“There is no love triangle.”
Someone cleared their throat behind her. She spun and caught the side eye from Evan, the new accountant who didn’t like her.
“Look, Liz, I’ve got to go.”
“Alright, keep me in the loop of what’s going on with you two.”
Janiyah hung up without answering. How the heck was she supposed to keep Liz in the loop when she didn’t know what was up with her and Freddy? They still hadn’t mentioned the kiss. He’d hurried out of the bookstore, dropped her at her apartment, and left without another word the other night, not returning until close to ten. He was already on his way out the door by the time she got up, and he hadn’t been in the office all morning.
Evan cleared his throat again.
“Can I help you with something?”
He looked from her to the phone. “Another personal call?”
“Unless you need something, let’s not go through this.”
“Being the boss’s pet only allows a certain amount of leeway.”
“Once again, Evan, we’re not going there. Now what do you want?”
Evan huffed and clenched his teeth. So what if he was frustrated? Unless Freddy had a problem with her work she wasn’t going to let this guy who was just as new as her try and ruffle her feathers.
“Fredrick called. The Association of CPAs day of service is today, and he’s volunteering to serve lunch at Conversions homeless shelter. Two people from our staff are supposed to help, but everyone is tied up with clients. I’m on my way. He suggested I bring you.” The last part came with a scowl.
Janiyah didn’t care if Evan was pissed. Something different to do today was worth a few minutes in a car with the angry accountant.
“Who’s going to cover the front desk?”
“Phyllis agreed to answer any calls.”
A few minutes later, Phyllis had routed calls to her desk and Janiyah and Evan were on their way.
The Conversions shelter opened two years ago. It provided long and short term arrangements for the city’s homeless, while also working with local health clinics and job readiness organizations to provide assistance in helping people go from homeless and unemployed to working and in permanent housing.
Janiyah had volunteered there once during the week she’d dated one of the shelter’s counselors. His passion for trying to help people had thrilled her, his enthusiasm for natural personal hygiene products not so much. It was a fun week, and he did open her eyes to the joys of helping others, but she ended it with the promise to be friends. He did switch to regular deodorant as a way to make her stay. Too little, too late.
Evan barely got the car in park before she popped off her seatbelt and got out. She hoped she wasn’t forced to spoon out corn standing next to him.
She went in through the visitor’s entrance. Fluorescent lights gleamed off the white linoleum floors, green plastic furniture, and framed motivational messages on the wall. Freddy stood with a group by the receptionist sitting at a desk behind a clear plastic barrier. When he saw her he lifted his chin in greeting then motioned for her to join him.
His eyes didn’t light up. Not even a hint of the dimple when she walked over. Just a casual greeting as he quickly introduced her to the five other people in the group. The three men and two women were all members of the committee Freddy chaired with the Association. Evan joined them a few minutes later.
“So you’re Fredrick’s new assistant?” One of the members Freddy introduced as William asked. He was a tall guy with killer green eyes and a smile she was sure melted many female hearts.
“I am. Have you heard good things about me?” she asked.
“Very good things. If he doesn’t treat you right give me a call. I could use a good assistant.”
Freddy placed his hand on her back. “You have a good assistant.”
William looked at the hand on her back then raised an eyebrow. “Just teasing.”
Janiyah stepped out of Freddy’s grasp. He’d done the same thing at the bookstore. He wasn’t going to stake a claim on her without backing it up. Failure to discuss their kiss meant she was still swimming in the just like a sister zone.
“I like the teasing, William,” she said, giving him her flirty smile. “Though I am happy with my new position.”
A light went off in William’s eye. “Well, maybe I can tease you some other time.”
Habit almost made her rattle off her phone number. “We’ll see,” she said instead. Freddy’s expression hardened. Guilt for flirting in front of him tried to rise up, but she ignored it. If he planned on kissing her senseless then pretend it didn’t happen, he’d just have to deal with it.
Further conversation ceased when they were told the tour would start. She turned at the familiar voice calling them over.
“Hey, Joey!” she said.
Joey grinned in her direction. “Janiyah, long time no see.”
They embraced, and she noted he smelled fresh. When they stepped back he got the puppy love look in his eyes that attracted her in the first place. The old attraction wasn’t there, but she was happy to see him.
“You’re our tour guide?”
“That’s right. I’m head counselor now and in charge of volunteer groups. You’re an accountant?”
The humor in his voice nearly wiped the smile off her face. Mr. All Natural found the idea of her working a nine to five humorous.
“Not quite. I’m working at Jenkins Holdings. You remember Freddy.”
By now Freddy’s jaw was clenched. Her suppressed guilt converted to dread. An ex-boyfriend and an easy flirtation with a new guy probably weren’t going to convince him that they should talk about what that kiss meant. She’d never considered that her unstable dating life might be the reason he insisted on treating her like a sister.
Freddy and Joey greeted each other stiffly and then the tour began. She’d heard this before and tuned out Joey’s spill about the goal of Conversions. A few times she caught Freddy’s eye and smiled, only to watch his lips tighten. By the time they’d put on their plastic aprons, gloves, and hairnets to serve the food, her annoyance was alive and kicking.
What the hell was his problem anyway? It wasn’t as if she’d invited William to flirt with her. And was it her fault Freddy had chosen to volunteer here? If he had a problem with her dating habits then he could easily rectify it. She was not throwing herself at Freddy. He’d pushed aside anything between them every time it tried to surface.
She passed out bread, while William dished out coleslaw to her right and another female accountant handed out the full plates to her left. The equally grumpy Freddy and Evan dished out meat and potatoes at the start of the line. William kept up the flirty routine throughout serving, while Joey came behind the line to make sure she was okay every few minutes.
Despite Freddy’s heated looks, she enjoyed talking to the people in line and laughing with William.
“So, are you going to let me tease you another day? Maybe over dinner?” William asked after lunch was over and they were all back in the kitchen taking off their aprons and gloves.
Janiyah laughed. He was cute and persistent, attributes she liked in a man. Still, she wasn’t going to follow this up.
“I can’t believe you’re asking me out when I’m wearing a hairnet.” She pulled the hair net off and ran her fingers through her hair.
“You’re pretty cute in a hairnet.”
“And you probably tell that to all the women you meet in hairnets.”
“You got me. I can’t resist a woman in a hairnet. You won’t believe the crush I had on my high school lunch lady.”
Cute, persistent, and funny. He might be a good choice for Liz if things didn’t work out with that architect.
Joey interrupted her and William. “So, Janiyah, it was good seeing you again.”
“It was good seeing you too, Joey.”
“Maybe we can catch up later. Has your number changed?” Joey puffed out his chest and moved in close t
o her. The look he shot William was a definite back off signal if she ever saw one.
It would be cute if it weren’t completely inappropriate. “I’m kind of seeing someone right now.”
Both Joey and William’s shoulders drooped. Joey recovered first.
“I don’t see a ring, so what’s the harm in drinks with an old friend?”
“Or a new one,” William chimed in.
Oh crap, this was awkward. She edged back, trying to think of a way to nicely let both of them down when a warm hand settled on her back. She immediately leaned into Freddy.
“Are you ready? We can ride back together.”
“Yes. Let’s go.” She waved at Joey and William. “Bye, guys.”
Freddy didn’t move his hand. He didn’t look at her or speak as they exited into the warm spring air, just walked stiffly beside her. She couldn’t think of normal conversation thanks to his thumb rubbing back and forth across the small of her back. The friction of the movement against her silk blouse heated her faster than the warming plates and plastic apron had in the kitchen.
He’d parked two blocks away from the shelter. It was less crowded this late after lunch. His car was the only one on the side of the road, shaded by a large live oak tree.
When they reached his car, his simple touch had escalated to all of his fingers gliding back and forth against her lower back. Each movement slowly pulled her blouse up until the edges of his short nails lightly scratched her skin. She gasped, her nipples tightened, and moisture blossomed between her thighs.
“Get in.” He opened the door and waited for her to slide in.
He slammed it shut then marched around to his side of the vehicle. She sweated, not from the heat of the car. Apparently, Freddy was upset. And apparently, it was making her horny as hell.
He sat in the driver’s seat, turned on the ignition, and switched the air conditioner to blast. The cool air ruffled the hair around her face and she pushed it behind her ears.
“They fall for you quickly.”
“It’s never the one I want to fall.”
His hands gripped the steering wheel, tension radiating from his body. “I shouldn’t care.”
“I want you to care.”
“We work together.”
“It has nothing to do with this.”
Desire popped across her skin like corn kernels in a skillet. Her core was wet, and her breasts hummed for the feel of his mouth on them. Denying this was stupid. There was something between them and they couldn’t ignore it any longer.
“Freddy— ”
He spun in the seat and silenced her with a kiss. His tongue thrust past her lips at the same time as her arms shot around his neck. If he intended to make her forget any other man he’d succeeded. This was different from the last kiss. He kissed her thoroughly, barely giving her time to catch her breath or think. Her body went on autopilot, savoring his skillful lips, masculine smell, and hard body instead of wondering what it all meant.
She pressed against him, wanting to get closer, to have more of him against her. One of his hands cradled the back of her head, the other gripped her thigh. The heat of his palm burned against the material of her skirt. With eager hands, she reached down to pull it up, then gasped when his hot palm made contact with her skin. His deft fingers firmly caressed her thighs, easing their way upward to where she yearned for him to go. She parted her legs and his fingers flexed. He groaned, and his kiss switched from urgent to erotic as his tongue played against hers. His hand neared the aching spot at the juncture of her thighs, only to work its way back down. She whimpered, spread her legs farther, and pushed her hips forward.
He broke off their kiss to softly suck on the hollow of her throat. Then he was there. Kissing her spot. The tender place along her neck that made her tremble and pant for more.
“I shouldn’t care, but damn, Janiyah, I do.” His warm breath against her neck sent a delicious tremor through her.
Once again he kissed and licked along her neck. His hand made its way back up her thigh. When his fingers grazed the edge of her underwear she clutched the front of his shirt. The blunt tips of his fingers pushed aside the wet fabric of her panties to boldly caress her slick heat. He didn’t hesitate to part her swollen folds and caressed her inner walls and the sides of her clit with his fingers.
She cried out. “Oh, my, Freddy!”
“Open wider,” he said in a demanding voice.
She did by propping one foot against the door. His hand massaged her entire mons before he slipped one long finger into her. He repeated the motion again and again until her hips were twisting and her eyes watered from the pleasure. She buried her face in his neck, and his sweat mingled with hers as she whimpered in his arms. He trailed light kisses up her neck to gently suck on the outer lobe of her ear.
“Tell me you want me.”
His thumb ran slippery circles across her clit. Her thighs shook as she struggled to breathe.
“I want you,” she gasped.
His thumb alternated between quick flicks and slow rotations across the throbbing heart of her desire. “Not them, just me.”
She moaned before saying, “Always you, Freddy.”
He eased two thick fingers inside then bent them directly into her G-spot. “Good. Now come for me, baby.”
Pinpricks of pleasure became a rush of shattered ecstasy across her skin. She cried out. He murmured against her head as the trembles went through her, useless words that made no sense in her muddled brain.
She finally lifted her head to stare at him. His light brown eyes were bright like fire. He looked both ready to pounce on her and shocked that they’d gone so far. His surprise was nothing compared to hers. Freddy, of all people, had made her come from a hand job. No guy had done that since high school.
She opened her mouth. Then closed it. A flush appeared beneath his tan skin and he looked away. With tentative movements, he slid his hand from beneath her skirt. A delicious tremble went through her.
“Freddy … we should …. ”
He reached into the glove box and pulled out a few napkins. After wiping his hands he gripped the wheel, avoiding eye contact with her the entire time.
“I know.” His voice was filled with regret.
Suddenly embarrassed, she pulled her skirt down and tried to smooth her hair back in place. They rode in silence. She was too nervous to talk after Freddy got her off in the front seat of a car. Eventually they’d have to talk—maybe not now while they were at work, but soon.
His jaw remained clenched the entire time. When they arrived back at the office, he shifted the gear to park, but didn’t cut the engine.
He took a deep breath and faced her. “I shouldn’t have done that and I’m sorry. I know we’re not together, but I behaved as if we were. It won’t happen again.”
“But … ” Her voice trailed off as he shook his head.
“It won’t happen again,” he said with a determination that nearly broke her heart. “I’ve got to get to a meeting.” He turned away to stare out the windshield.
Screw his meeting; this needed to be worked out. Her mind raced without fully grasping what had just happened. This couldn’t possibly be ignored. How could they go back to before after the way he’d touched her? She’d never be able to look at his hands without remembering them sliding and flexing inside of her. But his rigid expression and tense shoulders said now wasn’t the time to push.
She slowly got out of the car. He gave her one last glance that swam with regret. She watched in anguish as he backed his car out of the parking space and hurried off.
CHAPTER 17
Janiyah skimmed through the slim pickings in her brother Aaron’s fridge. Only he would have a more pitiful assortment of food than she. At least she had essentials such as milk and eggs. Often very close to their expiration dates, but still they were essentials. The only offerings in his fridge were a moldy lump of cheese, a few bottles of beer that looked the same as when she visited him a month ago
, and a hard slice of pizza still in the box.
She’d left the office at exactly five to go home and then escape to Aaron’s apartment. She’d chosen to hide rather than possibly face Freddy after what happened at lunch today. Even her not easily broken heart couldn’t handle seeing the rejection in his eyes this evening.
“You’re such a man,” she called out over her shoulder.
“What?” he yelled from his den.
“I said you’re such a man. There’s no food in here,” she called back.
His laughter was the only response. With a shrug, she grabbed two of the beers and joined him on the couch. Aaron’s downtown apartment was sparsely furnished, but comfortable with a large couch, two recliners, and plenty of throw pillows for lounging. It served him perfectly since he only spent time there in between trucking jobs.
She handed him a beer. He held the bottle up to the light, examining it through narrowed eyes. “How old is this?”
“You tell me, it’s your fridge.” She found the date and her eyes widened. “Hey, only expired by three weeks. Drink up.”
He shrugged and popped the top. “So, why are you raiding my fridge tonight?”
“Can’t I just spend time with my brother?”
“Not unless you want something. And since I know it’s not the old beer in my fridge, it has to be something else.”
She avoided his direct stare by flipping through the channels on his television. “You’re in town, so I thought I’d hang out. I don’t see you often,” she said.
“You’ll see me a lot more soon. I’ve hired some new drivers who can handle the routes while Dad goes through this.”
“Did you find out when he’s having surgery?”
“Yeah, Mom finally caved. It’s Thursday. That stubborn old man, he refused to have it until he got his business affairs in order.”
Tears burned her eyes. “It’s routine, right? He wouldn’t really die from this, would he?”
He rubbed his eyes, a heavy sigh coming from his lips. “He’ll be fine. You know Dad, he’s a fighter. He’ll probably wake up in the middle of surgery to tell the surgeon he’s doing it wrong.”
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