Slow Seduction (28 page)

“I found out that Miss Roman is going on vacation with her boyfriend and a few friends, so we have time to get the building set up,” Mark told Stephanie and William Griffin. They sat in the café with loud noise that drowned out their conversation. “Without any witnesses, it will be a clean job,” he finished with a laugh.

Stephanie didn’t like this plan at all. Killing a woman they didn’t know wasn’t right or a part of their plan against Clinton. “Mark, I don’t see how killing her will help us make Clinton pay.”

“I agree with my wife,” William added softly since he was scared of Mark.

“Do I have to explain everything to you?” Mark asked. His words were cool as a glass of water. When the Griffins stared back at him with blank expressions he knew that he had to. “I’ll plant something on Clinton, making it seem like he set the fire without knowing his precious girlfriend was on the inside. He’ll get sent off for arson and murder.”

Stephanie glanced at her husband, sort of pleased with Mark’s plan. However, she still didn’t want an innocent woman to die for nothing. “Does Jenisha have to die? Can’t you just set the fire and frame Clinton for it?”

“No,” Mark screamed. Several heads looked in their direction. “It’s my plan and everything will go as planned, or you can forget it,” he said, lowering his voice.

“Fine, we’ll do it your way,” William agreed.

“Good, I’m so happy you saw the light. If you hadn’t, Jenisha would have had two additional friends in that fire.”

The Griffins’ eyes widened with shock at Mark’s announcement. “Oh, you didn’t think I would let you two ruin my plan, did you? Hell, I have been working on this ever since Dalton got sent away, and nothing is going to stop me from helping my baby brother.” Tossing back the last of his coffee, Mark smiled at the Griffins and left the café, whistling a contented tune.

William rubbed his left temple which had started to throb halfway into the conversation. “Stephanie, what have we gotten ourselves into? I never thought our little plan of revenge would go this far. Mark is just as crazy as his brother and he scares the hell out of me. After all this is over, I say we take all our money and leave the country.”

Stephanie looked at her husband long and hard. “I think we should have done that in the first place. I regret the day I met Mark Kimball. He hasn’t done anything but ruin our lives. Let’s pray we can pull this off and leave him in the past,” she answered, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

Relaxing in the doorway, Jenisha and True watched their two gorgeous men drive off. “Don’t you wonder what they are up to?” Jenisha asked.

“I gave up a long time ago trying to figure out Hayward and his surprises,” True answered. “Just let them have this and we can have a fun on our own.”

“I think Clinton needed a guy to talk with about the marriage thing,” Jenisha replied, shutting the door softly. “Do you think he’s already getting cold feet?”

True pulled her away from the door and over to the couch. “Hell, girl, I think he would marry you tomorrow if you let him. I can’t understand how he got all this planned so quickly without you knowing a thing.” She pushed Jenisha down and sat beside her. “He is one special man, and just think I was the one who found him for you,” True said, tapping her finger on her chest.

Jenisha hit her best friend on the head with a pillow. “Okay, you can stop all the bragging now. I don’t want to hear about it anymore.”

“Oh, come on I think I earned a little more bragging rights than you are giving me,” True pouted.

Jenisha got very quiet and studied True. “I didn’t tell him,” she blurted out.

True stopped talking and gawked at her, “Didn’t tell him what…Jenisha?”

“Don’t make me say it,” she mumbled, looking down at her hands away from the steady gaze of her best friend. “You know what I’m talking about.”

“Jenisha, you need to tell Clinton and the sooner the better.” True touched her chin, making her look back up at her.

“I won’t do it and lose him,” she argued, jerking her chin away as a chill settled over her body. True had lost her mind. If she told Clinton about her infertility problem this close to the wedding she would lose him. She had learned her lesson with Keith.

“You can’t understand the pain of a man leaving you because you can’t have children,” she whispered, rubbing her cold arms.

“I think you’re making a mammoth mistake here,” True countered. “You can’t begin a marriage with a lie and you know that. Clinton loves you and he will understand if you are honest with him now in the beginning. Please, don’t wait and let him find out at the wrong time. He may never get over the pain of the lie.”

Jenisha understood what True was telling her and she wanted to tell Clinton the truth so badly, but dread kept her from doing it. “True, I have made my decision and I’m sticking to it.”

“I hope you know what you are doing,” True whispered, touching her lightly on the arm.

“Clinton, how does it feel to be an engaged man?” Hayward asked, taking a sip of his beer.

Clinton opened his beer and took a long sip before answering. “I have never felt better in my life. I thought Jenisha might say ‘no’ at the last minute. You should have seen the look on her face.”

“Man, Jenisha is so in love with you. I’m surprised she didn’t ask you to marry her,” Hayward said, chuckling.

“I would have said ‘yes’ before she finished asking me,” he confessed. Hell, he would have taken Jenisha any way he could have gotten her.

“You are really in love, aren’t you big brother?” Hayward uttered, holding his beer halfway to his mouth.

“Jenisha is everything to me,” Clinton admitted softly.

Hayward knew the exact emotions he was feeling. He felt them every time True smiled at him or he looked at her with their children.

Sobering up, Clinton took another sip of his beer. “Hayward, I want to run an idea past you.”

“Sure, what is it?” his brother asked, sitting his half-empty beer on the table as the latest pop sound blared around them in the club.

“I want to expand the business to Los Angeles and Florida.”

Leaning forward, Hayward stared at him. “I can understand Los Angeles, but why Florida?”

“Dave wants to move up in the business and he’s taking college business classes along with computer classes. After he graduates I thought I would let him have a trial run with a smaller Campbell Construction and Design in Florida. I think it might boost his confidence.”

Hayward sat back on the couch, studying his brother for several minutes before answering. “Clinton, I think it’s a wonderful idea. We can discuss it more after the wedding.”

“Great. Dave is in Florida right now taking care of a personal problem and he’ll be back a week after us to check on the supplies. I’ll talk to him then.”

“Sounds good to me,” Hayward said.

“Do you think the ladies are missing us right now?” Clinton asked. He was missing Jenisha like no one could imagine.

Hayward knew his wife. She probably brought Jenisha out at a strip club or something wild like that. “If I know my wife like I think I do, she probably has Jenisha at a strip club.”

“You don’t really think that, that do you?” he questioned. Clinton didn’t like the idea of Jenisha running her hands down another man’s sweaty body. “Maybe we need to make a surprise visit over there.”

“Clinton, calm down. I was just kidding with you. Tell me what you want at your bachelor party.

Laughing, Clinton said, “All right, I believe you and I don’t need anything for my bachelor party. I just want to marry the woman I love.”

Hayward rolled his eyes. “God, I can’t stand a man in love.”

“It wasn’t too long ago I remember another man who was in love worse than I am,” Clinton commented.

“Guilty as charged,” Hayward said, holding up his beer and tapping it against Clinton’s. They got quiet as they thought about how much their lives had changed since two stunning, intelligent women stole their hearts and changed their lives forever. Neither man could wait until the next day so they could spend time with their women.

The Pier Hotel Resort and Caribbean Spa Hotel was so breathtaking that Jenisha couldn’t believe her eyes. The hotel possessed a fantastic view of the beach along with the ocean. True stood beside her, transfixed by the tropical garden. “Jenisha, do you see how gorgeous this place is?” she asked.

“I know. There’s so much to take in,” Jenisha added.

She waited next to True while their men were getting the keys to their rooms. Jenisha still couldn’t believe they were about to get rooms in this place during the summer rush. It was like a dream come true to be here with the man she loved.

“Come on, ladies, lets go to our rooms,” Clinton muttered behind her.

Jenisha looked at Clinton, wondering how they would sleep in the same bed without making love. It was already so had to resist his sexy body. To lie beside his muscular form and not touch it would be sheer torture.

“Hey, Jenisha aren’t you coming?” Clinton yelled a few feet in front of her, carrying her suitcase.

“I’ll be right there, sweetheart,” Jenisha muttered, embarrassed. She hadn’t noticed that everyone had walked ahead of her while she had been day dreaming. She hurried up and went around Clinton so she could walk with True.

Two tall, attractive black men coming from the swimming pool area stopped and stared at Jenisha and True. They didn’t even notice the appraisal, but Clinton and Hayward did. It made them move closer to their women, showing they were already taken. After getting the hint, the men walked away, mumbling under their breath.

True looked at Hayward then behind her. “Honey, what are you doing?”

“Nothing at all,” he answered, wrapping his arm around her waist. True knew he wasn’t telling the truth, but she didn’t say a word.

Clinton grabbed Jenisha’s hand because he needed to touch her. “I love you,” he whispered.

Smiling at him, Jenisha replied, “I love you too, baby.”

Clinton enjoyed being in the company of his family and his fiancée as he walked to their rooms. He couldn’t think of a better way to start his vacation. Finally, they arrived at their room which was right beside his brother and True.

Standing in the hallway, he waited for Hayward to unlock his door. After it was open, Hayward went into his room and tugged True in after him. “How about we meet up later?” he asked.

Clinton smiled at his brother. He didn’t even have to guess what was on Hayward’s mind. “Sure, whenever you are ready will be fine with us.”

“T
hank
s,” Hayward answered, shutting the door with a stunned True behind him.

Inside the cool, beautiful room, Hayward started to undo his shirt and tossed it into a chair. “True, why don’t you come closer so I can kiss you.”

True folded her arms over her chest. “How could you do that? Let Clinton know we are going to make love?”

“Baby, if he’s smart he trying the same moves on Jenisha right now,” he said before yanking his gorgeous wife into his arms for a wet kiss.

In the room next door, Clinton was trying to find a way to fight of Jenisha’s sexy, salmon-colored dress with it’s deep v-neck. Plus, the sinful perfume on her body wasn’t helping his condition any either. He went to stand in the middle of the room away from her.

“Clinton, what’s wrong?” she asked, walking seductively toward him.

“Uh…nothing at all,” he answered swallowed down the lump in his throat.
Stay there. Please don’t come any closer.

“Then why are you moving away when I move closer?”

He stood still to show he wasn’t bothered by her presence. Jenisha licked her bottom lip and stood in front of his heated body pressing hers closer. “Why don’t we find something fun to do?”

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, playing with a button on his shirt, “something that involves little clothes as possible.” Slowly, she undid the buttons on his shirt and pushed it off him.

“Mmmm…I do love your chest hair,” Jenisha moaned, running her nails down his chest, stopping at his belt.

Clinton grabbed her hands and moved them away from his body. “No, we are going to wait until our wedding night.”

“Why?” Jenisha pouted. “I think we should practice until the wedding night, so it will be perfect.” Standing on tiptoes, she nibbled at his jaw.

Letting go of her wrists, Clinton shoved his hands into her thick curls. “Why must you tempt me like this, precious? I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”

“Handsome, a true gentleman would stop this ache and make love to me. It’s been almost a week and I can’t stand it any longer,” Jenisha complained. “Don’t you want me anymore,” she asked.

Easing his hand from her head, Clinton grabbed her waist, moving her hips against his. “Does this feel like I don’t want you?”

Jenisha’s eyes closed in pleasure. “No. So, let’s not waste it,” she said, kissing him.

I did try my best,
Clinton thought to himself before lifting her into his arms.