The Way You Tempt Me, page 18
“Don’t make me.” He kissed her jaw.
Zara held her breath, waited for him to make a move, to say something. Anything. But he didn’t budge. He only stared, like he was seeing through her, like he already knew the answers to questions she’d been asking herself since this thing started.
As the silence stretched on, she fidgeted under his heated gaze. Eventually she couldn’t take it anymore. “X, please.”
“Please, what?” He brushed his lips over hers.
“Kiss me,” she pleaded.
“Are you sure?”
She caressed his face, searched his dark eyes. “I’m su—”
His lips were on hers, his tongue was stroking hers, before she could finish her sentence. And she realized she didn’t care about her rules, she didn’t care who saw them, she didn’t even care about blog posts and trending hashtags and public perception. She just wanted him.
I just love him.
Chapter 16
“Open your eyes, baby.”
X peppered Zara with kisses, over her face, over her neck, down her chest. Lips, soft and firm, circled her nipple. His tongue circled the puckered bud. His teeth tugged gently until she moaned.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
They’d spent the night in her hotel room, wrapped around each other, making love until she’d collapsed with exhaustion. And that morning, he’d taken her from behind, his hands on her breasts and his fingers against her clit. The remnants of the orgasm she’d just had still coursed through her body.
“Zara.” He hummed against her skin. “I can’t get enough of you.”
She ran her fingers through his hair. “I think you broke me.”
The tremble of his laughter made her stomach flutter and her pulse race.
“I broke you?”
“Yes.”
She finally opened her eyes and smiled. He kissed the tip of her nose.
“I have a plane to catch.”
“You don’t have to go now,” he coaxed, brushing his mouth over her stomach. “You can stay a little longer with me.”
“I have work to do, meetings to prepare for.”
“Or we can just lay here and waste time together.”
“I have to go.”
“No, you don’t.”
He kissed her core before he licked her clit, and she arched off the bed.
“Oh, you’re killing me.”
“Good,” he said, before continuing his ministrations, winding her up again until she released against his tongue.
It took a minute for her to catch her breath, but when she did, she laughed. “I don’t know what you’ve done to me. I’ve never been sexed so much, so good.”
He rolled over on his back, and she burrowed into him. “I’m here to serve,” he answered.
“Why do you think that is?”
Cocking a brow, he asked, “Why what?”
She perched herself up on an elbow, searched his eyes. “Why now? We’ve known each other since we were kids. I’ve seen you with girlfriends, you’ve been around when I’ve had boyfriends. And we’ve never done this, never even close.”
“I don’t know. I guess I never thought about it before.”
“How can you not? A year ago, we’d never even hugged each other full-on. Only side hugs.”
His eyes flickered with amusement. “Stiff side hugs.”
“Awkward, stiff side hugs.”
The corner of his mouth lifted into a sexy smirk. “If I had known how good you feel against me, I might have tried it sooner.”
She grinned. “It’s probably a good thing you didn’t.” If she was having a hard time with them now, there was no way she’d been able to handle it then.
“Yeah, you’re right.” He peered up at the ceiling. “Maybe it was always there, but dormant, lying in wait for the right time.”
Zara thought about it for a moment. “You think so?”
“It’s possible.” He shifted to his side, facing her. “Think about it. The things that we went through, the people we met, shaped us and made us who we are today.” X brushed a piece of hair out of her eye. “And if we didn’t have those experiences, we might not have reacted to each other the way we have.”
“But what changed?”
“Nothing. Everything.”
“In other words, you don’t know.”
He chuckled. “I know that I’ve hurt people. I’ve made stupid, impulsive decisions. I’ve made so many mistakes, but this isn’t one of them.”
“You’re sure?”
“Honestly, I don’t know why you’re not.”
She couldn’t figure out why, either. He filled her empty spaces, the tiny parts of her that felt lonely or sad, the pieces that longed for a connection. He’d saved her time and again, made her feel safe when the world was scary and dark. But every time she opened her mouth to tell him what he meant to her, how she felt about him, what she needed from him, nothing came out. She couldn’t say it.
Xavier picked up her hand and placed it against his chest, over his heart. “Feel that,” he said.
The steady beat of his heart beneath her palm matched her own. “Yes.”
“That’s for you. I love you.”
She gasped.
“I want you.”
Words escaped her. But it felt like she should say something, because he’d just bared his soul to her. He’d taken the first step, every step. And she owed him bravery; she owed him the truth. He deserved to know that she loved him, that she could power the world with the love she felt for him. It was so real, so potent, she thanked God for the chance to feel it, to experience something so good.
“X, I—”
He placed a finger over her mouth. “Don’t. Don’t say it if you don’t mean it. And don’t tell me ‘thank you,’ because that’s not... Just no. I know you’re not ready, and I accept that. But the thought of walking around pretending that you’re ‘just my friend’ is unacceptable. I can’t do that anymore.”
“I think...” Once again, she struggled to find the words she needed to say. Because the fear in the pit of her stomach took over and she said, “I think I can catch the later flight tonight.”
He smiled and wrapped her in his arms. “That sounds like a perfect idea.”
* * *
“I have to admit”—Phil Whitney leaned back in his chair, finally relaxed after being mostly tense throughout the pitch—“I’m not a man who’s impressed often, but I have to hand it to you, Jax. The proposal is solid.”
“Thanks, Phil.” Jax grinned. “Rest assured, we have a top-notch team ready to jump in and make the transition smooth.”
Xavier eyed Zara out of the corner of his eye. They’d spent the last several hours trying to convince the Whitney Agency to consider their offer. Presentations from several departments were spread out during the meeting: everything from the official announcement to the handling of current Whitney Agency clients to compensation for Phil’s sons, should they choose to stay on, had been covered.
Phil glanced at Zara. “I must admit, having you in on this allayed some of my earlier reservations.”
Nodding, Zara smiled back at the older man. “Thank you, Phil. It would be a pleasure to work with you again. I hope you take the time you need to review the proposal more in depth. The projections Xavier provided should also go a long way to easing your mind.”
That’s my baby.
Pride swelled in his chest as she continued to point out specific pages in the packet that would be going home with them. He’d always known she was good at what she did, but watching her in action...
She’s exquisite, he thought.
For the most part, they’d run the meeting together, working the room like seasoned pros playing a complicated game against a longtime rival. His father had only interjected when asked direct questions, which was his way. And Xavier appreciated it, because they had it. Where he fell short, she soared. And if she threw the ball in his court, he caught it and made the slam dunk. In business, like in their budding personal relationship, they fit together.
When they returned from Detroit, he didn’t bring up his confession of love to her again. It didn’t make sense, but he knew she cared for him, even though she hadn’t said it. And he was okay with that. Really. He’d told her not to say anything, and had basically given her permission to keep her feelings to herself. In hindsight, that wasn’t the best move, because he didn’t even give her a chance to tell him she loved him, too. But he knew her. She had to tell him on her own time, in her own way. And not because he had said it first. He wouldn’t want her to do that, anyway.
Her silence after his declaration of love didn’t bother him as much as her commitment to keep their relationship private. The more time they spent together, the more it frustrated him that she wouldn’t just be with him the way he knew she wanted to be with him. Nothing much had changed. She didn’t flinch when he touched her at dinner or duck when he went to kiss her in her office—when the door was closed—or jump away if someone approached them while they were out, but they hadn’t “gone public” yet. Their interactions had mostly remained behind closed doors. Which pretty much sucked. And he had no intentions of letting the status quo continue.
“The media tends to paint a narrative that is often misleading,” Phil said. “Xavier, I want you to know that you’ve done impeccable work on this proposal and with the company.”
“I appreciate that,” X said. “I hope we will be able to work together on this new venture.”
“I had some reservations, considering we were in negotiations with Ethan Porter.”
No matter what he did, Xavier couldn’t escape that punk. “I understand. Mind if I ask what happened with that deal?”
Phil explained the problems with the proposed contract from the beginning. Apparently, Ethan had demanded Whitney take a lower commission on everything, and had thrown a temper tantrum when they’d balked at his requirements.
“It’s one thing to advocate for yourself, but to expect your agent to do the work and not get a reasonable commission is outrageous,” Phil continued. “When we ended the talks, he stormed out and made some threats.”
“What kind of threats?” Jax asked.
“He threatened to sue us for stringing him along, saying it was breach of promise.”
Laughing, Jax shook his head. “That’s definitely not how this works.”
“I hear he’s suing your agency.” Phil leaned forward, resting his elbows against the table.
Jax glanced at Xavier, before turning to Phil. “I can assure you, the lawsuit will have no bearing on any agreement we reach today or in the next few weeks. My legal team is handling everything, and we have a top-notch team.”
“I don’t doubt that.” Phil assessed X for a minute, then looked at Zara. “Porter also insinuated that he had plans to talk to you about representation.”
Zara choked on the water she’d just sipped. Recovering quickly, she straightened her back. “Excuse me?”
“Yes, he mentioned setting up a meeting with you.”
Xavier’s stomach tightened. They’d spent most nights together, and she’d yet to bring up possibly taking Ethan on. She wouldn’t do it. But as he watched her assure Phil that she hadn’t heard from Ethan, he wondered if he’d misjudged her. After all, she’d already told him that she needed to be focused on work. Representing Ethan Porter would definitely be a boost to her career, open up new doors. Especially since Atlanta had competed in—and lost—their first NBA Finals since 1961. And the city residents loved him, even though he was a sorry-ass muthafucka.
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. His father’s assistant, Megan, poked her head into the room. “Mr. Starks, Ethan Porter is here to see you.”
Jax nodded and stood. “I’m sorry, Phil. I have to handle this.”
Phil shook his father’s hand. “I’ll be in touch, Jax.”
“Round of golf?”
“Perfect.”
Jax exited the conference room. Xavier and Zara spent a few more minutes answering questions posed to them by the Whitney family. They scheduled a follow-up meeting for a few weeks away and showed Phil and his sons to the door.
The Whitney crew members weren’t out of the building for two minutes before Ethan emerged from an adjacent conference room. “Well, well, well,” he said, “if it isn’t the lovebirds.”
Xavier cocked his head. “What are you doing here?”
“I have business with your father.” Ethan shrugged. “Last time I checked, he ran this company. Not you.”
Shaking his head, Xavier waved a dismissive hand. Losing his temper again wouldn’t bode well for him, and he wouldn’t give Porter the satisfaction. He started to walk away, but Ethan couldn’t let it go.
“That’s right. Walk yo punk ass away. I don’t have shit to say to you.”
X opened, then closed, his fists several times, grinding his teeth so hard he’d probably have a headache later.
“It’s just as well, fool,” Ethan continued. “I need to be alone with Zara, anyway.”
The man touched Zara on her shoulder. Obviously uncomfortable, she retreated backward. “Don’t touch me,” she warned.
“Keep your fuckin’ hands to yourself,” X bit out.
“Why? Worried another one of your women will choose me?”
And X snapped, advancing forward swiftly, intent on knocking some sense into the small forward, but Zara intercepted him.
“X, no!” She planted her hands against his chest, pleading with her eyes for him to think about his next move. “Not here, not now. You have too much to lose.”
He swallowed rapidly. “If you think I’m going to stand here and let him disrespect you, you don’t know me at all.”
“I understand that, but I can handle myself. And you can’t do this here, X.”
Throwing his hands up, he backed up, away from her. “Then handle it. You’ve made it very clear that you don’t need me.”
She stiffened visibly. And he felt like shit for hurting her. He moved toward her, but she raised her hand, signaling he needed to back up. Without another word, she turned to Ethan. “Mr. Porter, I don’t know what you think you’re doing. But this is a place of business. You will not approach me in a disrespectful manner, and if you put your hands on me again, I will kick your ass myself.”
Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but Jax’s voice boomed over the whispers in the immediate area. “Back to work, everyone. Porter, follow me.”
Xavier glanced at his father, noted the disappointed look on his face, and walked away. He stormed into his office a few minutes later and paced the small space.
“What the hell was that?” Zara stalked in, shutting the door behind her.
He froze. “Zara, don’t.”
“Don’t what?” she asked.
“Don’t start with me on this.”
“Or what? You’re going to embarrass yourself again in front of all of our colleagues. Embarrass me?”
“Look, I don’t care what people think of me.”
“Now. You don’t care right now because you’re angry.”
“No, I just don’t care. I’m not some robot without emotions. He put his hands on you, and I’m not supposed to react?”
Her eyes softened. “X, that’s not the point.”
“What is the point? Oh, I know what it is. You’re worried that people will figure it out, that you’re more to me than a colleague. And you can’t take it.”
“That’s not...” She sighed. “I wasn’t worried about people knowing about us. I was worried about you. There is a pending lawsuit against you already. I didn’t want you exacerbating the situation.”
“What’s going on, Zara? Is there any truth to what Phil said? Are you planning to take Porter on as a client?”
“No. That’s the first I’ve ever heard of that.” She inched closer to him until she was standing so close, he could feel the heat of her body through his shirt. “Baby, Ethan is nothing to me. But you are everything.”
Xavier wanted to believe her, but he’d been burned before. And he loved Zara. If she did what Naomi did to him, he’d be wrecked, destroyed. Could he take the risk? Especially since they weren’t even together “officially”?
He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, and letting her pull him into her arms. They stood like that for a while, holding each other. When she pulled back, she smiled. “But we have something to celebrate.”
Frowning, he asked, “What?”
“I’m ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure we’re merging with the Whitney Agency. They ate that presentation up.”
A smile tugged at his lips. She was right. The follow-up meeting was just a formality at that point. By the end of July, contracts would be signed. “True.” He held up his hand and she gave him a high five. “We definitely kicked ass today.”
“Yes, we did. Can we just celebrate tonight? I don’t want us to be angry or brooding. I want to have fun,” Zara said.
“Together?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course.”
“At home? Or are we still hiding?” Yes, he was being an ass, but he didn’t care. He wanted all of her—at home, at work, at the bar, on a bench in the park.
“X, why are we still having this conversation?”
“Because I want to know.”
Jennifer peeked into the office. “Zara?”
She dropped her head and let out a heavy sigh. “Yes?”
“Patrice called. Mr. Starks is looking for you.”
“Thank you,” Zara said. “I better...” She pointed toward the door.
“Do what you have to do?”
She hesitated for a brief minute, before she walked out of the office.
* * *
“Congrats, cousin!”
Xavier clinked bottles with Skye, Duke, and Garrett before taking a gulp of his beer.
Skye beamed. “I’m so excited for you.” Once his cousin found out they’d nailed the meeting, she’d arranged an impromptu happy-hour excursion to the bar down the street from the office.
“Yeah, bruh,” Garrett said. “That’s dope.”
“Yes, it is.” Duke twisted his bottle. “But what isn’t dope is how that clown Porter keeps showing up to shit.”
