“On time?”
“Yeah, for this.”
Brent wrapped his arms around her in a close embrace. Charisse didn’t have time to respond, because her body reacted instantly. She backed up into the house under his momentum. The door closed with a decisive slam.
“Brent,” she gasped between his kisses. Her knees threatened to give way.
“Charisse.” He sighed against her neck.
She tried speaking. Every time she opened her mouth, Brent covered it with his mouth. Stopping him never entered her thoughts. Why should she stop the pleasure that he was delivering to her body?
Well, if she couldn’t use her words to respond, her body would do all the talking. She welcomed his embrace, while pressing her body against his muscled frame.
His mouth communicated its own language. Lips pressed against her throat, and the swirl of tongue blazed a trail that played at a special spot behind her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut, but it didn’t stop the low moan of her arousal.
The clothes that she’d so diligently selected were now in the way. She wanted to feel his skin under her fingers, feel his toned physique and the ripple of his muscles as he moved. She pushed him away and unbuttoned her shirt.
“Down the hall.” Charisse threw her blouse at his face. She unhooked her bra and dropped it at her feet.
No way would she feel shy under his steady gaze. She teased him by covering her breasts with her arm while coaxing him along the hallway to her bedroom with her other hand. She laughed at his agonized expression. Her heels tapped as she walked with an extra swing of her hips.
Before she made it to the doorway, Brent had grabbed her hips and pulled her back to him. He lifted away her hair from the back of her neck and kissed her rose tattoo, tracing the outline with his tongue. His hand made its acquaintance with her waist. His finger tickled her as it followed the path of her panties down to her inner thigh.
She sucked in air.
“You’d better exhale before you pass out,” he whispered against her ear.
As if to coax her into obeying, his hand cupped her breast. He held her as if she belonged to him. No protest came from her. Total surrender was on her mind.
His warm touch over her nipple raised her pulse to a heated crescendo, matching the arousal between her legs. The man made her hot and needy for him. Right now she wanted more than an experimental foray. She ached for him to enter her and to satisfy her primal hunger for his sexual attention.
She barely remained still for him as he unzipped and pulled down her skirt.
“I like that look,” he complimented.
She stood in her black pantyhose and three-inch pumps. He circled her. His fingers steadily worked the buttons of his shirt. His arousal stretched against his boxers. Her mouth went dry. The thought of riding him sent a shiver through her. His hand smoothed her behind and cupped it with a gentle squeeze.
“Is this for real?” she asked. She was afraid to close her eyes for too long, in case she awoke, frustrated and horny.
Brent knelt in front of her, looking up into her face. He tweaked her nipples. As her hips came closer to his face, her stomach brushed his cheek. His stubbled chin heightened the glorious sensation. She grabbed his head to remain upright.
“Nope. No hands.” He looked up at her.
Now his hands rolled down her panty hose in slow motion while his fingers stroked her legs. He kissed the apex between her legs, then offered a flutter of kisses from her panty line down her inner thigh, where his finger had made its discovery. His tongue darted out and stroked her. She gave up because she couldn’t help herself. Her hands continued to grab his head, but he gently restrained her, pushing her hands away.
She struggled to obey with barely any willpower intact.
Once out of the confines of the hose and pumps, Charisse walked over to her bed. She tossed back the cover and climbed in, leaving the cover flipped open for him to follow.
Instead, he stripped and donned a condom. She appreciated him being open with his desire to protect them both.
“Don’t keep me waiting.” She tapped the empty spot next to her.
“Impatient?”
“You have no idea.” She propped herself on her arm to look down at him as he lay next to her.
She planted a hard kiss on his mouth. “Gosh, I love your lips.”
This time when she lowered her head, he pulled her next to him and drove his tongue into her ready mouth. Their intimate language was more than chemistry—it transmitted desire and need. Each was sensitive to the other’s probing and reactions.
He rolled her over, pinning her down. Her chest heaved from the foreplay, and her body was ready for his entry. She grasped him with her thighs, providing the invitation. He answered her call.
His movements came swift and deep, as she’d expected, as she’d hoped. Her body stayed in the moment, living every second in full, robust fashion. Her fingers gripped his backside, holding him in place, edging closer to the precipice.
“Let’s do it.” Brent groaned. His eyes squeezed shut. His teeth bared in a grimace.
Charisse couldn’t utter any words. She obeyed. Holding on to each other, they took the leap, no safety net to stop them. Every ounce of her energy poured into the jump. In waves, they came together, over and over, until she was left empty and spent.
Charisse waited until her heartbeat stopped pounding in her head. “I’m thirsty.” She got up and pulled on her dressing gown. “Water?”
Brent nodded. His face was buried among the pillows. “You must be a marathon runner.”
Charisse giggled. Their light banter helped ease the doubts that slowly rose under the harsh light of reality. Yet Charisse toyed with the idea of establishing some type of rules of engagement—one way to make their relationship work. As she poured water into each glass, she was sure that she wanted an extension on their fun.
“You’re thinking too hard.” Brent took the glass. “Thanks.”
“And you’d rather not?” She watched him gulp down his water.
“Don’t think you’ll give me much choice.” He winked.
Charisse’s shoulders relaxed. Maybe she didn’t want to push hard for answers, anyway. Her life seemed to have taken a sharp detour, and she had a feeling there were a few blind curves in the immediate future.
They dressed and, for the second time, Charisse headed toward her front door on her way to work. This time Brent accompanied her after a lovemaking session that still left her breathless from the vivid recollection.
Brent’s driver opened the passenger door and lightly touched his head. For Charisse, stepping into the car was like walking slowly toward further temptation. Everything about Brent had a lasting impact.
It didn’t help that Brent sat back against the seat with a devilish smile. He’d taken a quick shower and donned his signature scent. The crisp, woodsy scent provided her with an aromatherapy session that made her want to close her eyes and roll naked in his shirt.
He was talking to her, but she could barely focus on his words. Her eyes lit on the shape of his mouth as it formed each word, then broke into a wide smile. She smiled back, thinking that he was the sexiest man alive.
“Are we going to have a standoff?” Brent asked.
Charisse shook her head, still frazzled. She scooted farther onto the seat next to him. He looked cool and amused.
“Regrets already? You make me feel like a predator.” Brent sounded hurt.
Charisse slowly shook her head. “It’s a bit soon for me to make sense of anything.”
“I have no expectations.”
Charisse nodded. She was the one who should be telling him not to have any expectations. His casual attitude left her unsettled. He’d never know.
“Were you planning to come to the office before the interview with Gladys?” she asked.
“Yes. Unless it’s going to be a problem?”
“No. No problem at all.” Charisse was bone-weary tired. Her thoughts couldn’t stick on anything but Brent. She had to remind herself that her feelings could get too intense for a business relationship. No matter how badly she wanted something to occur.
“I do have the vacant office for your use. No problem at all.”
“Good. I was hoping that you’d keep the invite extended. I like working in your office. Good energy.”
Brent had placed his arm along the seat behind her. Every action by this man drove her to distraction and weakened her resolve. She wished that she had it in her to relax and lean back against his arm. Without breaking her cool demeanor, she stayed at the corner of the seat and only talked about local news until they reached the office.
The minute Charisse walked through her office doors, she saw Jo’s eyes widen. Her receptionist shifted her gaze back and forth between her and Brent.
“Good morning, Jo. Brent will be using the spare office today. By the way, is Tracy here yet?”
“Yes, she’s here. Welcome, Brent.”
Brent clearly had wound Jo around his finger. She’d never dropped her voice and smiled so sweetly for Charisse.
“Thanks for the warm welcome, Jo. Looks like I’ll have the pleasure of your hospitality.” He grinned and added a wink with his response.
Charisse tensed. The man was a born flirt. The red flags waved at full blast.
“Looks like you have new staff.” Brent motioned with his chin.
“Yep.” Charisse led him over to the intern who Jake had recommended. “This is Zoe from the grad program with NYU.”
“Nice to meet you. You couldn’t have picked a better place for your internship.”
Charisse studied Brent’s face to see if there were any signs that he was poking fun at her business. Instead, he looked sincere and was staring intently at Zoe, as if he were going to hypnotize her into feeling the same.
“And the young man sitting outside your office is Lance. He was on vacation last week.” Charisse led him over to the cubicle.
“Hey, good to meet you.” Brent shook hands with Lance.
“And your resident drill sergeant is at her desk.”
This time Brent led the way to Tracy’s desk. Charisse followed. His familiarity with her office pleased her.
“Hi, Brent. Welcome back. You’re in time for a strong batch of freshly brewed coffee. You know where everything is.”
Brent maneuvered around Tracy to fix his cup of coffee. After the first sip, he said, “You’re the best.”
His charming demeanor left the women in Charisse’s office grinning and nearly swooning. The man had serious skills.
“I’m going to get to work,” Charisse said, walking to her office. “Brent, I’ll leave you to your own devices.”
“Sounds good. Let me know when you want to go over the interview with Gladys. I’ll be heading out on a lunch appointment.”
“Give me an hour to catch up on a few things. We’ll meet in the conference room.”
“Great.” He hesitated before turning to her. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” She walked behind her desk to keep the heavy furniture between them.
“Okay. I feel like I did something wrong.” He stepped away, then turned. “By the way, the blue of your blouse against your skin looks great. And I’m still loving the shorter hair.” He reached over and played with the back of her hair before his thumb brushed the rose tattoo.
“Thank you.” There, he did it again. She groaned when he left, wondering how he could make her quiver with one touch. But all that would change when she headed to happy hour with June.
Charisse was surprised that she was able to concentrate and get through the various meetings with her staff. She’d even managed to vet a few nightclub managers for an upcoming event. As it got closer to the time that she’d meet with Brent, he began to seep into her thoughts with startling frequency.
“Hey, boss, got a moment?” Tracy asked, as she stepped in.
Charisse had wanted to push her talk with Tracy to the end of the day. Why have the sad news of her assistant’s resignation hovering over her all day?
“Me, too, boss.” Lance stepped in and immediately stood next to Tracy, as if for a united front.
Charisse clenched her teeth. For a day that had started on such a high note, it was fast becoming a dismal one.
Charisse wondered if she should reach for the antacids before the conversation began. She kept her hands clasped under the desk.
“I’m listening,” she said, her voice cracking a little.
“I’ll go first,” Lance said. His head twitched with a nervous tic. “Shelby contacted me while I was on vacation. She has her own company. And…well, she wants me to come work for her.”
Tracy sucked her teeth.
Charisse remained silent. Her anger over Shelby’s betrayal wasn’t erased. Apparently her former friend had acted on her promise to take Lance.
“Miss Sanford, I couldn’t do that to you. I like what I do here. You were the one who interviewed me and gave me a chance.”
“What did she offer you?” Tracy asked.
“She said that I would come in as an assistant and then once I learned the ropes that I would be her second-in-command.” His forehead wrinkled in consternation.
“Lance, I love having you on my team. You’re an invaluable member of the staff. New Vision needs both of you. And I’m happy that you would consider staying here. I wouldn’t take that decision for granted.” Charisse hoped that Lance heard the sincerity in her message.
“Ma’am, thank you.” He grinned, displaying shiny braces on his top teeth.
Charisse nodded. She appreciated Lance’s loyalty. With so many changes underway, she was glad to have some things remain the same.
After Lance left her office, she turned to Tracy. With Lance’s surprising statement, she held out hope that Tracy would also have good news.
“Don’t you drag out the news. Did they offer you the job?” Charisse drummed her fingers on the table.
“Yes, they did offer. I told them that I’d need the weekend to think about it.”
“That’s good.” Charisse opened the drawer and gripped the antacid bottle. “But the weekend is now over.”
Tracy walked over and rested her hands on the desk. Tears filled her eyes. Her mouth quivered as she bit down to restrain herself. “This morning I called them with my answer. I said no.”
Charisse took a deep breath, then blew out in a noisy whoosh. “I’ve been calling around for insurance rates. We had two more smaller accounts sign on after Brent’s business. I’ll be purchasing insurance that will help with your son’s allergies. It won’t be the best rates compared to a bigger company.”
“I understand. Thank you for doing this.”
Charisse touched Tracy’s damp cheek. “We’re in this for the long haul, my friend.”
Tracy grabbed a tissue from the box on the desk. She dabbed at her eyes and nose, reddened by her quiet sobs. Charisse got up and hugged her. She imagined that they were both stressed over the situation and now they could move on, together.
New Vision had an excellent staff, a healthy amount of clients and enough friends, like Jake, who stepped in to assist. She had to make sure that she didn’t take any of it for granted. There was much to do.
Chapter 9
More than an hour later, Charisse stopped her work and headed to the conference room. No one had interrupted her, even though she could hear the laughter and chatting outside her door. She hoped that Brent wasn’t turning her off
ice off-kilter.
She handed him the information on Gladys and waited for him to review it. “Gladys will want to interview you, too. Will that be a problem?”
“I’d prefer to be in the background.”
“I would’ve thought the opposite.” She kept her focus on the reading material. “Seems like you enjoy flashy entrances.”
“I’ll work on that.”
“Not for me, please.”
“What kinds of questions will she ask?” Brent ran his finger down the paper.
“The usual, like the background of the group. How’d you find them? I think mentioning the funeral will connect with the sensitive ones.”
Brent shook his head. “I don’t want to play with people’s emotions.”
“You’ll be sharing the truth. Don’t exaggerate. Don’t try to guess what people want to hear. Speak from the heart.” Charisse appreciated Brent’s hesitation, but she knew the business. “Pretend you’re talking to me.”
“I don’t know.” He shifted in his chair with his eyes downcast.
This was the first time that she had seen Brent unsure. There was so much to learn about him and what affected him. She didn’t want to push him to do something he may not be ready to do. But hearing stories with resonance was what fans wanted.
“Anything else?” Brent prompted.
“If you aren’t interviewed, we can at least send over some information in advance about the group. She’ll probably create her questions from that information.”
“Let’s go that route. If I’m up to the interview, then I’ll make myself available.”
Charisse understood his reluctance to open up about his family life on national TV.
“I want to bring up another issue. The photographs that were taken don’t really capture the group in the best way. These pictures don’t show them as sophisticated, sexy, young adult males, who live for R & B. Instead it’s a caricature of hood life, and I’m assuming none of them are from the hood.”
“Again, what’s the price?”
If I Had You Page 10