by Rina Gray
Reclining in her seat, Tiana folded her arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Tilting his head toward the ceiling, he sighed. “This isn’t how the conversation is supposed to go.”
Tell me about it.
Nathan rubbed a palm over his face. He dropped into his own chair and scooted toward her until their knees touched. “I gave you the weekend to obsess about how wrong we are for each other until you had a chance to convince yourself how we’re right for each other. I can’t tell what decision you came to, but I’m making one for us.”
Arching an eyebrow, she tilted her head. “Are you now?
“I am. This is how it’s going to be. We are going to date. Exclusively. No more pretty-boys who dab their napkins to the corner of their lips.”
Tiana huffed. “And no more twenty-year-old airheads who start and end their sentences with ‘like.’”
He smiled, grabbed his phone, and tapped something into it.
“Really? You’re texting someone in the middle of a negotiation?”
He shrugged as her phone chirped. “Check it.”
“Why?”
“Just check your phone, woman.”
Tiana swiveled in her chair to reach for her cell. She swiped the screen and then opened the notification from her social media app. Nathaniel Lawson has requested a relationship. Press Yes to confirm.
Tiana jerked her head from the screen to narrow her eyes at him. “A little presumptuous, aren’t we? I haven’t said yes.”
Leaning in, he grabbed her seat, pulled her close, and then grazed her ear with his lips. “You already said yes.”
She backed away and shook her head, taken aback by his intensity. Damn, she should’ve brought spare undies. Not even noon, and she was swimming in a pool of wetness.
His eyes sparked. “Yes, you did. You see, when I jumped down from the ring and claimed my prize, I claimed you. If you’re in it half as deep as I am—and baby, I’m drowning—then stop bullshitting.” He pulled away, but just a fraction.
Her heart leaped from her chest and swan-dived onto the floor. Her mind was in a loop-de-loop, which was the only logical reason why she silently accepted his strong-armed proposal, grabbed his tie, and made sweet, sweet love to his mouth.
Chapter Eighteen
The door creaked. Leaping from Nathan’s strong arms, Tiana scrambled to stand.
Julia slumped against the door. Her small white teeth bit into her lower lip. Her normally sweet face was twisted and had morphed into a pained expression.
Tiana held her breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Only a minute into the relationship, and she was caught with her hands in Nathan’s cookie jar.
“I-I’d like to go home now.” The intern’s voice and shoulders shook. “N-not feeling well.”
Tiana rushed past a statue-still Nathan. Concern for Julia replaced fear for her reputation.
“Are you all right?” Tiana touched the intern’s forehead. “You’re clammy and shaky.”
“M-must’ve been something I ate.” Julia’s normally adoring eyes avoided Tiana’s as she licked her pale, thin lips. “I’ll just work from home, if you don’t mind?”
Tiana scrunched her forehead. “Of course I don’t, sweetie. You take care of yourself. You have my cell, so call if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Ms. Holliday.” Her voice was formal, cool, and sad as she turned to leave.
“Julia?” Tiana squeaked.
The intern turned around with a hopeful look on her face.
“Maybe later we … that is to say, I-I want to talk about what you just saw. But before we speak, please … ” Tiana huffed at her floundering speech. “Can you promise not to say anything?” she finished in a hushed tone.
Biting her quivering bottom lip, Julie nodded. The back of her hand swiped a tear from her cheek as she turned to leave.
Tiana quietly shut the door, closed her eyes, and leaned against the frame. “So much for our little secret.”
Nathan shrugged. “Julia was bound to find out. She has a crush on you and follows your every move. And besides, I never agreed to us being a secret anyway.”
Cracking open an eye, she sighed. She’d never had a clue Julia felt that way, but with all the things the young woman had done for Tiana she couldn’t deny the truth.
Tackle that another day.
Tiana cleared her throat, ready to argue the parameters of their relationship. “I don’t think it would be wise to broadcast our … whatever this is to our bosses and coworkers.”
“I already told you what this is. An exclusive relationship. Now sit down, Peaches. We’ll hash this out so we can clear the air and get to work.”
Pushing away from the door, she returned to her seat.
Still near her desk, Nathan grabbed her hand. “Tell me why honesty is a bad idea?”
She rolled her eyes. Of course he would use the word honesty to make his point. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because we’re both going after the same job and could possibly be the other person’s boss. Right now our relationship is technically not against company policy. However, dating your direct report certainly is.”
Nathan shook his head. “How do you know this?”
“I thoroughly read the policy when I first started the job.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “Because of my situation with Greg.”
He nodded. You’re freaking out because you’re dating another coworker.” His eyes softened, and he pulled her closer. “Tell me about your ex.”
She gripped her thighs. “Yes, well … as you know, I dated and was eventually engaged to Greg. The relationship did not last. The end.”
Nathan reached for her hands and then squeezed. “Your storytelling could use some work.”
Tiana pulled her hand back. If he wanted the full story, she needed to gather her wits and look at anything but him. The Greg, Stephanie, and Tiana saga was still gossiped about today, according to Shauna, the only colleague she kept in touch with from her previous firm.
“Greg was one of the first people I met when I started my job. He was a trainer for new hires, and I was enamored with him.” Tiana looked down at her clasped hands and sighed, remembering all the things she’d felt for him.
“He was ten years older than I was, a mover and shaker, and took an immediate interest in me. I was flattered. He made me feel smart and beautiful. And … ” Her laugh was lifeless. “For a twenty-five-year-old girl from the hood, it felt good that someone saw me and not the girl who was lucky that she didn’t end up a statistic.”
She stared straight ahead at the door, clicking her heel against the wheel on the seat. “Anyway, long story short, he asked me to marry him right at the one-year mark. I said yes, and I was happy. But then … I wasn’t.”
“Why?”
Nathan’s deep voice made her feel safe sharing.
Memories assailed her. She couldn’t hold on to one thought, one solid answer as to why. She’d been unhappy long before she found out about the cheating. She would often do little things, like cook his favorite meal, or if something at a store caught her attention and she knew it would make him smile, she’d buy it for him. Greg never did those things for her, and if Tiana skipped a month or two without getting him something, he would pout.
Her mind channel surfed to another not-too-wonderful memory. Greg didn’t seem to be as resourceful or as smart as he pretended to be. Quite often he sent his work to her to check for errors. In the end, she usually did the work for Greg. Nathan didn’t need all of those embarrassing details.
“He used me. He cheated on me.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“He stole my ideas, which ultimately gave him a promotion.” She laughed and shook her head. “A few months ago, you probably would’ve called it poetic justice.”
She raised a hand before he could interrupt. She needed to get this out. “I know you thought I stole your ideas for the internship, but I would never do that. Professor Hoffer had it bad fo
r me. He told a VP at Regos that I had come up with the ideas, and I didn’t find out until after the internship.”
“Tiana, baby, I know that already. You told me when you were drugged up on NyQuil.”
“I know, but I want to say this to you while I’m lucid. I didn’t figure out what happened until the company commended me on my idea and offered me a full-time position. I declined and told them it was your idea. I told them to reach out to you. Did they?”
He leaned back in his seat. “No … they didn’t, but I have no regrets. Well, with the exception of hating you about the internship. I should’ve listened when you tried to explain what happened back then. But I was so hurt that you would lie … my head wasn’t in a place where I could listen to reason. His chocolate eyes reflected remorse. “I’m sorry.”
Tiana shrugged. “It’s fine. We’re fine. I just wanted to clear the air.” She turned toward her computer in an attempt to end the conversation.
“You still haven’t finished telling me about Greg.”
She sighed, swiveling her chair to face him again. “Fine. Even after he stole my promotion, and despite my reservations about him cheating with another coworker, like a fool I still … I stayed. There was always a plausible excuse. Stephanie had a little crush on him, but he didn’t return her feelings. They had an important project to work on, which was the reason why he was always in her office. She was a senior director, so whatever she needed, Greg came running.”
Tiana sighed. “I was stupid enough to believe that he loved me. But then … ” Her sweaty hands shook. She hadn’t told many people about the next part. Not her brother or sister. Only Melanie.
She cleared her tear-clogged throat. “T-the icing on the cake … he was engaged to Stephanie prior to me working for the company. The ring he gave me was Stephanie’s old ring. He’d asked me not to tell anyone about our relationship because he didn’t want the gossip. But the entire time he was stringing both Stephanie and me along.”
Nathan shook his head. “So this Stephanie woman had no idea about you?”
“Oh, she had an idea. Apparently, he told her that we went out on a few dates, but that was all. Greg told her I was obsessed with him and emotionally unstable, which is why he pleaded with her to keep their relationship a secret for a bit. Well, that’s what I gathered from Stephanie’s tirade.”
Tiana clutched her chest, remembering the destruction of her heart. Her body went still and frozen, but her mind fast-forwarded through the flashbacks. Sad. Pathetic. Unstable. Slut.
“Tiana?” Nathan scooted closer, deep concern reflected in his dark eyes.
Breaking through the surface of her painful memories, she took a deep breath. “L-long story short, she saw Greg and me kissing, and assumed I was the other woman.”
Stephanie, the marketing genius who was both intelligent and beautiful hadn’t taken the betrayal well. Like the scorned woman that she was, Stephanie wrongly accused Tiana of seducing Greg. A scorned woman who went as far as spreading rumors and escalating the situation to her boss.
“She hadn’t taken too kindly to me trying to steal her fiancé. How do you steal a person, I’ll never know, but that’s what she said when she confronted me in Greg’s office and in front of our coworkers.”
She could feel the heat of Nathan’s anger. “And then gossip spread like wildfire within the office. I was the she-devil and Stephanie was the innocent victim. The end.”
Tiana couldn’t escape the hell that had become her job because Stephanie’s family had money and influence and she wielded the power like a weapon, blackballing Tiana from other prominent positions within Atlanta.
Nathan’s intelligent and assessing eyes roved over her. Something must have clued him in that she was at her emotional wits’ end because he dipped his chin and rolled his chair back, giving her much-needed space.
“I understand why engaging in another office romance is difficult for you, and I agree to keep this to ourselves, but know that I am not and never will be ashamed of our relationship.”
“Thank you.”
Nathan leaned in his seat. “I’m sure this won’t sink in yet, but I’ll never cheat or lie. I may hurt your feelings, but I’ll be honest—sometimes to a fault.”
The corners of her mouth tugged into a smile. She’d much prefer honesty.
“Second thing,” Nathan said as he booted his laptop. “Once we’re outside office doors, we’re no longer coworkers.” He turned from his computer, eyes on her. “Do you get me?”
“I get you, Nathan. I also have a few … a few things of my own I’d like to discuss.”
“You mean rules?” he asked, an amused smile on his face.
“No, I mean some things.” She refused to say rules because he’d always teased her in the past about being a control freak about the code of conduct.
He waved his hand. “Go for it, Peaches.”
“All right. First thing. No hanky-panky at the office.”
“Negative.” He shook his head. “No hanky-panky where anyone can see us in the office. I’ll lock the door next time.”
She rolled her eyes, even though she rather liked the idea of them sneaking around and giving each other sexy glances and kisses. “Second thing. When one of us gets promoted, I would like for the other person to heavily consider swapping departments. I don’t want us to get reprimanded or fired because we’ve violated the rules. But as long as we don’t directly report to the other person, we should be fine.”
He nodded. “That’s reasonable and I sure as hell don’t intend to stop what we have because of a company policy. So if I have to be a goody-two-shoes rule follower to keep you, then I will.”
One more thing,” she whispered. This last thing was hard for her to say. She licked her dry lips and exhaled. “I want to take things slowly.”
“What things, Peaches?” His eyes blazed.
“P-physical things. Look, I know it’s not fair to compare you to other men, but it’s been difficult for me to take things to the next level since Greg. I need you to be patient with me.”
“Of course, Peaches. I won’t push you until you’re ready. Are those all of your rules?”
Tiana released the breath trapped in her throat and smiled. She was relieved he so readily agreed, and he didn’t seem impatient or disappointed. “Yes, those are all of my things.”
“Good. Let’s do our jobs so I can take you out on a date.”
Tiana bit her lip to stop the cheesy smile from spreading over her face. She couldn’t have him knowing she was a softie. “Where will you be taking us on our first official date?”
“Woman, this is not our first date.”
Tiana tilted her head and tapped her chin. “Am I missing something?”
“Nope. Coney Island. Dining in the Dark. Lord-of-the-freaking-Rings marathon.” He growled at the last item. “What would you call those things we did?”
Tiana smiled and winked. “Foreplay.”
• • •
Nathan had thought that once he and Tiana were exclusive, the agony of silently lusting after her would end. After weeks upon weeks of torture, he could finally admit that he was wrong. Dead wrong. He grunted as he tracked his hours for a client. He should’ve known his former grad-school rival would be best in class for driving a man wild.
The worst part? Most of the things she did were subconscious. Like the way she crossed and uncrossed her legs during meetings and the way she tilted her head back, pursed her lips, and gently stroked her throat. He was even turned on by her humming. Humming usually reminded him of old ladies folding laundry, but not Tiana’s.
She was a content, lazy cat, purring her pleasure. He couldn’t wait for the day where she completely gave him her trust and then he’d really give her something to purr about. Damn, he needed a distraction. Between Tiana and waiting for the campaign decision, which would be determined right after the New Year, he was a wreck. The ping on his phone was a reprieve. Pops had sent a reminder about Thanksgiving.
“What are you doing two weeks from now?”
Tiana did her signature Tilty-head-moaning thing. “Isn’t it Thanksgiving?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Okay. Then I’ll be stuffing my face with my brother and sister.”
“Why don’t you stuff your face with me?”
Sipping coffee, she suddenly choked. She coughed and then took a deep breath. “You’re so bad.”
“You know it. But answer the question. You. Me. Stuffing our faces. Together and with food, of course.”
Tiana pushed away from her desk and sighed. “As much as I would love to partake in the age-old tradition of faking amnesia to the real story of how the pilgrims screwed over Native Americans, I can’t. I always host Thanksgiving for my brother and sister whenever they can break away from school. I’ve already bought their plane tickets.”
“Why don’t you, Courtney, and Casey have dinner with me and my folks?” Nathan held his breath. His little Georgia Peach didn’t like unplanned events and surprises.
“I, uh, can I … think about it?”
Instincts drove him to push her, but he reined himself in. After all, she’d agreed to a relationship, shared her past, and hadn’t totally lost it when her precious intern caught them going at it. Yes, he could wait. For a day. Or two.
Chapter Nineteen
Nathan had been a man of his word about planning a date. His hand settled on the small of her back as he guided Tiana to their seat at Diago’s. Tiana’s pulse quickened at the intimate touch.
“I’ve got this,” Nathan said to the maître d’ who attempted to pull out her chair.
Tiana smiled, pleased and amused that Nathan had chosen the restaurant where they had both brought other dates. “Diago’s, huh?” she asked after the maître d’ left.
“Yeah. He smiled as he fluffed the napkin and then placed the black linen on his lap. “We’ve gotta create good memories.”
“My last date wasn’t so bad,” she teased.
“He isn’t me, and Shelly isn’t you. Even then, I wanted you. I was pissed when I saw you looking sexy as sin, and all dressed up for another guy. All I could imagine was … ”