“Okay, let’s not get cute,” he said, leaning over and brushing a kiss on her lips.
She melted against him and D’marcus liked the way her body fitted against his. “My bed is going to feel lonely without you in it.”
She had spent Thursday night over at his place because she hadn’t had to go into the office Friday morning. In fact, he had made love to her before leaving her there in his home to go to work. She wondered if that’s how things would be if she was married to him. Would he wake her up before leaving for work just to make love to her? She quickly snatched the thought back when she vividly remembered that marriage was not in their future.
“You haven’t been in my bed yet,” she said, leaning back in his arms and gazing up at him.
“Thanks for reminding me. I will definitely make that my top priority the next time I come to visit.”
And then he pulled her into his arms—to make doubly sure she understood he was deadly serious.
D’marcus sighed deeply as he stepped into the church. The realization of where he was sank in and he glanced around. Yesterday Opal had invited him to come, and he had turned her down. Now here he was, still not sure how it had happened. What compulsion had brought him here? All he knew was that after thinking about her all night, even within the depths of his dreams, he had awoken that morning with an intense desire to see her. He wanted to be with her and spend time with her, and he knew she would be here.
Her cousin Colleen was the first to see him, since she was standing at the door as an usher. Smiling brightly, she walked him down the aisle toward where Opal was sitting. The choir was singing and the congregation was alive, actively participating and reminding him of the last time he had been inside a church. It had been for Tonya’s funeral. The minister had referred to it as a happy occasion instead of a sad one. D’marcus hadn’t agreed with the man’s assessment, especially when his heart had been grieving the way it had. And for that reason he’d sworn he would not set foot inside another church. He shook his head. Opal was certainly making a liar out of him.
When Colleen walked him to the row of seats where Opal was sitting, Opal glanced over at him as he crossed in front of several people to reach her. “You’re here,” she whispered in utter shock, moving to make room for him beside her on the pew.
A slight smile touched his lips. “Yes, I’m here,” he whispered back while sliding into the empty spot next to her. After someone he assumed was the church’s clerk got up to read the announcements and acknowledge visitors, the choir began singing again. Opal joined in, and D’marcus listened. She came to church often, so she knew the words. He didn’t have a clue.
“Thanks for coming, D’marcus.”
His lungs tightened at the sincerity he read in her gaze, and he could only nod. After the choir finished, a man he figured was her pastor stood and went up to the podium. D’marcus leaned toward Opal. “That’s your minister?” he asked, whispering.
She smiled over at him. “Yes, that’s him. And like I told you, he’s a dynamic speaker.”
D’marcus nodded. He leaned back in the chair, wondering what this particular preacher had to say and if it would be any different from what he’d heard before.
After church, everyone went to Ruby’s house, and D’marcus was invited to join them. Just like yesterday at Opal’s new apartment, there was plenty of food. She hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said her family loved to eat. Luther was there, and again they hit it off. The women didn’t seem to mind that he and Luther spent time in the living room watching the football game on television.
Later, he was surprised when Opal’s minister walked in, and D’marcus got the chance to meet him, as well. Reverend Kendrick was a likable guy, and when he and Opal’s sister Pearl began a heated debate about something the minister had said during his sermon, Luther interrupted the two and teasingly asked if they could take the discussion outside, since he was trying to watch the game.
“Did you enjoy the church service today, D’marcus?” Reverend Kendrick inquired a short while later when they were sitting at the table, eating. The ladies had all brought covered dishes, and D’marcus thought the food was to die for. The fried chicken was actually finger-lickin’ good.
D’marcus nodded. “Yes, I did,” he said truthfully. The sermon was something he had heard before, but he had to give it to the minister for delivering it in such a way that it had held everyone’s attention and interest, including his. Opal was right. The man was a dynamic speaker.
After dinner someone suggested a game, and D’marcus couldn’t help but notice again how Pearl seemed destined to find a reason to disagree with Reverend Kendrick over any little thing.
“Your sister really doesn’t like Reverend Kendrick, does she?” D’marcus asked Opal later that night when they were sitting together on her sofa.
She smiled at his comment. “They’re like oil and water. But if you notice, it’s Pearl who always starts things.”
D’marcus nodded. Yes, he had noticed that. He grinned, thinking maybe Pearl had the right idea about starting things.
“What are you grinning about?” Opal asked him, raising a dark brow.
He chuckled as he reached over and pulled her into his arms. “Starting things,” he said, brushing a kiss across her lips. “I decided I want to start something right here and now with you.”
Chapter 17
D’marcus stood at the window in his office and watched Opal walk across the parking lot. The day promised to be a chilly, windy one and the long leather coat she wore wrapped around her legs when she walked. He’d hoped to get a better glimpse of those shapely, gorgeous legs.
He shook his head. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen them a number of times up close and personal. He’d even taken his tongue and traced a path up her legs to the center of her, where he had found her wet, hot and tasty.
He inhaled deeply, wondering what was wrong with him. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of her. They had made love Sunday night, Monday night, and here it was Tuesday and he wanted her with an intensity that was mind-boggling. He felt as if they hadn’t slept together in months.
There was something about the feelings he always experienced in her arms. Even when they weren’t making love, when he was just lying beside her and holding her while listening to her sleep, he felt it. A warmth, a contentment, a sense of being home. He doubted he would ever get used to it. He hadn’t gone to those extremes with any other woman. Usually after they’d shared a bed he was quick to go back to his place or to send her to hers. But there was something about Opal that made a part of him crave to stay after each sensual encounter.
He crossed the room to check his calendar. He had two meetings this morning and his calendar was basically clear after lunch, although there were a number of things he needed to do. But important things came first, and his physical needs were of the utmost importance. He wondered what Opal’s response would be if he were to suggest they go to his place to indulge in a little playtime. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.
As soon as he heard her enter her office he had made up his mind. An afternoon delight with Opal was just what he needed. He shouldn’t have a problem getting her to go along with him on it.
He punched the intercom. His body got aroused just from hearing the sound of her voice when she said, “Yes, D’marcus?”
“Opal, would you step into my office for just a minute? There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Certainly. I’m on my way.”
He smiled as he released the intercom button. The day might look chilly outside, but by this afternoon he planned to be wrapped up in sensuous heat.
D’marcus blinked, certain he hadn’t heard Opal right. “No?”
“No,” she said for clarification. “I can’t play hooky from work with you today.”
He really hadn’t expected her to turn him down. “And why not?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “The same reason y
ou don’t need to play hooky, either. We have a lot of work to do.”
He laughed at that. He, of all people, knew what they had to do, since he owned the company. “I don’t have any appointments after lunch.”
“No, but you do have several reports to complete. And have you forgotten your conference call with Harold Phelps and his attorneys and financial adviser in the morning? Mr. Phelps wants to open at least five stores in Hawaii. That means I’ll be busy the rest of the day getting all the information you need to make a strong presentation since I’m sure his attorneys and financial adviser will be asking a lot of questions. And they’re questions I’m going to make sure you’re prepared to answer.”
“I know my company, Opal.”
“Yes, but I’m sure you also know that stats, facts and figures change from day to day. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do.”
He clenched his jaw and she had the audacity to smile sweetly at him when she turned and walked out of his office.
By the end of the day D’marcus was walking around his office feeling like a lustful caged animal. His chance for a little afternoon delight had been dashed by a very beautiful woman who had basically told him she wasn’t interested, that her work was more important than spending an afternoon with him.
He inhaled, deciding the last thing he needed to indulge in was a pity party. In a way, he couldn’t help but appreciate Opal for standing up to him just to make sure he had his ducks in a row when he had that conference call with Phelps tomorrow.
Damn, he had actually forgotten all about that. The man had attorneys who were sharks and a financial adviser who probably ate numbers for breakfast. The possibility of adding five new stores was at stake. They would advise Phelps against it if D’marcus didn’t have his act together. It was going to be a very important meeting and Opal had remembered that.
Still, that didn’t stop the ache he felt below the belt or the rush of desire that flowed through his veins. Nor did it help the memories that had been clogging his mind all day; memories of times when he had been inside her as she came, her inner muscles milking him for more.
What he was going through would have been understandable if he’d spent the last few days or weeks separated from her. But he hadn’t. So what was this intense desire to have her today? In fact, to have her right now?
He glanced over at the clock on the wall. She would be getting off work in ten minutes. He had asked her to go home with him, or let him go home with her, but she’d told him that she and her cousin Colleen had made plans to go see a chickflick right after work but that he could stop by later. The way he was feeling now he might be dead later. Dying of a sexual ache really wasn’t the way be wanted to go. He’d rather settle for a heart attack.
He recalled earlier that day when he had walked out of his office to return a report for her to correct for him; she hadn’t heard him approach and had been sitting at her desk eating a sandwich. He had stood there—aroused as any one man could get—and watched while she took a bite of her sandwich. He had observed how that delicious mouth of hers had widened just enough to fit the bread and meat. Immediately he had been reminded of the times she had done the exact thing to a certain part of him.
Instead of leaving the papers with her, he had quickly returned to his office. That had been the first time he’d regretted that he hadn’t supported the practice of keeping a stash of alcohol somewhere in his office like a few of his colleagues. They claimed such a practice made very hectic days go faster. He’d always thought that, although having a bottle of booze within your reach might shorten your work day, it would kill your liver. Now, though, he felt the need for a huge stiff drink. Straight from the bottle.
Her voice over the intercom interrupted his crazy thoughts. “I’m leaving for the day, D’marcus. Is there anything you need me to do before I go?”
That was the one question she should not have asked me, he thought as scintillating scenes played out in his head. “Actually, there is something,” he said, unable to hold out any longer.
“Okay, I’ll be right in,” she said in her professional voice.
He stood up from his desk thinking the last thing he wanted her to be right now was professional.
“Yes? What do you need me to do?” Opal asked, walking into his office. D’marcus was standing by the window looking out and turned toward her when she asked the question.
Even before he provided a response, Opal knew the answer. It was there in the dark eyes staring back at her. It was there in the way he was standing. It was there in the huge erection pressed against his zipper that he wasn’t trying to hide. And it was there in every part of him. Desire so rich and thick you could cut it with a knife.
“I would like you to release me from my misery before you leave, Opal,” he said in a somewhat tortured voice.
Opal stood there and studied the man she loved. He wanted her with an intensity that sent blood rushing through her veins. Never in her lifetime had she thought that any man would ever want her this way. His stark desire seemed to trigger hers, and she breathed in deeply, picking up the potent scent of a deeply aroused man.
“It will be my pleasure,” she said turning to lock the door. And then she began removing her clothes as he watched. Her fingers were trembling and she blamed it on nerves more than on modesty, since she had undressed before him many times. But never here in his office. Although they had shared a heated kiss in here once or twice, they had never gone beyond that. But it seemed that things were about to change.
As D’marcus watched Opal undress, he almost found it difficult to breathe. And, when she had removed every stitch of clothing except for a pair of panties, he moved from the window, closing the blinds before doing so. That made the interior of his office seem dark and intimate. The perfect setting.
Like a moth to a flame, he seemed drawn to her and, slowly, he began crossing the room to her. When he stood in front of her, he took a whiff of her scent. It was overpowering and he found himself nearly drowning in the depths of her luscious fragrance.
At that moment, something within him snapped and he quickly began removing all his clothing, almost tearing off the buttons on his shirt when he couldn’t take it off fast enough. And, when he stood in front of her, he got down on his knees to remove the last scrap of thin lace covering the part of her he so desperately wanted.
He eased her panties down her legs and then leaned back, almost at eye level with her womanly core. He leaned forward and placed a kiss there, then another before coming to his feet.
The tender thread that had been holding his control together all day broke and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the hunger he felt. When he finally let go of her mouth, she moaned his name in a breathless sigh. It was then that he totally lost it.
Reaching behind him, he knocked everything off his desk onto the floor, not caring if anything got broken or damaged. He then swept Opal into his arms and placed her on top of his desk, spreading her out. Seeing her that way flared his desire to another height.
“Opal.”
He whispered her name as a number of sensations gripped him. The feel of his heart beating unmercifully fast in his chest made him groan. The need to connect to her, be inside her, was so strong he couldn’t think straight. He decided not to think at all. Just to act.
He reached out and opened her thighs and came to stand between them. Her hips arched slightly off the desk and he leaned forward, his erection hard, firm and aimed precisely at the intended mark. When she wrapped her legs around him, he inched closer and then, unable to take any more, he thrust inside her to the hilt. He released a guttural groan at the feel of her wet flesh gripping tightly to his engorged hardness.
He drew in a sharp breath at the feel of being inside her, the feel of her muscles clenching him, pulling everything out of him, milking him. He threw his head back as he continued to move in and out of her, stroke after stroke, thrust after thrust, taking her hard and fast while releasing one
ragged groan after another.
Sensations assailed him. Sensations he’d only felt with Opal. He could feel his mind shutting down as his body took. But he wasn’t ready to let go yet so he fought back the orgasm that tried to rip through him. He wanted to stay inside her longer, for the rest of the day. Hell, he’d even stay for the night. He wanted to take over her mind the way she had taken over his.
“Doing this is all I’ve been thinking about today,” he whispered huskily as he leaned down closer to her lips. “I had to have you like this. I don’t understand it, but I couldn’t fight it any longer.” And then he put his hands at the center of her back to lift her so their mouths could touch. The moment his tongue delved between her lips, he captured hers and began a mating rhythm that matched the activities going on below.
He released her mouth to whisper one single word. A word he had never said to a woman before. “Mine.” And, with the release of that word, a satisfied sensation settled in his chest.
Opal’s body began shaking violently and D’marcus held tightly to her as an orgasm of gigantic proportion rammed through her and then through him. He felt his body explode within her, felt his release shoot to every part of her, and the feeling was incredible. Earth-shattering and amazing.
He froze when he suddenly realized what he hadn’t done. But, when her body continued to clench him, pull even more out of him, he released a deep groan and another orgasm tore through him. He was too caught up in the sensations to do anything but let it rip.
He pulled her closer to him and moaned out her name the same moment she moaned out his. And then he leaned down and kissed her again, needing his mouth on hers just as his body was connected to hers.
In Bed With Her Boss (Kimani Romance) Page 14
