by Katie Dowe
He dialed Leesa’s number.
“I was just about to call you darling,” her sultry voice sounded over the phone. “I hope you are coming to the party on Thanksgiving.”
“You mean the party that I had to hear about second hand?” he asked her in amusement.
“I never know what to make of where you are concerned. And especially after that nasty scene in the restaurant with the lawyer I thought you wanted to lay low.”
“And of course someone you knew had been there at the restaurant?” he asked her resignedly.
“Of course. She was not right for you anyway.” She told him smoothly. “You need someone who is not going to love you for the way you look and for your ton of money.”
“What else is there?” he asked her dryly.
“You darling. So I am checking my list and ticking off the invitees. You in?”
“I am.”
“Good, see you there and darling you will find the perfect woman.” She assured him.
“Patrick and Brad already beat me to it,” he told her lightly.
“There are more like us out there, you just have to look.”
For the second time in minutes he hung up the phone and stared off into space. He had a meeting with the board in a few minutes and his day was full and running over but he felt restless and dissatisfied. It was not like he regretted breaking it off with Emma, it was really not something he had viewed as being long term but he was beginning to want something more. He pressed the intercom and his secretary came on. “Get me the sales department on the line please.”
*****
“Mama this looks great!” Diana looked around the newly renovated salon in approval. Her mother had taken a break from styling a woman’s hair and called one of the other girls before coming over to greet her daughter with a hug. Business had been booming since the addition and the little lunch area was doing very well.
“Thanks honey. You look great! Foreign countries agree with you.” She turned to the clients some of whom were underneath dryers. “Hey this is my famous daughter!” there was a cheer in the large room and smiles.
“Mama, really?” Diana said with a smile as they went to the lunch area. “I have come to invite you to a Thanksgiving party over at Leesa’s” she sat and accepted the hot chocolate her mother passed her along with the slice of pumpkin pie.
“Do I have to dress fancy?” Delia asked her suspiciously as she took her seat beside her.
“I bought you something.”
“Nothing too expensive that I am never going to get a chance to wear again I hope,” she said suspiciously.
“No,” Diana told her with a smile.
“Have you seen your brother?” Delia asked her.
“I spoke to him briefly since I got back.”
“That boy is avoiding me.”
“You will get to see him when we are going to the party.” Diana assured her.
“Good I have a feeling something is up with him!”
Chapter 5
The party was held indoors this time and the living room was ablaze with lights and overflowing with people. Jeffry shook his head as he made his way through the throng to greet the host and the hostess. Leesa looked stunning in a green wool dress that draped over her belly lovingly. She sparkled like the diamonds in her lobes and round her neck. Brad had his arm around her thick waist possessively.
“I am sure everyone here already knows she is yours man, no need for the proprietary hold.” He pulled Leesa away from him and kissed her firmly on the mouth grinning at the man’s dark expression.
“The crowd here will not stop me from knocking you out.” Brad warned him pulling her back into his arms.
“Jeffry good to see you. Now stop infuriating my husband, go and mingle.” Leesa told him with a shake of her head.
He wandered away and accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. He was about to go over to Carrie and Patrick when he saw her. She had her arm linked to her brother’s who was looking around as if he wanted to be anywhere else but here. On the other side of him was an older woman who looked a lot like Diana and whom he assumed was her mother. She looked like a breath of fresh air in tight black denims and a fitted red and black sweater. Her hair was a mass of curls around her face and she had on dangling silver earrings. She was laughing at something her mother said and he thought that she had a great smile. He had been thinking about her a lot and he had no idea why. Before he could make his way to her Patrick came over and pulled him to where he was standing and started a discussion.
*****
Diana found herself admiring the elegant furnishings and paintings on the walls. She had felt stuffed with the rich food and the glasses of wine and thought she would walk it off a little bit. She wandered through several rooms until she came into what looked like a patio with chairs and a high ceiling. She hesitated wondering if she should be here and was about to leave when she heard voices. She made to step away when she recognized one of them as her brother’s. With a frown she stopped and listened. He had not wanted to come but she had persuaded him.
“I want to know why you have stopped seeing me,” the voice was feminine and tremulous as if the person was on the verge of tears.
“I am not interested. I thought you knew that.”
Diana winced at that and felt sorry for the poor girl.
“I don’t believe you Michael. Be a man and tell me the truth.”
“You want the truth?” Diana could hear the fury in his voice. “The truth is you are not the right color. I prefer my women darker.”
Recoiling with horror she made her exit swiftly not realizing that she was not looking where she was going and she bumped into someone solid.
“Hey,” strong arms steadied her. “Where is the fire?”
She sighed with relief to realize that it was Jeffry. She had glimpsed him briefly throughout the evening but had been caught up in several conversations. “I am afraid I have been trespassing.” She pulled away from him. She had noticed earlier that the sweater he was wearing matched his eyes and that he was probably the most handsome man in the room.
“I am sure Leesa and Brad won’t have you arrested,” he said lightly wondering what had her hurrying away.
“That’s a relief,” she put one hand on her chest in a dramatic flair. “What are you doing away from the party?”
“I am afraid the crowd is getting too much for me.” They were in a room that appeared to be a sitting area with elegant sofas and delicate tables. A light gleamed from one of the lamps showing that the walls were painted a delicate paisley green. “How about we crash here for a minute?”
Diana looked undecided for a little bit then she nodded. She had left her mother talking to an older woman and they had seemed to be getting along. She sat in one of the single sofas and looked around. “This is nice,” she murmured.
“It is.” He sat opposite her and clasped his hands loosely between his legs. “So are you enjoying the party so far?”
“Leesa does entertaining with a capital E,” Diana said with a laugh.
“She does,” Jeffry agreed quietly. He wanted to kiss her but he did not know how to let her know. For the first time in his life he was nervous around a woman! Usually they were all over him and he never had to extend much effort but with her it was different. She did not even notice him and if she did she never gave any sign of it.
“I think it is time we go back now,” she got to her feet and he did the same. He was within a hairsbreadth of her and he could feel the heat of her body. Without thinking he pulled her into his arms. Diana looked up at him startled, her hazel eyes wide. Before she could say anything he tilted her chin and bent his head to take her lips with his!
*****
Michael fielded her hand as she made to slap him and gripped her wrist in his tightly. Her large brown eyes were shimmering with tears and he felt something move inside him. With a groan he pulled her into his arms and took her lips with his roughly. He had
tried to stay away from her even though he felt as if he had been dying inside. He had taken an old flame of his to bed and it had only made him felt worse! She gripped his sweater and held onto to him as they devoured each other’s mouths. He stopped suddenly and stumbled back as he stared at her. Her lips were swollen and her long blonde hair was disheveled because he had plunged his fingers into the thickness of it.
“Stay away from me!” he told her harshly, his heart thundering inside his chest.
“Michael- “April made as if to get near to him but he stopped her.
“Stay the hell away!” he stumbled from the room and left her there with tears coming down her cheeks.
*****
Diana got over the initial shock and then was in for another one! He used his hands to cup her cheeks and took her lips with his in a kiss that had her stumbling back a little bit! She lifted her hands to push him away but felt the force of his mouth on hers, his tongue delving inside and sending darts of pleasure through her unsuspecting body. Jeffry felt himself hardened perceptively as the kiss deepened. Christ! He thought trying to clear the fog around his brain. He wanted her! He wanted her so badly that he could have taken her right here and now. But it was Diana who pushed him away and stepped back. To his surprise she gave him a cool aloof smile. “I guess the experiment can be over now.”
“What?” he stared at her in confusion.
“You wanted to see what it felt like to kiss a black woman from the projects,” she clarified straightening her sweater. “Now you can go back to the women you are used to and make the comparison. I hope that this will not affect our working relationship.” With that she left the room and him standing there staring after her.
Diana said her goodbyes to Leesa and Brad and went to find her mother and brother. She was so preoccupied with what had happened with her and Jeffry that she did not say anything to her brother about what she had overheard. She had no intention of saying it to him anyway.
Their mother was the one who carried on the bulk of the conversation not noticing that her two children were not contributing to too much. Michael had driven his van and dropped her off first for which she was grateful.
She went inside and closed the door leaning against the hardwood weakly trying to figure out what had happened. It had taken a tremendous amount of control to get her to tear herself away from him and what he had awaken inside her was something that she was fighting to come to terms with. She closed her eyes as she remembered his lips on hers and his body against hers. Why did he kiss her? And why did she want him to take her right there? She had read a lot about him. He was a man who was very visible and the women he went out with were rich and influential. His latest had been a lawyer and she had heard rumors about some public break up. So he thought she was fair game? She pushed away from the door furiously and went into the bathroom to stare at herself in the mirror. She was not thin and white and she had money but not enough to cover the fact that she was not thin and white! Bracing back her shoulders she went into the bedroom to get ready for bed. Jeffry Rowland was a player and she certainly knew how to deal with them!
*****
Jeffry made his excuses and left shortly after. He had known that she would probably be gone when he got back into the room. He had had to stay back a little bit to compose himself. His erection had felt like a painful lump inside his pants. So he had stayed back in the room and willed it to go down before he headed back. She had told him that the kiss had been an experiment. That was so far from the truth that it was laughable! He drove home to his empty apartment and went straight to the shower stripping down and standing beneath the needles. She tasted like honey, he found himself thinking. Her lips were like honey and he wanted to taste more of her. She had felt so soft and pliable in his arms. Her generous breasts had brushed against him and he had wanted to taste her nipples. He turned off the shower impatiently as he felt his erection rising again. He reached for a towel and stepped out using it to dry himself. He headed to the kitchen to pour himself a drink and get ready for a very long night!
*****
Diana put it from her mind. She had to because she was the face of the company and she was going to be featured in a lot of ads so the wisest thing to do was to forget it ever happened. Men had made advances to her many times and she had always managed to field them off with a smile so somehow she was going to have to do it in this instance. She hoped and prayed that she would not actually have to go to the company to shoot the ad for Christmas but if she had to then she was professional enough to do so even if he was there.
To her horror she was summoned to his office. The party had been a week ago and she had not heard from him. She thought about refusing but she knew he would not take no for an answer.
“You may go in Diana,” the secretary told her with a smile.
He was just coming off the phone when she entered. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at him. He was amazingly handsome and a man who could get any woman he wanted. Why did he kiss her?
He got up and stood there looking at her for a moment before coming around his massive desk. “I thought about calling you but I figured you would have hung up on me,” he said with a wry smile as he came nearer to her. She willed herself to stay put.
“That would not have been professional,” she said in her best business like tone. He was standing right in front of her and she could smell a whiff of his subtle cologne.
“I kissed you and it was something that I wanted to do for a little while,” he told her frankly. “I want to do it again.”
“Why not?” she said carelessly.
He looked down at her in surprise. “You want me to?”
“I figured that we might as well get it out of our systems.”
He stared at her strangely and reached out to tilt her chin upwards. She had gotten ready for the shoot and was still in her professional makeup. Her hair was straight this time and swung softly around her face. He bent his head and this time she was prepared as she met his lips with hers. He pulled her into his arms and touched his tongue to hers. Diana had to use all the power inside her not to moan inside his mouth! She spread her hands over his chest and felt the thudding of his heart beneath the crisp cinnamon brown silk shirt he had on and melted into the kiss. Jeffry felt the desire raging inside his body and he shuddered against her. His hands cupped her face and ventured up into her hair holding her head steady as he devoured her mouth. He felt her pushing him away and he released her reluctantly and stepped back his body shuddering. “I need you,” he rasped staring at her and wondering why she was being so pliant.
“Of course but I am sure you would not want it to be here.” She pushed her fingers through her hair to try and bring some semblance of order to the strands. “I am going to be late for my meeting with the crew. You wanted to see me for anything else?”
He stared at her as if he could not believe her. She was looking at him coolly as if they had just exchanged pleasantries.
“I want to see you.” He told her shortly.
“Call me,” she told him with a smile and without another word she turned and left the office.
Diana made it all the way to one of the many bathrooms and closing the door behind her she collapsed against one of the sinks. Her body felt as if it had been lit from within! She had stayed away from relationships not because her father had run out on them but because she had been determined to make her career work. The thing with Tyrone had not been very serious and she her heart had never been involved that was why it had been so easy for her to tell him to take a hike. But now this! The kiss! She closed her eyes as she felt his mouth on hers. She had never felt like this before and it was dangerous. She had spent some time thinking about how to play it and decided that the best thing to do was to pretend that it was casual for her. But how much longer was she going to be able to carry it off? Her phone rang just then and she realized that they were looking for her. “I will be right there,” she murmured before hanging up. She stared
at herself in the mirror and straightened her shoulders. She had to be professional and pretend that her insides were not quaking for a man who used women despicably!
*****
Jeffry batted the racquet over the table with a force that threatened to break the cords that hold it together. He had left straight from work and come to the club. He had challenged one of the members to a game of tennis and had wiped the floor with the man. He was onto his second game and his mood was not getting better. He was confused and did not know what to do. She had treated him like he was some little boy who was begging to be noticed and he was not used to that.
“Hey man slow down! You almost took my head off just now.” His tennis partner complained.
“Sorry,” he muttered and signaled that he was finished. He saw the man sighed with relief and left the court hurriedly. He took off the strip around his head and tunneled his fingers through his wet hair. He was charged and aroused and could not stop thinking about her.
“Hey man you okay?” Patrick called out to him as he went towards the bar.
“Why? You heard something different?” he signaled for his usual drink and took a seat on the stool.
“You look like you want to beat someone up,” Patrick sat beside him on the stool and nodded to Marty. “Woman trouble?”
“No,” he said shortly placing his racquet on the counter and reaching for his drink.
“Ah,” Patrick’s tone was amused.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You figure it out man. Finding out you have feelings for the fair Emma?”
“No.” he bit out. “Another person.”
