“You’ve got your company. You’ve got me,” she responded.
“So we are on the same page.” Grant offered the reminder more for himself than her. These quiet moments where they sat together, enjoying beer and pizza, had a domestic feel to them. He’d never pictured himself as one to settle down, especially after his engagement to Vanessa. But spending time with Tamara and chatting about their future raised his hope.
Tamara saluted him. “Yes, General Benson. You’re building an empire. I’m just trying to raise a few more empire builders.” She turned toward him. Their lounge chairs sat side by side. “I’m still on the same page. We’re still no strings attached.”
The statement nestled in the foundation of their relationship. Despite the rules, he found that he wanted to kick the stipulation out of view. But Tamara had been adamant. He’d tried to convince himself that he could play along, that he could be as pragmatic as her.
Grant nuzzled her cheek before giving her a peck.
“You know I don’t want you for your money, babe,” Tamara said.
“What about my trade secrets?”
“Nope. Not that either.”
Grant played with her fingers, intertwining his with hers so they were clasped together.
“It’s what you do with your hands.” She kissed the back of his hand. “It’s what you do with your mouth.” She leaned over and planted a kiss on his mouth. “And the rest...I’ll let you know later.” She leaned back in the chair and surveyed him with a small smile.
They finished the pizza, enjoying the comfortable temperature as twilight settled around them. Fireflies zipped around the backyard. Soft strains of a piano being played over the outdoor sound system drifted through the evening. Grant sighed, relaxing into the chair.
“Earlier, you opened up about your teenage years,” Tamara said.
He closed his eyes. Waiting. Dreading.
“I appreciated what you said. I know it must’ve been tough, maybe not with the kids, but with Stevenson and me. Just want to say that I’m proud of you.”
Grant opened his eyes. The dread evaporated and blew away. He’d never cared what another woman thought of him until Tamara came with her killer golf swing into his life. Now a sense of relief washed over him.
He offered, “I hadn’t planned on unveiling my past. But I’d sacrifice my privacy for those guys anytime. They are at the critical place that I once was.”
Grant gently cupped Tamara’s face between his hands, kissing her softly, willing her not to ever change her feelings toward him. “Let’s head upstairs.”
* * *
Tamara followed Grant to his bedroom. Just watching him climb the stairs was a turn-on. By the time they entered his room, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on him. He also had the same idea, as he playfully groped her body.
She didn’t need a man with exotic eyes of hazel or green to capture her interest. Not at all. Grant’s solid, dark brown eyes framed with thick black lashes could be just as heart fluttering.
As for his mouth, small or wide didn’t matter. She loved his lips that had a luscious softness and fullness, with the perfect Cupid’s bow shape that framed his beautiful smile. After all, lips weren’t meant only to be watched and admired. They deserved to be sampled and tested for their power. As she pulled him closer, the pair of full lips she’d been watching partially opened with a slight upward curve and a delicious inviting quality. She locked lips with him, starting their dance of passion.
She slid her hands up his back. Her fingers splayed over the ripples of the muscles along his shoulder blades. His heart beat heavily against her ear.
“Do you trust me?” she asked, her voice muffled as her lips brushed his chest. “Do you trust me?” she repeated.
“Yes,” he hissed.
“I want to be your girlfriend.”
“Okay.” His wariness seemed to drag the word beyond its two syllables.
She didn’t want to go back to the way things were. Yet, the next level had a scary thrill that made her want to proceed with caution.
She pointed to his chest. “One day, I want in. I’ll wait.”
Before he could respond, she kissed him. She didn’t want to hear his response at that moment.
She stood on her tiptoes to meet his mouth again. Grant picked her up and carried her to the bed. Her arms locked around his neck; her body pressed against his chest. She kissed his jaw, loving the straight line and strong angle of his profile. Another kiss touched the corner of his mouth. His mouth twitched and a sigh escaped.
Tamara closed her eyes. Inside his arms, the world seemed far away. Nothing to intrude on their moment.
He lifted her chin with the crook of his finger. “Show me those beautiful eyes.”
When she complied, he continued, “I may not be the most open person about my heart. But I speak from in here.” He pointed to his chest. “Tamara, I love you, have loved you, and will always love you. What we have is special and unique, as it should be between soul mates.”
Tamara bit her lip to keep the tears away. His romantic declaration meant the world to her, erasing the mounting doubt that had been overwhelming her.
His gaze consumed her, sweeping her up into a fiery blaze. Then he looked down at her mouth and kissed her ever so gently. She closed her eyes, letting her other senses take over.
His mouth closed in, hovered, his ragged breaths soothing her. His firm lips pressed gently and she opened up. He slid his tongue in, and her moans sounded so far away.
Her mouth laid out the welcome mat, inviting and coaxing him deeper in. Her hands staked their claim to his chest. He cradled the back of her head, his fingers intertwined with her hair.
Their bodies pressed together, sending their sexual thermometer through the roof. She felt his arousal, hard and at full length, against her pelvis. Sheer pleasure and delicious, sinful thrill shot through her entire being.
“Let’s not land. Let’s not ever come down,” she whispered.
“Suspended animation—a bit unreal.” He chuckled near her ear.
“All of this is unreal.”
“Then let’s do something that is real and leaves no doubt what this is.” He undressed her, tossing her clothing to the side. Every time his fingers touched her skin, she shivered in delight.
She rubbed his shaft, sliding her hands down his aroused length. “Let me play with you, baby. Give me all the time I need to touch you here and here and here.” Her thumb slid over his head. He had to grab her wrist a couple of times to slow or stop completely. From the veins along his neck, she was sure that his self-control couldn’t be guaranteed.
Grant protected with a condom. His legs shook as her hands slid up along his inner thighs. His stroke started hard and fast. She loved the intensity, urging him with her pelvis to keep that pace. Hard and fast worked. Hard and rough satisfied. “Are we going to do this all night long?” Her words hitched every time he drove in.
“Yep. All night long.”
“Music to my ears.”
* * *
As the launch date approached, Grant had to cancel on coming to several home-cooked dinners. His mood was dark and brooding and his mind easily distracted over the latest glitch in the game. Tamara tried to take it all in stride. After all, they were a couple in love.
Now, three weeks without seeing Grant had put Tamara in a foul mood. The academy used to be on her mind every waking hour, until she’d met Grant. She’d carved out time to spend with him to the point that it was now part of her routine. She couldn’t believe how dependent she had become on seeing him. After the latest cancellation, however, she had agreed to come home early from work to eat a concoction that Becky had cooked, and she hoped it would take her mind off Grant.
She entered the apartment and almost ran back into the hallway
. “What the heck is that smell?”
Becky popped her head out of the kitchen. With a big smile, she said, “Annyeonghaseyo.” Then she bowed and headed back to the kitchen “It’s Korean cuisine tonight.”
“And we’re eating whatever is smelling up the entire house?”
“That’s kimchi—pickled cabbage.”
“That’s our dinner?” Tamara headed for the refrigerator door. “Where’s the number for pizza?”
“Oh, stop being a brat.” Becky pushed her away from the fridge. “Go wash up and then come back. The rice is almost done. I’ll barbecue strips of beef in a few.”
Tamara complied but had to ask as she headed into her room, “Why are we eating Korean food? Why are you dressed up and wearing makeup?” Becky did have a history of coming up with good recipes. In a pinch, she always had a quick, tasty meal tucked in that crazy brain. This, however, was not her usual M.O.
“I want to send a video to G-Dragon of what I’ve done. You never know, it could be the selling point between me and another homegirl.”
“That’s the craziest thing I’ve heard from you. Since I know you’re not kidding, let me be clear. You’re not filming me.” Tamara undressed and changed into her sweats and a T-shirt. She’d wait to take a shower until after she’d eaten the strongly scented meal. Despite her misgivings, though, her stomach growled as other enticing smells suffused the air.
The intercom buzzed, signaling a visitor.
“Oh, by the way, I invited a few folks.”
“Really?” Tamara groaned. She didn’t feel up to company. Becky had such an assortment of friends she collected that Tamara wasn’t sure who would be walking through the door.
Since the guests started to arrive, Tamara headed back to her bedroom. She was going quite casual, but changed into jeans and a blouse.
“Tamara, what’s taking you so long?” Becky stood in her doorway, motioning her to come.
“What’s the rush? This is your gig.”
“People brought friends. It’s kind of crowded.” Becky wrung her hands. The perky, easygoing Becky had fled.
Tamara hurried with her dressing and headed out. She stopped short at her bedroom door, and then she decided to pull it closed. When she’d left to get dressed, two guests had been there. Now the room had about fifteen people, and the whole party looked like a poster for the United Nations. As she surveyed the room, she realized she didn’t know anyone. Nothing new. Becky, the social beacon, had attracted the usual partygoers.
Becky clapped her hands. “Hey, could you not put your feet on my couch?”
Tamara had a feeling this dinner party was going to be short-lived. “Light up that cigarette in here and I will shove it down your throat,” she said to the man standing next to her.
The offender hurriedly slipped the cigarette back in his pocket and avoided eye contact.
Tamara continued into the kitchen, where it looked as if a bomb had exploded. “Where’s the food?” Tamara opened the oven and then the refrigerator.
“I kind of lost my appetite to cook after I saw all those people. I’d only bought enough ingredients for a small dinner party. People asked if they could bring a friend—one friend. This is like feeding a village,” Becky complained.
Tamara heard the buzzer announcing another visitor’s arrival. “So what are we eating?” Her stomach grumbled, a perfect match with her mood.
“I ordered the Korean food, instead. This might be the delivery guy.”
Sure enough, the delivery guy arrived with a wide array of Korean cuisine. Tamara pulled out various platters for the food setup. She was willing to do that much. Once the food had been laid out on the dining table, the crowd moved in like locusts and demolished it with an energy and efficiency that was frightening.
“Who are some of these people?”
“Some are from the language class that I take in the evening. Some are from my aerobics class.” Becky pointed to a few heads.
“From the looks of things, that weight management plan might need to be rechecked.”
Becky elbowed her to hush. “A few are from the academy. Contacts that I’ve made. Figured it was important to keep them in the loop.”
“Cool idea, but maybe they didn’t need to meet under our roof.”
“Hey, Becky,” said a woman who was walking in their direction. “I heard that you’re working with Grant Benson. Lucky you. Heard you said he was fantastic and gorgeous. Care to share?”
Tamara’s eyebrows perked as she awaited Becky’s response. A smile tugged at her mouth as she enjoyed her roommate’s embarrassment.
“Think you could get me a job?” the woman said. She stood in front of them, looking like a million dollars. Her dark hair shone with healthy vibrancy. Her features had an exotic appeal, as if she was a blend of many ethnicities. She was beautiful and she knew it.
“I—I—I don’t have those connections.” Tamara’s glare caused Becky to stammer.
“Oh, I bet you do. You and your roommate.”
She stopped and crossed her arms. “What I want to know is, what is the mastermind working on? Word is that there’s a new game system that’s supposed to kick the other game systems to the curb.”
“What do you want?” Becky asked, bristling.
“Information.” The woman smiled. A million dollar smile. “I can make it worth your while.”
“Who are you?” Tamara didn’t care if this was Becky’s friend or associate.
“Isabelle Vandusen, a reporter.”
Becky snorted. “You don’t look like a reporter. You look like a high-priced witch.”
“Child, step back.” Isabelle said. She turned her attention to Tamara. “You look sensible enough. You run the academy of teens who work for Benson. Mind if I chat with them?”
“You don’t go near them.” Tamara seethed at the woman’s boldness.
“Objection duly noted. I wanted to put you on notice.” She sashayed past them. “Ladies, have a good evening. Next time that you want to throw a decent party, get in touch.”
Tamara sealed Isabelle Vandusen to her memory. She seriously doubted that the woman was a reporter. Maybe she was one of those gold diggers who had made Grant’s life hellish. The woman had a cold, calculating look that made her seem like an opportunist. Just as Vanessa had had when they’d come face-to-face at the basketball game. The question was whether Grant found that type attractive. Did she have to sharpen her skills to compete? It had never been her style to fight over a man. She busied herself with another lettuce wrap of beef bulgogi and shoved it into her mouth.
* * *
Life seemed to be chugging along happily for Tamara. The guys’ internship continued without any further hitches. She’d been invited back to Grant’s parents’ for dinner in a few days, an event that she looked forward to. Her mother had taken up scrapbooking as a hobby, which now often took her down memory lane. Even Becky had taken on new hobbies, particularly anything that fell under the Korean culture umbrella.
In a month, the internship would be over. The guys would be faced with changes such as finishing up at the academy, heading back into the world and searching for jobs. They were all due to receive glowing reports from the supervisors at Benson Technologies, so recommendations wouldn’t be difficult to get for the job-hunting process.
No matter how much advance planning was done, the transition always was an emotional wallop for the youth. The academy would get them involved in planning their own graduation celebration. In the meantime, they had to jump the hurdle and prepare for the unexpected.
With Becky’s tenacity, the academy had recruited seasoned workers and high-level professionals to talk about job hunting in that particular economy, and they would cover everything from creating the résumé, interviewing and learning about the basic clothing must-ha
ves. Her mother had also volunteered. As a former English professor, she worked on the guys’ diction and grammar. Thankfully she had the patience to survive the guys’ minimeltdowns as they tried to remember the parts of speech.
Tamara spent an hour catching up on correspondence and making her to-do list for the upcoming week.
Pretty soon it was time to close up the academy for the weekend. A few of the guys popped their heads in to say hi. She heard the shuttle pull off to take them back to the boys’ home. She wished she could avoid the mountain of paperwork and drive off for a quick break. Instead, she opted to stick around a little longer and tackle the stockpile.
Slowly, she managed to make headway. This would be one more long night spent alone, without Grant. He had come to the final part of his new-game project and the fine details consumed his entire day. The level of security around the product would rival that of any government top-secret project. Every aspect was under wraps. Whenever she managed to talk to him, he was so preoccupied that their conversation would peter into silence. She missed him so much and sometimes resented how much his company took over his time. Closing her eyes, she could almost conjure his scent, his touch and the deep timbre of his voice.
“Hey, sweetheart, got a minute?”
“Yeah, Mom, come in. I thought you’d left.”
“Everything A-okay on the home front?”
“Yeah.” Tamara hadn’t expected that question at all.
“Just wondering. You’ve been looking a bit down. Martina said that Grant was tied up with his new game design. And, well, I thought about you and how you’re handling it.”
“Some days, I understand that Grant’s busy on his project. But some of my guys are graduating from school. Moving on. Even Becky seems to be in love. That’s when I get a bit resentful that he’s not available to spend more time with me.” Tamara couldn’t believe that she had to fight back tears. Suddenly expressing what was on her mind made her sad, even wistful.
“Sounds like good news for the people in your life, sweetheart.” Her mother came around the desk and hugged her. “All I heard were blessings.”
Passionate Game (Kimani Hotties) Page 15
