As Good as the First Time

by Altonya Washington

Lexi waved her hand toward one of the chairs facing the desk. “Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, danish, juice?”

  Cortez favored Lexi with a gorgeous grin and shook his head. “No, I appreciate it, but I’m fine.”

  Lexi’s wide, blue eyes narrowed as she took stock of the tall man before her. “Yes, you are,” she breathed, and then shook her head, realizing she had spoken aloud. “I mean, um, okay. If you’ll excuse me I’ll just get going.”

  Julia grimaced, watching as her usually reserved assistant tripped all over Cortez. “Thanks, Lexi,” she called to her as she walked back out through the doorway.

  Julia stood and smoothed her hands over her form-fitting mocha dress. Cortez let his eyes rake the length of her body appreciatively. When Julia sat perched on the edge of her desk, he reached out to stroke her bare thigh.

  “You were dead to the world when I left. You obviously had a very good time yesterday.”

  Cortez grinned, remembering their day together. “I had a very good time,” he assured her. “I dare you to deny it was one of your best,” he said, his cocky demeanor rising to the surface.

  Not wanting to risk Cortez’s ego becoming more inflated, Julia decided not to respond. Instead, she eased off the desk and walked around him. “You weren’t seeing the real me yesterday.”

  Amused, Cortez tilted his head back to stare at her. “The real you?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Julia confirmed, stooping next to his chair. “If submission is what you want in a lover, then you’ve got the wrong woman.”

  “Can you clarify that?” Cortez asked as he stared down at her. His laughter was close to the surface.

  “Well, you know how aggressive I can be,” she said, gazing at him naughtily. “I assure you it doesn’t end at the workplace.”

  Cortez nodded. “Aggression isn’t bad, if kept in its place,” he said, enjoying their wordplay.

  “In its place?” Julia finished for him, now standing over the chair. “You know, Cortez, you may want to think twice about accepting this show. Aggression kept out of its place makes many men uneasy.”

  “Do you think I’m one of those men?”

  “I guess we’ll see,” Julia retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Cortez remained cool, still enjoying their banter. “I only like control in the bedroom,” he said, on the brink of laughter when her lips parted.

  “I like control, too,” Julia assured him. “Complete control.”

  “Then we have something in common,” Cortez replied, picking up her silent challenge.

  Julia threw her hands in the air and laughed. “I think that’s where we have our problem.”

  “It doesn’t have to be a problem.”

  Julia’s brows rose and she simply planted herself astride his lap. Cortez’s massive hands caressed the toned, luscious length of her thighs and she was instantly aroused.

  “Does that mean you’re planning to give in?” she asked. “Accept that perhaps this isn’t the best idea.”

  In reply, one of his hands cupped the back of her neck and pulled her down to meet his kiss.

  Julia moaned weakly when Cortez thrust his tongue deep into her mouth. Her insides turned to mush and she thrust herself against him, grinding her hips erotically.

  They both cursed when a knock sounded at the door. With effort, Julia pulled herself off Cortez’s lap and walked across the office.

  Lexi stood outside the door with two envelopes in her hand. “Kenrick sent me here with card keys to the suite for the announcement party at the Pierre. One is for Mr. Wallace, and he’s free to bring a guest, if he wants.”

  “Thanks, Lexi,” Julia said, taking the small, white cards. Then she closed the door on the woman’s prying eyes. She reluctantly gave Cortez the envelope before tossing hers to the desk. Massaging her temples, she struggled with the right way to say what needed to be said and then decided to just come right out with it. “I don’t see this working, Cork. This show, us working together with all this,” she waved her hands back and forth between the two of them.

  Cortez grinned and slid his thumb across the sleek line of his brow. “Juli, when have we not had all this between us?”

  “We’ve never slept and worked together before.”

  Tensing then, Cortez let the muscle dance viciously along his jaw before he stood. “So easy for you to forget eight years ago, isn’t it?”

  She stiffened at the accusation. “This is different. I’ve got a reputation to think about.”

  “Are you saying I’m not good for it?”

  Julia gave a nervous tug at a flaring sleeve of her mocha dress. “I’m saying that it’s one I’ve worked hard to build. Unlike the one I was given in Detroit, this is one I’m damn proud of.” Her expression changed and she looked away. “In spite of my achievements here, there’re a helluva lot of folks around here who believe I got where I am by sleeping around.” She fixed Cortez with a challenging look. “Now what do you think our sleeping together is gonna do for that train of thought?”

  “Since when do you care?” He asked, not quite believing the words that had come from her mouth.

  “I care since—” Julia couldn’t stop her voice from shaking with emotion “—since a trumped-up rep was what cost me the man I loved. Because one self-centered, snotty woman felt I came from too far across the tracks to be good enough for her son. That was eight years ago and that lie is still costing me him to this day.”

  “Juli…” Cortez bowed his head and massaged the bridge of his nose.

  She stepped close, hands outstretched. “Just please think about this, okay? For me?”

  The weariness in her eyes broke his heart. He simply nodded, leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead and left her to her thoughts.

  Chapter 19

  Julia popped a plump Bay scallop into her mouth and savored the taste. The buffet was a smorgasbord of delectable seafood, beautiful vegetables and sinful desserts.

  After adding a few more scallops to the mound of treats on her plate, Julia moved on. Her dark eyes scanned the crowded suite at the Pierre for Cortez, but he was nowhere in sight.

  Maybe you got through to him, she told herself, not really believing she’d be so lucky. Then there was the twinge of pain she felt over the reality of him leaving for good.

  “Are you with us, girl?”

  Julia blinked several times, focusing on two of her coworkers and friends. Marisa Delon and Collette Fredericks were watching her closely. “Sorry, what’s up?” she asked the two women.

  Collette glanced over her shoulder and then pinned Julia with a wicked stare. “Why don’t you tell us about our newest asset, Cortez Wallace?”

  “Cortez?”

  “Honey, yes, Cortez. I didn’t know you knew him.”

  Julia smoothed her hands throughout her hair and gave Marisa a serious look. “Yeah, we’re old friends.”

  “That’s all?” Collette shrieked in disbelief and tossed her bouncy black hair from her round, pretty face. “Girl, he is far too fine to be roaming the streets of L.A. alone.”

  “Please, Collette, Julia knows that all too well,” Marisa decided.

  Julia couldn’t help but laugh. “Y’all are too much!”

  “So come on. Tell me all about him,” Collette whispered, taking a small step closer.

  Julia shrugged her shoulders. “What do you want to know?”

  “I can’t say we haven’t all been wondering if you and Julia are a little more than old friends, my man.”

  Cortez grinned, confirming Ken’s assumption. “We have been for quite a while, but we’re still not as close as I’d like us to be.”

  Ken nodded, rubbing the side of his face. “She’s the best person on our team.”

  “That’s what I hear. She’s made a real name for herself,” Cortez remarked, realizing what Justin was getting at.

  “She’s earned it,” Justin said, tossing back the rest of his cognac.

  “I know she has.”

  �
�Cortez, man, I hope you don’t take offense here, but I’ve got to ask if there’s any major drama between you two.”

  Cortez was struck by a sudden bout of laughter.

  Kenrick replied in turn. “I guess that’s my answer, then.”

  Swallowing a bit more of the drink he’d been nursing, Cortez considered his next statement. “I love her to obsession,” he confessed, as his eyes wandered over to Julia, where she stood talking with coworkers. “I’ve also hurt her more times than I can count. And now, when I most need her to, I don’t think she’ll ever trust me again.”

  Ken’s expression grew serious. Heavy brows rose. “So how’s this gonna affect the two of you working so closely together?” He glanced over at Julia then, too. “You guys are gonna butt heads a lot. How much of that’ll be about the show and how much will be about unfinished personal business?”

  “You know, Ken—” Cortez didn’t mind letting his unease show and tapped back what was left of his drink “—I’m real glad you brought that up.”

  The candlelit patio looked like something straight off of a movie set. Julia always hid out there whenever Justin’s parties began to grate on her nerves. The peaceful atmosphere always helped her forget whatever frustrated her.

  Unfortunately, the purely romantic aura of the patio did nothing for her that night. If anything, it made her think about Cortez. God, if only she could take him at his word…

  Shaking her head, Julia pulled an invisible speck of lint from her shimmery, gold halter gown and decided to head back to the party. When she turned, he was standing there in the arched doorway.

  Without a word, Cortez walked across the patio until he stood before her. One large hand cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her flawless molasses-toned skin.

  Julia’s eyes closed at his feather-soft touch and she pressed her face against it. Cortez frowned slightly as he studied the weary, drawn expression on her oval face. Instead of questioning it, he pulled her closer.

  Melting against his warm, chiseled form, Julia sighed her content. The soft music drifting out onto the patio, combined with the relaxing outdoors, was intoxicating.

  “Julia! Girl, we’ve been lookin’ everywhere for you!”

  Cortez and Julia jumped apart at the sound of the two male voices. Julia gave Matthew Mayes and Jerry Orned tiny smiles, while Cortez just watched them.

  “Hey, guys. What’s up?”

  Matthew and Jerry were approaching Cortez with extended hands. “We’ve been trying to get an introduction to this guy all night,” Jerry said.

  A smile finally appeared on Cortez’s face as he shook hands with the two men. “Cortez Wallace.”

  “Cortez, this is Matthew Mayes and Jerry Orned. They’re coanchors on our early-morning news show,” Julia was saying.

  “Good to meet a fellow anchor,” Matthew said.

  “Same here.” Cortez replied, his words tinged with laughter.

  “We only wanted to congratulate you on the show,” Jerry Orned explained.

  “You’re a lucky man to be working with our Julia,” Matthew tacked on.

  “Thanks. That much I know.” Cortez didn’t mask anything when he looked at her.

  Julia was relieved that Matthew and Jerry hadn’t noticed.

  “You’ve already got a slew of envious coworkers in your midst, kid,” Jerry teased.

  Julia laughed right along, but the gesture wasn’t nearly as full and rich as that of her male cohorts.

  Cortez was chuckling as loudly as anyone. “Sorry to hear that, but I can’t say working with her is gonna be a hardship.”

  “Would you guys excuse me?” The request was soft, demure and effectively masked her agitation. Without a word to anyone, Julia left the party.

  Julia didn’t rest until she had made it back home. By that time, it was raining buckets. The air was very cool and she shivered as the heavy droplets of water beat against her bare skin. Leaving her car parked sideways in the driveway, she ran inside the house.

  Stripping off her drenched dress, Julia tiptoed out of the foyer. She hurried across the thick living-room carpet and lit the logs already in the fireplace. Waiting for the heat to rise, she stood there rubbing her bare arms. There was a fluffy, gray blanket on one of the armchairs and she wrapped it around her nude body.

  As soon as the logs began to crackle beneath the orange flames, Julia’s thoughts turned to Cortez. He’d always be around to remind her of the unwarranted talk that had consistently followed her in Detroit. He was only there now because he’d confirmed she was innocent of an indiscretion with his brother and not because he believed her when she’d told him so. The reality of it was wreaking havoc on her heart, her head and her body.

  The bell rang and silently Julia cursed the sound. Cortez, she predicted. Refusing to answer the door would only add increased pettiness to the situation. Grumbling, she stalked through the living room and chose to meet the situation head-on. By the time she pulled open the door, she was praying for the will to at least make eye contact. Cortez stood there drenched, but sexy as ever.

  “I don’t feel like talking,” she managed.

  He shook his head. “Good. Neither do I.”

  Cortez took hold and pulled her to him. His wide, sensuous mouth pressed into hers in a hard, possessive kiss that forced a moan just past her lips. She instantly melted beneath the slow, rhythmic thrusts of his tongue as her fingers stroked the crisp whiskers of his beard.

  When he broke the kiss, Julia’s enchanting gaze searched Cortez’s intense brown eyes. As she stood there, staring into his face, her legs suddenly went weak beneath her. She slid right out of Cortez’s embrace to the furry rug before the fireplace.

  Cortez opened the blanket Julia had wrapped around her body. His gorgeous cocoa stare caressed every inch of her dark form before he permitted himself to touch her. His strong fingers circled her full breasts, while his lips enclosed their firm peaks one at a time.

  Julia stroked the back of Cortez’s neck as she enjoyed the slow, arousing strokes of his tongue against her nipples. As his thumb brushed the other hard peak, she ground her hips against his. The impressive bulge between his legs caused her to gasp.

  The flames were still roaring in the huge, stone fireplace as the rainstorm continued outside. Julia and Cortez felt as though they were locked away in their own sensual world, and they enjoyed the pleasures of making love all night.

  Chapter 20

  Heavy raindrops still beat against the window the next morning. Julia snuggled deeper beneath the thick lime green comforter and sighed. She turned and stared at the empty space next to her. Cortez was gone, but in his place there was a small note. Julia pressed the folded paper to her face and smiled. The message was brief, but very sweet. He promised to see her later that evening.

  The phone on the shiny maple nightstand began to ring. Julia snatched the receiver up, hoping to hear Cortez’s voice.

  “Yes?”

  “Hey, Jukee, what’s up?”

  “Monique! Honey, what’s goin’ on?” Julia greeted her sister, equally pleased to hear her voice.

  “Girl, Mama just told me that Cortez was in California with you. I can’t believe it! Did he call off the wedding or somethin’?”

  Julia sat up in bed. “There never was one. It was all a lie—like I said.”

  “How…” Monique sighed. “Did he say—”

  “He said, Mo,” Julia shrugged. “It’s a very long story.” She smothered a yawn.

  “Mmm…I hear ya,” Monique agreed. “Well, listen, I didn’t call to talk about that anyway. You do remember that Dad’s birthday is in a few weeks?”

  Julia slapped her palm against her forehead. “Damn. Thanks for reminding me, Mo. Have you started any planning yet?”

  “We’re almost set. You just make sure you get your butt back here.”

  “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t miss Daddy’s party for the world.”

  “Good…and Julia, sweetie, be careful with Cortez, all right? I
know how much you’ve wanted this, but keep your eyes open, okay?”

  Julia inhaled deeply. “I plan to do exactly that. Thanks, Mo.”

  Later that day, Julia was in her usual spot behind the desk in her office, toiling away. She brought a quick end to her call with the editing department when her office door opened and Ken stepped in along with Cortez.

  “Did I forget a meeting?” she asked, noting their closed expressions.

  Ken shook his head. “No, Julia. We’ve, um, decided to pull you from the coproducer chair on Cortez’s show.”

  “Wha—” Julia couldn’t complete the word and sat openmouthed, her eyes darting back and forth between the two men.

  “Everything is still a go for your own show. Nothing’s changed regarding that.” Ken cleared his throat while he clenched his hands nervously. “Even better—now you’ve got the go-ahead, the resources and the time to move forward full steam with it. I’ll, uh—” he shot a quick glance toward Cortez “—I’ll just leave you two to…talk.” He gave Cortez a quick shoulder pat and hustled out of the room.

  Still speechless, Julia looked to Cortez for clarification.

  “I want to be where you are,” he told her simply, his easy stride bringing him closer to the desk. “You won’t be comfortable working with me on the show, and I’ll do what it takes to prove I don’t intend to lose you. I’ve got every intention of making this work.”

  Julia tugged on the ends of the lightweight pine scarf she wore. “I don’t know what to say,” she admitted, which was more than a little true. Her show was a go, which was what she’d wanted all along, and it was because of Cortez. She wasn’t altogether sure how to feel about that.

  Lips curved into a knowing smile as he leaned across the desk. “Don’t say a thing,” he planted a kiss to her temple. “Just go home and pack.”

  She regained her balance after several sweet seconds. “Pack?”

  “How did you know I had a weakness for Big Bear?” Julia asked, her dark gaze wide as black moons while taking in the exquisite wintry scene before her.