A Tempting Proposal (Kimani Romance) (13 page)

She stood up and smoothed out Daman’s wrinkled shirt while he zipped his jeans. They were both still breathing heavily from their oral foreplay. She was glad she kept extra toiletries at her grandfather’s house so she could clean herself up a bit. After smoothing out her dress and her hair, she leaned into him and stared into his eyes. She could get lost in those eyes all day, and they spoke to her in ways she knew his voice never could. Still, she couldn’t ignore the voice in her head that told her to be careful of this man. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a companion, but she couldn’t let her heart confuse love with lust. Kissing him was the only time she felt like they were on the same page, so she did what she enjoyed doing most with him...she kissed him.

Seconds later, Daman took control of the kiss, making love to her tongue as he had her body weeks before. Imani could usually multitask, but when Daman seductively kissed her, all she could do was focus on the kiss. She failed to hear the branches crunching under footsteps that were getting closer to Gamine’s Haven.

“Daman, it’s so nice to see you again. I see you and my daughter are getting better acquainted,” Mrs. Rayne said with a smile.

Hearing her mom’s voice instantly made her stop kissing Daman. They both turned around to see her parents standing nearby. She could tell Daman was embarrassed, and so was she. She couldn’t recall her parents ever catching her in such a compromising position. Mrs. Rayne was smiling, but Mr. Rayne was not.

Imani was trying to figure out what to say, but it was her father who decided to speak next.

“Daman, do you think you can stop groping my daughter long enough for me to have a quick chat with you?”

“Yes, Mr. Rayne,” Daman said, as he let out a nervous laugh.

Her father walked over and roughly gripped Daman’s shoulders. Imani thought her usually upbeat dad was uncomfortable after catching her and Daman, until he winked at her and kissed her forehead.

“Don’t worry, baby. I won’t be too hard on my future son-in-law.”

Imani was embarrassed by his comment, but at least he was joking and wasn’t upset.

“Dad, please don’t say that.”

Mr. Rayne laughed and led Daman away from Gamine’s Haven. Imani turned toward her mom, who still had a smile on her face.

“Mom, stop smiling at me like that. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

Mrs. Rayne walked over to Imani and gently brushed some fallen hair out of her face.

“Imani, if you feel something for Daman, don’t run away from it. You never were a runner, and I definitely don’t want you putting on your running shoes now.”

She knew exactly what her mom meant and wasn’t surprised that she knew Imani was ready to run from the possibility of falling for Daman.

“I know, Mom, but what Daman and I have is just for fun. We’re working on developing a friendship, but nothing more. I know you, Dad and the family are waiting for all of us young people to get married, and being your oldest child, I know you want me to settle down first. But Daman isn’t the relationship type, and that suits me just fine because I don’t want a relationship, anyway.”

“Oh, baby. For someone so smart, you can be so dense sometimes. If you think the way Daman looks at you is how a business partner looks at another partner, then you are sadly mistaken. That man is taken with you, and it’s obvious to anyone around you that it’s more than a partnership. And I don’t recall you having many friends who you kiss like you just kissed Daman.”

She blushed. “It was just a kiss, Mom, nothing more.”

“It was more than a kiss, and I wasn’t born yesterday. I can tell you two have moved beyond kissing, but if you’re in denial, then I won’t sit here and try to convince you.”

Imani looked into her mother’s eyes and was glad to see happiness in them. It had been a while since she’d seen that gleam that she had when Gamine was alive.

“Imani, can you promise me one thing?”

“Sure, Mom, what is it?”

She noticed her mother’s eyes were watery and she felt her mother’s hand gently massaging the back of her head.

“Promise me that no matter what happens with Daman, you will continue down the path you are on now. You seem happy...really happy. For a while I felt guilty for not being there for you when Gamine passed away and forcing you into a role that no one else in the family could handle at the time. You looked after so many people, and still do. And I feel like you lost yourself along the way. Baby, you finally seem like you’re breaking down a little of that hard shell you developed around your heart because you felt like you had to worry about me and the rest of the family.”

Imani couldn’t stop the tears that ran down her face. For so long, she felt like the family would never get back to normal, and it seemed that the person she was worried about the most was finally healing from the loss of Gamine.

“Imani, baby, I’m fine...I am fine. We’re all fine, and I think it’s time for you to stop devoting all your time to being there for us and finally take the time to do something for yourself.”

Imani wiped the tears from her face. “Thanks for telling me that, Mom. I don’t want you to feel guilty because I’d be there for you again in a heartbeat. I know a part of us left when Gamine passed away, but you’re my mom, so you were always my main concern. I’m so glad to see you happy again. I really missed you, Mom.”

Mrs. Rayne wiped the tears from her own face and hugged Imani with all the love she had in her heart. “I missed you, too, baby...I missed you, too. Now enough of this crying,” Mrs. Rayne said, as she continued to wipe her tears. “Let’s go back to the barbecue. Cyd told me you and Daman were walking down the path, but I didn’t think we’d catch you two kissing. For future reference, I think you need to find a better hiding spot.”

Imani laughed at her mom’s suggestion. She was right. There was no telling who else might have seen them had her parents not made their presence known. She was even more anxious about the fact that her parents could have caught them earlier, which would have been way more embarrassing. She’d never done anything so daring surrounded by people, let alone family and friends. Even so, she’d enjoyed every minute of their risky foreplay. Reminiscing about how carried away they’d gotten, she wondered how many more secret public places they could find to please one another.

* * *

Instead of walking to the backyard where the barbecue was still going on, Daman decided he needed to take a quick walk. He hadn’t seen Imani since her parents showed up to the barbecue. It was dark outside now, and he loved the fact that he could see the stars in this part of Illinois. Gazing up at the stars was always something he used to do with his dad. They would lie on the grass, and he’d tell Daman stories about his childhood. Stan Barker was a man who enjoyed the simple things in life, and Daman couldn’t recall the exact moment he stopped remembering the values his father continually instilled in him when he was young.

When he lost his father, he swore that, with the exception of his mom, he would never let anyone get that close to him because the pain of losing someone you loved was a pain he couldn’t bear to go through again. All these years, he’d not let a woman get close because he used the excuse that he was more focused on his career than building a relationship. But he was lying to himself. He knew the famous Tennyson quote, “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” wasn’t true. For him, it was better to never love than to love and lose that person. His mind drifted back to Imani. Mr. Rayne was a good man, and Daman already admired him, even though they’d only shared a couple of conversations. Mr. Rayne’s words still echoed in his mind:

Daman, you seem like an honorable man with a good head on your shoulders, and I can tell that you come from a supportive family. You’re a true career man with an admirable reputation, and that’s something to be very proud of. You see, my daughter is a career woman. Strong. Determined. Her mother and I raised both our daughters with strong family values and the idea that they can accomplish anything they want in life. We are beyond proud of what they’ve accomplished. But don’t let Imani’s exterior fool you, because inside that career-driven woman is a girl who, more than anything, wants a family like the one she was raised in. With Imani, family comes first, and everything else comes second. If you are the man my daughter chooses, I’m pleased for you both because I know you can make each other very happy. But if you don’t think you can be the man she needs, then you should move out of the way and make room for a man that can. I think I know how you feel, but I’ll let you figure that out on your own.

Daman wished he knew how Mr. Rayne thought he felt, because right now, he was confused. He liked the Burrstone clan, but he’d mainly wanted to go to the barbecue to see Imani. Anytime he wasn’t around her, the only thing he could think about was when he was going to see her again. They’d barely gotten a chance to talk today, but what they had done said more to him than words probably could have. He couldn’t recall ever lusting after a woman so much. The way she’d gone down on him had completely caught him off guard. She did it with ease and grace, which made him laugh, since those were not two words you thought about when referring to oral sex.

With Imani, he was quickly learning that she wasn’t your ordinary woman. When she looked into his eyes, he felt like they were communicating without words. She noticed things about him that the majority of people in his life never noticed. The idea of another man getting to be with her angered him more than he wished it did. He had to figure out what to do, and he had to figure it out fast because the only thing he was certain about was that walking away from Imani was not an option.

Walking back to the house, he ignored that inner voice that told him he was falling for her. When he reached the backyard, he noticed most of the people he knew weren’t out there. A glance into the family-room window proved they’d gone inside. Instantly, his eyes landed on Imani as she laughed at something her sister had said. She’d pulled her hair up into a ponytail, so he could see every part of her face now. What was it about her that made him forget why he’d steered clear of women like her all these years?

He stepped through the sliding door and into the living room. People were talking and laughing all around him, but his eyes stayed on Imani as he made his way to where his friends and she stood. She finally looked up at him, and he instantly felt a kick in his gut. It was a feeling he’d grown accustomed to since meeting her. They weren’t even standing close, but the distance wasn’t enough to get rid of the sexual tension he felt emanating between their bodies. If their friends noticed it, they weren’t letting on. He wanted to finish what they’d started earlier that day. Her eyes promised that in due time, they would.

Chapter 19

J
ogging on her treadmill did nothing to clear Imani’s mind. Daman was headed over to pick her up so they could discuss the final details of the gala before they headed to Atlanta, and all she could think about was how soon they could wrap up their meeting so that they could finish what they’d started at the barbecue last week. The only thing her jog had managed to do was sweat out her hair a little. She hoped her shower would do the trick, instead.

She and Daman had seen each other several times since the barbecue, but each time had been a short lunch meeting or afternoon coffee. They both had gone to Atlanta once in the past couple weeks, but were there at separate times. It had actually felt strange being in Atlanta without Daman.

Tonight, they were going on their first real date. She knew it seemed backward, considering they’d already done plenty of naughty things that should be done after you’ve dated someone for a while, but she didn’t care. The game she was playing with Daman was a dangerous one, but she planned to enjoy every minute of it until it was time for them to part ways.

She heard a knock at her door and wished she hadn’t told the doorman she was expecting Daman. Because he had sent Daman right up without announcing him, she didn’t get the chance to take that final look at her hair and outfit.

Opening the door for Daman, her breath caught in her throat. He looked extremely sexy in his blazer, shirt and pants. She’d seen him dressed nicely plenty of times, but the way he looked in this outfit was stimulating her insides more than usual. Tonight he looked extra tasty, and she didn’t have the willpower to keep her hands to herself.

Gracefully, she touched the inner lining of his blazer, instantly wishing she could strip him of the material that kept her from seeing his muscles through his shirt. She heard him take a deep breath and looked up to find him observing her from head to toe. His look of approval told her he appreciated the way her black dress softly clung to her hips, accentuating her figure. She turned slightly to the right to give him a good view of her backside. Hearing another intake of breath made her laugh.

“Come here,” Daman said, pulling her to him.

Her laughing ceased as he dropped his head to hers to steal a kiss. The simple kiss quickly turned lethal, as did every kiss she shared with Daman. She couldn’t recall when kissing him had become so natural. If she were honest with herself, she knew it had been like that from the very first kiss they shared. She welcomed the butterflies in her stomach that grew more plentiful as his hands dropped to her butt, pulling her closer to his center. He ended the kiss when breathing became a difficult task.

“You look beautiful. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, and you don’t look too bad yourself.”

Tossing her purse over her shoulder, she locked her door and linked arms with Daman. They were headed to Michael Jordan’s new restaurant downtown, and Imani couldn’t wait to check it out.

When they arrived at the restaurant, they were immediately seated in a private corner. She didn’t want to waste any time. The quicker they got down to business, the quicker they could get on with their date.

“Can you believe the gala is approaching so soon?”

Daman shook his head and smiled. “Not really. It seems like just yesterday the Simses were asking us to host and plan the event. Did you ever wonder why they didn’t ask you and your partners to plan the gala? After all, it is what you do.”

Imani had actually thought about it several times, but she didn’t know why they hadn’t asked. “I don’t know, but my partners didn’t seem to mind, so I didn’t, either. Besides, we’re extremely busy right now, and since I’m helping with the plans, the girls have been even busier.”

She didn’t want to bring up the estate, but she figured Daman probably always kept the competition in perspective, so she should, too.

“Maybe it’s not really up to us to choose who gets the estate after all, and they will decide after seeing how we handled the gala.”

She noticed Daman clench his jaw before slightly smiling.

“Maybe,” he responded.

He leaned over the table and grabbed her resting hand. She wondered what he was thinking and wished she had the courage to ask him. Instead, she decided to continue their business conversation.

“Daman, I meant to tell you that my partners are attending the gala, as well as my parents and my grandfather. Vicky told me I could invite guests, so I’m assuming you were told the same thing.”

“Yes. I invited my partners, my mom and James.

They continued talking about the gala, making sure that they were on the same page about everything that still needed to be done. Imani agreed with Daman’s suggestion to leave for the gala in two days. Their family and friends would all arrive on the day of the event.

By the time their meals arrived, they were wrapping up their business conversation.

“The food here is delicious,” Imani said after taking a couple bites.

Daman’s gaze was fixated on her mouth, and she couldn’t help but want to mess with him a little. She took another bite of her mashed potatoes, slowly licking the food off her fork. She saw his eyes darken, taking the bait.

“If you keep licking your fork like that, I won’t show you any mercy tonight.”

That was the first reference Daman had made to tonight, and she was glad to hear that his mind was fixated on the same thoughts as hers.

“Then I guess I need to keep licking my fork.”

Seeing his eyes darken even more set her insides on fire. The moistness between her legs was making it hard for her to keep them closed, and she had to clamp them tighter to stop the developing ache. Daman started leaning into the table, and she followed his lead, leaning closer, as well.

“Imani, you’re playing with fire. Don’t you remember when we were in St. Simons Island? I didn’t show you any mercy then, and I won’t tonight, either.”

Hmmm...
Daman remembered the night a little differently than she had.

“Daman, there was a point during sex when I felt you pull back. Yes, you definitely fulfilled my desires that night, but I remember not showing you any mercy, either. Not even when I knew you wanted it.”

Daman laughed a little louder than he’d probably meant to, but it wasn’t loud or fast enough for Imani to miss the surprised look that initially crossed his face.

“Is that so? You didn’t show me any mercy?”

“Nope. I didn’t. I’m not ashamed to admit that you worked my body in ways I hadn’t thought possible. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t notice that I had that same effect on you.”

It seemed like minutes instead of seconds passed by without a word, only looks. Looks of promise, passion and even some looks that neither of them could explain. Her confidence was back. Imani felt it. It wasn’t that her confidence had ever left, more like she’d been off balance. She knew Daman threw her off her game sometimes, but the minute she decided to be honest with herself and admit that she was interested in him, it became easier to truly speak her mind. The look on his face proved that she intrigued him by her honesty and that he was probably a little stunned she knew him so well.

“Don’t think too much, Daman. I know I’m right.”

He laughed another hearty laugh right before the waiter dropped off their check. After taking care of the bill, they promptly left the restaurant, ready to continue their night.

The entire car ride was filled with so much sexual tension that she didn’t think they would ever make it back to her place. But Daman drove at record speed, quickly parking the car and hurrying them inside. The minute they stepped foot into her condo, he pulled her to him. She was surprised at how gently he kissed her, considering she felt like she was ready to explode. She’d always wanted to do something raunchy in her kitchen, and tonight was the perfect opportunity. She led Daman to her kitchen, their lips never breaking contact. When his back hit the counter, he twisted her around and lifted her onto the surface.

Daman briefly stopped kissing her as his hands went straight to the zipper of her dress.

“It’s time to take this dress off,” he said, even though his hands were already working the material off her. She appreciated him taking his time so that he wouldn’t rip the material, but she was impatient and needed to be naked with him.

His eyes lit up when he saw her spicy lingerie set. Within seconds, Daman discarded his clothes and threw them on the kitchen floor with her dress. She slowly lowered her hands onto his chest, thinking he could easily pass for a Ralph Lauren model for men’s boxers. He placed one arm on either side of her, staring into her eyes as he let her rub her hands over his muscles, eventually returning to his chest and abs.

Daman grabbed her hands and lowered her back to the counter. He went to her freezer, grabbed a piece of ice, and placed it in between his lips before heading back toward her and removing her lingerie set. Seductively, he glided the ice across her body before dipping it into her wet center. The coldness from the ice combined with the heat of his tongue felt sensational. This was the first time someone tasted her with ice. The way he moved his tongue around her clitoris before sucking the ice into his mouth was gradually bringing her to her climax. Gripping his head, she rocked her hips to the motion of his cold tongue, releasing in an orgasm that overtook her whole body.

As her waves of passion subsided, Daman lifted her up to sit on the counter and placed soft kisses along her neck.

“That was nice,” she said, knowing the comment didn’t justify how she really felt.

He looked up at her and smiled. Staring back into his eyes, she felt it. It wasn’t passion or lust. It was a feeling that was treading the thin line between
like
and
love
. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit her feelings for him ran deeper than she’d ever imagined. Her breath caught in her throat.

That’s what it is...I love him.

A part of her wasn’t surprised at all, since she’d been telling herself not to fall for him since they’d met. Her eyes darted across his face before taking in a deep breath and dropping her head to her chest. She didn’t want him to see in her eyes what she felt in her heart. She sighed as thoughts began racing through her head.

When did I fall for him?
Was it in St. Simons Island?
She’d given up on those romantic dreams. She was a realist now, not an idealist. They’d only known each other for about three months.

People don’t fall in love that fast...
And yet, somehow, without realizing it, that’s exactly what had happened to her. She’d thought she was doing a good job of keeping her heart guarded, but instead, she’d fallen in love with Daman Barker—a man who didn’t believe in commitment or happily ever after.

Lifting her head and looking back up into his eyes, she decided she wouldn’t tell him. She was the one who had fallen for him, knowing how the game was played, so it was her problem to deal with, not his. She wanted to make love to him, and their time together was limited. She no longer cared about what the future held. She only cared about enjoying him for as long as she could.

Leaning into him, she pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him with all the passion she felt. His response was instant, and slowly, his tongue started playing with hers. Leaning her on her back, he smoothly removed his boxers, hopped on the counter to join her and intimately began kissing her everywhere. Imani felt alive in every part of her body that his lips touched. His fingers dipped inside her center, finding her wet and ready. Slowly, his fingers began to twirl in a circular motion, exciting her so quickly that she could already feel the orgasm building inside her. His mouth connected with hers, and his kisses were filled with even more passion than they’d had before. She could feel the length of him on her thigh, increasing her level of desire.

“Daman, I want you inside me...now.” She couldn’t wait and needed to feel him.

“Who am I to disappoint?” Daman replied as he removed his fingers.

He looked down at his pants before getting off the counter to get a condom from his wallet. After the protection was in place, he kissed her again, and she welcomed the warmth of his tongue as it mated with hers. She’d never felt so vulnerable, yet she knew that with Daman, she didn’t want it any other way. Being vulnerable would allow her to enjoy him in the fullest.

Slowly, she felt him push inside of her, his mouth leaving hers to watch her reaction as they connected in a way much stronger than the last. Once he was fully inside her, she watched a smile fill his face seconds before he began thrusting in and out of her. Her body knew his, and the only thought going through her mind as he thrust inside of her was that she wished she could enjoy this feeling forever. Her feelings were already involved, and she wasn’t used to someone having so much control over her. If this happened to be the last time they made love, she wanted to show him how she felt. She wanted her body to say all the things that her voice couldn’t say. Slightly pushing on his chest, she pushed herself up. At the look of confusion on Daman’s face, she slowly pushed his back on the counter and climbed on top of him.

Luckily for her, Daman let her do what she wanted and helped ease her over his shaft. Once they were intimately connected again, she began to ride him with all the love she felt in her heart. She’d completely forgotten that she’d left her stereo on. It was the first time since they’d arrived back at her condo that she’d heard her Floetry CD playing in the background. She grinded her hips to the mellow music, letting go of all her inhibitions and putting her all into the one man who’d managed to get inside her heart. He had her hooked, and he had no idea how hard she’d fallen. If only for tonight, she’d milk the moment for all it was worth. She looked down at his face and was surprised to see him staring directly at her. Had he not been holding her hips in place, she probably would have hopped off the counter to avoid the force in his eyes.

Rotating her hips and balancing herself on her hands, she felt like they were doing more than making love. She saw something in his eyes but knew it couldn’t be what she thought it was. Pushing her analytical views aside, she stopped trying to read Daman and instead increased her tempo so they could release the orgasms that were close to peaking.