A fair-skinned man with Rico Suave hair and wearing jeans and a Rocawear T-shirt came bursting in.
“Hey, baby,” he said with a wry smirk.
Kenya racked her brain for some memory of who this man could be. He seemed familiar, and he clearly knew her because he rushed over to sweep her in his arms and planted his hands on her behind.
His tongue plowed into her mouth as he kissed her with the finesse of a fourteen-year-old boy. Then his hands were everywhere. He pulled the robe down her shoulders as his mouth left her lips and he started nuzzling her neck. She didn’t appreciate being manhandled, especially by someone with absolutely no skills, and she pushed at his chiseled chest. When he felt her resistance, he pulled away and looked at her strangely. His brow furrowed, and he frowned at her.
That’s when it hit Kenya. He was Lamar Hobbs. The only man her sister had ever loved, but who’d also broken her heart by cheating on her and using her to further his own career. She’d made a tactical error by not at least faking the kiss and at least acting like she’d enjoyed it. She was going to have to seriously play this off. Otherwise, her and Chynna’s entire plan was about to go up in smoke.
“Listen, Lamar,” Kenya said. “You can’t just come in here, kissing on me like the last three years didn’t happen.”
Lamar’s mouth softened and he gave a half-smile. “I’m sorry, baby, but you know how it is in this business. I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
“At my expense,” Kenya replied huffily and turned away. She rolled her eyes upward and prayed for strength. She had to make this believable. When she finally turned around on cue, she’d found a way to wrestle up some fake tears and allow them to trickle down her cheeks. “What do you want, Lamar?”
“To make amends.”
Lamar came toward her again, but Kenya had her arms folded squarely across her chest to prevent another attack of those wily hands.
“That’s not possible.”
“Oh c’mon, baby,” Lamar responded in the sexy voice he used on the love ballads when he was crooning to a woman to take him back after he’d done wrong. “You and I were so good together, and we could be again.”
When he reached for her this time, Kenya tried her best not to recoil from his touch. She tried to summon Lucas’s face in her imagination, but she was having a hard time. “I don’t think so,” she said with a fake pout.
Lamar pulled her in his arms and stroked her cheek. “Think about how good we could be the second time around.”
He leaned down to kiss her again, when a masculine voice said, “There won’t be a next time.” Lucas stood directly behind Lamar.
Stunned by the intrusion, but with his arm still circling Kenya’s waist, Lamar turned around to face the intruder. “Well, if it isn’t the great Lucas Kingston.”
“Get your hands off her,” Lucas said as he climbed the last step of the trailer.
Lamar must have heard the command in Lucas’s tone, because he instantly released Kenya. He held up his hands in defense. “Sorry, man, I didn’t realize you two,” he said, pointing to Kenya, “Were the real deal. Thought it was all for the press.”
“Well, it’s real,” Lucas stated. “So I would appreciate it if you didn’t put your hands on my lady again. Capish?”
Lamar nodded. “It’s cool, my man. I only showed up because Eli asked me to help loosen her up.”
Kenya was floored by his comment. She couldn’t believe that slimy weasel Eli had set her up. Lucas, on the other hand, was angered. He grabbed Lamar by his T-shirt. “What did you say?”
“Eli called me and asked me if I couldn’t get your girl in check.” He motioned to Kenya. “Said she’s been a real pain to deal with these days.”
“Don’t you worry about Eli. I’ll handle him.” Lucas pointed his finger at Lamar. “You, on the other hand, should leave.”
Lamar held up his hands in defense again. “Fine with me. Chynna and I had our moment, and it’s been over for a minute.”
“But you were willing to fake it?” Kenya finally found her voice. She was galled by his actions. Is this really the kind of man Chynna had fallen for? No wonder she needed to get away from her life for a while.
Lamar shrugged then turned on his heel and descended the trailer steps.
Kenya stared after him as if he were a unicorn that had suddenly materialized out of the blue. “I can’t believe any of this.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Eli sent Lamar here?”
“I’m sorry, Chynna. Eli was completely out of line, and I’m going to have a talk with him right now.”
“What does he think?” Kenya’s voice began to rise and her shoulders began to visibly shake. “That he can just pimp me out to the highest bidder?” Her mouth turned into an angry frown. “You can tell Eli I’m not for sale. Not now. Not ever.”
“I’m truly sorry, and I promise I’ll get him straightened out, but before I go, are you okay?” Lucas lifted her chin and forced to meet his gaze.
Usually with Lucas around, she was a ball of nerves, but right now all she could see was red. “I’m fine. I’d just like to be alone.”
“Sure thing. Keep your head up. I know you’ll finish strong.”
Lucas was right about one thing: Kenya knocked her performance out of the ballpark. She wouldn’t give Eli the satisfaction of seeing her fail, so she’d walked into the next scene in the video full of fire and passion, so much so that she’d shocked the director.
“Cut!” he yelled.
They’d finally gone through each scene in one take without Kenya stopping and complaining. She just wanted the damn video to be over so she could go back to doing what she loved—and that was singing and most of all, acting. The best time of her experience playing Chynna was getting to act in her first motion picture—even if she was playing her sister.
Deacon quickly walked over with a robe to cover Kenya up. “Thanks.” She gave him a half-hearted smile.
“You were full of fire before, so I don’t know what happened during break,” Deacon said, “but as always, you pulled through, perhaps because a certain mogul arrived?”
Deacon glanced in Lucas’s direction, but he appeared to be having a heated discussion with his partner.
Kenya didn’t answer. Instead, she stalked back to her trailer, desperate to remove the getup she’d been forced to wear. She had her twin to thank for this particular humiliation. Though deep down, Kenya wondered how Chynna would have truly behaved if Lamar had shown up out of the blue. What would Chynna have done? Would she really have taken him back without a second glance? Eli certainly seemed to think so, which showed Kenya just how little he respected her sister. Kenya had her work cut out for her making Chynna’s record label and entourage see her as anything other than a sexy pop star.
“You had no right to bring Lamar here.” Lucas was still arguing the point with Eli.
“Well, something had to be done. Chynna wasn’t acting herself. You’ve seen it too. She’s been different since she got back. The video was bombing because she was as stiff as ice, so I took action.”
“The wrong action,” Lucas replied. “You were wrong to bring that man here to play with her emotions.”
“Maybe, but it worked, didn’t it?” Eli pointed to the scene the crew was taking apart. “She changed her tune real quick.”
“Not because of Lamar. I kicked him out.”
Eli turned around to face him and looked him up and down. “So that was you, playa?” He gave a chuckle. “What exactly did you have to do to warm her up?”
Lucas was disgusted by Eli’s connotation. “Chill with the innuendo. Nothing happened between me and Chynna.”
“Yet.”
“What do you mean, yet?”
“Lucas, c’mon. I’m your boy. I know when you have the hots for a babe and you want that broad real bad.”
Luca
s turned away, not because he was lying, but because he was telling the truth. He just refused to give Eli the satisfaction. It was his and Chynna’s personal business if they chose to take their relationship to the next level. He certainly hoped so. Since she’d returned from Arizona, he’d had a raging hard-on. Not to mention the jealousy when he’d burst into Chynna’s trailer to see Lamar manhandling her. He’d had to curb his desire to beat the crap out of that wanna-be Michael Jackson.
“You, “Lucas said, spinning around to face his oldest friend, “need to mind your own business.”
“Hide it if you want,” Eli said. “Won’t change the facts that you got it bad.” He started singing the Usher song “U Got It Bad” and moonwalking across the floor.
Lucas couldn’t resist a chuckle. He could never stay mad at Eli for too long, even when he’d made some mistakes at the outset of starting the company. Eli had promised he would keep his eye on the ball, and he hadn’t let him down since.
“Whatever, man,” Lucas said. “Just don’t pull any more stunts, ya hear?” He left Eli several minutes later in search of Chynna, but when he arrived at her trailer, he found it empty.
“Where’s Chynna?” he asked Daisy, her makeup stylist who was packing up.
“Oh, she just left in the limo,” Daisy said. “Appeared to be in a hurry.”
Probably to get away from him, Lucas thought. But he’d had enough of their cat-and-mouse game. He was going to take a cue from Eli’s playbook and take action.
The following day, he contacted Fiona and Deacon to finally arrange that date at Spago for him and Chynna, so they could be seen in public as a couple. It was a plausible excuse that would give Lucas time alone with Chynna without her entourage. But rather than tell Chynna about it, he’d informed Fiona that he wanted it to be a surprise. Better to catch Chynna off-guard than leave her with time to try and get out of their date. Fiona had been ecstatic as she’d been trying to arrange it since their return from New York. The only thing she didn’t know is that he intended to take his and Chynna’s relationship from public to personal—very personal.
When he showed up to Chynna’s estate in his Ferrari, the security guard told him that it was Chynna’s day off and that she was not seeing visitors, but Lucas was not taking “no” for an answer. He was determined to finish what they’d started that night in the limo after his birthday party. He used strong-arm tactics to convince the guard to let him in against Chynna’s wishes, which is why Chynna swung open the door in a sexy cami and boy shorts and looked disgruntled.
“I told you I didn’t want ...” Her voice trailed off when she saw Lucas standing on the other side of the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to take you out on that date,” Lucas said, eyeing her in the shorts that showed off her ample, but toned, thighs—thighs he wanted wrapped around him tonight.
“Date?” She looked perplexed.
He was sure she was racking her brain, trying to see if she’d forgotten an appointment.
“Our public date that Fiona planned for Spago,” he offered.
“But we hadn’t set a date yet.”
“We have now.” He stepped past her and into the foyer.
“I didn’t invite you in.”
“I invited myself.”
Chynna folded her arms across her chest. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in going out tonight. I’ve rather had enough of putting myself on show recently.”
“Put on whatever you want,” Lucas said. “Whatever you’ll be comfortable in, but we’re going out. Me and you. No entourage.”
She tried to interrupt him with “buts,” but he ignored her. “Go put something on.” He pushed her toward the grand staircase. “I’ll be here waiting for you.”
Chynna stood firmly in the middle of the foyer, pouting.
“I’m not leaving here without you,” Lucas said, “so you might as well go get dressed.”
She sighed heavily, but eventually spun on her heel and began running up the stairs. She must have known she couldn’t be caught dead not looking her best because she slipped into an animal print sheath dress and grabbed her Missoni coat and Jimmy Choo clutch. Her hair was piled high in a simple, sleek ponytail.
“This is as good as it’s going to get,” Chynna said when she descended the staircase, fifteen minutes later.
After he’d assessed her for several long moments, he said, “You look beautiful in anything you wear.” And he meant every word. She looked young and sweet and sexy at the same time.
“C’mon.” He grabbed her by the hand and led her out to his Ferrari. He was excited about the wonderful evening he had planned as he opened the door and she slid inside. She was his prisoner for the night, and she had no idea that tonight would be the night they became lovers.
The paparazzi were hot on their heels for the first few miles, but Lucas knew he could lose them in his Ferrari. So when they drove up to valet parking outside Spago, they were paparazzi-free.
After the valet had taken Lucas’s keys with a terse warning from him to be careful, Lucas led her inside. The maître ď sat them in a private booth to enjoy their meal in peace. Soon, the waiter was returning with a bottle of Cristal, which Lucas nodded for him to open.
Lucas picked up his glass first. “To a great evening.”
Kenya managed a tremulous smile, even though her heart was thudding and hadn’t settled into a natural rhythm since he’d showed up unannounced at her door. “To a great evening.” She clicked her flute against his.
“You know, you can relax,” Lucas said, sitting back against the booth’s cushions and assessing her frankly. “I’m not going to bite unless you want me to.”
“I’ll be sure and let you know when I’m ready for you to,” she surprised herself by saying.
Lucas grinned broadly and took a sip of his champagne. “I think tonight is going to be a great night.”
And to Kenya’s surprise, it was. Once the champagne had begun to work its magic and ease her nerves at being alone with a man she was immensely attracted to, the conversation flowed easily. And the food ... well, Kenya enjoyed every bit of her sweet corn soup, fresh vegetable salad and wild king salmon while Lucas had indulged in soft shell crab and a dry-aged New York steak from the famous restaurant.
They talked about music and shared a love of a variety of it, from jazz to country to rhythm and blues. Eventually they talked about the movie Chynna was filming and how much she didn’t care for acting.
“But it’s a natural step for you in today’s market,” Lucas said.
“I know that. But it doesn’t come easy for me.”
“You convinced Carter Wright to keep you.”
“That’s because my back was against the wall, and I always come out fighting.”
“You impressed me.”
Kenya laughed. “And after all these years I thought that was an impossible task.”
Eventually, their conversation flowed to a more personal nature, and Lucas shared with her his roots and upbringing.
“It wasn’t easy getting out of South Central,” he said. “The odds were in my favor of becoming another statistic of a young black man in jail, but I had a different future in mind. Going to college and getting a degree were part of it.”
“What made you decide to get into the record business versus going corporate after you got your MBA? The music business can be so fickle.”
“In one word ... Eli,” Lucas said. “The man had been singing and dancing since we were kids. When were in high school, Eli could always spot when someone had talent. He formed his own band, and I even thought they might get picked for a record label themselves, but that day never materialized. When I graduated UCLA, Eli pitched starting a record label together. It was a long shot, I knew. But then again, my getting out of South Central alive with no babies with a degree in my hand had be
en too.”
“So you took a chance?” Kenya asked.
Lucas nodded. “And it paid off big-time. Signing you was one of the best moves Eli ever made.”
Kenya nodded. “You’re right about that. You snapped me up before any of the big boys could get to me.”
“And I’m glad we did.” Lucas studied her face unhurriedly.
“What?” she asked. She could see he was deep in thought, but about what she didn’t know.
“I’ve underestimated you,” he said, finally. “Always thought you were all flash and sass, but you’ve surprised me in so many ways.” His eyes raked over her boldly as he leaned closer on the table toward her. “There are so many different sides to you that I feel like I’ve barely touched the surface.”
It had been a long time since a man had looked at her the way Lucas was doing at that moment. He was making her feel special and desirable, which is why, in an uncharacteristic move, she scooted toward him in the booth, wrapped one arm around his neck and pulled him closer.
She stared deep into his eyes for a long moment, trying to assess if she could trust him ... if she could trust herself. Finding her answer, she boldly pressed her lips against his. She stroked them softly until he pulled her more firmly to him.
Their mouths melded together, each giving and taking what the other offered—lips, tongues and more. It was a sweet, sensuous kiss that seemed to last forever. When they finally pulled apart, they were breathless.
“What do you say we get out of here?” Lucas whispered huskily.
Kenya nodded. Her mind told her to wait and be cautious, but her body was aflame and it was time she finally put out the spark.
After he took care of the bill, Lucas slowly rose to his feet and held out his hand to help her up. Brushing her dress when she stood, Kenya suddenly felt self-conscious that she’d just agreed to go to bed with Lucas. Apparently, he had no qualms. Touching the back of her spine, he propelled her forward and outside the hotel where his Ferrari awaited them.
The ride to Lucas’s penthouse was quiet yet fraught with sexual tension. Kenya didn’t know who was more nervous—her or Lucas. Or maybe it was just excitement. It certainly was for her. It had been several years since she’d been with a man. Her last relationship had ended with a sputter because Jason hadn’t been the “one” for her. Although they’d enjoyed each other’s company and liked the same activities, there just wasn’t a spark between them. When Kenya had eventually ended the relationship, there hadn’t been any crying or theatrics. They’d parted as friends, wishing each other the best of luck.
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