Queen of His Heart (17 page)

I
t was different this time.

There was no dirty talk, no pretzel-like position and no test of competitive endurance. Their lovemaking was mind-blowingly tender and sensuous. Maybe there was something about being in Keenan's home—his domain—that caused Jalila to feel that she was somehow becoming more a part of him. It had gotten so that when he wasn't kissing her she was craving his taste. When he wasn't caressing her, she was aching for his touch.

When had her feelings for him changed? When had she changed? When had
they
changed?

Now pressed into the center of his king-size bed, Jalila watched Keenan through the mesh of her lowered eyelashes. The expression on his face reflected sweet
ecstasy, and as he moved inside her, he kept whispering the Lord's name. Jalila reached up and ran her fingers down the sleek corded muscles in his back and then glided her hand onto his firm and flexing butt cheeks.

“Yes, yes. Oh, Gawd,” she panted. Nothing she had ever experienced had felt this exquisite. She lifted her head and flicked her tongue against his taut nipple, moaning at the taste of him. How had she lived the past thirty years without this man being in her life?

Even though they were so deeply connected at this moment, she sensed that he was holding a part of himself back. There was a wall erected around his heart. “Let me in,” she whispered, pulling his head down for a fierce kiss. The moment his tongue slipped into her mouth, she climaxed.

Keenan greedily swallowed her sighs and moans.

Still dizzy with desire, she languished between heaven and earth while he continued to grind inside of her.

Keenan's low growl was a sign of his struggle for control. It was a hard thing to do while Jalila sucked and nibbled at his bottom lip. Equally hard for him was to separate his heart from the physical sexual act. It seemed like he was fighting an impossible battle. This woman, whom he'd only known for a short period of time, had touched him so deeply and so completely that he felt once again in danger of doing something foolish.

Like falling in love.
It's just sex. It's just sex
, he tried to convince himself, but his heart just laughed at him.

“Let me in,” she whispered again.

No. He didn't want to let her in. He didn't want to let anyone in.
Never again
, he repeated in his head, but the voice was so faint.

“Let me in,” she insisted, quieting the voice inside his head. A fire began to build, low and hot. But soon the flames rose and intensified, scorching him inside and out. Then it seemed it was all too much to bear. His toes curled while his lungs threatened to collapse.

“Let me in.”

“I…can't…”

Keenan grazed his mouth back across her full, lush lips. He didn't want any more talking. He surged deeper. She was hot and slick and tight, a velvet fist gripping him. He cried out, his voice hoarse, as pleasure engulfed him and left him quaking with aftershocks.

He lay still, panting like a man who'd just escaped with his life. Jalila peppered soft kisses across his dewy brow to cool him down. But her efforts only succeeded in causing his body to tighten in response. Still joined to her, he truly had a hard time discerning where he began and she ended. And at this moment in time, it didn't matter.

Keenan didn't know when he'd fallen asleep but when he opened his eyes, Jalila was gone.

 

The camera crew was waiting for Jalila when she arrived home via taxicab. She tried her best to smooth things over with smiles and apologies since they had been standing at her front door for at least two hours.

“Where have you been?” Nitara asked, glancing at her watch. “You know, time costs money. This is costing the production and the networks.”

“I'm so sorry. I really am. Please forgive me,” Jalila said, shoving a key into the front door.

“Did you go out after your date last night?” Nitara asked, as she and the TV crew followed Jalila into the house.

“Huh, what?”

“Your dress,” Nitara pointed out. “You look pretty jazzed up.”

“Oh.” Jalila glanced down. “Uhm…” She fumbled for a lie, but couldn't come up with anything. “Yeah, I just went out with, uhm, some friends.”

“Really? With Martina and Fantasia?”

“Huh—yeah! We, uhm, just decided to go out for a little while. The time must have just gotten away from me and I just crashed over at Martina's place.”

“I see.” Nitara nodded along. “That probably would have been some good footage for the show. You know—girls' night out. Add a little realism about how it is out there in the clubs for single women in this day and age.”

Jalila continued to dig a bigger hole for herself. “Well, you know it was sort of last-minute. Just—‘hey, let's go out.” She chuckled. “Plus, it was nice to get away from the cameras for a little while.”

“Ms. Goodwyn.” The sound tech approached her. “Do you want to get miked up so we can get started?”

“Oh, just give me a few minutes, I need to jump in the shower for a quick minute and I'll be right down.”

The announcement of a longer delay didn't go over too well.

“You guys just make yourselves at home.” Jalila was heading for the staircase when she heard Cujo barking in the backyard. “Damn. I have to feed the dog.”

“Don't worry. I'll do it,” Nitara suggested. “You go ahead and take your shower and I'll take care of the dog.”

“Are you sure? Cujo can be a little…rambunctious.”

Nitara waved off her concern. “Yeah, don't worry about it. My business partner has a Great Dane, too. Maybe I can pull this off.” She chuckled.

“All right then. I'll be right back.” She started up the stairs again when she remembered something. “Oh, wait.”

“Hey, there's
two
dogs back here.” Nitara turned toward Jalila as she rushed toward the back door. “Did you get a second dog?”

“No, uhm.”
Think, Jalila. Think
. “I'm dog-sitting.” That sounded good. “For a friend of mine.”

Nitara squinted at the two dogs. “You know, this one actually looks like Chips.” She leaned toward the back glass door. “He even has the same collar.”

The dogs went wild, barking.

“How uncanny,” Nitara whispered. “If I didn't know any better I'd say it
was
Keenan's dog.”

“What? Nooo.” Jalila laughed. “What would his dog be doing here?”

Nitara stood erect, her gaze leveled at Jalila. “Yeah. What indeed?”

While Nitara took care of the dogs, Jalila rushed through her shower, got dressed and then took the TV crew out to Body by Jalila, where they videotaped her as she ran her business. Of course they also captured a lot of celebrity and local gossip, mainly because that was what women talked about in this spa, just as they did in hair salons and nail shops everywhere.

When Fantasia finally came in to work her half a day, Jalila managed to escape the cameras long enough to steer her into the women's bathroom.

“What the—!”

“I need to talk to you,” Jalila hissed against her ear.

Fantasia's high-heeled sandals slapped against the floor as Jalila practically dragged her through the women's bathroom door.

“We'll be right back,” Jalila said, apologizing to the cameraman.

Once inside, Fantasia tried to wiggle free. “Can I
please
have my arm back?”

Jalila released her. “I need your help. I have a problem.”

Fantasia's face scrunched. “What is it? What kind of problem?”

Jalila hesitated, wondering for a few more seconds whether she should confess this or not. What if she was wrong? What if she was just reacting to the moment, and as soon as someone snapped their fingers these wild and chaotic feelings that she'd been experiencing would disappear?

“Well? Are you going to keep me on pins and needles?”

Jalila took a deep breath. “I think…I'm in love.” The moment she finally said the words, her heart started racing. “No. I know I am,” she amended. “I've fallen for this really wonderful guy and…I don't know what to do.”

A smile exploded across Fantasia's face. “Omigod, I can't believe it! Really?” She started bouncing up and down. “I'm so happy for you.” Fantasia threw her arms around Jalila's neck and then held on for a fierce hug. “I knew doing this show was the right thing for you.”

“Fantasia,” Jalila croaked. “I can't breath.”

“Sorry.” Her friend released her. “Which one is it? Dontrell or Tion? I bet you it's Dontrell, isn't it? Oooh, that brother is fine. I bet you guys will make some beautiful babies.”

Jalila frowned and shook her head. “No. No. You don't understand. It's not one of the guys from the show.”

Fantasia's smile flipped upside down. “I don't understand. You haven't been seeing anyone else. Have you?”

“Well…yes…and no.”

“Which is it?”

Jalila hedged. “I think it qualifies as a ‘kinda sorta.'”

“That sounds…weird.”

“We've been out on
one
date.”

“One date?”

“Yeah.”

“And you're in love?” Fantasia asked.

Jalila exhaled a long breath. “I know that it sounds ridiculous and a little hard to believe.”

“More than a little hard.”

“Well, you were willing to think I was in love with someone from the show a minute ago.”

“That's different.”

“How?”

Fantasia shrugged. “I don't know. Maybe I thought you were you using the term
love
loosely.”

“Well, I'm not. And I know what I'm feeling.” She took Fantasia's hand and held it tightly. “This feels more real to me than anything I've ever known.”

“Now you sound overly dramatic,” Fantasia said sarcastically.

“You know, if I'd wanted someone to dump on me, I would have called Martina.”

Chastised, Fantasia apologized. “All right. How about we do this? Tell me why you think you're in love.”

“There's just this connection—this incredible spiritual and sexual connection that I just can't explain.” She shook her head. “You know, my mother always said that when the right man comes along, you'll just know it. And she was right. I just
know
. He's the one for me.”

Fantasia jumped on one phrase. “
Spiritual
and
sexual?
You've only had sex once in the past two years. I mean unless it's…” Her eyes widened. “Nooo!”

Jalila bobbed her head. “Yes.”

 

Outside the ladies' room, the sound tech removed his headset and looked over at Nitara. “Did you just hear that?”

Nitara smiled. “I heard every word.”

“I
'm engaged!”

Keenan stopped in the middle of his business conversation and lowered his BlackBerry. “You're what?” he asked his sister, sitting across from him at the lunch table at The Ivy.

“You heard me,” Keisha said, bouncing in her chair. She thrust her hand toward him and wiggled her fingers. “I'm getting married.”

Keenan's gaze fell to the glittering diamond on her left hand. He couldn't suppress his surprise or shock. “Yeah, Tony,” he said into his phone. “Let me call you back.” He disconnected the call and then took his sister's hand. There was no doubt about the quality and expense of the beautiful diamond.

“Well, I…uh…”

“Aren't you going to congratulate me?” his sister said. She continued to bounce in her seat and beam at him.

“Congratulations,” he finally spat out. He lifted a smile. “Who's the lucky guy? And why haven't
I
met him?”

“You have.” She lowered her hand. “You remember Jaheim? We broke up last year.”

Keenan frowned. “Not the brother whose tires you slashed that one time?”

“Okay. So it wasn't exactly a pretty breakup.”

“And busted out his headlights?”

“Water under the bridge.” Keisha waved off Keenan's questions. “The point is that he finally came to his senses, said that he made a mistake thinking he needed some space and came back to me.”

“Did he make a mistake before or after you went psycho?”

“I wasn't psycho. I was just…a little disappointed that he didn't think the relationship was going in the direction that
I
thought it needed to be going. Now he's back, I got my ring and I'm happy.” She started bouncing in her chair again. “Please, please, please say that you approve.”

Keenan stood up from his chair and went around the table and hugged his sister. “I approve of anything that makes you this happy,” he said, kissing her on the cheek and then mussing her hair the way she always hated.

“Hey! Cut it out.” Keisha pushed him away. She smiled down at her diamond. “He did good, didn't he?”

“Yes, he did.” He returned to his chair and continued to smile. “Married.”

“What? You didn't think that I'd ever get married?”

Keenan recognized a trap when he heard one. “Of course I did. It's just going to be an adjustment thinking of you as someone's wife when up until now you've just been my kid sister. A pain in my backside.”

“Very funny. But if you think that's hard, wait until you start thinking of me as someone's mother.”

“Mother?” His eyes narrowed. “You don't mean…?”

Keisha bobbed her head. “Four weeks pregnant!”

“Four weeks?” Keenan tried to stare down at her belly, but the table blocked his view.

“I'm so happy!” Keisha squealed.

Other diners glanced in their direction.

Keenan blinked. This was a lot of information to take in at one time. In his head, he kept replaying all the childish games that he and his sister had engaged in over the years. All the practical jokes and potshots they'd taken in the spirit of sibling rivalry. His little sister was all grown up. That knowledge made him proud.

“Now all we have to do is get you hitched again,” Keisha said casually.

Just like that, Keenan's joyous mood evaporated.

His sister cocked a smile at him. “C'mon. You can't just continue to mope around this town because of what that crazy bitch did to you. Please.” She rolled her eyes. “I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.”

Keenan picked up his fork and returned to his lunch. “Let's just drop the subject.”

“No. I'm happy and I want my big brother to be happy. What's wrong with that?”

Keenan chomped on his salmon.

“I know that it would totally jack your
cool
image if it got out that you're this really sensitive ball of goo.”

“I'm not goo.”

“Trust me. You're goo.” Keisha took a sip of her tea and then launched back onto her soapbox. “You need a woman in your life—and not just one to warm your bed and then skip out before the sun rises.”

“You've been engaged all of…”

“Twelve hours.”

“And now you're a relationship expert?”

“There you go again—lashing out at me. I'm not the one you're mad at.”

Keenan drew in an impatient breath. “I'm not mad at anyone.”

“Liar.” She stabbed her salad.

“I'm not…” He glanced around the restaurant. “You know what? Just drop it.” He shook his head. “I don't know why all of a sudden everyone is so concerned about my love life. Between you and Nitara, I feel like I'm just talking in circles.”

“I'm going to set you up with a nice, good girl,” she said and then ignored all his protests. “I don't care what you say.” Keisha pointed her fork at him. “There's a woman out there who's perfect for you. I just know it. Don't ask me how. I just do—and I'm not going to let you give up until you find her.”

Keenan's heart squeezed as a voice inside his head whispered,
I already found her.

 

Bachelor number three, Evander Taylor, turned out to be a very sweet guy. Their first date consisted of a nice quiet evening at his place. His home was a quaint ranch-style home that looked small on the outside but was very spacious on the inside. The moment she (and the TV crew) entered the house there was a wonderful assault of aromas drifting from the kitchen.

“What smells good?”

“Dinner,” he said, in a smooth husky baritone.

“You cook?”

“I dibble and dabble a bit. On tonight's menu is one of my all-time favorites, veal marsala. I hope you enjoy it.”

“Hmm,” she said, impressed. “If it tastes as good as it smells then you've just hit a home run.”

He smiled. “Let me take your sweater.”

She turned and offered him her back.

Evander leaned in close. “You smell good yourself.” Jalila blushed, mainly because the flirtatious moment was done before a squad of twenty people.

He pulled her sweater off to reveal a sexy, formfitting black dress.

“Wow.” Evander grinned, but then he said, “What happened to your back?”

“What?”

“It looks like you have a rash or something.”

Jalila's eyes bulged. She turned and grabbed the sweater and put it back on. “I, uh, tried this new lotion and…uh, I had a bad reaction,” she lied. How on earth had she forgotten about the hickies?

Evander eyebrows ticked higher and an awkward silence blanketed the couple and crew.

 

Sidebar, camera one:

Sidebar, camera two:

In the kitchen, Evander had clearly spent most of his day prepping and preparing dinner. Jalila drew a deep breath and her stomach growled in anticipation. Embarrassed, Jalila shot a look over to the sound tech. “I guess I'm hungrier than I thought.”

Evander chuckled. “Glad to hear it. I love a woman with a healthy appetite.” He retrieved two wineglasses. “How about we start this evening off right?”

“Sounds good,” she said.

Twenty minutes later, she and Evander sat in the middle of his couch in a candlelit living room, sharing stories about their lives and past loves.

Turns out, Evander was an ex-NFL player (go '49ers!) who'd only played two seasons in the league. After being sidelined by a nasty knee injury, he'd fallen into his career in real estate, and, he insisted, “There're a lot of great deals in this current market.”

Jalila nodded.

“I'm telling you. This kind of economic opportunity comes only once in a lifetime.”

“Thank God,” Jalila joked and returned to sipping her wine.

When dinner was finally ready, Evander escorted her to the dining room, where he pulled out her chair.

Evander wasn't a good cook—he was an
amazing
cook. The moment Jalila sank her teeth into the veal marsala, her mouth exploded with exquisite flavors.

“I take it you like it,” Evander asked.

It wasn't until that moment that she realized her orgasmic moans were filling the room and a lot of the TV crew were smirking over her reaction. “Sorry. Yes, this is wonderful. Where on earth did you learn to cook like this?”

“My mother. She was a master in the kitchen.”

“Well, this is excellent. Consider this a home run.”

 

Sidebar, camera one:

Sidebar, camera two:

Back in the living room, Evander put on some smooth jazz. “I hope you like Najee.”

“I love him. He always put me in the mood for…” She smiled and decided that it was better for her not to finish that thought.

“I know what you mean.” Evander swayed his hips as he moved from the stereo back over to the couch. “How about a dance?” He held out his hand.

Jalila hesitated, but given the number of eyes watching her, she slid her hand into his and allowed him to pull her up against his body—a rather nice body—and lead her into a gentle rocking in front of the fireplace.

Evander turned out to be a pretty good dancer, even though she had to engage in the game of him constantly trying to press their bodies closer while she tried to pull back. All the while, guilt built up in the back of her mind. He was a wonderful guy: sweet, caring, funny, the kind of man she probably would have fallen for had she never crossed paths with Keenan.

The only reason that she was still participating in this show was because she was legally obligated to do so and, well, the network and Keenan's production company had sunk so much money into it. Her only option as she saw it was, at the show's finale, not to pick any of the bachelors.

Jalila sighed at the thought of how that was going to go over with everyone. That would certainly be a twist. Her decision might have the potential to make this show last just one season.

“You seem troubled,” Evander said.

“What? Oh, no. I was just thinking…about how nice this evening has been.”

He smiled and she leaned her head against his and continued to sway to the music.

 

Side bar, camera one:

Side bar, camera two:

After three takes of their goodnight kiss, the
Queen of Hearts
limo took Jalila back to her house. All the while, her mind was spinning about the complicated situation she'd gotten herself into. Her heart told her that Keenan Armstrong was the man for her, but she was determined to fulfill her contractual obligations. She just hoped that in the end she would win the man she really wanted.

She climbed out of the limo at half past eleven grateful that the camera was leaving her a little privacy. After she entered her front door, she hoped against
hope that she was about to embark on her
second
date for the evening. Heck, it was getting to the point that she couldn't remember the last time she had had a full eight hours of sleep.

She took her time going upstairs, not wanting to appear too eager. Slowly, she opened her bedroom door, a smile blooming across her face. But Keenan was not there. She crept farther into the room and then checked the bathroom. As a precaution, mainly because she was experiencing flashbacks, she also peeked into her closet.