Sitting in his afternoon session, David was preoccupied and totally oblivious to the speaker. His thoughts were on Sarona, wondering what the heck was going through that mind of hers. He was both annoyed and angry — annoyed at Sarona for showing signs of a change of heart, and angry at himself for being responsible for that change. He’d done something to put her off. His instincts told him it wasn’t entirely because of the comment at her door; there was more to it than that. He wasn’t blind. There had always been an invisible barrier erected between them that only permitted him to get so close. Considering his reputation and his true purpose, she had every right to be wary, and every reason for the barrier. But, given his true purpose and his time constraints, he’d only respect her barrier for so long. His tolerance of her skittish behavior was quickly wearing thin.
Replaying the previous evening in his head, he knew there’d been a difference. She’d been relaxed and laid-back, just going with the flow. He told himself she’d enjoyed his company and the time as much as he had. He’d felt he’d made such progress in getting to know her better, and she in getting to know him, moving their friendship forward to the next level. But now, he was at a loss. He didn’t know what had happened to suddenly change the rhythm of the evening. If the door in his face was the beginning, and today was further warning of things to come then his work was cut out for him. He was going to have to work extra hard to regain the precious ground he’d lost.
He sat in the back of the lounge, seated at the perfect vantage point to watch the passersby yet remain virtually undetected. It was six o’clock in the evening and the bar was filling up, quickly nearing capacity. Happy hour was in full swing. Lingering over his drink, taking slow, easy sips, he casually surveyed his surroundings. His eyes scanned the area carefully, hopeful for a glimpse of caramel silk, hopeful Sarona might decide to put in an appearance. His façade was deceptively relaxed and casual; his mood was anything but.
He saw Shelia enter the lounge, and his hand tightened around his drink in agitation. He knew the exact moment she found him. Simultaneously, a sly, solicitous smile settled upon her lips, and a sparkle of triumph lit her eyes. He watched her glide toward him in long, sensual strides of feline grace, the practiced swing of her arms and the sway of her hips perfect, feminine, and elegant. He witnessed the predictable reactions as she breezed through the crowd, watching heads turn in accord and eyes fill with admiration and speculation. But it was all wasted effort on him, for he was no longer impressed by or interested in Shelia’s looks. He sighed audibly as she approached, steeling himself for what was sure to come — another meaningless diatribe on life according to Shelia.
“David, darling, how are you?” she cooed as she eyed the vacant chair next to him. “I’m so glad you have a table, it’s so crowded in here,” She raised her voice to be heard over the din. She didn’t wait for an answer or an invitation. Assuming, as was her way, that it was perfectly all right, she seated herself and waved to get the attention of a passing waitress to order a drink.
Unfortunately, the woman didn’t move fast enough and ended up on the receiving end of some pretty harsh words from Shelia’s shrewish tongue. “Can you move any slower? A person could die of thirst waiting for service.”
The apologetic waitress took her order and hurried away. David’s eyes sympathetically followed the woman before he turned back to Sheila. It suddenly occurred to him that he’d often ignored Sheila’s totally self-absorbed and impolite behavior. And, if he’d ignored it before, what did that say about him and the kind of man he was? Once again he asked himself what he had ever seen in this woman. It’s no wonder Sarona has such a dim view of me, he thought. After taking a closer look at what Shelia represented as his taste in women, what else could she think?
David took to scanning the room again, mildly distracted by the droning sound of Shelia’s voice. He was brought out of his roaming state when he became conscious she’d invited others to join them. To his surprise, suddenly there were three additional ladies preparing to occupy the remaining seats at his table. He stood and smiled in what he hoped was a warm greeting, but deep inside he was fuming. Why did Shelia need an entourage to accompany her everywhere she went? Had he overlooked that as well?
While helping the ladies to be seated he looked up, and was rewarded with the unexpected sight of Sarona as she entered the bar, flanked by a small group. His immediate response was elation; she had appeared after all, beyond his greatest expectations. His belated second response was pure, primal male jealousy, as his eyes registered the man standing next to her, his hand at her back and his attitude possessive.
• • •
Sarona entered the bar hesitantly, having agreed to come along only after repeated pressure from her friends. She’d had strong intentions to stay in her room for the evening and every night to come. She was determined to avoid even the slightest possibility of running into David.
She’d been lucky so far; she’d managed to dodge him the entire day. After suffering through one very long night of his invasion of her every waking and sleeping moment, she’d made up her mind to avoid him for the remainder of the week. If she had no defense against her own feelings and imagination, what could she possibly do against the power of his attraction up close and personal? She’d felt a twinge of guilt at the look of confusion and question in his eyes every time she’d seen his face throughout the day. But she couldn’t afford to let guilt sway her resolve. This was a matter of self-preservation and keeping her wits about her. David was more than capable of affecting her senses … and making her witless. Maybe her luck would hold. It was a big place.
There were six of them, three women and three men, essentially paired off into couples. Thomas Khan had appointed himself as her escort for the evening. Thomas was a fine brother, handsome, tall, and lean with beautiful, flawless, rich chocolate-brown skin and surprisingly piercing hazel eyes. His hair was waved and cropped close to his head and lined to perfection, with sideburns that blended straight down his face into a meticulously trimmed mustache and goatee. Though his frame was lean, he had a tight, muscular build, as evidenced by the form-fitting muscle shirt and snug jeans he wore to show off his body. She and Thomas were in the same classes for the week, along with most of the others in the group. She’d reluctantly agreed to the invitation for drinks when she would much rather have stayed in her suite and enjoyed a long, hot soak in that ridiculously large tub.
Thomas took his voluntary role of escort seriously and acted as though he thought they were actually on a date. Sarona was a little concerned, but didn’t want to read more into the situation than it warranted … and she hoped he didn’t either. But as the evening wore on, she began to have her doubts. Throughout the night, she found herself constantly removing his hands from around her shoulder or slapping them as he rubbed across her thigh. He was continuously touching, rubbing, and taking liberties, and she found it exhausting trying to keep pace with his wandering hands.
Becoming increasingly annoyed with his behavior, she decided she needed to get away before she lost her temper and made a scene, so she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. The other women seized the opportunity and got up to join her.
• • •
David felt trapped. Thanks to Shelia he’d been pressed into the role of reluctant host to a table full of uninvited guests. He’d admit there was once a time when being surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women might have been a boost to his ego, but not now, and certainly not tonight. Tonight he was tremendously annoyed with the intrusion on his personal time and space. In search of a reason to escape, he made a quick survey of the table and decided they all could use a refill on their drinks. They hadn’t seen the waitress in the last half hour so he used the dwindling drinks as an excuse to get away.
When he reached the bar, he placed his order and then set about searching the crowd for Sarona and her group. When he found her, his groin tightened with immediate recognition and need, and he instantly accepted and
embraced the feeling. His body welcomed the automatic response of warmth and fire as his eyes roamed her face and body.
The jealous and possessive male in him rose to the surface when he got a closer look at the man by her side. Was he her date? He didn’t like the thought of that. He’d never seen him before but clearly recognized the familiar signs of a man staking his claim. He showed all the signs of a man anticipating what was to come after drinks and conversation.
Was there something going on here that could affect his plans? Could everything he’d been working toward for the last six months be in jeopardy because of this man? He considered the ramifications as he studied the couple while waiting for his order. A closer look caused his eyes to narrow in concern; his jaw clenched, and his hands tightened into fists. It was plain to see she was uncomfortable and none too happy. The man was aggressive and pushy.
He was practically manhandling her, in plain sight! For one tense moment, he seriously considered walking right up to their table and snatching the guy by his collar and tossing him out of the bar. “Yeah,” he mumbled under his breath, “and that would get me tossed out right behind him.”
Sarona and the other women got up to leave the table and, seeing his chance, David took advantage of the opportunity to move closer and eavesdrop on the ensuing conversation. He learned the man’s name was Thomas. David’s stomach churned at the lustful look and smug smile upon his face as the guy watched Sarona move through the crowd. As he listened to the conversation between the men, he found their discussion equally unsettling.
• • •
“Man,” Thomas said, “I can’t wait to get Sarona behind closed doors. I can tell by looking at her that she’s a real freak between the sheets.”
Carl’s head whipped around as he gave Thomas a look of utter shock and disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about? Man, you won’t even make it to the door with that one. Sarona isn’t the kind of woman who can be talked into anything, let alone into bed. Hell, it was like pulling teeth to get her to agree to come out with us tonight.”
“I don’t plan to do a lot of talking.” Thomas slyly smirked and winked.
“Look, man, if I were you, I’d think twice before doing something stupid that might get me chopped off at the knees. I know a couple of other guys who invited her out to dinner with the same idea in mind, and from what I heard, she shot them down between the entrée and the dessert.”
“Those other guys didn’t know what they were doing,” Thomas said, beginning to get annoyed with Carl. “All I need to do is get these soft lips and this magic tongue within striking distance, and that’s all she wrote.”
“And how do you plan to do that? From what I’ve seen, she doesn’t want any part of you. She’s been checking you and batting you away like a baseball player at spring training.”
“That’s just a minor technicality. She’s probably playing hard to get because of you guys. Right now, I’m just feeling her out.”
“You’re ‘just feeling her out’? Buddy, I don’t know what kind of sign you’re looking for but I’d say it looks like a pretty solid ‘no, not interested’ to me.”
“I don’t know, man,” Michael interjected. “Maybe you should chill out and forget whatever it is you’re planning. Sarona doesn’t look like the kind of woman who’ll put up with being mauled by her date for long.”
“Who’s talking about mauling anybody? Believe me, it’ll be a whole different story once we get away from you guys. I’m telling you, it’s just a game women like to play. Look, I know the score, and I’ve got a perfect record with the ladies to prove it. I haven’t been told no yet,” Thomas boasted.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Carl mumbled into his glass, as he watched the three women returning to the table.
• • •
The dialogue was pretty much what David had expected, but still, it infuriated him to hear Thomas voice his intentions. He reluctantly admitted he was a good looking guy, and that being black could be something in his favor, but he decided the man didn’t have a clue how to handle a real, genuine classy woman like Sarona. And Sarona was pure class; not your average, run-of-the-mill beauty who was all body and no brains. The two men at the table echoed his sentiments when they questioned Thomas about the feasibility of his plan. If he hadn’t been so upset, he might have thought the situation comical. He was out of his league, and the poor sap didn’t even know it. Looking up in time to see the ladies returning, David hastened to slip out of sight and back to the bar. He decided it was best not to be seen. Right now, the last thing he wanted was a face-to-face with Sarona.
He picked up the drinks and reluctantly returned to his table to rejoin the group. Tuning out the laughter and chatter that surrounded him, he turned in the direction he now knew where to find her. He remained quiet and apart from the conversation, his attention returning frequently to the table of six.
Some time later, her group stood to depart, and he watched as Sarona and Thomas moved in the direction of the elevators. His stomach twisted with agitation as he tried to ignore the pictures his mind painted of the two, once they were beyond sight and behind closed doors.
• • •
Thomas insisted on seeing Sarona to her door, and though she would have preferred to say goodbye in the bar, she didn’t want to appear rude. They said good night to the others at the elevators. Though Thomas was a handsome man with a gorgeous body, as far as she was concerned he needed a few lessons in manners and behavior. No matter how often she’d tried throughout the evening to distance herself, he never got the message. His roaming hands had gotten on her nerves and had almost ruined the entire evening. She was glad when everyone agreed it was time to go, sighting the next day’s early morning class as reason enough to call it a night. She was tired. She’d had a long hard day playing at escape and evasion, she laughingly thought — avoiding David all day and swatting at Thomas all night. She’d had enough.
“Good night, Thomas. Thank you for walking me to my door. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sarona said brightly as she reached out to shake his hand.
“Yeah, sure, but the night doesn’t have to end just yet, does it?” Thomas asked in a husky voice as he moved forward and grasped Sarona’s arms, pulling her in close and tight against his body. His rock-hard arousal was full and apparent as he held her firmly against him. The unexpected move took her completely by surprise, leaving her shocked and speechless. Unfortunately, Thomas mistook her silence as agreement and proceeded to clamp his mouth down upon hers and delivered, at least in his mind, what had to be the most sensuous mind-blowing kiss a woman could experience.
Sarona was stunned, stiff and unresponsive. Thomas slowly released his grip. Letting his tongue and lips trail along her neck, he whispered in her ear, “Relax baby. Just let it happen naturally. I’m going to make it good for you, I promise.”
Still in shock, Sarona slowly and carefully extricated herself from his arms and stepped back. “Uh, thanks for the offer, Thomas, but um, I’m not interested in taking this night any farther. I don’t know where you got that impression, but I’m not attracted to you, nor am I interested in having sex with you.”
“Come on, Sarona, you know you want to,” Thomas said with a knowing look and coaxing tone. “We’re away from everybody else now; you don’t have to pretend anymore that you don’t want the same thing I do. You can drop the act now, and stop teasing and playing hard to get.
Sarona looked at the man like he had two heads growing out of his neck. A flash of fury lit her eyes and added a rosy flush of color to her face. “Excuse me? Pretending, teasing, and playing hard to get? At what point in the evening did I give you the impression that I wanted your monkey grabbing hands all over me?”
She was angry — so angry she had to make a conscious effort to keep her voice even. She placed one hand on her hip and started waving the finger of her other hand in his face and under his nose.
“Listen up, lover boy. I don’t k
now how you got this far in life thinking you’re an expert on reading signs and signals, but I assure you, you need to take a refresher course in body language interpretation. Specifically, a woman’s body language. I suggest you go back to school and take several notes on the subject. I also suggest that before you act on what you think you know; maybe you’d better ask somebody. Now, I’ll chalk up your error in judgment to a simple case of downright ignorance, and I’ll overlook your Neanderthal-like behavior this time, but any such errors in the future will not be tolerated. Do I make myself clear?”
Thomas was obviously taken aback by her vehement reaction and the fury on his face showed it. He made an aggressive, intimidating move toward Sarona, having every intention of responding with a few choice words of his own. Unfortunately, his response was preceded by reaching out to grab her arm, which proved to be another error in judgment. Sarona, automatically pre-empting a perceived attack, grabbed his arm, twisted it inward, and brought it up with a hard jerk, while simultaneously pressing hard into the pressure point located on his hand, at the base of his middle finger. The move had Thomas on his knees and in excruciating pain from his wrist to his shoulder in two seconds flat.
“Damn, Sarona, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Thomas screeched in pain. “What the fuck? All you had to do was say no!”
Sarona leaned over and spoke directly into his ear. “This is how I say no to idiots who don’t know how to take no for an answer. You’re damned lucky I didn’t grab your balls and rip them out through your pant leg. Maybe I will, next time. But, there won’t be a next time, will there?”
“No! No! Hell no!”
“As I said before,” Sarona said sweetly as she slowly released his hand to allow him to rise to his feet, “good night, Thomas.”
Prelude to a Seduction Page 5