“Mine,” he repeated again. As he leaned down to kiss her once more, he knew how it felt not only to give in to temptation, but to let it take over your very existence, as well.
Opal began getting dressed, wishing there was a connecting bathroom in D’marcus’s office. He had gotten dressed before her since it had taken her a while to get enough energy to move.
She glanced over to where he stood at the window looking out. He was quiet and had been for a while. She wondered if he’d regretted what they had done in his office. It would be hard for her ever to come in here without thinking about it, remembering it.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I need to call Colleen and let her know I’ll be a little late. I don’t want her to worry about—”
“I didn’t use anything.”
Since he hadn’t turned around she didn’t fully hear his interruption. “I’m sorry, D’marcus, what did you say?”
He turned to her then, the expression on his face unreadable. “I said I was careless and didn’t use anything. You could be pregnant.”
His words hit her and she shook her head to clear her mind. She had gotten just as caught up in what they’d been doing and hadn’t given any thought to birth control, either.
She quickly calculated in her mind and then let out a relieved sigh. “I don’t think so because—”
“But you don’t know for sure, do you?” he snapped.
Opal swallowed, not liking his tone and not understanding it. “No, I don’t know for sure, but according to my calculations, it’s the wrong time of the month.”
“And when will you know for sure?” he demanded to know.
Opal placed her hands on her hips and her eyes flared in anger. “In a couple of weeks. Why are you so uptight about it? If there’s a baby, then there’s a baby. I can deal with it.”
He slowly crossed the room to her. A degree of anger she had never seen before was etched on his face. “Well, I can’t deal with it. I promised myself I would never be that careless again.”
Opal didn’t have to ask what he meant by that. His aunt had shared with her the fact that Tonya had been pregnant at the time of the boating accident. “Don’t worry about it, D’marcus. More than likely, I’m not pregnant,” she said as calmly as she could.
“And, if you are, I don’t want a child.”
His words seemed to reach in and slap her heart. She lifted her chin and glared angrily at him. “It really doesn’t matter what you want. If I am pregnant—and that’s a big if—having an abortion isn’t an option, so don’t even think it. And how dare you suggest such a thing?”
He rubbed his hand down his face. “Opal, I wasn’t suggesting that you—”
“Weren’t you? I think it’s best that I go now.” Without giving him a chance to say anything else, she stormed out of his office, slamming the door behind her.
It was only after she’d left that he glanced around at the mess he’d made on the floor when he’d knocked everything off his desk in his haste to put Opal on top of it. He gaze suddenly latched on to one particular thing and he crossed the room to pick it up. It was the framed photo of Tonya. The glass was broken.
His heart twisted in pain as he stared down at the woman he had once loved to distraction. The only woman he had ever wanted to have his child. As he began picking up the pieces of the broken glass, he thought about Opal. He could still hear the hurt and disappointment in her voice.
Today he had lost it. Even now, he couldn’t believe that he had made love to her unprotected. He had to make sure such a thing never happened again. His relationship with her was getting too deep. He was getting too obsessed. He could never allow himself to lose his self-control again. Things between them had definitely gotten out of hand.
That meant there was only one thing for him to do. Tonight he would drop by to see her when she returned from the movie with her cousin.
It was time things ended between them.
“Opal, are you sure you’re okay?” Colleen leaned over to whisper, momentarily taking her eyes off the huge movie screen in front of her.
“Shh,” Opal hissed to her cousin. “I’ve already told you once that I’m okay, so let’s finish watching the movie.”
In a way, she was glad they were in the darkened movie theater. That way Colleen couldn’t see the tears staining her cheeks. D’marcus had really become upset at the possibility that he had gotten her pregnant. She had tried assuring him, but he hadn’t wanted to hear it. But the worst thing he said was that he didn’t want a child because, in essence, he was telling her that he didn’t want her to have his child. Her heart hurt at the thought.
When she felt her phone vibrate in her purse next to her, she pulled it out. Seeing it was D’marcus calling, she whispered to Colleen. “I need to step out to take this call. I’ll be back in a minute.”
As soon as stepped out of the theater and into the lobby, she clicked on the line. “Yes?”
There was a pause. Then a masculine voice she clearly recognized said, “Sorry, I didn’t think you had your phone on. I was prepared to leave a message.”
“That’s fine. What do you want?” she asked frowning. Hadn’t he said enough?
“I think you and I should talk.”
“Okay, I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”
“No. I need to talk to you tonight. Please. What time do you think you’ll be home?”
Opal glanced at her watch. “In an hour. The movie is almost over.”
“All right. I’ll be there then. Goodbye.”
She didn’t bother saying goodbye to him. Instead, she clicked off the phone and slid it back in her purse. A chill of foreboding ran up her spine and, unlike the other nights, she wasn’t looking forward to D’marcus’s visit tonight.
D’marcus was ringing the doorbell within minutes after Opal got home. She opened the door and stood back to let him enter. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked him.
“No, I don’t plan on staying but a minute. I thought it would be more appropriate saying this in person than over the phone.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Saying what?”
His eyes met and held hers. “I think we should end things between us and let them go back to the way they were.”
She swallowed hard, knowing, in a way, she should have expected this. “And that decision was made just because you think I may have gotten pregnant today?”
“That’s not the only reason. I can’t control my actions around you. You make me crazy.”
Anger consumed Opal, propelling her forward. “And that’s supposed to be my problem?”
“No, I admit it’s mine and I’m going to deal with it the best way I know how.”
Opal inhaled deeply, fighting back the anger, refusing to give in to any drama. They had agreed in the beginning that the affair would last only as long as either of them wanted it to, and he had come to say that he no longer wanted her.
She considered questioning him further, but her pride kept her from doing so. “Okay, fine. Things will go back to being as they were before. Good night, D’marcus.”
He turned to leave and when he got to the door he paused for a second, but then, without turning back around or having anything further to say, he opened the door and left.
Opal stormed into her bedroom, warning herself that she’d better not cry.
A few moments later she was doing that very thing, anyway.
Chapter 18
A week later, Opal sat at her computer finalizing her resignation. She and D’marcus had tried putting things back as they had been before and it wasn’t working. He knew it and she knew it, so there was only one thing left for her to do.
Although she didn’t want to leave the company, she knew doing so was for the best. She just hoped she could find another job that would let her finish up her internship, but that was a chance she would have to take. Her peace of mind meant more to her than anything.
It wasn’t that D’marcus w
as rude to her; in fact, whenever they encountered each other, he was respectful. But those times were few and far between since he’d gone out of his way to avoid her. She knew that a lot of the documents she used to handle for him were now being handled by the typing pool just so he wouldn’t have to be bothered with her. In that case, he could do very well without her, she concluded, as she pulled her resignation letter off the printer to sign it. With that done, she stood, crossed the room and knocked on his office door.
“Come in.”
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked in. He was sitting at his desk with files spread everywhere, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He gave her only a cursory glance before looking back down at the file he’d been working on.
“Yes, Opal?”
“I just want to give this to you, sir,” she said, knowing her use of the word sir grated on his nerves. She handed him the paper she held in her hand.
He took it from her and for the longest time he didn’t say anything, didn’t even look up. Finally he met her gaze. “Is this what you really want to do, Opal?” he asked in a quiet tone.
She decided to be honest with him. “No, but I think it will be for the best.”
“You may not have to do this,” he said, still holding her gaze. “I received a call this morning from Laura Hancock in the marketing department. She’s very interested in you becoming a member of her team.”
Opal raised a surprised brow. “She is?”
“Yes. It’s not the first time she’s spoken to me about you. The first time was a few months ago. At the time I wasn’t ready to let you go anywhere. I had considered you irreplaceable.”
But not now, Opal quickly concluded. But then she wasn’t surprised. A lot had changed between them since then.
“Moving to that department is a wonderful opportunity for you, Opal. In addition to a salary increase of ten thousand a year, it will place you in an even greater leadership role. And you’ll be utilizing a skill that I believe you’re good at. Personally, I think you should take it.”
She sighed deeply. It was a wonderful opportunity and she had been eying that position for some time. Something flashed through her mind then. “And you didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?” She couldn’t help but wonder if he had.
His eyes blazed into hers. “No, I had nothing to do with it, Opal. You earned the recognition for this promotion on your own. I only confirmed what an outstanding employee you are.”
Opal nodded. “Thanks.”
“Will you consider it?”
“When would I have to start?”
“In two weeks.”
She nodded again. That was the same time her resignation was to become effective. The marketing department was on another floor so chances were slim that she and D’marcus’s paths would cross often. “Yes, I’ll consider it. Can I think about it over the weekend and give you my answer on Monday?”
“Yes, and while you’re doing so I’ll hold off doing anything with this,” he said, slipping her resignation letter in his desk.
Without saying anything else, she turned and walked out of his office.
“A promotion! Opal, that’s wonderful,” her sisters were saying when she met them for dinner later that evening.
“That should make things a lot easier for you and D’marcus. With you in another department that means the two of you won’t have to be so discreet,” Ruby was saying.
Opal hadn’t told them she and D’marcus had ended their affair and she wasn’t ready to do so, either. “We’ll see.”
“So this calls for a celebration,” Pearl eagerly suggested. “And, no matter what, please don’t invite Reverend Kendrick.”
Opal shook her head. “I’m really not up for a party. Besides, I haven’t accepted the offer yet.”
“Why wouldn’t you accept it?” Ruby asked. Everyone knew that, when it came to advancing on a job, she was a strong advocate of doing so.
“I’m looking at all my options. I told D’marcus I’d let him know my decision next week.”
“Well, it sounds like a good job and a ten thousand dollar increase in salary isn’t something to decline. You’d be crazy not to take it,” Amber said, adding her two cents.
“We’ll see.”
Ruby leaned back in her chair and studied Opal. “Is there something going on that you’re not telling us, Opal?”
Leave it to Ruby to be so suspicious, Opal thought. “Why would you think that?” she asked, knowing there was a lot she wasn’t telling them.
“No reason. Just a hunch.”
Opal continued to eat her food knowing her three sisters’ eyes were on her, but she refused to tell them anything now about her breakup with D’marcus. She was still trying to deal with it herself. And the last thing she wanted to do was to break down and cry in front of them. She had agreed to the affair knowing that one day it would end. Now it had ended and she needed to move on. It was that simple.
But then she had discovered that loving a man was never simple.
“How about a movie tomorrow night?” she asked her sisters.
Pearl raised a brow. “Saturday night? I would think you’d have a date with D’marcus.”
Opal shrugged. “Well, I don’t, so how about it?”
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Amber said, ready to dig into the meal the waiter had placed on their table. “Just as long as we go early. I want to hit the clubs at a decent time.”
Ruby made a comment to Amber about her clubbing ways and then Pearl got into the conversation. Opal was grateful that for a little while the topic of conversation had shifted from her to her little sister.
“I’ve decided to take the job, D’marcus.”
Pain he tried to ignore clutched at D’marcus’s heart. He was going to lose her, but deep down he knew he already had. It was for the best, but, still, he ached for what they used to have. She was a woman who would one day want to marry. She would want children. She wanted the very things he didn’t.
“All right,” he said, tossing aside the papers he’d been looking over. “I’ll give Laura a call and let her know your decision.” He leaned back in his chair and added, “I think you’re making the right decision, Opal. You’re an excellent employee who’s going places.”
“Thank you.”
When she turned to leave, he couldn’t help but ask, “How have you been?”
“I’ve been fine, D’marcus,” she answered somewhat irritably. She was getting the promotion of a lifetime and instead of being really happy about it, it was almost a downer for her. The only good thing was that she wouldn’t be spending her time around D’marcus. The hurt and pain was too much to bear.
“And how is your apartment coming along? Do you have everything arranged the way you want?”
“Yes.” And deciding she couldn’t handle the small talk another minute, she said, “If you don’t need me for anything else, D’marcus, I need to finish up that report.”
He nodded. “No, there’s nothing else. However, I would like to ask you something.”
She lifted a brow. “What?”
“It’s been almost two weeks. Do you know if you’re pregnant?”
Opal winced inside, and a part of her actually felt physically ill that he was asking for what she considered to be all the wrong reasons. He didn’t want a baby, and definitely not one from her. “No, I don’t know yet.”
“Aren’t there ways a woman can find out before—”
She held up her hand to stop him from saying anything else. “Look, D’marcus. I really don’t want to discuss this now. I told you the day it happened that I’m probably not pregnant. When I know for sure you’ll be the first to know. And to answer your question about if there’s a way for me to find out early, yes, there is, but I have no intention of doing so just to lighten whatever load of guilt you’re hauling on your back.” She turned and walked out of his office.
D’marcus threw the pen he was holding on to his desk, angry
that lately he always seemed to say the wrong things around her. A part of him wished he could take back everything that had happened that day between them in his office, but another part didn’t want to even consider it. Although he had lost control, there was never a time he had made love to her that he regretted.
He got up from his desk and walked over to the window to look outside, thinking he had certainly made a huge mess of things.
Opal sat at her computer, trying to compose herself, though a sob was caught in her throat. She refused to cry another tear for D’marcus Armstrong. Trying to concentrate on the report she was typing, she determined moments later that it was no use. She needed to leave.
She glanced at the clock and saw it was a few minutes before three. She had two more hours to work, but there was no way she could. She pressed the intercom on her desk.
“Yes, Opal?”
“D’marcus, would it be all right if I left a little early today? I’ll be in tomorrow to finish the report, and I’ll make sure it’s on your desk before nine.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. You’ve asked me that already.”
“I’m just concerned because you want to leave early.”
“There’s no need for you to be. May I leave?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Thank you.” She quickly closed the connection and gathered her belongings, feeling battered inside.
D’marcus stood at his window, watching as Opal made her way across the parking lot to her car. The wind was rather brisk, and she bent over slightly to ward off the whirling breeze, clutching her coat tight. He heard his cell phone ring but didn’t move from where he was standing to pick it up. He was glued to the spot, needing to watch and make sure that Opal made it to her car okay. He would call to see if she made it home, but he doubted she would welcome such concern from him. He couldn’t blame her too much for that.
He sighed deeply as he watched her car pull out of the parking lot. Moments later, the vehicle could no longer be seen. It was only then that he went back to his desk and sat down. He picked up his cell phone and checked the caller ID. It had been Priscilla. He hadn’t seen or talked to the woman since the night weeks ago when he’d taken her out as a way to get his mind and attraction off Opal. He really hadn’t wanted to bother with her then, and he most certainly didn’t want to bother with her now. The only woman he wanted hated his guts.
In Bed With Her Boss (Kimani Romance) Page 15
