by Edwina Fort
“What the f***, Rob?!” he growled. The grin on Rob’s face grew wider as he blinked his eyes innocently.
“Bruh, you got a guest,” he said gesturing towards me. Now that he mentioned it, I could see the resemblances between the two. Only difference being was that Rome was clearly older with more facial hair and his eyes were a lighter shade of brown than Rob’s. He pointed at his little brother in a way that told him he will deal with him later.
“Hey,” he said tapping the shoulder of the sleeping girl. She came awake with a smile on her face.
“Hey, daddy,” she purred. I rolled my eyes, Rob chuckled.
“Get up, you gotta bounce,” he told her. And for the first time she looked and saw us. With a squeak she snatched the sheet up to cover her breasts.
“Can you give us a minute?” Rome asked me, gesturing toward the other end of the loft where a living room area was. I lifted an eyebrow at his rude tone.
“Sure.” I told him before turning to walk towards the sitting area.
As I did, I casually lifted my hand and slipped the bug from my watch, positioning it just right between my fingers. I used the same hand to ease down in the brown leather chair, securing the bug at the same time.
To the left of the chair I sat in was a huge brown leather couch, or what looked like a couch, but was really a modern rendition of a couch. It screamed contemporary bachelor pad. As if to confirm that, a ridiculously large flat screen TV was mounted to the brick wall to my right. In front of it on the floor were several gaming systems. There were quite a few game controllers sprawled on the floor around them.
When I looked back towards the sleeping area, it was to see Rome’s amber gaze still on me. He was now sitting at the foot of the bed with his elbows resting against his knees. If I was the blushing type, I would be doing it right now seeing that he had watched me walk this whole distance. Finally, he turned to look up at his brother.
“Why you didn’t take her downstairs to ma’s place? Why the hell you bring her up here?” Rob, who had watched the whole exchange with that goofy grin on his face now wore a look of fake shock.
“Ma not home.”
“Stop lying?!” Rome growled up at him, his face transformed in his anger.
Rob chuckled, not fazed a bit in only a way that a little brother could. “My bad, man. I just didn’t think about it.”
“You play too much,” his brother responded standing up grabbing his t-shirt at the same time. When he brought it over his head, his muscled arms and chest flexed impressively. He was very tall as well.
“That’s your damn problem,” he continued admonishing his kid brother before he turned and noticed that the girl had not moved from the bed, she was in fact playing like she had just drifted back to sleep.
“Ay… Ay, shawty, you got to bounce. Get your sh*t,” he called down to her. Amazingly she woke up and stretched, letting the cover fall from her ample breasts once again. Rob grinned shaking his head.
“Rome, you gon’ call me?” she asked as she unashamedly slid out the bed reaching down to retrieve her dress from the floor.
I shook my head, women like her gave our whole species a bad name. If a man had talked to me the way he’d just talked to her, the only call I would be worried about is the anonymous one to the city morgue, telling them where to find his body.
“Rob, make sure Kiesha get to her car safe—”
“Toya!” she interrupted him, finally insulted. Rome chuckled as he scratched his head walking towards the bathroom.
“Who the f*** cares?” was his only response as he went into his bathroom shutting the door behind him.
“Okay, you can call me Kiesha, just call me…Please!”
“Come on, shawty. I’ll walk you downstairs,” Rob told her as she angrily slid her feet in her heels.
“It was nice meeting you, Brenda,” he called to me as they headed toward the door.
“Nice meeting you too, Rob.” It really was. I don’t know why he chose to make my job easier, but he had. Had he not brought me up here, there was no way I would have gotten through that group at the door.
And had I by some miracle gotten through them, I would have never made it past the locked door on the steps.
Well… Not this easily anyway.
Rome took his time in the bathroom, I heard the shower start. I was not delusional to think it wasn’t a test when it really was. Jo was right. This man was smart. He was trying to feel me out before talking to me. I was careful where I let my gaze roam. Although I couldn’t see them, I was quite certain this whole building was wired with cameras.
Slowly, I got up and walked to the nearest window. The drapes were opened slightly, allowing a perfect view of the ghetto below. My eyes narrowed at the roof of the building across the street, there was a man standing on it leaning against the door smoking a cigarette. When he caught me looking at him, he winked.
My gaze went to the corner store at the end of the block, several men stood outside talking, but when one of them noticed me looking, he winked.
What the hell?
I looked towards the opposite corner, there was a man sitting on the porch of a building there, it looked as if he was smoking a blunt. When he noticed that I saw him, he winked.
“What are you looking for?” Rome’s deep voice came from behind me causing me to nearly jump out of my heels as I whipped around, stopping myself from reaching for the piece strapped to the inside of my thigh. I looked up at him half startled and half surprised. How in the world did he walk up on me without me hearing him? He chuckled as he flopped down on his couch facing me.
He smelled good. Now dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, he even looked good. I was surprised to see that I was capable of being attracted to the thug type. Who knew?
“Did I surprise you?” he asked. For a minute my mouth just hung open. Damn, can he hear my thoughts?
“Yes,” I told him truthfully. He was continuing to do that.
“Sorry about that. How can I help you, Ms…”
“Bonita, Brenda Bonita.” I said walking toward him to shake his hand. He didn’t reach for my hand, instead he studied me with that unnerving gaze of his. I had to force myself not to look away.
Get a grip, Nak. You are not getting ready to let this young thug unravel you. Get it together!
I took a deep breath withdrawing my hand as I eased back down in my chair.
“It’s common decency to shake your guest’s hand in greeting,” I admonished as I lifted my briefcase laying it gently on the granite table in front of me.
“It’s common decency not to lie when your host asks you your name.” My eyes rose to his.
“I told you my name. Why would I lie?”
He grinned then still studying me with that sharp gaze of his. “I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll find out.”
I removed several papers from my briefcase. One of them being a copy of the contract he signed with Jo.
“I’ve been sent here from Senator Warren’s office. As you know, your sister a…” I looked at the name on the paper, although I knew it by heart. “Journey Reevers is romantically involved with Joseph Warren, Senator Warren’s son. I’ve been hired to make sure the senator and his son’s reputation remain on the up and up.” I smiled warmly. He did not return my smile. In fact, the more I talked, the angrier he became. The little muscle in his jaw was working overtime.
“Of course you have nothing to worry about, I am a professional. Half the time you won’t even know I’m here. I’m sure you are a responsible young man and would not be willing to do anything to jeopardize the senator’s and future senator’s office, what with all the work they do for communities like this.” He sat up on the couch.
“Wait, let me get this straight. You come into my house to tell me, a grown ass man, that you’re my what? Babysitter?” I smiled.
“Well, I wouldn’t put it in those terms…but, yes.” He narrowed his hypnotic eyes at me.
“Funn
y, you don’t come across as a babysitter. Why do I feel as if it’s a killer staring at me through your eyes?”
It took every bit of my training not to break my cover in that moment. Nobody has ever seen the real me.
Never!
I looked away, shuffling through the papers to cover my momentary lapse.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, young man.”
“You can kill all that young man, bullsh*t. It’s not doing what you’re hoping it would.”
“And what is that?” I asked lifting my gaze back to his, daring him to say it. He didn’t speak right away. He just let his eyes travel over my body in a way that made me feel warm all over.
“Discouraging me from imagining what those beautiful deceptive eyes of yours will look like rounded in pleasure as you come apart for me over and over again.” I loudly cleared my throat. He smiled when he saw he had ruffled my feathers.
“Mr. Reevers—”
“Rome,” he corrected.
“Romeo, let’s go ahead and get a few things straight. I will not tolerate sexual harassment of any kind. If you sexually harass me again, I will call Joseph Warren and inform him that you’ve breached your contract. If you give me a hard time in anyway from this point on, I will call Mr. Warren and tell him you’ve breached your contract, in which point, the actions that Mr. Warren discussed with you will be taken.” I looked at him giving him my no-nonsense look.
“Is that understood?”
Other Works by This Author
The Redemption Series
1. Redemption
2. Redemption: Earth's Cry
The Law Boys Series
1. Coming For What's Mine
2. Coming For What's Mine 2
3. Falling For Rome
4. Falling For Rome 2
About the Author
Author Edwina Fort is a writer who writes with a passion and purpose. She was born and raised in Chicago, but now resides in the South. Although she is new to many, this author has been writing for many years and has given her unique style of writing away freely at no cost to those who would receive. Her passion for writing came about at an early age and developed into what it is today based on her experience and life lessons. With her stories, she wants to redefine all that we’ve been taught to believe and shed light on our truths and potential. Writing is her calling and she wants to share that gift with you through the pages of her work. Each book will take you on a memorable journey you will find hard to forget.
