“It’s not giving it up; it’s investing in my future. Why should I continue to toil away at H20? You’re like me when it comes to working on these other projects. It takes away from what we’d rather be doing. You can’t honestly enjoy spending your entire morning trying to rewrite an ordinance for some town. I know you’d rather choose your own projects and have the freedom to go after other prospects in areas beyond the Southeast.”
She bit her bottom lip. “That’s true, but to go out on our own? I’ve been with H20 for three years, and I have a lot invested. I’m not sure if I can comfortably leave.”
He tapped his forefinger on the table. “I’m willing to double your salary.”
Kenyatta choked on her drink. “What? How can you afford that?”
“Kenyatta, I’ll be part owner, but I want you to run the office with me. You’ve learned a lot from Malcolm, and you’ve learned it well. I don’t want you to just be a project manager; you’re too good for that.”
She considered that before asking, “What if Jordan and Burke decide the office isn’t profitable and close it?”
“I think the office will be profitable. Jordan and Burke is a nationally recognized firm that wants a presence in the Southeast, and this is the spot they’ve chosen. I think it’s secure, and I can show you the preliminary projections to confirm what I’m thinking. If for some reason it didn’t work out, it’s not as if H20 wouldn’t take you back. And even if they didn’t, you could get a job at another firm.” He leaned forward and looked her in the eye. “Kenyatta, you’re young, brilliant, and at the beginning of a great career. You’ve already made a name for yourself. Take this chance. You know you’ll regret it later if you don’t.”
Kenyatta chewed her bottom lip as his words sunk in. “I’ll have to think about it. When do you want my answer?”
He sat back and grinned. “No rush, but I’m putting in my notice at the end of the week. I told you we’re signing the paperwork next week. If you don’t come with me now, I’ll hire you later, but I need a partner now. I can’t promise to give you the same deal I’m offering in the future.”
“Jeremy, why would you do this?”
He stopped smiling and became serious. “Because I’ve worked with you, and even though we usually want to kill each other by the end of the day, H20’s Columbia office has a good reputation because of the work we’ve done together. Your tenacity and vision will help the company grow like H20 has grown.”
“I can’t believe you’re offering this to me. You could just hire me and take credit, but you actually want to give me a stake in the company.” She smiled at him. “You know you’re not as smart without me.”
Jeremy scowled, but the laughter in his eyes softened the look. “Yeah, whatever. Don’t make me regret my decision before you answer. I don’t wanna look like an ass when I take back my offer.”
The workers at the counter announced that their sandwiches were ready and Kenyatta let the gravity of Jeremy’s offer sink in while he went to get their food. It was a huge offer, one that she was sure she shouldn’t turn down, but she would definitely have to think on it over the weekend. She instinctively always waited at least twenty-four hours before making a big decision. She also needed to discuss it with her parents and Brad.
Brad.
Damn, he just might try to kill this dream outright, she thought.
“Why are you frowning?” Jeremy asked when he got back to the table.
“No reason, just wondering what it’ll be like with just the two of us running an office without Malcolm to break us up.”
“So you’re accepting my offer?” he asked.
Kenyatta paused before answering. “Not yet. I have to think about it over the weekend, but for now I’m giving you a soft yes,” she said with a smile.
Jeremy slammed his hand on the table. “Great! This will be the best decision you ever made.”
She held up her hands. “Well, it’s not final, but I am interested. Thanks for thinking of me. I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
He shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich. “Yeah, well it’s either you or some rookie straight out of college.”
“Yeah, I see you handling a twenty-two-year-old with a lot of patience.”
They both laughed, and the conversation moved on to other things as they ate. Kenyatta could barely contain her excitement, but until she decided this was the right move, she refrained from getting overly excited. She briefly wondered what Malcolm would say if she left H20 but pushed that thought out of her head. He didn’t matter, and it was for the best that she left, anyway. Things were getting too tense with them. Even if she didn’t start the franchise with Jeremy, it was time to look for another job sooner rather than later.
Chapter 17
Kenyatta walked into Malcolm’s office at 4:59 and dropped the revised ordinance in the center of his desk. She’d busted her tail all afternoon to ensure she got it to him before the end of the day. It wasn’t easy with Jeremy’s offer fresh in her head, yet she’d done it in order to prevent giving Malcolm another reason to snap at her.
Malcolm glanced at the ordinance, then his clock, before raising an eyebrow and looking at her. “Not a minute to spare.” There was a hint of surprise in his voice.
“Did you expect anything less?”
“In light of recent events, I would say yes.”
She crossed her arms. “Please tell me what in my professional life would cause you to doubt my work?”
He paused briefly before answering. “You were late returning from lunch … again. It appears you’re making that a habit.”
Her nostrils flared. She had not returned late. Both she and Jeremy had projects they needed to complete. They’d made a point to get back on time.
“Then dock my pay for the extra two minutes,” was her caustic reply. “You can let me know on Monday if you have problems with my revisions.” She turned to exit.
“Did you feel any remorse when you jumped from my arms into Brad’s bed? Or do you enjoy the thrill having two men at your service?”
Kenyatta stopped dead in her tracks. How dare he accuse her of playing games with him when he was the guilty one? He automatically jumped to the worse possible conclusion and put all of the blame on her. It was so typical. Men could toy with as many women as they wanted, but if they thought a woman even considered doing the same to them, let the proud, hostile accusations commence.
She closed his office door. There were still plenty of people in the office, and she didn’t want anyone to overhear their conversation.
She turned to face him and replied in a cool voice, “The only remorse I have is for allowing things to go so far between us the night before.”
Even from across the room, she could see the muscle tic in his jaw, as if he were biting back words. “You didn’t act regretful when you tried to get my pants off.”
“No, you were regretful enough when you told me we were making a mistake,” she lashed back.
He shot up from his desk and marched over to her. “I don’t sleep with my employees Kenyatta.”
“That’s a load of crap, Tangy is proof that you do. Oh, and she’s proof that you’re a liar, too.”
His head snapped back as if she’d slapped him. “What’s that supposed to mean? I already explained about Tangy.”
It hurt her to know he would still lie when there was no reason for him to continue to do so. “Come off it, Malcolm. Brad told me he overheard you and Tangy talking about hooking up the night before. I know what I heard when I foolishly came to your door.”
Malcolm’s face twisted in disgust. “Brad told you that? If anyone is lying, it’s him. I explained what I was doing when you came to my door.”
“I’m really supposed to believe you bought porn, Malcolm? On the company’s dime? You must think I’m an
idiot.”
Malcolm turned, walked over to his desk and snatched up a sheet of paper. When he came back, he shoved the hotel receipt in her hand. “Look. There. The hotel billed me for porn. Mr. Summers already chewed me out for ordering it on a company trip. It’s the first time I’ve ever done anything like that, so he’s letting it slide. Now do you believe me?”
Kenyatta studied the paper as relief flooded through her. He hadn’t slept with Tangy? The pent-up pain she’d been carrying in her chest weakened slightly. Why would Brad lie? Maybe he’d misunderstood what Malcolm and Tangy talked about. She handed the bill back to Malcolm. “It doesn’t matter.”
Malcolm tossed the bill on the floor. “I know it doesn’t matter to you. You accuse me of playing games then turn around and sleep with Brad.”
“He’s my fiancé,” she defended.
“Does he know the type of woman he’s planning to marry? Does he know you’ll throw yourself at one man and then jump back into his bed?”
“I didn’t jump into his bed. I had no idea he was coming.”
“Is that supposed to make it better?”
“No, but you could have at least tried to understand what happened.”
“I can guess. He shows up, says I’m sorry, and the two of you take advantage of the free hotel room.”
She reached up to slap him, but he caught her hand. “Don’t hit me.” His voice was dangerously, tauntingly low.
“Don’t accuse me of being a slut,” she replied, nearly breathless.
He slowly lowered her hand but didn’t let it go. He pulled her closer. “Did you think about me when he kissed you?”
She gasped and diverted her eyes from his, but not before he laughed softly.
“You did. You compared him to me didn’t you? And found him lacking, huh?” He leaned over to whisper in her ear, “When he kissed you, the only thought in your head was my lips on yours. I bet you compared the heat between us to the cold indifference you feel with him. Am I right?”
“Stop it! You don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to pull away, but he didn’t release her.
“Tell me that you don’t think about my mouth on your lips … on your breasts.”
With every whisper, a bolt of electric heat shot between her legs. She groaned and closed her eyes. He pressed her against the door and continued to whisper in her ear.
“You imagined my body pressed against yours. You remembered what it was like to feel the hardness between my legs against you.” He rubbed against her, and Kenyatta felt his rock hard erection. Her body willingly leaned forward, trying to get closer to him. “You were disappointed that the man you’ve promised to marry can’t make you feel the way I do. The need to have me inside of you keeps you up at night. The desire to feel me pushing in and out of you nags at you until you think you’ll go crazy with wanting.”
His words painted a vivid picture in her mind. She clenched her feminine walls as if he were inside her.
Slowly he moved his mouth from her ear until his lips barely touched hers. “You want me to kiss you right now … don’t you?”
Kenyatta wanted to say no. She wished her body wouldn’t betray her like this, but it was useless. He’d described exactly what she wanted. Instead of answering him, she looked into his eyes, letting him see how badly her desire for him burned in her.
Kenyatta watched as the anger melted from Malcolm’s face. With a groan, he lowered his head to kiss her. It was a demanding kiss that denied all resistance, but there was no fight in Kenyatta. She wanted him and couldn’t ignore the way his body called to hers. His tongue explored her mouth with slow, deep stokes, challenging her to deny how much she wanted him. She responded in kind, allowing her body to melt into his as she met every thrust of his tongue with one just as demanding.
Malcolm broke the kiss off slowly. He softly sucked her lower lip, before gently nipping at it, prolonging the pleasure and her need for more. Kenyatta sighed, and he answered by kissing her fully once more. When he finally stopped, he rested his forehead on hers. They stood there motionless as their breathing eased. Kenyatta kept her eyes closed as she waited for her desire to calm.
“If you kiss me like this while you’re engaged, I can only imagine what it’ll be like to fuck you after your wedding.”
Kenyatta’s eyes flew open. It was as if she’d been doused with cold water. Malcolm stepped back from her, took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her lipstick off his face. He had that look of indifference that she instantly hated. She didn’t try to fool herself this time. He was just as affected by the kiss as she was, but was acting as if it were nothing. He accused her of playing games when this was all a game to him. She wished she could hate him for being so callous, but even now, her body yearned for his.
“You take pleasure in humiliating me, don’t you?” she asked.
His eyes flew to hers, confusion in their depths. “Humiliating you?”
“Yes, humiliating me. I’m trying not to make the same mistakes I’ve made in the past. But you kiss me until I can’t think straight. You say things that make me feel … like no one has ever made me feel, but I’m only a diversion for you. You’re just the type of man that I stay away from — the guy who wants me in his bed, but doesn’t want me for me. I’ve got enough examples in my life to know that if I stay here, you’ll hurt me. Brad wants me. He’s willing to wait for me. It’s not a game with him to see how far I’ll let him go. That’s why I’m marrying him. That’s why I let him in my room when he came to Orlando. That’s why I made up with him. I can’t sleep with you just so you can discard me within the week and ruin my life.”
Malcolm didn’t respond. He just stood there staring at her. Kenyatta turned away, opened the door and walked out. She didn’t need a response from him. If her mom went through the anguish that Malcolm was causing her, then she understood that haunted look in her eye. She needed to stay as far away from Malcolm as possible. She didn’t want to end up like her mother. She had to take the job with Jeremy.
Chapter 18
Kenyatta went straight to her parents’ house after work. The scene with Malcolm had her rattled. She couldn’t work with him anymore. If she were going to try to make it work with Brad, she would have to leave H20 Environmental. The entire situation reminded her of what her mom had gone through with a coworker, and she was making herself sick wondering if she was heading down the same road — about to ruin her life because of an affair with a coworker.
Kenyatta doubted she would be able to talk to her mom about what happened, but she wanted to see her reaction when she mentioned her job proposition. Would her mom suspect Malcolm was the reason she suddenly wanted to leave her job?
Kenyatta wasn’t concerned about her dad; he’d always encouraged her to spread her wings, so she couldn’t imagine him telling her not to take this opportunity. She was certain he would see this as an opportunity to gain more experience and further her career.
She pulled up to her parents’ modest, ranch-style brick home and grunted when she saw Brad’s Infiniti in the driveway. It was a last-minute decision of hers to visit her parents, so she knew he wasn’t there to see her. Brad always had a tendency to pop up, just as he’d done in Orlando. It occurred to her that as things became more strained between them he may be doing it to keep up with her.
Kenyatta parked along the road since Brad’s car blocked the driveway and walked to the door. The humidity was once again in full effect, and she sighed in relief as she entered the coolness of her parents’ air-conditioned home. She looked for Brad and her parents in the family room before checking the kitchen and was about to call out when she heard laughter beyond the French doors leading to the patio. Stepping out onto the patio, Kenyatta bit back a laugh when she saw her dad and Brad washing a mangy-looking dog. Her mom sat laughing at the scene, which Kenyatta had to admit was funny.
Brad was up to his elbows in a dog bath, and her dad was soaking wet, still in his slacks and shirt from work. It was just like her dad to forget everything when it came to animals — especially dogs. Kenyatta figured he’d found another rescue pet.
Kenyatta kissed her mom on the cheek. “Hey, Mom, what’s going on?”
Her mom laughed again as the dog shook the water off and soaked both her father and Brad even more.
“Girl, Brad found this dog and brought it over here for your dad. You know he’s wanted a dog for a while. Now they’re trying to clean the poor thing,” she said, still chuckling.
Kenyatta eyed her mom skeptically. “Brad found the dog and brought it over? I don’t believe it. He doesn’t like dogs.”
“Well, he loves you and your Daddy,” Adele replied a little too emphatically.
Brad saw her, smiled and waved. The dog must have sensed the shift in attention because it jumped out of the tub. Both her dad and Brad began to chase it down. It was funny, but she didn’t feel like laughing. Brad’s gesture felt like another annoying attempt to re-secure her affections.
“I know, Mom.”
“I honestly don’t know what you were thinking, trying to break off the engagement,” her mom scolded. “He’s such a sweetheart. He has a good job and well-connected parents. You two will give me beautiful grandchildren.”
Kenyatta sighed and sat down beside her mom. “Is that all you care about? Grandchildren? What about my happiness?”
“What about it?” her mom asked. “Are you telling me you’re not happy? I know he wants you to quit working so he can take care of you, but what’s so bad about that?”
“It’s not just that, Mom. Besides, you always told me I should be able to take care of myself. Now I’m supposed to just sit around and wait for Brad to give me an allowance after we get married?”
Her mom shook her head. “No, but it’s not a bad thing that he wants to take care of you. It’s damn sure not a reason to dump him. I’m glad you’ve decided to work things out. He obviously loves you.” Her mom paused and looked toward her Dad and Brad chasing the dog before continuing, “Brad told me he went to Orlando. He was impressed with how you handled yourself.”
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