her shiver with fear. She slammed the door shut and spun to face the one speaking to her.
“Mac, you bitch!”
The man approaching her was stout with a shaved head. It was Pete Hanson, Allison’s ex-husband. He had a scowl on his face would have sent the devil himself into hiding.
“Pete. How nice to see you.” What a load of crap; she wanted to wring his neck. His presence made her body go into full alert mode.
“You little bitch. What did you do to her?”
“What did I do to who?” Her attitude had come in full. Her dislike of the man flowed to the surface.
“Allison.”
“I didn’t do anything to her.”
“If I find out you put her up to this, so help me God, I will make you wish you had never been born.” His burly hand raised and he swung it at her.
Sanura moved like a blur. Grabbing his arm, she twisted hard and got it back behind his back, wrenching hard upwards so he stumbled forward right into the side of her truck. Her leg kicked his apart so he was spread against the side as if he were about to be searched; a police officer couldn’t have done a more efficient job, as the man lay up against the vehicle immobile.
“Listen to me, you dumb prick. I didn’t put her up to anything. Stay away from me and from the restaurant. Don’t do this again.”
Two of the cooks had come out and were standing like guards behind her. Both men made Pete look small and the grimness on their faces made him leave quickly as he rubbed his sore arm. Even so, the look he had in his eyes still scared her.
“Are you all right, Mac?”
“Fine, Tony.” She paused and looked at her friends. “Thanks to you two being here.”
“That man is dangerous. Are you going to call it in?”
“No. You know how I feel about the police.”
“He could hurt you or Allison,” Tony stated.