Paxton smiled. “You do care about me!”
“Don’t get it twisted. You still owe me money. I’m protecting my investment.”
His face twisted. “Cut a man some slack. It was just a small loan. I thought you would have forgiven that by now.”
“We’re talking about my money, not your bad habits.”
They both laughed. She stood a second time. “I’m going home. I suggest you do the same.”
He nodded. “I need to. I’m tired and it’s starting to catch up with me.”
“Well, I need you on top of your game tomorrow. Wesley has a site for his next franchise that he wants us to approve. Plus, we’ve got additional franchise inquiries coming in faster than we can field them. We have some decisions to make.”
“I’m glad you two hooked up. He really is a great guy. If things work out, you might even want to consider bringing him in on the business as your partner.”
“Where did that come from?” Kamaya questioned.
“I have new aspirations, Kamaya. Laney and I have been talking about starting something together and...well...” He cut an uneasy eye at her. “Let’s talk about it more tomorrow. I’m excited and I want you to be excited for me.”
An uncomfortable pause settled over them. It rose thick and full, a force field of weight that wouldn’t be moved easily. Kamaya slowly nodded her head, and as Paxton turned, his hand on the doorknob, something her brother Mason had told her when she’d first started out in business rang loudly in her head. You can’t soar with eagles if you’re out hootin’ with the owls.
“You have a good night,” Paxton said, as he made his exit, tossing her one last glance over his shoulder.
As the door closed and his footsteps faded off in the distance, Kamaya finally responded softly. “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered.
* * *
“He does see it,” Wesley was saying as he shifted his cell phone from one ear to the other. “But he loves her. So if he’s willing to tolerate her behavior, why does it bother you so much?”
“Because he’s my friend,” Kamaya answered. “And he deserves so much better!”
Wesley could hear the frustration in her voice. She’d called him ranting about Paxton as she’d pulled out of the parking lot of her office, heading in the direction of her home. Even Wesley had agreed that her best friend’s final comments had sounded foreboding, like more bad news was definitely coming her way.
“He’s leaving the business. I can feel it. Somehow that witch has convinced him to go into business with her. I can’t believe he’s even considering it!”
Wesley sighed. “So what if he does leave? Is it going to be a problem if you have to buy out his interest?”
“No. He only owns thirty percent of the business and he owes me money. I have more than enough cash on hand if he’s owed a payout. That’s not a problem at all.”
Wesley nodded into his receiver. “I know you want to help him, Kamaya, but you can’t help a man who’s not ready to help himself. Clearly, whatever is going on with him and his woman is important to him. If he’s not ready to let that go, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to change his mind.”
“It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Let me tell you about an old friend of mine.”
“Is this a friend I’m going to meet?”
“Probably,” he said. “At some point I’m sure I’ll get an opportunity to introduce the two of you.” He could hear her car engine turn off. “You home?
“I am. I’m going to take you off speaker while I get into the house. Hold on a minute for me.”
“Just be careful,” he said, as she went quiet. There was an extended moment of bags rustling and doors slamming before she spoke again.
“Sorry, baby. So, tell me about your friend,” Kamaya said, as she moved into the interior of her house and dropped down onto the living room sofa.
“My friend Jack married his childhood sweetheart, Marcy. He has loved Marcy since they were both twelve years old. But Marcy never loved Jack the same way. They had only been married a few months when he started complaining about her flirting with other men, and then the flirting turned to cheating. Marcy would disappear for days at a time, come home, beg Jack to forgive her and he would. Years go by, Marcy now has five kids and Jack is not the father of any one of them.”
“Oh, hell no! And he didn’t leave her?”
“No. Each and every time she’d apologize and talk her way back into his head. We would all give him advice, offer him support, everything, but Marcy had that kind of hold on him.”
“That’s a shame!”
“It is. Anyway, about three years ago Marcy was arrested for check fraud. And she was arrested with some man who said he was her boyfriend. Jack said he was done. Marcy got some jail time and Jack filed for divorce. Last year, Marcy got out of prison and before you know it she had moved back in with Jack. He said it was only temporary but she’s still there, still running his life, still doing her dirt and he just can’t let her go.”
“That’s just crazy! He should have kicked Marcy to the curb!”
“I think so, but since I’m not in his shoes and I don’t know what goes on behind his closed doors, there’s nothing I can do but be there to support him when things go bad. I know in my heart of hearts that things will eventually go bad. All you can do is let Paxton know that you’ll be here for him if he needs you when things go bad for him. And if by chance the two of them actually make things work, then you still just need to be the friend he knows he can depend on.”
Kamaya blew a soft sigh. “Be honest. Does my friendship with Paxton bother you?”
“It bothers me that you are stressed about him. And it bothers me because there’s nothing that I can do to take that stress from you.”
Her voice dropped an octave. “Oh, there’s something you can do,” she said, her sultry tone moving him to smile. “In fact, if I think about it, I’m sure there are a few things that I can come up with for you to do.”
“Just give me a list, baby!”
“Thank you,” Kamaya said, her voice a loud whisper.
“For what?”
“For letting me vent. I appreciate that I can talk to you about anything and you don’t think I’m crazy when I go off on one of my rants.”
“Well, I don’t know about all that, now!” he said teasingly. “You might be a little bit crazy!”
Kamaya laughed. “Actually, I might be a lot crazy! Consider yourself warned!”
Their conversation continued for another good hour. When they finally hung up, promising to talk again in the early morning hours, both were wishing they’d made plans to spend the night together. Her missing him was only outdone by his missing her. Wesley dialed her right back.
“Hey! What’s wrong?” Kamaya asked, answering on the first ring.
“I can’t sleep.”
Kamaya laughed. “You haven’t tried!”
“I don’t need to. You’re not here so I know I’m going to toss and turn for the next few hours.”
She smiled. “I miss you, too.”
“Are you coming here or am I coming there?”
Kamaya laughed. “What are you wearing?”
“I still have on my suit. I was just about to get out of my clothes.”
“I’m only wearing my bra and panties.”
Wesley laughed. “I’m on my way!”
* * *
Hours later Wesley whispered her name, easing behind her as she allowed her body to melt into his. Her back rested against his broad chest, her buttocks cradled neatly into the curve of his crotch. His fingers trailed a line of heat down the length of her arm and torso, and then he snaked his hand down between her legs, the teasing gesture moving her to moan.
&nbs
p; Making love to Wesley was like getting the cherry off some very sweet cake. Each and every time they were together felt like the first time, his touch stirring something deep inside of her spirit. Falling asleep in any man’s arms wasn’t something Kamaya had ever needed. She’d actually refused herself the luxury. But resting in Wesley’s arms was everything, the intensity of being near him fueling something she hadn’t even known she wanted.
And she wanted Wesley. She wanted him with every fiber of her being. She missed him when they were apart, and for the first time she couldn’t imagine her life without him there.
She turned, twisting against the mattress until she could press her face beneath the curve of his chin, pressing a damp kiss against his skin. Her hands skated around his torso as she hugged him close, and he pulled her tight against his chest. She took a deep inhale of air, the decadent scent of his cologne like the sweetest balm.
He kissed her forehead and then her lips. “You good?” he whispered softly, that thick Southern drawl of his making her smile.
She shook her head, her mouth lifting in the easiest bend. “No!”
His eyes opened as he stared down at her. “What’s wrong, baby?”
Kamaya reached her hand between them, wrapping her fingers around his male member. “I’m needy,” she whispered. “Very needy.”
Wesley laughed, his organ twitching against her palm. He leaned to kiss her lips a second time.
“What do you want?” he asked, his voice a low, husky whisper.
“No,” she said, whispering back. “It’s a need!” she gushed.
He laughed again. “You need me?”
“I do. I need you and I don’t ever want to lose you.” The words spilled past her lips before she could catch them. Her eyes closed for a brief second as she tightened the hug she had around him.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Wesley said softly. “You’re going to have a hard time getting rid of me.” He kissed her forehead, his lips fluttering lightly against her skin.
“Good, because I really like what we have.”
“What exactly do we have, Kamaya? I know you have an aversion to labeling your relationships, but what is going on with us?”
There was a moment of pause as the couple lay side by side, staring at each other. Kamaya shrugged her shoulders ever so slightly. “I just know that I don’t want to lose us. Isn’t that enough?”
“That can be taken a number of ways.”
“How do you want to take it?”
“I’d like to think that you love me, and because you love me you want to spend the rest of your life with me. In fact, you love me so much that you would marry me and have my children.”
“Love? Isn’t that rushing things a bit?”
“Maybe, but you can’t stop the heart from having what it wants. You love me.”
“And how do you know that’s how I feel?”
“Because I love you more than anything else in this world. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Kamaya Boudreaux.”
She pressed her palm to his cheek and lifted her lips to his, kissing him gently. “So, are you interested in doing business with me?” she asked. “I’m going to need a partner.”
He chuckled softly. “Outline the details in our prenup and I’ll consider it.”
“I don’t believe in prenups,” she said matter-of-factly.
His brows lifted in surprise. “You, the contract queen of business dos and don’ts, don’t believe in prenups?”
“A prenup says I don’t trust you. And if I love you, then I trust you with my life.”
He reflected on her comments for a brief moment. He cupped his hand beneath her chin and lifted her eyes to his. “Do you trust me, Kamaya?”
She smiled sweetly. “With my life.”
Chapter 12
Waking next to Wesley was a wonderful way to start each new day. Without verbalizing what they were doing, Kamaya and Wesley had managed to move in with each other, one week in his space, the next in hers. It worked for them, and when it didn’t, neither had any problem fixing it so that it did. But when Kamaya found herself being questioned about their relationship, what was easy and comfortable suddenly wasn’t.
“I like him, Kamaya. Your daddy and I both do, but you know how we feel about you shacking up with any man.”
The young woman winced. “Wesley and I are not shacking up. We...well...it’s complicated.”
Her mother eyed her with a raised brow. “I may have been born at night, Kamaya, but I wasn’t born last night. When he’s not at your house, you’re at his. You sleep together every night. That’s shacking up.”
“We don’t always sleep,” Kamaya mumbled under her breath.
Maitlyn laughed, rocking her infant son against her shoulder.
Katherine shot her daughters a look. “I heard that. Your father and I have told you about that smart mouth of yours. You are not too old!”
Tarah laughed. “Finally! Someone else is getting all the heat.”
Katherine pointed her finger. “I’m sure your turn is coming. You both need to take some pointers from Maitlyn and Katrina.”
Katrina brushed the back of her fingers against her shoulder. She winked at Maitlyn “Yes, you two should take pointers from us. We’re good girls!”
Kamaya rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you have a baby before you married that husband of yours?
Tarah nodded. “You did do that!”
“Really!” Katrina retorted. You’re going to call me out like that?”
Kamaya continued. “I was just pointing out that you two weren’t that good! Maitlyn had vacation sex with a man she’d only known for a few hours.”
Maitlyn laughed. “Yes, I did, and now that man and I are married with three kids. What’s your point?”
“When you think about it,” Tarah interjected. “I’ve been a really good girl in comparison to the rest of you heathens!”
“And you were the one we were most worried about,” Katherine added. She leaned to kiss her daughter’s forehead. “Sure did surprise me and your daddy!”
A round of laughter rang heartily around the room.
Kamaya shook her head. “So, what are we doing?” she questioned.
It was a milestone birthday for Katherine, her seventy-fifth, and all of her children and grandchildren were flying in to celebrate. Kamaya and her sisters had arrived first, plotting an all-girls celebration for the evening before the kickoff of the family festivities that were scheduled for Sunday afternoon after Mass.
“Maitlyn made reservations for us at GW Fins and then we’re going clubbing!”
“Clubbing?” Katherine exclaimed. “I think I’m just a little too old for clubbing!”
“You will never be too old for a good time,” Maitlyn said. “There’s a new dance club called The Wet Bar that everyone is raving about. It caters to women and they tell me the men who dance there are to die for!”
Heat suddenly flooded Kamaya’s face, and her cheeks flushed with color. “The Wet Bar?”
“It already sounds sinful!” Katherine said with a deep chuckle.
Katrina laughed. “Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is!”
“It is!” Tarah exclaimed. “Male strippers!”
“Oh, I know you have lost your mind!” Katherine exclaimed. “Your father will have a fit!”
“That’s why we’re not telling him,” Katrina said, tossing a quick look over her shoulder toward the door. “We’re not telling any of the men. Not until we get back, anyway.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t...” Kamaya started.
Maitlyn waved a dismissive hand. “We’re going and we’re going to have a great time. And if it is too much, we can always leave and go get a drink at your
boyfriend’s bar.”
The last of the color in Kamaya’s face drained into the wine she gulped suddenly. Things had gone from bad to worse.
Katherine giggled. “Lord, have mercy! What time do I need to be ready?”
* * *
Despite her best efforts, Kamaya hadn’t been able to convince her family that going to a male strip club was not a good idea. She had hoped that her mother would have declared a moratorium on the idea, but Katherine actually seemed to be looking forward to the prospect. As they were finishing their desserts, Kamaya gave it one last try.
“What about your work to stamp out sexual exploitation? Won’t they have to revoke your cause card if you’re patronizing strippers?” Kamaya questioned. She shot a look at her sisters before resting her gaze on their matriarch.
Katherine paused for a moment to reflect on the question. “Are these men being forced to work in this industry.”
“No!” Tarah exclaimed, shooting Kamaya an agitated look.
“Are they being paid a fair wage for what they’re doing?” Katherine asked.
“From what I know,” Maitlyn said, “they’re being paid very well. And their tips are substantial.”
“A lot of horny women making it rain!” Tarah laughed.
Katherine cut her eyes at her youngest daughter before she continued. “I don’t have enough information about the business or the men who are working there to form an opinion. But if I have any concerns, I have no problem contacting the owner and doing what might be needed to help any employee, male or female.”
Kamaya took another gulp of wine. “So, you’re okay with men shaking their assets for profit but you’re opposed to women doing the same thing? Isn’t that a little sexist?”
“What I am opposed to, Kamaya, is adults who manipulate and take advantage of children and young people who are not legally able to make decisions for themselves. Those who lack the maturity and emotional capability to understand that they are being taken advantage of. Individuals who become caught up in the sex trade and feel trapped in situations not of their making. I’m opposed to anyone, male or female, being forced to use their bodies for financial gain when the decision to do so wasn’t made by them. I will rally against that all day, every day!
A Pleasing Temptation Page 13
