She didn’t want to bring up the estate, but she figured Daman probably always kept the competition in perspective, so she should, too.
“Maybe it’s not really up to us to choose who gets the estate after all, and they will decide after seeing how we handled the gala.”
She noticed Daman clench his jaw before slightly smiling.
“Maybe,” he responded.
He leaned over the table and grabbed her resting hand. She wondered what he was thinking and wished she had the courage to ask him. Instead, she decided to continue their business conversation.
“Daman, I meant to tell you that my partners are attending the gala, as well as my parents and my grandfather. Vicky told me I could invite guests, so I’m assuming you were told the same thing.”
“Yes. I invited my partners, my mom and James.
They continued talking about the gala, making sure that they were on the same page about everything that still needed to be done. Imani agreed with Daman’s suggestion to leave for the gala in two days. Their family and friends would all arrive on the day of the event.
By the time their meals arrived, they were wrapping up their business conversation.
“The food here is delicious,” Imani said after taking a couple bites.
Daman’s gaze was fixated on her mouth, and she couldn’t help but want to mess with him a little. She took another bite of her mashed potatoes, slowly licking the food off her fork. She saw his eyes darken, taking the bait.
“If you keep licking your fork like that, I won’t show you any mercy tonight.”
That was the first reference Daman had made to tonight, and she was glad to hear that his mind was fixated on the same thoughts as hers.
“Then I guess I need to keep licking my fork.”
Seeing his eyes darken even more set her insides on fire. The moistness between her legs was making it hard for her to keep them closed, and she had to clamp them tighter to stop the developing ache. Daman started leaning into the table, and she followed his lead, leaning closer, as well.
“Imani, you’re playing with fire. Don’t you remember when we were in St. Simons Island? I didn’t show you any mercy then, and I won’t tonight, either.”
Hmmm... Daman remembered the night a little differently than she had.
“Daman, there was a point during sex when I felt you pull back. Yes, you definitely fulfilled my desires that night, but I remember not showing you any mercy, either. Not even when I knew you wanted it.”
Daman laughed a little louder than he’d probably meant to, but it wasn’t loud or fast enough for Imani to miss the surprised look that initially crossed his face.
“Is that so? You didn’t show me any mercy?”
“Nope. I didn’t. I’m not ashamed to admit that you worked my body in ways I hadn’t thought possible. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t notice that I had that same effect on you.”
It seemed like minutes instead of seconds passed by without a word, only looks. Looks of promise, passion and even some looks that neither of them could explain. Her confidence was back. Imani felt it. It wasn’t that her confidence had ever left, more like she’d been off balance. She knew Daman threw her off her game sometimes, but the minute she decided to be honest with herself and admit that she was interested in him, it became easier to truly speak her mind. The look on his face proved that she intrigued him by her honesty and that he was probably a little stunned she knew him so well.
“Don’t think too much, Daman. I know I’m right.”
He laughed another hearty laugh right before the waiter dropped off their check. After taking care of the bill, they promptly left the restaurant, ready to continue their night.
The entire car ride was filled with so much sexual tension that she didn’t think they would ever make it back to her place. But Daman drove at record speed, quickly parking the car and hurrying them inside. The minute they stepped foot into her condo, he pulled her to him. She was surprised at how gently he kissed her, considering she felt like she was ready to explode. She’d always wanted to do something raunchy in her kitchen, and tonight was the perfect opportunity. She led Daman to her kitchen, their lips never breaking contact. When his back hit the counter, he twisted her around and lifted her onto the surface.
Daman briefly stopped kissing her as his hands went straight to the zipper of her dress.
“It’s time to take this dress off,” he said, even though his hands were already working the material off her. She appreciated him taking his time so that he wouldn’t rip the material, but she was impatient and needed to be naked with him.
His eyes lit up when he saw her spicy lingerie set. Within seconds, Daman discarded his clothes and threw them on the kitchen floor with her dress. She slowly lowered her hands onto his chest, thinking he could easily pass for a Ralph Lauren model for men’s boxers. He placed one arm on either side of her, staring into her eyes as he let her rub her hands over his muscles, eventually returning to his chest and abs.
Daman grabbed her hands and lowered her back to the counter. He went to her freezer, grabbed a piece of ice, and placed it in between his lips before heading back toward her and removing her lingerie set. Seductively, he glided the ice across her body before dipping it into her wet center. The coldness from the ice combined with the heat of his tongue felt sensational. This was the first time someone tasted her with ice. The way he moved his tongue around her clitoris before sucking the ice into his mouth was gradually bringing her to her climax. Gripping his head, she rocked her hips to the motion of his cold tongue, releasing in an orgasm that overtook her whole body.
As her waves of passion subsided, Daman lifted her up to sit on the counter and placed soft kisses along her neck.
“That was nice,” she said, knowing the comment didn’t justify how she really felt.
He looked up at her and smiled. Staring back into his eyes, she felt it. It wasn’t passion or lust. It was a feeling that was treading the thin line between like and love. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit her feelings for him ran deeper than she’d ever imagined. Her breath caught in her throat.
That’s what it is...I love him.
A part of her wasn’t surprised at all, since she’d been telling herself not to fall for him since they’d met. Her eyes darted across his face before taking in a deep breath and dropping her head to her chest. She didn’t want him to see in her eyes what she felt in her heart. She sighed as thoughts began racing through her head.
When did I fall for him? Was it in St. Simons Island? She’d given up on those romantic dreams. She was a realist now, not an idealist. They’d only known each other for about three months.
People don’t fall in love that fast...And yet, somehow, without realizing it, that’s exactly what had happened to her. She’d thought she was doing a good job of keeping her heart guarded, but instead, she’d fallen in love with Daman Barker—a man who didn’t believe in commitment or happily ever after.
Lifting her head and looking back up into his eyes, she decided she wouldn’t tell him. She was the one who had fallen for him, knowing how the game was played, so it was her problem to deal with, not his. She wanted to make love to him, and their time together was limited. She no longer cared about what the future held. She only cared about enjoying him for as long as she could.
Leaning into him, she pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him with all the passion she felt. His response was instant, and slowly, his tongue started playing with hers. Leaning her on her back, he smoothly removed his boxers, hopped on the counter to join her and intimately began kissing her everywhere. Imani felt alive in every part of her body that his lips touched. His fingers dipped inside her center, finding her wet and ready. Slowly, his fingers began to twirl in a circular motion, exciting her so quickly that she could already feel the orgasm building inside her. His mouth connected with hers, and his kisses were filled with even more passion than they’d had before. She could feel the length of him o
n her thigh, increasing her level of desire.
“Daman, I want you inside me...now.” She couldn’t wait and needed to feel him.
“Who am I to disappoint?” Daman replied as he removed his fingers.
He looked down at his pants before getting off the counter to get a condom from his wallet. After the protection was in place, he kissed her again, and she welcomed the warmth of his tongue as it mated with hers. She’d never felt so vulnerable, yet she knew that with Daman, she didn’t want it any other way. Being vulnerable would allow her to enjoy him in the fullest.
Slowly, she felt him push inside of her, his mouth leaving hers to watch her reaction as they connected in a way much stronger than the last. Once he was fully inside her, she watched a smile fill his face seconds before he began thrusting in and out of her. Her body knew his, and the only thought going through her mind as he thrust inside of her was that she wished she could enjoy this feeling forever. Her feelings were already involved, and she wasn’t used to someone having so much control over her. If this happened to be the last time they made love, she wanted to show him how she felt. She wanted her body to say all the things that her voice couldn’t say. Slightly pushing on his chest, she pushed herself up. At the look of confusion on Daman’s face, she slowly pushed his back on the counter and climbed on top of him.
Luckily for her, Daman let her do what she wanted and helped ease her over his shaft. Once they were intimately connected again, she began to ride him with all the love she felt in her heart. She’d completely forgotten that she’d left her stereo on. It was the first time since they’d arrived back at her condo that she’d heard her Floetry CD playing in the background. She grinded her hips to the mellow music, letting go of all her inhibitions and putting her all into the one man who’d managed to get inside her heart. He had her hooked, and he had no idea how hard she’d fallen. If only for tonight, she’d milk the moment for all it was worth. She looked down at his face and was surprised to see him staring directly at her. Had he not been holding her hips in place, she probably would have hopped off the counter to avoid the force in his eyes.
Rotating her hips and balancing herself on her hands, she felt like they were doing more than making love. She saw something in his eyes but knew it couldn’t be what she thought it was. Pushing her analytical views aside, she stopped trying to read Daman and instead increased her tempo so they could release the orgasms that were close to peaking.
Daman grabbed her hips and kept them planted as he met her thrust for thrust. Slowly, he began taking over, pushing them both to a higher level of ecstasy. Seconds later, they had orgasms so strong that Imani was glad Daman hadn’t let her go yet. She screamed louder than she’d thought possible at the power the orgasm had over her. His growls indicated that he’d felt it, too. The joining of their bodies hadn’t felt like one of lust. It had felt like so much more, but she didn’t dare allow herself to believe he felt the same way about her as she did him. She crashed on top of his body, never recalling a time when she felt so alive and unrestrained. Tilting her head toward Daman, she knew the night had just begun for them.
“Are you ready to take this to the bedroom?”
Daman rubbed his hand through her hair and smiled back at her, making her heart skip a beat.
“Lead the way, baby.”
* * *
Staring out the window of his Detroit condo, Daman tried to clear his mind of all the thoughts racing through his head. It was the day before he and Imani would arrive in Atlanta, and Daman was anxious.
He needed to take a warm shower to calm his mind. Showers always relieved his stress, and even though he knew he wouldn’t completely forget about everything, he could try to ease the tension in his body. Stepping into the shower, his thoughts immediately went to Imani. He’d been thinking about her a lot lately, and it seemed like no matter what he did, she was never too far from his mind. They’d made love into the wee hours of the morning the other night, briefly stopping to eat something before continuing their sexual explorations. Any position he wanted to try, she was eager to try, as well. He’d felt more alive than ever, and the thought that he could have fallen for her scared him.
Right before they’d made love, he’d been staring into her eyes, and he saw it. He saw the exact moment when she realized that she’d fallen in love with him. At first, he didn’t know what the look was that he saw in her eyes. When she dropped her head, he took the time to analyze the look he’d seen. He didn’t recall ever seeing a woman look at him the way she did, and something inside him clicked. Something inside him knew that what he was seeing in her eyes was love. When she brought her head back up and met his eyes, he was certain that was what it was, and he could tell she was trying to hide it from him.
The crazy thing was that he knew he should have stopped what they were doing right then and there, put his clothes back on and gotten the hell out of there. Instead, even though the fact that she loved him scared him more than he’d like to admit, he didn’t want to leave her. He couldn’t leave her. Everything they’d done that night had felt like more than just feeding a hunger. There were unspoken promises in their lovemaking, and instead of running, Daman had embraced it.
What happens now? How am I going to walk away from her in a few days?
He couldn’t allow himself to care so much for one person. The world was unpredictable. What if I lose her like I lost my dad? More important, he knew that Imani deserved better, and he wasn’t even sure if he could be the man she needed. Mr. Rayne had given him fair warning to leave Imani alone if he couldn’t be the man she deserved. But how am I supposed to give her up to another man when she’s mine?
He lifted up his head to let the water run over his face. Mine? Why do I think she’s mine? The realization hit him hard on the head. She was his because he’d chosen her to be his, just as she’d chosen him to love. From the day he met her, he knew she wasn’t the typical woman he went for. She was the type you married, and instead of steering clear, he did everything he could to draw her to him. In a way, he felt like he’d made her fall in love with him—probably because he had started falling in love with her before he knew what was happening to him. Imani couldn’t belong to anyone else because he didn’t want her to belong to anyone else. He’d forced her to open up to him and love him, and in turn he had opened up to her...and he loved her.
Man, I love her...
The words echoed in his mind, forcing him to come to terms with his feelings. When she wasn’t around, all he did was miss her, and when she was around, all he wanted to do was keep her with him forever.
Forever? Could I do forever? There was a small voice inside of him that was saying yes, you can do forever, as long as forever is with Imani.
All his life he’d run from love, and quite frankly, he was tired of running. It was about time he listened to that voice inside him that told him to stop running. Imani was a proud and confident woman. There was no way he could say he loved her and not be prepared for her to be apprehensive. He knew she loved him, but he also knew that when he confessed his feelings, he needed to make it extra special. He needed to convince her that they weren’t just in love...they had that forever kind of love.
Chapter 20
The day of the First Annual Performance and Achievement Awards Gala had finally arrived, and it seemed everything was running smoothly, despite how busy the volunteers were. Daman had been running around all day finalizing everything on his to-do list. He knew Imani had called her partners and asked them to come a day early and work their magic for the pre-gala events and after party. Since everyone had been so busy, Daman had barely gotten a chance to see Imani. He missed her like crazy, and even though he would steal kisses from her every now and then, he wanted to be alone with her. The only time they’d been together was during a quick group meeting.
In an hour, the gala would begin, and people were already walking down the red carpet and being seated. It seemed everybody who’s anybody had shown up to the awards
gala, and he knew the team’s hard work and dedication would pay off. He’d even seen the Simses, who’d expressed how proud they were of everyone’s work. His mom and James had agreed.
Seeing Taheim and Jaleen, Daman quickly made his way over to them. “Glad to see you both got the backstage passes. Everyone else had already been here to see me, so I was hoping nothing was wrong.”
Taheim looked at Jaleen before setting his eyes back on Daman.
“No, nothing was wrong. But we did come across something that we wanted to discuss with you. Is there anywhere private we could talk real quick?”
Daman could tell by the looks in his friends’ eyes that it was serious, so he led them to a nearby office that he’d been using for the past couple of days.
“Okay, spill it. What do you need to talk to me about?”
Not wasting any time, Jaleen took out a manila envelope that he’d stuffed in the back of his tux. “We know what’s going on with you. I was looking for a client folder and came across this envelope that you had locked in a drawer. I wasn’t trying to snoop, but our keys all work for our file drawers, and I thought the file might be in there. We know about everything, D, and even though it seems like Malik has everything in order, we can’t figure out why you didn’t tell us about your uncle.”
Daman stared at the men who were like brothers to him and knew he’d probably made the wrong decision by not telling them what was going on with Barker Architecture.
“I didn’t want to worry you guys with my problems. You allowed me to be a partner in the firm, and the last thing I wanted to do was give you a reason to regret your decision.”
Taheim shook his head, disagreeing with what Daman was saying. “D, we’re your boys. We made you a partner because you’re good at what you do, and we have always dreamed of starting our own company together, even though we knew we still had to run our family businesses. You should have known you could trust us.”
A Tempting Proposal (Kimani Romance) Page 15