by Chanta Rand
He stood beneath the archway of her open door, unnoticed by her. Her head was bowed, the tip of her pen resting against her lush lips as she sat deep in thought. Her hair was pinned up today. The tantalizing slope of her neck begged to be kissed. He fought the reaction inside his trousers. Damn, man! Get a hold of yourself. Why are you always a horny animal around her?
“We need to talk.” His statement came out more like a bark than a request.
Kendra’s head whipped up at the interruption. Her amber gaze was hard, but it turned to molten lava when she noticed him. “I wish I could, but I have a client waiting for me. I was taking a moment to review her files.”
She stood and he couldn’t help but admire her impeccable, feminine taste. She was dressed in a black fitted blazer that fit perfectly over the black wrap dress that hugged her curves.
God, help me. I still want her so bad. He dragged his eyes from her shapely body to glance at his wristwatch. “How long will you be?”
“Why? Is there a fire you need me to put out?”
It was a phrase used often in the office, but when she said it, he thought of the flames of desire raging inside him. “Well, now that you mention it…”
This was no playful banter. The air crackled with sexual frustration–mainly his. His nostrils flared as he breathed in the scent of her perfume. As long as he lived, he would never forget that smell. The rich musk suited her. If they were anywhere but work, Mark would have no qualms about bending her over her desk and showing her just how much he’d been missing her–doggie style.
“That fire will have to smolder for a little while longer. Theresa Bivins is waiting.”
Mrs. Bivins was one of their premier vendors who refused to work with anyone but Kendra. But Mark was still the boss and he chose that moment to pull rank. “As soon as you’re done, I want to see you, Kendra. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars. Come directly to my office.”
He knew she got the Monopoly reference when the corners of her lips lifted into a slight smirk. “Yes, sir.”
He couldn’t bear to watch the sway of her hips as she walked away, so he did an about-face and headed back to his office. He would wait for her, no matter how long she took. They had unfinished business.
Two hours later, Kendra finished her marathon meeting with Theresa Bivins, the owner of three bed and breakfasts. The waitress-turned-executive was a long-time client of the agency’s. Kendra bet the business-savvy diva never had to deal with a demanding boss who wanted more than she was willing to give. Kendra took her time heading towards Mark’s office–the corner spot that would soon be hers. The man had the nerve to give her orders. Yet, she was propelled by adrenaline and the intense desire to speak with him alone. She was almost tempted to suggest they meet somewhere off-site, but she was afraid she might lose her resolve and her inhibitions. Mark had that effect on her. She had to admit, she missed him. Earlier, when she looked up and saw his brawny physique filling her doorframe, she almost wept with relief. The past few days, he’d been so distant, practically to the point of ignoring her. She craved the warmth of his voice, the heat of his gaze. She knew she was acting like a child. One minute, she demanded he keep his distance. The next, she was moping because of his lack of attention.
As she neared his office, she heard the deep baritone of his voice. “Stella, this is a pleasant surprise,” he said. “Yes, Cayson told me you might be calling.”
Something about the tone of Mark’s voice made Kendra pause. He was obviously very familiar with the person. She continued to listen, hearing only his end of the phone conversation. “Cayson told me you were back in town,” Mark said. “Oh yeah. We use to have some wild times. What? Cayson said that?” Mark’s deep chuckle floated into the hall where Kendra stood. “That sounds like my little brother, alright.”
Kendra waited a few more moments, wondering whether to interrupt or come back later. She felt weird eavesdropping outside his door, but she was transfixed by the mention of the ‘wild times’ he used to have with this Stella person. Who was she? What did she mean to him? “Don’t tell me you’re wearing the candy striper outfit now?”
What the fu–? So, this chick was playing nurse with her man?
He’s not your man, Kendra.
“This weekend?” Mark asked. “I’ll have to check my calendar. Sure, I can get discounts on flights.”
Kendra stiffened. Okay, Miss Thing wanted to take a trip with him? This was too much. From the sound of it, Mark was a willing participant in this hook-up. The other night, he’d told her he could have sex with anyone he wanted. Obviously, he wasn’t hurting for female company. He’d rebounded like a champion. She walked back to her office and collected her purse. She’d had enough. It was only four o’clock, but after hearing Mark’s conversation, she needed something to help her forget how dejected she felt. She had the perfect remedy.
Chapter 10
Mark heard the blare of a car horn as the driver behind him honked at him for cutting him off while crossing over three lanes of traffic to exit the freeway. The driver of the beat up Jeep, along with three other teenage passengers gave Mark a synchronized “finger” sign as he exited. He deserved it. He was so preoccupied with thoughts of Kendra he wasn’t paying attention. As a result, he’d almost missed his exit to her condo. She wasn’t expecting him. In fact, he wasn’t certain whether she was home or not. But she left him no choice since he’d been unable to contact her all afternoon.
Seeing Kendra face-to-face in her office earlier renewed his determination to be with her. They’d simply have to work out whatever reservations she had about dating at work. They were acting so strangely toward each other, their co-workers were becoming suspicious of their relationship. Folks would have to be blind not to notice something was up between the two of them. Even Lonnie had asked if he’d finally stepped up his game. He didn’t have the stomach to tell Lonnie he’d stepped up alright–and tripped over his own feet.
Kendra was supposed to come to his office as soon as she was done meeting with Mrs. Bivins. Apparently, she’d taken it upon herself to ignore his summons. Hours had passed before Mark realized she wasn’t coming. He might have noticed sooner had it not been for the call from Stella. She’d kept him on the phone for damn near thirty minutes. He replayed the whacky conversation in his mind. Stella had talked about the things he and brothers did growing up. He’d agreed he and his siblings had some crazy times. They sure kept their parents on their feet. His mom and dad were breaking up fights and repeatedly carting them to the emergency room for broken limbs. Stella knew about each time because her older sister had been a candy striper at the hospital back then. Now, Stella was volunteering part-time at that same hospital on Saturdays.
She still carried her boldness like a banner. She was audacious enough to ask him to come home this weekend. He’d tried to let her off easy by telling her he had to check his calendar. Then, she came on real strong by suggesting he take a discounted flight to see her. Jeez, even if he weren’t enamored with Kendra, he wouldn’t take on Stella. Not for all the money in the world. In fact, talking to Stella made him realize how lonely he was. But he didn’t want her. He wanted Kendra.
After he’d hung up with Stella, he went in search of Kendra. She was gone, her office shrouded in darkness. His calls to her cell phone went unanswered. He decided to drive to her condo. He knew he was crossing the line, but he was making one last ditch effort to show Kendra that he wanted her. He was willing to put all the bullshit with Carl aside. He refused to let any man keep him from the woman he wanted. He and Kendra would have to work out whatever issues she had about dating a co-worker. That was precisely how Dane had met his wife, Nichole. She was his secretary first.
Mark entered the entrance to Kendra’s neighborhood and pulled up to the curb next to her unit. Her Beemer was parked out front. His heartbeat slowed when he didn’t see a Cadillac Escalade parked beside it. Good. She was home alone. It was time to get a few things off his chest.
********
The temperature was perfect. The bubbles were plentiful. The music was perfection. With at least a dozen candles lit around her tub, Kendra soaked leisurely. Her recently-pressed hair would pay for it later. But for now, she was indulging herself. She popped a piece of dark chocolate into her mouth and closed her eyes. The combination of the flavor bursting in her mouth and the hot water creeping into her most intimate places made her purr like a cat.
As she sank lower into the vanilla almond-scented bubble bath, she was mindful not to get her wireless headphones wet. She cranked up the volume on the noise-cancelling headphones with the built-in MP3 player that her sister had given her for Christmas last year. Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman blasted in her ears. She sang along with Chaka, belting out the lyrics in between bites of chocolate. This was her feel-good song. She had an entire play list lined up. She would listen until the water turned cold.
“I’m every woman. It’s all in me,” she sang. Yes, she was every woman. And more importantly, she was her own woman. She didn’t need a man in her life to feel validated. She didn’t need Mark either, especially if he was tipping around with some floozy who dressed up like a nurse.
But you didn’t listen to the whole conversation. You don’t know what was said.
Kendra frowned as she pushed the dial on the volume higher. Apparently, her subconscious was siding with Mark. Her conscious mind didn’t need to hear the rest of whatever nonsense he’d said. She knew enough to learn that he was making plans with a female. She swallowed the lump of rejection lodged in her throat. She’d been foolish to think he was interested in her. He was leaving her for another woman and another job. It was inevitable: she would never see him again. She wiped at an errant tear that made its way past her tough exterior. Her heart weighed heavy in her chest at the realization. She was more attached to him than she cared to admit.
But you made your choice. You told him to move on to someone else. Isn’t that what you wanted?
It was true. She had ordered him to leave her alone. It was what she’d wanted at the time. Or at least what she thought she wanted. Now, she wasn’t so sure. She leaned back, resting her head against the porcelain tub. She didn’t care if her damp hair morphed into a stringy mess. She didn’t have anyone to impress anyway. From this moment on, she needed to stop moping and start thinking about her career. Mark wasn’t the only one with a new job. She’d be so busy with work she wouldn’t have a chance to breathe, much less think about him. She nodded to herself. Yes, work would sustain her. It had done so for years. There was no reason to believe it wouldn’t continue to do so.
She plucked another piece of chocolate from the candy dish balanced on the tub’s edge. She savored the taste of it as she rolled it around with her tongue. Yes, she had everything she needed in life. A beautiful condo. A fulfilling career. And dark chocolate. She was going to be fine.
Mark leaned on the doorbell. He could hear it ringing from outside of Kendra’s heavy wooden door, so he knew it was working. He’d already used the brass door knocker as well as his own knuckles. He understood Kendra didn’t want a relationship with him, but her refusal to answer the door floored him.
“Kendra!” he called out. “Kendra, it’s Mark!”
Of course, she knew it was him. She was probably glaring at him through the peephole. She’d asked him to leave her be, but dang! He thought this was taking it a little too far. Well, he wasn’t leaving. He would rub his knuckles raw on this door if he had to.
He pounded a succession of knocks on the hard slab–all of which went unanswered. Then, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed her number. After multiple rings, his call went to voicemail. The cheery greeting that chirped in his ear was not the sweet voice he’d been hearing lately. In fact, due to Operation Ignore Kendra, he’d barely spoken more than four words at a time to her.
“Kendra, please open the door! I need to talk to you.” He pounded on the door again. He knew she had to be in there. He knocked for several minutes with no luck. When he heard a noise behind him, he turned to find a group of four middle school-aged boys standing astride their dirt bikes. Dressed in their “play clothes,” they were trying to look tough, but one scruffy-looking kid messed up their bad-boy image by wearing a shiny, red helmet. He was no doubt the product of an overprotective parent.
“Mister, you tryin’ to knock the door down?” the tallest boy had the gumption to ask.
Mark snorted. Was this snotty-nosed litter of upstarts trying to regulate him? “No.”
“You been knockin’ on that door for a long time.”
“Yes,” Mark took a patient breath. “Someone I know lives here.”
The kid in the helmet scrunched his face into a frown. “Looks like nobody’s home.”
“Yeah,” a freckle-faced redhead joined in. “Why don’t you come back later?”
Mark’s eyes flitted to Kendra’s Beemer parked nearby. “Her car is here. I’m sure she’ll answer in a minute. Thanks boys.” Mark punctuated his sentence with a tone that let them know their interference was not warranted–or appreciated. He wished Kendra would hurry up and answer the door. He didn’t need these brats in his business.
“Just cuz her car is here don’t mean nothin’,” the tall kid observed. “She mighta left with someone else.”
“She’s in there.” Mark rang the doorbell again, silently willing the miniature posse to leave.
Freckles tossed him a sympathetic stare. “Why don’t you give up, man? It’s obvious she don’t wanna see you.”
“Ain’tcha got no pride?” the fourth kid asked.
Mark’s jaw clenched more from embarrassment than anger. He was sure he looked like a damn fool simultaneously knocking on Kendra’s door and calling her cell phone. This was not his style. He was cool. Laid back. He didn’t chase women. What the hell was he doing? Even the kids could see what was going on. He retreated to his car. He finally got the message. He wanted only happiness for Kendra. If she was happiest alone, he wouldn’t attempt to contact her again.
Chapter 11
“You’re miserable without him.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Even a one-eyed toad in a swamp full of mud could see it.”
“If that’s supposed to make me laugh, it missed the mark by a mile.”
“Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
Kendra smirked at Tatum before turning her attention to the nail technician painting her toenails. Getting a pedicure did nothing to lift her spirits. Funny, she thought now that she finally had her spa day, she would relish the feeling. But she couldn’t stop thinking about Mark. He’d left for Paris two days ago and she hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye. Monday, she would take over as V.P. of Operations for the Houston office. It was the pinnacle of her career, yet with her personal life in limbo, it felt like a hollow victory.
“Nothing is going to bring me out of my funk.”
Tatum sat in the chair beside her, getting a pedicure as well. “What about Rufus?”
Rufus was the puppy Kendra bought a few days ago while shopping with her sister, Shanice. She’d named him Rufus after the band Chaka Khan started with. The miniature Schnauzer was cute, but he was no substitute for the strong arms of Mark Sullivan. “Rufus seems to like my sister more than me. He’s over at her house now getting spoiled silly. I don’t even think that dog likes me.”
“Maybe he knows you’re just using him to get over Mark.”
“I’m not using him. I had a moment of weakness at the pet store. I’m entitled.”
“Girl, why don’t you just call Mark?”
“He’s probably in Gay Paree with Stella,” Kendra pouted.
“Why are you torturing yourself like this?”
Kendra watched as the nail technician applied a wild flower design with a half dozen crystals to her best friend’s big toenail. That was tame compared to some of the feet Kendra had seen. In the call center where Tatum worked, there were women with toe
nails as long as their fingernails! Kendra opted for a nude color–sans crystals, of course. “I don’t know. I guess because it’s better than dealing with the possibility of what might or might not happen.”
“I don’t understand you, girl. You wanted this.”
“I don’t know what I want,” Kendra admitted. She sipped the margarita the nail salon offered, savoring the lemon-lime icy liquid sliding down her throat.
“I’ve never seen you so confused. You’re like a totally different Kendra. A bit schizophrenic, I might add.”
“Mark makes me that way. When it comes to him, I can’t think clearly.”
“I know what it is. You want him, but you’re afraid of rejection. It all goes back to that dumbass dude you messed around with on your last job. If we judged each man based on the faults of the last man, we’d never have any healthy relationships.”
Kendra mulled it over. “Yeah, maybe I am making Mark suffer for the problems I had with the last guy. The other part is that Mark is so perfect.”
Tatum swatted the air. “No man is perfect. You’re veering off into Crazyland now.”
Kendra shook her head. “No, I mean the time we shared was perfect. Our week in the Maldives was amazing. The sex was amazing. He’s amazing. He treats me like a queen. He’s sweet and sensitive, but he has a rugged, take-charge side that I like.” She shrugged. “I’ve never been with anyone like that. It’s scary. I’m waiting for the bubble to burst.”
“If you keep thinking negatively, you’ll speak it into being and your bubble will burst! You deserve happiness and passion and everything wonderful. Don’t short-change yourself.”
“Mark said I was letting my stubbornness cause me to throw away a chance at love.”