Romance in Color

by Synithia Williams

  “So you really like her?” Loretta asked.

  “I do like her. She’s cool,” he said. Loretta got a glow, and he could practically hear the wedding march playing in her head. “I like her, but I’m not marrying her.”

  News of the daughter of a North Carolina Supreme Court judge was unlikely to reach his family’s ears, but he didn’t doubt Chad might eventually reach out to his family to confirm the story. “But we are … kinda serious.”

  Loretta nodded in Sandra’s direction. “Maybe she can be a bridesmaid and catch the bouquet at your reception.”

  This conversation now had his mom’s hopes up to the moon and reawakened the longing he had trouble locking away lately. Kareem focused on Sandra. “You and David finally picked a date?”

  “Yes, a very close date.”

  “Why the rush?”

  Sandra glanced at Loretta, who only grinned back. Sandra placed a hand over her stomach. “Pretty soon I won’t be able to fit into a dress.”

  “My first grandchild,” Loretta said, clasping her hands in front of her.

  Kareem looked from his mother to Sandra. His guts turned to razorblades, slicing through the happy contentment of the afternoon. Jealousy. That damn emotion. Once again, David, the good son, had it all. Good woman, successful business, and soon a family. He could see them all together: the perfect couple and family.

  Shit, I want that.

  The image in his mind shifted. The happy couple: him and Neecie, and a little girl with Neecie’s sunshine smile.

  “Aren’t you going to say something?” Sandra asked, looking uneasy.

  Oh, yeah, dumb silence wasn’t usually the standard response to a pregnancy announcement. Kareem gulped the hot ass cocoa. The liquid scalded his tongue, and Kareem cleared his throat, then stared into the eyes of the woman giving his brother something Kareem kind of wanted. “Congratulations.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Kareem glanced around the rental space in Phillips Place in Charlotte’s South Park area. Immediately, he visualized changing the space to suit his needs. He saw a stocked bar, upgraded barber stations, and polished wood and chrome as if the features were already there.

  “Well, what do you think?” Roland strolled up next to him with an I’m so pleased with myself voice.

  Kareem hated to add to Roland’s overinflated ego, but on this he had to agree. The place was perfect. “Not bad.”

  Kareem glanced at Neecie as she wandered over to run her hand along the old salon’s receptionist area. He locked in on her fingers trailing across the wood and remembered the way she’d run her hands over him the night before. One month in, and he only wanted her more. He wasn’t quite sure why the feeling didn’t bother him considering the deadline on their time together.

  “What do you think, Neecie?”

  She glanced around and placed a hand on her hips. The movement opened the short white jacket she wore and stretched the green blouse over her perfect tits. “It isn’t bad.”

  “Not bad?” Roland crossed the room to stand beside Neecie. “The place has most of the set up you need, and the location is great.”

  Kareem nodded and pointed to the right side of the room. “I could add the bar over there. Maybe add a hall and close in some space toward the back for the cigar lounge.”

  Kareem moved to Neecie’s other side and stood in her space to feel her warmth and smell her fruity perfume. “What do you think?” He lowered his voice so that only she could hear.

  Neecie’s sexy little smile came out, and she placed a hand on his chest. Her familiar touches were something else that came easy after a month.

  “I think you could really make this place shine,” she said. “There’s plenty of room to add the meeting space.”

  Kareem pushed away one of the kinky curls bursting from her yellow beanie cap. “You think I can make this place work?”

  “I know you can,” she said with earnestness, adding fuel to the confidence that burned through him the moment they walked in.

  A woman like Neecie could make a man feel capable of anything. She said she had his back and proved true to her words, giving control of her body in the bedroom and supporting his decisions concerning the business, leaving him to wonder how he would be able to let her go when everything was done.

  “Then I think this is it.” Kareem turned to Roland, who quickly wiped away the frown on his face. Kareem’s own smile disappeared. Roland hadn’t said anything outright, or made any moves on Neecie; they’d even had brunch with him and his girlfriend, but Kareem didn’t trust him.

  “You finally hit the jackpot, Roland.” Kareem wrapped an arm around Neecie’s waist and pulled her into his side. Roland’s good natured smile tightened around the edges. “I’m going to put in an offer.”

  Roland rubbed his hands together. “Great. I’m glad I could help you two find a location.”

  “Anyone else looking at this place?” Neecie asked.

  “It hasn’t even been listed yet,” Roland’s I’m pleased with myself tone returned. “I called in a few favors when I heard the owner wanted to sell. If you’re interested, you can have first dibs.”

  Kareem didn’t like him, but Roland damn sure made himself useful. “I’m interested. Let’s make some calls and seal the deal.”

  Neecie bounced on her feet. “I’m so excited for you, Kareem.”

  He squeezed her waist. “Don’t get too excited. I’ll wait until opening day for that.” He glanced around again; the renovations shouldn’t take too long. With the right contractor, his place could be up and going in six to eight weeks.

  Roland clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels. “About that. You want to cater to a certain clientele, I’ll tell you now it’ll be hard to convince people with expendable money to give your business a try.”

  “I’ll put in a good word for him,” Neecie said. “And Father will as well.”

  “That’ll do some good, but you and I both know it’ll take more than that.” Roland’s regretful tone didn’t sound sincere to Kareem. “Let’s face it, no one in the Charlotte scene knows him, and you’ve been away for five years.”

  Kareem narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying?”

  “You need an investor. A partner who will make it easier to convince the prestigious clientele you’re seeking that you’re offering a sophisticated experience they can’t get anywhere else.”

  “Exactly who were you thinking?” Kareem said.

  Roland shrugged as if the answer were obvious. “I’d love to help. Believe me, I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t believe in your business plan. This place can be big. I’d like to help you see it happen.”

  Or, he’d like to find a way to stay close to Neecie. “Sure, I’ll think on it.” Kareem let his negative vibes come through.

  Neecie turned wide eyes his way. “Kareem, he makes a good point. I have been away for a while, and since my brother is unwilling to help, Roland as a partner—”

  “I said, I’ll think on it.” His voice hard, Kareem tightened his grip on her waist.

  She frowned and tried stepping away. Kareem held firm. “Thanks for showing us the place, Roland. If you give me the broker’s name, I’ll have my real estate agent contact them.”

  Roland’s brows raised. “I’ll be happy to work out the details.”

  Kareem bared his teeth in the semblance of a grin. “I’d rather let my guy handle it.”

  Roland nodded. “No problem. I’ll hook you two up.”

  Kareem raised his hand from Neecie’s waist to her stiff shoulders. He gave a gentle squeeze. But she didn’t lean into him.

  “Ready to go?” he asked.

  She stiffly pulled out of his reach. “Yes.”

  • • •

  “How long are we going to keep up this silent treatment?” Kareem asked once he pulled the car into her parents’ driveway.

  Neecie glared at him from the corner of her eye. Her arms were crossed tight, and her leg bounced frantically
in sexy black leggings that had him ready to get her upstairs.

  “How long before you apologize for cutting me off in front of Roland?”

  Kareem scoffed and snapped off his seatbelt. “I didn’t cut you off.”

  The tightly crossed arms popped loose, and she pointed a green polished nail at him. “Yes, you did. You basically shut me up when all I tried to do was make a point.”

  “Yeah, a bad point.” He pushed open the door and got out of the car.

  She quickly followed, slamming her door. “It was not a bad point. What Roland said made a lot of sense.”

  “I don’t want him to be a partner.” He marched around the car toward the house. Neecie blocked his steps.

  “Why? If we bring him on it’ll bring more of the connections we need.”

  “He can bring those connections without being a partner. If he likes the idea, and wants to help, then he’ll put in a good word with the people he works with. I don’t see how giving him a share of my dream is the only way to make that happen.”

  Her shoulders relaxed, and she took a step back. “I know this is your dream. I’m just trying to help you make it happen.”

  “I’d rather make it happen without him.”

  “He only wants to help you.”

  Kareem shook his head. “No, Neecie, he only wants to help you.”

  Her head jerked back. “Don’t be crazy. Roland hasn’t said or done anything to warrant that. He has a girlfriend.”

  “That doesn’t mean a damn thing.” He sidestepped her and headed toward the house.

  “I’m not finished,” she said, her footsteps hurrying up from behind.

  “I am. This conversation is over.”

  Neecie’s hand jerked his arm. She couldn’t turn him, but he faced her anyway. “There you go shutting me down again. This isn’t how things go.”

  “What things? You want your ex to be a partner in my business. I’m not going to do that.”

  “I’m asking you to listen to my reasoning. Not shut me down without hearing me out. Accepting help isn’t losing control.”

  “Not wanting Roland as a partner doesn’t mean I’m afraid of losing control.”

  “I think it does.” Neecie stepped to him with hands on her wide hips. “You’re afraid to let people in.”

  Kareem scoffed and pushed past her. “I’m done.”

  “What are you afraid of, Kareem?”

  He spun back to her. “I’m not afraid of anything.”

  “Yes you are, but you won’t admit it. You’re afraid of accepting help. You’re afraid to feel.” Her eyes darted to the side then met his. “You’re afraid to kiss me.”

  “What the hell does me kissing you have to do with this conversation?”

  “Nothing.” She pressed a hand to her eyes. “Everything.” Her hands fell. “You don’t trust me with what you’re thinking or feeling.” She took a step forward. “I hear you at night, when you’re mumbling and angry in your sleep. I see when you try to hide the way you sometimes blank out around people.”

  Buzzing louder than a hundred hair clippers vibrated in his ears. Neecie saw too much, wanted too much. His face hardened, and he gave her the stare that usually resulted in people backing down. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  A month ago she would have looked away. Today, she boldly met his eye. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Let me in. Let me—”

  “Shut up, Neecie.” He sliced his hand through the air. Her mouth snapped shut. Blood pounded in his ears. His hands became slick with sweat. “My secrets, my fears as you call them, are my business. Know your role.”

  Neecie sucked in a breath. Pain flashed in her eyes.

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” he said.

  “No, you made it very clear what you mean.” She rushed forward and grabbed the keys out of his hands.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Anywhere but here.” She stomped around to the driver’s side of his car and yanked open the door. Kareem had every right to tell her she couldn’t take his car, but his lips froze together. She needed to hear him, needed to know that some things were off limits. He needed to realize that things couldn’t work. One month in and he was getting crazy ideas—ideas that made him think a guy like him could make it work with a woman like her.

  CHAPTER 20

  Patrice returned to her parents’ house two hours later. Fran greeted her at the door with pinched lips and eyes glowing with concern.

  “Are you okay, Ms. Patrice?”

  Patrice tried to smile and nodded. “Yes, Fran, I’m fine.”

  It wasn’t a lie. Two hours of riding revealed how unfair she’d been to Kareem. They were together only in the bedroom. Other than that, he’d made no promises or given any indication of wanting a real relationship. Just because her emotions were tangled around him didn’t mean he owed her any of his secrets.

  “Are my parents at home?”

  Fran shook her head. “No, ma’am. Your father had court today, and your mother is busy with plans for the women’s luncheon.”

  Good, she didn’t want to face them. “Is Kareem still here?”

  Fran sniffed and wrinkled her nose. “He is.”

  She left Fran with her scrunched-up face and slowly made her way upstairs. Asking Kareem to consider Roland’s offer to be a partner was a mistake. She’d brought Kareem here to keep Roland off her back, not accept every offer he made help. No wonder Kareem didn’t trust her with his secrets.

  Patrice entered an empty bedroom. The doors to the outdoor balcony were cracked, and the sound of reggae music drifted inside. Patrice crossed the room and went out onto the balcony. Kareem sat in one of the chairs, sketching in his notebook. A cigar and his smartphone, the source of the music, lay on the table next to him.

  “How did your drive go?” he asked.

  Patrice leaned against the rail in front of him. “Pretty good. I had some time to think.”

  Kareem flipped the notebook closed, picked up his cigar, and took a drag. “Me too.” With his black hoodie and jeans, dreads tied loosely at the base of his neck, a dark, sexy air hovered around him.

  He put the cigar on the table and watched her through the haze of exhaled smoke. “What did you think about?”

  “You. And me,” she said. Afternoon shadows covered the balcony and worked with the chill seeping into Patrice’s hands and feet. She crossed her arms, pinching her hands between her body and forearms.

  “I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you earlier,” she said. “For the record, I don’t want you to take on Roland as a partner.”

  “Are you sure? You got pretty pissed when I didn’t consider it.”

  “The truth is, I got pissed because you cut me off and didn’t consider what I had to say. This was never about Roland. I apologize, and I’ll stay out of your business.”

  Kareem’s hand rubbed the scar above his lip. “See, that’s the thing, I don’t want you to stay out of things.”

  Patrice’s eyes narrowed and Kareem shifted from one side to the other in the chair. “I like your support,” he said. “Your … confidence in me. Liking your input pushes against my dislike of having people try to control my decisions. You’ve never held back your opinions before. No need to stop now.”

  “So, we’re good?”

  “Yeah, we’re good.” He picked up the cigar but only rolled it back and forth between his fingers. For several seconds they didn’t speak, which usually meant he considered the conversation over. She pushed away from the rail to go back inside.

  “And, Neecie, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” His eyes were no longer flat and emotionless, but alive with seriousness. “I never want to hurt you. I’m just not ready to give up my secrets yet.”

  She nodded, but inside she yearned to know all his secrets. Pull back more of the elusive layers of Kareem Henderson. Heal his pain and give him nothing but reasons to relax and smile.

  Patrice twisted her foot back and fort
h on the balcony. “Can you at least give up what you thought about while I was gone?”

  His gaze zeroed in on her foot and the corner of his mouth lifted. “You. And me. How you drive me crazy and have since the day you walked in my shop.”

  “I drive you crazy? How?”

  He pointed at her with the hand holding the cigar. “Look at you. You’re sexy as hell. Of course you drive me crazy.”

  Hot prickles of desire scattered across her skin. “I didn’t know.”

  “You weren’t supposed to know.” He inhaled from the cigar then stubbed it out. “You’re sexy even when you’re not trying to be. When you’re irritated, you get this little line between your brows and purse your lips like you want to be kissed.” He leaned forward, placing his forearms on his knees. A sad smile crossed his lips. “It makes me think about kissing you, really kissing you, but I’ve never really …” He frowned. After a second he pointed to her leg. “Then there’s that thing you do with your feet.”

  She stopped twisting her foot. “My feet?”

  “Yeah, you twist them. It makes the muscles in your legs and ass tighten. I like it.”

  The thought of Kareem checking her out over the past year every time she did the unconscious movement sent flames to her belly. “You’re not good at poetic words.” The quiver in her voice hindered her attempt to be lighthearted.

  “I’m good at saying what I’m thinking.”

  “What else are you thinking?”

  For several seconds Kareem’s dark, hungry gaze brushed across her breasts, hips, and thighs. Her skin tightened. Her nipples hardened and slick wetness dampened her panties.

  “That I’d like to see you naked.”

  Patrice’s sharp inhale echoed on the balcony. “We can go inside.”

  Kareem leaned back in the chair, legs spread wide. “Not inside, out here. I’d like to see you naked in the afternoon sunlight.”

  “Why?”

  Eyes filled with unchecked longing rose to hers. “Because you’ll be beautiful in sunlight.”

  Patrice’s tongue did a quick dart across her lips. Take that back, the man was poetic in his own way. “You’ll see me naked in the sunlight, but what do I get?”