In Bed With Her Boss (Kimani Romance) (12 page)

O
pal awoke the next morning in D’marcus’s bed alone. She glanced over at the clock on the nightstand and saw the time was past nine. She jerked upright. She’d never slept this late before, and technically it was a workday. In fact, D’marcus had had a conference call with the other owners of the Chargers team at eight.

She swung her feet over the side of the bed and moaned when she felt a distinct soreness between her legs—a blatant reminder of her activities last night and in the predawn hours. Under D’marcus’s masculine powers she’d been unable to think, only to feel. When he touched her, she’d been filled with pure sensual sensations that had flowed through every vein and invaded every nerve of her body.

The mere memory quickened her pulse, a testament to his sexual prowess. But now her lover was absent, gone to work. Exactly where she should be.

She left his room and went into hers, wondering why D’marcus hadn’t awakened her when he knew she had work to do. She quickly showered and dressed and, in less than thirty minutes, she was rushing down the stairs.

From behind his desk, D’marcus looked up when she walked into his office. The moment Opal saw him she had to fight back a ragged moan. Just seeing him instantly reminded her of everything they had done the night before. Unable to move, she stood there staring at him.

He did the same and she could see his eyes darken. She wondered if he too was reliving their lovemaking in his memory. She couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed. There wasn’t a part of her body that he hadn’t kissed, touched, tasted. The mere thought sent heat flowing all through her and she felt flushed.

Somehow, she found her voice. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You needed your rest,” he said, as if that settled everything.

For her, it didn’t. “But I have a job to do.”

“Nothing that couldn’t wait until you were ready to get up.”

In a way, she was shocked by his statement. How many bosses waited to start their day until their staff was ready to come to work? For him to give her that kind of leverage was not only unfair but ridiculous. “What about the conference call with Williams and Hennessy?”

D’marcus leaned back in his chair. “They called, we talked and made decisions. We’ll be placing Dashuan on suspension without pay. However, they’re going to let me deliver the news to him personally when I return to Detroit next week.”

Opal didn’t like the sound of that. She’d noticed more than once that the other two owners left unpleasant matters for D’marcus to handle, especially when they concerned Dashuan Kennedy.

She shook her head, deciding to go back to their earlier topic of conversation. “I should have been present for that conference call, D’marcus.”

He tossed a pen on his desk. “And I preferred letting you sleep, Opal. End of conversation.”

She glared at him and turned to leave the room.

“Opal?” She kept walking away but, quickly remembering that he was still her boss, she stopped and turned around. “Yes?”

He had come around his desk and was sitting on the edge of it. “Will you come here for a moment, please?”

She wished she could say no, but knew that would be total disrespect. “Yes, sir.”

He lifted a brow. “‘Yes, sir’?”

She nodded when she came to a stop in front of him. “Yes, sir.”

At first, she thought she had made him angry by being so formal with him until she took a good look into the dark depths of his eyes. What she saw almost took her breath away. It wasn’t anger but male hunger. The same look that had been in his eyes most of last night. She had discovered over the past eight hours that D’marcus had a sexual appetite unlike anyone she’d ever met. But then he not only took, he gave. She was almost too embarrassed to think about all the orgasms she’d had. Her body had been receptive to his lovemaking over and over again. He probably had more passion in his little finger than some men had in their entire bodies. Even now her body was beginning to feel hot and bothered just standing this close to him.

“First of all,” he said, reclaiming her attention as he reached out and caressed the bare part of her arms, “I prefer you not calling me
sir.
Second, if I feel you need more rest and decide to let you sleep, then I’d rather you not question it.”

“But what about my work?”

“What about it?”

She rolled her eyes, deciding to try another angle. “Will we be working today, D’marcus?”

“Not until later today. Much later. I’m going to enjoy the morning.”

She lifted a brow, not really liking the sound of that. “And do what?”

“This for starters.”

He pulled her to him and his mouth captured hers. The moment he did so, more memories invaded her and her body automatically responded. She was helpless not to kiss him back with the same hunger with which he was kissing her. He released her mouth only long enough to sweep her off her feet and into his arms. He began moving out of the room.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked in a whisper.

“Back to my bed where we’re going to stay for a while.”

“But what about—”

He didn’t let her finish what she was about to say. Instead, he stopped walking and kissed her again to silence her. When he finally released her mouth, she was too drunk on desire to think straight, let alone speak.

When they made it up the stairs to his room, he quickly dispensed with her clothing, as well as his own, then laid her down on the bed. Smiling down at her, he put a condom on just as he’d done the night before, but, unlike last night, she was no longer embarrassed to watch him.

Moments later he eased his powerful body down on the bed and kissed her, making her moan deep in her throat when his tongue plunged into her mouth. He joined his body with hers, driving into her deeply, then pulling out, over and over again.

“D’marcus!”

He smiled as he thrust into her once more. “Now, that’s what I want to hear. My name on your lips.” And then he kissed her again when he felt his own orgasm charging through his body.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him to hold him close and locked her legs around his back to pull him deeper into her. How he was making her feel now, as well as last night, was beyond any sensation she’d ever experienced. When D’marcus released a raw groan and called out her name, everything within her shattered and she felt the most wonderful, explosive sensations all the way to her toes.

Long after the orgasm ended, they lay in each other’s arms with their gazes locked and their bodies still connected. “Now, tell me,” D’marcus said in a low and husky voice, “why you were in such a bad mood this morning?”

Opal frowned. “I wasn’t in a bad mood. But…”

“But what?”

“But I still don’t understand why you didn’t wake me up.”

He shook his head. He appreciated her dedication, however, he just didn’t understand what the big deal was. “Would you believe me if I told you that I like how you look when you’re asleep?”

“That shouldn’t matter. I have a job to do. And I just don’t want you to forget that.”

D’marcus felt there was a deeper meaning behind her words. “And why would I forget you have a job to do, Opal?”

“Because of
this,
” she said quietly, shifting her body slightly.

He released a deep groan. “You keep that up and
this
will become
that,
” he said, shifting his own body, letting her know that he’d gotten aroused again. “Now, back to the issue of your job. Us sleeping together will not make me forget that you work for me. They are separate concerns.”

“Then, why are we here in bed and not in your office working?”

He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Mainly because Henry Gregory called and asked if he could change his appointment to this afternoon. His wife has a doctor’s appointment this morning and he wants to be there with her. She had breast cancer a year ago and today is the day for her recheck.”

“Oh.”

“And since there was nothing else on our schedule, I thought you and I would do something to relax.” He leaned down and kissed her on the lips again. “You do find making love with me relaxing, don’t you?” he asked with a quick smile.

Relaxing? She didn’t want to inflate his ego by saying she found making love to him more like mind-blowing. If they kept it up on a frequent basis, it might become outright habit-forming. “Yes, it’s relaxing,” she said instead. “But so are a number of other things,” she quickly added.

“But would you prefer doing those other things to this?”

She knew the answer to that question right away. She didn’t prefer doing anything to this. “No,” she said simply.

Another smile touched the corner of his lips. “I’m definitely glad to hear that.” He leaned forward to kiss her neck, then her shoulder. “I guess I should be a good host and at least feed you breakfast,” he said, kissing her lips once again.

Opal’s heartbeat increased every time he used his tongue that way. “Right now food is the last thing on my mind,” she said in a shuddering voice.

“Really? And what’s the first thing on your mind?” he asked, pulling her closer to the fit of him, making sure she felt how and where their bodies were connected.

Opal instinctively flexed her hips, making him go deeper inside of her. “This is the first thing on my mind,” she answered with a fragmented moan.

D’marcus shifted their bodies so she lay directly beneath him. “I’m very glad to hear that.” He then proceeded to show her how much.

For the first time in three years, D’marcus decided to jog along the beach. Jogging was something he did a lot in Detroit, even when the weather wasn’t at its best. Usually, though, when he returned to the Bay, he never stayed in his home long enough to indulge in this pastime. Besides, he had avoided the ocean for years, failing at accomplishing what he had originally purchased the home for, which was to make peace with the sea.

His lips curved slightly into a smile when he thought about the woman he had left sleeping in his bed. This time, he intended to wake her up so she could have time to prepare for their meeting later today with Henry Gregory. She had gotten upset because she’d assumed because they had become lovers he had seen her duties to him as changing.

If only she knew how much he had come to depend on her efficiency and her expertise. Although she didn’t know it, several of his department managers had approached him with positions they thought she would more than adequately fill once her internship ended. He would hate losing her as his administrative assistant, but he was not one to stand in the way of her opportunities.

What he’d told her earlier today was true. Once he had made up his mind not to avoid having a relationship with her, he had decided that her working for him and their affair were two separate entities, having nothing to do with each other.

He slowed down and inhaled a deep breath. It was time to head back to the house. His aunt had called and again had insisted that he bring Opal back for a visit before she left on Friday.

He smiled. It seemed that his aunt had really been taken with Opal. But, then, he was quite taken with her, as well.

O
pal smiled at D’marcus’s announcement the next morning at breakfast. They would be joining his aunt and uncle for dinner later that day. She really liked his relatives and was looking forward to the visit.

Yesterday, they had met with Henry Gregory to discuss plans to open the new stores in California. After that, D’marcus had taken her to downtown San Francisco for her first cable-car ride. They rode from Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf, where they dined at a seafood restaurant. Then, holding hands, they strolled through the various shops on the Wharf where she picked up souvenirs for her sisters and cousins.

It had been late when they’d returned home and, after taking a shower together, they had gone to bed. It was as if they couldn’t get enough of each other and they had made love most of the night.

“What time is your aunt expecting us?” Opal asked, after taking a sip of her coffee.

“She wanted us for noon but I explained that we had several projects to complete today, since you’ll be leaving tomorrow. I told her the best we could do was around four.”

Opal was fully aware of the projects they needed to complete and was anxious to get started. They had several conference calls scheduled, including one from his suppliers in Tokyo. Doing all the legwork for the successful opening of D’marcus’s stores always excited her.

“Eat up. You and I will be quite busy until at least one o’clock today.”

“Yes, sir,” she said grinning.

The look he gave wasn’t one of amusement, so she said, “Sorry.”

“I’ve told you I don’t like you calling me
sir.
I never did.”

“Then, why didn’t you say something about it long ago?”

“Because it made things a lot easier to keep distance between us.”

She nodded, understanding his reasoning for that. “And now?”

“And now I find it quite annoying since I don’t want distance between us anymore.”

She didn’t say anything as she took another sip of her coffee. He wasn’t interested in love or marriage, but he wanted to make sure the two of them got as close as they could get. He had done a good job of proving that, she thought, remembering how they’d slept pressed against each other, barely an inch separating them.

“Will we be staying overnight at your aunt’s?” Opal asked as she stood to place her coffee cup and cereal bowl in the sink. If they were then she needed to pack an overnight bag.

“Aunt Marie requested that we do, but I declined. I want to sleep in my own bed tonight with you in it with me.”

Opal turned to him. “I hope that’s not the reason you gave her.”

When he didn’t say anything, she raised an arched brow as she held his gaze. “D’marcus, what reason did you give your aunt?”

After putting his dishes in the sink, he stood in front of her and smiled. “Don’t get uptight on me. I merely told her that with you flying out tomorrow we had a lot of work yet to do that could take us well into the night to finish.”

Opal rolled her eyes. “I can just imagine what kind of work you’re referring to.”

“I’ll never tell.”

“But I’m sure you’re going to show me later, right?” she said, pressing her body against his and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“That’s a very strong possibility.” He drew in a quick breath when she freed one of her hands and reached down and caressed the front of his zipper, as if testing the state of his arousal.

“Umm, nice and big,” she whispered into his ear.

“You’re asking for it, aren’t you?” he said, wrapping his arms around her, as well.

She laughed. “I’m sure if I was, you would be more than happy to oblige.”

“Without a moment’s hesitation. How about right now?”

She shook her head as she removed her arms from around his neck and took a step back. “Sorry. I believe you told your aunt that we had several projects to complete this morning since I’m leaving tomorrow. I suggest we get a headstart on them. Tokyo is expecting a call from you in less than an hour.” With that said, she turned and sashayed out of the kitchen.

D’marcus watched her leave, thinking that she had one hell of a sexy walk. He rubbed his hand down his face in frustration. His administrative assistant was turning into one seductive temptress.

“I’m glad D’marcus agreed to bring you to dinner this evening,” Marie was saying as she and Opal walked out onto the patio through a set of French doors. The backyard boasted a lovely garden and huge swimming pool. D’marcus and his uncle had walked next door to take a look at their neighbor’s new boat.

“Thanks for inviting me. Dinner was great. You’re a wonderful cook.”

Marie beamed at the compliment as they sat down together at a patio table. “I had to be, especially when Charles and I suddenly found ourselves as guardian to a very active and hungry little boy. I swear, when D’marcus was little, he ate everything and anything he could get his hands on. There wasn’t anything he didn’t like,” she said with fondness.

Opal smiled as the older woman poured her a glass of iced tea from the pitcher on the table. She could just imagine D’marcus as a kid. But, unlike the kid then, he rarely ate now. His aunt would probably be surprised if she knew just how many meals he routinely skipped due to working so hard. She decided that she wouldn’t be the one to tell her.

“So, did you and D’marcus finish up all those projects today?”

Opal smiled over at Marie after taking a sip of tea. “Yes, we got all of them completed. Those new stores should open without any problems.”

“And later this evening, I understand the two of you have work to do that will take you well into the night.”

Opal hoped the older woman didn’t see the blush on her face. “Yes, that’s what I understand.”

“Well, don’t let my nephew work you too hard. If he wants to be a workaholic, then that’s his business, but don’t let his overzealous work habits rub off on you.”

“I won’t,” Opal said with a smile on her face.

“And another thing,” the older woman was saying. “I know you and D’marcus want to pretend there’s nothing going on between the two of you, but I know better. I may be old but I’m not blind.”

Opal almost choked on her tea and the older woman gazed at her with concern. “Are you all right?”

Opal nodded since she wasn’t capable of talking at that moment.

“Well, like I was saying,” Marie went on, “I’m not going to get into you and D’marcus’s business, but I just wanted you to know that his uncle and I are truly happy that he has found love again. We can tell he’s extremely happy.”

Opal knew D’marcus’s aunt was wrong in her assumptions. He was not in love with her. “Mrs. Armstrong—”

“Marie, please.”

Opal smiled. “Marie, D’marcus is not in love with me,” she said. In a way, she felt a little embarrassed about it. Chances were his aunt would think that, if Opal truly believed that, then why were the two of them lovers?

“Of course he is,” Marie countered. “The boy can’t keep his eyes off you. And he has never taken a woman to his home before. Trust me, he loves you.”

Opal would stand her ground and argue with the woman if she thought it would do any good, but she knew it wouldn’t. The woman was steadfast in her belief. Unfortunately, she was getting love mixed up with lust.

“I want to make a request of you,” Marie said, reclaiming Opal’s thoughts.

“Yes?”

“I thought he would never get over Tonya. Her death broke him. It’s taken him a long time.”

Opal was a split second from saying that he still hadn’t gotten over it. D’marcus was still suffering from intense heartbreak and pain to the point where he would never love another woman and he would never commit his life to one, either.

“And then when he found out that Tonya had been pregnant, he—”

“Tonya was pregnant?” Opal asked, almost in shock.

His aunt nodded. “He didn’t tell you that part?”

Opal was tempted to say that he really hadn’t told her anything, other than how his fiancée had died and why he’d had an aversion to the ocean as a result of it. Instead, she said, “No, he didn’t tell me.”

His aunt inhaled a deep breath. “I’m not surprised. It hurts him to talk about it, especially since he blames himself for Tonya’s death.”

Another surprise revelation. Opal stared at the older woman for a few moments before asking, “Why would he blame himself?”

“Because he was supposed to go with Tonya on that boating trip. He had flown home for a few days to see her, but had skipped the boating trip in order to study for an exam.”

Opal’s heart immediately went out to D’marcus. No wonder he was still hurting, even after six years.

“Now, with you in his life, his uncle and I are hoping that he will move on.”

Opal sighed. She hoped he would move on, as well, but his aunt was wrong in assuming she was in his life for the long haul. She was more in his bed than in his life.

She took another sip of her tea and thought about all that Marie Armstrong had shared with her. She understood D’marcus a little better now and because of it, although she still knew he didn’t love her, her love for him increased at that moment. She would never be able to take Tonya’s place and she wouldn’t think of trying. But just for a little while she would try and make him the extremely happy man that his aunt assumed he was. The extremely happy man he deserved to be.

And, most importantly, she wanted to make him the extremely happy man she loved with all her heart.

“You didn’t say much on the drive back. Are you okay?”

Opal turned toward D’marcus when they entered his home and smiled at him. “Yes, I’m fine.”

A smile touched the corners of his lips. “Then, I guess your reason for not saying much is that my aunt probably talked you to death. I told you she was a talker.”

Yes, she was, but Opal appreciated her tendency to chatter. Otherwise she would not have known as much about D’marcus as she did now. “I’m going to my room to pack.”

Even as she said the words, a sharp pain speared her heart. Getting on that plane and leaving him tomorrow would be hard on her. She knew her emotions were more caught up in this relationship than his, but, at the moment, she couldn’t help herself. Whoever said when you were in love you had the tendency not to think straight certainly knew what they were talking about.

“Do you need my help?” he asked her in a deep, sexy voice. He stood leaning against the living-room doorway staring at her with those intense dark eyes of his. He looked like the perfect male specimen.

Their gazes held and, at that moment, something inside of her seemed to break free. Tomorrow at noon she would be flying back to Detroit on D’marcus’s jet without him. It would be the middle of next week before she saw him again. Five days without looking at his handsome face, tasting his succulent lips, lying in the warmth of his arms. She began to miss him already.

She would think of him every waking moment. She would think of him even when she slept. In other words, every minute of every day. Would he think of her at all?

“Come here, Opal.”

She heard the deep urgency in his voice. She heard the depth of desire in it, as well. Tonight was their last night together for a while and she wanted it to be one that he remembered as much as she did. She was still a novice when it came to making love with a man, but over the past couple of days, D’marcus had taught her a lot, and she intended to use some of those saucy lessons on him now.

She kicked off her shoes as she slowly walked across the room to him, not breaking eye contact. When she got halfway she pulled her blouse over her head and tossed it to the floor. She undid the waistband of her skirt and let it shimmy down her hips to the floor. She smiled when she stood in front of him wearing her black high-cut panties and matching bra.

Opal took a few more steps and then she stopped to remove her bra, tossing it aside, as well. Then, as gracefully as she could, she removed her panties. Instead of dropping them to the floor, she tossed them to D’marcus. He caught them with the proficiency of a skilled football player on the field and held them in his grasp.

She watched as he slipped them in his back pocket. “I think I’ll keep them as a souvenir,” he said in a deep, throaty voice. And then he moved away from the door, slowly walking toward her.

As he moved closer, Opal felt heat flood her entire body, especially the area between her legs. But she stood immobile. Immobile and naked. Naked and hot. Hot and ready.

When he was halfway across the room to her, he stopped and tugged his shirt from the waistband of his jeans. He pulled it over his head and threw it aside. He then kicked his shoes off and Opal watched as his hands went to his fly. Her body tensed with anticipation as he eased it down.

“Do you know you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known?” he whispered, his gaze still on her.

She knew his words weren’t the full truth, but decided she would accept his compliment anyway, as well as provide one of her own. “Thank you, and I think you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever met.” Her words were the full truth.

“If that’s true,” he said, kicking his jeans aside, “you and I make one hell of a couple, don’t we?”

Not a couple, really. More like bed partners. She started to correct him but his briefs caught her attention. Well, not exactly the briefs but definitely the size of his erection. He was undeniably aroused. And, when he removed his briefs, she saw that her eyes hadn’t lied. She smiled, knowing she had been the one to bring him to such a state.

“What are you smiling about?” he asked when he finally stood right in front of her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was thinking about something I would really like to do to you.”

He lifted a dark, sensuous brow. “What?”

“It’s something I’ve never done before,” she said, reaching down and encircling her fingers around his large, thick shaft. When she heard his sharp intake of breath, she proceeded to stroke him, the same way she had stroked the keys on the piano that night. Meticulously and precisely. Her smile widened when he released a groan from deep within his throat.