Authors: Brenda Jackson
Jesse stared at her and she couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. She hoped he understood that she wasn’t ready for a man in her life and accepted that.
But Jesse wasn’t accepting anything. He looked away when he saw that he was making her nervous. He sipped his coffee, his thoughts churning furiously.
He had been the only man she’d ever slept with? She hadn’t been with anyone since?
When she got up from the table to pour another cup of coffee, he released a deep breath. Right then and there he decided he would immediately start work on his most important merger. It was the one that would make his son and the mother of his son a permanent part of his life.
Not too far away, on the other side of town, a secret meeting was taking place.
Sonya walked into the restaurant and glanced around. She smiled when she saw Mike Kelly stand up and wave her over. He was sitting at a table facing the window and she quickly walked over to join him.
She passed a table where a man and woman sat enjoying their meal. When the man glanced up he recognized her immediately. Dalton Gregory’s eyes nearly popped out of his head and he began choking on his wine. A waiter quickly crossed the room and began pounding on his back.
Sonya inwardly smiled. Dalton had learned a hard lesson that hell knew no fury like a sistah’s fury. He would think twice before using another woman again. Dismissing him from her sight as well as her thoughts, she continued walking toward Mike Kelly.
“Thanks for agreeing to meet on such short notice, Mr. Kelly.”
Mike smiled as he took the hand she offered in a handshake. “No problem, Ms. Morrison. You said something about there being an emergency?”
Sonya nodded and sat down. She waited until after the waiter took their drink orders. “Yes. But first I want to thank you. Although you may not admit it, I have a feeling that you may have helped soften Jesse up just a bit. I think what he did in the end was wonderful. Now Carla won’t ever have to worry about the possibility of losing her company again. I appreciate your help and for that I will be forever in your debt.”
Mike smiled. “In my debt?” he asked, doubting she wanted to be in his debt. The payback just might be more than she would be willing to deliver.
“Yes.” She then opened her napkin and placed it in her lap. “But what I wanted to meet with you about tonight was Carla and Jesse and what’s going on between them.”
Mike raised a curious brow. “And just what’s going on between them?”
Sonya frowned. “Nothing.”
Mike chuckled at her frustrated look. “Nothing?”
“Yes, nothing, so I thought the two of us should step in.”
Mike leaned back in his chair, intrigued. “Step in and do what?”
“Make them realize they want each other.”
“And you think that they do?”
Sonya looked at him like he was dense. “Of course. So what do you think we should do?”
Mike chuckled. “Nothing.”
Sonya blinked. “Nothing?”
“Yes, nothing. Jesse can handle things on his own.”
“Well, he couldn’t before. Without our help he’d still be making a mess of things.”
Mike shifted in his seat uneasily. She had a point there. When it came to Carla Osborne, Jesse had a tendency not to think straight. “Just what are you suggesting we do?” he asked reluctantly.
Sonya smiled and Mike thought it was the sexiest smile that he’d ever seen on a woman. “I have a plan,” she said happily.
Mike chuckled. “I figured you did.”
“And it’s going to take place on Thanksgiving night.”
Sonya leaned across the table and he couldn’t help but smell her scent. The scent of a woman. A very desirable woman. “Thanksgiving night?” he asked, barely getting the words out.
“Yes. Are you with me?”
Mike swallowed. Not as much as he would like but he intended to change things, slowly but surely. “Yes, I’m with you.”
Sonya smiled brightly. “Good.”
Chapter 28
A
nother arrangement of flowers, Amber?”
Amber couldn’t help but smile at Eileen’s raised brow. “Yes, aren’t they beautiful?” One thing about Cord Jeffries was that, if nothing else, he was a very persistent man. He claimed the flowers he was sending practically every two to three days was his way of thanking her for the time she had spent in his home taking care of him. But all she’d done was to make sure he had followed doctor’s orders. He had not been bedridden so she had not had to wait on him hand and foot. Her presence had merely been there to remind him of what he was supposed to do and what he was not supposed to do. And she had to admit that he had been cooperative but she’d known he’d had an ulterior motive. The man wanted to get with her and she had a feeling he was on his best behavior now because he planned to get downright naughty later.
“This guy must have connections with this particular florist,” Eileen added, breaking into Amber’s thoughts.
“That’s a possibility,” she said grinning, while remembering that Dev’s girlfriend Briana owned a nursery in town. She straightened the display items that were located near the cash register. Business was slow today. With the huge number of people in town for the big football game this weekend, business had been excellent for the past couple of days; so much in fact that she’d hired additional help. The young girl from one of the colleges was working out well and was a natural with the customers. Amber wished there was some way she could keep her on even when business went back to normal.
“Don’t look now, but guess who walked in?” Eileen whispered. Then with a conspiratory wink she added, “I wish a man who looked like that had the hots for me. I would certainly make it worth all the effort he’s putting into the pursuit.” The older woman then walked off.
Amber’s stomach muscles tightened in anticipation. She knew whom Eileen was talking about even before she looked in Cord’s direction. Their gazes met and immediately, just that quick, her breathing became choppy and she could feel her nipples pucker against the satin material of her blouse. The man, she had concluded quite some time ago, was living, breathing, walking sex appeal. She didn’t like thinking that way; didn’t like the way her body responded whenever she saw him and a part of her was appalled by it all. But still, it happened each and every time. While in his home those four days, they had tried to downplay their attraction, focus on other things, so they had spent a lot of time talking about their families or lack of, their days in college and their failed marriages. She had even told him about the baby she’d lost and her desire to have children. And he had shared some painful times with her as well. He’d told her about the woman who had agreed to be his wife but had never played the part. Yes, Amber concluded, she and Cord had gotten to know each other fairly well during those four days. And on the following day when she’d returned home, the flowers began arriving.
Amber remembered the times she had wanted Gary to send her flowers, especially on Valentine’s Day. But he’d been of the mind that it was wasteful to spend money on flowers when the best way to express his love was in the bedroom and between the sheets. She had believed him, gullible and stupid as she’d been, until she’d finally realized that Gary had confused love with lust.
And unfortunately, so had she. But never again would she make that mistake. She knew the difference. What she was feeling for Cord was lust, not love. She would never let herself fall in love with a man again.
“Amber.” Cord murmured a greeting when he came to stand before the checkout counter. He smiled at her. It was a gentle smile. A sexy smile. “How are you?”
Amber sighed deeply. The man was so heart-throbbingly good looking that a part of her didn’t know how to deal with it. She just wanted to go someplace private with him and get naked. He brought out those kind of scandalous thoughts. And it didn’t help matters that the air surrounding them suddenly became drenched with his scent. Manly. Robust.
“I’m fine, Cord, what about you? Have you been taking things slow at work?”
He grinned. “As slow as I can and I’ve been leaving work everyday on time. My secretary doesn’t leave me much choice since she makes it a point to start turning out the lights and setting up the alarm system at five on the dot.”
Amber chuckled. “Good for her.” One thing she had come to realize about Cord during the four days they had spent together was that he was a stubborn man. He’d also been a sexually frustrated man and she had felt it each and every time he had looked at her.
Like he was doing now.
Damn
. The two of them were hopeless. Two hopelessly hot people who didn’t want to do anything but jump each other’s bones, but who were also determined to prove there was more than sex between them. At least that’s what he wanted to believe. But with him standing in front of her, giving her silent messages with his eyes, messages that had her panties getting wet by the second, it was hard to buy into what he was selling.
“Would you go out with me tonight?”
Surprised by his question, Amber didn’t move for a few seconds as she calculated in her mind if his restriction of “no sex in two weeks” were up. She swallowed when she realized they were not. He had another three days to go. Going out with him would only be torture that neither of them needed. And the risk of temptation was too great.
She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Cord.”
He chuckled lightly. “I think it’s the only good idea there is, Amber. Dev may be concerned about me working myself into an early grave if I don’t slow things down at work, but I figure I’m going to work myself into an even earlier one if I don’t relieve some deep sexual tension pretty damn soon. There are only so many cold showers a man can take.”
Amber considered him for a long moment, and then quickly looked around to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “So, are you now saying it will be just sex between us?” She needed to hear him say it. She needed for him to confirm that the only thing they wanted from each other was a roll in the sheets. That was the only thing she could handle. She didn’t want to think about anything more serious than that.
Cord reached out and placed his hand over her hand that was resting on the counter. He leaned closer. “I want you, but not just for sex, Amber, although I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t the main thing on my mind right now. But I want all of you, your mind, your body, and your heart.”
She raised a brow. He’d said the wrong word. “Heart?”
His smile disappeared and a serious expression touched his lips. “Yes, heart.”
Speaking of heart, hers suddenly thumped as the safety shield surrounding it went up. She could deal with mind and body, but she knew she couldn’t handle anything dealing with the heart. That old vulnerability that had kept her from getting serious about a man just wouldn’t allow it. She’d made one mistake and didn’t want to make another one. “Let’s just leave the heart out of this shall we?”
He stared at her, his expression intense. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”
Amber frowned. “Then maybe you should. Your marriage was no better than mine.” She regretted saying the words the moment they’d left her mouth, but it was too late to call them back. At least she was honest and had spoken just how she felt.
He narrowed his gaze. “That may be true, but that doesn’t mean I can’t move on. I suggest that you do the same.”
“I have moved on.”
“No, you haven’t. You’re still holding on to the past and all the things your ex-husband did to you. I think it’s time for you to let go.”
Amber lifted her chin. “Look, it’s getting pretty busy in here again. I really have to get back to work but thanks for all the flowers you’ve sent.”
“Will you go out with me tonight?” he decided to ask again.
“No, and please don’t ask again. I don’t need the hassle.”
He nodded. “All right. And I’m sorry if you think I’ve been hassling you because that wasn’t my intent. Just think about everything I’ve said, and if you think you might be interested then let me know. You know how to reach me.”
And without saying another word, he turned and walked out of the store.
Chapter 29
I
don’t like this, Brandy,”
Grey all but growled. Brandy swallowed. She’d figured that he wouldn’t, but there was nothing she could do. The mayor had asked that she be present during several functions today when dignitaries of both universities, as well as the coaches, players, and teaching staff, made appearances. As owners of one of the hosting hotels as well as one of the major sponsors, she’d felt an obligation to be there although she knew it would throw a monkey wrench into all the security measures Grey had put in place for today. “This is something I have to do, Grey.”
Grey sighed. And keeping her safe was something he had to do. “Do you know all the places they want you to be?”
“Yes, but if you intend to follow me around, then please do so from a distance. Keeping watch over me at the hotel is one thing, but being hot on my tail in public is another. I’m a businesswoman, Grey, and having a lover who appears to be obsessed with keeping me in his sights twenty-four hours a day is not the image I want to foster.”
Grey frowned. “To hell with your image, Brandy, protecting your ass is what I’m primarily concerned with right now.”
“And you can still do so at a distance, Grey.”
“I won’t do it at a distance, Brandy, so forget it. I will be accompanying you to whatever functions you have scheduled today as your escort. And if anyone has a problem with that then that’s too damn bad.”
Brandy swallowed. To say Grey was upset would be putting it mildly. He still was operating under the belief that Jolene was the person out to get her and although she had to admit that theory was a possibility, she just wasn’t as convinced as he was about it. However, to fight Grey on any of his plans would be a waste of her time. She narrowed her eyes. “Fine, do whatever you want, Grey, but I don’t like it,” she said, sounding highly disgruntled and making sure that he knew it.
“You don’t have to like it, Brandy. But I am asking you to trust me and to do what you’re told with the belief it’s for your own good.” Grey sighed. He was getting downright tired of having to explain every single thing to her. Why was she determined to be so damn stubborn? He had to admit he liked her stubbornness sometimes, but not when it came to her safety. If anything were to happen to her . . .
He shook his head. No. Nothing would happen to her because he wouldn’t let it. Jolene’s photograph had been circulated around the hotel and he’d even asked the local authorities for their help. It was time. He had a feeling there was a mad woman on the loose who was set on revenge.
Driven by a need he didn’t understand, Grey let out a curse and pulled Brandy into his arms, taking her mouth with a possession, a want, a desire that he recognized even if he didn’t understand. Automatically, her arms wrapped around his neck and she returned the kiss with the same blazing passion. Emotions welled up inside of Grey, sharp, fierce. Her taste slid through him and with a deliberation that was relentless; he took his time, giving her a long, hungry kiss that ripped through both of their senses.
When they broke apart he looked into eyes that burned with all the sensuality he sampled again and again and again. He knew that walking away from her and returning to the life that awaited him in Atlanta would be the hardest thing he had to do.
Jolene Bradford looked at herself in the mirror, proud of what she saw. She almost didn’t recognize herself and was grateful for the many times she had watched Perrin apply makeup to the film cast and crew. Now, since he had gotten scared and decided he wouldn’t help her any longer, she had to go solo. Perrin had felt that putting the fear of God in Brandy was one thing, but doing physical harm to her was another. He had gotten cold feet and defected, leaving her on her own. But Perrin’s refusal to help any further was something she couldn’t be concerned with. With or without him, today would be the day.
She did a quick check to make sure the vial was secure and tight in the pocket of her coat. Brandy Bennett would finally get hers and it was about time. She had caused her too much pain, embarassment, and humiliation. Thanks to Brandy, those damn videotapes were everywhere and Jolene couldn’t even keep a decent job. There was no place she could go, no university where she could teach without those damn videotapes coming out of the woodwork. And then she would lose her students and the faculty’s respect. Her male students would slip her lewd notes asking for blow jobs or to meet her after school for a gang-bang. It had been nearly three years and the nightmare had not ended and she only had Brandy to blame.
The two of them had a score to settle and it would be done. This was their day of reckoning and Brandy would get to see how it felt to be the center of attention.
Grey’s eyes narrowed on Brandy. “Just how many more meetings do you have today?” He couldn’t help but admire her energy. They had put in several appearances, which included a breakfast meetings, two luncheons, and a few other meetings as all of the committee’s planning for the Florida Classic was finally coming together. The game would be played in a few days and already the St. Laurent was at full capacity. That was good business for the hotel but it only made his job just that much more challenging.
“There’s only one more for today,” Brandy said as she leaned against him in the elevator. She felt tired, but it was a good feeling. Already she was beginning to feel the excitement generated by the rivalry between the two teams.
“There’s a small reception that’s scheduled for later tonight at Disney-MGM Studios,” she continued. “It’s not until nine so that gives us time to go to the suite and shower and relax.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. “I think a nap sounds good, too.”
Grey nodded as he returned her smile. He saw the sultry invitation in her gaze and knew that sleep was the last thing on her mind, just like it was the last thing on his. No matter how tired he felt, he would always have the energy to make love to her, lose himself in her heat, her sensuality.
They made it up to her suite and as soon as the door closed behind them, and once they were in each other’s arms, Brandy couldn’t help wondering if she would ever get enough of this man. When he placed her on the bed, she concluded that no, she would not. She pulled in a deep breath and her arms slid around his neck.
Grey Masters was addictive and she was undeniably hooked.
Hours later, Brandy had showered and dressed in a lounging outfit that had been a birthday present from her cousins. She walked into the kitchen. Grey was on the phone and from the expression on his face she could tell he was absorbed in what the person was saying.
“I’ll be right there,” he said tersely into the receiver before setting it down. He glanced over at her. “That was one of my men. The local authorities brought Sam Perrin in for questioning and he admitted to being the one who delivered those messages to you.”
Brandy swallowed a groan, not wanting to believe what he was saying, what he was insinuating, implying. “That means that . . .”
Grey’s gaze didn’t waver. “Yes. And he admitted that Jolene Bradford is the person who wrote them. He went along with it thinking all she wanted to do was scare you and when he saw she had something worse in mind, he decided to cut out.”
Every cell in Brandy’s body wanted to scream a denial, that it couldn’t be true. Her breakup with Lorenzo had happened almost three years ago and she’d been the injured party, not Jolene. She had been the one who’d been played a fool. “It doesn’t make sense, Grey.”
Grey quickly covered the distance to her when he saw the hurt and disappointment in her face. He drew Brandy’s head down to his chest and skimmed his lips across her cheeks. “No, it doesn’t, but the biggest disappointments in life often come from those we want to trust, those we thought we could trust,” he whispered, thinking of his wife’s betrayal.
“But at least we know who we’re dealing with now,” he continued. “And we also know she’s apparently not in her right mind. She’s a violent person, so we need to take every precaution.”
Brandy nodded. “What do you need me to do?”
“We’ll continue with the same plan we’ve had in place. I’m going to stick to you like glue at tonight’s function as well as any others planned for the rest of the week. A photograph of Bradford has been circulated and we hope we can pick her up before she decides to do any mischief.”
Brandy hoped so. A part of her wondered if there was something she could have done to avoid any of this. Right after the wedding Jolene had called her several times to talk and offer an apology, but Brandy, still raw from the pain, had refused to talk to her and had literally dismissed the woman from her life. As far as Brandy had been concerned what she and Lorenzo did had been unforgivable.
“I need to go downstairs and meet with a detective from the Orlando Police Department. We’re handling this as quietly as we can, Brandy, I want you to know that.”
She nodded. “I do and I appreciate it. You don’t think she’ll do anything to harm any of the hotel guests do you?”
“No, I think her anger is directed at you. You’re the person she wants to hurt.”
Brandy shuddered at the thought.
“Lock the door behind me. I’ve arranged for a security guard to be posted outside the door while I’m gone which shouldn’t be any more than ten or fifteen minutes. I’ve ordered something for you to eat which should be up shortly. I figured you’d be pretty hungry.”
A hot blushed heated Brandy’s cheek when her mind recalled the vigorous activity that had taken place in her bedroom a few hours ago. “Thanks,” she said, appreciating his thoughtfulness. “I could use something to eat.”
Grasping the back of her neck, Grey leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips. “I could stay in bed with you forever,” he said in a low, caressing and arousing voice.
“And I feel the same way about you, Grey.”
Minutes after Grey had left, Brandy wandered restlessly around the suite while she waited for him to return. She pulled out several magazines and even turned on the television but she could not stop her mind from thinking about Jolene.
She sighed when she heard the knock at the door and crossing the room she glanced out the peephole and saw it was a waiter with a dinner trolley. Removing the security locks, she opened the door so the man could wheel the trolley inside the suite. Brandy frowned when she didn’t see the security guard that Grey had mentioned would be posted outside.
“Excuse me,” she said to the waiter who was wheeling the trolley to the middle of the room, “but did you see someone standing outside my door?”
The man turned around and the first thing Brandy thought was that he was someone she didn’t recognize, but then they had hired additional help for this weekend’s function, so that wasn’t unusual.
“I wouldn’t worry about him if I were you.”
Brandy’s breath caught when the man peeled off a fake mustache then snatched off an Afro wig, exposing shoulder-length air. It didn’t take long for her to see that the person standing before her was not a man but a woman. She blinked and when the woman grabbed a napkin from off the trolley and began wiping makeup from her face, Brandy suddenly went cold inside.
Jolene.
Grey paced around Perry Hall’s office after listening to the detective’s report. The only other thing Sam Perrin could tell the authorities about Jolene’s plans was that she had spent a lot of time mixing some chemicals together. When asked where Jolene had gotten the chemicals he’d told them that while working as a biology professor at UCF, Jolene had had access to the university’s chemistry lab.
Fear and fury roared through Grey upon listening to the detective describe Jolene’s devious mind.
“Uh, there’s something I forgot to mention that’s a possibility,” Sam Perrin said, his voice sounding rather nervous.
Grey stopped walking and met the young man’s jittered gaze. “What?”
“Jolene took one of my makeup kits so she might not look like herself.”
“Damn!”
No sooner had that one word escaped Grey’s lips, there was a knock on the door. Hall immediately granted the person entrance. Apollo Guisto walked in looking angry and upset. “We have a problem, Grey.”
Grey’s heart began beating rapidly. “What?”
“The waiter who was to deliver room service to your room was found in the elevator unconscious. Someone injected him with something that caused him to black out.”
Grey’s hands tightened to fists at his side. He quickly crossed the room toApollo.“What about the security guard I stationed at the door?”
“The security camera we installed on Ms. Bennett’s floor has picked up him lying flat on his back near the door. It’s my guess the same thing happened to him. It’s also my guess that Jolene Bradford is alone with Brandy Bennett in her suite as we speak.”
Moving with the speed of lightning, Grey was out of the room with the other men following behind him.
Brandy knew the best thing to do was to not lose her cool and keep Jolene talking. She had to believe that Grey was on his way. She had to believe that. “Why, Jolene? Why do you hate me so much?”
Jolene’s laughter was chilling. “Considering everything you did to me, Brandy, how can I not hate you? I admit that sleeping with Lorenzo was a mistake but I paid the price for that indiscretion. My fiané wouldn’t have anything to do with me and everyone treated me like I was dirt. But then when I ran into Lorenzo some months ago and he told me the truth, I couldn’t believe you would stoop so low.”
As far as Brandy was concerned, no one had stooped as low as Jolene but decided not to tell her that. Although she didn’t see a weapon of any kind on the woman, she wasn’t taking any chances. “Stoop so low for what?”
“Lorenzo said you planned the entire thing and that it hadn’t been a fluke that the videotape was shown at the wedding like everyone thought. He told me that you and those damn cousins of yours planned everything just to embarrass and humiliate us in front of everyone. But you weren’t satisfied with stopping there, were you? You had copies of that videotape made and distributed everywhere so I couldn’t put what I did behind me. I was asked to resign from three different universities because of you.”