No Other Lover Will Do

by Hodges, Cheris

  NO OTHER LOVER WILL DO

  Kandace stormed into her room and thought about calling the front desk to complain about that jackass. No matter how cute he was, she would not succumb to his smooth voice and killer body. At least she didn’t give him her name.

  Well, if I see him again, I’m just going to ignore the horn dog, she thought as she peeled off her wet suit and headed for the shower.

  Still, as she stood in the shower, her mind wandered back to his haunting eyes, and despite herself, when she felt the lick of the water against her neck, she thought of his lips and tongue being there. Kandace quickly shut off the water.

  Just as she finished drying off and rubbing lotion on her skin, there was a knock at the door.

  “Yes,” she said as she wrapped herself in the robe and looked through the peephole.

  “Delivery for Kandace Davis,” the hotel messenger said. Kandace opened the door and accepted the large white box.

  Kandace looked at the box wondering who sent her a gift. There was no card on the outside of the box, so Kandace opened it. Inside, she found a red fur bikini. She lifted the barely there garment from the box and a card fell to the floor. She dropped the box on the bed and picked up the card.

  I want to see you in this and then I want to see it on the floor. It was signed, The Jackass.

  Also by Cheris Hodges

  JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH

  LET’S GET IT ON

  MORE THAN HE CAN HANDLE

  BETTING ON LOVE

  Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

  No Other LOVER Will Do

  CHERIS HODGES

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  It’s hard to thank everyone who stood by my side while I wrote this novel. First, I have to thank Irene Russell for her insight and for answering my nursing questions. Thank you for being a good friend.

  Thanks to my tattoo artist, Joe Hart, who allowed me to come and bounce ideas off him, and for the wonderful skin art.

  To my family, every member, especially my mom and dad, Doris and Freddie Hodges, for all of the support and love.

  Thank you to all of the members of the Cheris F. Hodges Book Club. You guys rock and I couldn’t do this without you.

  To the SBS Book Club, Sistah Friend’s Book Club, the PWOC Book Club, Yolanda Cuttino and the Sistah Unlimited Book Club, thank you for everything.

  And last but certainly not least, to the reader with this book in her (or his) hands. Thank you for allowing me into your world.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  EPILOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  Solomon Crawford turned his back to the buxom blond model lying beside him. She was on the cover of Maxim this month and he thought it would’ve taken him longer to get her in bed. In reality, it had only taken him two hours and a bottle of expensive champagne to get “what’s her name” to drop her panties and give him what every man in America wanted. But for all her beauty and silicone, she was a complete bore in bed. The woman lay there just like a sack of flour and Solomon had never been more disappointed. He probably would’ve had more fun watching paint dry or grass grow.

  The red numbers on the alarm clock next to the bed read four-thirty. Hell, the room is paid for, he thought as he rose from the bed. Solomon didn’t even try to be gentle or quiet as he reached for his discarded Armani slacks and Italian leather loafers.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, her voice deepened by sleep.

  “Home,” he said.

  “But, I thought we could…”

  “Listen, we’re done. And honestly, there’s nothing you can say or do to make me want to spend another minute with you,” Solomon said as he buttoned his shirt. “The room is paid for, but checkout is at noon.”

  “You’re going to leave me here alone?” she asked incredulously. “How can you do this to me? Do you know who I am?”

  Solomon shrugged as he picked his jacket up from the armchair near the door. “Just another piece and not a very good one,” he said, then walked out the door. Solomon heard a crash as he headed down the hall to the elevator. Maybe if she’d shown that kind of passion in bed he would’ve stayed until at least five. Solomon chuckled as he stepped onto the elevator and rode to the W Hotel’s parking garage. She, like so many before her, would get over it and have a great story to tell about her night in Solomon land.

  Solomon Crawford was the kind of man that women couldn’t help but get naked for. He had money, power, and model good looks. To the many women he’d bedded, he was an untamable stallion they had to ride at least once. And one ride was all they’d ever gotten. Solomon didn’t believe in fidelity, love, or all that other bullshit that sold greeting cards and roses. He wanted sex and it was given to him freely. The only thing he’d ever worked for was building his family’s hotel empire. The Crawford chain of hotels and resorts stretched across the United States and Canada.

  Three years ago, Solomon had been handed the reins to the business when Cynthia and Elliot Crawford retired from the hospitality business. His older brother, Richmond, was super pissed when he was passed over to run the business. Richmond was forty years old and thought he knew more about running a hotel business than “the little playboy.”

  But at age thirty-five, Solomon had been more than ready to take charge. Solomon knew the only way to shut Richmond up was to take the business to the next level and that he did with the help of his bright business partner Carmen De La Croix. Carmen talked him into investing in resorts and making the Crawford name synonymous with deluxe vacation resorts. Of course, Richmond thought this was a bad idea until they turned a million-dollar profit in the first quarter. And the money kept rolling in. Solomon knew he’d be lost without Carmen. She was the only woman he was able to talk to and trust. She didn’t want anything from him and he liked that. Why couldn’t the women he slept with be more like that? Solomon Crawford wasn’t going to give anyone a diamond and a happily ever after—that wasn’t the Crawford way.

  Despite the hour, Solomon picked up his BlackBerry and dialed his business partner and best friend, Carmen De La Croix. She had to hear about his night.

  Kandace Davis was tired of waking up in the cramped office of the restaurant she owned with her three best friends, Jade Christian-Goings, Serena Jacobs, and Alicia Michaels. Glancing at the clock on her computer, she saw that it was nearly six A.M. “Damn,” she muttered. “I did it again.”

  Kandace knew she had to get out of the restaurant before Jade came in, because she wasn’t in the mood for another lecture. She picked up her leather bag and was about to stand up…too late.

  “Kandace, you’d better not be in this office,” Jade said as the door swung open.

  “I just got here,” Kandace lied.

  “Umm-hmm, wearing yesterday’s clothes?” Jade shook her head as she looked at her friend.

  “I picked up these extra hours because you ju
st had a baby. Why are you here?”

  “Because James and Maurice are doing the ‘daddy thing’ today,” she said referring to her husband, James and his brother. Kandace smiled remembering how Jade and James brought their son into the world just a few months after Maurice and his wife Kenya had welcomed their daughter into the family. Kandace was happy that despite the unconventional way Jade and James became husband and wife, hooking up in Las Vegas of all places, they seemed happy.

  “So,” Kandace asked, “since James and Maurice have the kids, what are you and Kenya going to do with yourselves?”

  Jade clasped her hands together. “Kenya and I can actually do something other than lactate for a few hours. I’ve never worked the breakfast shift and…wait, this isn’t about me. You need a break.” Jade perched on the edge of Kandace’s desk. “You’ve been in Charlotte for six months and I know you love Atlanta. I’ve leaned on you so much, it’s surprising that you haven’t broken in half. This place is up and running, you’ve gotten us publicity all over the place. So, the girls and I decided…”

  “Now you guys are making decisions about my life?” Kandace asked with a terse laugh.

  “Yeah, because you won’t,” Jade shot back. “We’re voting you off the island for two weeks. Go on vacation. You’ve got to relax. Everybody around here has noticed how tense you are. If you’re trying to prove to Devon Harris that you’re a capable businesswoman who no longer wants his cheating butt, mission accomplished.”

  Kandace stifled a yawn. “Since you chicks are making decisions, are y’all paying?”

  Jade folded her arms underneath her full breasts. “Now you’re just being ridiculous,” she said. “I don’t care where you go, but I don’t want to see you for two weeks!”

  Kandace knew Jade meant well and she rose to her feet and gave her friend a kiss on the cheek. “All right,” she said. “But you guys are going to miss me. I’m leaving my cell phone, laptop, and everything right here.”

  “Good,” Jade said. “Maybe while you’re on vacation you’ll have a little fun and get your feet wet.”

  “Whatever. All of us don’t find Mr. Right on vacation like you did,” Kandace said as she gathered her things.

  Jade smiled and glanced down at her wedding band. “Yes, I was lucky in vacation love. I just hope you get lucky.”

  “I think I’m going to go somewhere and be pampered for two weeks. Then you all can eat your hearts out while you’re here slaving away. And I don’t need to get lucky, thank you very much.”

  Jade waved to her friend, “Kick rocks, chick,” she joked.

  As Kandace headed to her car, she thought about what Jade had said. Over the last six months, she had poured herself into her work because she had nothing else. Her life was all work because at home, Kandace had a big empty bed waiting for her and she was tired of it. Kandace hadn’t been with a man in a year. Her last relationship ended when she decided that she’d wanted something serious. Robert Harrington was happy with the sex, the nice things that Kandace did for him, but he wasn’t willing to take their relationship to the next level. After watching Jade get married, Kandace wanted her own marriage but Robert wanted no part of it.

  “What’s wrong with the way we are?” he’d asked when she’d broached the subject of marriage before she moved to Charlotte.

  “I want to know that we’re moving toward a future,” she’d said. “Is that too much to ask?”

  “This is just like a woman. Your girl gets married and then you think it’s your turn to walk down the aisle. I don’t want to get married.”

  “All right,” Kandace had calmly replied. “If you don’t want to get married, then I don’t want to have sex with you. I don’t want to do your damned laundry and I don’t want to waste any more of my time.”

  Robert had promptly walked out of her penthouse. Kandace had packed for Charlotte and never looked back. If she’d been honest with herself, she would’ve admitted that Robert wasn’t the man she needed to marry. He was selfish, he tried to be controlling, and he lacked passion in bed and in life. Of course Robert hadn’t wanted things to change. He liked being in a rut, but Kandace had grown tired of it.

  She knew for a while that her relationship had been a dead end, had actually realized it over a year ago. But because she had been comfortable with him, she stuck around until she saw what a real and passionate relationship looked like. Jade and James had inspired her to seek something better and real in her relationships. Maybe pressing Robert about marriage had been her way of ending the relationship.

  Yeah, she needed a vacation. But more than anything else, she needed some sleep. Kandace drove to her uptown townhouse and for once, she was happy her bed was empty.

  CHAPTER 2

  Solomon woke up on Carmen’s sofa to the smell of bacon, cheese eggs, and grits. When he’d called her the night before and started telling her about the boring model, Carmen invited him over for breakfast.

  “Have you ever stayed with a woman and watched the sun rise?” she’d asked when he walked in the door before dawn.

  “Nope. It gives y’all romantic notions,” he said before plopping down on her plush sofa and kicking his feet up on the coffee table. “What are you doing up?”

  “About to go for a run,” she’d replied. “Got to keep the blood flowing. The renovations in Sugar Mountain are complete today and the Weather Channel is calling for three to four feet of snow this weekend.”

  “Maybe I should go to North Carolina and check on the latest resort,” he’d said as he yawned. “And you shouldn’t go jogging in Central Park while it’s still kind of dark out there.”

  Carmen, who’d been dressed in an NYU sweatshirt and a pair of skin-tight yoga pants that accented her ample curves, sauntered over to Solomon and tweaked his nose. “Be careful, you’re going to make me think you care,” she’d said.

  Solomon was already asleep by the time Carmen had pulled her sweatshirt off.

  “You sure know how to wake a brother up,” Solomon said as he walked to the doorway of Carmen’s kitchen. “What’s cooking?”

  “Since you’re going to go to North Carolina, I pulled out some southern breakfast food,” she said with a smile plastered on her comely face.

  Solomon nodded at her. “That’s what’s up,” he said. “I’m probably going to gain fifteen pounds down there. They say southern cooks are the best.”

  Carmen cocked her head to the side. “You know we have a state of the art workout facility at Carolina Serenity,” she said. “The last thing you want to do is ruin that body.”

  Solomon flexed his sculpted muscles. “You’re right. Can’t bag models with flab.”

  Carmen laughed. “I’ll fix your plate and you turn on the news. Maybe there’s some good news about the stock market this morning.”

  “Carmen, you’re the greatest,” he said. “But I don’t think any miracles happened overnight.”

  As Solomon headed back into the den, she beamed brightly.

  Moments later, Carmen walked into the den with Solomon’s plate and hers balanced on her arms. “Here you go.”

  Solomon took both plates and set them on the table, then he pointed at the television. NY1 was reporting on President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. “They broke the mold when that woman was created,” he said before digging into his breakfast.

  “I’m sure there are other women out there like her,” Carmen said.

  Solomon shook his head as he shoveled in a mouthful of grits. After swallowing, he said, “Nope. Most women don’t have an identity of their own and don’t know how to support a man. She could’ve easily told him, ‘Hell no, I’m doing my thing and you run for president later.’ Instead, she stood by him without losing herself in his dream.”

  “I would stand by my man, just like Michelle.”

  “I bet you would,” he said. “You’re going to make someone lucky one day.” Solomon looked down at his watch. “Damn, I got to get into the office. Richmond wants an upda
te on the resorts.” And I got to get some real food, because, Carmen, you are no southern cook.

  “Don’t you want to finish your breakfast first?” she asked.

  “Wish I could, but you know Richie Boy. He wants you when he wants you. Thanks for taking me in and for this,” he said, pointing at the plate.

  “Anytime. I have to keep my business partner happy,” she said with a sweet smile.

  When Solomon hit the street, he thought about calling a car. The winter air was biting, but he didn’t mind walking. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to sparring with Richmond this morning and Carmen lived only three blocks from the office. Leaving his car parked in the garage at Carmen’s place would be one less headache for him to deal with when he reached headquarters. Richmond made a point of parking in Solomon’s spot when he came to the office. It was his way of saying he should’ve been running the company. Solomon smiled sardonically as he turned down Fifth Avenue. It made sense that Solomon’s headquarters would be located in the center of the city. He wasn’t one to shy away from the spotlight, and everything he did, including business, was done for maximum attention.

  Solomon entered the building, nodding to the security guard as he headed up to the top floor. Looking down at his watch, he realized that he wouldn’t have much time to shower and change before his brother arrived.

  When he got into his office, Solomon turned on the television and saw his bedmate from the previous night being led away from the W Hotel by police. Solomon turned the volume up.