by Lynn Emery
Shaun walked ahead of him. “There’s something going on and you best believe I’ll find out about it.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you Sunday.” Marcus kept a firm hand on his shoulder.
“Ah-ha! The first clue.” Shaun veered away and snatched up a small blue object. “You got a woman in here.”
Marcus stared at the denim-and-leather purse Shaun waved in the air. He took a deep breath. “So, the last thing I need is company. Right?”
“Right, right.” Shaun turned the purse over in his hands. He read the gold initials engraved on the fastener holding the purse closed. “NSB.”
“Shaun, it’s time to go,” Marcus said through clenched teeth.
“Who—” Shaun looked up at Marcus. “Your boss lady!”
“Say it a little louder, I think somebody in California didn’t hear you.” Marcus yanked him farther away from the hall leading to his bedroom.
“Oh man, you’re my hero. I’m getting out of your way, master player. We’ll talk Sunday.” Shaun’s hazel eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Shaun, listen to me. I’m not—”
“Sunday, and don’t leave out a thing!” Shaun winked at him, then hustled out.
Marcus raked his fingers through his hair in exasperation. He’d have to straighten Shaun out later. “Damn!”
“Hey, it’s a nice color scheme in here, but I would like to come out sometime this year!” Nicole called.
“Sorry, uh, he’s gone.” Marcus tried to regain his balance.
“I know. What’s his name again?” Nicole strolled out. She glanced around the living room.
“Shaun Jackson, we grew up together.” Marcus rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. “You want something?”
She looked at him, a twinkle in her eyes. “Yes.”
Feeling like a kid on his first date, Marcus swallowed hard. The message in her gaze sent heat through his groin. “I meant to drink.”
“Diet cola, decaf if you’ve got it.” Nicole sat down on his sofa as though she owned it. She crossed her legs and smiled up at him.
“I’ll check.”
Marcus went to the kitchen. In the few minutes it took him to get glasses and a tray, he regained his equilibrium. In his time he’d handled plenty of good-looking women who’d wanted to own him. Nicole was just the latest version, he told himself. Sure her eyes were a brown he hadn’t seen before. Hints of burnished gold gleamed bright when she laughed. Then there was the way her mouth curved up at one end when she smiled. Or the way she walked with her shoulders back and head up, like a queen who stepped right off the painted walls of an Egyptian pyramid.
He grabbed a paper towel and dabbed sweat from his forehead. Okay, so maybe she’s above average. Still no reason to stumble around like a moron. Marcus took a cleansing deep breath, arranged the tray, and walked out of the kitchen. By the time he arrived in the living room, he was wearing an easy smile. Keep cool. She showed up here for a reason. You’re in control.
“I didn’t have decaf cola, so I brought you a Sprite instead. Hope that’s okay.” Marcus put the tray on the cocktail table.
“I like Sprite, thanks.” Nicole helped herself to a handful of nuts. “These are good. Sorry I chased your friend away. I should have called first.”
Marcus sat down across from her and grabbed nuts from the bowl. The lady was used to having her way. He’d have to do something about that. “Yes, you should have.”
“Well, you sort of implied I was rude to break our—What was it exactly?” Nicole gazed back at him calmly.
Damned if he didn’t find the lady intriguing. Marcus couldn’t take his eyes off the silken brown skin of her upper arms. When she raised the glass to her lips, Marcus felt a sharp thirst no soft drink would satisfy. He rubbed his mouth and watched her throat work.
What was going on with him? He had a strict rule. Any woman who showed up on his doorstep unannounced would have been gone by now, no exceptions. Yet here he was serving her like she had an engraved invitation. She lowered the glass and gazed at him. Any thought of tossing her out went up in smoke.
“You tell me,” he replied softly.
Nicole blinked rapidly as though stumped for an answer. She looked away and lifted a shoulder. “I’m not sure yet.”
She put her glass on the table and stood. Marcus watched her as she walked to his entertainment system. Nicole ran her fingers over his collection of vintage vinyl records from the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Marcus smiled at her bid for a chance to recover.
“Like my collection?” After grabbing a few nuts from the bowl, he walked over to join her. “My grandmother gave me those.”
“You’re a Buddy Guy fan? Me, too!” Nicole picked up a CD and read the cover copy. “I would have guessed you were strictly hip-hop-generation vibe.”
“I see. You know I grew up in the Fifth Ward. I’m from the ghetto, therefore I love rap music,” Marcus said.
Nicole had the decency to blush. “No. That’s not what I meant at all.” She avoided his gaze and fingered the rack of compact discs.
Marcus gazed at her without speaking for several seconds. He popped a few pecans into his mouth and chewed slowly. As the silence stretched, she fidgeted. Marcus enjoyed seeing her squirm. She looked even more delectable, if that was possible. Obviously it was, he mused.
“So, what did you mean?” he finally said.
She appeared engrossed in the rack of compact discs on the shelf. “Nothing really. I happen to like hip-hop myself.”
“Cool. Even the rich can get down and jam with the community,” Marcus teased. He crossed his arms and gazed at her, head to one side.
To her credit, Nicole rallied. She went back to the sofa and sat down. “Thank you, mister Def Comedy Jam.”
Marcus laughed. Nicole wore a Drop Dead message in her eyes when she looked back at him. “Okay, let’s play nice. No social commentary,” he offered.
“Agreed.” Nicole’s full lips curved up at one corner as she held out her right hand. “Shake on it.”
His smile froze. Her fingers were tapered and tipped by bright red fingernails. He could easily understand why a man would bend and kiss such an offering. His pulse raced as he walked to her. Each step that brought him closer seemed to be in slow motion. Marcus felt a flood of desire when his large hand closed over her slender one. Nicole stood up as though he’d lifted her from the sofa. Maybe he had. Or maybe he’d willed Nicole nearer by the sheer force of his hunger for her.
Nicole closed the distance between them until their bodies touched. Marcus lowered his head, she lifted her mouth. He pulled her tightly against him. Her tongue teased his, the tip flickering along his bottom lip. Needing her filled his mind until there was no room for anything else, second thoughts included. His legs felt like rubber, so he eased her down onto the sofa again. They lay prone, exploring, testing and tasting each other. They kissed forever, or so it seemed. And still it wasn’t long enough. He moaned deep in his throat as she pulled away.
“My, oh, my.” Nicole took a deep breath. She put a hand on his chest, then gazed into his eyes. “Maybe I’d better go.”
“No,” he answered. Funny, no warning sirens screamed in his ears after the word slipped out.
“Okay.” She drew his mouth back to hers.
They kissed more, deeper, and their hands roamed until both started to push aside clothing and probe. In concert they lifted her shirt up and over her head. Marcus pressed his lips against her neck. He traced a line of kisses down to the tempting mounds of her breasts that showed above red lace. Her sigh was the perfect encouragement. His tongue lapped at her brown sugar skin. Music and bells tinkled in the background like a magical sound track to their lovemaking.
“Phone,” she mumbled.
Marcus continued to kiss her body. His fingers tugged at the bra cup that prevented more joy. “Hmm?”
“Your phone is ringing,” Nicole said louder and wiggled free. “Better answer it. Could be important.” She brushe
d stray tendrils of hair back into place.
“Voice mail was invented for moments like these.” He reached for her.
“We need a reality break anyway.” Nicole inched further away.
He snatched up the cordless phone. “Yeah,” he barked. “Sorry, Jesse. What’s up? Okay, I’ll meet you tomorrow morning. Bye.”
“Was that Jesse from the office?”
Marcus turned back to her and scowled. Nicole had her shirt back on and tucked into her jeans. “The security system we installed at an art gallery went off. False alarm. Jesse checked it out.”
“I remember. Why are you going in tomorrow?”
“Procedure. We always do a complete system run when something like this happens. Probably nothing.” Marcus wanted to put aside talk of business.
Nicole wore a serious expression. “Funny how stuff keeps happening.”
“Motion sensors can be tricky. If I’m not mistaken, that system is an older model. They’re not precise. A spider might have tripped the thing.” Marcus gazed at her. “It’s really not worth worrying about.”
“But think about it. Maybe we need to do a real complete performance audit.”
“We can talk about it, sure.” Marcus leaned toward her, one arm stretched along the sofa back. “Tomorrow.”
“Right.” Nicole stood abruptly. “I’ll meet y’all at the office.”
“Hey! What about…” Marcus spread his arms out.
Nicole smiled. “Considering the circumstances, going slow is advised.”
“You mean, I’m hired help.” Marcus tilted his head back and stared at her through narrowed lids.
“Marcus, you’re hardly what I would call hired help.” Nicole brushed invisible dust from the front of her shirt. “Besides, we should consider all the possible ramifications. We have to think of more than our hormones.”
Her words splashed over Marcus like cold water. The lady wanted to calculate exactly what an affair with him might cost her. Worse still, she was absolutely right. He should have been thinking along those same lines. Instead he’d tumbled headlong into lust. Nicole hadn’t lost sight of the gulf between them. In her world his education, achievements, or even money couldn’t change the obvious. He didn’t have the right family tree.
“I see your point. Sorry, I’m usually more cautious and practical. I shouldn’t have presumed.” Marcus stood. He picked up her purse and handed it to her.
“We both kind of got caught up in the moment.” Nicole took it.
“Apparently the moment is over.” Marcus turned away from her. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
She caught his arm. “I’ve got a lot to prove, Marcus. At first being forced to take over Summers Security was a nuisance. I was sure Daddy or Francine would find a loophole and I’d get out of it. Then being CEO seemed like a fun challenge. But now…I’m ready to grow up and have something of my own.”
Marcus turned slowly to face her as she spoke. Nicole stared at him. He read the plea for understanding and support in her magnetic, sultry eyes. Without hesitating, he placed a hand over hers.
“Well, we’d better get to the business of running Summers Security then. Right, boss lady?” he said quietly.
They gazed at each other in silence for several charged moments. When Nicole broke contact first, he instantly missed her touch. Marcus attempted to get a firm grip on his common sense. Nicole seemed to do the same. She cleared her throat and took a step away from him.
“Right. My first and only dictate to you is to never, ever call me boss lady again.” Nicole wore a lopsided grin, her hands stuck in the pockets of her jeans.
Marcus grinned back. “I’ll try to remember. See you around nine tomorrow morning?”
“Sounds good.” Nicole shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Well, good night.”
“Good night.” Marcus decided not to move. They looked at each other.
“Oh, what the hell!” Nicole marched over, planted a firm kiss on his lips, and then went to the door.
Stunned into a warm daze that felt so good, Marcus kept his eyes closed and savored her flavor. The soft bump of the door closing snapped him back to reality. He stood rooted to the carpet for another ten minutes, trying to sort through what had happened between them.
The next day Nicole glanced at the dashboard digital clock. She nudged her car up another five miles above the speed limit on Interstate 45. “Can’t keep Mr. Reed waiting,” she murmured and passed a slow-moving, late-model Buick.
Smiling to herself, she turned up the volume on her compact disc player. The song, a driving beat with provocative lyrics sung by Jill Scott, put her in the right mood to think about last night. Marcus had lit a fire in her that had burned hot for hours afterward. Nicole congratulated herself once more on having had the strength to leave his condo. Yet a tiny prickle of worry kept tugging around the edges of her mind. Who was the hunter and who was the prey? The sensation of his full lips against hers had driven out thoughts of conquest and being in control. She’d have to keep her head on right from now on, she reminded herself.
Nicole arrived at the office twenty minutes past nine despite her efforts to be on time. She parked in her reserved space, turned on the car alarm, and caught the elevator. When she got to her suite, she saw a note on her office door. Marcus’s bold signature in black ink spread almost the width of the small sheet of notepaper.
“‘We’re in my office. Started without you,’” she read. “Oh, boy. I’ve been reprimanded already.”
She went inside her office and grabbed her favorite leather-covered notepad. Then she went down the hall. Marcus and Jesse were deep in discussion when she pushed open the half-open door. They were seated at the small round table in a corner of Marcus’s office.
“Morning. Sorry I’m late. Catch me up.” Nicole tossed her purse onto a chair and sat down.
“Good morning,” Marcus said in a much too formal tone. He didn’t smile or give any sign they were more than boss and employee.
“Let me get you some coffee, ma’am.” Jesse Cooper, thirty-seven and every inch the Southern gentleman, dipped his head to her. Though he wasn’t much older than them, he had the demeanor of a seasoned wise man.
“No, sit. I’ll serve myself. And bless whoever brewed a pot.” She smiled at him.
“That would be me,” Marcus said.
When she glanced back at him, he appeared absorbed in a spreadsheet. His stiff posture bothered her. Sure, they couldn’t be lovey-dovey in front of Jesse, but he didn’t have to act like he had ice in his bikini briefs. Suddenly annoyed, Nicole pursed her lips. Still, she’d play along. He would pay later, she decided. I’ve got the moves to melt you, brother. Cheered by the thought, her steps bounced when she walked over to rejoin them. She took a sip from the mug.
“Okay, now I can think.” She beamed at both men.
Jesse smiled back at her as though pleased at the attention. “I’m like that myself in the morning.”
Marcus continued to wear his white-collar corporate expression. “Here’s what we’ve got. Several security guards seem to be trouble, Tameka being only one example.”
“We don’t know she did anything wrong.” Nicole put the coffee mug down on the table.
“No, and the police don’t have a lead on the missing merchandise,” Marcus replied.
“I can’t get her to return my phone calls.” Jesse rubbed his jaw. “I was just telling Marcus that Officer Blanchard, the policeman on the case, says she’s acting strange.”
“So, maybe she knows something.” Nicole nodded to the papers in front of Marcus. “What’s that?”
“A report on the guards we’ve hired.” Marcus pushed it toward her. “I like to keep a record of employee performance. No-shows, customer complaints, and general information. I include their strengths and compliments from customers, too.”
“Hmm. Of the ninety-six guards we hired, fifteen women came through the Welfare to Work program.” Nicole glanced down the columns wi
th names next to them. “Lots of absences.”
“They have usual stuff for single mothers, sick kids or they can’t get a baby-sitter. Sometimes there’s the occasional boyfriend problem,” Jesse said.
“Typical drama for those folks.” Nicole shook her head.
“Those folks don’t have nannies and housekeepers to take up the slack,” Marcus said with a bland expression.
Nicole glanced up at him sharply. “I understand they have special challenges.”
“Yes, they sure do,” he replied.
“I didn’t mean to imply a negative generalization.” Nicole wondered at the sudden tension between them.
Jesse glanced from Marcus to Nicole and cleared his throat loudly. “Uh, sometimes they get somebody to cover before they call in.”
“Maybe we can arrange for a corporate discount at a day-care agency. We can offer it to all of the employees.” Nicole made notes. “I’ll check on it.”
“Hey, that would be great. We’ve got single fathers, too. I’m taking care of two grandbabies myself.” Jesse’s head bobbed with enthusiasm.
“Might as well take away one more pressure, right?” Nicole continued to write. “Now the alarm that went off.”
“I checked it out. Couldn’t find anything. I’ll bet it was an insect or something.” Jesse pulled a tattered notepad from his shirt pocket. “I suggested the customer put in a new system. We do it for free, but the monitoring rate increases. She agreed.”
“Good work. We could clean up with a little creativity. Buy some big spiders and get all our customers to upgrade,” Nicole said, careful to keep a straight face.
“Now you’re thinking like Mr. Summers,” Jesse joked with a grin.
“Ouch!” Nicole wore a mock frown.
Marcus seemed not to notice their lighthearted exchange. He stared at the screen of his laptop. “Do we have a bigger problem?” he mumbled and hit another key.
“Not from what I can tell,” Jesse said, serious once more. “Tameka really has disappointed me. I gave her a chance. Maybe she knows more about what happened at Mr. Phoung’s store, but I’m hoping she doesn’t.”
“What exactly went missing?” Nicole looked at Marcus.