“Cydney Rayne, Elite Events, Incorporated. Lead planner for the appreciation series of events,” Shawn said aloud as he read the headline on the page. “Damn.” Yes, he was anxious to see her and continue what they’d started in the closet, but he didn’t mix business with pleasure. When it came to his work, nothing and no one stood in his way, and he couldn’t afford to compromise this case.
Shawn had a reputation as being one of the best undercover special agents in the bureau. A lot of agents were surprised to learn he ultimately wanted to leave the FBI and start his own company. But those who knew his story weren’t surprised by his decision at all. For the past few years he’d tried to avoid coming back to Chicago, the second city he was assigned to when he joined the FBI. But a few months ago, he’d known he had to return and finish what he’d started. It was a miracle he even got on this case in the first place. Agent Wolfe was more than his supervisor. He was more like family. Shawn hadn’t had the pleasure of knowing his biological parents and although he had great guardians, Agent Wolfe had been key in his development from boy to man. Agent Wolfe knew what Shawn stood to lose if he didn’t solve the case, and since he cared about him, Agent Wolfe had appointed Shawn as the undercover agent despite the personal conflict. But Shawn wasn’t too sure how Agent Wolfe would react if he knew about his relationship with Cydney.
“Miss Rayne, Miss Rayne. It seems I have a bigger issue than I thought,” Shawn said as he continued to stare intently at her picture. Since their relationship had been purely physical, he hadn’t told her what he did for a living. He would have given her a fake job, anyway, but that would have further complicated the situation, so he was glad that he had kept his mouth shut. Cydney wouldn’t like the fact that she would be working so closely with him, so she’d probably maintain her distance. At least that was what Shawn was hoping would be the case. He had a feeling that Cydney could be unpredictable at times and that could definitely pose a problem.
He looked from her eyes to her lips as he studied her picture one last time. For his sake, he hoped she would decide to keep her distance because if she didn’t, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to resist her.
“Stay focused,” he said to himself as he tried to reinforce his thoughts before leaving her page to finish scanning the rest of the documents in the file.
* * *
Cyd chanted Beyoncé’s recent hit as she poured herself a cup of coffee and waited for her partners to arrive to the conference room. The song had been playing in her head all weekend and she was feeling good. Even better than good—she was feeling great. She wanted to ignore the fact that Shawn was the cause of her happiness, but she couldn’t. The man had sexed her in a much needed way and she’d been on a high ever since.
After adding the perfect amount of cream and sugar to her coffee, she took a sip and savored the bitter yet sweet taste. She walked to a nearby window to enjoy the brilliant colors of the fall leaves, taking two more sips of the warm deliciousness. Each taste was better than the last.
“Hmm,” she said aloud, not noticing that her partners had walked into the conference room. “Amazing.”
“Okay,” her sister Imani said, disrupting her enjoyable moment. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Cydney Rayne?”
“Very funny,” Cyd replied. “I haven’t been that bad.”
Imani looked at Mya and Lex before turning her head back to Cyd. “You’re joking, right? Do you even remember how you’ve been acting lately?”
“Well, let us remind you,” Lex chimed in. “You’ve been tense over the past few months even though you’ve tried to hide it behind your usual sarcasm. To make matters worse, you missed the bridesmaids’ group dance and the maid-of-honor toast on Imani’s wedding day.”
Whoops! Cyd had definitely forgotten about those last couple details. “Hey, I gave my maid-of-honor toast.”
“Yeah, about thirty minutes late!” Mya replied. “And you disappeared for almost an hour. We couldn’t find you anywhere.”
“So true,” Imani added. “Even though I refused to get upset on the most important day of my life, I honestly can’t believe you pulled a stunt like that on my wedding day.”
Cyd dropped her head backward and stared at the ceiling. She was slightly irritated that she was receiving the third degree, although part of her knew she deserved it. As she twisted her head to crack her neck, she immediately thought about Shawn placing soft kisses along her collarbone. She could still visualize every single moment of their sexual escapade in the closet.
“And you have the nerve to be smiling right now,” Imani said, interrupting her thoughts. “Oh, man, you are so lucky that I leave for my honeymoon in a few days because I could strangle you! But I refuse to get arrested and miss my vacation with my new husband!”
“Sorry,” Cyd said as she sat down at the conference table and thought about how her sister must feel. “If it’s any consolation, I have a very good explanation.”
All three women joined her at the table as they waited intently for her to finish.
“We’re listening,” Imani said impatiently when Cyd didn’t jump right in with excuses. Cyd had planned on telling them about Shawn, but she was hoping they would be a little less tense if she waited until Monday. Times like this made working with her sister, cousin and friend really complicated. They were a large part of one another’s lives and were also founders of a very successful business. Although she loved them dearly, sometimes she wished she could have a day or two to relax and take a step back from the family and business chaos. Luckily, a series of upcoming events would help her do just that.
Taking a deep breath, Cyd put on her big-girl pants and prepared to explain what happened.
“Do you guys remember meeting Shawn at the wedding?”
“Daman’s friend?” Imani asked.
“Yes,” Cyd replied as she watched each of her partner’s eyes open wide with interest. “Well, something happened between us during the wedding.”
“And what exactly might that be?” Mya inquired.
Cyd scrunched her nose as she thought about the right way to tell them. Slightly closing her eyes, she chose to be blunt about it. “We sneaked off to the grand walk-in closet in the foyer...and had sex.” There, she’d said it.
As she fully opened her eyes, she laughed when she noticed all three women had their mouths hanging open.
Imani was the first to speak. “You mean to tell me that while I was wondering why on earth my sister and maid of honor had missed our group dance and the time for her speech, you were getting freaky in a closet?”
“Um...yes,” Cyd said a little unknowingly, since she couldn’t tell if her sister’s high-pitched squeal and the fact that she was now standing was a good or bad thing.
Imani’s face went from surprise to excitement in a matter of seconds. “Well, judging how fine Shawn is, I’d say you did well, little sis.”
Cyd threw her head back and laughed. She should have known her sister would react that way.
“I shouldn’t even have to ask based off that look you had a few minutes ago, but was the sex good?”
Cyd gripped her Starbucks mug a little tighter and took another sip of her coffee. “It was way better than good. Y’all saw how the man looked that day. I could barely control myself when we were introduced.” No need to disclose the fact that it had actually been their second time meeting each other. She’d keep that bit of information to herself.
“He had to be good,” Lex interjected. “I never remember you actually giving a man credit for being better than good in the bedroom.”
“Or admit to not being able to control yourself,” Imani added. “So I’m guessing he had a lot of qualities off your list?”
Instead of answering Imani’s question, Cyd’s mind drifted back to the night she was with Shawn in Anguilla. She had spent a week wi
th Imani, Lex and Mya in Barbados before meeting her college girlfriends in Anguilla. Lex and Mya had been on a quest to find sexy islanders in Barbados and had succeeded. But nothing could have prepared her for the likes of Shawn Miles when she landed in Anguilla. As shallow as it sounded, Cyd always knew the men she entertained weren’t up to her standard. The men who she believed were a great match were often too nervous to approach her, further proving her point that he wasn’t “Mr. Right” in the first place. So she settled for a bunch of “Mr. Right Nows,” waiting for a man who would sweep her off her feet.
Imani cleared her throat, zapping Cyd back to reality. “No,” Cyd slightly lied. “He doesn’t have a lot of qualities on my love list, but he does have almost every quality off my lust list.”
“Maybe you should create a ‘you’re full of it’ list,” Mya said with a laugh, her comment receiving snickers from Imani and Lex, as well. Cyd knew they thought her lists were stupid, but she didn’t care. In her mind, her lists were a necessity.
“Don’t we have business to discuss?” Cyd said, directing her question to Imani since it was her turn to lead the meeting. Imani gave her a look insinuating that she wanted to say something else, but luckily she dropped it.
“Okay, since Cyd will have her hands tied with the series of appreciation events for the Peter Vallant Company, we will need to make sure we plan efficiently and not overbook ourselves.”
“Agreed,” Mya said. “Let’s make sure that we remind our assistants to constantly check our calendars.”
“How much traveling is required?” Lex asked Cyd.
“Since the events are all in Illinois or Indiana, I will be living in and out of a hotel for the next month or so, but I don’t mind. I’ll find out more when I meet with Mr. Vallant in a couple days.” Cyd loved to travel, and although small towns in the Midwest weren’t exactly her idea of a good time, she’d enjoy herself nonetheless.
“Great. How about we go around the table and give an update on what we’re working on,” Imani suggested. “I’ll go first.”
Chapter 3
“Oh, my goodness, please let the weather stay this warm,” Cyd said to the sky as she walked down the busy streets of Chicago’s West Loop wearing her favorite designer sunglasses. The sunny October weather was unlike any she’d ever experienced in Chicago and she was enjoying every minute of it.
This afternoon she was meeting with Mr. Vallant to get the final details on the appreciation event tour for the Rebuild Your Community initiative. Elite Events, Incorporated was extremely honored to plan the events and Cyd was very proud of the agenda she’d created for each occasion on the tour.
She dodged through walkers, making sure she didn’t roll over anyone’s feet with her suitcase. “On your left,” yelled a biker who was forced to use the sidewalks due to heavy traffic and street construction. Since the weather was so nice, Chicago construction was at its highest after the city decided to restructure several major streets in Chicago’s West and South Loops. Cyd was glad she’d worn her most comfortable black high-waist skirt and heels. She’d completed her outfit with a teal blouse and complementing accessories.
Reaching her destination, she promptly signed the visitor logbook and waited in the tastefully decorated lobby for Mr. Vallant’s assistant.
“Ms. Rayne?” said a woman with a questioning, raspy voice.
“Yes, I’m Cydney Rayne,” Cyd replied as she shook hands with the woman. The woman didn’t say anything at first, but observed her so intently, Cyd felt as if she were under a microscope.
“My name is Verona Neely and I’m Mr. Vallant’s assistant,” she said, her awkward demeanor growing perky in a matter of seconds. “Mr. Vallant invited a few other individuals to the meeting and he apologizes for not telling you about this change sooner. Please follow me to the conference room.”
“Thank you, Ms. Neely.”
When they arrived at the conference room with tall, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lake Michigan, seven people were already seated at a large table. Cyd placed her belongings on a counter off to the side of the room.
“Ms. Rayne,” said Mr. Vallant as he stood to shake her hand. “Allow me to introduce you to a few members of my executive team. We have Kim Lathers, chief marketing officer. Jim Pearson, senior vice president of business development. Jacob Early, chief financial officer. Brittany Higgins, senior vice president of client services. Tom Mendez, senior vice president of communications and Paul Jensen, general counsel. Everyone, this is Cydney Rayne from Elite Events, Incorporated.”
Cyd made her way around the table as she shook hands with each member before taking a seat in one of two vacancies. “Nice to meet you all.”
“Throughout the next month members of the executive team will be present at a few of the appreciation events. I felt it best that we all attend this meeting to ensure that everyone understands the schedule. Team, I trust that you will make Ms. Rayne feel welcome during the tour.”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and exchanged a few warm words. Adjusting herself in her seat, she tried to place the reason behind her suddenly quickened heartbeat. Her heart only beat this fast when she was nervous, but she usually never got nervous on the job. She momentarily stopped observing her behavior when she heard the conference door open. No way.... No freaking way. Now it all made sense. There was one new development in her life that seemed to be wreaking havoc on her nerves since the day she’d laid eyes on him.
“Ms. Rayne. This is the newest member of our team, Shawn Miles, chief information security officer,” Mr. Vallant said, rising once again from his chair to make the introduction. “Shawn, please meet Cydney Rayne from Elite Events, Incorporated.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Rayne,” Shawn said with ease, once again giving himself away and proving that he wasn’t surprised to see her at all. Of course Shawn works for the Peter Vallant Company, she thought sarcastically. What was it with this man! How did he manage to pop up in her life not once, not twice, but three times!
“Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Miles,” Cyd replied, accepting his handshake and ignoring the electric surge that shot through her arm. He looked great in his navy blue suit, but she refused to give him a compliment. He never told her what he did for a living, but he’d admitted to researching her online. She guessed it was partially her fault for not researching him online, too. She’d much preferred to keep him a mystery, but had she just searched his name on the internet, she could have saved herself some embarrassment.
She was so sick and tired of Shawn getting the upper hand. Even if he was new to the company, he’d probably been told that she would be the lead planner for the appreciation tour. Cyd nervously glanced around the table before her eyes settled back on Shawn. She wished he’d wipe that smirk off his face. Better yet, she wished she could punch it off him. But Cyd had way more class than that.
“Let’s all take a seat,” Mr. Vallant said as he returned to his chair. As Cyd sat back down, she twisted in her seat so that her back was slightly to Shawn, directing her full attention to Mr. Vallant at the head of the table.
“I’ll begin our discussion with the rotation schedule for the events. As lead event planner, Ms. Rayne will be attending every event. Here is the schedule for the rest of the events,” Mr. Vallant said as he directed his attention at the material that had been placed in front of each attendee’s seat.
Cyd didn’t hear Mr. Vallant announce that as CISO, Shawn would also be present at every event, though a quick scan of the document made that fact evident, anyway. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on high awareness as Shawn leaned forward to pick up something he’d dropped on the floor. She sighed a little deeper than necessary as she gripped the mahogany table while uncrossing her legs just to cross them back again.
There it was again. The butterflies she couldn’t stop from swarming in the pit of her stomach.
Yet she managed to answer every question that was directed at her during the course of the meeting. Though she wasn’t sure how she answered anything at all, given all her attention was secretly fixed on the man to the right.
She glanced at the clock on the wall and prayed that the already forty-minutes-long meeting would conclude in the next twenty minutes. She looked through a folder that Mr. Vallant had handed her a few minutes prior to see the list of hotels she would be staying at during the appreciation tour. Over the next month, there would be four stops. Cyd lived in downtown Chicago, but tonight she would be staying at the JW Marriott, host hotel for the Peter Vallant reception for the employees to thank them for all their hard work. On Friday, they left for their first stop, Springfield, Illinois.
At the sound of Shawn’s voice, Cyd turned her head to listen to what he was saying, as did everyone at the table. She wanted to comprehend his words, but she couldn’t. His lips looked too sexy today. He stuck his tongue in and out between sentences to moisten his lips, glancing at her after every lick. I’ll definitely be changing my panties after this meeting, she thought. She was a visual person and right now the only thing she could visualize was seductively bouncing on top of him and riding him like the bull she’d ridden at her sister’s bachelorette party.
“Is that okay with you, Ms. Rayne?” asked Mr. Vallant. Crap, she’d missed the question. “Yes, that’s fine with me,” she replied, hoping that her answer would suffice.
“Great. Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our meeting. I’ll see you all tonight at the reception.”
Cyd quickly grabbed her belongings, politely smiling to the others as she tried to leave the room so she could seek refuge in the privacy of her hotel room, but Shawn had other plans.
“Are you ready?” Shawn asked, gently catching her arm before she dipped out into the hallway.
If Only for Tonight Page 3
