Beale Street Blues

by Angela Kay Austin

  Jaxon opened his hotel door, and thought he'd fallen asleep reading through budget proposals, conjuring up an image of a naked, smiling Darling. Except she wasn't naked and she definitely wasn't smiling.

  She just stood there, silently with the tracks of her dried tears noticeable on her beautiful chocolate skin.

  He reached for her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

  She turned to walk away. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing here."

  He grabbed her, tugging her backwards against his body and wrapped his arms tighter around her. Her round butt met his groin and he became very aware of her body's softness and his desire. He spoke into the ponytail she wore, "Don't leave." He paused. "Come in."

  The breath she released slowly, relaxed her into his body. The warmth of her against him erased the small amount of control he held onto. Out of respect for her tears, he pulled his body away from hers because it for damn sure, wasn't listening to him.

  Darling turned to face him. "I apologize for showing up here like this. I just didn't know where else to go."

  He pulled her into the hotel room and locked the door behind her. "Darling, you're always welcomed wherever I am." He motioned toward a chair. "Sit and tell me what's going on." He grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Would you like a drink?"

  When she nodded yes, he filled both and handed her one.

  She took a long sip before she spoke, "My ex called. He's marrying the woman he left me for and she's pregnant." She kicked off her sneakers and curled her jean clad legs up underneath her. "And they want to live in the house he and I bought and renovated." Her body deflated with her explanation.

  "I've never been married." He swirled his glass of wine. "I don't think I've ever wanted to take the chance on falling out of love," he mumbled. His shock at admitting that to her and to himself, made him throw back what was left in his glass.

  Glistening eyes looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

  "Falling in love is always fun, but when it's over—that's the hard part. Moving on." He'd watched his father move on, while his mother sat waiting. She'd been stuck for the longest time with only him, Jaxon, to give all her love to and he didn't deserve it any more than his father.

  "You say that as if you understand, yet you say you haven't been in love. If that's true, how do you know so much about it?"

  He leaned against the wall where he stood, and fisted his hands in his pockets. "My father left my mother for a stewardess." He chuckled at the cliché of his life. Rich man leaving family for arm candy, too typical.

  "I don't know what to say," she said in a soft voice.

  He loved the sound of her voice. When it needed to be firm and strong, during department meetings, it was. When it needed to be gentle and encouraging, while they made love, it was. He was beginning to think he'd do anything to hear the latter again.

  "There's nothing for you to say." He pushed away from the wall and refilled his wine glass, and then took a sip. "As a kid, I heard my mother cry herself to sleep and watched her go out on dates with anyone, so that she wouldn't be alone. It was enough to convince me that being alone made better sense."

  "So, you never wanted to fall in love?"

  "No." He didn't think he did, but not even he could explain why he was still in Memphis. "I avoided it."

  "I agree with you."

  "Don't agree with me." He didn't want to agree with himself. He wanted her to love, and maybe—to love him.

  "Why not? Steve and I were together forever. All I thought about was marriage and his children from the moment I met him."

  The fact that she wasn't married and didn't have another man's kids made him happy. "Maybe he wasn't the right person."

  "Now, you sound like my friend, Annette, and my mother." She smiled, weakly.

  "You should listen to us." He grabbed the television remote and searched for something funny. Something to put a smile on her face. "You need to laugh and drink more wine. Relax."

  And stay with me tonight.

  "I don't think that's a good idea." She rose from the chair. "I should leave. I have to work in the morning."

  "Sit down." He grinned. "I give you permission to come in late." His smile widened. "What do you feel like watching?"

  Darling woke reluctantly the next morning, not because of the piercing whistles of the train—which strangely seemed to be absent—but because it was hard to ignore the light shining on her face. Crap, she squeezed her eyes tighter to try to keep out the warm glow. The odd morning quiet and the softness of the sheets around her made her relax deeper into the bed's mattress. As she nestled she bumped—

  Her eyes popped open.

  Oh, my God! She'd fallen asleep in Jaxon's hotel room. With her eyes and her hands, she scanned her body. Thank God, she was still dressed and she didn't remember having sex. That was definite because there was no way she'd ever forget one touch from Jaxon.

  Beside her, Jaxon slept on top of the covers that she'd only moments ago snuggled beneath. His bare muscled chest tempted her to lean over and kiss her way down to his navel. Maybe follow that little fine line of black hair that disappeared beneath the waist of his pants.

  When she attempted to ease herself from the bed, his hand reached out and grabbed her arm. "Don't leave," he whispered.

  The heavily accented voice that made her stay in B.B. King's, take that carriage ride and spend the night with him rolled over her awakening her body in many ways. "We both have to go to work," she said without conviction. "And this would be a huge mistake."

  His beautiful green eyes stared at her. "Why would this be a mistake?"

  The desire grew within her to stay where she was. But, what sense would it make to give in to it. "Because I'm still falling out of love," she explained, "and you're scared of love."

  "Not because I own the company?"

  She ran her fingers through his hair smoothing out small twists and tangles. "That's only part of it. You don't really know me."

  "I know enough." His grip on her arm loosened as he rose to his forearms and linked his fingers with hers.

  "Do you?" She studied his beautiful face. "Do you really?" He didn't know anything about her, aside from the fact that she was divorcing a jerk. Would he still want her if he knew that what he saw of her were remnants of the life she'd had with Steve, not her reality, now.

  She untwined her fingers from his and slipped from the bed. She had full intentions of leaving no room for a romance.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Darling sat in the parking lot of Slater Enterprises and listened to the morning DJ joke with callers on the radio. She surveyed her outfit again. Would anyone notice that the shirt she wore belonged to Jaxon? Actually, it had been one of her favorites—on him. The green fabric didn't do as much for her dark skin and brown eyes as it had for him. She slid her fingers along the soft cotton remembering the intensity of his gaze as he silently watched her dress.

  Thank goodness, she'd had a skirt pegged for the cleaners in the trunk of her car.

  His request of, "Don't leave," replayed in her head as if someone had stuck a CD on repeat.

  The simple words broke her heart because she hadn't wanted to go. But they were both kidding themselves if they thought they could be anything other than what they were.

  The fingers of her hand tangled in the frayed threads of the lining of her purse as she searched for her lipstick. Angling the bag toward the sunlight, she peered through the hole at the tube of lipstick mocking her. Didn't that sum up her whole crazy life! Everything looked pretty on the outside, but if you looked closer, there were holes everywhere.

  Jaxon's father had willed him a business worth millions. Her father, one of the most intelligent men she knew, didn't even graduate from high school. What on earth would their relationship look like? Pathetically, she admitted to herself, this wasn't the first time she and her family were not good enough for something.

  Or someone.

  Aside from the wedding, Steve and his fam
ily hadn't interacted with hers. Damn it, Steve didn't come from money, but he was in love with it and everything it gave him. He limited contact with not only her family but his own. None of them fit with the future he had planned. His picture-perfect family included: a wife who could grace the covers of Essence or Vogue and two perfect kids. Kids, who would attend the right schools and eventually, get the right jobs and marry the right people.

  Perfect! Just Perfect.

  Maybe all of this was payback. Maybe she deserved it for allowing herself to turn her back on her family.

  What would Jaxon's mother think of her family? Of her?

  She grabbed the collar of the shirt she wore and brought it to her nose. The scent of him flooded her. But, she knew that was her imagination hard at work because the shirt had hung in the closet in its plastic from the cleaners, freshly laundered.

  The pen in Barbara's hand slipped to the floor. That green shirt she would recognize anywhere, because she'd had too many dreams of ripping it from Jaxon's body and waking up wearing it the next morning herself. But, this wasn't a dream and she wasn't the one wearing it. "Hello, Darling." She tried to make her voice sound normal. Did you have fun last night? "I got Kathy's message to run the meeting until you arrived."

  "Thank you." Darling walked to the front of the small conference room and stood beside Barbara. "What have you guys reviewed so far? Any questions about anything?"

  No. They don't have any questions, but I do. Where did you sleep last night?

  "Kathy emailed me your presentation and I followed it pretty closely." Now, Barbara knew why she couldn't get a moment of Jaxon's time. Because he was busy screwing her! Ms. High and Mighty wasn't so different from her after all. "Will Mr. Slater also be joining us, today?"

  "Mr. Slater?" she asked a little too innocently.

  "Yes." Barbara marveled at how stupid Darling must think she and everybody else was. If you don't want people asking questions, don't show up wearing your boss' clothes. "When I couldn't find you earlier, I went to check with Mr. Slater, but he wasn't in."

  "Oh, okay." Darling's hands slid down her sides smoothing wrinkles that didn't exist from her shirt. "Rodney probably could've answered your questions, too."

  "He did, but what about Mr. Slater?" If she asked the question enough, maybe the rest of the idiots in the room would understand too.

  "I don't think he'll be joining us." She waved an arm at the presentation on the screen. "This is pretty basic. It doesn't need any input from him." She paused. "But, if you have any questions about anything, let me know. If I can't answer it, Rodney or Mr. Slater would be more than willing to help."

  "I guess you're right." Barbara ground her teeth. "It's all pretty basic."

  The new girl really thought she could beat her by sleeping with the boss. Barbara had invested too much time and too many years of her life in Slater Enterprises. She wasn't about to allow some broke chick from the hood to ace her out of the opportunity to get with the man who could once and for all change everything. She'd never have to think about sleeping with someone like Rodney again. She would be able to travel, eat in the best restaurants, and join the best country clubs or whatever she wanted. She had to switch places with Darling and find her way into Jaxon's bed.

  Jaxon was standing outside the conference room with Rodney, when he heard someone mention his name. As he listened, Rodney's face reddened a little more each time Barbara said Jaxon's name. He'd planned to sit in on the briefing, not because Darling needed his help, but because he wanted to see her. His shirt on her body turned him on more than he'd thought possible. The only thing easing the ache, which had grown hotter inside of him with every day he'd spent in Memphis, was thinking about taking that shirt off her. In his mind, he pictured himself slowly unfastening each button to tease himself with what he knew was underneath before he peeled the shirt and everything else she wore away from her body.

  Darling had slept silently most of the night. At one point, he thought she cried at a dream, but then she smiled. There was no way he'd been able to sleep with her beside him. He knew she would leave as soon as she woke.

  Tired as hell, he rested against the nearby wall and continued to listen to the women inside. "Rodney, what is that damn Barbara up to, now?"

  Rodney offered him a whispered response, "Sir, I don't know."

  Jaxon knew he should've listened to his gut and made Barbara take the package he'd threatened her with when they consolidated the groups. But, Rodney had pleaded for her. The entire situation was his fault! The relationship between her and Rodney jeopardized everything. One wrong move and the affair would become grounds for a sexual harassment lawsuit. The fact she hadn't threatened it already surprised him.

  "I thought you said she'd calm down. That you had this under control?"

  "I thought—" Rodney contorted his body to peer around Jaxon and into the conference room.

  "Did you imply to Barbara that there was something between Darling and myself? Jaxon demanded. "Or, that you were going to try to change Barbara's or Darling's status within the company?"

  Rodney's attention snapped back to Jaxon. His already flushed face glistened at the temples. "No—no, sir."

  "Then why is she always so hostile toward Darling?" The longer he looked at him the more the damn idiot irritated him. Jaxon had never wanted to run the company, but he wasn't going to let a little weasel like Rodney be the reason the business failed. Competition was one thing. Incompetence was something different.

  "I don't know." Rodney swallowed hard. But I can find out."

  "No, I don't want you to do anything." Jaxon paused. "I think you've done enough to put this company in a bad situation."

  "Sir, I—?"

  Jaxon couldn't remember a time when he'd ever seen a man near tears. But, Rodney's eyes glistened and if they stood there any longer, he was sure the man would break down, sobbing.

  He didn't want to see a grown man cry.

  Jaxon began to walk away. "In fact," he said over his shoulder. "I think this would be a great time for you to take a little time off. Go on a vacation with your family for a few weeks."

  Rodney slumped against the wall. "Sir—?"

  "Vacation, Rodney, vacation." He turned and walked to his office.

  At his desk, Jaxon poured over paperwork. With Rodney out of the office for a few weeks, he'd have a real reason to be in town. But, that wouldn't solve his problems with Barbara or stop his desire for—

  The scent of her lotion announced her. After she'd dressed to leave, he'd spent a few moments before he stepped into the shower just standing in the hotel bathroom letting the lavender of the lotion and the soap wash over him. He'd never paid any kind of attention to the toiletries lining the hotel sink. But, now he couldn't get their smell out of his head. There was no way for him to ever forget their nights together or that scent.

  "Excuse me, Mr. Slater."

  He looked up to see her standing in the doorway. Her voice reminded him of the softness of her words when she'd forced them both to leave for work. He'd wanted her to say screw it all and let's spend the day together.

  "Jaxon," he reminded her.

  "May I come in?" she asked.

  "Of course." He hated the formality between them, even though he knew it was appropriate.

  She closed the door behind her. "Mr. Slater, last night was a huge mistake."

  She tugged at the shirt that looked better on her than on him. It hugged her breasts in a way that it never fit his chest.

  "And I think it's already been noticed," she continued.

  "By Barbara?"

  She frowned, accenting the distressed look in her eyes. "Yes. How'd you know?"

  "Rodney and I were outside of the conference room earlier."

  "Then you understand what I'm saying is what's best."

  Damn. Nothing could ever just be easy. "No." He smiled. "But I'll do what you want."

  "It's just that she's digging and if she keeps digging…" Her eyes closed an
d she rubbed her hand along the bridge of her nose. "I don't want her undercutting my authority. Or yours."

  He knew he needed to give careful consideration to everything. But, the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. Giving her what she wanted was beginning to deny him what he wanted. "Even if she keeps it up, she won't find anything because there isn't anything. Right?" He waited.

  She nodded her head in agreement.

  "And as far as your authority, she'll have no choice but to work with you for the short-term."

  Some of the worry drained from her expression, but was replaced with curiosity. "Why?"

  "I've sent Rodney on an extended vacation." He paused. "Barbara, will never work with you if she can keep running to him. Rodney's been with this company for a long time, but he's risking everything with his behavior."

  She quirked an eyebrow at him.

  "Hypocritical. I know. But, unlike Rodney and Barbara, I'm not making empty promises to you or interfering with anything you try to do." No, he hadn't promised her anything, but staring at her leaning against that door as if she wasn't certain the lock worked created a strange desire to promise her everything.

  "No, you just gave me a whole department."

  "That was Rodney's decision, not mine. But, I did approve it." Anger jolted through him with his next thought. "I think he had plans to replace Barbara with you…in his bed."

  She pulled away from the door behind her and took a step toward him. But, something made her stop. "I would never—"

  He waved off her response. As thankful as he was for her confirmation, he didn't want to think of her in another man's bed. "I know. But, I don't think he did."

  "Is Rodney leaving for vacation because of me?"

  Jaxon leaned back in his desk chair as his anger at Rodney's intentions toward Darling subsided. "I believe his interference will make this transition harder."