might have found herself doing a lot more than straddling his lap.
Sunday she spent the morning cleaning house then passed the afternoon picking up last minute Christmas presents. By the time she returned home, she made dinner, took a bubble bath and passed the rest of the evening reading. She didn’t hear anything coming from next door and was actually disappointed Scott hadn’t dropped by, even though she knew it was for the best. She was way too attracted to him and the less time they spent together, the better.
Ashley cleared her throat, breaking into Zanaa’s thoughts, and reminding her she was being rude.
“I’m sorry. Ashley this is Scott…my neighbor.”
Ashley had heard Zanaa complain numerous times about the neighbor who had a nasty habit of stealing her newspaper. Her perky assistant’s blue eyes lit knowingly. “Ohhhhh, so you’re the neighbor. Well, well, well. It’s nice to finally meet you,” she said then waved as she backed slowly out the room.
As soon as they were alone, Zanaa’s eyes traveled the length of him. Scott looked handsome in loose fitting jeans that emphasized his sexy butt and slim waist. The leather jacket was open at the waist, showing off his washboard abs in a fitted black T-shirt. He stared across the desk and her pulse quickened at the intensity burning in the depths of his eyes. Time seemed to slow then stopped, and Zanaa could only hear the sound of her thundering heartbeat.
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she admitted with a shaky grin. “But that’s because I didn’t think you were serious.”
Scott was no longer smiling as he moved toward her desk. “Why wouldn’t I buy my fiancée a ring?”
Out in the lobby, Zanaa heard a scream then Ashley reappeared at her office door. “Fiancée? Oh my goodness! Did I just hear you say Zanaa’s your fiancée?”
Zanaa groaned inward. Not another one. The last thing she wanted was for her assistant to know anything about her staged engagement. She adored Ashley, however, the chick couldn’t hold a glass of water. If she was honest, Ashley would accidently blurt the truth when her mother or Madea honest, Ashley would accidently blurt the truth when her mother or Madea called the office, but if she told her it was true, she would blab to everyone she came within contact.
“Y-Yes, you heard correctly. Scott and I are, uh…engaged.”
“That’s wonderful!” Ashley screamed.
“We’re going ring shopping today,” he added with a silly grin.
“Yes, we are.” Zanaa rose and reached for her coat and purse, deciding the sooner she got out the office the better. “Ashley, I’ll see you after lunch.” She accepted Scott’s hand and followed his lead outside to his Escalade. “You can let my hand go now,” she replied once the coast was clear.
He looked over and grinned. “Maybe I don’t want to,” he said as he swung their arms in the air. Zanaa couldn’t resist a giggle and joined in.
When they reached his SUV, Scott unlocked the door and held it open for her, waiting until she was safely on the seat before he walked around to the other side and climbed in.
“Is there a jewelry store you prefer?” Scott asked as he pulled out the parking lot.
Zanaa turned around on the leather seat. “Look…you don’t have to buy me a ring.”
“Yes, I do.”
Shaking her head, she continued, “No, you don’t. Our engagement is fake! There’s no way I’m letting you spend money on a ring for a fake engagement.”
“You gotta have a ring.”
“Then I’ll buy my own ring,” she argued.
Scott threw his head back with robust laughter. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m serious. I’ll pay for my own ring.”
He looked at her long enough to shake his head. “Zanaa, I’ll buy the ring and when the holiday is over, I can take it back.”
Zanaa was silent as he headed down Market Street toward Concord Pike. Scott was stubborn and she realized it was a waste of time arguing with him. She gave him direction to A.R. Morris Jewelers, a small jewelry store where she had bought several unique pieces in the past.
jewelry store where she had bought several unique pieces in the past.
Scott put his foot on the brake at the next stoplight, reached across and took her hand, and placed it on his thigh with warm fingers covering hers. She glanced over and met the heat in his eyes as she tried to figure out what he might be thinking. What was it about Scott that made her weak at the knees? she wondered.
As soon as the light turned green, Scott returned his attention to the road. Within minutes, he pulled into the small strip mall and turned off the engine. “You ready?”
Like I really have a choice.
She gave a deep shaky breath. “I hope so,” she said then gave a forced laugh. “I don’t know why I’m nervous. It’s not like our engagement is real.”
He studied her with enough scorching heat to make the floor shiver beneath her leather boots before he finally said, “No, but it sure feels real.”
Stunned, Zanaa sat there with her mouth gaped open while Scott came around to the other side to help her out his SUV. His comment caused her heart to start pitter-pattering. What was he saying? As they moved into the store, she tried to figure it out.
“How about that one?” Scott said to the sales clerk.
The plump brunette followed the direction of his eyes and grinned widely. “Oh my! That’s a beautiful choice.” She unlocked the cabinet and reached inside.
Zanaa was already tired of looking at rings. They had been at it for almost an hour and nothing seemed appropriate. Although, she wasn’t sure what was considered appropriate for a fake engagement except for something sold at a pawnshop. Unfortunately, no matter how much she objected, Scott wasn’t settling for anything short of the real thing.
Zanaa looked down at the one Scott insisted on seeing and gasped.
It was a beautiful yellow diamond, at least four-carat weight, surrounded by smaller white diamonds. It had a platinum setting and even before seeing the price she knew it was expensive. “No, I don’t need anything that big.”
“Give me your hand,” Scott commanded and reluctantly she “Give me your hand,” Scott commanded and reluctantly she placed her hand in his and watched as he slipped the ring on her finger.
“The ring’s a perfect fit. Amazing,” the clerk said, trying again to push her sales pitch. She knew the woman probably worked on commission. One glance down at the price tag made Zanaa start hyperventilating. Goodness, she couldn’t afford this and doubt Scott made enough—that’s if he even had a job—to afford the hefty price tag.
“I think we need to find something just a little bit cheaper.” She lowered her voice and leaned in to make sure she was heard. “This is way too much money.” She glanced out the corner of her eyes and found the sales clerk trying to pretend she was busy straightening the jewelry on the shelf under the counter, but Zanaa knew she was listening.
“I think the ring looks perfect,” Scott replied as he took a closer look. His lips curled with satisfaction.
“Scott, I really think it’s too expensive.”
“I think you’re worth every dime,” he murmured just seconds before leaning in and capturing her mouth with enough heat to make her forget everything except what he was doing to her. The reason for them being there may have been staged, but the sexual attraction was as real and power as it got. A groan escaped her lips and Zanaa knew she had been waiting for this moment since he showed up at her office.
The bell over the door rang, and Zanaa jumped back then glanced shyly at the sales clerk, who was leaning over the display case, smiling widely. “Sweetheart, if a man says you’re worth it then you’re worth it.
Shall I ring it up for you?”
Zanaa dared to meet the fire burning in Scott’s eyes and nodded.
On the drive back to her office, she was relatively quiet. She kept staring down at her finger in disbelief. It isn’t real, she reminded herself. It isn’t real. She s
till couldn’t believe she had let things go this far.
“What’s on your mind?” Scott asked, then reached over and caressed her ring finger.
“That. That’s what’s on my mind! I’m starting to feel like a fraud.
I’m lying to my family!”
He grew quiet. “So what do you want to do?”
“What can I do at this point? Paulette’s already gone home and “What can I do at this point? Paulette’s already gone home and told everyone about my wonderful fiancé. I can either tell my family the truth and deal with the embarrassment or go through with it.”
Scott squeezed her hand. “Sweetheart, I’ll stand by whatever decision you make.”
Zanaa tried ignoring the warmth of sensations, seeping through her veins. Every time he used the endearment, it gave her a feeling that with Scott by her side, anything was possible. “I guess we need to work on getting to know each other better if we’re going to pull this off,” she finally replied, although it was the last thing she wanted.
“I can handle that,” Scott said as he put his foot on the gas. “How about lunch?”
*
A few minutes later, Scott pulled into the parking lot of a small burger joint and turned off the engine. Zanaa waited until he climbed out, took her hand, and escorted her into the small popular restaurant decorated in rhythm & blues memorabilia. While driving, he had a hard enough time focusing with Zanaa sitting beside him wearing a skirt that revealed her toned thighs and calves. What he wanted to do was take her back to the condo and make love to her, but he was going to have to take his time with her. Besides, just seeing her sitting there wearing his engagement ring did something to him he wasn’t ready yet to put to words.
B.B. King was jamming from the jukebox in the corner. They took their seats and ordered cheeseburgers and fries. The waitress left to help some other customers and he noticed Zanaa staring down at her hand again.
“Are you still having doubts about the ring?”
Zanaa gazed down at the brilliant yellow diamond. “Yes…no.”
She met his eyes. “Please tell me you at least have a job?”
Scott’s eyes widened. “A job?” He tossed his head back and chuckled. “You think I don’t have a job?” Women had thought the worse of him but that one probably took the cake.
Zanaa gave an embarrassing laugh. “Well…I mean…you’re always Zanaa gave an embarrassing laugh. “Well…I mean…you’re always home. I figured you sleep during the day and maybe worked as a gigolo at night.”
Scott wasn’t sure the last time he laughed so hard. “A gigolo, huh?
You think I’m handsome enough to make a living off my good looks?”
She made a show of zipping her lips. “No comment.”
Holding his palms up in surrender, he replied, “Hey, you said it, not me.” He was still chuckling when the waitress arrived with their food.
Scott reached for the ketchup and smothered his fries as he thought about Zanaa’s assumption. No wonder she thought he was a thief.
She didn’t think he had a job or a steady enough income to afford a newspaper. He could only imagine what she would think if she knew he was the creator of a popular video game series. Even if he never created another program, he had made enough sound investments that he was financially set for the rest of his life.
“Seriously, what do you do?” she asked between bites. Obviously she wanted to know if he had what she considered a legitimate job.
Smiling, he thought about his answer while he chewed a French fry. He could tell Zanaa the truth and the extent of his success but decided to only be partly honest. That’s what she gets for thinking the worst of me. “I’m a computer programmer. I graduated from the University of Texas.”
“Really? A programmer.” Shock was written all over her face.
“Since you work at home, does that mean you freelance?”
“You can say that.” He spent two years with Computel and swore he would never work in an office again. After he sold his creations he was able to write his own ticket and that meant having the luxury of working anywhere in the world he wanted. “I’m fortunate enough to now have the freedom of working at home. I worked for a small computer software company for a few years, but sitting at a desk was just too confining for me. I started working on some stuff of my own and after I sold one of my programs, I decided to never work for anyone again. I’m currently working on a design for a large corporation.”
“Impressive. How many programs have you sold?” she asked between chews.
He couldn’t tell if she was simply curious or actually interested in He couldn’t tell if she was simply curious or actually interested in what he did for a living. Most women weren’t. They complained about men spending too many hours playing video games.
“I’ve sold three programs so far.”
“That’s great,” Zanaa replied and breathed a sigh of relief. It took everything he had not to laugh. She was probably beginning to wonder what type of man she was taking home to meet her family.
Scott leaned across the table and gave her a silly smirk. “Believe me. I won’t embarrass you in front of your family.”
“I never said that you would,” she denied, although the look on her face said otherwise.
“Then why the uncertainty?” Scott asked between chews.
She expelled in a deep breath. “I just think it’s important I get to know the man I’m supposed to be engaged to. Knowing you’re gainfully employed does help,” she added with a twinkle in her eyes.
“I’m sure it does.” Scott chuckled heartedly. Since Zanaa entered his life, he’d laughed more than he had in years.
She reached for her diet soda and took a long sip before saying, “I just think it’s important we know everything we can about each other if we’re going to come off believable.”
He nodded. “I agree.” And he planned to know her in more ways than one.
The duration of the meal he listened to Zanaa talk about life in Virginia. He could tell she had been brought up in a close-knit family like he had. Family was important, and although Scott had no intentions of starting one of his own, he completely enjoyed the one he already had. But there was something about Zanaa that had him wondering, what would it be like to have a family with her? Scott quickly brushed that ridiculous thought off his shoulder. A commitment was the last thing he wanted.
*
On the drive back, Zanaa was relatively quiet. She was too busy thinking about the man driving the SUV. Every moment she spent with Scott, she found herself liking him that much more. He was a good person.
She also discovered he was very considerate and actually quite passionate She also discovered he was very considerate and actually quite passionate about his work. In a short time, she learned there was a lot more to Scott Simmons than meets the eyes.
He pulled into the parking lot, climbed out then came around and helped her out of his vehicle.
“You don’t have to walk in with me,” she insisted.
“Yes, Zanaa, I’m afraid I do.”
The savaged look in his eyes made her lip quiver. And Zanaa didn’t object when he took her hand and with wide strides, escorted her back to the suite. Her heart was beating heavily beneath her breasts while her mind was swirling with emotions. Thank goodness Ashley hadn’t returned from lunch because she wasn’t ready for all the questions. Scott didn’t stop walking until they were inside her office. The second he shut the door, he cupped the back of her head and dragged her mouth to his.
Scott’s lips were hungry and greedy, and so hot and possessive, Zanaa arched up to meet him. Everything she had been feeling, thinking, and trying to deny came boiling to the surface. What was supposed to be a fake relationship had suddenly become so real. She wanted everything he had to offer as a man. Her man. At least for the time being. And that was not a good thing.
She knew exactly why she had to fight him, to resist him, to find a way to hold onto her boundaries becaus
e if she didn’t, Scott was going to be her downfall. There was no way she could allow another man to make her that vulnerable and weak. Falling in love was not an option, yet so far it was a strong possibility. His irresistible charm and passion were enough to destroy everything she had worked so hard to achieve. Only she couldn’t think straight when he kissed and held her close to his hard, strong body.
Once again, Zanaa sank into the hunger, the taste, the need to meet Scott’s sensual strokes. He devoured her with his mouth, claiming her for the duration. She gave a weak attempt at pushing him away, not really wanting to end the kiss but testing to see just how much resistance she still had, only Scott brought her closer. He held her tight, just as she wanted, locked against him.
She found his locs with her fingers, gripping hard to hold him, to She found his locs with her fingers, gripping hard to hold him, to keep him close. Scott deepened the kiss, one hand cupping her head, the other moving possessively over her body. For a moment she wasn’t aware of anything except his tongue mating wildly with hers. One hand cupped her ass, drawing her close to his erection, while the other slid up her body, skimming her breasts, her waist. She wrapped her arms around him, her hands loving the feel of his powerful back beneath his jacket. . She knew she needed to slow things down, however, this was what she wanted…
needed. And she was enjoying every second of the passion she shared with him.
When he finally released her, Zanaa found herself gasping for air.
Scott’s eyes roamed over her face and from the heated look in his eyes, she knew he was just as affected by the kiss as she was.
“I think that should tie me over for now,” he murmured. And before she found the words to speak, Scott strolled out the suite.
Disoriented, Zanaa held onto the desk as she moved around to her chair and collapsed. If she didn’t know it before, she knew it now. She was in way over her head.
Chapter Eight
In Her Neighbor's Bed (The Beaumont Series) Page 7
