by Rina Gray
Tiana gripped her chair, nails embedded in the hard plastic as her hips squirmed in the seat. She couldn’t believe it. She, Tiana Renee Holliday, hater of all things bloody, sweaty, and violent, was turned on by her coworker/nemesis.
The fight continued for a few more rounds, but Nathan was the far superior fighter. Melanie cupped her mouth and yelled, “Finish him!” Mortal Kombat style. The bell rang again, signaling the end of the fourth and final round.
The announcer, who Tiana found to be overly fond of his own voice, marched to the middle of the ring. “Laaaadies and gentlemen. Did you enjoy the fight?”
The crowd screamed and clapped. A few rows behind Tiana, someone started a chant for the Beast. Clapping, she chanted with the crowd.
The announcer waved a hand in the air and gripped the mic with his other one. “Unanimously voted to win all four rounds and still undefeated, I give you,” he walked to the corner and raised Nathan’s arm in the air, “the Beaaaaaassst!”
Tiana jumped and clapped as he stepped away and waved his arms in victory to the crowd.
This isn’t so bad.
“Tiana wants to have a dozen babies with you, Beast!” Mel screamed at the top of her lungs.
Before Tiana could renounce her Martin Luther King philosophy of nonviolence and sock her former friend in her arm, Nathan turned to face them.
A flicker of heat, and a big dose of danger burned in his gaze.
A jolt of energy zapped and electrified her. Every particle and cell in her body awakened, liquefied, and then sizzled.
His lips tipped at the corners into a lazy smile.
“I’ll have your babies, too!” someone yelled from the crowd.
His gaze stayed fixed on her face. His dark eyes broadcasted, “I’ve seen you naked and I like it,” to anyone who cared to see.
Clenching her legs together, she quivered.
Nathan gave her a cocky-ass smile as if he knew he was the cause of the mini-explosions firing within her.
A ring girl stepped into the octagon, sashayed up to Nathan, and leaned in for a kiss.
Tiana jerked away from their intimate moment and held her breath for a second before looking back. Much like his fight, he ducked the woman’s advances, hopped on the stool in his boxing corner, and jumped over the ropes surrounding the ring. Landing with the ease of a panther, he stalked toward Tiana.
Mel nudged her and whispered, “Brace yourself.”
Taking her friend’s wise advice, she breathed deep.
Her eyes filled with him. A tall, dark, sexy, and sweaty vision. This man—this sexy beast—wanted her. Only her.
“Peaches,” he growled as he snatched off his gloves and tossed them carelessly on the floor. Closing the distance between them, he wrapped one hand around her waist and cupped her face with the other.
His hard, unrelenting eyes continued to broadcast a message. No going back. His tongue swiped her mouth, as if testing the waters, followed by firm, warm lips. He commanded surrender, obedience, and absolutely no negotiations. She clung to him knowing his kiss had changed everything.
Her heart slammed and knocked against her chest, and her knees buckled. She was … Damn it, am I swooning?
Like a well-practiced, swashbuckling pirate, his arms snaked around her waist as he drew her body into his. Wetness pooled and flooded her lacy Vicky Secrets.
Nathan had just KO’ed her va-jay-jay.
• • •
Tiana shushed Mel for the umpteenth time. The friends camped out on the floor of their apartment.
“You know I hate being shushed. Shushing is for librarians and very boring or very old people.” Mel wagged her finger in Tiana’s face. “You are not boring, and you are not old. You are a wanton, nearly thirty-year-old woman about town. Hmmm. Think I’ll make wanton the word for the day. Catch up, wanton woman.”
Crossing her legs, Tiana groaned. “I am not, and I refuse to have wanton be the word of the day. What happened was completely out of character and so not me.”
She glanced down to her phone. Nathan’s infamous kiss heard ’round the world—actually not the world, just Brooklyn—happened two hours ago and the slimy snake hadn’t called her. He’d slinked away to his locker room, swarmed by his fans and his charity. Overwhelmed by the looks the attendees had given her, and impatient with how long it took Nathan to return, Tiana grabbed Mel’s hand and rushed them out of the venue.
Mel bit her bottom lip and propped her head on her fist. “Okay, what is the word of the day?”
Tiana shrugged. “Bamboozled?”
Mel shook her head. “Nope. Nah uh. You were in no way tricked.” Her fingers drummed her lips. “What about copulation or coitus?”
Tiana narrowed her eyes and folded her arms above her chest. “Nathan and I haven’t had sex.”
Mel snorted and then grinned. “Really? ’Cause seems to me Nathan made love to your mouth.”
“W-we, d-didn’t …” She scanned the room for something to toss. The magazine on their small coffee table would do. She reached for the glossy pages, but Mel snatched it away.
Sighing in defeat, Tiana reclined against the green chenille couch. “Okay, so maybe we had an intense kiss.”
“Intense?” Mel raised her brows. “You guys were more potent than a summer outdoor concert with Maxwell, Tyrese, and Usher. Babies will be made tonight.” She reached for her phone on the couch. “As a matter of fact, I am sexting my fiancé to cool me down. Between the fight and the kiss … woo!” Mel fanned herself. “You are my hero.”
Tiana’s finger traced her lips. She jerked her hand away when she realized the unconscious move. “I’m glad I inspire you, but do it at his condo, all right? Nathan’s kiss is the only action I’m gonna get for a while.”
Tiana went to the kitchen. She needed something sweet or salty to munch on.
“T, if you think that man wasn’t as turned on as you were, you’re delusional.”
“Oh, yeah?” Tiana yelled over her shoulder as she scanned the snacks in their pantry. “Then why hasn’t he called?”
“Is that why you’re all Moody Martha?” Mel’s voice boomed from behind Tiana, and she jumped.
“Geez, woman. How did you get near me so quickly?”
“I’m a ninja. But seriously,” Mel leaned her hip against the off-white Formica counter. “is that why you’re so morose?”
Tiana grabbed a bag of salty-and-sweet trail mix, dumped some of the snack into a bowl, and then sat at their living room table. She glanced at Melanie’s expectant face and sighed.
“Yes, that’s why I’m a Moody Margaret or whomever. No call, email, text … smoke signal.”
Pulling a chair out, her roommate sat across from her. “Let me tell you about my best friend, Tiana. She rules her life with an iron fist and hates surprises and chaos.” Mel reached for the bag and shook the mix into her hand.
Tiana ran to grab a bowl from the cabinet and placed it under her crumb-wielding friend. “We’re not wild animals. Use a bowl!”
“Like so.” Mel waved at the blue dish. “Let’s add uptight to the characteristics of my bestie. Now, Nathan, who is a very astute man, knows Tiana. He knows that if he contacts her, she will either, one … ” She stuck out her thumb. “Deny the importance of their kiss. Or, two … ” She lifted her index finger. “Threaten his balls or his life.”
A knot of anger unfurled in Tiana’s stomach and grew with each unflattering option.
“But … ” Mel cut through her angry thoughts. “The man who deserves my friend’s love will never find a woman more loving and loyal. I think Nathan could be that man for you.”
Tiana relaxed her shoulders as her irritation deflated. “So … what can I do? Should I call him or wait?”
“Do you like Nathan? Are you willing to compromise one of your life rules to never date a coworker again?”
Tiana hesitated and evaluated the situation. Nathan and Greg were like night and day. So unalike it wasn’t even fair to compare them,
but compare them she did.
Nathan was disciplined with his health and his work, whereas Greg was naturally slim and not at all muscular or athletic. Nathan was a straight shooter; always spoke his mind. When she’d had conversations with Greg, she’d felt like she was speaking to a politician. Every word he said seemed examined, polished, molded, and manipulated in a way to make people love him.
Nathan was fearless, and he made her fearless, too. He pushed her, challenged her, angered her, and made her feel … alive.
Yes, she wanted Nathan. Or at least, she was willing to try. Decision made, Tiana squared her shoulders and looked at her friend. “I want him.”
Mel squealed, clapped, and wiggled in the chair. She cleared her throat, and her lively eyes turned serious. “You know what it’s time for?”
Uh, oh. Lord save me from enthusiastic, mission-ready friends.
“It’s time for Operation—”
Groaning, Tiana massaged her forehead. “For the love of all that is good in the world, do not create another operation for me.”
“Why not? Operation: Get that J-O-B in N-Y-C was successful.” She waved her hand in a dismissive manner. “Time for Operation: It’s Been You.”
“It’s been you?”
“Yeah.” A smile spread across her friend’s face. “Nathan has been the man for you all this time. You didn’t know, but I think he did all along.”
Chapter Seventeen
Seated across the six-seater dining room table from Pops and Martha, Nathan bit into the fall-off-the-bone baked chicken his stepmom had cooked.
She hadn’t touched her food, while Pops took kid-sized bites. Both were unusually quiet, but their judgmental stares were as deafening as an ear-piercing scream.
Nathan dropped his fork and inhaled. The citrusy aroma from the orange-yellow roses in the center of the table permeated the cloud of irritation lingering above his head. “I’m guessing one of your gossiping poker buddies told you about last night.” Grabbing a glass of iced tea, he gulped.
“Well, now.” Martha played with her tennis bracelet. “Lonny did mention that you won handedly. And then … well, then you kissed some groupie in the audience who yelled something about having your babies.”
Nathan nearly spat out the sweet tea at her scandalized tone. Tiana would lose her mind if she heard the rumor.
Pops leaned forward and cleared his throat. “Now son, I know you’re a young man with certain needs, but can’t those needs be met inside the bedroom?”
Nathan bristled at the berating tone. At thirty-one, he was well over feeling ashamed of kissing his woman.
“Pops, I—”
“Hold on, son. I’m not finished.” His father cut in and raised a hand for silence. “It’s about time you settled down. You aren’t getting younger, and neither am I.”
“Pops—”
“Now, I’m not saying jump into a relationship and get married right away. Not with a woman who shouts things about having kids in public. But I thought you and that nice coworker of yours were finally getting along.” His father’s brown eyes looked concerned.
“That groupie, as Martha so lovingly called her, was Tiana, that nice coworker of mine. And she did not ask to have my kids. Her best friend shouted that Tiana should have my kids. I presume as a joke.”
Martha’s eyes beamed.
Leaning back against his seat, Pops grinned. “You laid one on her, did ya?”
“That’s right. I went right up to her and claimed what’s mine.”
His father chuckled. “I bet she was fit to be tied. What did she say?”
Nathan’s grin slipped. Picking up his fork, he scooped up the wild rice and gravy and shoveled the food into his mouth.
Martha shook her head. “Oh, goodness. He’s done something ill-advised.” She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. “You know you aren’t going to like what he has to say.”
Pops waved his hand in a come-on gesture.
Nathan swallowed his food and stalled with a big swallow of tea. “I haven’t spoken to her. She left after the fight, and I went home.”
“So now you’re hiding out here with your tail tucked between your legs?” His father’s amusement died. “You said it yourself—Tiana is high strung. She’s probably driving herself crazy about what happened.”
“I’m not hiding out. I’m giving her time. If I’d immediately given chase, her hackles would be up.” He shook his head. “No, I’ve gotta get her to feel like she’s not pressured. Tiana likes to examine every detail before she makes a decision.”
Pop’s approving smile made him feel better. “You’re putting that MBA to good use. I’m proud of you, son.”
• • •
Tiana was brewing coffee when Mel dashed into the kitchen and sat on a barstool, struggling to push her foot into a black pump.
“Good, I caught you before you left,” she said, slightly out of breath.
“Yes. I decided to go into work later. I’d drive myself crazy waiting around for him to arrive.”
Standing, Mel stomped her foot into the shoe. “There!” she exclaimed as if she’d found the cure for the common cold. “And good idea by the way. Make him sweat. Mmmm, sweat.”
“Stop fantasizing about my … Nathan.”
“Fine. But under duress.” Winking, she returned to her seat. “Pass me a bowl?”
Tiana reached for one and then went ahead and poured Mel’s favorite cereal. She didn’t bother with the milk because her crazy friend liked it dry.
“Thanks, T. Let’s review the game plan.”
Tiana nodded. “I walk into the office. Act normal and pretend everything is business as usual.”
“And then?”
“After a few minutes I strut to his desk, grab his tie, and kiss the hell out of him.”
“And after that?”
“I will sexily walk back to my desk.” Tiana did a catwalk stride to the living room table and performed a showgirl’s leg arc that settled over her thigh. “And cross my legs like so.” She rolled her eyes. “You think this’ll work?”
Mel swiveled in the barstool and clapped. “Brava, and of course it will. Did you not say that Nathan’s dream woman list included spontaneity, yet he occasionally likes to be dominated?”
Tiana uncrossed her legs and clasped her hands. “Yes, that’s what he said.”
“All right then. You’re displaying dominance by grabbing his tie. You’re being spontaneous with a kiss. And then you’re giving him an opportunity to chase you when you go back to your desk. Now go to work so you can get your man.”
• • •
Despite leaving the apartment almost an hour later than usual, Tiana still arrived to work before Nathan. Julia stood outside their office holding a steaming cup of coffee with two splashes of cream. The intern handed the mug to Tiana and then chattered about projects. Tiana nodded and gave Julia a few uh-huhs when her chatty intern paused for breath.
Julia, now seated in the chair in front of Tiana’s desk, continued to chirp away as Tiana’s computer booted.
“Finally,” Tiana whispered as the computer blinked to life.
The intern’s lip quivered. “I’m sorry. Am I annoying you?”
“Oh, no. Not at all, honey. I just have an important message to send to a client.”
Julia’s pouty lips formed into a smile. “You’re so dedicated.”
“Umm … yeah.” She added a forced laugh. “That I am. One moment.”
Opening Instant Messenger, she searched for Mel’s name. She nearly wept in delight when she saw the green icon, signaling her friend was online.
I’m aborting the mission! He’s not here. I’m supposed to walk into the office and throw him a sultry gaze. I can’t do that now!
She sighed when she immediately saw tiny dots in the messaging box. Melanie was typing a response.
Chill out, T. New plan … He comes into the office, but you don’t look up. Have headphones on and jam to your favorite song. Yo
u don’t have a care in the world. Then resume the mission.
Tiana smiled at the suggestion.
“Good news?” Julia asked.
“Great news. Everything is going to work out.”
Great idea. The mission is back on.
“Tiana.” Nathan’s sexy voice shocked her from the door. Her heart stuttered, rolled, and plopped on the floor.
“H-hey, Nathan. How was your weekend?” Shoot! I wasn’t supposed to speak to him. What do I do? WhatdoIdoWhatdoIdoWhatdoIdo?
Still in the doorway, he stood with his legs splayed, arms crossed, and eyes determined.
OhshitOhshitOhshit!
Tiana looked at the monitor, and her hands flew across the keyboard.
He’s here, and I already screwed up. I asked him about his freaking weekend! Why did I do that?
More dots furiously jumped on-screen. Tiana didn’t dare glance away. The broiling heat from his stare burned her deep.
I’m not sure why you did that. You and I both know what he did this weekend … he tongue-effed you in front of hundreds of people.
Nathan cleared his throat. “Julia, you need to leave us for a moment. Tiana and I have some important things to discuss.”
Tiana’s heart stuttered as she looked away from Mel’s unhelpful message.
The intern’s pointy, upturned noise wrinkled. “But I was just giving Ms. Holliday an update on our projects.”
“Later,” he practically growled. “Don’t forget you report to me, too.”
His authoritative voice sparked Tiana’s hormones into a frenzy. She quickly typed another message.
Shit! He told my intern to leave. He’s being all alpha male, and it’s hot! What’s the plan?
Julia, now red-faced, stood and marched past Nathan, nearly hitting his shoulder. Mel instantly pinged back.
Wing it.
Wing it???
Nathan finally stepped into the office and then leaned against her desk, searing her with another scorching gaze.
I was supposed to do that.
“How was my weekend?” he repeated with a tinge of humor.
“I-It’s customary for coworkers to ask that question on a Monday.”
“I know what you did over the weekend. You tried to figure a way to pretend that Friday night didn’t happen.”