Love Me Now (11 page)

“No way,” Shelly said. “What happened to all your big talk? You wanted to get to him, so here's your opportunity.”

“Shelly, come on, get rid of him. I'm not ready. Just tell him that I'm out for the rest of the week.”

“Look, go out there and take care of that man.”

“Shelly—”

“Don't ‘Shelly' me, girl, you are seriously overdue when it comes to getting your groove on.”

“This isn't up for debate, and for your information I am just fine when it comes to getting my groove on.” Shelly gave her the look. “Okay, fine, maybe not. But this is not the time to have this discussion. Get rid of him.”

“Just go out there,” Shelly said.

“No. I can't. I'm not ready, I need to think this through,” she whispered.

“See, that's what your problem is, you think too much,” Shelly said. Kenya peeked out again. This time Shelly pushed her farther out and closed the door. “Shelly, you are so dead,” Kenya threatened.

Trey turned. “Ah, there you are. I was beginning to think you were standing me up.”

“Standing you up? What are you talking about? What are you doing here?” she asked as she walked farther out into the front of the shop. She smiled when she saw the twins standing beside him, each holding an animal cracker in their hands.

“Mamma Lou is on her way over and I—”

Kenya walked over to the counter and grabbed tissues from the box. She turned. “I thought you were going to take care of that?”

“Well, obviously I didn't. Besides, weren't you the one who didn't want me to lie to a sweet old lady?”
“That was before,” she said, smiling at Jonathan and Johanna as she knelt down and wiped their faces and hands. She looked up at him.

“Before what?” he asked, penetrating into her eyes.

“Never mind,” she said, looking away quickly to focus on the twins again. Her stomach quivered. Looking into his eyes was detrimental to her senses.

“Look, all you have to do is pretend for a few hours.”

“No,” she said and stood up quickly. “I can't.”

“Why not? You had no problem with it this morning,” Trey asked, reaching down to pick up Johanna.

“That was this morning. Things changed,” she said.

“What changed?” he asked as Johanna reached out for her. Kenya smiled and shook her hand playfully.

“This isn't my problem, I have work to do, and I can't do it with you here. So I'm sure you can find your way out?” She turned to leave.

“That's not very hospitable, Kenya,” Trey said as he sat Johanna back down on the floor next to Jonathan.

“I don't feel like being very hospitable, Trey,” she said sternly.

“Ah, come on, you'd throw two adorable children out on the street?” Trey said as he lowered his bottom lip to pout.

Kenya smiled even though she didn't want to. “I've seen your house, remember? You're not exactly destitute. Bye.”

“Hi, again,” Shelly said, walking over with a stuffed animal in her hand. “Shelly Turner. I'm Kenya's partner.”

“Sorry, Shelly, this is Trey Evans,” Kenya said.

They shook hands. “I've heard a lot about you.”

“It's a pleasure meeting you, Shelly. Gross exaggerations, don't believe everything you hear,” he said, looking directly at Kenya.

“Funny, that's exactly what I always say. A pleasure meeting you, too, Trey.”

“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you.”

“Listen, do you mind if I show the children our kids' corner? It's just over there. It's enclosed with dozens of toys. I'm interested to see which toys are more entertaining. Call it a focus group survey.”

“That won't be necessary, Shelly. Trey and the twins were just leaving and so were you, remember?”

“Oh, I can hang around awhile longer, no problem.”

“Of course, Shelly. I think Johanna and Jonathan would be happy to participate in your focus group.” Trey handed Shelly the small box of animal crackers.

Shelly leaned down and took each little hand. “It'll give you two a chance to talk privately,” she whispered as they walked away.

“Thanks, Shelly,” Kenya hissed through gritted teeth. Kenya turned to leave, as well.

“You're just gonna walk away and leave me like this. Isn't there something I can do to persuade you?”

Kenya turned and smiled. She decided to put everything on the table. “Let's cut to the chase, shall we? You obviously know who I am by now. So let's not insult each other's intelligence. You also know what I want from you.”

Trey smiled—her directness was refreshing. He liked it. “I do.”

“Good, we have that straight. So what are we going to do about it?” she asked.

Trey smiled. “We're both businesspeople. I suggest we come to an amicable understanding.”

“Agreed. Give my father back his company, give him back his money and—”

“I'm afraid I can't do that,” he interrupted.

“—I won't go to the SEC. End of understanding.”

Trey laughed. Her outrageous request and threat took him
off guard. He was right—she was definitely going to be interesting. “I think maybe we can do better than that. What happened to negotiating?”

“That was negotiating,” she informed him.

“Middle ground,” he offered.

“There is no middle ground.”

“There's always a middle ground.”

“Not with me,” she said firmly.

“I do enjoy a challenge,” he stated, smiling.

“As do I,” she replied.

“Okay, show of good faith. Help me out this evening and we'll discuss the matter in detail.”

“My position would be firmer if I didn't, and we discussed the matter now.” She smiled, deciding to take advantage of his need for her cooperation.

“I could come clean and you'd have no position at all,” he countered.

Kenya bristled. He'd called her bluff. She turned to walk away.

Trey reached out and took her hand. “Kenya, I need you,” he whispered softly. “Please.”

She stopped, not because he held her hand, but because she felt his desperation. She wasn't sure if it was real or not. But for the time being, it put her on top again. It was Economics 101, supply and demand. He wanted something from her that only she could provide. Maybe this was her perfect in. Maybe there was a way to get what she wanted. She turned to him and smiled. “It's gonna cost you.”

Trey returned her smile; the idea intrigued him. He also noted something had most definitely changed about her attitude. “Exactly what do I get for this cost?”

“Exactly what you asked for,” she said. “My time.”

“Fair enough. How much?”

“Two thousand, five-hundred fifty dollars,” she said quickly before she lost her nerve.

“You're joking, right?”

“Do I look like I'm joking? I'm a businesswoman.”

“Exactly what kind of business are you offering?”

“Look, my time is valuable. I'm sure you charge an exorbitant amount for your time, as well. Mine is just as important. If you want me to play nice this evening, then fine, two thousand, five-hundred fifty dollars is the price.” He smiled as he considered her offer. “Tick tock, better hurry up,” she said, smiling knowingly.

Trey didn't have to consider her offer. He knew he'd accept it. It wasn't the money or Mamma Lou's matchmaking this time that prompted his decision. It was the growing interest in a woman who obviously thought she played the game as well as him. What gave him pause was what she thought she was doing.

But he needed to be careful. Dumb luck. There was no set name for a novice chess player checkmating a master, or a seasoned fighter being knocked out by an amateur. But it happened. Her father was proof of that.

“So what do you think you know about me, Kenya?”

She smiled. There was a connection building. She knew they both felt it. “Quite a bit actually. You have a way of making news.”

“That's unavoidable in my line of work,” he offered.

“Ah, but it was your personal life that I found much more interesting—the parties, the women, the parties, the women. Shall I continue? It was a very detailed file.”

“Let me guess, the Internet.”

“That was one source. You like to play by your own rules.”

“I play by the rules that were in place long before I came along.”

“So you're saying that everything they say and what's
written in the press—the Iceman, coldhearted businessman, bachelor playboy…that not you?”

“Some of it is, some of it isn't. But that's not all there is to me. The rest you'll have to find out for yourself,” he said softly, moving closer.

“I don't deal with bad-boys who have Peter Pan complexes. Been there, done that, never again. So you can save the charm thing. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not feeling it.”

“You did this morning,” he whispered.

She knew he was talking about her reaction to the kiss. She looked up at him. The depth in his eyes went straight through her. An overwhelming swell of heat began to generate deep inside her body. Her heart thundered and her stomach fluttered. She was on the verge of backing away, but then she caught herself. “Don't flatter yourself, Trey, I've been kissed before. You kissing me was really no big deal.”

“Ah, but I think it was. There was something about the look in your eyes afterward. You see, that's my business, I read people. My job is to know and study tells. Like poker, it's not always what people say that's important.”

He was obviously trying to bait her again. But unlike this morning, now she was prepared. She took a deep breath, then let it out, slow and easy. He wasn't going to do this to her again. She knew his game and she intended to play to win. There was no shyness or hesitation in her, not this time. She was ready for him. “So what am I saying now?” she asked.

“I'd say right now, you were bluffing.”

“Is that right? Are you certain?” she asked, arching her brow. He nodded with assurance. She smirked. The idea of getting him back and beating him at his own game hit her instantly. On impulse, before a second passed, she leaned in quickly and kissed him.

As their lips met, an explosion of passion erupted. The kiss
was force meeting force. Her hands reached up to hold his neck firmly in place. He leaned back against the counter and she molded her body against him. She felt his body respond in needful earnestness. He had something she wanted and she intended to get it. She opened her mouth to him, leading him exactly where she wanted him to go. He followed willingly.

When the kiss ended, she remained pressed against him and looked boldly into his eyes. His stunned bewilderment amused her. She had taken him by surprise just as he'd done to her earlier that day.

“How does it feel to not be so sure of yourself?” she asked. He laughed and nodded. “Seems you're not as good as you think you are.” She moved to step back. He instantly pulled her back against his body, locking her in place with his strong arms. She felt the hardness of his desire reach out to her. She liked the sensation.

“Actually I am,” he said, feeling her shudder.

“Do you ever get tired of being so sure of yourself?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

“You like doing this, don't you?” she asked.

“What, this…? This is just playful banter,” he said, loosening his grip on her body.

“Aw, now you're taking the fun out of this,” she said. “It's not banter.”

“And what would you call this?” he asked.

“This would be called foreplay, so I guess you'd better take notes.” His eyes sparked. Kenya nearly shivered as the words left her mouth. She knew exactly what she was saying. She just hoped she knew what she was doing.

“I stand corrected,” he said, licking his lips, tasting her again. The lights dimmed, then brightened, then fluttered. They looked up. “What was that?” he asked.

“That was a two-thousand-five-hundred-fifty-dollar invoice.”

“Ah, so that's why you want the money,” he said, releasing her fully.

She took a step back. “Yes, that's why I want the money.”

“Check, cash or credit card?” he asked.

“Cash,” she said. He pulled out his wallet and gave her the money. “Thanks.” She took the money and put it in her jeans pocket. “Okay, Trey, for the next three hours, I'm all yours. So this is your party. When do we start?”

Trey glanced up to see Louise Gates looking up at the address. “I'd say now is as good a time as any.” He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her. Just as her mind was turning to mush, he stopped and smiled. “We're on.”