When Kandace woke up, the sun was setting. She rushed over to the large bay windows and watched the majesty of the setting sun in the Carolina sky. The blue sky was a royal purple with bursts of orange. She saw a few people skiing down the hill next to the resort. Kandace figured that it was a beginner’s hill, but she wasn’t going try it.
Stepping into the bathroom, Kandace ran her hand across the marble countertop, then she turned on the jets in the walk-in shower. She stripped her clothes off and stood underneath the warm spray. As the water poured over her, Kandace felt nearly orgasmic. Shaking her head, she realized that this was the closest thing to sex she’d experienced since her breakup with Robert. It wasn’t that she hadn’t had offers for meaningless sex or promises of one-night stands that would make her knees tremble. But Kandace wasn’t a one-night stand, meaningless affair type of woman, and that seemed to be all men in Atlanta wanted. Charlotte hadn’t offered many more choices.
She saw how those types of relationships had hurt her mother, beginning with her father. Kandace thought of him as more of a sperm donor since she’d seen him only once in her life. For years, Kandace had more uncles than she could count. They never stayed around long and her mother always cried for weeks until she met someone else. Maybe that’s why Kandace had stayed with Robert for as long as she did. He allowed her to mask the heartache she continued to carry over Devon Harris.
Sure, she was able to work with him now, but back in college when she’d found out that he’d cheated on her with the one girl she couldn’t stand, Jolisa Covington from Richmond, Virginia, she’d been devastated. Her family had money and Kandace’s didn’t. The only reason Kandace had been able to attend Spelman had been because her mother had joined the army when Kandace was six years old, after her latest relationship fizzled. Scholarships and financial aid had been Kandace’s best friends until she found a plum work-study assignment. When she’d started dating Devon, son of NBA player and Atlanta god, Devon Harris Sr., Kandace was about to start believing in fairy tales. Then she’d met his father, who made it clear to the couple that Kandace wasn’t the kind of woman he wanted to see his son with.
Then she had been brought into the picture. Devon Sr. had handpicked Jolisa to end Kandace’s relationship with his son. Jolisa had been given carte blanche to make herself at home in the Harris household. At first, Devon had denied any attraction to Jolisa. He’d called her an annoying groupie. Then, she’d become just his homegirl. And finally, Kandace had walked in on the aftermath of Jolisa and Devon’s lovemaking.
Kandace hadn’t needed to hear Devon’s excuses. She’d heard them all before when one of her mother’s boyfriends had done the same thing to her. She pushed past him, leaving her dreams of moving to Paris with him crumpled like the sheets on his bed. One day, she’d vowed, Devon would be sorry he’d treated her this way. She had no idea that she would end up in business with him. Happily none of her old feelings returned. She was over Devon and no matter how Jade tried to tell her that she should give him another chance, she wasn’t going to do it.
Kandace was not going to play the same fool twice.
As she turned the water off, Kandace grabbed one of the plush towels and wrapped herself in its warmth. She headed into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed with the hotel information book-let. There was a five-star restaurant on the property with dinner service, and also the option to order from the menu and have it delivered. What caught Kandace’s attention was the fact that dinner could be delivered to the hot tub. She snapped the book shut, crossed over to her suitcase, and grabbed her lime green bathing suit. Once she put the bandeau suit on, she placed her dinner order, grabbed the hotel robe and her Uggs, then headed out the door.
Solomon was restless. He’d been at the resort for six hours and no one knew who he was. That was great and so was the service that the staff had been providing. They were living up to the Crawford standard and he was proud. Now that he had taken care of business, he needed something else to occupy his time. Might as well check out the hot tub, he thought as he pulled off his sweater and kicked out of his pants. Solomon grabbed his Ed Hardy board shorts from his suitcase and pulled them on, then headed out to the hot tub grotto. He and Carmen thought the grotto would be a good idea for guests who came to the resort without their families. At first, Solomon had thought it was a silly idea since their peak time would be in the winter, but the grotto was heated and could be cooled in the summer.
As he entered the grotto and saw the woman in the lime green bathing suit leaning back with her eyes closed, he knew Carmen had been right all along. He stood at the edge of the tub watching her. She was a chocolate beauty with at least a D cup. He wondered how her strapless suit held her breasts up. As she stretched her legs, he noticed how shapely they were, and when she lifted her leg to her chest Solomon began to salivate. She had perfect toes, suckable toes. Looking down at his crotch, he saw how much of an effect this woman was having on him. Solomon climbed into the hot tub, happy that water hid his throbbing erection. At the sound of the splashing water, the woman opened her chocolate brown eyes and peered at him.
“My goodness, I didn’t realize anyone else was out here,” she said as she quickly lowered her leg.
“You don’t have to get shy on my account,” Solomon said.
The woman sighed and rolled her eyes. This was a reaction that he wasn’t used to. Was he being ignored? He glanced at the woman again, and yes, he was being ignored. She’d leaned her head back and had her eyes closed as if he wasn’t even there.
Solomon inched closer to her. “Since we’re the only ones out here, you could at least introduce yourself to me.”
“And why would I do that?” she asked. Her voice had a hint of a southern accent and a load of sensuality.
“Because it’s the polite thing to do.”
She smacked her lips and moved further from him. “I don’t feel like being polite,” she replied.
“Now, that’s not nice,” he said. “I thought women in the south believed in southern hospitality.”
The woman stood up, and when Solomon saw how her wet suit clung to her ample ass, he inhaled sharply. “There’s something else that southern women are known for,” she said. “Not talking to jackasses.”
As she strode over to the lounge chair where she’d placed her things, Solomon hopped out of the tub and crossed over to her.
“I guess I deserved that,” he said.
The woman wrapped the hotel robe around her damp body and tossed her ponytail back. Solomon could not help but wonder how her hair would look tumbling down her shoulders. It was obvious that she wasn’t wearing a weave because she didn’t seem to mind getting her hair wet.
“Are you still here?” she snapped. “Listen, I don’t know about you, but I’m here to relax, and these last few minutes around you have been anything but relaxing. So, I’m going to leave.” Her face, though it was contorted by anger, was beautiful, especially her full lips. Solomon wanted to just reach out and take her bottom lip between his. He inched closer to her, thinking that one kiss would melt this beauty’s resistance. But the threatening look she flashed him stopped Solomon from proceeding with his wanton desire.
“What in the hell is wrong with you?” she demanded.
“Let me just say, you’re the most stunning woman I’ve seen in ages, and if I’m coming on too strong, I apologize,” he said, his voice oozing with the Crawford charm that had caused countless thongs and panties to drop.
This woman wasn’t buying it as she placed her tote bag on her shoulder. “I’d appreciate it if you moved out of my way,” she said as she extended her hand and pushed him aside.
“I’d love to know your name,” he said as he took her hand in his and held it.
“And people in hell would love ice water. Let me go.” She didn’t make much of an effort to free her hand from his, and Solomon smiled. After a moment, he let her go as she’d requested. He wasn’t used to rejection and there was no way he planned
to give up.
She silently moved away from him and didn’t even glance back. As he watched his mystery lady walk away, Solomon knew he had to find her. Just as he was about to dry himself, he saw one of the waiters from the restaurant enter the grotto to remove the used dishes. Solomon smiled, knowing the woman’s room number would be on her dinner slip. Before the waiter took the plates away, Solomon crossed over to him.
“Excuse me,” he said. “How many people ordered dinner in here tonight?”
“I’m sorry?” the waiter asked.
“Were there a lot of people in here? A young lady just left and she forgot something. I want to make sure she gets it,” Solomon bluffed.
“I’ll be happy to return her lost item,” the man replied as he’d been trained to do.
Solomon—the businessman—was happy, but the man trying to find the sexiness that had just walked out of the hot tub needed information. “It’s a rather delicate item and I’m not sure she’d want a stranger returning it,” he said.
“If you don’t know her room number, I’m willing to guess you’re a stranger too,” the waiter replied, struggling to keep his voice respectful.
Solomon sighed. It was time to unleash the big gun. “Do you know who I am?” he asked.
“Other than the fact that you’re a valued guest at our resort, I’m going to say no.”
Solomon chuckled again. This guy was trained very well. “Solomon Crawford. I own the resort.”
The waiter raised his eyebrow and studied Solomon’s face as if he was trying to recall the image he’d seen in his training manual. Of course Solomon was fully clothed and smiling in the Crawford Hotel Handbook.
“Mr. Crawford, I didn’t recognize you,” the man said.
“I noticed, and I think you handled things superbly, but I need that woman’s room number.”
“Of course, sir,” he said, then handed him the food charge slip. Solomon looked up at the waiter.
“What’s your name?”
“Matt, sir.”
“All right, Matt, I’ll ask one more thing of you. No one needs to know I’m here. So, if you can keep your mouth shut, expect a bonus at the end of my stay,” Solomon said. “A big bonus.”
Matt smiled brightly. “Yes, sir.”
“Thanks. And you’re doing a great job. Keep it up,” Solomon complimented as he read the food slip. Kandace Davis was staying in the Wonderland Suite, and from the looks of her dinner order she was alone. Ripe for the picking, he thought as he left the grotto.
Kandace stormed into her room and thought about calling the front desk to complain about that jackass. That jackass with the sexy emerald eyes, hard body that seemed to be designed for pleasure, and hands that probably knew how to find every erogenous zone on any woman’s body. When he held her hand, she felt a sizzle that spread from the tips of her fingers to the center of her womanly core. And there she was standing in a bathing suit that she was sure barely covered her ample assets. Inadvertently, Kandace ran her hand across her bottom. Yep, her suit was showing off her cheeks. No wonder he walked over to her and tried to run that weak game. She rolled her eyes. 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. Now, she wished she’d brought her phone so that she could tell Alicia and Serena about the jerk. They knew how to handle men like that. Serena probably would’ve pushed him into the hot tub and Alicia would’ve made him feel worthless with her biting sarcasm.
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.
“Get it together,” she admonished. “He’s just trying to score, and you were the only one in the hot tub.”
Just as Kandace 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.
“Wait, let me get you a tip,” she said.
“No need, ma’am. It’s been taken care of,” the delivery man said. “Have a good evening.”
Kandace looked at the box, wondering who sent her a gift. She was sure it wasn’t any of her friends, but no one else knew she was staying there. She looked down at the ivory box and saw that it had come from the resort’s gift shop. There was no card on the outside of the box, so Kandace opened it. Inside, she found a red fur bikini. Kandace 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.
“He has some damned nerve,” she muttered as she grabbed the box and then stuffed the bikini back inside. Kandace grabbed a pair of lounge pants and a tank top, then she stuffed her feet inside her Uggs and headed downstairs to the gift shop. The message on the card echoed in her head. I want to see you in this and then I want to see it on the floor.
What in the world made him think she’d wear that bikini, and more importantly, what in the hell gave him the balls to think she’d take it off for him? Kandace stormed inside the shop and walked up to the counter.
“Yes, ma’am, how may I help you?” the clerk asked with a cheery smile on her face.
“I received this,” Kandace said as she dropped the box on the counter. “Could you return it to the sender?”
The clerk lifted the outfit and inspected it. “Oh, it hasn’t been worn.”
“And that is a pity,” a velvet smooth voice said from behind her. “You would’ve made that suit look good.”
Kandace whirled around and faced him. “Just who in the hell do you think you are?” she asked. “And how did you find my room?”
“I’m a man who gets just what I want and right now, I want you,” he said boldly.
Kandace rolled her eyes and attempted to walk past him, but he pulled her against his hard torso and her breath caught in her chest as he brought his lips to hers. Kandace’s body tingled from her scalp to the tip of her toes as he leaned closer and took her mouth with a searing passion that she thought was reserved for Hollywood movies and romance novels. For a brief moment, Kandace lost herself in the kiss, awakened by his tongue dancing against hers. But her common sense took over and she pulled back from him and slapped him with all her might.
“Stay away from me!” she snapped. “Don’t send me any gifts and don’t you ever touch me again.”
He stepped back and studied her body, reading the flashes of anger in her eyes, and the pout of her lips. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked. “Because your body is saying something else.”
“It’s saying get the hell away from me,” she said as she pushed him, then stormed out of the shop. Much to her dismay, he followed her.
“Hey, Kandace, wait,” he called out.
She turned around and glared at him. “What you need to do is stop talking to me as if you know me,” she said.
“You don’t know who I am, do you?”
“And I don’t give a damn.”
“You will. What do you say we have dinner tomorrow night? In the grotto.”
Kandace shook her head in disbelief. “Are you mental? I wouldn’t have dinner with you if you were the last person on earth and had the final piece of meat in the world.” Kandace stomped off and headed for the elevator.
Solomon fought the urge to follow Kandace onto the elevator. The things he could’ve done and the buttons he could’ve pushed with her in that enclosed space. But Solomon knew he had to bide his time carefully. Smiling, he was happy that she wasn’t aware of his reputation o
r his true identity. Now he’d try something different with a woman—being himself.
CHAPTER 5
Kandace slammed into her room and flung herself across the bed. The kiss played in her mind as she rolled over on her back. His lips were soft, his technique was skillful, and had he not been the most arrogant and pompous jerk she’d ever met, that kiss would’ve affected her core.
Who was she trying to fool? That kiss stirred a dormant part of her that she wanted him to explore, slowly and thoroughly. Stop it, she thought as she picked up the hotel phone and dialed Serena’s number. She knew this call was going to cost her a pretty penny, but she needed to tell someone about this jerk.
“Hello?” Serena said. Kandace could tell she didn’t recognize the number on her caller ID.
“Serena, it’s me.”
“You couldn’t go one day without calling? I’m not telling you anything about the restaurant,” she said.
“That’s not why I’m calling. I need your brand of advice,” Kandace said.
“My advice?” Serena asked. “Are you sure, because I’m not going to be sugary sweet like Jade and Alicia.”
“That’s why I didn’t call them. We need to make this quick. I’m on the hotel’s phone.” Kandace launched into her story about the mystery man, their encounter at the grotto, his gift, and the kiss.
“He kissed you? Just like that, no provocation or anything?”
“That’s what I just said. Now, what should I do?”
“I would cuss him out and…No,” Serena said. “You’re on vacation and you could use a bit of sex in your life. What’s a vacation fling going to hurt?”
“Did you not hear anything I said about this man? He’s arrogant, self-righteous, and I don’t care how good he looks. Besides, I don’t even know his name.”
“How did he find out yours and your room number?”
“Haven’t a clue. Maybe he paid off one of the hotel staffers. I’m tempted to complain to management about this jackass. I came here to relax, not to get stalked.”
No Other Lover Will Do Page 3
