Take It

by Francesca Penn

  “You didn’t look him up?” Natalia asked Kalilah. “I thought you would have after we talked the last time. You know, to better understand Nick’s past.”

  Cayla raised her hand. “What past?

  Kalilah looked at Natalia, “No. I want to see him in person.” Then she turned to Cayla. “Well, apparently, girls would get close to Nick to try to get Dex’s attention. AND his ex-bitch of a girlfriend told him she should have fucked Dex.”

  Natalia and Cayla gasped at the same time.

  Kalilah nodded. “I was sooooo mad when he told me. That is not cool.”

  Cayla tapped her Jimmy Choo stiletto on the floor and shook her head. “Nope. I don’t like her either. Nick is a cutie if you like the sheltered white boy look. She was just mad he was holding out. I bet he’s glad he did.” Cayla give Kalilah a stern look. “You two need to make it happen! I’m tired of waiting for details.” She pointed at Natalia. “This one ran off and decided to be celibate, and my dating pool is dry right now. You are our only hope for sex stories. He has a lot to learn before the stories get good.”

  Kalilah rolled her eyes. “You think you’re sexually frustrated? You would spontaneously combust if you had deal with Nick getting you all hot and bothered then saying, ‘not now.’ I almost want to cry sometimes. I believe he’s more comfortable with himself though.”

  Natalia nodded as she ignored the guy that tried to signal to her from across the room.

  “I believe his confidence is a lot higher than I think he’s letting you see. He’s almost cocky at the gym. He might blitz attack you.” They all laughed in unison. “I can’t wait to hear this story.” Natalia continued. “It’s gonna be epic.”

  They talked some more about fashion and movies while they finished their drinks and food. Two hours later, Kalilah was in her car headed home. She couldn’t wait to curl up in bed and relax. She tried to ignore the fact that one of her pillows smelled like Nick.

  She didn’t want to be that person. She didn’t want to be the woman pining away for a man that didn’t want to be with her. Kalilah knew that Nick wasn’t the resident playboy, but he never gave her any reason to believe that he wanted to be a couple. She tried to remind herself not to get attached.

  Kalilah sighed. If she were being honest with herself, she missed him and looked forward to his calls. This was not good for her or her heart. They hadn’t had sex, and she was already doodling his name like a high school girl. Kalilah let herself into her house and sighed. She squared her shoulders and decided to put on her big girl panties and not get attached.

  Chapter 12

  N ick adjusted his tie for the third time that morning. He did not understand how his dad wore these things all day. Nick used to call them the “corporate noose.” He missed Kalilah more than he thought he would. Nick found himself zoning out at seminars thinking about her and wondering what she was doing. Her advice about his dad stuck with him the whole week and started to weigh on him. Nick loved his job, but he’d chosen to ignore the VP duties. He’d rather hang with his techs and talk shop instead. He was more concerned with being their friend and not their leader.

  Nick sat in the parking lot and willed himself to get out of the car. He took a deep breath to settle his nerves. Then, he grabbed his laptop bag and headed inside the building. He ducked into the bathroom and checked his appearance. He didn’t recognize the guy staring back at him, but he was pleased with the work the style team did in LA. He’d purposely didn’t FaceTime the last two days with Kalilah because he wanted to surprise her and his dad.

  Nick’s new goal was to prove to his dad and Kalilah that he cared about his job and position. He didn’t give a damn what everyone else thought; they were his only concern. Nick leaned on the counter and looked himself in the mirror. He gave himself a mental pep talk.

  Game on. You know this stuff in and out. Make them proud. Nick adjusted his outfit and strode out of the restroom confidently. He made it to the third floor and ignored the confused looks he received from the employees. Please let Kalilah like it. He looked at his watch; the management meeting started fifteen minutes ago. Nick straightened his shoulders and pushed the door open.

  Kalilah was already finished with her presentation and fully intended to spend the rest of the meeting daydreaming about Nick. He was supposed to fly back today. She suppressed her smile as she thought about their plans that night. He’d sent her a text this morning telling, not asking, her they were having dinner. Bossy. She liked it. Maybe Natalia was right. Her body heated in anticipation. What if he was ready now?

  Andrew Sinclair’s rant pulled her out of her musings. “Who put IT on the schedule? Lisa!” Andrew’s nervous secretary jumped at hearing her name.

  “Yes, Mr. Sinclair?” she asked timidly. She usually was not so timid. Kalilah mused as she admired her stylish Marc Jacobs outfit with killer shoes.

  “Did you put a twenty-minute slot in the meeting schedule for IT?” Her glossy black bob bounced when she nodded her head affirmatively. “I told you to take IT off the schedule!”

  “B-but Mr. Sinclair, I was told to put it back on.” Andrew raised his eyebrows at her. Kalilah was sure she saw a vein throb in his handsome forehead. She was glad she wasn’t Lisa right now.

  “Oh, really?” he asked sarcastically. “Last I checked, MY name was on the building. No one has more authority than me. Is this person’s name on the building, Lisa?”

  “Technically, it is.”

  She heard someone joke. Kalilah sat up straighter in her seat. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. She turned her head in the direction of the door. It took her brain several seconds to reconcile that the clean-shaven, gorgeous man standing at the door was Nick. Her body reacted faster than her brain because her nipples were already tight. Nick was looking at his equally shocked dad.

  “Sorry I’m late; I just landed this morning. I called Lisa and told her to put me on the schedule. I have some updates to share.” He walked and stood behind the empty chair across from Kalilah.

  Kalilah sent up a silent prayer that she would stay seated and not embarrasses herself by pouncing on Nick. Nick’s sexy voice washed over her body and turned her center into liquid.

  “I apologize for the confusion,” he said as he glanced between the equally shocked Lisa and his dad.

  Andrew, the professional negotiator, schooled his face back to a neutral expression.

  “Okay. Just let the rest of us know next time. Will there be a next time?”

  Nick’s smirk fully displayed the dimples that used to be hidden behind his facial hair. He nodded at his dad.

  “Yes. I’ve learned how to delegate. I am now fully able to focus on all of my Vice President duties.”

  Andrew Sinclair’s expression was neutral to the outside world, but Kalilah knew that the slight twitch of his lips meant he was happy with his son’s change of heart. He glanced at her before turning to Nick. He gestured toward the screen with his hand.

  “Go ahead. Present.”

  Nick nodded and launched into his presentation. Kalilah didn’t hear anything Nick said. She was too busy taking in his transformation. He’d cut his hair like she’d suggested, and she mentally patted herself on the back. The haircut complimented him more than she’d imagined.

  His hair fell in soft waves and was no longer covering his face. The natural highlights of blonde and auburn were more pronounced. He’d ditched his glasses for contacts; his beautiful gray eyes sparkled with excitement as he talked about…hell, she didn’t know what he was talking about. All she knew was that the navy suit he was wearing was expensive, designer, and custom-fit just for him.

  Nick’s suit was cut slim to fit him perfectly. Kalilah’s eyes slid over his thighs; she could tell that they were now defined and…powerful. He was starting to look physically fit in his clothes. She couldn’t understand his avoidance at this point; she was pretty sure he looked good without them.

  Nick called her via FaceTime most nights while he was gone. He
would ask about her day and tell her about his. Then, without fail, he would start talking about how he missed touching and kissing her. And each day he would ask to see a little more than the last. She didn’t mind because she wasn’t ashamed of her body and wanted him to feel the same way.

  She couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t return the favor. Kalilah wanted Nick to go at his own pace, but the one-sided nature of their interactions was starting to weigh on her. She liked him more every day, and as far as she could tell, he was only focused on practicing with her. Kalilah suppressed a sigh and tried to focus on his presentation.

  He was talking with his hands; his gestures caused his new arm muscles to flex under is navy blazer. His crisp, white shirt stretched across his chest. Lust momentarily overshadowed her melancholy mood; she itched to touch him. He was in his element, his passion for his job was visible. His confidence in his knowledge was evident in his stance and posture.

  His excitement for…whatever he was talking about shone in his unobstructed eyes. Damn. Nick was officially her version of the triple threat; he was smart, well-dressed, and smelled good. He reached the potential she’d known he had, it both thrilled her and stressed her out.

  Kalilah fought the anxiety that urged to run out of the conference room. Instead, she picked up her pen and doodled on her notepad. Although he’d blindsided her with his dramatic change, she was proud of his courage and willingness to share himself with the outside world. Part of her felt left out that he didn’t share this with her before doing the big reveal.

  Kalilah knew that he didn’t need her to help him change his appearance, but she also dreaded the day where he realized that he no longer needed her. She cleared her head and focused on her notepad. Doodling always made her feel better. It allowed her to refocus her mind while she created silly, stick-figured characters. Kalilah couldn’t control Nick, but she could give her little buddy on her notepad a bow tie.

  Nick was confident that he’d nailed his presentation. He’d also built a wobbly bridge to meet his dad halfway. But Kalilah was a different issue. Initially, he was proud that he was able to surprise and shock her. Then, he was encouraged by the way she’d visually undressed him. But, by the end of his presentation, she’d retreated into herself.

  Nick forced himself to focus on the rest of the meeting. He couldn’t afford to be caught off-guard. He saw the skepticism in some of his colleagues’ eyes, and he knew he would spend more time than necessary proving himself. Again. Despite what some of them thought, he wasn’t just the CEO’s son. Nick understood that he owed it to his dad to continue the legacy even if it wasn’t at Sinclair Enterprises.

  He’d always seen himself as starting his own tech firm with his best friend David but decided to pour all his energy into running the tech department after their friendship suddenly ended. One minute they were best friends, and the next, David wouldn’t answer or return his calls. Not only did David throw away six years of friendship, he left Nick confused because he still didn’t know what happened. Five months and nothing.

  Nick realized that he hadn’t thought about David since his first conversation with Kalilah. She was a good distraction, and he appreciated it. Nick had a lot of acquaintances, but David was the only person he’d truly considered to be his friend. It was apparent that he didn’t feel the same about Nick. David couldn’t be bothered to send him a text message to tell him to fuck off at the very least.

  When David first started to freeze him out, Nick made all excuses for him that maybe he was busy or broke his phone. But when he realized that he and his family were unfriended and blocked on every social media platform, including LinkedIn, he knew David had done the friendship equivalent of dumping him.

  Nick felt momentarily lost and questioned every decision he’d ever made. How could he be wrong so many times? He was partially wrong about Meg. He knew she was mean, but he’d underestimated how evil she was towards others, and he was wrong about his level of friendship with David. He’d replayed the last time they’d hung out in his head repeatedly, and he still couldn’t find any reason for the sudden demise of their relationship.

  He pushed the residual pain aside and willed himself to focus on the current presentation by taking notes. His dad was wrapping up the meeting exactly twenty-two minutes later. Nick couldn’t help but notice the way Kalilah flinched when his dad told her to get with him to consider implementing some of his ideas. She couldn’t lie and say that it wasn’t her scope of work. She avoided looking at him. This was more of a personal avoidance.

  “I’ll have my assistant schedule an appointment with him next week. I’m tied up in meetings until Monday.”

  Nick rubbed his chest to try to ease the pain. It was confirmed; she was definitely avoiding him. Why? Did she not like his new look? He studied her. She’d changed her hairstyle again. It was dark with hi-lights that were a blend of blond and auburn. One side fell slightly over her right eye in a flirty wisp and the rest fell straight to her shoulders. It was sexy. She was sexy. The rest of her came into view as she stood to leave. Nick had to force himself to keep his mouth closed and not stare at her like some lovesick puppy.

  She wore a black, long-sleeve dress that clung to her curves and stopped slightly below her knees. She accented it with a gold dangly necklace and a gold and black leather belt. She strode out in black stilettos with red bottoms. All of the longing he’d felt all week floored him, and he diverted his attention. The last thing he needed was to embarrass himself on his first day on the executive floor.

  Nick was quickly able to take his mind off his desire for Kalilah when he’d noticed Greg from Finance openly staring at her retreating ass. A wave of possessive annoyance that he’d never felt before flowed from the tips of his freshly cut hair down to the toes of his new shoes. Nick took a few breaths to calm himself before he hit Greg in his balding head. Instead, he fixed him with a look that caused him to flush red and scurry out of the conference room.

  Pleased, Nick started to pack up his case when he noticed his dad giving him an assessing look. Nick stood up and slung his case over his shoulder.

  “What?”

  Andrew looked at him a little longer and tilted his coffee cup in his direction.

  “It took you long enough.” He grinned and strolled out of the conference room.

  Nick shrugged, at least his dad liked his makeover. He walked into his new office and looked around. It was the same layout of his old one except he was wrong about his dad’s design choice. The offices on the executive floor did have privacy glass; he’d just never paid attention.

  Nick thought Kalilah had them because she was higher ranking. Aside from the glass upgrade, his views were a lot better. The best view was directly across the hall looking everywhere but at him. Kalilah would have to deal with him being her new neighbor. He wasn’t going anywhere personally or professionally. He was going to fight for her whether she liked it or not.

  He waved when she looked at him. She activated her privacy glass in response. He chuckled to himself.

  Game on.

  Chapter 13

  K alilah was in trouble, and she knew it. She’d managed to avoid Nick for the last two days, but now that the weekend was upon her she was scared that she would break down and call him. Each of his outfits made her wetter than the previous one.

  Casual Friday was of no solace to her since he’d seemed to have updated his casual clothes as well. Of course, she wasn’t the only one that noticed his change, and if all the baked goods and casseroles that were thrown his way were any indication, plenty of women were more than willing to pick up where she’d left off.

  Kalilah threw her covers off and jumped out of bed. She was jealous and angry. She didn’t like it. She wasn’t the kind of person who felt those emotions often, and it was her fault. She knew she was in self-imposed hell, but the alternative was unacceptable. She could not fall further for Nick, just for him to toss her aside for one of those casserole-making bitches.

 
; Kalilah looked at herself in the mirror while she brushed her teeth. She didn’t make any sense to herself, so how would she explain it to him? She had wanted him to clean up his appearance and have more confidence. But the moment he did, she freaked out and was now hiding from him like a big baby.

  She took a quick shower and pulled on some cotton yoga pants and a tank top. A lazy Saturday with bad food and Hallmark movies was exactly what the doctor ordered. Granted, it was only 8:30 in the morning, but there wasn’t anything wrong with starting early.

  Her doorbell rung, and her plans were suddenly shot to shit. Kalilah should have known that the new Nick would not allow her to avoid him. She froze like a roach when lights are turned on. The realization that he could not see her made her feel stupid. Maybe if she left through the back door…

  “Kalilah, I know you’re home. Your car is in the driveway.” Nick said matter-of-factly through the door.

  Shit. She really needed to start using the garage when avoiding someone. Kalilah sighed and accepted her fate as she crossed to the door. Nick was leaning casually against the doorjamb. His hair was perfectly combed, and his shades rested on the top of his head. His expression was a mix of amusement and annoyance.

  He wore a teal V-neck t-shirt that clung to his body as a true testament that Natalia was a genius. His new jeans clung to his body in wonderful ways, as well, but weren’t tight enough to be considered slim fit. Kalilah breathed in his wonderful scent when he leaned towards her.

  “Want to tell me why you’re avoiding me?”

  “I…ah…am not avoiding you.” Kalilah tried her best to sound indignant, but she didn’t believe herself either.

  Nick sighed and pushed past her into her townhome. He kicked the door closed behind him while guiding her by the hand to the living room. He turned to her and placed a hand on each shoulder. All traces of amusement were gone.