“I like to know who I’m doing business with. Vetting people is a necessary vice when you don’t want folks to know your business.”
“Which is why you need to come clean and stop pretending you’re selling cupcakes for a living. You’re no girl scout and they don’t give out honor badges in our field of work.”
“You handle your business your way. I’ll handle my business my way.”
“His friend Bryan was gushing over you.”
“What did he say?”
“What they all say about your assets.”
“And what did you say?”
“What I always say. I told him you were already in a relationship.”
Kamaya’s eyes widened. “Why would you do that? What if Wesley thinks that I really am?”
Paxton chuckled. Before he could give her a retort his cell phone rang, the device chiming from the inner pocket of his jacket. Kamaya watched as he pulled it from the compartment, his eyes lighting up as he answered the call.
“Hey, baby!”
She shook her head as she listened to his side of the conversation.
“No, sweetheart...I...It’s not like that...Of course, I love you...I’m on my way, I promise...Laney, don’t be...Please, darling...”
Kamaya rolled her eyes.
Paxton suddenly disconnected the call. “I need to cut this gab fest short.”
“Awww! Is Laney not happy?” she said, her tone sarcastic. “Does darling need her boo-boo bear?”
“You are mean! I bet when you were a kid you used to kick dogs, torture cats and bully the other girls.”
“You’re a fool.” She blew a heavy sigh. “I think I’m going to take the day tomorrow. Maybe work from home. I need to catch up on some things.”
Paxton nodded. “Just touch base with me when you can.”
Kamaya nodded. “I will,” she said, her gaze narrowing as his cell phone chimed once again.
He took a deep breath as he stole a quick glance down at the screen. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said, as he turned abruptly and rushed from the room.
As the door slammed behind him Kamaya sneered, her expression pained. Her best friend’s relationship with that woman was proving to be a continuous thorn in both their asses. It made no sense to her why he couldn’t see it. She was still shaking her head when she reached for her phone and scrolled through her contacts.
Seconds later, her sister answered the phone.
“Hey, Kamaya, what’s up?” Maitlyn answered.
“Are you busy?”
“I was just rocking Zayn to sleep.”
“I can call you back.”
“No, it’s no problem. Zakaria is reading Rose-Lynn her bedtime story and Zayn’s already dozed off. I just like to cuddle him as much as I can. When Zakar gets here, Zayn’s going to have to share mommy’s lap, so I want him to get all the me time he can while he’s still the little baby.”
“You’re naming the new baby Zakar! I like that!”
“It was Zakaria’s idea. You know how he is about his sons! I was leaning toward Aloysius.”
Kamaya laughed. “Aloysius Sayed? Really!”
“It has a ring to it.”
“If you want your son to grow up with psychological issues.”
Maitlyn laughed with her. “My baby would be just fine.”
“Zakar Sayed has a jazzier ring to it. Zak is right on this one.”
“I hate to admit it, but I know! Just don’t tell him I said that!”
Kamaya smiled. She instinctively knew her sister was leaning to kiss her son’s forehead, nuzzling her cheek against his little face. “You sound happy, Maitlyn.”
“I am. Though, I’ll be ecstatic in about six weeks when this baby comes. But that’s not what you called me for. What’s up?”
“I need Zak to run a background check on someone for me.”
“Ooh! This sounds serious. Who is he?”
“His name is Wesley Walters and he’s someone I just need to know more about.”
“So you’re running background checks on random men now?”
“There is absolutely nothing random about this man!”
“That sounds even more intriguing! Are you two dating?”
“We just met. We might be doing some business together and I just want to make sure he’s on the up and up.”
“So this is just a professional query?”
Kamaya shook her head, imagining the smug expression on her sister’s face. “Just find out everything that you can about him. Please. Professional and personal.”
Maitlyn laughed. “Send me what you have on him and I’ll see what Zakaria can do. Did you think about calling Mason or Kendrick? You know they both would have checked him out for you.”
“I’d like to keep the brother brigade out of my business, if I can. You know how that is.”
“I do! I’ll take care of it, sister dear!”
“Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome! Now I need you to do me a favor.”
“Should I be scared?”
Maitlyn laughed again. “Call your mother and give her something. Anything! Just make sure it tides her over so she stops asking all of us what’s going on with you. Tell her you’re dating the entire Saints roster or that you just broke up with a drug dealer or that you have a new boyfriend who lives in Katmandu. Just tell her something. Please!”
The two women laughed heartily together.
“I swear this entire family is crazy!” Kamaya finally muttered as she gasped for breath, tears of amusement streaming down her face.
Agreement shimmered in Maitlyn’s tone. “Yeah, we are!”
* * *
Kamaya Boudreaux was the sister of Mason Boudreaux, III. Making the connection suddenly had Wesley in his feelings. He had idolized the billionaire since attending a seminar where the high-profile executive had spoken. It had been shortly after the sale of Boudreaux’s hotel-owning company to Stallion Enterprises, an even bigger conglomerate in Dallas, Texas. Mason Boudreaux had owned, managed, leased and franchised, through various subsidiaries, over four thousand hotels and more than six hundred and fifty thousand guest rooms in one hundred countries and territories around the world. Selling Boudreaux International Hotels and Resorts when he was just thirty-seven was a testament to his hard work and dedication. He had been an inspiration, and Wesley had been a fan ever since.
At that conference, one of many Wesley regularly attended to boost his knowledge, Mason had talked for over an hour about how he’d achieved professional success to the detriment of his personal life. But he had said that a shift in priorities and a good woman were making the next stage of his career even more profitable than the first. He had spoken about the importance of balance, focus and commitment in doing what you loved, where a dream job was so much more than a monthly paycheck. And he’d shared how the emotional support of family and friends made it all worthwhile.
Now Wesley had discovered that the woman he was now in business with was related to the man he’d idolized since forever. He was kicking himself for not having made the connection sooner. He closed the cover on his iPad and the article he’d just finished reading about the newest Boudreaux venture. Mason’s new company, Boudreaux Forensics, analyzed corporate investments to quantify portfolio losses and provide opinions regarding investment suitability. Mason was helping companies grow like he had grown his own. The interview had been two pages long and had included a brief paragraph on his personal life. There had been a family photograph, and as Wesley had scanned the image, seeing Kamaya’s stern expression as she stood between her brothers had caught him completely off guard. He blew a deep sigh.
He reached across the desk for the contract and documents that Paxton had left with him. Essentially, The
Michelle Initiative was distancing itself from The Wet Bar franchises. Their agreement gave him a controlling interest in the company’s development, first right of refusal for all future franchise properties and allowed him a level of interest in the business that any entrepreneur would have been excited about. The agreement also made him a contracted consultant to the parent company and had him reporting directly to Kamaya Boudreaux. That factor was particularly intriguing to him.
Researching the parent company hadn’t turned up anything that had him overly concerned. It was a consortium of family-friendly businesses, so he understood their reluctance to expose their involvement with and expansion into the adult entertainment industry. Since it was privately owned, outsiders learned only what the company wanted them to know, and he liked the prospect of being allowed into the inner sanctum. He found it hard to believe that Kamaya wouldn’t be taking business advice from her brother. Wesley longed to meet the executive and possibly learn from them both. And if he were honest, he was excited about the prospect of working closely with Kamaya. Very excited.
He dropped the folder of contracts into his briefcase. His attorney had already assured him that he was gaining more than he was risking. They had been overly generous. But despite feeling like he’d won the biggest prize at the state fair, something still didn’t feel right. He had questions and he wanted the answers from Kamaya Boudreaux. And he wasn’t going to sign until he got them.
* * *
Kamaya had cleaned her house from top to bottom. She’d dusted cobwebs out of the ceiling’s corners, washed windows, polished all of the wood furniture, bleached the bathroom tile, watered the plants and tossed some vegetables and frozen chicken into her brand-new Crock-Pot. If anyone had asked, she wouldn’t have been able to tell them what had triggered that maternal instinct to suddenly nest, but when she’d opened her eyes that morning the need had been almost desperate. She’d risen intending to clean until the home was spotless, and with one last swipe across the marble counters in her kitchen, it finally was.
After giving the timer on her Crock-Pot one last check, she moved toward her bedroom to shower. She’d just stripped out of her clothes and was heading for the master bathroom when her cell phone rang, the number on the screen was not one she recognized. Despite the initial instinct to ignore it, curiosity got the best of her.
“Hello?”
“May I speak to Kamaya Boudreaux, please?”
She hesitated, the familiar voice making her stomach do a twirl and a flip. The thick Southern drawl was unmistakable, Wesley Walters’s deep baritone voice sounded rich and thick and decadently sweet. Kamaya felt her whole body begin to quiver with excitement. “Wesley Walters, hello! This is a surprise,” she said, as she felt her face pull into a full grin.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Not at all. What can I do for you?”
“I was reviewing the contracts Paxton left and I had some questions. I was hoping you’d be able to meet me for a cup of coffee to discuss them.”
“Now?”
“If you’re not busy.”
Kamaya paused, dropping down onto the side of her freshly made bed. “So, what kind of questions do you have?”
“Nothing major. Just some things that I need clarification on.”
“Paxton couldn’t help you?”
“There’s no point in wasting my time with the middleman. Why ask for a yes from the man who can only say no?”
Kamaya chuckled. “I’ll give you that! I can meet up with you.”
“There’s a great little coffee shop on Magazine Street between Race and Orange Streets.”
“Mojo’s. I know it well. It’s one of my favorite spots.”
“Mine, too. Let’s say in about an hour?”
“Make it two.”
“I’ll see you there in two hours,” he said, then he disconnected the call.
Kamaya took a deep breath and then a second to calm the quiver of nerves that had consumed her. She pressed her knees tightly together, stalling the slight rumble that prickled her sweet spot. She couldn’t begin to understand why her body had her feeling like an adolescent with a first crush. “Get a hold of yourself!” she muttered under her breath.
She glanced to the clock on her nightstand. The coffee shop was some twenty minutes away from her front door. She had more than enough time to soak in a hot tub, primp and get there with time to spare. She was still holding on to her cell phone when it vibrated in her palm, surprising her. When she answered, her sister’s voice boomed in greeting on the other end.
“Hey, Maitlyn!” she responded.
“So, tell me about this man again?”
“What man?”
“Don’t play. You know what man.”
“Why? What did you find out?”
“Walter Wesley has quite a reputation.”
“What do you mean?
“Where do I start? For one, he’s got an estimated net worth of...”
Kamaya interrupted. “I know his financials. I’ve been reviewing his banking numbers for weeks now. I wanted to know if he’s married!”
Maitlyn laughed. “No. He’s single. No children. He’s not currently involved in a romantic relationship, but he’s got quite a fan club of female followers.”
“What do you mean?”
“I sent you the link. It’s an old Myspace page that was practically archived. It hasn’t had any activity in some time, but it’s definitely about him.”
Kamaya moved to the laptop on her desk, pulling up her sister’s email message. “What kind of fan page is it?”
“Something one of his admirers put together on his behalf, but it looks like he interacted regularly to keep the ladies updated on his whereabouts.”
“I don’t understand.”
Maitlyn laughed. “Your friend use to be an exotic dancer. A very popular one.”
There was a moment of stunned silence as Kamaya processed the information. It had been the last thing she’d expected her sister to discover about the man.
The amusement in Maitlyn’s tone shifted to something more serious. “Is this anything I need to be concerned about, Kamaya?”
Kamaya blew a soft sigh. “He and I are meeting in an hour for coffee to discuss some concerns he has with his contracts.”
“Seems like a good time to discuss the concerns you might have about his employment choices,” Maitlyn countered.
Kamaya rolled her eyes, her sister’s comment irritating her for reasons she couldn’t comprehend. “Is there anything else?” she questioned.
“No. On paper he seems like a really great guy. He has fared well in business, so a professional partnership would probably serve you well. Anything else you’ll have to figure out on your own, kiddo!”
“Thanks for the help.”
“You’re very welcome. By the way, you never told me about this business venture you two are considering doing together.”
Kamaya laughed. “It’s just an amusement park kind of thing. Something I’ll probably pass on.”
Maitlyn chuckled. “Okay. It’s your lie. Tell it any way you want to!”
* * *
For a good ten minutes Kamaya sat pouring through the information on the Myspace page that her sister had linked her to. There were multiple photos and a ton of comments from fans. Reading through them was entertaining. She actually lost count of the women who’d posted their telephone numbers, hoping that the dancer named Deuce would reach out and touch them.
There was one link to a video. It was old and slightly grainy but it was definitely Wesley Walters in all his glory. He wore skin and a cock sheath, the G-string with an oversized length of fabric stretching over the package between his legs. He’d been exceptionally blessed, and she imagined that when he’d been born and the
angels were doling out body parts, he’d gotten his and then some.
He had exceptional rhythm and moved with a sensual ease. His gyrations were downright nasty in the most tasteful way. Everything about him and how he moved was a contradiction, and the women were wild for him. Kamaya watched the three-minute clip a few times before finally closing the link and shutting down her computer. She blew warm breath, the room feeling like someone had turned up the heat, and she was close to combusting. She swore, profanity flooding the room. She needed to get ready. But her warm bath would have to turn into a very cold shower, instead.
Chapter 5
She’d worn low-slung boyfriend jeans with a white button-up blouse and strappy gold sandals with a stiletto heel. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and gold hoop earrings adorned her earlobes. As she stepped into the room, heads turned, observers eyeing her appreciatively, one male too many smiling as she eased past.
Wesley sat forward and upright in his seat at the sight of her. His heartbeat suddenly felt like a drum line gone rampant, the beautiful woman taking his breath away. As she made her way to his table he stood up, greeting her with an eager expression and bright smile.
“Kamaya, hello!” He extended his hand to shake hers.
“Hi!” she said, her smile pulling wide and full across her face. “It’s good to see you again.” She snatched her fingers from his, a wave of intense heat searing their touch. She drew her fingers into a tight fist, dropping her arm to her side as she gently clutched the side of her pants leg.
“I appreciate you taking time out to meet with me.” He pulled out a chair and gestured for her to take a seat beside him.
Kamaya dropped into the wooden chair gratefully, as her knees were shaking, threatening to send her to the floor. She took a deep breath and held it briefly.
“What can I get you?” he asked as he gestured toward the counter and the line forming for orders.
She glanced at the menu and the specialty drinks noted on the blackboard. “I think I’ll try an Almond Joy cappuccino, thank you.”
With a quick nod he moved toward the counter, striding like a man on a mission. Kamaya tried not to stare. At least, not so obviously that he would notice. But staring seemed almost mandatory.
A Pleasing Temptation Page 5
