“I’m still your employee. What’s different now? Is it just because I’m marrying Brad?”
“I won’t lie. The ring shocked me. I knew you were dating Brad, but I didn’t think it was serious. When I saw the ring on your finger, it hit me I was truly losing any chance with you.”
“You’re willing to risk your career?” She held her breath.
“I don’t care about that anymore,” he said waving his hand. “I’ll switch your assignments to someone else, or I’ll ask for a transfer. I’m willing to do whatever it takes for you to be mine.”
Kenyatta’s heart hammered. The look of hunger in his eyes set her on fire. No man had ever looked at her as though he wanted to devour her on the spot. Her nipples beaded beneath her bra, and a familiar warmth blossomed between her legs. Unable to focus when he looked at her like that, she looked away. “We don’t even know if we’ll work out.”
He leaned on her desk. “We’ll never know if we don’t try. We’ve denied this for too long, Kenyatta, and we can’t deny it anymore.”
“But there are so many complications. What about Jessica?”
“I broke up with Jessica after Orlando. She was the reason I stopped in Florida. I couldn’t sleep with you knowing I had someone back home waiting for me. You both deserve better than that.”
“She’s been here constantly over the past week.”
Malcolm sighed. “I know. Her car was in the shop. I was sharing my truck with her, but that’s it.”
Kenyatta stiffened. “She must have been upset that your break-up was so sudden.”
He stood up straight. “We both knew it was coming.”
Her eyes locked with his. “Will you do that to me? Come back from a trip and break things off because you want some other coworker?” She heard the sharp accusation in her voice, but she had to know if it was all worth it.
Malcolm didn’t break eye contact. “Kenyatta, I haven’t dated anyone seriously in years. Jessica and I started with a purely physical relationship that lasted too long. I want more than that from you. I want everything from you that you’re willing to give, and I’m willing to work for it.”
Kenyatta blushed. She searched his eyes for any signs of deception and only saw sincerity. The smallest bubble of hope filled her heart. “But Brad thinks … he thinks we’re still getting married.”
“Then tell him otherwise, or I swear I’ll be at the wedding to drag you back down the aisle.”
She smiled at the image of Malcolm dragging her away from her wedding. Although a part of her thought it was comical, she realized it would be completely humiliating for Brad.
“Why the sudden change of heart? You were awful last week. I don’t understand how you could feel differently in one day.”
He ran his fingers over his head. “You struck a nerve on Friday. I was never trying to humiliate you. At first, I thought I could make you see you deserved someone better than Brad, even if it wasn’t me. Then I realized I didn’t want to help you find someone else. I wanted you with me, but I went about it all wrong. I’m sorry for that. I want you, Kenyatta. In my life, in my arms, and in my bed.”
His words were an aphrodisiac. Her breasts felt heavy, and the trickle of desire between her legs became a flood. His hunger for her was overwhelming. She’d sensed it before, but hearing him verbalize his longing was more than she could handle. She hadn’t experienced true desire for a man in years, but she craved Malcolm so much it frightened her. Feelings this intense were uncontrollable and could lead to rash, stupid decisions.
She pushed her chair back from her desk, trying to get more space so she could breath. “We need to talk about this. Outside of work.”
“Tonight,” he said.
“I’m supposed to — ”
“Cancel it.”
“But Brad — ”
“Doesn’t matter anymore.”
She began to acquiesce when Mr. Summers walked in.
“Malcolm, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Malcolm turned to him. “I’ve been talking to Kenyatta about the ordinance for Sumter,” he said, transitioning easily into work mode. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve got a problem in the Charlotte office, and I need you to go up there for the week.” He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to sign some paperwork in accounting, but that should only take a minute. Meet me in my office in five minutes and I’ll fill you in on the details.”
Kenyatta and Malcolm fell silent after Mr. Summers walked out. With Malcolm leaving for the week, they wouldn’t be able to see each other. It also meant he wouldn’t be at work to discuss her resignation.
“It looks like fate is against us,” she commented wryly.
Before she could blink twice, he’d shut her door and was behind her desk pulling her into his arms.
“To hell with fate,” he said as he kissed her.
Kenyatta didn’t even try to fight the kiss. Heat exploded through her body. She wanted to feel his lips on hers, to taste his tongue in her mouth. She relished him, savoring the strength of his arms around her waist, the heat of his body infusing into hers and the rock hardness of his erection pressing against her. It intoxicated her, as she pressed her body against his. He took her breast in his hand and squeezed gently. Kenyatta sighed into his mouth, and he squeezed again. He ran his thumb over her hardened nipple and a tremor rippled through her body. She wanted more.
He slowly ended the kiss and put his forehead on hers. They held each other as they tried to slow their breathing. Malcolm continued to tease her nipple, and Kenyatta bit her lip. His shaft pressed against her belly, and she slowly rubbed herself against it. He let out a low groan and began to suck on her lower lip. Kenyatta moaned and rubbed against him again.
“You’re going to kill me before we ever make it to a bed,” he groaned.
Kenyatta stiffened. “Is that all that you want me for?”
He looked into her eyes. “I definitely want you in my bed. Every night … quite possibly for the rest of my life, but I’ve told you and I’ll keep telling you — that isn’t all I want.”
A weight lifted from her heart, and she leaned up to kiss him again. Malcolm obliged, cupping her butt and pressing her against him. Kenyatta lifted her leg slightly to better fit his hardness against the aching flesh at the juncture of her thighs. With a groan, he finally ended the kiss and took a shaky step back as she leaned against her desk for support. Malcolm whipped a handkerchief from his pocket and rubbed the lipstick from his face.
“I’ll be back Friday.” He hesitated. “I did promise Jessica I’d take her to the Fire Marshal’s Ball. I’m guessing you’re going with Brad and his family?”
Kenyatta’s desired evaporated as jealousy crept over her, but she realized his promise to go with Jessica was no different from her promise to go with Brad, so she nodded.
“Then it’s probably for the best that I’m leaving this week. We can get that out of the way and then move forward … together.”
He cupped her face with his hand, and the jealousy melted away. He looked as happy as she felt.
She smiled. “Together.”
He leaned in to softly brush his lips against hers. “I’ll see you on Friday,” he said before leaving her office.
Kenyatta watched him go and hoped she had made the right decision. Their relationship had taken another path, and there was no going back. Feelings would be hurt soon enough, but she didn’t care. She was finally doing something she wanted to do, professionally and personally. She smiled to herself. For the first time, her life was an open book, and she looked forward to the next chapter.
Chapter 23
When Malcolm returned to Columbia on Friday, he was more than ready to continue where he and Kenyatta had left off. The potential loss of a major client in the Cha
rlotte office, along with a new project in the gulf, was stretching their staff thin. Malcolm had helped resolve both situations, and although he’d spent a lot of time in Charlotte working, he’d spent just as much time thinking about Kenyatta and their future together.
The fact that she admitted she wanted him, made him feel things he’d never felt for another woman. The kisses, the feel of her body pressed against his, her passionate response — it had kept him up thinking about all the things he wanted to do to her. His blood boiled, and the hard-on he’d lived with for the past three years — pressed tightly against his pants.
But it wasn’t just that his desire for her was more intense than he’d ever known. He was happy they would be a couple. He looked forward to doing the small things people in relationships did. He wanted to see her after a long day of work, talk to her on the phone when he was out of town, go to dinner with her during the week. All of the things he never thought he had time for in a relationship, he wanted to make time for with Kenyatta.
He headed straight for the office. It was the night of the Fire Marshal’s Ball, so he knew most of the people in the office would already be gone. He hoped Kenyatta would still be there. He didn’t want his next sight of her to be with Brad’s arms around her.
He walked into the office as Grace was packing up her things, getting ready to leave her post at the front desk.
“Oh, hey, Malcolm. We didn’t expect to see you today,” she said.
“Yeah, I just wanted to check the items on my desk before the weekend.”
“You work too hard. The world won’t come to an end if you don’t check every e-mail and respond to every memo the minute it arrives,” she said with a smile.
“Yeah, well, that’s just me. So how have things gone this week while I’ve been out?” He tried not to appear anxious when all he wanted to do was ask if Kenyatta was still there.
“Just running at full speed. The strain in Charlotte trickles down here, you know.” She reached over to turn off her computer. “I don’t know how we’ll manage with both Jeremy and Kenyatta gone.”
“What?”
Grace looked at him warily. “I thought you knew. Jeremy resigned last week — ”
“Yes, yes, I know about Jeremy, but did you say Kenyatta was leaving too?”
She shrugged helplessly. “Yes. She gave Mr. Summers her resignation after you left on Monday. She’s going to work with Jeremy with Jordan and Burke’s southeast branch. I thought she would’ve told you.”
Malcolm swallowed hard and tried not to panic. Was she leaving because of what happened between them? Had she already planned to leave before he confessed his feelings? Had she changed her mind about him and decided to stay with Brad?
“No, we discussed a project. She didn’t mention it,” he said distractedly. “Is she still here?”
“I think she’s still back there. Everyone else has left, and she was packing her things a minute ago.”
“Thanks, Grace. I’ve held you here long enough. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“No harm done. Hurry up and finish your work, so you can have a great weekend,” she said on her way out the door.
Malcolm immediately went to Kenyatta’s office. He had to know why she was leaving. He couldn’t imagine coming to work every day and not seeing her. Why would she go to a competing firm? She’d never shown signs of being unhappy at H20 — until he began coming on to her, and even then, she didn’t respond as though she was unhappy. He’d convince her to reconsider; he was prepared to beg if necessary.
• • •
Kenyatta was packing up her things to leave when her telephone rang. She knew it was Brad before she even looked at the phone. He’d pestered her all day to leave work early enough to get ready for their special night, but there wasn’t much that she needed to do. She’d already gotten her nails, feet, and hair done. Her dress was ready. All she had to do was shower and put on a bit of makeup, but she’d procrastinated as long as she could. Work had been crazy with Malcolm out of the office, and she’d been so busy handling the various projects in his absence, it had been easy to use that as an excuse to stall at the office. The fact that she had yet to break up with Brad was her main reason for stalling. She’d been too busy at work and too afraid of ruining everyone’s expectations for the weekend to break up with Brad. She’d completely pushed their special night from her mind, but as usual, Brad’s peskiness had caught up to her.
“I’m leaving now,” she snapped as she answered the phone.
“You should have been out the door an hour ago, Kenyatta,” was Brad’s response.
“Brad, seriously, I told you it wouldn’t take me long to get ready. It’s only six, and we aren’t leaving until nine. What’s the big deal?”
It was harder than ever to hide her aggravation with him. He’d been irritable and short tempered since their disastrous dinner with Mike and Joi. That combined with the possibility of a future for her and Malcolm practically erased her plans to marry Brad. Even if she and Malcolm didn’t work out, she wasn’t sure marrying Brad was the right decision. Life without passion no longer seemed very appealing.
“The big deal is that my parents want to ride with us, meaning, we’d have to pick them up by eight. Now that won’t work.”
Kenyatta rolled her eyes. “It’s fine if we don’t go with them. My parents always arrive early and they’ll be seated at the same table so they won’t be lonely.”
“Can the sarcasm. I’m getting tired of your attitude with me lately. I don’t know what your problem is. Because if it’s about the job, I already told you that I support your decision.”
“It’s not that.” She sighed heavily. “Can we just talk about his later? The longer I stay on the phone, the longer it’ll take me to leave.”
There was a long pause before he answered, “Yeah. We’ll talk about it tonight.”
She looked up and saw Malcolm. Kenyatta’s eyes roamed over his body, and it hit her full force how much she had missed him. Immediately her thoughts went back to the last time he was in her office. How he’d kissed her before leaving. Her skin began to prickle, and she was almost ashamed at how much she wanted him to kiss her again.
“Malcolm,” she said on a long breath.
“Malcolm? What are you talking about? I thought he was out of town?” Brad’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“What … um … yes, he is. I just realized I need to put something on his desk for Monday,” she lied. “Look, I’ve gotta go. I’ll be out of the office in two minutes.” She hurriedly placed the phone back on the receiver and turned to Malcolm.
“When did you get back?” Happiness and excitement filled her voice.
“Just now.” He closed her door and crossed the room slowly. Kenyatta took in everything about him, the play of his thigh muscles beneath his tailored pants, the sun streaming through the blinds casting a golden glow over his dark skin. He looked like an African warrior coming to claim his prize. Her mouth suddenly dried up as her breath pumped in short, shallow bursts. She wanted him to claim her.
His eyes narrowed on her. “Why are you leaving?”
Kenyatta groaned and looked away. She’d wanted to tell him about her decision in person, but when he left so abruptly, she’d had to submit her resignation to Mr. Summers.
“Jeremy asked me to start the branch with him when he came back from his mother’s funeral. It’s a great opportunity. I had to take it,” she explained.
He came around the back of her desk and pulled her up from her chair. Kenyatta waited anxiously to see what he would say and do next. His eyes were downcast and she couldn’t tell from his expression if he was upset. She remembered what he’d said in Florida, about her being one of the best parts of his job, and she hoped he wasn’t upset about her taking the job.
“So it had nothing to do with wha
t I said on Monday?”
He reached out and touched a lock of her hair. She’d gotten it spiral-curled the day before and pinned up into a chignon, but a few loose tendrils framed her face. “No. I was going to tell you Monday, but you left so quickly.”
He took her hand in his. “It’s not because it would make it easier for you to marry Brad, is it? Because I wouldn’t be around?”
She looked in his eyes. Anxiety swirled in their chocolate depths. “No. He had nothing to do with it.” She hesitated before asking. “You’re not upset that I’m leaving?”
He pulled on her hand to bring her closer to him. “Yes, I hate to see my star employee leave, but, I understand why.”
Kenyatta let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. It meant everything to her that he understood her motivation. He’d always been supportive, but lately she’d wondered if it was just a ploy to seduce her. His answer erased that fear.
“You know what this means.” He licked his lips before they tilted up into the smile she’d always wanted directed at her.
“What?”
He pulled her fully into his arms, and Kenyatta gasped when she saw the raw heat and desire in his eyes. His gaze was so powerful it ignited a fire in her soul. “Now there really is no reason for us not to be together.”
He kissed her and their passion exploded. Kenyatta didn’t care they were in her office; she’d been daydreaming about this moment for three years. When his lips met hers, she forgot about past hurts and mistakes and opened herself to the joy of being with Malcolm.
In one swift motion, Malcolm lifted her up and put her on top of her desk. He continued to kiss her hungrily as his hands roamed all over her neck, shoulders, and back. He unbuttoned her shirt and caressed the fullness of her breasts. Kenyatta moaned when his thumbs brushed across her hardened nipples through her silk bra. A shiver burst through her body. He did it again, and Kenyatta pressed herself into his hands, begging for more. Malcolm obliged taking a hardened peak between two fingers and squeezing it gently, and she released another moan. He kissed her harder.
Southern Love Page 17
