by Marilyn Lee
She tapped on the door.
“Come in.”
She took a deep breath and entered.
Sharde looked up from her monitor and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey. Got a few minutes?”
“Sure.” She gestured towards the two chairs in front of her desk. “Take a load off.”
“Thanks.” Darbi sank into one of the chairs. “We need to talk.”
“Sure. What about?”
“Clayton.”
Sharde sat back against her chair. “Clay? What about him? I take it you met him at the job fair?”
“I ... I did more than meet him, Sharde.”
“You ... oh. Really? Do you mind if I ask when?”
“About a week ago. The night before the job fair. There was a mix up in the rooms and somehow we both ended up in the same room.”
Sharde nodded. “And?”
“Well ... he was in the bathroom, sleeping in the tub when I arrived. I didn't know he was there and I was feeling a little ... tense and sorry I hadn’t maybe had Sarro do a lap dance for me. I had my toys with me so I ... I was lying on the bed with my battery-operated boyfriend when he came out of the bathroom, naked and aroused and ... one thing led to another and ... we ended up in bed.”
Sharde glanced down at her desk before meeting her gaze again. “I am so tempted to ask you how he is in bed, but I won't.”
“He made my toes curl.”
“Really? He sounds as if he's almost in Jeff's league.”
Darbi arched a brow. She doubted Jefferson or any other man could touch Clay in bed. “He's ... he has nothing to be ashamed of.”
“So he's a good lover. Why are you looking so worried?”
“He's our biggest rival.”
Sharde dismissed her concern with a wave of her hand. “So?”
“So do you think I need to tell Jefferson?”
“No. Why would you need to tell him?”
“Because I just got off the phone with Clayton and it's not going to be a one-time thing.”
“You two are dating?”
She nodded. “Does it bother you?”
Sharde’s gaze widened. “No! Why should it? That's what I wanted ... the two of you to get together.” She smiled. “I told him you two would be great together. I knew you'd knock his socks off and I knew once you met him, you'd want to date him even if he's not black.”
She shook her head. “Before you get too happy for us, I think you should know that we're not really dating.”
“What do you mean?”
“He's great in bed, but I still plan to marry a brother.”
Sharde blinked. “Oh, you do?”
“Yes. We've ... he and I have decided to be adult about our mutual attraction. We're going to be friends with benefits.”
“For how long?”
“Until either one of us finds someone we want to get serious with.”
“You think that's going to work?”
“Yes. We've discussed it and neither one of us wants a serious relationship with each other. We've agreed to have a purely sexual relationship that doesn't lead to or require a commitment.”
“But I thought you were going to do the second virginity thing until you met a man you wanted to marry?”
Darbi grimaced. “That waiting until an engagement before having sex again thingy flew out the window when he stepped out of the bathroom so ... gloriously aroused. Sharde, the man is ... hot ... he's packing a whopper and he wields it with lethal-like skill.”
“And you think you're going to be able to keep from falling hard for him while sleeping with him?”
“Yes.”
“Come on, Darbi. Get real, girl. I was head over heels in love with Jeff when I met Clay and I nearly lost my heart to him. I came so close to tumbling into bed with him. And we never got past the kissing and caressing stage. I can't see your not falling for him once you start sleeping with him.”
“I have it all straight in my head. I know what I want. What I need to know is if I should tell Jeff we're seeing each other.”
She shook her head. “It's none of his business. He knows all he needs to know: that you're loyal to the company and won't divulge any company secrets. Not that Clay would ask or expect that of you. But I'll mention it to Jeff in passing so it won't come as such a shock.”
“Okay.” She exhaled deeply and rose. “I'd better get back to work.”
“Darbi, be careful. Okay?”
She turned at the door. “Careful? You think he'll hurt me?”
“Not intentionally, no, but if you start wanting more and he's still satisfied with sex only ... trust me, it's going to start hurting real bad real fast.”
“I don't want a commitment from him. I just want ... sex until my ebony knight comes along.”
“What if you've already met him, but he's white instead of black? Would you really turn down love with Clay just because he's not black?”
“Love?” She shook her head. “What he makes me feel begins with an L all right, but it's lust, not love. Don't worry about me, Sharde. I'll be fine.”
“Darbi ... don't you think the room mix up is like a sign?”
“From who about what?”
“Come on, girl. What are the chances of your both being assigned the same room and ending up in bed? Don't you think the mix up is like a sign you two belong together?”
She shrugged. “Maybe for the short haul, sure. Long term? I don't think so.”
“Fine, but don't expect me not to say I told you so when you find yourself head over heels in love with him.”
She grinned. “I'm head over heels with him all right, but it's lust, girl. Not love. I want him so much I tracked him down and told him I wanted him to be my lover.”
Sharde's eyes widened. “You tracked him down and said all that and you still think this is just lust? Girl, get real! You're in lust and love with him.”
“Lust, Sharde, big time. Not love.”
Sharde shook her head, holding her hands up, palms out. “Fine. Call it what you want, but I know what I call it and it ain't lust. What do you want to do about your present from the girls?”
“My present? What present?”
Sharde lifted the blotter on her desk and held up a red envelope. “Sarro. Remember him?”
“Oh.”
Sharde waved the envelope at her. “Can I interest you in a lap dance given by a sexy hunk?”
Darbi crossed the room, took the envelope, tore it into pieces, and dropped them into the wastebasket near Sharde’s desk. “Nope.”
Sharde nodded, a satisfied look on her face. “I thought not.”
Darbi shrugged. “Never mind him. How are the wedding plans coming along?”
Sharde's smile lit up her face. “Do you have time to help me choose a wedding dress?”
“Is the sky blue? Of course I have time.”
Sharde’s smiled turned into a grin. She opened her desk drawer and slapped a thick book on her desktop. “Then pull up a seat and let me show you the five I have my eye on.”
* * *
“Clay? Got a moment?”
With his hand on his car door, Clay looked up from his car to see Damien crossing the company parking lot. He opened his car door, tossed his briefcase in the passenger seat, and leaned against his car. “Actually, I've been wanting to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“Cami.”
Damien tensed. “What about her? Look, if you're still angry because I got a little carried away with her --”
“How long have you two been having sex without a condom?”
He watched the muscles in Damien's jaw clench. “You used one with her, didn't you?”
“Always, with her and everyone else.”
“Then what's your problem?”
“I don't have a problem, but if you're having unprotected sex, you do or will.”
Damien shook his head. “I don't need a lecture from you, Clay. I'm a big boy and I know how to
protect myself.”
“Then why the hell aren't you doing it?”
“I do. You think I have unprotected sex with every woman I sleep with?”
“Do you?”
“No! Cami is ... special.”
“Special. How special?”
He shook his head. “Look, I wanted to talk to you about Darbi Raymond.”
“What about her?” He raked a hand through his hair. “Look, Damien, if you're about to tell me you had unprotected sex with her as well, I swear, I'm going to knock you the fuck out right here and right now!”
Damien arched a brow. “So, despite what you said, it's like that, huh?”
“Like what?”
“You mean that, don't you?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you're about to lose your heart ... if you haven't already done it.”
“You think wrong.”
“Sure I do.” He slapped Clay’s cheek. “I never laid a finger on your Darbi. Hell, to tell you the truth, as gorgeous as she is, I wasn't even tempted.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “I told you, I knew when our eyes met you'd slept with her. I saw it in her gaze. When we had dinner, she kept staring at me, and I knew she was seeing you, not me. I think you need to make a move before someone else does.”
“When I want your advice on how to handle my love life, I'll let you know.” He smiled and clamped a palm around the back of Damien's neck. “You worry about Cami and let me worry about Darbi.”
Damien narrowed his gaze. “Why should I worry about Cami? Do you know something I don't?”
“No.”
“Then what are you talking about, Clay?”
“The way you two were going at each other when I left ... that was some heavy shit, Damien.”
He shrugged. “She's ... I like her.”
“Apparently she likes you too.”
“Does that bother you?”
“Why should it? I'm not in love with her.”
“Good. Since you clearly have other interests now, can I expect you to stay away from her?”
He frowned. “You're sounding a little possessive there, Damien.”
“No, I'm not, but now that you're seeing Darbi Raymond and --”
“Don't jump to conclusions. Just because you're ready to toss away your little black book doesn't mean mine's going in the trash too.”
“So you're going to go on seeing Cami?”
“Would my seeing her be a problem for you?”
Damien averted his gaze. “Why should it?”
He got into his car and lowered his driver's side window. “Then, if you'll excuse me, I have a date.”
Damien gave him a cool look. “Give Darbi a couple of deep, hard thrusts for me, will you?”
Damien's assumption that he would be sleeping with Darbi again annoyed the hell out of him. “Fuck off and get the hell out of my way, boy.”
“Who the hell you calling boy, whitey?”
He laughed and started his car. “Give Cami a hug for me.”
“I will. You'd better get going so you can be home in time to tuck Amber in bed at a decent hour.”
His smiled vanished. “About her, can you run shotgun for me tonight?”
“Nope. I have a date of my own. Your sister. Your problem.”
“Thanks, Damien, you're a real pal.”
“Ain't it the truth?” He laughed and walked back into the building.
* * *
Standing in her apartment wearing a new elegant black dress with a scoop neck and back, Darbi noted the appreciative gleam in Clayton's beautiful green eyes. The dress had been worth every penny of the ridiculous price she'd paid.
“Damn, you're beyond beautiful.”
She smiled. “Thank you.” She hesitated before lifting her face.
He brushed his lips against her cheek.
She turned her head until their lips met. Linking her arms around his neck, she pressed a long, moist kiss against his mouth. His lips parted and she slipped her tongue inside, rubbing her breasts against his chest.
He lifted his head and stepped back.
She allowed her arms to fall away from him. “What’s wrong?”
“We're supposed to do the dinner and dancing thing before we have dessert.”
She nodded and linked her fingers with his. “So we are.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “Let's go have dinner.”
They had dinner at an upscale restaurant. He arched a brow when she ordered a salad. She smiled. “I don't want to eat too much and get sleepy. I want to be wide awake for dessert.”
He laughed. “You candor is amazing.”
“Believe it or not, I'm not usually so straightforward.”
“Then I'm flattered.” He sipped his seltzer water. “You're not married or engaged. Have you ever been?”
She sighed. “This is the part I hate.”
“Why?”
“I'm divorced.”
His glance went to her left hand. “How long?”
“Nearly six years.”
“What happened?”
“I met Martin when I was twenty-one. We were married four months later. I graduated from college early so I was working full time while he was still in school. We had a lot of plans and goals and to help expedite them, I took a second job to help pay his way through grad school.
“I thought we were on our way when he graduated and landed this great job at an engineering firm with this huge salary. I quit my second job and prepared to be happy and prosperous. A year after graduation Martin got a big promotion. That's when things started to go south for us.”
“In what way?”
She sighed. “Along with the promotion came this beautiful secretary. I guess I can’t blame him for falling in love with her. She was the most stunning woman I’ve ever met. She was tall and slender with this lush, smooth sable skin. Her dark skin and green eyes made for an incredible look and she was the most beautiful creature.”
“You’re beautiful.”
She shook her head. “Not compared to her. I --”
“You’re beautiful compared to any woman.”
She smiled. “You mean that.”
“Of course I do. So he fell for her?”
“Yes. Six months later, I found myself divorced.”
“I take it you were still in love with him and didn't want the divorce?”
“I didn't want the divorce and yes, I was still in love with him then. So the divorce really hurt.”
He reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “And now?”
“It took a while, but I got over him.”
“But you still believe in marriage?”
“Of course. One of these days in the not too distant future, I'd like to have at least two kids. For that I need a husband.”
“Is that the only reason you want a husband? What about love?”
“What about it? I tried it once and got my heart broken and tossed back at me. The next time I get married it will be for necessity, not love.”
“And you expect to find a man who'll settle for a loveless marriage?”
“Why not? Just because we won't be in love doesn't mean we won't share passion and affection for each other. Actually, I think we might have a better chance of having a lasting marriage without love.”
“You do?”
“Yes. What about you? You said you'd never been married or engaged and you're how old?”
“Thirty-nine. No, I haven't been married or engaged, but I do believe in love. I want to fall in love.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
He shrugged. “I've imagined myself in love a couple of times. In college there was this co-ed who looked like Whoopie Goldberg. She had this amazing smile and every time she smiled at me, I got aroused. Within weeks of meeting her, I was convinced we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“What happened?”
&
nbsp; He grimaced. “Nothing happened.”
“Nothing? You mean she didn't share your interest?”
“Oh, she shared it all right. In polite company she used to call me TDH, for tall, dark, and handsome.”
“And what did she call you in not so polite company?”
“Well-hung.”
That appellation certainly applied. “So you were lovers?”
“No, we weren't.”
“Then how did she know you were well-hung?”
“Our relationship never went past the kissing stage, but she did have a pair of wandering hands.”
Recalling how often she herself had touched, caressed, or held his cock during their few hours together, her cheeks burned. “If you were both interested, why weren't you lovers?”
He gave her a cool look. “I was too white for her. Like you, she was determined to save herself for a man with the right skin color.”
She shook her head. “I hope you don't think I'm prejudiced because I'm not.”
“I think you're a bit of a hypocrite.”
“What?”
“I'm good enough to fuck, but not good enough to marry.”
She sucked in a breath and tugged at her hand. “That's not fair.”
He tightened his grip and retained her hand. “Of course it is.”
“No, it's not! It's not as if we're in love, but I refuse to marry you because you're not black. Besides, how can that be a fair statement when even if I wanted to marry you, you wouldn't be interested?”
His nostrils flared and he released her hand. “Okay, maybe you have a point there.”
“Was Whoopie your only love?”
“No. A few years after college, I met this woman who was a dead ringer for Angela Bassett. Unfortunately, she was already spoken for.”
“Do you always fall for black women?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. Do you only date black women?”
“Yes.”
“Exclusively?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He arched a brow. “Because I prefer them. Why else would I date them?”
“I don't know.”
“I've always known what I wanted and I've always wanted to date black women. I'm from a long line of southern men who have always been predominately attracted to black women.”
“Your mother is ...?”
