Corporate Seduction (25 page)

She didn’t touch his shoulder but she pulled him down far enough so that she could kiss his cheek. “Thanks for protecting my baby.”

The guilt Khalil had already been feeling magnified.

“Yeah, I knew you were a good one the first time I met you,” Janell added. “Come on, Mama. Let’s go outside and get the car. These two need a ride home.”

“Ah, actually I think my sister’s around here somewhere,” Khalil added.

“Nope. We told her to go home to that baby. We’ll take you home and then take Reka and get her all tucked in.”

Khalil didn’t argue. The more time he could spend with her the better. He suspected he was going to need more than a few hours to make this up to her.

They were alone. Reka had both dreaded and feared this moment. What would she say to him? What would he say to her? How would they go on from here?

“What did the doctor say?” he asked as he took a seat on the edge of her bed.

He was so close and yet, she sensed, so far away. Where had things gone wrong with them? “It wasn’t deep enough to do serious damage, thank goodness. So they gave me ten stitches and some pain killers and told me to get the hell out of here before they charge me for the sheets too.” She gave a wan smile.

His heart tightened at that simple action. With no makeup, her hair tousled, dressed in an ugly hospital gown and wearing a huge white patch taped to her neck, she was beautiful. There was so much he needed to say to her, so much they needed to resolve but he couldn’t seem to find the words.

It didn’t seem that he was in a hurry to get their showdown over with, so Reka, in her signature fashion, jumped right in. “I meant what I said to you. I didn’t cheat on you. I don’t know how those pictures were made, but it wasn’t me.”

Khalil shifted on the bed and took her hand in his. Bringing it to his lips, he kissed it and closed his eyes. Inhaling deeply, he let the fact that she hadn’t pulled away settle inside. “I should have trusted you,” he said, then looked at her. “I should have trusted the person I knew you were. But I saw the pictures and I just reacted.” He shook his head because there was no other excuse he could offer her. “I was wrong and I apologize.”

She tilted her head to the side and watched him carefully. “You were jealous, weren’t you?”

Khalil laughed. “That’s an understatement. I was crazy out of my mind jealous. I’m not sure what it is about you, but the thought of you being with someone else drives me crazy. I’ve never been the jealous type. I’ve never had insecurities. But with you…” He couldn’t even begin to explain something he didn’t understand himself.

“You don’t have to be,” she said quietly.

“I don’t?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m a one-man woman. And I’m in love with you.”

Khalil sighed. All this time he was supposed to be rescuing her, showing her how it felt to be truly loved, and here she was teaching him. “I just love you so much,” he said before leaning down to hug her. Because his shoulder still hurt like hell and she was still in a fair amount of pain herself, it was a restrained hug. But the love between them was still intense, still strong and everlasting.

Reka sighed at the sound of his words. He loved her. Somebody, a real man, loved her. Not that she needed that to be sure of herself, but it was a damn good feeling. “This is going to work.”

Khalil pulled slightly back and looked deep into her eyes. “Of course it’s going to work. Just try to get rid of me.”

She smiled even though she hadn’t realized she’d spoken the words aloud. “We don’t have to worry about that, since I’m not going to let you go.”

The Wedding

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Reka ran down the checklist one more time.

“Our briefs match, they’re ice blue.” Tacoma smiled at her in the mirror.

“It figures,” Reka chuckled. “Okay, I think we’re all set. You ready for this?”

Tacoma grinned from ear to ear. “I’m more than ready.”

On impulse she hugged him, inhaling his expensive cologne and feeling a wave of emotions she couldn’t quite explain. “You really are ready, aren’t you?” she asked when they pulled apart.

Tacoma looked at her and figured out what she was thinking. “Sweetie, you know when it’s right. Me and Terry, we’ve been together for a long time, but now, at this very moment, I’m ready to make him my lifelong partner. For better or for worse.” He cracked another smile.

Reka smoothed his eyebrows, let her hand linger on his cheek. “I’m so jealous,” she admitted.

“Don’t be.” Tacoma held her in his arms. “You and Khalil are ready. I can see it.”

Because she’d been wondering that very thing, and because it was so like Tacoma to have known that, she lost her grip on her emotions and one tear slipped down her face. “I hope so.”

Catching the tear with the pad of his thumb, Tacoma sighed. “Now we’re gonna have to fix your face, you big baby.”

They were laughing, holding each other, sharing these jumbled emotions when Khalil walked in.

“Hey, hey, you’re about to be a married man. Get your hands off my woman.” He smiled as he walked towards them, knowing that their friendship had been strengthened by the events a few weeks ago. Hell, his relationship with Reka had been strengthened.

True to their word, Grammy and Janell had taken Reka and him home. He’d wanted to be with Reka so he’d asked her to stay at his place. When she declined, his heart had suffered another blow. But she’d called him first thing the next morning and they’d begun healing their relationship, spending lots of time together since they were both on sick leave. They weren’t yet where they needed to be, but he was sure that in a little more time they would be.

Tacoma released her. “She’s only your woman because I allow it,” he shot back at Khalil. “Don’t forget, I’m always watching you.”

Extending a hand to Tacoma, Khalil nodded. “I’m sure you won’t let me forget. Congratulations, man. This is your big day.”

Tacoma shook his hand, then pulled Khalil’s larger frame into a big hug. “Thanks. It’ll be your day soon,” he whispered so that only Khalil could hear him.

Reka smiled at her two favorite men hugging, her heart so full of joy she thought it would burst. “If we don’t get moving we’re going to miss it,” she announced.

“Oh, no. I’ve worked too hard and look too damn good to miss this day. C’mon, y’all, let’s go.”

Tacoma was already out the door when Khalil turned to her, crooking his elbow. “Shall we?”

Tucking her arm into his elbow, she said, “I guess we shall.”

* * *

Reka stood at the aisle watching the two men recite their vows.

Khalil sat in the second pew watching her. Without a doubt she was the woman he wanted. What had been missing from his life just months ago had been found. He felt complete, but only when he was with her, only when he knew she was near. Barkley Peterson was in jail. Sonya had taken his advice and moved out of state to run one of her father’s companies. His parents had reluctantly come around to accepting Reka; his sister was ecstatically happy for him. All he needed now was the promise from Reka that this would last forever.

Later at the reception, after Tacoma and Terry had their first dance as a married couple, the DJ invited others to dance. Khalil instantly grabbed Reka’s hand. She went with him willingly, wrapped in the euphoria of a perfect wedding day. Tacoma and Terry were handsome as ever in their matching winter white suits and ice blue ties that coordinated perfectly with their underwear that no one was privy to see. Keith and Cienna looked happy, the news of her second pregnancy surrounding them in a glow of wedded bliss. Grammy and her mother were there but they’d been at the bar since arriving so she didn’t have to worry about them until it was time to lug them out the door.

With her hand in his, she let Khalil lead her to the floor. His arms went around her waist and he pulled her close, smiling down at her as he did. She was in love. She’d realized it only a few weeks ago but there it was, like a halo around her heart. He was a good man, a strong man, an honest man. But best of all, he was her man. She trusted him completely and knew that he had only her best interest and happiness in mind. Wrapping her arms around his neck she held on tightly, never wanting this moment to end.

But end it did when Khalil suddenly backed away from her, going down on one knee. Silence fell over the room as a hundred pairs of eyes watched them. Reka’s heart thudded and tears filled her eyes. For her, there were only the two of them and this moment, this one precious moment that she’d remember for the rest of her life.

“I promise to be the best man for you. I promise to cherish you and to hold you above all others. I promise to take care of you until our dying days. But most of all, I promise to love you with all my heart, my mind and my soul.” Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small blue box, lifted the lid and presented it to her.

Through tear-blurred eyes, Reka caught a glimpse of the magnificent stone but didn’t give it too much attention. She’d have time to savor it later. For right now, she had something to say, a promise of her own to make. “I promise to be the woman that you need, the woman you deserve. I promise to cheer you up when you’re down, to relax you when you’re tense.” Khalil smiled and her heart melted. “Until the end of time, I promise to love you like you’ve never been loved before.”

With resounding applause from the guests, the DJ went into another ballad. The room was full of cheer. Couples hugged and kissed each other while tossing congratulations their way. Khalil took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger.

“Hot damn! I can see that bling blingin’ from all the way over here!” Grammy yelled from her seat at the bar.

Rolling her eyes in that direction, Reka laughed. Khalil had risen and was now hugging her close to him, their foreheads touching as their bodies began to sway with the music. “What are we going to do with her?” Reka asked wistfully.

Khalil had already given that some thought. “The first of the year you’re moving in with me. Leave the apartment to her and Cletus.” Khalil and Reka looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“Free drinks for everybody!” Grammy yelled again, this time almost slipping out of her seat.

Artist C. Arthur
was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland where she currently resides with her husband and three children. An active imagination and a love of reading encouraged her to begin writing in high school and she hasn’t stopped since.

Determined to bring a new edge to romance, she continues to develop intriguing plots, racy characters and fresh dialogue—thus keeping the readers on their toes! Visit her website at
www.acarthur.net
.