Southern Love

by Synithia Williams

  He reached out and wiped a tear from Jessica’s eye then turned her face toward him. He gave her his trademark smile and kissed the corner of her mouth.

  “That’s better,” he said when she smiled back. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. Maybe we can try to catch the late showing of the movie.”

  “That would be great.” The look in her eyes changed, and she reached over to touch his now soft penis. “Why don’t you give me something to look forward to?”

  As sexy as she looked right now with her hair mussed and her dusky nipples pressed against his back, Malcolm couldn’t summon up the desire for sex. It shook him up that he’d almost made love to her while thinking of Kenyatta. He moved her hand and kissed the corner of her mouth again.

  “Sorry, baby, but I have to leave now if I’m going to be back in time to catch a movie.”

  He got out of the bed quickly and pulled a pair of boxers from his dresser. Without looking at the disappointed woman in his bed, he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He was going to have to get Kenyatta out of his mind.

  • • •

  Malcolm enjoyed the silence when he walked into the quiet office of H20 Environmental an hour later. He thrived on the bustle of his position, but it was on weekends, when the office was empty, when he got the most work done. No one asking questions, no fires to put out, just time to catch up on projects and prepare for the next week.

  He frowned when he saw lights on in the conference room. They’d stressed to employees the importance of turning off lights at the end of the day. He would have to remind everyone on Monday. If they were going to be a leading environmental firm, they needed to lead by example.

  He walked into the conference room to turn off the light and lost his breath at what he saw. Kenyatta was reaching for something underneath the table, giving him a perfect view of the back of her thighs and fantastic ass. Wearing a short green sundress that was leaving little to his imagination in her position, she hummed quietly to the Jill Scott song playing through the speakers connected to her MP3 player on the table. She leaned forward and her dress hiked up even more, revealing light green underwear. Noting that her underwear was the same color as her outfit, Malcolm’s imagination went into overdrive picturing a matching bra.

  All of the desire he couldn’t muster up for Jessica, hit him fully as he grew hard. How would she react if he came up behind her, ran his hands up her thighs and slowly removed her underwear? Would she moan, or sigh, as he slid inside her? He imagined how it would be to feel her tight, wet heat squeeze around him as he plunged into her again and again.

  Malcolm was in an awkward situation. When she came from under the table and saw him, there was no way for him to hide his obvious arousal. He quickly exited the conference room as silently as he entered. He took a few deep breaths to calm his libido, but it was useless. He could not get the picture of her butt in the air, or the fantasy of sliding into her from behind, out of his mind.

  Holding something in front of his pants was the best way to hide his massive hard-on. He held his laptop case in front of his erection and entered the conference room again. To his utter disappointment, Kenyatta was standing back up and using a remote, which must have been what she was reaching for under the table, to go through her presentation on the screen. She was completely unaware of the turmoil he was going through.

  “So I see that someone else decided to pull a long weekend. I didn’t notice your car in the garage,” he said in an unassuming voice.

  Kenyatta turned toward him and smiled brightly before catching herself and looking away. Malcolm thought the room looked ten times brighter when she smiled at him. Her obvious discomfort made him want to find more reasons for her to smile when he walked in a room.

  “Malcolm,” she said and smoothed her hair. “I drove my friend’s car while mine is getting a tune-up.” She sat and motioned to the chair beside her. “I hate to say it, but I’m glad you came in today. I want you to review my final presentation. I just completed the finishing touches and didn’t think you would be able to see it before we left on Monday.”

  Malcolm walked over and sat in the chair she indicated. He motioned to the papers spread over the table. “What is all this?”

  Kenyatta laughed lightly. “As much as I love PowerPoint, I still have to print it out and put notes on the slides. It helps me see the bigger picture.”

  “That may work best for you, but I find it better to review the slides without the mess,” he teased.

  Kenyatta elbowed him playfully. “Oh, be quiet, I printed it on the back of old fax confirmation sheets. Just review the presentation. If it looks okay, then I can head home. I have a few things I want to do before I leave on Monday.”

  “Then I’ll be sure to take my time,” he replied.

  She rolled her eyes and began to read through some notes. He was glad she responded to his teasing and her earlier discomfort was gone.

  “I guess you and Brad have plans for later?” The minute the words were out, Malcolm wished them back.

  Her full lips puckered as she frowned. “Actually, no. Brad and I haven’t seen each other since I broke things off.”

  “After the flowers and everything else? Has he given up so quickly?” That was promising.

  “No, we’ve talked on the phone, and he’s still apologizing for what he said. He’s a great guy, and I don’t know why I’m hesitating like this. I know it makes sense to marry him. It was almost inevitable, but it feels rushed.” She glanced at him briefly before looking back at her notes.

  He could tell she wished she wouldn’t have said the last part. He was happy to hear that she was uncertain about marrying Brad. He didn’t know why he’d let himself get caught up in this situation. He really shouldn’t care, but he did. For some reason, even though Kenyatta was off-limits to him, he wanted her to realize she had other options. There were men out there better suited for her than that insecure, overprotective fool. She was smart and strong. She deserved a man who could appreciate those things.

  “Maybe you’re hesitating because you know he’s not the right choice.”

  She frowned at him. “How can you say that? You don’t even know him … or me for that matter. Brad wants to take care of me. He’s patient and understanding.”

  Malcolm turned away from the presentation and faced her. “You sound like you’re describing your best friend, not your man.”

  She dropped her notes on the table and turned toward him. “Oh, really? Then how should I describe my man?”

  “First of all, not by saying he’s patient and understanding. You can barely say you love him without choking on the words.”

  She stood up abruptly and pointed at him. “That is not true. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

  He stood and pushed her finger out of his face. “I know exactly what I’m talking about. I never see you daydreaming about him or hear you praising him to the ladies in the office.”

  “That’s because it’s none of their business.”

  “Bullshit, Kenyatta. When you’re on the phone with your girlfriends you don’t praise him to them either. You talk about him as you would a client, listing his qualities but never referring to the man. I’ve also heard you talk with him on the phone. You sound like a teenager arguing with her father.”

  She raised a brow. “Why are you so interested in my phone conversations? Are you listening at my door now?”

  “I’m right next door to you. I can’t help but hear it.”

  She scoffed. “Sure. Well it sounds like you’re spending way too much time paying attention to me and my relationship.”

  “Why not pay attention to it? I think it’s fascinating to watch a smart, beautiful woman try and convince herself she’s in love with a man who doesn’t even arouse her.”

  Her brown eyes wide
ned, sparking fire. She had never looked so damn tempting. He took a step toward her, but she was too angry to notice. She pointed her finger at his chest again and tried to push him back.

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Brad does arouse me.”

  “Liar.”

  “How can you begin to make interpretations about our sex life?”

  “You never have the look of a woman who’s had a great night of sex.”

  She laughed caustically. “Really, that’s your answer? Unlike the chicks you bring through here, I don’t need to put on a show for the world to see that I’m having sex. I’m not going to walk around in yesterday’s clothes with my hair flying all over my head just to prove a point.”

  “It’s not about putting on a show; it’s about the look in your eyes when you talk about him or see him. You don’t look at him as if he knows all your secrets and all the ways to turn you on.”

  She swallowed hard before answering. “For your information, Brad knows … enough about me to keep me happy.”

  “That’s not the same as arousing you.”

  “There’s more to a relationship than arousal. What we had — have is built on more than that.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, patience and understanding.”

  She nodded. “Yes, and for your information, he does arouse me. He’s the best … I’ve ever … had.”

  “That’s such a lie you can’t even say it with a straight face.”

  “And how would you know?”

  He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Because I arouse you every day and you try to pretend like I don’t. I’m not a fool, Kenyatta. I can tell when a woman wants me.”

  Anger flared in her eyes, and her cocoa skin flushed with emotion. “You conceited bastard! You think that every woman in the world is ready to fall at your feet. You’re the epitome of what I don’t want in a man. Cocky, chauvinistic, and convinced he’s God’s gift to women.”

  “Not women, Kenyatta, just you.” He pulled her into his arms. Before she could utter another word, his mouth crushed down on hers. She stood against him motionless for a second before responding to his kiss.

  Malcolm’s original intention was to prove his point. He knew she was attracted to him, and her accusation of his conceit hit a nerve. But as soon as she melted in his arms, he forgot his reason for kissing her and got lost in the feel of her soft lips against his. His erection, which hadn’t completely died down before, sprung back to life with full force. He’d never wanted a woman as badly as he wanted her. Malcolm squeezed her butt, pressing her against him so she could feel how she affected him.

  When she rubbed her body against his erection, he forgot about everything. The only thing he wanted to do was pick her up, put her on the table and slide into her sweetness. The intensity of his kiss increased, and he slipped his hand underneath her dress to get a better hold on her behind. He slid his finger along the seam of her underwear, waiting for any sign that it was okay to feel the soft skin underneath.

  She moaned before breaking off the kiss and pushing away. He stared at her back and called on every bit of his self-control to keep from grabbing her and pulling her back into his arms. He rubbed his hands across his face as he calmed his breathing.

  “That was wrong and should not have happened.” She spoke calmly, her back still toward him. “I will not let this influence my decision. Men like you always expect women to fall at their feet and give them whatever they want. I was stupid enough to do that once, but not again. I have too many examples of why this is a bad idea.”

  When she finally turned to face him, her features were impassive, as if their kiss hadn’t affected her as it had him. He had to admire her spirit and mirrored his expression to match hers. Even though he didn’t believe a word she said, there wasn’t a future in pursuing what was between them. His chest tightened with that thought, but he didn’t want to examine why.

  He looked her in the eye. “I’m sorry. I tried to prove a point and obviously did it the wrong way. It’s none of my business who you marry.”

  Before she could answer, his cell phone rang. It was Jessica calling to see which theater he wanted to go to that night. He answered her questions while keeping his eyes on Kenyatta. Although she tried to act as if she weren’t listening, her subtle wince when he told Jessica that he would pick her up at eight told him she was listening to every word. He suddenly felt like an ass for kissing her. It wasn’t his place to lecture her about her feelings for another man. He couldn’t bring himself to break things off with Jessica because they were comfortable, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. He was the proverbial pot calling the kettle black.

  When Malcolm ended the call, there was an awkward silence as she began to pack up her stuff to leave. They couldn’t go to Orlando like this. They would have to work together to gain new clients. If the two of them were on bad terms, it would be harder to do.

  “It may sound cliché, but can we just pretend that kiss never happened?”

  Kenyatta hesitated before nodding. “It was nothing.”

  “Right. Nothing and it will not be repeated.”

  She looked at her watch. “It’s getting late. I’ve got to go. Can you review my presentation and e-mail any comments?”

  He inclined his head. “I’ll get them to you as soon as I finish.”

  She nodded and paused for a second before walking out. Malcolm wanted to call her back, but for what? There couldn’t be anything between them. He was her boss. They were both in relationships — for the most part. It made sense for them to act as if their kiss never happened.

  Chapter 8

  Kenyatta pulled up at her townhouse later that afternoon and let out a contented sigh. After leaving the office, she returned Angie’s car and babysat to return the favor. Angie’s girls were wonderful, but they were still a handful. She smiled to herself as she thought about the three of them playing with Barbie dolls earlier. It was fun to forget all the troubles of being an adult and just enjoy letting her imagination run wild. Babysitting kept her from thinking about Malcolm’s kiss. But on the way home, the memory of his lips against hers, the solidness of his chest against her breasts and the feel of his hands on her body flooded her mind.

  “Stop it, stop it, stop it!” She chastised herself. “It’s nothing. It never happened.”

  She got out of the car and walked to the front door. When she went inside, she saw another set of keys in the valet holder beside her door and smelled Mexican food, her favorite, coming from the kitchen. Brad was there. She wanted to be angry, but her hungry stomach growled in betrayal. The girls had wanted McDonald’s and good Auntie Kenyatta had indulged them, but she couldn’t stomach the grease.

  She walked into the kitchen. Brad leaned over the stove, tasting the sauce for what she assumed was his famous enchiladas. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” played on the radio, and he was singing along. A reluctant smile came to her face as she listened to him sing, badly, to the music. He was cute as he used the spoon for a makeshift microphone, but he was also there, in her home, unannounced … and he wanted her to give up her job. She remembered that everything with them wasn’t perfect. And he doesn’t kiss like Malcolm, she thought.

  “Brad, what are you doing here?”

  He turned and grinned. “Great, you’re home.” He walked over and grabbed her hands. “I made your favorite, enchiladas with Spanish rice.” He pulled her over to the stove. “I even picked up tortilla chips and salsa for an appetizer and margarita mix. For virgin margaritas of course. Here, taste this.” He held the spoon with some of the sauce to her lips.

  “Brad, I asked why you’re here.” She tried to sound stern despite her growing hunger pangs.

  He put the spoon down. “I know you’re still upset with me,” when he saw she was about to interrupt, he placed his finger to her lips. �
��I don’t blame you. I know your job is important to you. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to give that up. It’s also important to me that my wife stay home with our kids, but I’m willing to compromise.”

  She hesitated briefly before responding, “I’m listening.”

  “We’ll wait a year, maybe two, before we try for kids. Then we’ll see how we both feel once the baby comes. Maybe you’ll want to stay home with our little boy, or girl, by that time.”

  “Or maybe my career will be going great, and I won’t want to stay home,” she countered.

  Brad took a deep breath. “Kenyatta, I don’t want to lose you. Let’s go through with the wedding and see how things go.”

  “There are other things wrong in our relationship. I’m not sure … ”

  “You did promise to think things over while you attend your conference. Just think this over.” He pulled her close. “Kenyatta, I make great money. I’ve never cheated on you even though we’ve never had sex. All I want to do is treat you like a queen. Why do you want to throw all that away?”

  There it was, out in the open: the other reason why she thought he was in such a rush to marry her. They hadn’t had sex, and he was becoming impatient. She understood his impatience, but she was afraid to take that step. Men who’d only wanted her for sex had broken her heart before. Brad offered her friendship before they became a couple, but she was afraid he would change once they slept together.

  Kenyatta looked into his eyes. There were no heart flutters or burning flames of desire as she’d felt a few hours earlier with Malcolm. But with Brad, her heart would always be safe; there was no drama. He didn’t have a new girlfriend every six months, and he didn’t work with her. He was safe and secure, and he wanted to take care of her.