As the production assistant led her down the hallway, she heard Jimmy King tell the listeners they would go on a commercial break and return with a member of Elite Events Incorporated. Seconds later, she was being escorted into the recording room.
“Hello, Jimmy. It’s very nice to see you again,” Imani stated as she extended her hand.
“Nice to see you, too, Imani.” Jimmy returned her handshake and continued with introductions. “This is Tammy and right next to her is Monique.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Imani replied as she returned their handshakes.
“Uh, aren’t you forgetting somebody?” Tommy said in a high-pitched, yet deep voice.
“Oh, yeah, and on the end there is my best friend Tommy,” Jimmy added.
Imani laughed as she shook Tommy’s hand, thinking that the two were as funny in person as they were on the air.
“Nice to meet you, too, Tommy.”
“Likewise,” Tommy said.
Imani was prepped and ready for her interview in no time.
“All right, welcome back everybody. Here with us today is Ms. Imani Rayne from Elite Events Incorporated here in Chicago. If y’all don’t know them, you better ask somebody. Welcome to the show, Imani.”
“Thanks for having me, Jimmy. I’m very happy to be here.”
“Folks, I attended a very extravagant birthday party for Jennifer Hudson a couple months ago, and I was blown away by what these women did. Imani, why don’t you tell the listeners a little bit about yourself and your company.”
“Sure. Mya Winters, Cydney Rayne, Lexus Turner and I founded Elite Events Incorporated six years ago. Our event-planning business is among the top in the country and has earned us a recurring appearance in Forbes Magazine. Besides planning elaborate and elite events, we also publish a bimonthly magazine and own several Boys & Girls Clubs across the Midwest. There is a strong need for Elite Events in this society, and my partners and I will continue growing our business by taking our company to new heights.”
“Hey, now,” Tammy chimed in with excitement. “What you ladies are doing at Elite Events Incorporated is inspirational.”
“Thank you, Tammy. We couldn’t have been successful without each other, our families and friends and all of our supporters who believed in us.”
“True for us all,” Jimmy said. “What other types of parties do you plan?”
“We plan everything,” Imani responded. “Corporate events, birthdays, weddings, festivals, concerts, album-release parties, movie-release parties...you name it, we can plan it. We’ve even planned a family reunion.”
“Ah, naw,” Jimmy said. “You mean to tell me that there was a family out there who paid you to contact all their family to plan a reunion?”
“Yes,” Imani said with a laugh. “Actually, we’ve planned several.”
“Well, folks, I’ve heard it all. Paying somebody to deal with your family because you don’t want to. Imani, we wish you the best in your continued success with Elite Events Incorporated. Okay, now I would like to talk about your role in the First Annual Performance and Achievement Awards Gala this year.”
Soft music began playing indicating that they needed to take a break.
“On second thought, wait until after the break to give the listeners details on that event. Ladies and gentlemen, when we come back, we’re going to hear more from Imani, and we have another special guest here with us today.”
They were all still laughing at Jimmy’s last comment about family reunions as they went off air.
“Looks like our other guest is here,” Tommy said, interrupting the laughter and leaving the recording room. As Imani turned toward the glass window to see who Tommy was greeting, her laugh stopped short. His back was to her, but she had no doubt in her mind whom that back belonged to.
“Oh, goodness,” Imani whispered to herself. Apparently, she didn’t whisper low enough because she got the attention of Tammy and Monique.
“Hmm, who is that?” Monique asked.
“That’s Daman Barker,” Tammy answered. “I guess Tommy told Jimmy we should have him on the show.”
“We’re both planning the gala,” Imani added. “I didn’t know he was going to be on the show. Does he personally know Tommy?”
“Tommy said they met during his days of stand-up comedy,” Tammy responded.
Imani was trying to remain calm, although she was far from it. She could not believe his nerve. Daman knew she would be on the show and deliberately chose not to tell her that he would be there, too. Even worse, she bet he wasn’t even interested until she’d mentioned something.
“What am I missing out on over there?” Jimmy said loudly. Daman turned at the sound of Jimmy’s voice and his eyes locked to Imani’s. As Tommy and Daman walked back inside the recording room, Imani wished she could wipe that smug look off his face.
Tommy introduced him to the others before coming to her. One look at Tommy and she could tell she’d been set up. He was grinning way too hard.
“Hello, Imani,” Daman said in a husky voice.
“Hello,” Imani responded, trying to sound as casual as possible. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Tommy and I go way back,” Daman said, grasping Tommy by the shoulder. “I told him the show would be so much better if both the planners of the gala were present.”
Imani highly doubted that’s how their conversation went but chose not to say anything. The crew quickly prepped Daman for on air and just her luck, they sat him next to her.
“Okay, folks, we’re back, and I’m with Imani Rayne and our new guest, co-planner of the Black Enterprise First Annual Performance and Achievement Awards Gala, Mr. Daman Barker. Daman, we’re glad to have you on the show.”
“Thanks for having me, Jimmy.”
“Now, before the break, Imani was going to tell us about the gala, but either of you feel free to answer. Let’s start with telling the people what exactly is the gala.”
Imani took the first question. “Black Enterprise has thrown over fifteen entrepreneur conferences and expos that allowed business owners the opportunity to network with other business owners and learn the keys to owning a successful business. This year, they are throwing their First Annual Performance and Achievement Awards Gala that will be the premier destination event for business owners and entrepreneurs. The companies being honored at this event are companies that have demonstrated success in all areas and resulted in proven success in their business.”
“I’ve personally attended quite a few of their conferences and they are definitely something all business owners and entrepreneurs must go to,” Jimmy said. “Now, will this event be open to the public?”
Imani nodded for Daman to answer this question. “The gala is by invite only, however, all of our pre-events are open to the public.”
As Daman continued to explain the different workshops going on, Imani was still trying to figure out what she would do to get him back. She hated being tricked and even more, she hated surprises. Daman had been doing both ever since they met. She was so wrapped in her thoughts, she realized she’d missed a little more of the conversation than she’d planned.
“I’ve planned a lot of successful business events, but I have two full-time day jobs.”
Two? What is the second one?
“I’m vice president of Barker Architecture, and I’m the newest partner of R&W Marketing.”
Imani’s eyes grew wide in surprise. He couldn’t be talking about the company that her neighborhood friends, Taheim and Jaleen owned.
“That’s right,” Tammy said. “I remember seeing an article about the partnership last month.”
Imani couldn’t believe how out of touch she was. Not only was she an extremely detailed person but also very good at noticing a curveball before it was thrown. Apparently, she was losing her touch.
She noticed Jimmy and Tammy observing her closely and attempted to take her eyes off Daman. But the more he talked, the more she became fascinated with how
little she knew about him.
“Oh, okay,” Jimmy chimed in, interrupting Daman. “I see what all that chatter was about before we went on air. Y’all got a thang going on between you, right?” Jimmy motioned his hands between Daman and Imani.
“Absolutely not,” Imani answered with an edge to her voice. Daman laughed off the comment, which irritated her even more.
“Oh, yeah, I know I’m right. What do you think, Tammy?”
“Hmmm, I hate to say it Imani, but I agree with Jimmy. I can feel the chemistry between you and Daman.”
Great. Now everyone thought they had a thing going on.
“Daman, my man,” Tommy said. “Y’all got something going on?”
“What Imani and I have is our business,” Daman said with a laugh. “Besides, men never kiss and tell.”
Imani gave Daman a swift punch in the arm. She couldn’t believe the audacity of him and the fact that the radio cast was laughing so hard was making the situation that much worse.
“Listeners, if looks could kill, Daman would be dead right now.”
Imani sunk a little more in her seat, thinking about how many of her friends and family members were listening to the show. Daman must have sensed her discomfort and took pity on her because he tried to clean up the situation.
“Imani is a beautiful, talented and educated woman. However, we aren’t dating. Secret or otherwise.”
“Okay, playa,” Jimmy said, dismissing Daman’s comment.
“Well, Imani and Daman, it’s been great having you on the show, and I must say that I definitely didn’t think we’d be making love connections today, but hey, on The Jimmy King Morning Show anything’s possible. I wish you both the best of luck with your businesses and your budding romance.”
“Jimmy! Leave them alone,” Tammy reprimanded right before the break music went on.
Imani and Daman both thanked Jimmy and the cast before leaving the recording room. When they were on the other side of the glass window, Imani grabbed Daman by the arm and led him to a corner by the door.
“You work with Taheim and Jaleen?”
Now it was Daman’s turn to look surprised. She assumed he was taken aback because she stated the names as if she knew them personally.
“Yes, they’re my partners,” he answered, leaning against the wall. “We announced our partnership last month. How do you know them?”
“Our families have been friends for decades. I grew up with both of them, but I haven’t seen them in a while. I’ve been very busy, too busy— clearly.”
She recalled the invitation she’d declined when her partners went out with Taheim and Jaleen for drinks. “Did you know about me before we met with Mr. and Mrs. Sims?”
“No, I didn’t know you. Your name was brought up during a meeting with Taheim and Jaleen days after we met, but they never mentioned knowing you personally.”
Imani looked into his eyes and could tell he was telling the truth. Apparently, they had both been misled. She was going to kill her friends for not telling her that Daman was partners with Taheim and Jaleen. As much as they kept in contact with Taheim and Jaleen, there was no way they hadn’t known.
She was trying her best to remain angry at Daman for secretly bombarding her on-air time. Yet, all she could think about was how Daman’s scent was doing crazy things to her body. Being close to him was never a good thing since she had to concentrate extremely hard to try to keep her body temperature leveled.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Daman said to Imani. “Or I’m liable to kiss you again.”
“Not here,” Imani replied. “I mean, not ever.”
“Not ever, really?”
The lower part of her body knew she was lying. “We’ll see,” she said, feeling a little bolder than usual.
Jimmy’s voice filled the room, disrupting the moment. “If y’all two are finished wooing one another, I’d like to get on with my show.” Imani glanced around trying to figure out how he could hear their conversation when he was in the recording room. More important, how could she hear him so clearly?
“Daman, would you please flip that switch that you’re leaning on so we won’t hear you and Imani in the background,” Jimmy said with a laugh. “Listeners, if you could see the way these two are looking into each other’s eyes, mark my words, we’re making love connections on The Jimmy King Morning Show today.”
Daman flipped the switch, but it was a little too late. Imani couldn’t recall ever being this embarrassed. She was a private person and being teased on a popular radio show about issues she hadn’t even faced yet, was not her idea of fun.
“I need to leave,” Imani said as she rushed from the room.
Chapter 10
On the drive back to his hotel, Daman wondered if he should go to Imani’s condo and check on her. She’d left the show abruptly, so he didn’t get a chance to say anything after they noticed their private conversation wasn’t so private after all. Looking back, he wasn’t sure that it had been a good idea to refrain from telling her he would be on the show. After it ended, she’d barely made eye contact with him. Daman had gotten a chance to talk to Tommy briefly before he left Z105. He could still hear Tommy’s insightful words—“Word of advice, if you want her, you better move fast. Trust me.”
At the time, Daman was too focused on Imani rushing out of the building to give his words a second thought. But Tommy had a point. He knew a lot of good men were looking for a good woman. Hell, she’d instantly impressed him the first time they met.
Somehow, he ended up in front of her condo. He couldn’t help but wonder if she would tell the doorman to let him up, just to slam the door in his face. At least if she let him up, he would be able to steal a glance at the face that grew sexier every time she turned her anger toward him. He told the doorman he was there to see Imani and shockingly, she told him to let Daman up.
“Uh...hi.”
He noticed her hesitation before she fully opened the door. “Hi. Come on in.”
After she closed the door, Daman walked into the room and examined Imani’s face. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“I’d like to apologize for not telling you I would be on the show beforehand. The last thing I wanted to do was imply that we were in a relationship.”
Imani tilted her head to the side and sighed before responding. “I know, and I really don’t feel like arguing with you after the evening I just had.”
He watched her face soften.
“Did you tell Taheim and Jaleen you would be on the show?”
“Yes.”
“And they didn’t say anything?”
Daman shook his head, finally seeing a couple more pieces of the puzzle fit together. “Nope. Now that I think about it, Taheim spilled his coffee when I mentioned your name a couple of weeks ago and was completely normal every time I mentioned your name after that. They told me they’d heard of you and your partners, but they didn’t say they knew y’all personally.”
“I’m not surprised. My friends are sneaky, and Taheim and Jaleen love getting one past me. There’s no doubt in my mind that they knew we shared that connection.”
He knew how she meant the comment, but that didn’t stop his body from reacting to the way she said connection. He’d like to connect with her in a couple different ways, none of which included their friends. “I see.”
For the first time that night, Daman noticed what she was wearing. She’d traded her business attire for a blue negligee that only hit midthigh and was clinging softly to her body. She hadn’t bothered to put on a robe. He wondered what she had on underneath and fought the urge to pull her into a smoldering kiss.
As his eyes raked further over her face and body, he was mesmerized by the way her tongue dipped in and out of her mouth when she spoke. When he glanced back into her eyes, he felt the heat. That was all the encouragement he needed.
He pulled her closer and gently circled her lips with his tongue. At first, she wasn’t responding. Then suddenly,
she began to suckle his lips, starting at the corners and unrelentingly journeying around his entire mouth. When she softly kissed the last untouched portion of his mouth, the need became too strong for him. He probed her mouth open with his tongue.
“Mmmm, you taste like sweet honey. I missed this taste.” His tongue left her mouth and made its way to her neck. “Smells like vanilla jasmine...intoxicatingly erotic.”
Daman quickly decided one taste wouldn’t be enough. He craved to be buried inside of her, but the game had changed now. He knew she was different the minute he laid eyes on her. Knowing that she knew his friends made it even worse. In the past, he never cared if he shamelessly slept with women and then acted indifferent to them after the moment of passion had passed. But Taheim and Jaleen were protective of the people they were close to and would definitely chew him out if he treated Imani like he did other women. He had to be straight with her.
“Imani, I have to be honest with you. I’m happy being a bachelor, and I don’t have time in my life for a serious relationship. I get portrayed as a great catch, but I will never be the type you’d want to marry. I just can’t imagine living my life any other way than I do now.”
The blank look on her face was hard to read. She began to push him away, and instantly, he regretted ruining the moment.
Imani was a little taken aback by his bluntness but appreciated his honesty. There was a time when she wanted to get married and raise a family just like hers. She knew she was the marrying type, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d thought about those things. Being there for her family was her first priority and her career was her second. There was no room for anything else. Her life was hectic enough without the trouble that came with relationships, and right now, all she needed was to feed her hunger.
“Well, I guess that’s great to hear because I’m not looking for a relationship, either. I think our attraction is pretty clear, and I can find many uses for a man like you.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Uses like what?”
A Tempting Proposal (Kimani Romance) Page 6
