by Shara Azod
Men like Leland didn’t marry women like Toni, and ultimately, that is what she wanted more than anything else. Marriage and a family. Yeah, she was proudly independent. She had made her own way. She was proud of what she had accomplished all on her own. But she wanted the same thing most women wanted. She wanted someone to come home to, someone to share her life with. Desiree might have found a white man from a prestigious family who didn’t mind adding a little color into the family fold. Southern families just didn’t swing that way. Well, most of them anyway.
Standing at the bank of ceiling to floor windows, Toni wasn’t watching the lights of Atlanta below the fortieth floor penthouse. She could have cared less about the view, as spectacular as it was. Her body was completely attuned to one thing-Leland. She watched him watch her, shivering as he slowly moved toward her. She could only see his reflection, but she could damn near feel him as he settled behind her. Her eyes closed as his arms enveloped her in their embrace. His arms felt so good, she could almost believe in happily ever after. Almost.
“Do you want to go out to eat?”
Hell no, she wanted to eat him alive. So not a good sign.
“Um, yeah. Let me go change.” Anything to get away from temptation.
She could handle the mind blowing sex, at least she hoped she could. What she couldn’t take was the cuddling, the soft intimate moments outside the bedroom. Things such as these were traps for the unsuspecting female, meant to lure the unsuspecting heart into danger and pain. They were just too different for this to work in any real way.
However, Leland didn’t budge. He was frowning down at her. She could see that clearly that. But why? Did he suspect her trepidations? It wasn’t as if she tried to hide them after all.
“All I ask is that you give us a chance, Toni. Can you do that?”
Could she? What would it hurt?
My heart.
*****
Leland loved to watch Toni eat. Actually, he just loved to watch Toni. Because they had only gotten into town a couple of hours ago after the long drive from Brunswick, he had planned on grabbing a burger, maybe some bar-b-cue, but he’d quickly changed his mind when Toni had emerged from the bathroom in that delightful skimpy little black dress. Instead, he had brought her to Prime, one of Atlanta’s best restaurants located at Lenox Square.
She was uncomfortable, her body language fairly screamed to anyone who knew her, yet she projected an innate grace and ladylike decorum. He seriously doubted she even realized it. She wore poise like she wore her skin, naturally without forcing it. No amount of etiquette classes could teach what came so naturally to her. He enjoyed watching the way she cut her food in tiny little pieces. It was adorable really. She pulled the fork out of her mouth slowly, the metal seeming to cling to the generous flesh as she did so. He couldn’t blame the eating utensil. He wanted to cling to those lips too.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Because you’re beautiful,” he knew she hated when he said that, but he couldn’t resist.
“Half the world is beautiful,” came her sharp retort. “It’s not like you’ve never seen beautiful before. And I’m not beautiful.”
It never failed to amuse him how much Toni hated to be reminded of her femininity, yet she was the very definition of the word. It didn’t matter if she was wearing a dress and strappy heels like she was right now, or coveralls and an oversized t-shirt. There was no doubting she was all woman.
He was about to argue the point when he was cut off abruptly.
“Leland? Leland that is you!”
“Aw, hell,” he muttered under his breath as the blonde whirlwind of Atlanta society breezed up to their table.
Annabelle Clemons had somehow gotten it into his head that they were one day going to be married. Their mothers, who happened to be best “frienemies” had fostered that notion since they were both knee high. Leland had no intention of ever marrying such a vain, self-centered woman who lived for society parties and shopping. He couldn’t imagine what they would ever talk about. The thought of taking her bony body to bed made him physically ill.
Her perfume hit the table before Annabelle did. He had to swallow the urge to cough. Toni didn’t bother, coughing delicately in her napkin while pushing away the rest of her dinner. He couldn’t say he blamed her. The smell was overpowering.
“Leland!” She moved in to kiss him on the lips, but a swift move on his part and she only managed to stain his cheek with the bright pink lipstick. Annabelle tried her best to look like Barbie, but she only managed to look like a cheap knock off. “You mother didn’t mention you were back in town!”
“I am only here for a week or so,” Leland started, but Annabelle didn’t pause.
“And you already back at work!” Casting a quick glance in Toni’s direction, she smirked before returning her full attention back to him. “Why on earth are you entertaining clients here? You really need a better secretary. Or a wife.”
Man, could she lay it on any thicker?
“Your mother and I were just talking about that the other day. You do so need someone to organize your life. A person could get the wrong impression by bringing them to a place like this!”
“Wrong impression?” Toni spoke up for the first time, a dangerously devilish gleam in her eyes.
This was about to get interesting.
Annabelle looked shocked that Toni had actually spoken.
“Oh, excuse me,” she twittered. “I’m Annabelle, Annabelle Leigh Clemons. Leland and I go way back. I certainly didn’t mean to intrude on a business meeting…”
“Oh, you didn’t,” Toni’s voice had taken on syrupy sweetness Leland had never heard before, but one which made him sit up and take notice. “Intrude on business that it.”
Annabelle blinked rapidly, not quite sure what to say. The smile that graced Toni’s lips scared him. When she reach out to caress his hands he wanted to laugh out loud, but she would probably kill him if he did. Annabelle looked like she swallowed a live fish whole.
“Lee and I were enjoying a quiet evening.”
The implication was thick, there was no way Annabelle could have missed it.
“Excuse me?”
“I said Lee and I were enjoying a quiet evening out before you interrupted. We are a bit…tired tonight.”
There went that wolfish smile again. His woman really had that down to science. He felt his seams burst in pride.
“Leland?”
Annabelle looked a little green, but really, how many times and how many different ways did he have to tell the woman he wasn’t interested?
“O, how rude of me,” turning to Toni, he did what she was daring him to do-claim her publically. “Sugar, this is a family friend, Annabelle.” He picked up the hand that had been caressing him so casually and brought it to his lips. “Annabelle, this lovely lady is Antonia Bignon. As you might have guessed, we are very much a couple. Hopefully, I will one day convince her to make an honest man out of me.”
There. No ambiguity. If Toni thought he was playing, she had another thing coming. He meant every damned word.
“Does…does your mother know?” Annabelle’s entire face turned bright red. She kept casting glances back at Toni as if she were some kind of oddity. It was starting to piss him off.
“Not yet,” Leland was grateful his voice didn’t betray his anger. Toni was shooting daggers with her eyes, but hell, she started it. “I wasn’t aware I needed my mother’s permission to see a woman. As a grown man I assure you I am quite capable to finding a wife all on my own. A fact I have been trying to convince her of for some time now.” If she didn’t understand that hint, she was quite possible the most obtuse woman he had ever met. But then again- “I am positive my mother will be satisfied with my choice.” Or he would cut her off. Toni was fast becoming just that important to him.
“Yes, well,” Annabelle suddenly became interested in looking everywhere but at their table.
Leland was willing t
o bet dollars to donuts his mother would be fully informed in the next three minutes. It would take even less for Toni to go off.
“Are you ready to go home, sugar?”
Leland knew he was playing with his life at this point, but it just might be worth it. A pissed off Toni was a beauty to behold.
“Yes, darling, I believe I am.”
He winced at the draw out “darh-ling”, but bravely signaled for the check, throwing down money without even looking and telling the waitress to keep the change. It must have been a pretty generous tip because the waitress nearly fell over herself trying to be helpful in getting them out of their seats and calling for someone to tell the valet to bring around his car. Toni’s scary sweet smile got even scarier as it got wider. It looked like her jaw was about to crack. They left a gaping Annabelle standing there looking stupid, leaving with a thrown back “Goodbye.”
As soon as they were safely in the car, Toni let it fly.
“What the hell was that? What in Sam Hill were you thinking?” she exploded.
He decided to play dumb. He had no idea why he did it. It just seemed the thing to do at that point.
“What was what, sugar?” Man was he asking for it.
“Why did you imply to that woman we were serious? What if she goes back and tells your mother? What are you going do then?”
“Aren’t we? I know I’m serious. Are you playing with my emotions, Antonia?”
He could feel her gawking at him. How many ways could he possibly let her know he was serious about her, about the two of them? It wasn’t his fault Toni had a problem dealing with emotions. She needed a little prod and Annabelle had given him the perfect one.
“Yeah and what will you Momma say?”
“Did you miss the part about me being a grown man?” That shut her up, but he was under no illusion that it would be for long.
“This can never be more than what it is now.”
Now, that just pissed him off. What was this to her? Thankfully, they had pulled up to his apartment building. Jumping out the vehicle and throwing the keys to the onsite valet, Leland marched over to her side of the car. She already had the door open. Typical Toni. She would learn. Simple things like opening the door for her gave him pleasure. It pissed him off she wouldn’t allow him to do such a minor thing. Taking her hand, he assisted her out of the car, refusing to entertain her protest. He was a man damn it, and she had damn well better learn to let him act like one.
She shook off his hand as soon as she was on her feet, stalking toward the entrance. The doorman opened it, so he really had no cause for complain. Instead he stewed on the elevator ride to his penthouse. He waited until they were safely inside, door securely locked before returning to the earlier conversation.
“What is this to you, Antonia?” His voice was deceptively soft. Lord help her if she ignored the warning.
“It’s a fling. Physical attraction, mutual lust, whatever.” She waved her hand in the air, dismissing the subject. “Let’s just leave it at that.”
“No.”
Chapter 8
“No? What do you mean no?”
Surely she hadn’t heard him right. He couldn’t possibly want more. He was just saying the things he had said in the restaurant to get rid of a woman who obviously annoyed him. Coming to Atlanta had been a colossal mistake. Leland was obviously reading far more into this than she had suspected.
“Look, Leland, this was a bad idea,” she strived for calmness when he hadn’t answered her. “I think you should take me to the nearest bus station. I shouldn’t have come here.”
“No.”
It wasn’t said in a combative way, for which she guessed she should be grateful, but she felt the first signs of dread creeping up her spine.
“Excuse me?” Just who did Mr. Leland Westmorland think he was anyway?
“No, Antonia, I will not take you a goddamn bus station,” he replied calmly, but Toni heard the anger he was masking.
What exactly he had to mad about, she wasn’t exactly sure. That fact that he was mad infuriated her.
“You know usually men are grateful for no strings attached tail,” she snarled, unable to help herself.
The entire situation was ridiculous. They had an insane physical attraction, so what? That didn’t mean anything more than they were good in bed together. Really, really good in bed. Downright sublime as a matter of fact. That didn’t mean she had to go and try to have some kind of relationship with him. Maybe he had just never found someone who could keep up with him before. She could understand that; there was no way the wanna-be Barbie back in the restaurant could’ve gotten down and dirty in bed, and that was probably the kind of woman he usually went for. She just had to get him to see that physical attraction did not equate a long term thing.
“I want more, Toni,” his voice was really beautiful when he spoke all purposeful like. It was deep and mesmerizing, as if he were trying to lull the person to whom he spoke. Toni lost her train of thought, becoming engrossed in the movement of his full lips. “I want everything, sweetheart. I want to be everything to you. You will let me in won’t you?”
“Yes.” Oh, damn that so not what she meant to say! But his body was crowding her, his clean, woodsy scent like an aphrodisiac that tantalized her senses.
Her arms wound themselves around his neck; her body pressed itself against the hard length of his front. He didn’t move; his face stay scant inches from her, but he made no move to kiss her. She desperately wanted him to, but he didn’t. Instead his gaze held hers, unwavering and honest. He was seeing far too much with those eyes of his, but she was helpless to hide.
Why didn’t she just take a chance on Leland? What did she have to lose? Long distance relationships may be hard, but they were in the same state. A six hour drive, an hour by plane-that was nothing. She could see him every weekend if she chose to. Then there were holidays, and being in construction, there were always lulls in business…
No! What the hell was she thinking? Taking a step back she stared at the dangerous man before her. Not that he would hurt her, at least not physically. He was dangerous to her heart. Downright deadly. Her head shook from side to side in slow motion as she continued to back away slowly. He still hadn’t moved. He didn’t need to. She could see the storm brewing in his eyes. He was serious! He wanted nothing less than everything, and that she couldn’t afford to give him.
“I need to leave,” she spoke every word distinctly, like she was talking to a simpleton. “This will not end well.”
“How do you know that, Toni?” Leland demanded determinedly. “You won’t give it a snowball’s chance. What exactly do you have against being with me?”
Toni could tell by the barely suppressed sarcasm in his voice he already knew what she thought. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of confirming what they both knew was true.
“We are just…too different.” Her back hit the door, blocking that avenue of escape. She considered making a sprint for it around him, but he had begun to stalk forward.
“Stalk” was perhaps too tame a word for what he was doing. His tall, lean body moved languorously, as if he was daring her to make a run for it. It was damn near hypnotic, like he had some kind of theme music only he could hear. It was sexy as hell, and the damn man probably was well aware of that fact.
“Too different how, sugar?”
There went that word again. It was truly her kryptonite, causing her to melt just as he grasped her around the waist. She pressed herself into his hard front, rubbing against the granite evidence of his arousal. If he didn’t do something soon, she was going to have to jump him. He was leaving her little choice, being all fine and sexy and all.
“Toni?”
“Huh? Oh, what?”
What were they talking about? Damn! Leland was the only man alive that could make her totally lose her train of thought like that. She tried to remember why she had been so intent on getting away from him, but all she could seem to focus on
was how it felt to be in his arms. He had such strong cable arms that held her like she was the most precious thing in the world after rocking her to the core. Or his smell; all clean and fresh and oh, so masculine. He used some kind of sandalwood aftershave. His scent wrapped all around her, making her forget her own name.
Leland was pure sex on steroids, and damned if she didn’t need him something fierce right about now.
“I think it’s time for bed, sugar.”
Oh, hell yes!
“I do too,” she answered, licking her suddenly dry lips.
That was the one thing she could never deny, sex with Leland was…Well, it was beyond description really. The man really knew what he was doing in the bedroom department. That was in no way an excuse to start anything serious, but for now, it would do just fine.
“Why don’t you go on to bed,” Leland drawled all sexy, and slow like honey. “I will be there in a minute.”
He didn’t need to ask Toni twice; she jumped back and practically ran to the bedroom. She would think about the ramifications of her neediness for his lovely cock later.
*****
Leland grit his teeth in frustration as Toni bounced out of the room. What did he have to do to get through to that woman? He had thought bringing her here would have stated his intentions loud and clear, but obviously not. Toni was so wrapped up in preconceived notions, she wasn’t giving him much of a chance. It was fine to fuck him, but not to have a relationship with him? He just didn’t understand her way of thinking. They weren’t so very different. She would see that if she ever took the time to look.
On the drive up to Atlanta, they had talked nearly nonstop. They had so much in common-couldn’t she see that? If anyone could understand the work of an architect, it was someone who owned a construction company and vice versa. They both wanted children, at least three. Both wanted to build their dream home in the country. Both wanted nothing more than to grow old, watching their children’s children play in the yard while rocking on the front porch. Sure they might differ on little things, but who the hell didn’t.
