Harlequin Kimani Romance June 2017 Box Set

by Arthur, A. C.

  “Doing what?”

  “Acting like you care about who I’m seeing.”

  “Why are you so afraid to share?” she countered. “If she’s so amazing, I’d think you’d be raving about her, but since you’re not it tells me that nothing has changed.”

  “Changed? What the hell does that mean?”

  She scooted off the bar stool and placed her hands on her slender hips, studying him. “You know the reason we broke up, Daniel. And though I do like a certain lifestyle, it wasn’t just about the money. I feel sorry for the poor mouse you’re seeing because she has no idea the world of hurt she’s gotten herself into.”

  After Farrah had gone, Daniel thought about her parting comment.

  She was wrong. The real reason they’d split was her rampant desire for money. He loved spoiling his women and giving them trinkets, taking them out to the best restaurants and on fabulous vacations, but at the end of the day, she’d been nothing more than a gold digger, plain and simple.

  Now, Angela…

  She was different. She had him wondering what it would be like if they were a couple. When she’d left his place earlier she’d been noncommittal, and he wasn’t sure whether she wanted to see him again. He certainly wanted to see her again, could picture her becoming a frequent bed partner, but Angela was playing hard to get.

  And he didn’t like it.

  He was used to being the one in charge, but this time he had to follow her lead. This time he would have to wait for her to make the first move.

  CHAPTER 13

  “What a great venue,” Angela gushed as she and Denise walked the Mezz, a venue known for weddings, bar mitzvahs and quinceañeras.

  The coordinator was highlighting the seven-thousand-square-foot venue with wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows, modern decor and state-of-the-art sound system that they could use for her parents’ anniversary party, but Angela was focused on the bold wallpapers and distinctive backdrops in the Plum Room.

  “This is it,” Angela said.

  “I don’t know,” Denise replied. “I was thinking something a little more traditional.”

  Angela rolled her eyes. There it was again. The key difference between her and her family. Sometimes she felt as if she’d been snatched at birth and given to the wrong family because she didn’t share their same thought processes.

  “Why not switch it up a bit?” Angela said. “I’m sure the Mezz can create whatever feel we want. Isn’t that right?” She turned to the coordinator.

  “Oh, absolutely,” the young woman replied. “We can make miracles happen with our draping, uplighting and decor.”

  “Sign us up,” Angela responded.

  “Angela! A word, please.” Denise spoke harshly.

  As soon as Angela walked over, Denise grabbed her by the arm and led her several feet away. “I didn’t know this was a dictatorship. I thought you wanted my input. And this,” she said as she motioned around the room, “is not our parents.”

  “Well, this,” Angela said as she mimicked her sister’s hand movements, “is what I like and since I’m the one footing the bill, I see no reason not to do something unique and special for our parents. You’re not the only one with good taste.”

  Denise stepped back, obviously appalled by Angela’s forthrightness, but Angela didn’t care. Her voice was going to be heard, and she wasn’t going to be railroaded into doing things Denise’s way. Everyone may have been dancing to her baby sister’s tune since her arrival on this earth, but that time was over and done with.

  “Very well,” Denise said. “Then just let me know when my help is required.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  As she drove back to her apartment later that evening, Angela was dog-tired. She hadn’t gotten much in the way of sleep the last two nights thanks to Daniel and touring several venues today with Denise. Friday night’s dinner with Alejandro had flowed into Saturday night in Daniel’s arms. By the time she and Daniel had finally come up for air, it was late. Daniel had tempted her to stay Saturday night because she had nothing to wear but the clothes she’d come in.

  But clothes hadn’t mattered much because they’d spent most of their thirty-six hours together naked, wrapped in each other’s arms and making love endlessly. Angela hadn’t known it was possible to be so entranced, but Daniel had her under some sort of spell and she’d been unable to say no to him. She’d always thought herself a strong woman, but she hadn’t felt very strong this weekend.

  Instead, he’d taken her to new heights over and over again in bed. She’d sobbed his name and begged him to take her on numerous occasions. Angela blushed at the memory. And now he wanted to continue their relationship indefinitely, until one or the both of them called it quits. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

  Working together and sleeping together day after day could make life very complicated at the office. Look at what happened when they’d tried staying away from each other. They’d both been miserable. But if she continued seeing him, what did that mean? Would the sexual tension that had been between them remain, or would sex with her become mundane? Would he toss her away as soon as he was bored?

  Could she handle that?

  On the other hand, if she didn’t take the risk, would she always wonder what could have been if she’d followed her heart and not her head?

  * * *

  Monday at work, Angela was a nervous wreck wondering where Daniel was, what he was doing and how he would treat her. She was so anxious that even Myrna commented.

  “Are you all right?” she inquired when Angela kept glancing at the door as she stood in front of her reception desk chatting about their weekends.

  “Y-yes, why do you ask?”

  It was midmorning and she’d yet to see Daniel. Was he avoiding her? Was he regretting being with her? Or was she being paranoid? Perhaps he had a showing that day. She was afraid to ask Myrna for fear she’d be called out. The wily receptionist had already warned her about Daniel’s reputation.

  “You just seem a little jittery is all, not your usual self.”

  “Probably too much coffee.”

  And then her heart began to speed up as if she’d had several cups of espresso when Daniel sauntered through the front door. He gave them both a casual glance and said, “Good morning.” And then he strolled to his office without a backward glance at Angela.

  She tried not to be offended, but after everything they’d shared he’d basically just ignored her.

  “Is something going on?” Myrna said when Angela’s eyes were still glued on Daniel and his now-closed door.

  “Hmm…?” Angela turned to face her.

  “You and Daniel?” Myrna shook her head. “Please say it isn’t so. You’ve read the gossip blogs. Seen the magazines. Mr. Cobb is excellent at what he does, but he’s a notorious ladies’ man. You would do well to watch out for him.”

  “Nothing’s going on between me and Daniel,” Angela replied. “He’s my mentor, nothing more.”

  “I fear for you, Angela. You’re treading on dangerous territory. You would be wise to heed my advice and steer clear of the boss.”

  “That would be pretty hard since I’m shadowing him and working with him on a couple of listings.”

  “Forewarned is forearmed.” Myrna shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  But it was too late. Angela was already starting to develop feelings for Daniel, and the harder she tried to push them down the more they kept resurfacing.

  * * *

  Daniel breathed a sigh of relief once he was behind the closed door of his office. He’d had a very productive breakfast meeting with Alejandro. He’d finally convinced the Colombian to sign on with Cobb Luxury Real Estate, but not after Alejandro had razzed him about his relationship with Angela.

 
Alejandro had made it very clear that if Daniel didn’t know how to handle such a woman, he did. Daniel had told his new client in no uncertain terms that Angela was his and was off-limits. It had taken everything within Daniel to walk by Angela and not pull her into his arms and give her a proper kiss. It had been twenty-four hours, and he needed a hit of Angela.

  As much as he’d love to strip her naked and feast on her for hours, he had a job to do. He not only had to steer Cobb Luxury Real Estate to the stratosphere, he also had to keep his word and tutor Angela on how to court and keep wealthy clientele.

  So he was going to have to put his attraction to her on the shelf. Or at least until after 5:00 p.m., when he fully intended to make a pitch to her on just how good it could be between them if she allowed nature to take its course.

  * * *

  Angela never made it back to the office after her showings that day and instead headed home. It had been a long day and all she wanted to do was kick off her shoes and curl up with a glass of wine and some takeout that she’d picked up along the way.

  However, what she found was Daniel leaning against the door frame outside her apartment building in dark jeans and a black V-neck shirt, looking sexy as hell.

  She halted her steps, unsure of what to do. She’d never expected him to show up at her place, not after his indifference toward her earlier at the office. But he had, so she would have to face him head-on. She resumed walking toward him and he straightened his stance.

  “Good evening,” Daniel said when she approached.

  “Daniel.”

  “I was hoping we could talk,” he said. “I brought wine.” He held up a bottle of red wine that Angela was sure cost a mint.

  “All right. C’mon in.” Angela inclined her head toward the front door.

  As the elevator climbed to the sixth floor, silence hung between them. Angela didn’t want to speak first. She wanted to hear what Daniel had to say, considering he’d made the effort to seek her out tonight.

  Blessedly the doors sprang open and they walked down the corridor to her apartment. “This is me,” she said, stopping at her door. Angela didn’t have the chance to be fearful of how Daniel would view her apartment as she’d been on their first encounter.

  She flicked on the switch, flooding the kitchen and open living area with light. Daniel walked inside and surveyed her home. She looked at it through Daniel’s eyes. The kitchen was renovated with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and maple cabinets, and the living room had a comfy sofa, a flat-screen and a small balcony with a view of Miami. Still, it couldn’t compare to his penthouse.

  He turned to face her. “Nice place.”

  She laughed as she removed her high heels one at a time and placed them on the shoe rack near her front door. “You don’t have to say that, Daniel.”

  “I mean it,” he said, walking back toward her. “Where’s your bottle opener?” He brushed past her in the small corridor and stepped into the kitchen.

  She sucked in a breath. “Drawer to the left of the stove. If you don’t mind I’d like to get out of these clothes.”

  Daniel’s brows rose.

  And she quickly added, “Into something more comfortable.”

  “Of course. By all means.”

  While he busied himself uncorking the wine, Angela rushed into her bedroom and closed the door. She rested her back against it, reminding herself to calm down. So what if Daniel was in her home? She could handle the situation. She was in control.

  Or so she told herself as she undressed, then put on her favorite pair of yoga pants and a tank top. Deep down, she wasn’t sure she believed it. He’d caught her off guard with his unplanned visit.

  When she emerged five minutes later, Daniel had found the wineglasses in the cupboard and poured them each a glass. He handed her one when she came forward. “Thank you,” she said as she accepted the wine.

  He held out his glass. “Cheers.”

  She lightly tapped hers to his. “Cheers.”

  She took a long sip to fortify herself for the conversation. Then she moved toward the living room and made herself comfortable on the microsuede sofa she’d bought several years ago on sale. “So you want to tell me why you stopped by unannounced?” she asked, tucking her feet under her.

  “Absolutely.” Daniel followed her and instead of sitting in the adjacent chair, he sat beside her on the sofa. “We needed to talk.”

  “I think you were very clear with your intentions,” Angela asked, “and I believe I asked you for some time to think about it.”

  “And I,” he responded, “felt like you might need some convincing.”

  “Is that right?”

  He smiled broadly and Angela’s insides turned to mush at his irrepressible grin. “Oh yes, and I’m here to offer you a proposition.”

  Her interest was piqued. “I’m intrigued. Do go on.”

  “Well, I think it’s pretty obvious how attracted we are to each other.”

  Angela didn’t attempt to refute that, because he was right. When they were within a few feet of each other, sparks crackled between them. Even now she could feel his energy pulling her toward him.

  “And as much as we’ve tried to fight it, ignore it, it’s still there,” Daniel continued. “We have to see where this goes, Angela. If we don’t, we’ll drive ourselves crazy. But I recognize you’re hesitant given our working relationship. So I propose that we spend the weekend together in Key West. We’ll either get our fill of each other and go our separate ways or we’ll decide to continue the relationship. What do you say?”

  * * *

  Daniel watched with bated breath for Angela’s answer. He’d thought about this solution to their quandary all day. And this was the best he’d come up with. They could sex each other like crazy for an entire weekend and get it out of their system and decide to end their affair. Or they could decide to continue a discreet relationship behind closed doors.

  Either way, he’d get to have Angela in his arms again.

  He’d tried unsuccessfully to get the woman out of his mind since she’d left his apartment yesterday morning to meet her sister. She’d clouded his thoughts until he’d finally decided he had to do something about it. He was now determined to convince her that they needed to spend time together and figure out what was between them.

  Daniel placed his wineglass on the cocktail table in front of him and reached for one of Angela’s hands. “Don’t deny yourself, deny us, because you’re scared. I know we’re on uncharted territory here, but there’s something between us. You must feel it like I do.”

  He watched her bring her wineglass to her mouth for a sip and realized her hand was shaking. Daniel wished he were that glass. Wished he could take her lips with his and suck the sweet juices off them. But he didn’t want to come on too strong or she would pull away.

  He released her hand and rose to his feet. “Think about it.”

  “You’ve certainly given me a lot to consider,” she finally said.

  “I know, but when I feel strongly about something, I go after it.”

  “And you want me?”

  Those beautiful brown eyes of hers looked up at him expectantly. “I think that’s obvious, or I wouldn’t be here. And I believe you want me, too. So think about my proposition. I’ve chartered a private plane to take us to Key West on Friday morning, so I hope I’m not going alone. But the choice is yours.”

  She was silent, but rose and walked him to the door. He opened it, then stopped and turned back around. Angela was standing nervously behind him in that darn tank top that showed him she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath. Her nipples were visible and protruding, and Daniel lost his head.

  He reached for her, circling his arm around her waist. His body pressed into hers and then his lips coaxed hers open. She gasped at the u
rgency of his demanding kiss, and that allowed Daniel to ease his tongue into her mouth. He explored her sweet mouth slowly, tasting, teasing, sucking and nibbling. He wanted to remind her of just how good it was between them and how good it could be again if she only gave in to the desire she felt for him.

  When he finally pulled away, her lips were swollen from his kisses and her eyes were dazed. “I await your answer,” he said.

  And then he left.

  He had to. Otherwise, he’d be taking her up against the wall as he’d done their first time together at his penthouse, and he didn’t want that. He wanted to take his time making sweet love to her until the only people who existed in the world were the two of them.

  CHAPTER 14

  Angela knew her answer to Daniel’s proposition even before he’d left her apartment several days ago, but she’d made him wait. However, today was Thursday and she’d have to let him know her decision one way or another. And she would be able to do so in private because Daniel had arranged a showing of one of the condos at the downtown development they were working on together for that afternoon. She was sure it had been done purposely so they wouldn’t have an audience.

  She’d worn a simple nude sheath and added a long, dangling gold necklace and sparkling gold peep-toe pumps. Angela knew she looked good. No, she looked hot, and there was no way Daniel wouldn’t take notice.

  She was already on-site at the condo before Daniel arrived because her appointment had ended early, giving her time to arrive for setup. She’d told Daniel’s assistant, Mary, not to come out for staging, leaving them completely alone until their prospect arrived.

  She’d just finished setting out the fine china, champagne flutes and finger foods she’d picked up from Daniel’s favorite eatery and was using the smart device that came with the house to open all the blinds when he arrived.

  He stopped midstride when he saw her. “Angela. You’re here early.” He closed the door behind him.

  “I had a little free time,” she responded, “so I took care of everything.”