Obsessive Temptation: A BWWM Romance Limited Edition Collection

by Peyton Banks

  Kerenza

  I always strived to look my best. Not just because I was a model and worked with gorgeous women on a daily basis, but because it made me feel good to be put together. Today, though, as I got dressed for work, I wanted to look my best for a different reason: my intense, but insanely hot new boss.

  As was custom in today’s internet-age, after our first meeting yesterday, I decided to do some online recon on Oden Elijah Matthews. He was a successful campaign director—wildly successful, actually—which made me wonder what the heck he was doing working with a small fish like Underthingz. But I wasn’t interested in his professional accolades. I was more interested in his personal pursuits.

  A Google search revealed that Oden had Facebook and Twitter accounts that he used for work-related purposes only. If I had to guess, an assistant managed them.

  I started a new search and typed in ‘Oden Matthews’ girlfriend.’ To my surprise, quite a few images of him popped up, with various women, all of whom were African American and in varying shades and sizes. I smiled to myself. So, Oden was down with the swirl, huh?

  Well, so was I. So was I.

  Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to get to work tomorrow.

  I arrived at ULC twenty minutes early, a first for me, but hey, I wanted to make a good impression with our new campaign director.

  Isobel, Adhira and Maya were already in the second-floor meeting space when I got there. The four of us made up the team of lingerie models for ULC. We also had a social media director, three interns, and two administrative assistants in the marketing department as well.

  “Good morning, Isobel, Addy, and Maya,” I said, taking an empty chair at the table.

  “Hey, hey!” Addy replied, energetic as always.

  Isobel’s greeting, like her personality, was a little more tempered. “Good morning, Kerenza.”

  “What’s uuuup,” Maya said, drawing the words out.

  The four of us dove into conversation, touching on Wendell’s firing, the state of the company, and of course, the new campaign director.

  Isobel, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and fully aware of her good looks, leaned forward and said in a hushed tone, “Just to let you all know, I call dibs on Oden. Give me a week and I’ll have him wrapped around my pinky finger—”

  As if on cue, the door swung open, and in waltzed a small group of people, which consisted of the rest of our department staff, as well as the new kid on the block. Like yesterday, Oden was dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, with a crisp white shirt, sans tie. His hair still looked wet from a shower, and I swear I could smell the faint scent of some expensive aftershave. I inhaled deeply, breathing the tantalizing fragrance in.

  He looked otherworldly and so out of place in this room—hell, in this company. I planned on enjoying the view for as long as I could.

  Oden came to a stop in the center of the meeting space. Leisurely, he buried his hands in his pockets and scanned the room. When our gazes connected, I quickly averted my eyes, cheeks heating at being caught ogling him. Who wouldn’t want to ogle Oden, though?

  “Good morning, everyone,” he said. Most people would project their voice to be heard over the din, or some would even outright scream. But he didn’t do either of those things. Instead, he spoke in a normal tone, seeming confident that the sound of his voice alone would be enough to bring silence and order to a room currently in a chaotic state.

  It sure as hell did.

  “As I said yesterday when I first met you all, I’m elated to be here to spearhead the next few Underthingz campaigns. I’m confident we can pull together something spectacular and help turn things around for the company.”

  I was the first person to start clapping. His genuine concern for a company he was new to touched me. I got the sense that Oden Matthews poured his heart into any cause he championed.

  Isobel joined in, clapping louder and harder than any of us. I bit my cheek to keep from smiling. The determined gleam in her eye was unmistakable. She was going to do her best to get our new boss into her bed. I wasn’t saying she didn’t have a chance, but it wouldn’t hurt her to do a quick Google search and see that Mr. Matthews had a type, of the melanin, sun-kissed, kinky-haired variety.

  Then again, a dog would accept a bone from anyone who threw it. I didn’t know if Oden was that kind of man, the kind of man I’d unfortunately had many experiences with in the past.

  Sighing, I pushed those depressing thoughts away and tuned back into my new boss’ speech.

  “Today’s our first official day of work together, but unfortunately, I’ll be off-site, paying the Underthingz warehouse a visit, and taking a close look at where and how our pieces are manufactured. This will help me put together a concept for the upcoming campaigns.” Pausing, he removed a hand from his pocket and pointed a finger, to my utter surprise, right at me.

  “Kerenza, I’d like you to accompany me to the warehouse and show me around.”

  I sat up straighter in my chair, attempting to keep the surprise coursing through me from showing on my face.

  “M-me?”

  Oden smiled and nodded. He had a sexy-ass smile. It showed off a perfect set of teeth, but more than that, there was something dominant about it. Like he knew full well the effect his smile could have on a woman and whipped it out anyway.

  “Yes. It will be good to have one of the people who’ll actually be modelling the pieces with me. A new perspective, and all that.”

  Well, what could I say to that, except, “Of course. I’m happy to go with you.”

  He nodded and continued talking, doling out assignments for the rest of the staff. I could feel the heat of Isobel’s glare, but I made it a point to stay focused on the man-candy at the front of the room.

  Twenty minutes later, I stepped off the elevator, entering the lobby where I found Oden waiting for me. He hadn’t seen me yet, so I appreciated the side view of his profile. That sharp stubble-covered jaw of his looked downright fucking kissable.

  Suddenly, Oden turned his head and our gazes collided. His black eyes coupled with those seemingly always furrowed brows, added to his intensity. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry and tight.

  “All ready to go?” he asked with a small smile.

  The smile threw me off because it softened his features, making him look like an entirely different man than the one he’d been just a few seconds ago. I nodded, and together, we exited the building.

  ULC was located on a busy street, but then again, this was Oakland. With three top hospitals in the vicinity and a slew of popular restaurants nearby, there was always traffic in this part of Pittsburgh.

  “We’re just over here,” Oden said, pointing to a black Audi parked at the curb.

  When we reached the sedan, the driver started to get out to open the door for us, but Oden shook his head.

  “I’ve got it.”

  Opening the rear door, he stepped back, motioning for me to get in first. I accidentally brushed against him as I slid in the backseat, or maybe it was on purpose. Okay, it was definitely on purpose. Oden eased into the car and closed the door. As soon as he did, the aroma of his cologne became noticeable. It smelled insanely good.

  “Seatbelt,” he said, clicking his own in place.

  Sheepishly, I tugged mine on, and the driver pulled off.

  The Underthingz warehouse was located in Crafton, Pennsylvania. Normally a twenty-five-minute drive from Oakland, with the traffic, it would take us close to an hour. I settled in for the ride.

  We rode in comfortable silence for a few minutes, with me staring out the window and my new boss typing steadily on his phone. The tapping stopped at some point, and I could feel eyes on me. Not one to shy away, I turned and met his gaze head-on. Oden didn’t look at all embarrassed about being caught staring.

  “I can see why you’re a model,” he stated, as if we’d been carrying on a conversation this entire time.

  I blinked, caught off guard by the comment.

  “Well…t
hank you?”

  For a moment, he didn’t say anything, just stared unblinkingly at me, and I stared right on back. And then his phone buzzed, drawing his attention away. I blew out a breath, relieved to have a moment away from that…intensity. Though going by the pulsing in my nether regions, I kind of liked it.

  I chanced a glance at Oden, whose head was bent as he focused on his phone. If I had to guess, he was around thirty-five or so. My eyes drifted to his hands, noting the absence of a wedding ring or the indentation from wearing one for a long time.

  Not married and probably never been married. Yep, he was definitely a dog.

  Shaking my head, I prepared to resume staring out the window for the rest of the ride, but then Oden’s eyes connected with mine.

  A bubble of silence enveloped us.

  “Sorry,” he eventually said, grinning. “I know this is awkward, being in a car with someone you only just met.”

  He was being gracious. He didn’t look at all discomforted to be in a car with a stranger. In fact, he looked completely at ease.

  “To rectify that, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?”

  “Only if you tell me about yourself, too,” I quipped.

  “Deal.”

  What to share, what to share. This was my boss I was speaking to.

  “Okay, don’t laugh…” I began. He stared stoically back at me, making me remember who I was talking to. I doubted Oden Matthews laughed frequently, if ever. “So, I was born with twelve fingers.”

  I held my breath, stifling the giggle at the base of my throat. Whenever I started a new job or was at an event when there was an ice breaker activity, I always threw out this bizarre fact about myself.

  Oden’s poker face was solid…for all of three seconds. But then, his hardened, handsome facial expression softened into a boyish grin as he laughed out loud.

  “Wait…what?”

  For a second, I marveled at how youthful and carefree Oden looked, then joined in the laughter.

  “Yes…” I said, sobering. “I was born with two extra pinkies. Look, see the scars?”

  I held out my hands so that the sides of my pinky fingers were visible. To my surprise, Oden took both my hands in his and inspected them. His touch sent a jolt of attraction shooting through me that eventually reached my pussy.

  I gulped.

  “Well,” he marveled. “Would you look at that.”

  He softly caressed the small scar on my right pinky with his index finger. His touch tickled me, but not in an I’m-about-to-laugh-if-you-don’t-stop kind of way. More like a butterflies-in-my-stomach type of way. The feeling took my breath away.

  I managed to say, “There you go, stealing my hands again.”

  Laughter, rich and genuine filled the air, and it was infectious, so I laughed too, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.

  It looked like me and the boss were hitting it off.

  5

  Oden

  After hours of being hard off and on, my dick finally relaxed. Being in Kerenza’s presence all day, I truly couldn’t help it.

  As we’d walked through the ULC warehouse—which, as impressive as it was, didn’t hold an ounce of my attention, thanks to the beauty giving me the tour—something else had dawned on me: our chemistry was natural and off the charts. When the time finally came—and it would come—for us to have sex, it, too, was going to be off the charts.

  Back at the hotel, I grabbed a quick bite from the adjoining restaurant, then went back to my room and took a long shower. Settling in the plush, king-sized bed, I pulled up Kerenza’s Facebook page on my laptop, surprised to see the little green dot under her name, which meant she was currently online.

  Lucky for me, her page was set to public, as I already knew from looking her up multiple times over the past eight months. Twenty minutes ago, she’d checked into some place called Pole Fitness. I was just about to Google it, when the page refreshed, and there was a picture of Kerenza, hanging upside down from a pole.

  I scrambled up into a sitting position, lifting the laptop and bringing it so close to my face that my nose was touching the screen. I took in the skimpy bra and panty set she wore, along with high-waisted, fishnet stockings and tall, skinny heels.

  As usual, and I noticed this was her thing unless she was on a shoot, she wore very little makeup. The fire red lipstick complemented her complexion and drew even more attention to her gorgeous mouth.

  A frustrated growl escaped my clenched teeth. How much longer would I be able to look but not touch where it concerned Kerenza Monae Towers?

  It was Friday, the end of my first week at ULC. On the job front, things were coming together well. I now had several themes in mind for each of the campaigns and had begun the tedious process of bringing my visions to life. On the personal front, things were still progressing significantly slower than I would have preferred.

  Tempering my natural aggression, and as a result, my attraction to Kerenza, was getting me nowhere. The biggest obstacle, I think, was that we worked together. Personally, I didn’t care, and Isobel—in an attempt to flirt with me—had let slip that lots of people at ULC had dated people within the company, including, surprisingly, Gayle.

  I’d been dropping subtle hints to Kerenza all week, flirting with her as much as I could without coming on too strong and making her uncomfortable. It looked like I was just going to have to come straight out and ask her on a date.

  I was done pussyfooting around. Being timid was for betas. It was time to claim what had been mine since the moment I’d laid eyes on her.

  6

  Kerenza

  My stomach flat out refused to stop doing backflips.

  I swallowed past the lump of nerves lodged in my throat, and looked at myself in the mirror. On my body was one of the preliminary pieces that would be part of ULC’s ‘Maybae’ lingerie collection, which would be released in, you guessed it, May.

  Oden had asked us models to put on a mini showcase for the marketing department. He’d said seeing the pieces on something other than curve-less mannequins would help him nail down the concept for this particular campaign, so here we were.

  “God, could your abs be any more defined?” Addy said, pretending to roll her eyes at me as she applied oil to her legs.

  I scoffed.

  “Please, you have legs for days—days, and calf muscles to rival Usain Bolt’s. I don’t even wanna hear it, girlfriend.”

  Addy and I laughed, and Maya joined in. In my opinion, Maya was rocking the hottest piece in the collection so far. It was a bodysuit, comprised of one hundred percent see-through material, but instead of her tits and vagina being on display, red X’s had been sewn over the nipple parts, and a pair of red lips had been sewn over the panty area. It was fun and sexy all at once.

  The three of us, meaning myself, Adhira, and Maya, always had a good time at work. But there was always that one person in the group who tried to kill the vibe.

  “Ughhhh!” Isobel groaned, spinning around in front of a full-body mirror. “Why do they always put me in green? I freaking hate the color green on me.”

  I parted my lips to tell her that the hunter green bra and thong set actually complemented her translucent, pale skin really well. But it was futile. If a person wanted to find something wrong with themselves, they would always find it.

  Maya’s eyes met mine in the mirror, and the look on her face told me she was thinking the exact same thing: better to just ignore Isobel.

  “Help me with this corset, will you?” I asked Maya, who happily obliged.

  Not a minute after I was all laced up, did a knock sound at the door.

  “Come in,” Isobel snapped, tugging at the bottom of the bra she wore.

  The door swung open to reveal one of the marketing administrative assistants, coming to let us know they were ready for us. We lined up, with Isobel at the front, Adhira second, me third, and Maya last. Together, we stepped out of the empty office we’d used as a makeshift changing room an
d entered the marketing area. It was a gigantic, open-layout room with various desks positioned all around.

  Oden, Gayle, and the rest of the department, stood off to the side, watching as we walked over to them. When my eyes landed on Oden, I threw a little more oomph in my strut than usual. We came to a stop a few feet away from the crowd of onlookers. My hand settled on my hips, and I reminded myself to breathe. I’d done dozens of ‘look-sees’ where I would model a prototype for designers or, as in this case, the campaign director.

  Together, Gayle and Oden walked a circle around the four of us, talking amongst themselves. Then, to my chagrin, Oden started doing close-up inspections of the pieces, starting with Maya, who was right next to me. I was keenly aware of him as he alternated between examining the lacy camisole and panty set Maya wore and jotting notes down. Aware of how much taller than all of us he was, even in our five-inch heels. Of how broad and muscled his back was in the tailored suit he wore.

  Gayle had looped around to the beginning of the short line and started chatting with Isobel. I tuned them out, watching Oden with Maya out of the corner of my eyes.

  A few minutes later, he moved in my direction, and my stomach erupted into butterflies. Standing around in barely-there undergarments was what I did for a living, so I was accustomed to it. But there was something so…vulnerable and unsettling about being practically naked in front of Oden Matthews. Probably because I was so fucking attracted to him.

  “Good morning, Kerenza,” Oden said, coming to a standstill a few feet in front of me. With my heels, I was almost eye level with his throat and noticed the way his Adam’s apple was jumping all over the place. Could…could he be just as affected by me as I was by him?

  “Hey,” I replied lamely.

  The corners of his eyes crinkled, but beyond that, he didn’t react. Dipping his head, he sized me up, taking in the corset and matching thong.