by A. C. Arthur
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What the hell was he doing?
Savian shook his head as quickly and roughly as that release that had just soared through his body. He still held on to her hips while his erection jerked inside her one more time. With his eyes closed tightly he tried to remain perfectly still, to not disturb this moment because he knew that’s when the questions would come.
Jenise normally did not ask questions. She’d always accepted what they had without any arguments or comments. That was one of the things Savian enjoyed most about being with her.
But today was different.
There was no doubt about that. He’d known it the moment he woke up, chest heaving, and dick so hard he probably could have used it as a weapon. She’d been on his mind so much in the next hour that instead of heading into his home gym as he usually did first when he awoke in the morning, he’d taken a quick shower and then gone out, to the mall no less. Savian hated the mall. Hell, he had a private tailor and a grocery service on retainer, which proved he was not the shopping type. And yet, he’d quickly found himself moving in and out of stores, carefully selecting items that he thought Jenise would like.
She had enjoyed the ornaments and the lunch and the fact that he was there. He’d seen it in her eyes as they’d sat at that table eating. A part of him had warned that he should get up and leave then, but he did not. The next thing he knew they were decorating the tree and then she was singing, and he was singing, and then…
This wasn’t what he’d had planned. He hadn’t known that the urge to taste her would be so overwhelming that he would push back all his reservations about such an intimate act and go for it with her regardless. Nor had he been prepared for her to reciprocate. The thought of her mouth on him made him tingle all over. He’d hurried into the sex because that was easy, it was familiar to both of them, and at this point it was expected. Only that hadn’t gone as planned either. He’d looked down at her as he stroked and this time she’d been looking back at him.
It was different. Her look and his feelings.
The thought had Savian cursing as he finally pulled out of her slowly. She stood immediately and he turned away from her, not wanting to face her and the questions she might have. For that matter, he didn’t even want to face his own questions and wished they’d stop running rapidly through his mind.
“I’m going to take a shower,” she said from somewhere behind him. “Join me.”
It wasn’t a question and even if it was, Savian wouldn’t have known how to answer. He did not shower with women, but by the time he’d gathered enough courage to turn around and tell her that, she was already gone.
He’d cursed then, dragging a hand over his face as he stood naked in her living room, the Chipmunks happily singing Christmas songs in the background.
The lights were still twinkling on the tree and ornaments and stuff were now tossed on the floor. He should just gather his clothes, put them on and walk out that front door. She would understand, it was their unspoken agreement after all. No strings. No attachments. No intimacies. He’d thought she was on that same page with him. Today, however, it seemed that maybe Jenise had turned a page.
Or had he?
Savian had just grabbed his shirt and was reaching for his pants when he heard the water from the shower turn on. Crap! He couldn’t just walk out, not without saying something to her. He didn’t know what to say, but he knew it had to be something. He owed her that much. So it was with heavy steps that he made his way back to her bedroom, his clothes clutched under his arm. The plan was to tell her he had to go, that he’d stayed too long or something like that. She would look up at him with understanding and he’d promise to call her later. He’d never done that before.
When he walked into the bathroom, Jenise was just stepping into the stall. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled, leaving the door cracked as she eased beneath the spray of water. Crap, again! He dropped his clothes to the floor, and quickly discarded the condom. Then, he moved toward the shower stall knowing this was a mistake. Correction, knowing and hating how big a mistake this would inevitably turn out to be.
She’d turned to him immediately when he stepped inside the now steam-filled stall and began rubbing her lather filled hands over his chest.
“The soap smells girly, but you’ll be alright,” she said with a smile. “You’ll be fresh and clean.”
Savian didn’t want to be fresh and clean. Well, he did, but not here and not now. Still, as she continued to touch him, her hands moving over his skin along with the soap and water, he felt a familiar stirring. He wanted her again.
Clenching his teeth he grasped her shoulders until she stilled. When she looked up at him, Savian couldn’t figure out what to say. So instead, he lowered his forehead to hers and simply admitted, “I don’t know how to do this.”
“Me neither,” was her reply. “But I’m thinking that it might be nice if we learned together.”
Savian had no idea if it would be nice or not, what he did know was that at this exact moment, he couldn’t stop it. He picked up the soap and lathered it in his hands, then began washing her the way she’d washed him. By the time they’d finished touching each other, Savian had her facing the wall in the shower stall, his hands parting the generous globes of her ass once more so that he could slip his length deep inside her waiting heat.
He stroked and she moaned. He hissed with the pleasure that soared through his body. She whispered his name and he lowered his head to rest on her shoulder wondering what the hell he was doing and how this would end. Because, if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that the end was inevitable. That was another reason he’d never wanted to start anything in the first place. Another damned good reason.
Chapter 6
Two weeks later.
Gwen had already called back to announce her, so Jenise shouldn’t have been surprised when Adriana tapped on her office door before coming in.
In truth, she wasn’t actually surprised, but more intrigued. Adriana Bennett was a supermodel, turned actress and a stunning natural beauty. Take today, for instance, Jenise could tell as Adriana approached her desk, that the woman wore very little make-up. Still, she was flawless with her burnished gold complexion, golden brown eyes and long professionally highlighted hair. She was dressed simply enough in black slim pants, a black and white blouse and a simple black jacket. Black pumps and the large black Prada bag she held in one hand topped off the casual, yet sophisticated outfit. Then there was her smile, big, gorgeous and also sincere.
Jenise smiled back as she greeted her. “Hello, Adriana. It’s nice to see you again.”
She hadn’t seen any of Savian’s family since that day at the police station a couple of weeks ago. They had, however, been in the news more times than Jenise could count. A few days ago she’d actually felt bad for the family because there’d been an hour-long special on television. The documentary went back to Rowan and Charleston Donovan, the brothers who started the Donovan Oilwell Company, seventy years ago with a piece of land they’d inherited from their employer. In the years that followed, the Donovans’ offspring had branched out, spreading their success throughout the states and dabbling into different industries such as casinos, media, real estate and Jenise’s favorite—law. To say they were an African American success story born and bred, was an understatement.
While her family wasn’t as big as the Donovans, Jenise had watched the episode feeling a sense of kinship, as her great-grandfather, Charles Milford Langley, had attended the Howard University School of Law alongside Thurgood Marshall in 1930. After graduation he’d assisted in preparing for the litigation of hundreds of segregation cases, before his untimely death in 1954. Her grandfather, Victor, had followed in his father’s footsteps, but instead had attended the University of Maryland School of Law—the same school that had turned Thurgood Marshall away for being black, and that Marshall successfully sued in 1933. After marching with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and working on se
veral civil rights cases for a firm in Atlanta, Victor moved his family to the West Side of Chicago and in 1970 opened the first Langley Law firm. Now retired, her grandparents lived in Hyde Park and her father ran the firm.
“Hi,” Adriana replied, bringing Jenise and her thoughts back to the present. “I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by.”
Jenise smiled and nodded her head. “No, problem. You can stop by any time,” she told her even though she sensed that Adriana had a specific reason for coming to see her today.
“So how are things going?” Jenise asked, deciding she’d rather get to the heart of the matter—without being rude—as soon as possible. She was scheduled to meet with clients this afternoon, to go over discovery in a huge malpractice case and she wanted to be prepared for their arrival.
Adriana had taken a seat in one of the guest chairs across from Jenise’s desk. She crossed her long legs and set her purse in the other chair to her right. Now, her hands were folded in her lap as her gaze met Jenise’s.
“I was just wondering how Savian’s case was going,” she said as casually as if she was stating the time of day.
The only problem with the way Adriana was acting and talking, was that Jenise prided herself on having good insight into people. This was a skill she’d developed over time because she was determined to never be fooled again. At any rate, as she sat back, letting her hands rest on the arms of the chair, she continued to assess Adriana Bennett. Just a few months ago this woman had come into her office for the first time, angry that someone was attempting to destroy all of her hard work. At first, Jenise hadn’t been certain that Parker and Adriana were more than just the “passing fling” the tabloids dubbed them, but in the months since she’d seen them photographed together, and then a couple of weeks ago when Adriana had dropped everything and come running to be by Parker’s side at the police station, she’d changed her stance. This was a woman in love.
Jenise didn’t know whether to pity or admire her.
“I’m still waiting for a report on the surveillance tape, but the letter came back clean. Savian’s prints were nowhere on it. And even after they obtained a warrant to go through his work and home computers, there was no record of him having typed or saved that letter,” she said.
“That’s fantastic,” Adriana said, expelling a sigh of relief. “I know the family has been really worried about whether or not that evidence would stick.”
“They have a pretty good motive, but if this surveillance video doesn’t hit a homerun, they’ll have to dismiss the charges. Or at least I’m going to flood them with motions until they dismiss the charges,” she added with a grin.
“Does it normally take this long to get the results back on the video?” Adriana asked. “I’m sorry, I’m not very familiar with murder cases or how you go about investigating them.”
Jenise nodded. “It’s not something people normally learn about as a hobby. But the answer is no, it shouldn’t take this long. My guy was in an automobile accident the day after I had the tape delivered to his office. He broke his leg and had to have surgery. I just spoke with him this morning, however. He’s off the pain meds but still bedridden, so he’s going to have a colleague look at the tape either today or tomorrow. We’ll have an answer soon.”
“Good,” Adriana said with yet, another sigh. “That would be great if the family could hear that this would all be over before Thanksgiving. There would be such a festive atmosphere at the big dinner.”
“They’re having a big dinner on Thursday?” Jenise asked. “I guess they would. They seem like such a close family.”
“Oh, they are. My parents and my brothers are even flying in for the weekend. Does your family do a big celebration? I know they’re all in Chicago right?”
Again, Jenise nodded. She’d been trying really hard not to think about the tension-filled dinner that her mother would host. Her brothers and her grandparents would come, and talk would eventually circle around to the firm and the latest cases. That’s when Marianne would no doubt begin her comments about how ridiculous she thought it was for Jenise to have moved to Miami. No matter how she’d tried to convince herself that this might not happen, the odds seemed stacked against her, and Jenise had called her parents over the weekend to say that she wouldn’t be able to come home for the holiday. She hadn’t been the least bit disappointed about making that announcement, even though it meant she would have dinner alone in her apartment. Actually, she’d been toying with the idea of going out to a restaurant but figured that might just make her look a little more lonely and pathetic.
“That sounds nice,” Jenise replied, trying desperately not to sound as jealous as she actually felt.
She would have been elated if her mother had suggested the family come here to spend Thanksgiving with her.
“They were here a few months back, but that was a very tense time,” Adriana continued. “So I’m hoping everyone can be more relaxed this go round. If Savian is cleared of all charges by then, I know the Donovans will feel a lot better,” she said.
“Well, that’s just three days away, but I’m hopeful for that as well. In fact, I’ve already drafted my motion to dismiss. All I need now are the final facts that will force the prosecutor’s hand.” Jenise figured it was better to talk about work, than family, because that was making her way too sad.
She had hoped that would also appease Adriana and the woman would then bid her goodbyes and leave Jenise’s office. Not that she had anything against Adriana, because she didn’t. It was just that she did not need to be reminded of the fact that she would spend Thanksgiving alone—albeit by choice—because of her family and their narrow-minded thinking. But also, because she was having a secret affair with her client.
Adriana, however, continued to stare at Jenise, as if there were something else on her mind. Jenise was just about to ask her what that was, when Adriana cleared her throat and sat up taller in the chair.
“Is it really as easy as you make it seem?” she asked, with a tilt of her head.
Jenise didn’t know what to say because she wasn’t certain what Adriana meant. Was she speaking about being an attorney? Or what she thought the outcome of this case in particular would be?
“I mean, from the moment I met you, you’ve seemed to have it all together. You’re confident and smart and don’t take any crap, as evidenced by the way you immediately dealt with Savian when he was trying to question your credentials? I’m just asking because I’ve met so many women in the business and then being around my mother and my sister—both of which I think are very strong-minded women—I’m still in awe of how you handle yourself with such ease and embolden finesse.
Again, Jenise was speechless. Her sister would be amazed since Morgan had always said Jenise was the mouthpiece for the Langley sisters. Sitting here and not quickly responding also blew all types of holes into the complimentary declaration Adriana had just made about her.
Jenise cleared her throat, to give herself more time to think of how she wanted to respond to this different and somewhat baffling question. Adriana Bennett had been a model since she was seventeen years old—Jenise had looked into the woman’s background when she took her on as a client because the last thing she needed in the midst of litigation, was surprises. In the years following, Adriana had suffered from bulimia and/or some form of binge eating, as she recollected. Now, she was an actress as well as being engaged to Parker Donovan. Talk about body image, appearance and stress, this woman had to be carrying tons of doubts and concerns in her mind at this very moment. With that in mind, Jenise knew exactly how to respond to Adriana’s question.
“I believe the answer is that I really have no other choice,” she told her with a slight shrug. “When people meet you, the first thing they look for is a weakness. For me, it’s usually my weight. They immediately expect, that because I’m not what society believes should be your average sized female, I should be timid and embarrassed. Sometimes they actually look at me in pity, wo
ndering how and why I would allow myself to get to this size. The moment I show them that I know exactly who I am, what I want, and what BS I won’t stand for, they get their act together.”
Everyone except her mother.
Adriana continued to stare at Jenise intently, as if she were sharing the secret of life with her instead of her own philosophy on idiotic human beings.
“Does it always work for you? I mean, do they really stop thinking those negative thoughts about you after you set them straight?”
Jenise shook her head and waved a hand. “I don’t really care if it does or not. As long as they know what not to say to me. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but I’ll say it again, it’s not important what other people think about you, Adriana. What’s important is how you feel about yourself? If you can love you, just the way you are—at one hundred and thirty pounds tops, with your pretty mix of Brazilian and African American skin tone and longer than forever legs—then you don’t need anyone else’s approval.”
Adriana had actually blushed at the compliment, before admitting, “You’re a very attractive woman, too.”
Jenise smiled. “And don’t I know it,” she said with a laugh. “Because you know what? If I don’t believe I’m sexy, how can I expect anyone else to believe it?”
“Savian believes you’re sexy,” Adriana said abruptly. “I mean, I can tell by the way he looks at you that he’s really interested. It wasn’t that clear the first day we met you, because he’d been acting strange. But I’ve seen him so many times since then and I can see whenever Parker mentions your name the way he changes. It’s a subtle change because you know how Savian is, but it’s there. I know it’s definitely there.”
Jenise knew exactly how she wanted to reply to this comment with—with a resounding ‘Yes!’ to be followed by a big grin and a fist pump. There was no doubt that Savian was interested in her. He was interested enough to have been at her house every night for the last two weeks. They’d finished putting up the Christmas decorations and had gone through her holiday music and movie collection one night. For someone who had thought it was too early to get ready for Christmas, Savian had jumped in with both feet. One night, after sex and a shower, they’d lounged on her bed while she shopped online for Wade and Tucker’s Christmas gift. Savian had offered a good deal of insight into buying for men and she’d been so stoked at having him stay longer after their sex, that she’d ordered exactly what he’d suggested.
