“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.”
He bent and kissed her softly. “Sleep well.” He watched her until she disappeared into the bedroom, then dropped down into the nearest chair and buried his head in his hands. He was falling in love with her. How did I let this happen?
* * *
Lexia added the rhinestone pin to her hair and surveyed the style. She had done one large French braid across the front and swept the curly mass up at the top of her head. She left the bathroom and sat on the bench at the foot of the bed to put on the four-inch silver sandals with matching rhinestones across the toe strap. She fastened the buckle at the ankle, stood and walked over to the full-length mirror. She had chosen a sleeveless, long black A-line silhouette evening gown designed with a rhinestone embellished illusion lace front and back, sweetheart bustline and thigh-high slit. She heard Khalil gasp sharply and rotated to face him. He’d paired a white tuxedo jacket with the black pants and the photos she’d seen of him in formal wear didn’t come close to capturing his masculine beauty. She held out her arms.
“You look absolutely stunning.” His gaze made a slow tour down her body and back up again. “And you’re about two seconds from me skipping this event and taking that gown off you.”
The blatant desire in his eyes sent heat humming through her body. “We’re going to be late.”
Khalil gave her a wicked grin. “Probably.”
Lexia took a step back and held up her hand. “Do you know how long it took me to get my hair up like this? If you mess it up, I’m going to hurt you.”
He closed the distance between them. “I certainly don’t want that, so how about this? We go, mingle for a while, then come back and I take it off.” His lips and tongue blazed a trail down her throat while his hand slipped inside the slit and caressed her thigh. “Then I’m going to start at your feet and kiss my way up your sexy body. I’ll linger here...” He moved his hand to her inner thigh. “And here.” His fingers grazed her core.
She sucked in a deep breath. His words had her so turned on that if they stood here one moment longer she was going to rip the dress off herself and save him the trouble. She closed her eyes briefly to gain control.
He straightened and stepped back. “So every time our eyes meet, know that’s what I’ll be thinking.”
Oh Lawd! That’s all she needed to hear. To distract herself, she crossed over to the bed to get her purse. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“How do you feel about what happened with the woman you were supposed to escort?”
Khalil’s jaw tightened. “It was for her benefit, not mine. Besides, if I had escorted her, I wouldn’t be here with you. And if I had to choose between you two, I’d choose you every time.” He pressed a kiss to her lips.
Just like that Lexia lost another chunk of her heart.
Chapter 16
“Ready?” Khalil asked.
Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded. Khalil was quiet as they walked down the carpeted corridor and in the elevator as they rode to the bottom. Although he hadn’t said it, she sensed his nervousness. But then, she’d be the same way if she had to enter a ballroom full of people and couldn’t hear anything, especially since most, if not all, of the attendees would know her. At best, it would be overwhelming and, at worst, terrifying. She just prayed no one would be outright rude. They exited the elevator in the lobby and Khalil headed for the front doors. She tapped him on the shoulder.
Before she asked, Khalil said, “It was originally scheduled to be here, but far more people RSVP’d than originally anticipated and the Ritz doesn’t have a large enough ballroom. So it’s at the Marriott right down the street.” He glanced down and stopped walking. “Are you going to be okay walking in those shoes? If not, I’ll arrange for transportation.”
Lexia waved him off and shook her head. “I’ll be fine. But coming back might be another story.”
He chuckled. “Then, I’ll make sure we get a ride.” He slung his arm around her shoulder. “I could always carry you.”
She shook her head quickly again. Seeing the amusement on his face, she pointed. “Walk.” She could imagine what would happen if he carried her down the street. People would stop, whip out their smartphones and start snapping pictures. Before she and Khalil made it back to the hotel, the photos would be uploaded to every social media outlet known to man.
Khalil shrugged. “Just sayin’.”
As promised, after a short walk they entered the second hotel and followed the directions to the Grand Salon. Lexia and Khalil hadn’t taken more than two steps into the exquisitely decorated ballroom when all eyes turned their way and every conversation within a twenty-foot radius halted. There had to be at least three or four hundred people mingling. She felt Khalil stiffen and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Moments later, a light brown–skinned woman with a weave clear down to her waist, wearing a fire-engine-red halter dress that dipped to her waist and clung to her tall, slender frame rushed over and nearly knocked Lexia over as she draped herself all over Khalil.
“Oh, Khalil, honey, I’m so glad to see you. I heard about the accident and I’ve been so worried about you. You haven’t returned any of my calls.”
Lexia lifted a brow.
Khalil gently removed the woman’s arms. “Hello, Tasha.” He took a step closer to Lexia and reached for her hand. “Lexia, this is Tasha Ayers. She’s one of the models working with the teen program. Tasha, this is Lexia Daniels.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Tasha,” Lexia said. “This sounds like an awesome program and the room looks fabulous.”
Tasha glanced down at their entwined hands, then up at Khalil and Lexia. “Same here.”
However, her voice was about as cold as New York in December, leaving Lexia to wonder if Tasha and Khalil had dated in the past. Tasha started talking again, gesturing around the room, her face turned away from Khalil. Lexia heard him sigh. “Excuse me, Tasha.”
“Yes,” she said impatiently.
Lexia mentally counted to ten. She’d only been in the room a minute—much too early to give someone a set down. She eased the phone out of Khalil’s hand and held it up. “You said you heard about his accident, then you know that his hearing was affected by the blast. Please use this cell to communicate with him. Just talk and he’ll be able to read it on his phone.”
“Oh, I thought all that was taken care of and that you were fine now.”
“What is it that you need, Tasha?” Khalil asked.
“I was going to...” She waved a dismissive hand. “Never mind, I’ll ask someone else.” She shoved the phone back into Lexia’s hand and strutted off.
“So, I guess this is how it’s going to be. My hearing was damaged, not my damn brain,” he muttered.
Lexia surveyed the people standing nearby. All wore wary expressions, as if they couldn’t decide whether or not to approach, and she could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. She sighed inwardly. Attempting to make him feel better, she said with a roll of her eyes, “Tasha seems a little high maintenance. Trust me, you’d probably be better off letting her find someone else to do her bidding.” That earned her a small smile.
He brought her hand to his lips. “Come on, baby. Let me introduce you to the kids.” A man appeared and offered them flutes of champagne. Khalil handed one to Lexia and took one for himself.
He led her over to a group of four teens—two girls and two boys—who looked to be between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. Unlike the previous gawkers, their faces lit up and they rushed to meet Khalil and Lexia with wide smiles. Lexia could definitely see why an agency wanted to put them in front of a camera. They were gorgeous children and all of them towered over Lexia. One girl held up a notepad. Obviously, she’d been waiting for Khalil.
Mr. Gray, we were so sad to hear
about your accident, but we’re glad you’re doing better and are here tonight.
They took turns writing on the pad until Khalil told them about the app. Unlike the adults, the teens whipped out their phones and downloaded the app.
After Khalil introduced Lexia, the other girl asked, “Is she your girlfriend?”
Khalil’s glance slid to Lexia’s briefly. “Yeah, she is. Now get out of my business,” he said teasingly. He asked them how they were doing in school, about their various modeling assignments and generally how they were doing overall.
Lexia sipped her champagne while thinking about Khalil’s pronouncement that she was his girlfriend. She didn’t know what she expected him to say—they hadn’t really defined their relationship—but did he really think of her in those terms or had he said it for the kids’ benefit?
Although she’d never said it aloud, deep down she longed for the kind of loving relationship she’d seen with her parents and grandparents, as well as children. Being an only child had been lonesome sometimes, and she always dreamed she would have at least two. But after her divorce, she had put those fantasies aside. Spending these last few weeks with Khalil, traveling first-class and staying in a five-star hotel, and now hearing him publicly declare her as his did something to her insides. When she agreed to keep seeing him, he’d mentioned wanting her, but that didn’t mean he would be looking for something long-term or permanent.
Khalil introduced her to a few more people, some pleasant and others not so much.
He left her for a moment to speak with an older man, but his heated gaze slid her way more than once. I’m going to start at your feet and kiss my way up your sexy body. His words rushed back to her.
“It’s really a shame about what happened to him.”
Lexia turned slowly. Tasha. “What do you mean?”
Tasha gestured. “I mean...look at him. He’ll never be able to fit in anymore and he was one of the best. It’s such a waste.”
She chuckled bitterly. “You’re talking about him as if he’s dead. Nothing has changed, he just has some hearing loss.” Lexia wanted to shake some sense into this woman.
Tasha looked Lexia up and down with disdain. “So, are you like his interpreter or something?”
Lexia angled her head and wondered how much trouble she would be in if she ruined the fund-raiser by smacking this woman. “Or something.”
Tasha glanced Khalil’s way again as he started toward them. “Better you than me. Well, take good care of him for me.”
She pasted a smile on her face and said in a saccharine-sweet voice, “Oh, I plan to take very good care of him...for me.” She gave Tasha a pointed glare to make sure the woman got her meaning, then strode off.
Khalil met her halfway. “What was that all about?”
“Nothing.”
He studied her, as if trying to determine the truth and, seemingly satisfied, nodded.
She hooked her arm in his and they continued to stroll across the ballroom. They passed a popular male model with a beautiful young woman on his arm. “That’s Rayford Arrington, right? Wasn’t he up on drunk driving charges last year and some kind of disturbance in a club a few months ago?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know the woman with him?” His features hardened and he didn’t answer for a moment.
Finally, he said, “Yes. That’s Rosalyn Stills. She’s the woman I was supposed to escort.”
Lexia’s shocked gaze flew to Khalil’s. “And her agent decided that being seen with him would be good for her career?” She shook her head. Obviously, she had a lot to learn about this business.
“It may do something to her career. I just hope this doesn’t end it before it starts, because she’s a nice person. But she’s not my concern.” Khalil smiled down at Lexia. “I think it’s time for dinner.” He escorted her to a table in the front of the room to be seated for dinner.
During the meal of chicken breast stuffed with spinach and cheese, roasted red potatoes and steamed vegetables, conversation flowed around the table, but only one person went out of his way to include Khalil. Lexia couldn’t believe their rudeness.
Afterward, there were speeches by former and current models, agents, a parent and a teen. Each of them praised the program, but it was the parent that left Lexia with her mouth hanging open as she introduced Khalil as the founder of the program.
Lexia playfully hit Khalil on the thigh under the table. “You didn’t tell me you started the program.”
Khalil shrugged.
“I think you’re supposed to get up there and talk.”
He pushed back from the table and made his way to the stage amid a standing ovation. “Thank you.” He waited until the audience sat. “I appreciate all of you more than I can say. I may have started the program, but it’s the staff, parents and students who make this work.” He thanked the many supporters, cited statistics and success stories, and stressed the need for ongoing funding.
When he finished, Lexia was on her feet with everyone else in the room. He returned to his seat and shortly after, the dancing started. She hadn’t been dancing in a while and really wanted to hit the floor, but didn’t want Khalil to feel uncomfortable. A jazzy ballad came on and she thought it would be the perfect song. “Dance with me.”
Khalil stared at her a lengthy minute and several expressions crossed his face—anxiety, uncertainty and for a split second, the same fear she remembered seeing right after the accident. Finally, he stood and extended his hand. “You’re going to have to take the lead on this one.”
She smiled. “No problem. You’ll get the next one.”
He returned her smile, led her out to the floor and pulled her into his arms.
Lexia started a slow sway that he could easily keep up with and rested her head against his shoulder. She loved the feel of his strong arms around her and they continued to dance as the DJ played two more slow tunes. In the middle of the third tune, she detected a shift in the way he held her. He gathered her closer and his hands moved slowly up and down her back. She lifted her head and their gazes locked. He silently communicated a reminder of what he’d said before they left and her body responded in kind.
He bent close to her ear. “It’s time for me to take off this dress.”
She lifted her head and their lips were a breath apart. Heat shot through her.
“Yes? No?”
“Yes.” And the sooner the better.
* * *
Khalil did his best not to rip the dress from Lexia’s body as soon as the hotel room door closed, which was why he hadn’t moved. His body had been at a slow burn from the moment he’d seen her in the sexy outfit. Every step had given him a flash of her sleek, brown legs and it had taken everything within him not to drag her up to the nearest room and show her just how much he desired her.
He crossed the room to where she stood, mesmerized by all that she was. She’d stayed by his side, subtly kept him aware of his surroundings—though sounds continued to filter in and out—and been warm and charming, even to the few people who hadn’t deserved it. He still didn’t believe her claims that nothing had happened between her and Tasha. He’d known Tasha for a good fifteen years and had always kept his distance because drama was her middle name.
But Lexia was another story. He couldn’t stay away from her even if he’d tried. And he had. She smiled up at him, placed her hands on his chest and moved them up and around his neck. A sensation he had never experienced gripped him. Khalil pushed it aside, preferring not to deal with the emotional turmoil her touch elicited inside him. The only thing he wanted to focus on right now was slowly stripping away the soft material and pleasuring her until neither of them could move. He hardened immediately.
Khalil kissed her deeply, then turned her around. He undid the hook and eased the zipper down the lace bodice
that stopped just above her shapely bottom, pausing to feather kisses down her spine. The knowledge that she didn’t have on a bra aroused him further. He ran his fingers lightly up and down her back and felt her tremble. He pulled the open halves down her arms and it pooled at her waist. Lowering his head, he trailed kisses over her shoulders and neck, and reached around to knead and massage her breasts.
Lexia’s head fell back against his chest and she cried out.
He froze. His heart started pounding. I heard her! A different set of emotions engulfed him. Continuing his quest, Khalil kissed down the length of her arms, removed the dress and draped it over the back of the sofa, leaving her wearing only a pair of skimpy black panties and her silver shoes. He shrugged off his jacket and tie and tossed them on top of the dress. Rotating her to face him, he scanned her scantily clad body. “You are absolute perfection, sweet baby.”
“So are you,” Lexia spelled. She undid the buttons on his shirt, pushed it off his shoulders and kissed her way across his chest and down the center of his body to his belt buckle.
Khalil sucked in a sharp breath. He swept her up into his arms, crossed the suite to the bedroom and laid her in the center of the bed. He kicked off his shoes, positioned himself at the foot of the bed and admired the alluring picture she made. He climbed onto the bed, lifted her foot and kissed her ankle. He repeated the same gesture on the other foot, and then, holding her legs apart, alternately kissed his way up both inner legs to her center. He flicked his tongue against the spot and her hips flew off the bed.
Leaving her a moment, he shed his pants, socks and briefs, and donned a condom. He came back to the bed. “Now, where was I?” He lowered his body over hers, being careful not to put all his weight on her and slanted his mouth over hers, their tongues tangling and teasing. She captured his tongue and gently sucked, and he groaned. Sliding down her body, he pulled her panties down and off.
A Touch of Love Page 16