Southern Love

by Synithia Williams

  “He just seems a bit overprotective.”

  She crossed her arms. “He’s not overprotective. What gave you that impression?”

  “When he told me to keep my eyes off you last Christmas,” he answered bluntly.

  She blinked rapidly and shook her head. “What? Why would he say something like that? You must have misunderstood.”

  “No misunderstanding. You were wearing that red dress, the one that draped in the back. He caught me looking your way, and in a very clear voice, told me to keep my eyes off you.” His voice lowered to that same seductive tone he’d used the day before.

  “Why were you looking at me?” She didn’t know what possessed her to ask, but for some reason she cared more about that than Brad’s warning.

  “You looked good that night. Half of the men in the office were checking you out.”

  She leaned forward and raised a brow. “So everyone was checking me out, and you were the one he happened to catch?”

  His lips spread into the smile that drove her crazy. “Maybe he thought I was more of a threat.”

  Her heart fluttered, but she sat back and rolled her eyes. “Could you be any more conceited?”

  “If I were any more conceited, I’d say he was definitely threatened because you were checking me out also.”

  She choked on her tea. She had spent half the night trying not to look at him, but he’d looked sexier than ever that night. Is my attraction to him that obvious, she wondered?

  “I’d say that you were mistaken, and your conceit is misplaced.” The tremor in her voice contradicted her words.

  He smiled as if he knew she was a liar, and she smiled back. It was weird flirting with him. They’d always had such a structured relationship, but now, it was as if he’d crossed an imaginary line. She didn’t know what it meant, but she reminded herself again not to read too much into it.

  As they left the deli, she checked her cell phone. She had three missed calls from Brad. She’d put her phone on vibrate on purpose. After setting their mothers on her that morning, she wasn’t in the mood to think about their situation — especially not when she was enjoying herself with Malcolm.

  “Why are you frowning? Did you miss an important call?”

  Kenyatta put her phone away quickly and gave him a half smile. “No, just a persistent telemarketer. I filled out some form online and now my phone keeps ringing.”

  He nodded and began walking back to their office. “Do you want some ice cream? We could stop at Duck In for a sundae,” he said, referring to a dairy bar on Main Street.

  “Sure,” she agreed quickly. She wasn’t ready for their time together to end.

  He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her two stores down to the restaurant. She tried to act nonchalant, but the heat from his hand permeated throughout her body. She enjoyed it more than she should. When he removed his hand to open the door, she could still feel its imprint on her back.

  Once inside, they waited in line without speaking until it was their turn to order. She offered to pay for hers, but Malcolm insisted it was his treat.

  “Just don’t ever say I never did anything for you,” he teased.

  Kenyatta put a huge spoonful of the hot fudge sundae she’d ordered into her mouth. She closed her eyes to enjoy the rich flavor of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. It had been so long since she’d indulged in ice cream, and it tasted like heaven.

  When she opened her eyes, her face burned when she saw how intently Malcolm watched as she savored the ice cream. He reached over and wiped hot fudge from the corner of her mouth with his thumb, put it to her lips, and then smiled as she licked the fudge from it without a second thought. Their eyes locked, and she returned his smile as he put that same thumb into his mouth.

  “You made it look so good.”

  Heat flooded her face and between her legs. She turned away quickly and walked out the door. This is wrong. Very wrong, she thought, admonishing herself. She’d just made a half-assed attempt to break her engagement and was already about to throw herself at her boss. She was letting her attraction to a handsome man cause her to make bad decisions, just like she’d done too many times before, but this time she couldn’t blame it on the stupidity of youth.

  “Kenyatta, I didn’t mean anything by that. I was out of line.”

  She turned around and faced Malcolm with a false smile. “For what? That back there? That wasn’t anything. Let’s just get back to work.”

  He looked as if he wanted to say more, but sighed and nodded instead. “Yes, let’s get back before they start to miss us.”

  Chapter 6

  On the way back to the office, Kenyatta and Malcolm walked up right after a delivery truck driver rear-ended the car in front of him. The driver tried to apologize, but the lady whose car he hit yelled and threw items from her car at him. A crowd was gathering to enjoy the show. The spectacle eased the tension from earlier. They were laughing about it as they walked into the office.

  “It’s good to see you’re having such a good time, Kenyatta.”

  Kenyatta’s laughter died in her throat, and she stifled a groan as she turned to face her mother. Brad must have really been in a panic to send her mom to her office.

  “Mom, what are you doing here?”

  Her mom glanced briefly at Malcolm before turning her full stare on Kenyatta. Adele Copeland always looked ten years younger than her fifty-five years. Today she looked more like Kenyatta’s sister in a pair of khaki crop pants with a blue silk top and her slightly graying hair swept up in a loose ponytail. Her mom smiled sweetly, but fire burned in her brown eyes. “I hoped to catch you for lunch, but I see you had other plans.”

  Kenyatta worked hard to keep from rolling her eyes. She could only imagine how the scene looked to her mother. She was supposed to be thinking about her decision to end things with Brad — the perfect guy in her parents’ eyes — not having lunch with another man.

  “Mom, you know, Malcolm, my boss.” She stressed the last part.

  Malcolm reached out to shake Adele’s hand. “It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Copeland.”

  Adele barely grasped his hand. “Likewise. Kenyatta, if you’re not too busy, I’d like to speak with you for a minute.”

  Kenyatta looked at her watch. “I have a conference call in thirty minutes.”

  “It’s important.”

  Malcolm reached over to touch Kenyatta’s arm. “Take your time. I’ll start the call if you’re still with you mother.”

  Adele noticed the touch and narrowed her eyes. Kenyatta smiled tightly, nodded and thanked Malcolm. She watched him walk down the hall before sighing in frustration. When her mother wanted attention, everything was important. Her mother was only interested in telling her all of the reasons to marry Brad, but she already knew the reasons why she should marry Brad. It was the few reasons why she shouldn’t that gave her pause.

  “Come on in my office, Mom.”

  Her mother smiled and followed her into her office. Once inside Kenyatta closed the door. She respected and loved her mom, so she assumed what little bit of authority she could by sitting behind her desk. It was the one place where she was in complete control.

  Adele sat in the chair across from her desk and smiled. She didn’t fool Kenyatta. Her mother used the same smile whenever she was upset.

  “I would ask what was so important, but I can guess why you’re here,” Kenyatta started.

  “It appears that I came just in time. I finally understand why you broke things off with Brad,” her mother replied.

  Kenyatta narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m just going to get to the point. Is he the reason you broke up with Brad?”

  Kenyatta didn’t pretend ignorance about who “he” was. “No, Mom, Malcolm is not the
reason I broke up with Brad.”

  “It looked as if you two were very cozy around there.”

  “We were coming in from lunch, how could we possibly look cozy?”

  Adele raised a hand. “Don’t get smart with me. I saw the way you two were laughing and having a good ole time. It’s not right, Kenyatta.”

  “We were laughing at an accident downstairs.”

  Her mom looked horrified. “What’s so funny about an accident?”

  Kenyatta looked at the ceiling and groaned. “The accident wasn’t funny, Mom, the situation was.”

  Her mom waived her hands. “It doesn’t matter what was funny. Yesterday you were in love with Brad. Today you’ve broken your engagement and you’re out laughing with another man. Don’t let lust ruin your life.”

  Kenyatta looked through the papers on her desk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not letting lust ruin my life.”

  One of her mom’s eyebrows rose as she twisted her lips. “Now you’re being dense on purpose. This isn’t my first visit to your office, and I’m not blind. I know how you feel about him.”

  Kenyatta slammed down the papers she was shuffling before clenching her hands. She counted to ten and concentrated on controlling her breathing. She’d tried to ensure no one knew she was attracted to Malcolm. He was just the sort of mistake she’d made in the past, and she didn’t want her friends or family to think she was going down that road again. To know that her mother could tell made her feelings of control slip.

  “I don’t feel anything for him,” she said with a calmness she didn’t feel.

  Her mom sighed and stood up. She walked to the window before responding, “Yes you do. I know, because I recognize the signs. I’ve been there before.”

  Her head snapped toward her mother. “What are you talking about?”

  Adele didn’t turn to face Kenyatta. “After college your father joined the army to help pay off his student loans before going to law school. He didn’t want us to get married with that much debt. When they stationed him in Germany for two years, it was the most difficult time of my life. I loved him so much, and I understood why he joined, but I wasn’t happy about it. It was hard seeing him only a few times a year.”

  “I know, you’ve told me about that.”

  Adele nodded. “It was eighteen months after he’d been gone. I began to question if he’d made the right decision. Did he really love me if he could just join the army and leave? I met a man … well I didn’t really meet him. We worked together. I was a paralegal, and he was a new attorney in the firm, Leroy Jackson. The attraction was instant. I’d been faithful to your father the entire time he was gone, but I was missing everything about your father.” She finally looked at Kenyatta. “If you know what I mean.”

  Kenyatta shook her head to clear her mind of the thought of her parents in a sexual way. “Mom, what are you saying?”

  Adele shrugged and turned back to the window. “It started as flirting. I was flattered, and he was fun. Long story short, I agreed to go out with him one night after finding out they denied your father leave. He was charming, and I was horny. That was a recipe for disaster. We carried on for three months.”

  “You cheated on Daddy?”

  Adele sighed and faced Kenyatta fully. “Yes, I’m not proud of it, but at the time I wanted the attention.”

  Kenyatta looked away. She picked up a pen on her desk and clutched it in her fist. “What happened?” She didn’t want to hear the rest of the story, but something compelled her to ask. She’d always thought her parents had a perfect relationship. She couldn’t imagine another man coming between them. “Did Dad find out?”

  “No, Leroy broke it off when I got pregnant.”

  Kenyatta took in a sharp breath. “What? You had another baby?” A million questions ran through her head, but one stuck out. Did she have a sibling out there? It was more than she could take.

  Adele’s flinched. “No. I lost the baby, Kenyatta. But it scared me enough to know that I almost lost something good because of a fling with a coworker.” Adele looked at Kenyatta. “Never repeat this story. Your father doesn’t know and I’d like to keep it that way.” Kenyatta saw fear in her mother’s eyes, and she fell back in her chair. Her mother was never afraid of anything. “Promise me, Kenyatta, please.”

  Kenyatta pushed back all of her questions and nodded. “I promise.”

  Her mother visibly relaxed. “I didn’t come here to tell you this. When I saw you two together just now, it brought back memories. I love you, and I want to see you happy. Brad is a good man. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Reconsider your reasons for leaving Brad, and I’m sure you’ll realize the reasons to stay outweigh the ones to leave.”

  “I don’t know if I — ”

  “Just think about it, okay?” her mom said sharply.

  She’d been about to say she didn’t know if she really loved Brad, but it was best left unsaid. Kenyatta wanted what her parents had, or at least what she thought her parents had. It was unreal to think her parents may not have been because of an affair her mother had. Her world was upside down. Was she about to ruin everything she and Brad could have because of the passionate feelings she had for Malcolm?

  “I’ll think about it.” Kenyatta said with a nod.

  Her mom smiled again. “Good. That’s all I wanted to hear. I know you’re busy and need to do that conference call. I’m leaving, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Adele walked over and kissed Kenyatta on the cheek. She turned and walked out of Kenyatta’s office, giving a quick wave as she left. In fact, Adele breezed out of the office as if she hadn’t just laid a huge bombshell in her daughter’s lap. Not only had her mother cheated on her father, but she’d gotten pregnant. Malcolm knocked on her door and peered in before saying he was going to the conference room. She looked at her clock; it was time for the conference call. She took a deep breath to settle her thoughts. There wasn’t time to think about this stuff now; she had to work. But if one thing was clear, she couldn’t let her attraction to Malcolm distract her. She didn’t want to run the risk of being in a similar situation as her mother.

  Chapter 7

  Malcolm was dreaming. He knew it was a dream because what was happening was something he longed for but never thought would actually happen. Therefore, because it was a dream, he decided to enjoy it.

  There was a woman in bed with him, and it was not just any woman — it was Kenyatta. She was on top of him, lying with her body pressed against his. Her warm breath caressed his skin as she kissed his jaw before moving lower to kiss his neck. Her breasts brushed against his chest, the pebble hardness of her nipples rubbing against him. Her legs were straddling his waist and the slick moisture between her thighs slid against his abdomen. She continued to kiss his neck and then moved her hips lower, sliding her wetness against him. He was already aroused but the slow up-and-down glide of her clit across his erection caused him to thicken and grow harder.

  He heard her throaty moan as she continued to rub against him, pleasuring herself in the process. He moved his hands to cup her firm buttocks and squeezed them gently, enjoying the feel of her body against his. He kissed her neck and pulled her body up until her breasts brushed his lips. He gently pulled one hardened peak into his mouth, suckled deeply and she moaned again. He moved one hand from her butt to cup the breast he feasted on. He kneaded the soft mound and pulled even more of her breast into his mouth. She was still moving against him, and he knew she was aching to have him inside of her. He wanted nothing more than to enter her and feel her juices flow around him.

  “Oh, damn, Malcolm, now,” she pleaded.

  That voice was too real, and it wasn’t Kenyatta’s. Malcolm opened his eyes and looked up not into the soft brown eyes of Kenyatta, but into Jessica’s hazel eyes. The night before flooded his memory. He’d been
hard as hell ever since Kenyatta had licked the ice cream from his finger. When Jessica called and offered to come over he’d readily agreed. And while Jessica was a welcome diversion the night before, now sunlight streamed into his bedroom. In the harsh light of day, he didn’t like waking up from a dream about one woman with another in his arms.

  He pushed her off, and sat on the edge of the bed. Disappointment had already killed his erection.

  “Why did you stop?”

  His back was to her, but he heard the irritation in her voice. “We used my last condom last night.”

  “I’m on the pill.”

  “I don’t want to chance it.”

  He wanted her to leave, but didn’t know a right way to tell her to go. It was his own fault; he’d let their relationship become more than it should.

  She came across the bed and hugged him from behind. “What’s wrong, Malcolm?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “You looked … disappointed when you opened your eyes and saw me.”

  Malcolm shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jessica.”

  She rubbed his chest. “Maybe I just thought it.” When he didn’t respond, she changed the subject. “Do you want to see the new Jamie Foxx movie tonight? My sister saw it last weekend and said it was great. I thought we could go.”

  Malcolm started shaking his head before she finished. “No, I have to go to the office and wrap up a few loose ends before the conference this week. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

  Her body stiffened, and she stopped rubbing his chest. “Today is Saturday. Can’t it wait?”

  He turned to look at her. “No, it can’t wait. I leave Monday. I do have a job with real responsibilities.”

  After he said it, he realized it was a cheap shot. Jessica had lost her job with a bank a few weeks earlier due to downsizing.

  She turned her head away, and he saw tears forming in her eyes. He cursed to himself. He knew she wanted more, but he wasn’t willing to give more. Malcolm had no real complaints about Jessica. Her beautiful, honey-colored skin and dark brown hair, which first attracted him, hadn’t changed. She still had an appetite for sex, which mirrored his, and she never complained about his hours or his traveling. She’d only recently begun trying to spend more time with him when he was in town. Logically their relationship should go a step further, but he wasn’t ready. She wasn’t the woman he wanted. He needed to break things off with Jessica before she got hurt, but not after she’d spent the night. That was too callous.