A Tempting Proposal (Kimani Romance) (8 page)

Imani was downplaying her attraction to Daman, but she didn’t want his mother getting the wrong idea. She also wasn’t sure if she knew her son was actually competing against her for an estate. His mother was sweet, and her love for her son was evident.

“Mrs. Barker, you raised a remarkable man, and I’m sure the woman Daman decides to settle down with will capture his attention in ways he’s never imagined.” She cleared her throat before continuing. “Some people are lucky enough to find someone to spend the rest of their lives with, but others have to live with the fact that a fairy-tale ending may not be in their future.”

Imani was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that Daman now stood in the entrance of the kitchen. She was unsure of how much he had heard, but whatever he’d heard was more than she had wanted him to know. Apparently, he got the picture because he hastily informed them that he’d fixed a leak in the bathroom and walked back out.

“Imani, I want you to promise me that when my son does finally come to terms with his feelings, you won’t turn your back on him. When Daman loves, he loves hard. With him, you have to read between the lines. I know you both have separate lives and say you aren’t interested in a relationship, but he’s my baby, and I know my son better than he knows himself sometimes.”

Imani wasn’t sure what to say to Mrs. Barker. She didn’t want to upset her. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll never intentionally hurt Daman.”

Mrs. Barker looked as if she wanted to say more but decided against it.

“I’ll get Daman, and we can all sit down and eat.”

Chapter 12

L
ater that night, Daman lay in his bed thinking about the one woman who seemed to occupy most of his thoughts as of late. It was getting harder to hide his attraction to her, and his mom definitely picked up on his interest today.

During dinner, he had a hard time concentrating on his food, which was something he’d never had a problem with before. He kept wondering about the conversation Imani had with his mother but knew that neither woman would tell him about it. The dinner had been a little tense, and Imani seemed uncomfortable around him. He thought they’d gotten past that, but apparently, he was wrong.

His mom really liked Imani, and it made him feel good inside. He’d caught his mom staring at Imani from time to time with a wishful look in her eyes. Patricia Barker wouldn’t be happy until he was married with children.

He heard the shower turn on and his bathroom door lock. His body was instantly aroused, knowing Imani stood naked on the other side of the door. Dinner had ended two hours ago, and he thought Imani had gone to sleep. He heard the shower curtain open and close and wondered what type of shower gel she used. His question was instantly answered as the scent of vanilla and jasmine seeped under the door, filling his senses. Just imagining her in the shower lathering her body made him ache all over. He should be the one giving her body a good scrub, instead of the loofah she was probably using.

The minute he’d tasted her in Atlanta, he knew he would taste her again. By some he may be deemed as cocky, but to others he was just being truthful. Two people didn’t share a kiss that amazing and not have seconds.

Her flavor was imprinted on his tongue, and the look of satisfaction on her face was stamped in his mind. Never had a woman’s reaction been so uninhibited with him. She was always so poised, and yet with one flick of his tongue, she became putty in his arms, turning him on in ways that were very new to him.

The water stopped, and he listened to her humming a tune he couldn’t quite make out. It had a medium tempo, and he knew he had heard the song on the radio before. It became imperative that he figure out what song she was humming.

Sliding off the bed, he was careful not to make a sound. When he reached the door, he smiled when he recognized the song. It was the old SWV hit, “Weak.” He wondered if she was thinking about him when she got out the shower or if she just happened to like that song.

Convincing himself that she had to be thinking about him, he smiled as he made his way back to his bed, tripping over his shoes in the process.

He heard Imani gasp before hearing her bathroom door close again. He didn’t mind her quick dash out of the bathroom, but because she had locked his door, he wouldn’t be able to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Suddenly, I have to go to the bathroom
. Daman started to make his way to Imani’s room before giving it a second thought.

He lightly knocked and heard some shuffling around on the other side of the door. He assumed she was trying to put on some decent clothes until she opened the door in her towel and motioned for him to come in.

All air gushed out of his lungs as he looked at her. She looked so refreshing and beautiful that for a second, he forgot the excuse he had for bothering her.

“You left my side of the bathroom door locked.”

Her eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. I completely forgot.”

She went into the bathroom and unlocked his bathroom door. Daman took the brief moment to try to regain his composure. Her towel barely reached mid-thigh, and her recently washed hair was a mass of curls clipped on top of her head. She looked sexy as hell, and he knew he looked like an idiot staring at her.

“By any chance were you thinking about me when you were humming that SWV tune?”

Her eyes again widened in shock. “You heard me?”

“As a matter of fact, you woke me up. I was sleeping soundly before I heard your sweet voice float through my room.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I thought I was being quiet.”

He was smiling from ear to ear. She actually believed him. “That’s okay, but don’t let it happen again.”

She put her hands on her hips and adjusted her neck in a way that let him know she was about to rip him a new one. “For your information, I wasn’t thinking about you when I was singing, and I was being extremely quiet. You have good hearing if you heard me, but I think you were never asleep in the first place. You probably pressed your ear to the door to hear what I was humming. I heard you trip over something. Were you trying to make your way back to your bed, perhaps?”

The entire time she was talking she kept her voice low so they didn’t wake up his mother, but Daman couldn’t help it. He laughed a little too loudly when he heard her accurate assessment of the situation.

“I guess we’ll never know, but I do think that you should take your hands off your hips while I’m in here. Regardless, you’re the reason I had to come to your room since you were the one who locked me out of the bathroom.”

“I’ll stand however I want to stand when I’m in the room your mother allowed me to stay in.” This time she rolled her head, keeping one hand on her hip and pointing a finger at him with the other hand. He recognized the moment she realized her mistake in not obeying him. A man could only take so much.

She attempted to take a step back, but it was too late. He grabbed the arm that was extended and pulled her to him. She gasped at the sudden movement.

“Daman,” she said his name as a statement.

“I told you not to stand that way. Now feel what you did.”

He grinded his pelvis against her, wanting her to feel the effect she had on him. He expected a smart remark from her, but all she did was stare at him as if she was feeling something she hadn’t felt before. Daman usually felt in control, but every time Imani looked at him as if she was trying to figure him out, he lost a little of that control. He prided himself on never allowing a woman to have any power over him, but Imani was turning out to be a woman he could not easily dismiss. She was slowly getting in his system, and he wasn’t sure whether he liked that.

He watched her lick her lips as she nodded in understanding.

Had he spoken out loud?
He knew he hadn’t, but she knew what he was thinking, anyway.

“This is insane,” he said, this time voicing his thoughts out loud.

“I know,” Imani replied breathlessly.

His lips touched hers softly at first, allowing her to get used to the feel of their lips connecting again. He had every intention of controlling the kiss, but once he let go of Imani’s arm, she locked her hands across the back of his neck, pulling his tongue deeper into her mouth. The smell of vanilla jasmine mixing with Imani’s natural scent was causing Daman’s body to react even more intensely than it had the last time they were together.

His hands expertly roamed her body as she molded herself against him. He wanted to rid her of her towel, but he knew his mom was in the next room, and there was no way he could do the things he wanted to do to her in his mother’s house.

He slowly sucked and tugged at her tongue the same way he’d done to her body the last time they were alone. What began as a soft purr turned into an even louder moan as their kiss deepened, taking them to an even higher level of ecstasy. Daman’s index finger found its way underneath Imani’s towel and touched her sweetness with the perfect amount of pressure for her to let out a soft cry into his mouth. She was slick and wet, and Daman grew even more aroused knowing that he was the cause of her pleasure.

He knew he had to stop while he still had a little sense. When he pulled away, she looked at him with expectant eyes. It was a look he hadn’t seen from her before, and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her. But his desire prevented him from pulling her back to him, knowing that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself again. When he made love to her, he wanted them to be in an unoccupied location, so his mother’s home was definitely not an option. The kiss had been explosive. He felt it. She felt it. And the passion never seemed to subside between them. Daman was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he barely registered that Imani had spoken.

“I didn’t want this.”

He rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Neither did I, but it happened anyway.” At least that answer was partially true. From the start, he’d wanted to seduce her. What he hadn’t counted on was his need for her growing to such an intense level.

They both fell silent until Imani spoke again.

“This could be disastrous, Daman. As partners in the planning of the gala, we’ll only see each other more and more, and what’s worse is that we both want something that neither of us is willing to give up.”

The real reason they were partners was always looming in the air, but it seemed nothing was very clear to either of them anymore.

“I understand. But it won’t go away until we fix the problem. I have a suggestion.”

Daman had to choose his next words carefully. He’d never wanted a woman so badly. All they needed was to feed their sexual hunger and ease their curiosity.

“I’ve known since the moment I met you that I wanted you. I’ve never had such a strong attraction to a woman before, and I’m man enough to admit that it’s your body
and
mind that have me mesmerized. I think if we feed our sexual hunger, we will solve our problem.”

In response to the unbroken silence, he continued to talk. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s a sexual prowess inside you that is dying to break free. I feel it every time we’re together. I don’t believe the men in your life have handled you the way they should have. They may have satisfied you, but I can fulfill your desires in ways you never imagined. We have chemistry that was evident from the first time we met, so all I’m saying is that it’s about time we did something about it. I won’t kiss or touch you again until you make the decision. Honestly, the next time we get this intimate, I won’t be able to stop.”

Daman rubbed his hands over his face before he moved toward the door.

“Daman.”

He glanced back at her to see why she’d called his name, and the look he saw in her eyes shocked him. It wasn’t anger or fear or apprehension. In her eyes, he saw unreserved lust and a silent understanding that she agreed with everything he said.

“You said you want me, and well, when the time is right, you can have me—all of me. No strings, no obligations and no reservations. You see things in me that no man has ever taken the time to figure out. So yes, I will give you what you want if you promise me one thing.”

She stood there facing him, searching his eyes for something. He wasn’t sure what she was looking for, so he stood there and let her search. While she searched, he admired the delicate structure of her nose, the adorable way the curls framed her face and the endearing way she crinkled her nose in concentration.

“What do you want me to promise?” he asked when he realized he hadn’t responded.

Her eyes suddenly lit, then dimmed. If he hadn’t been standing so close to her, he would have missed the flash of acknowledgment in her eyes. He wondered if she’d found what she was searching for.

“Promise me that once the gala is over and the ownership of the estate is settled, we will go our separate ways. We’ll look back on this time as a good memory and nothing else.”

There was something about the finality of the promise that made him hesitate, but her request seemed simple enough. “Okay. I promise.”

Chapter 13

B
y early Sunday morning, Imani and Daman were finally leaving Florida after canceling their trip to Georgia. Yesterday, Mrs. Barker’s power came back on, but the aftermath of the storm was still very much present.

“I’m so glad you both spent this weekend with me,” said Mrs. Barker, hugging Daman before turning to Imani. “Imani, you’ve been an absolute pleasure.”

Imani returned her kind words before hugging the older woman she had instantly taken a liking to.

Before she got into the rental car, Imani pulled a feather out of her purse and said a short prayer to Gamine before releasing the feather into the sky. When she sat down in the car, she realized that Daman had watched her release the feather. Surprisingly, he didn’t ask her what she was doing.

Imani adjusted herself in the seat so that they could get comfortable. They were meeting James and the crew at a smaller airport an hour away from the neighborhoods affected by the storm.

“All set?” Daman asked when Imani stopped fidgeting in her seat.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

They waved goodbye to Mrs. Barker as the car pulled away from her house. A few minutes into the drive, Imani got a text from Cyd.

“I’ve been gone all weekend and conveniently, on the day I return, the family decides to have Sunday lunch at my grandfather’s house,” Imani said with a laugh.

“That seems nice,” Daman stated. “I think you will make it to Chicago in plenty of time.”

“Yeah, that may be true, but I wanted to go straight home and go to sleep when I got back. We’ve been traveling a lot lately so I was hoping for a little R & R.” Imani loved being around her family, but they could be exhausting at times. Especially when she’d been MIA ever since she was on the radio. She wanted to avoid any Daman-related topics. She texted Cyd and asked how many people were planning to attend. Cyd responded within seconds.

“Oh, man,” Imani said aloud. “She said at least fifty people are planning to be there.”

“Fifty people,” Daman said in surprise. “I thought you said this was a lunch.”

“It is a lunch, but my grandfather is very well-known in Naperville so many people in the neighborhood tend to get invited. Even the last minute events like this one spread like wildfire.”

Imani’s cell phone vibrated. “Cyd said Taheim and Jaleen will both be there.”

Daman’s hearty laugh filled the car. “I was going to go to Detroit after we dropped you off, but I think I may want to check out that barbecue instead.”

Imani hadn’t seen most of her family since her appearance on
The Jimmy King Morning Show
. There was no doubt that they’d be the main topic of conversation.

“Of course, since I invited myself, I don’t have to go,” Daman said as he kept his eyes on the road while occasionally stealing glances her way.

“No, it’s fine,” Imani said. “I think you’ll enjoy yourself. But be forewarned, my family is a little overwhelming at times. I know they probably all listened to the show so you should expect a couple questions to be thrown your way.”

* * *

Four hours later, they arrived outside of the Burrstone household in Naperville, Illinois. Judging from the number of double-parked cars on the narrow street, a lot of people were already there.

As they were walking toward the house, Imani stopped in her tracks when she heard a familiar laugh.

“Is everything okay?” Daman asked.

Imani couldn’t answer right away, not until she found the person who had laughed.

“And so the saga begins...” she said, as her suspicions were confirmed and Cyd rounded the corner of the house.

Daman followed the direction of Imani’s gaze. He squinted his eyes as he looked from the woman to Imani. “Is that your sister?”

“Yes, that’s her. And if I’m not mistaken, the rest of the clan isn’t far behind.”

Just as she finished those words, Lex and Mya headed in their direction.

Imani leaned over and whispered to Daman. “Be prepared, because they are definitely going to ask you a lot of questions.”

As the women approached, Imani introduced Daman to Cyd, Mya and Lex. Taheim and Jaleen arrived soon after. Then, the “welcome crew” got an earful from Imani. “Y’all have a lot of explaining to do. I can’t believe that at our age you’re still scheming.”

Imani didn’t appreciate the chuckles from the group.

Taheim jumped in before Imani could get started on them again. “Well, if the two of you didn’t work so hard, you would have noticed that we all know each other. Although I must say that I’m kind of glad you didn’t.
The Jimmy King Morning Show
was pretty interesting.”

Once again, everyone laughed at her expense. Imani felt Daman’s eyes on her, but she refused to look at him.

“One of you could have told me how well you knew Imani when I told you her name during our meeting,” Daman said to Taheim and Jaleen.

Taheim decided to answer again. “You two didn’t kill each other, so it seems the plan worked.”

Imani dared to look at Daman, as Daman glared at Taheim. Sensing Imani’s eyes on him, Daman turned toward her, with an unreadable expression on his face. But in an instant, it turned to one of clear understanding. She got it, too.
They wanted us to get to know each other on a more personal level.
His eyes dropped down to her lips. Her lips parted as if they had a mind of their own, inviting him for another sample. Jaleen cleared his throat. All eyes were on them as Imani and Daman turned back to the group.

Why do I let this man affect me?
Imani couldn’t believe that even in front of their friends, they couldn’t deny the chemistry.

Cyd spoke up. “Imani, Grandpa Burrstone wants to discuss the barbecue with us. Can we steal you away from Daman for a moment?”

Cyd was trying to bait her, but Imani refused. The annual Burrstone barbecue was an event that her grandfather loved to throw every year. The Burrstones were a big pillar in the Chicago community so for the past few years, her grandfather recruited the assistance of his granddaughters, owners of Elite Events Incorporated.

Daman glanced at Imani, and she tried her best to keep a solemn face. “Yes, I can spare some time.”

“Great!” Cyd exclaimed with enthusiasm as she grabbed Imani’s arm. Mya and Lex followed.

“Okay, I get first dibs,” Cyd said to Lex and Mya as they sat in the parked car. She clasped her hands in her lap and looked at Imani, ready to open up the proverbial can of worms. “Sis, I think it was a great idea that we didn’t tell you Daman was Taheim and Jaleen’s new partner.”

Imani started to speak, but Cyd shushed her.

“Before you say anything, I’m also glad you and Daman were on
The Jimmy King Morning Show
together. As far as your and Daman’s private conversation being heard by many listeners, well, that’s your fault.”

“And Daman’s,” Mya added with a giggle.

“Tell me something, sis, was it good? Because I know you hit that.”

Imani’s mouth dropped open, and all the women laughed at the surprised look on her face.

“Come off that snotty attitude, girl,” Lex said. “We know you aren’t shocked. And you’re not shy, either. You like sex just as much as the rest of us. Now man up, and give us some details.”

“Hell, yeah,” Mya added. “Back in the day, you’d make us give you all the details on our boyfriends, dates...”

“...and mistakes,” Lex interrupted with a smile.

They nodded their heads in agreement.

“I know, but that was different.”

“How’s that?” Cyd asked.

Imani thought carefully before answering the question. “That was the old me, over five years ago. I’m older, wiser and not the romantic I used to be.”

Mya grunted. “You know what I think?”

“No, but you’re going to tell me, anyway.”

“I think that for once since Gamine’s death, you met a man you can’t ignore. You always dismiss men and keep your feelings guarded, but clearly Daman is breaking through those walls.”

“You’re one to talk, Mya! Neither of you can say anything about how I handle Daman because you’re all just as bad as I am. Plus, I have to keep the estate in mind at all times. I refuse to get played.”

“But this isn’t about us. This is about you,” Lex chimed in.

“And why are you so concerned about getting played when you claim you don’t even like him?” Cyd persisted.

Once again, Cyd was trying to bait her into opening up. She wondered how much she should tell them and decided that she could talk to her close friends about anything.

“Okay, so here’s the thing, Cyd. I did not hit that. Not even close.”

The sighs heard in the car proved they weren’t expecting that answer.

“Ugh, okay, I’m lying a little bit. I’ve never slept with Daman, but we have come close several times.”

“Now that’s more like it. Continue,” Cyd exclaimed.

“Well, each time we get close to having sex, he stops right before it happens. He says he can tell that I’m still trying to process what’s happening between us, and until I do, he’s not going to initiate anything else. The ball is in my court.”

“Do you find it hard to resist him?” Mya asked.

Imani did her best to give her a
what-do-you-think
look because as her best friend, Mya knew the answer but wanted her to admit it, anyway.

“If I did think it was easy to resist him, would we be having this conversation? I’m only human, and he’s sexy as hell.”

Mya just smiled.

“Every time we get together, I feel like my old self. Even though we haven’t taken our relationship any further, the intimate moments we have had have been so special that it makes me question any intimacy I’ve had up to this point. It’s almost on a whole other level of lust.”

Imani thought about the time she’d shared with Daman. How he made her feel. How comfortable she felt with him. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she was unaware of the three sets of eyes watching her face with knowing expressions.

“Oh, you have definitely got it bad,” Lex said with a giggle.

“Am I that transparent?”

“Yes!” all three women practically shouted. They all burst out laughing.

Imani looked over at Cyd. “How about we go back to the house and stop talking about me.”

“Whatever you say, sis,” Cyd said, as she opened the car door. “But one last question. What are you going to do about your feelings for Daman?”

“I don’t know. Since the ball’s in my court, I figure now is a great time to try and work on controlling myself whenever I’m around him.”

The looks on their faces showed disbelief, but Imani didn’t care what they thought. She knew how to control her body, although that wasn’t exactly apparent when she was in the presence of Daman Barker.

As the women began making their way back to the house, Imani noticed Daman standing on the side of the house, talking with some people from the neighborhood. She stopped watching him long enough to respond to a question Lex had asked. When she turned back to Daman, he was staring right at her. The look in his eyes showed a hunger that only she could fill. She swallowed the lump in her throat and practically begged her eyes to look away.

Please stay in control. Body, don’t fail me now.

Cyd spoke, fueling the fire, while glancing from Daman to Imani.

“Well, sis, you may think you can keep your relationship strictly professional, but your eyes are saying something different. I’ve never seen you act this way around a man before.”

Imani used Cyd as an excuse to tear her eyes away from Daman. “I know. I have to do something about him.”

“Or do something to him! Come on, what’s wrong with you? You need to lighten up about Daman. Your control issues are really starting to bug me,” Cyd said with a laugh. “Some words of advice, big sis. Don’t overthink it, and don’t try to control how you feel or think you can control how he feels. When it comes to the heart, it’s unpredictable.”

“I feel you, Cyd, but Daman isn’t just any man.”

“You’re right. He’s the one man you haven’t tried to completely dismiss...the one who’s gotten under your skin.”

“Look who’s talking...queen of dismissing her loyal followers.”

“Why must you always make me sound stuck-up? I’m selective. There’s a difference. Most men can’t handle me, anyway.”

Both women giggled, knowing that with Cyd, even the men who did try, failed. Imani stared at her younger sister in admiration. Somewhere along the way, they had switched roles on giving advice.

“Since when do you counsel people on matters of the heart?”

“I don’t know. I just worry about you sometimes, and I like the changes I see in you since you started working with Daman. You seem to have a little of your old self back, and that makes me happy.”

And with that comment, Cyd made her way to the house. Taking one final glance toward Daman, Imani followed behind Cyd. She was less than thrilled about the next hour or so, and she knew that the parents and elders were going to make her the main topic of conversation.

* * *

Imani was right,
Daman thought as he finished up a conversation with the fifteenth person who’d asked him about his relationship with Imani. He almost regretted his decision to come to the lunch. They shouldn’t even call it a lunch because it was more like a party.

But despite being under the eye of scrutiny, he had really enjoyed getting to know Imani’s parents. Mr. Rayne had a sarcastic sense of humor and joked about the way Daman was looking at Imani. Mrs. Rayne had a very warm personality and was full of compliments for both her daughters.

Throughout the entire night, Daman stole glances at Imani.
What did she expect when she was constantly dipping her tongue out to moisten her lips?
As it always seemed to go with them, she caught him staring each and every time. And every time, she only smiled, causing him to wonder what she was thinking.

Mostly everyone was in the house now, so he found an empty bench in the backyard. He should have been counting how many times he said
we’re just friends
today. And he’d heard Imani’s name being called the most out of everyone in attendance. Not because of him, but because they needed her for something. If some food ran out, they called her to see if they should order more. If some younger kids were acting too rowdy, they called Imani to calm them down. If someone wanted to know about specific details regarding the annual Burrstone barbecue, they asked Imani, even though there were three other members from Elite Events present.