He leaned back comfortably in his seat, readjusting his seatbelt as he continued to gaze at her. He liked what she’d done to her hair…a little too much. And he also liked—a little too much—how her makeup enhanced her features, although he’d thought she was a beautiful woman, even when she hadn’t worn any at all.
Even with their early start, traffic had been a bit hectic getting to the airport so, thankfully, he’d been forced to place his full concentration on his driving and not on her. That had been the first time the two of them had ever shared car space, and he found it hard to be so close to her and not let his mind fill with sexual thoughts. For some reason, she evoked those ideas in his head. He could have blamed it on her scent, but he knew her fragrance alone had not been a significant factor. It was the entire package.
In a way, he appreciated her sleeping now. It gave him time to regain his composure and take back control. Opal Lockhart had a way of making him lose both. She shifted in sleep and her skirt rose just a tad, showing a portion of her thigh. Surrendering to temptation, he assured himself that, since he was one-hundred-percent male, it would be quite natural to stare. So he did. But there was no excuse for the lecherous thoughts that suddenly filled his mind.
He rubbed his hand down his face wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He hadn’t been this taken with a woman in six years. And then on Saturday night, he’d had every opportunity to take care of his needs but hadn’t had the urge to do so. For some reason, only Opal filled him with red-hot desire.
And, for the time being, he wasn’t sure how he planned to handle it.
His gaze left her thigh and went to her face when she made a sound in her sleep. Then another. He quickly concluded from the moans emanating from her lips that she was having some dream. He leaned forward as, in her sleep, she suddenly moaned out his name.
Opal smiled in her sleep, dreaming about D’marcus. They were in his office and he was touching her all over, making her intensely hot. She wanted to fight the feelings, ignore the sensations but they were too strong, too overpowering. So she surrendered and her insides began burning up with desire. She whispered his name moments before he leaned over and kissed her.
She felt a sudden jolt to her body and wrenched her eyes open. Then she stiffened all over when her gaze met that of D’marcus, who was sitting across from her. She blinked, remembering. They were in his company plane on their way to California. She wondered what had awakened her. As if he read her mind, he answered.
“We hit a little bit of turbulence. Excuse me for a moment while I check with Lee to see how much longer before we land.”
She watched D’marcus undo his seatbelt and head toward the cockpit. She decided to use the time he was gone to compose herself. She couldn’t believe she had fallen asleep in front of her boss and, to make matters worse, she had dreamed about him and had awakened to find him staring at her. When she thought of the dream, she couldn’t help but blush.
She sighed deeply, thinking about her new look. Evidently, D’marcus hadn’t been impressed. All he’d said was that she looked different. She didn’t know whether to take that as a positive or a negative.
She glanced up when D’marcus returned. “Is everything all right?”
He smiled. “Yes, everything is fine,” he said, sitting back in his seat.
She glanced down at the documents in her lap; papers she should have been reading. “I apologize for falling asleep,” she said softly.
He buckled the seatbelt around him. “No need to apologize. Evidently, you were tired. You have been working rather late at the office.”
She thought it was kind of him to be so understanding.
“I’m going to have to make sure that some of your time in California is spent enjoying yourself.”
She glanced up from the documents. “That’s not necessary.”
He held her gaze. “I think that it is.”
Opal struggled to smile. There was something about the way he was looking at her that made intense heat slither through her body. It was the same feeling she’d gotten when he had touched her in her dream. Good grief! Her body was responding to him and all he was doing was sitting there staring at her.
She placed the papers on the seat beside her and unbuckled her seatbelt. “Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies’ room,” she said, quickly getting out of her seat.
“Certainly,” he said, his gaze still on her. “I’ll be here when you return.”
She nodded. That’s what had her worried.
Chapter 7
Opal tried not to show her surprise when, instead of driving them to a hotel once they had landed in San Francisco, D’marcus had picked up a rental car and had driven them to a spacious home close to the bay. He evidently saw the question in her eyes and, after parking in the driveway and turning off the car, he said, “This is my uncle and aunt’s home. I told them I was coming and they insisted I drop by before checking into the hotel.”
She raised a brow. “Your uncle and aunt?”
“Yes, they’re the ones who raised me after my parents were killed,” he said as if she should know about his parents. She did, but he hadn’t been the one to tell her. She’d found out through office gossip.
She was surprised when the door was suddenly flung open and a beautiful older woman with salt-and-pepper hair walked out. Opal could tell from the huge smile on her face that the woman was glad to see D’marcus. He immediately walked over to her and gave her a hug. “Aunt Marie, you get more beautiful every day.”
And then a man appeared whom Opal assumed was his uncle. He was tall and muscular and favored D’marcus somewhat. He gave his uncle a hug, as well. Another first. She’d never seen her boss display any type of affection with anyone, but it was easy to see that he was glad to see his family.
“Opal, I’d like you to meet my aunt Marie and my uncle Charles,” he said, claiming her attention. “This is my administrative assistant, Opal Lockhart,” he said to his relatives.
Both his uncle’s and aunt’s smiles were friendly. Instead of taking her hand, his aunt automatically embraced her. “Welcome to our home, Ms. Lockhart.”
“Thank you.”
“Come in. I knew the two of you were coming so I had Loretta prepare brunch.”
D’marcus shook his head. “You still intend to fatten me up, Aunt Marie?”
She grinned. “You don’t eat properly. I know you, D’marcus. Look, you’re almost skin and bones.”
Opal glanced over at her boss. He was far from being skin and bones. In fact, in her opinion, he was nicely built. She knew he worked out periodically at the gym, but she did agree with his aunt about his eating habits.
“Okay, I’ll let you feed us a light lunch. But later tonight, Opal and I have a dinner date.”
She raised her brow and glanced over at him. If they did, this was the first she’d heard of it.
His aunt locked Opal’s arm into hers as they walked into the house. “Then, come inside and get comfortable. Loretta is the best cook in the Bay area.”
An hour later Opal was convinced that what Marie Armstrong said was true. Her cook and housekeeper, Loretta, was the best cook in the Bay area. She had prepared them a tossed salad and grilled salmon that was the best she’d ever eaten.
“Would you like anything else, Ms. Lockhart?”
Opal smiled over at Marie. “No thanks, but brunch was simply delicious.”
D’marcus’s aunt beamed. “Thank you. I enjoy seeing people with good appetites.”
Opal grinned, thinking that she’d certainly had one. She had skipped breakfast, and the muffin and juice she’d eaten in Dallas hadn’t quite done the job.
“It’s time for me and Opal to be on our way.”
“But the two of you will be back, right?”
Without looking at her, D’marcus said, “Of course I’ll be back, but Opal will be quite busy while we’re here.”
His aunt’s attention then went to Opal. “Promise me that you won’t let h
im work you too hard.”
Instead of telling Marie that her nephew was paying her well to work hard, Opal smiled, “Okay, I promise.”
Ten minutes later, she and D’marcus were back on the road and headed toward the hotel in downtown San Francisco. D’marcus wasn’t saying anything so Opal took the time to study the beautiful San Francisco scenery.
“This is your first time here?”
Opal glanced over at D’marcus, not believing he’d spoken. He hadn’t said much during the drive from the airport to his uncle and aunt’s home, nor had he had a lot to say since leaving his relatives’ house. “Yes, and it’s beautiful,” she said.
“I have to agree. I once swore, when I was a teen, that I would never leave this place. That I would live here forever.”
“What happened?”
He chuckled and the sound sent shivers through her body. “Education happened. I left for Morehouse College in Atlanta and decided I liked the South. Then, when I attended Harvard for my master’s degree, I made up my mind that I liked the North. But, whenever I return home to Frisco, I know in my heart that the West is the best. There’s nothing like the Bay area.”
Opal nodded. Though she hadn’t visited half the places he had, it was her personal opinion that, even with its sometimes harsh winters, Detroit was a nice place to live, as well.
“We’ll be staying in the hotel only one night. Then we’re going to my home where we’ll be for the rest of the week.”
His home? Opal glanced over at him.
“We’ll be working out of my office there, and I have several meetings set up.”
She nodded. She knew about the meetings, but hadn’t known they would be conducted from his home. In fact, she hadn’t been aware of the fact that he owned a home here. Deciding what he did and what he owned was definitely none of her business, she didn’t say anything.
When he pulled into the hotel’s driveway for valet parking, he glanced over at her. “We’re having dinner with Harold Phelps and his wife, Bernice. He’s interested in opening several stores in Hawaii.”
“That’s wonderful,” she said. She knew there wasn’t a Sports Unlimited in that state. In fact, from the map D’marcus kept on the wall in his office, she was aware of each state his franchised stores had not yet invaded. She knew he was working hard to change that; he’d once mentioned that he wanted a store in every state in the union.
When they walked into the hotel, she was truly impressed. The lobby was a stunning atrium filled with young trees and flowering plants. For someone who loved flowers as much she did, it was a breathtaking sight. She admired it while D’marcus went to the check-in desk. He hadn’t asked her to make the hotel reservations for this trip as he normally did. She had found that odd, but had not questioned him about it.
“Ready?”
She nodded at D’marcus, who handed her a key card and led her toward the elevator bank. A car was waiting and they stepped in.
“What time is dinner?” she asked.
“Seven. The restaurant’s not far from the hotel, so I’ll be to your room to get you around six-thirty.”
“All right.” Now she was grateful for those dressy outfits Ruby had insisted she purchase.
She stepped off the elevator onto the eighteenth floor. Surprised when D’marcus did, too.
“I requested hotel rooms across the hall from each other. Things will be easier that way.”
Easier? Having him so close certainly wouldn’t be easier for her.
D’marcus stood in the hallway moments after Opal had gone inside her room. He had to force himself to get a grip. He wouldn’t be surprised if his uncle and aunt had picked up on his attraction to her. He had a feeling his aunt Marie had, and that had been the reason she’d asked him to bring Opal back for a visit before he left the city.
Releasing a deep sigh, he opened the door to his room and went inside. As requested, his and Opal’s rooms were spacious suites. Although they would only be staying for one night, he believed in comfort and convenience.
As he eased his jacket from his shoulders, he couldn’t help but recall Opal’s beautiful face when she’d sat across from him in the jet sleeping. And, when she had whispered his name, his gut had clenched and blood had rushed to every part of his body. Why would his administrative assistant be thinking about him while she slept?
Various reasons crossed his mind, but his brain was stuck on one of them—the possibility that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. He’d never had reason to think that she was…until now.
She didn’t know how close she’d come to being awakened with a kiss. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought. But he continued smiling when he thought of the changes she’d made. Although he hadn’t given his opinion, he thought she looked good and liked what she’d done. He’d barely been able to keep his eyes off of her.
He removed his tie, thinking he needed a shower, a very cold one. Then he would work on the report he had to complete for one of his meetings tomorrow. He had to remind himself that he wasn’t a teenager noticing a female for the first time. He was a grown man.
A man who wanted to sleep with his administrative assistant.
At precisely 6:30 p.m. D’marcus was knocking on Opal’s hotel-room door. He had done all the things he had planned. First, he had taken a cold shower and then he had relaxed on the bed while completing the report for tomorrow’s meeting. Now the only thing left was to maintain tight control of his desires while in Opal’s presence for the rest of the evening. That, he knew, wouldn’t be easy.
A part of him, a part that he hadn’t known could be so persistent, dared him to turn his attention toward her as he would any woman. To forget she was his employee and see her for the desirable woman she was. That he never intended to settle down and get married had never stopped him from pursuing women when he was interested. Why was he letting the fact that the two of them worked together become a factor? He immediately knew the answer. Because things could get rather messy and awkward when he ended the affair.
Her door opened and D’marcus was taken aback. This morning, he’d been surprised at her makeover, but now he was rendered speechless. He knew it was a combination of her makeover and her outfit. Nevertheless, he was at a loss for words. Never before had a woman stirred his hormones to the extent that Opal had.
“I’m ready,” she said stepping in the hallway next to him.
Her smile was polite but her outfit was hot. Nothing about her teal dinner dress was inappropriate for their dinner date, but on her it seemed sexy as sin. Maybe it was the way it seemed to drape around her curves or the way the color seemed to darken her eyes. Or the way the off-the-shoulder neckline emphasized a long, sleek neck and a pair of smooth arms. He’d never paid attention to a woman’s arms before.
As they walked beside each other to the elevator, he tried not to stare over at her, but he couldn’t resist. Her hair had so much body that it actually bounced around her shoulders when she walked. She glanced at him, catching him staring, and his breath hitched a bit when he said, “You look nice tonight, Opal.”
“Thank you. So do you.”
He wondered if her comment was sincere or automatic. He looked basically the same, but she didn’t. She looked luscious. She looked ripe. She looked like a woman who was meant to be in a man’s arms and in his bed.
When they reached the elevator, the doors swooshed open and he stepped back for her to step in ahead of him. That was when he saw her back. The majority of it was bare, which he concluded was the reason she carried the matching shawl. Though difficult, he resisted the temptation to reach out and caress the soft skin.
The ride in the elevator passed in silence. He decided not to say anything for fear he might say the wrong thing. He had to think. No matter what the testosterone in his body was saying, he knew an affair with Opal Lockhart was not an option.
They walked through the lobby to the valet station and D’marcus presented the man with his ticket. Within minutes, h
is rental car was brought to him. Instinctively, he took Opal’s hand to walk her over to the car and, the moment they touched, an electrical charge seemed to vibrate through his entire body. He glanced up at her and knew she’d felt it, too. He quickly opened the car door and she settled in the seat.
She glanced up at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, shutting the door.
He walked around the car. With just that simple touch, he became even more hotly aware of the predicament he was in, namely the temptation he had to resist. Desire curled up in his stomach. It wouldn’t be easy.
He opened the door on the driver’s side and slid inside behind the wheel. Glancing over, he saw her staring straight ahead while clutching her purse tightly in her lap. He was good at reading body language and hers said that she was nervous. “It’s only a short drive,” he said for lack of something witty.
“All right.”
D’marcus knew she was fully aware of the chemistry between them. Would she try and ignore it like he’d been doing over the past few weeks, or would she want to act on it? Judging from the way she sat stiffly in the seat, he quickly concluded she intended to ignore it.
He returned his eyes to the road at the same exact moment he decided, for once in his life, he wanted to rebel. He intended to do the opposite and act on it.
Chapter 8
“The Phelpses are a nice couple,” Opal said as she and D’marcus walked across the hotel lobby several hours later. “And he seems very interested in opening those stores in Hawaii.”
“Yes, and I hope he’s still interested when we have a conference call with him, his attorneys and his financial manager next week.” He could tell the Phelpses had been impressed with Opal, as well. He had introduced her as his administrative assistant, but it quickly became evident that her knowledge of his company was quite extensive, which had made things easy when Harold Phelps needed facts, figures and stats.
In Bed With Her Boss (Kimani Romance) Page 6