Talking with Brad, Hemi quickly realized he knew far too many unsuitable women. Putting their heads together, they quickly discovered he didn’t know a single woman his dad or the board would find acceptable as the spouse of the new CEO of Hemingway Industries.
His last date had been a disaster with a capital D.
It was so annoying; he couldn’t even recall her name. Was it Emily? Elaine? No…it was Eleanor. He shook his head trying to dislodge the memory of Eleanor.
Eleanor Hernandez was a very beautiful woman. There was an air of sophistication around her. She showed up in an elegant grey business suit for their date. Her doe-brown hair had been done up in a fancy bun. Face done up to perfection. Tasteful jewelry as an accent, sparking the grey with a bit of life. There was nothing about her appearance Deuce could complain about. She would fit in with the society women his mother associated with. Which made sense since she grew up in the environment just like Hemi.
She was the kind of woman Hemi wouldn’t mind being seen in public with. Elegant and put together. Her being the daughter of one of his mother’s friends was a bonus. He was sure there were many things they had in common and would hit it off. By the time he finished learning about her, Hemi was already planning a late summer wedding sure he had found the right person.
Kamiya would look beautiful in a flowing white wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline that showed off the creamy skin of her shoulders.
The random thought floated through his head. He gave a quick shake returning his thoughts to Eleanor.
He liked that Eleanor had a career of her own. She was in town on business. She was a stylist for wealthy women. She helped them to find the right outfit for the right occasion.
She was in Colorado Springs to convince a famous designer who lived here to create a wedding dress for her client.
Hemi had actually been looking forward to the date. He took the time and even made an effort to plan something nice and quiet, so they would be able to get to know each other.
He took her to dinner to the Mountain Chalet, a small exclusive restaurant with an intimate romantic atmosphere. It was not the place he would normally take a date, but he was trying to find a woman who was not his normal type, no swimsuit models, so it called for a change in tactics. He thought the small candlelit tables, draped in their red silk table clothes combined with the warm wood paneling created the right atmosphere. The crackling fire in the center added just the right touch to the restaurant.
He might as well not have wasted his time. Eleanor spent the whole date complaining about how arrogant the designer was.
“Did he even know who he was insulting,” she demanded in a voice growing shriller with each word, “I am Eleanor, stylist to the stars.” She ruthlessly stabbed her brioche and butter chicken, slicing off a piece as if it was the designer’s head. “My services are in demand from the elite of the elite.” She waved her fork with the cut off piece of chicken at Hemi. He subtly slid his chair back to prevent being impaled like the chicken.
“I am sorry,” Hemi politely murmured as he continued to eat his meal. He quickly glanced at his watch to see how much longer the date must last before he could politely end it.
He wondered what Kamiya was doing tonight? Was she watching some crazy reality show or was she reading a book? Probably a book. She always did love to read. Curled up in a tiny ball, covered by a blanket.
“Do you know his assistant told me he didn’t design wedding dresses?” she demanded. He turned his attention back to his date.
“I thought Johan designed men clothing? I have several of his suits in my wardrobe.” He made the mistake of asking, trying to hide his boredom with the topic.
“The whole world thought the same thing until a picture appeared in one of the premier fashion magazines of the wedding dress he designed for Jericho Ryder’s bride and ever since then my client has decided she must have a Johan original for her wedding.” Eleanor waved her fork around with the poor dead chicken before placing it in her mouth and chewing.
“Maybe he created the dress as a favor,” Hemi shrugged it seemed perfectly reasonable to him, the designer did something he would do for a friend and not the rest of the world.
“Friend or not, my client is way more important than Ryder. He should be happy she wants him to design her wedding dress. It could make him famous in the fashion world.” Eleanor banged her fist on the table.
“He is already famous in the fashion world.” Hemi pointed out.
She gave a loud derisive laugh, countering her elegant appearance. “Johan is famous for men’s clothing. Menswear is not fashion.” She shook her head at Hemi’s ignorance. “And to top it off he had his assistant talk to me. I bet the assistant is his gay lover. You know all male designers are gay.”
He cringed as he imagined Kamiya’s reaction to that statement. He was pretty sure Eleanor would have found herself impaled like her chicken.
“I am pretty sure Johan being gay is a stereotype. Maybe his assistant is straight. Not all men who work in the fashion industry are gay.” Hemi stated the obvious.
“Of course, his assistant has to be gay otherwise he would have succumbed to my charms.” By the expression on her face, it was clear to Hemi she truly believed that statement. He silently shook his head.
He disliked bigoted people.
The date went downhill from there, not that it could go up. It couldn’t end soon enough for him. He shuddered as he came out of the memory of his failed date.
At the rate he was going he wasn’t going to find a suitable wife by the end of the year when his father wanted to announce his retirement. He said it would be a Christmas present for his mother Lorraine, who had been begging him to retire so they could travel, for a few years.
The intercom on his desk buzzed. “Yes, Dolores.”
“Your first prospect for Charity Pitch Day is here.” a professional tone answered him.
“Okay. Have them set up in the boardroom. Will, you contact the rest of our team and have them meet us there in five minutes, please?” Besides managing all of his meetings, Dolores tackled a lot of his big problems before he even had to look at them. She knew how to screen his calls and to pacify the large number of women who were always trying to get ahold of Hemi. She also knew how to screen the crackpots trying to get a chunk of HI’s money from the legitimate charities He didn’t know what he would have done if she had chosen to retire.
He strode down the hall to the main conference room. Ever since his encounter with Kamiya at the Espresso Train, he had been thinking back to their pact to create a charity branch of HI. He spent plenty of sleepless nights since the eventful day remembering his teenage friend.
Laughter.
He remembered laughing a lot around her. She always had a snarky comment for every observation. Like every time she spoke to their math teacher, Mr. Lincoln, she would refer to him as Mr. President. Her crazy sense of humor made him laugh so much they ended up in different classes because together they caused too much of a disruption.
A faint smile came to his lips at the memory, making it appear he was in a good mood for the first presenter whose job it was to convince Hemi and his team their charity was worthy of HI generous donation. A tough job. His team was made up of some intelligent people who worked with him for years. Once he convinced his cousin Brad to come aboard HI, they would be an unstoppable force taking HI into the future and dominating the coffee market. Hemi had been refining his plans for years.
“Mr. Tucker? Let’s hear what you got?” he settled back in his chair at the head of the table. Chandler sat on his right side followed next to Joey. The two of them and their financial wizardry could see through all of the mires to follow the flow of money. Besides, Joey was the only one that didn’t get bothered by Chandler’s habit of eating sunflower seeds all the time. He just brushed the shells off, pushed his glasses up his nose and crunched his numbers. Dolores sat between the other two team members on his left. She was the only one t
hat could keep Monica and Phoebe on topic when the two of them got together. They were constantly criticizing the presenters about everything from their shoes to their hairstyles. No man or woman was immune from their scrutiny. The two tended to base their decisions on a person’s fashion sense with those who spent too much time on their appearance losing out. In their eyes, it was the equivalent of not being dedicated enough to their cause if they had the time to determine if their tie coordinated with their shoes. Each of team members sat with their tablet or laptop in front them ready to take notes.
It was their job to question every aspect of the charity. From finances to mission. How was the charity was going to accomplish their mission? What were they using the funds for? Where were they getting their resources? What services did they provide?
They even questioned who was running the charity and the experience of the person in charge. Hemi’s team would leave no stone unturned. They included a background check on the people in key positions in the charity.
The afternoon flew by as Hemi, and his team sat through one presentation after another. Some of them were worth looking at more in-depth, while others were a waste of time and a waste of money. Hemi leaned back and closed his eyes as the last presenter for the day entered. It was always on charity day he remembered why he only did this once a month. It was tiring and emotionally draining.
“Whenever you are ready to start Miss Anderson,” Dolores took over running the meeting after one look at Hemi. She knew Hemi was paying attention even though his eyes were closed; he was not asleep.
“Good afternoon, I am more than happy to tell you about the Global Heart Foundation.” Hemi’s eyes snapped open at the familiar voice. He turned to see Kamiya Anderson at the other of the table connecting her tablet to the projection system set up in the conference room.
His eyes roamed over her.
God, she is tiny. She couldn’t be more than five feet two inches tall from the top of her head to her toes.
She wasn’t dressed in a dreary black business suit like the other prospects. Instead, she was wearing a sassy red skirt hitting her mid-thigh showing off an expanse of smooth cinnamon skin. A black lace top peeked out of the short red jacket that nipped in, emphasizing her small waist. A single button held it closed just underneath her breasts. He wondered if she took a deep breath in and let it out fast enough would the button fly off? He wanted nothing more than to test that theory but refrained instead he continued his perusal of her.
Hemi experience in purchasing jewelry during his adult life lead him to know what looked good on a woman and the gold and silver necklace encircling her throat emphasized its slender, graceful curve softening the overall business-wear. Her hair was done up in a stylish hairdo which framed her face, highlighting her cheekbones and the delicate shell of her ears.
Hemi couldn’t tell if the tips of her hair continued to be the same purple or if they matched the rest of her dark hair. She looked cute and sassy. It matched what Hemi remembered of her personality from their encounter just a few weeks ago.
He watched her as she walked around the table handing each member of his team a personalized prospectus and shook their hand.
Hemi frowned when she set his prospectus in front of him and turned and walked back to the other end of the table. He ignored the questioning look Dolores shot in his direction, instead picking up the prospectus and thumbing through it.
He turned his attention to the screen when Kamiya started her presentation. “The Global Heart Foundation has one mission which is broken up into many parts. Its mission is to save the future of our marginalized teens.” Hemi was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t make a mention of the prospectus she handed out. Instead, her presentation informed them about the homeless teen population of Colorado Springs and how this section of the homeless population was particularly vulnerable.
Hemi became engrossed as she went on to explain in a soft melodious voice the plight of homeless and runaway teens in Colorado Springs. “Human trafficking is one of our biggest problems amongst homeless teens. Many of the teens are runaways which makes it easier for human traffickers to take them and ship them out of the country. Colorado Springs has a large population of homeless teens. It is the goal of the Global Heart Foundation to get these teens off the street and into safe, affordable housing. If they don’t have family they can go to then we work with the courts to get them emancipated, educated and self-sufficient enabling them to live a life, not on the street.”
The lilting tone of her voice drew Hemi in. Her words painted a picture he could easily visualize. He lost awareness of the time passing as he got caught up in enjoying the sound of Kamiya’s voice. Her oral presence was hypnotizing. He easily imaged her whispering words of passion into her lover's ears. Or giving soft cries of ecstasy as he brought her to a bone ripping orgasm. Once the thoughts were present, it didn’t take long for Hemi’s body to seize control of his brain and take it on a joyride. It sped along the lane. One thought after another popping into his head. Each one full of Kamiya.
Kamiya naked on the Egyptian cotton sheets of his bed.
Kamiya draped over the arm of his leather sofa as he pounded into her from behind.
Kamiya spread out on his dining room table as he devoured her pussy.
Hemi was pulled out of daydreams when his team started clapping. They never clapped. The hardened professionals were skeptical and getting just a smile from them was a gift. To get applause… That was nearly unheard of, but they were wildly applauding Kamiya.
For Kamiya to win a standing ovation from them meant she did what very few were able. She impressed them.
The excited chatter flowed as action plans were already being developed. Dates were being bandied about for meetings between the Global Heart Foundation and Hemingway Industries.
Hemi sat back in his chair, unable to rise due to the raging hardon in his pants, as his team surrounded Kamiya with additional questions. She was perfect. The right combinations of looks, brains, and compassion. The board would love her. Her and Hemi having a history would be an easier sell then some of the women he been dating recently. Even the thought of getting her into his bed was icing on the cake.
“Now I just have to convince her to get on board with the idea.” He murmured to himself as he stood up from his seat at the head of the table and approached Kamiya. The gentle scent of cinnamon wafted off of her.
It was Hemi’s favorite additive in his coffee. A sure sign they were meant to be together.
Chapter Five
Kamiya exhaled slowly, loosening her death grip on her tablet. She made it. The presentation for Hemi and his team was done. A giant weight came off, relaxing her shoulders. Her kaleidoscope of butterflies in her stomach stopped trying to break free.
Public speaking didn’t bother her. No, the thought of seeing Hemi again after the disastrous last encounter at the Espresso Train, now that did.
Disappointment had been her close companion for a few days after she discovered that HI only accepted charity pitches one day a month. She was too late for the one in March, and the one in April had filled quickly. But in the long run, the two-month wait benefited her. She buckled down and got the ball rolling. Hemingway Industries wasn’t the only business in town.
Her determination firmly in place, Kamiya made great strides with her charity. Accomplishments she was proud of. She put together a great volunteer team. Her charity received some very generous donations.
She hit the gravel running, meeting with several realtors she had gathered different prospects for land on which to build a dormitory and apartments. If she could lock in one of these, she could use it to house the homeless teens who were willing to go through her program to get off the streets. What she didn’t do was sit around and pine away for her lost love. He was in her past, and she was building her future.
She’d taken her street team out amongst the homeless teenagers, talking to them and discovering their needs, passing out information about
counseling sessions and drug addiction programs. Overall, she came to the Charity Pitch Day with a stronger standing then she would have had two months ago.
Her mother had offered to contact Lorraine Hemingway, Hemi’s mother to arrange an earlier meeting, but Kamiya decided against it. If she was going to make a success of the Global Heart Foundation, then she was going to do it without using her mother’s friends.
Kamiya didn’t look at Hemi before she started her presentation. Even though she had acknowledged her feelings for him were the feelings of a child, nothing more than a teenage crush, she still avoided looking at his devastatingly hot body. Just because she declared herself over Hemi didn’t mean her body agreed.
There was a sleekness about Hemi that was begging for someone to touch. Running her hands over those muscles, flexing and stretching with his every movement. Hell, she would even touch him with his clothes on.
She released an appreciative sigh as she touched her lips imaging the feel of his on her. She stayed on her side of the room where it was safe to stare at him. Maintaining her professionalism with his team without smothering him with side-long glances of desire was a struggle.
She cleared her throat and turned back to the group.
Good thing she avoided looking at him before her presentation. It really wouldn’t do her reputation as a serious businesswoman any good if she threw the future CEO of Hemingway Industries down onto his boardroom table and rode him like a bucking bronco. Her heart rate sped up, dots of sweat broke out along her spine causing the lace shirt she wore under her suit jacket to stick to her back at the thought of Hemi. Images of her shower fantasy with him from months ago sprang to mind, seeing him lounge in his chair as she presented. She could almost feel his cock pounding into her from behind in the shower. The burn of his large cock inside of her once again. The images from her fantasy mixed with his delicious body in front of her, as she bit her lip, that was one fantasy she wouldn’t get to live out in real life.
Whispers of Winter: A Limited Edition Collection of Winter Romances Page 33
