by Ciara Cole
“So you wouldn’t exactly say you two were dating?” Nisha asked curiously. They were having dinner during one of their girls’ nights out they made sure to have time for several occasions a month.
“No, I wouldn’t exactly call it that,” Tamira murmured, pausing as their delicious-looking platter of sashimi for two arrived with the equally mouthwatering side dishes. Once the server was gone Tamira went on, “I mean, yeah, we might spend time having dinner or seeing a play. Sometimes we check out the art scene, view some shows we find interest us both. But romance? Nuh-uh. Not in the picture.”
“Oh. Like, no flowers, sweet endearments, and cuddles—just raw pounding sex whenever you both get the chance?”
Tamira all but choked on her sip of soju at those words. Nisha looked at her with a wry twist to her mouth. “I’m more perceptive than you realize, Ms. Fontaine. I mean, come on, look at the guy. He looks freaking sexy and dangerous. Trust me, I have my own theories of what you two possibly get up to when no one’s looking. There’s just something in his eyes, especially when he looks at you when he thinks no one sees.”
Tamira hastily stuffed more of her Korean-style sushi rice in her mouth and almost clattered her teeth on her chopsticks trying to hide her embarrassment. No wonder Nisha was such a meticulous assistant. “Does nothing get past your notice?” Tamira sighed.
Nisha shook her head with her lips twisting smugly. “Nothing much. That’s why you trust me so much, and incidentally pay me so much. I keep my nose to the ground, way down. And that reminds me.”
Tamira blinked as Nisha sat forward with sudden excitement. “Have you heard the stuff going round about Cavendish Group?”
“No, what? We’re still a few weeks to presenting the athleisure wear brand at the New York flagship store. The project is well on track so…”
“Well, this is just a rumor and it’s more to do with the company as a whole. From what I gathered, Rafe’s mother, Sylvia Cavendish, called an emergency board meeting. No one knows what it was about, since it was highly private. But a major shakeup is to be expected.”
“Do you think Rafe will be any way involved? I mean he has this big debut coming up, and I guess they’ve got their eyes trained on the success of that,” Tamira mused, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Like I said, no one really knows. You could possibly ask Rafe, though.” Then Nisha seemed to shift uncomfortably. “I mean, well, if you two aren’t exactly a couple, then it might be somewhat intrusive, right, asking him about something so personal?”
Tamira started to look uncomfortable herself. She wondered exactly when the meeting had happened and why Rafe hadn’t mentioned it. It had to be important, but he’d kept it from her—even though they spoke or saw each other a few times a week.
Hiding her strange feeling of hurt, Tamira laughed lightly. “Maybe there’s nothing to the whole issue. After all, Sylvia Cavendish is his mother. Not like she could want to put his position in jeopardy. Whatever shakeup is involved it would definitely not affect Rafe.”
“Well, since you’re so sure,” Nisha said, sounding slightly doubtful but not pushing it as she smiled back at Tamira and then suggested they finish enjoying their sushi treat.
Chapter Twelve
Tamira felt more hurt than she realized about the emergency board meeting thing and Rafe not bringing it up at all even a week after it purportedly happened. Maybe Nisha had heard the rumors wrong and there was no real shake up or offshoot to worry about from the meeting. Rafe on his part didn’t seem at all perturbed by anything and was just the same. Could Tamira allow herself to trust that she noticed nothing different in his calm, collected exterior?
Each time she let it bother her, she called herself foolish the next moment. If Rafe felt parts of his life were not her concern, she had to respect that. She’d agreed to the rules they’d set out early on, and how they kept business totally business, and play totally play. With no promises or expectations—and definitely no unnecessary claims.
Tamira didn’t know how she felt, though, about a certain recent development. She’d been busy updating her social media status, thanks to some new ideas she thought of showcasing on her online feeds. Scrolling down her timeline for something of interest, she stumbled on a photo that had her mind freezing.
Tamira had started following Rafe on Instagram soon after they met—for official purposes, of course. He had an enviable following, thanks not just to his athletic fashion brand and personal style, but his motivational lifestyle and fitness pursuits. Whether rock climbing or finishing that latest diet and fitness challenge, there was always a great message his followers could tap in to, and Tamira admired that.
He’d mostly kept his personal life out of the loop so there wasn’t anything like juicy tidbits on his relationships or dating status. The only aspect of his privacy she ever got a glimpse of was a few pictures of him and his younger sister, Jana Cavendish. Finding out the beautiful teenager was a gymnast on the Women’s Junior National Team had been a surprise, and the photos of Rafe proudly standing beside his sister after she won a medal at a recent World Championship had been heartwarming. It had Tamira thinking back to the first night she’d met him and his mention of his sister who in the past had often tripped and sprained her ankle.
Tamira had felt bad doubting him then. But now there was a whole different matter entirely. Here she was, staring at a photo he’d been tagged in. Tamira could hardly believe her eyes, seeing Rafe seated at some restaurant with elite model Elise Morgan. The brunette was a veteran supermodel and sat laughing and looking stunning beside the equally striking Rafe as they were pictured from across a quaint-looking bistro.
What the hell was this? Tamira shook her head to clear her anger and warned herself to get a grip. The society magazine posting the image made some speculations if the billionaire CEO and the model were an item. Tamira only needed to glance through the first of the numerous comments to see that opinion bordered on what a great couple they presented and how hot they looked together if true.
Expelling a breath, Tamira didn’t bother to read any more and told herself not to give the photo a second thought. So the man was having lunch with a beautiful model. It wasn’t like she’d caught him cheating or in bed with someone. It could be they were just friends being social, or maybe even business.
Then Tamira went cold again thinking to herself how she could possibly know what to term cheating, if she wasn’t even in a real relationship with the man? But then… was she really cool with having him go on lunches with other women, when there was no saying what else was involved or what it would lead to?
Where could he be right now, even? Maybe off for a weekend on a yacht cruise with said model, or maybe on some trendy West Indian beach? Wasn’t that what young handsome billionaires did with supermodels?
“You really need to cut down on your TV melodramas or racy novels and wherever else you get your wild imagination from,” teased Nisha when she came in the office and the fuming Tamira told her about it. Nisha viewed the post and shook her head while shrugging it off. “Hot billionaires get seen with models all the time. Maybe it’s some publicity stunt or maybe they’re just friends. After all, they possibly move in the same circles and could naturally just come in contact. I’m sure there’s nothing sinister involved. I could find out for you, if you like.”
Tamira felt like an idiot immediately. “Never mind. I don’t even know why I’m acting like this. It’s not like I own him. Hell!” She slammed her hands down on the table and jumped to her feet. “Like I don’t have enough on my plate already. My parents called again asking me to make it for family weekend in a few days. I missed the last one and they were not too pleased about that.”
“You think they’ll start up with their needling you to settle down and give them grandkids?” teased Nisha astutely.
“I’m so done with all of that. I’m not even yet thirty, not even close, and they’re already giving me a spinster complex.”
Nisha chu
ckled and picked up Tamira’s now cooled, half-empty coffee from the table to take away. “You are their only child, and they did have you late in life. They’re probably worried they’d be too old and stooping by the time you decide on Mr. Right.”
“My career comes first for now,” Tamira said firmly. “A husband and kids are a diversion I’m hardly equipped for or can even make time for. I barely keep up with my numerous projects as it is.”
“Sometimes, you know, success isn’t everything. What if love, and a baby, gets to just happen?” Nisha asked, almost wistfully. Then she sighed before Tamira could think of a reply. Smiling, Nisha added, “I’ll get you another coffee. I know you hate when it’s cold.”
“Thanks. I was too busy obsessing over Rafe Cavendish and his exploits with models,” Tamira said wryly. “Do you think I’m obsessing?”
Nisha turned at the door to face Tamira, who felt more uncertain and even vulnerable than she could ever remember.
“For someone who acted like he was just a business client with benefits, yeah.” Nisha’s teasing look was capped with a humorous grin, as she finally left the office, closing the door behind her.
Tamira shook her head and turned to stand by the window, her smile slowly fading as she grew contemplative. What was wrong with her?
Her head was all over the place. Some things Nisha said came rumbling back. Success isn’t everything. Of course, Tamira knew that. She liked the idea of falling in love, having a future with someone just like anyone would.
She couldn’t let that be her priority right now. She was far too ambitious and independent to wait for some Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. She knew too much about having to go without even the basic things in life, and now that she’d made it, she wanted to have it all.
Yet something was missing.
That tiny voice came out of nowhere, and Tamira sighed. She shouldn’t let these things get to her. She was at the top of her game, winning respect and renown from her peers and the field where she thrived. She was making strides as a black woman and ensured she played her part as role model to others. What did it matter if she felt a little lonely from time to time?
She’d be crazy for wanting more than she was blessed with already. She wouldn’t tempt fate by expecting to have a great relationship with a perfect man somewhere, maybe not yet. The same went for her “thing” with Rafe. She shouldn’t even be thinking of having any kind of designs on him. He’d made it clear they had a no-strings arrangement, where for a few hours a week or so they played their Dom/sub games and caught their kicks.
Still, the photo of him and Elise rubbed her up wrong. So he wanted to be meeting up with supermodels huh?
Maybe she would go on a date with one of those bachelors her mother was always trying to set her up with. After all, it wouldn’t be anything to do with sex, just hanging out like Rafe could do with Elise and whomever.
Tamira was still feeling that little bit irked when there was another meeting with Rafe and his team. She was good at hiding it the whole time they all went over the project’s progress. The big event was getting closer, and the excitement was building up along with the tension. Later when everyone else was gone and Rafe lingered back to ask Tamira out for dinner later, she was glad to be able to give him a refusal.
“I’ll be off to my parents’ once I’m done with work today. I’ll be spending the weekend with family so…” She shrugged and tried not to look too happy about it.
“I understand. Would have been nice, though, to have an hour or two of your company,” he said.
Tamira wasn’t going to be reined in by that killer smile and charm. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll find worthy distractions. I hear you and Elise Morgan are getting quite cozy. Maybe she’ll be free.”
Rafe’s eyes narrowed for a moment as he seemed to try to place the name. Tamira was itching to smack that too-handsome face for acting like he even forgot who that was!
Then realization seemed to dawn on him, and he had the audacity to smile. “Trust me, it’s not what you think. I take it you’ve seen photos or heard a few things. Don’t get carried away.”
“I think you misunderstand,” Tamira said airily as she went behind her desk to make a show of flicking through some designs. “I was just curious how you could ever want for company when obviously you have truckloads of options.”
“I know what it might look like, but it’s really nothing,” he said. “Elise is a veteran model and has her own clothing line that’s selling off the shelves and has the kind of unique style that’s a mix of tech and fashion. My team was considering creating a lookbook for the upcoming line featuring a few of our collaborations with Elise if she’d agreed to it.”
“Oh, I’m sure she will. When it comes to ‘wooing’ people to your cause I’ll say your methods of persuasion are commendable.”
He cocked his head with that all-too-knowing smile on his face, as if he could read through her slight cattiness and was amused by it. “I don’t understand,” murmured Rafe. He’d drawn close—too close—and yet didn’t touch her. Instead, he leaned over and turned the next page of the folder she’d been pretending to peruse. His spicy cologne hit the back of her throat and made her drool. She wanted to lick his face, as much as she wanted to slap it!
“You were the one who thought up the whole luxury couture idea for the brand. Bringing on Jana, who’s successfully morphed from model to designer in the same market, I thought you’d actually approve.”
Tamira’s cheeks flushed slightly. “I guess you just think I’m jealous,” she blurted and then felt like kicking herself. The last thing she needed was to look clingy and insecure. So what if her time with Rafe was more in the background? They went out together but were always the height of discretion, and there was never a chance of being spotted by any nosy paparazzi or curious fans. Why did that make her feel like his dirty little secret? She’d once been totally okay with them keeping their involvement under wraps thanks to their business ties, but now? Not so much.
“Tamira, I’m aware that Elise is a very beautiful woman,” said Rafe, breaking into her thoughts as he gently drew back a lock of her hair behind her shoulder, baring her neck. Leaning over, he nuzzled close to her ear, adding huskily, “But I just don’t think of her that way.”
Tamira’s breathing had hitched in her chest, and suddenly her nipples felt too tight and painful. “What way?” She tried to make her voice sound normal, but it came out more like a squeak.
“The way I think of you.”
His lips moved to graze over hers, but Tamira turned her cheek and instead his lips landed there. She was still mad at him. “So, you’re saying you guys aren’t like, a thing.”
Rafe chuckled. “No way. While you… I have a serious thing for.” This time he gripped her chin and turned her face to his again and captured her mouth in a kiss. Tamira’s lips slowly parted beneath his, a deep, long sigh escaping.
The sultry lip lock was filled with sweetness and teasing heat. Tamira didn’t want to be drawn in, but damn he kissed so good.
“Can we still do dinner?” he murmured seductively against her lips. “I’ll cook.”
She groaned and regretfully pushed against that much-too-tempting chest. “I really have to be there this weekend, at my folks’. They’re liable to come after me if I miss another family gathering.”
“Then I’ll pick you up and drive you there. At least it will mean more time with you. Just talking. I missed that.” Rafe had a teasing grin as he stole a quick kiss from her lips and straightened.
Tamira had to look away and press a hand on her chest momentarily before coughing and sitting up in her chair. This charmer of a man, making her heart flutter. Why would he say something so sweet? Tamira had to think back to the first night they’d met and how it had been so natural, laughing and talking over their late-night takeout while catching episodes of their favorite shows on his TV in the movie room. She’d never felt so comfortable with someone, and they’d shared such
an exciting connection.
It still felt just as stimulating to simply share his company and air their views and simply chill, even though their crazy sex had become more of a highlight when they were together. But Tamira was beginning to suspect… one of the main reasons the sex felt so good and vivifying was because for her it had become more than sex. She’d come to care for him as more than just a lover, and what they shared wasn’t empty and just for fun.
Could she possibly try to build on that? Or could she avoid getting her hopes up where Rafe was concerned? What if he was looking for something more too?
Tamira wouldn’t set her sights too high. She couldn’t risk being wrong and made to look like a fool. Rafe had already opened her up to so much—she’d always be happy for that. And for as long as what they had together lasted, she’d give it her best shot, never even dreaming for anything beyond that. That was the wisest thing she could give herself in terms of advice. And she’d let nothing get her having any such foolish notions ever again.
Chapter Thirteen
Tamira had learned to push her jealous feelings aside and just focus. If Cavendish Group planned to use celebrity endorsements and collaborations to market their product to both men and women, she’d have to allow that Rafe roping in Elise Morgan was a great idea.
Still didn’t mean she was over the moon about it, or about any gorgeous women Rafe had to come in contact with in the line of business.
Tamira was the first to admit that Rafe’s athleisure brand was top-notch styling that would appeal even to the most millennial of both the male and female markets. “Those button-ups and khakis are no more an option for young, entrepreneurial people who want to be more fashion-focused. From what I see of your debut line, it’s what the athleisure category is looking for right now. I think even the traditional athletic fashion brands with the big established names are going to start to break into a sweat because of your competition.”
