Slow Seduction (9 page)

Curls:
No, I can handle Principal Kimball by myself.

Stubborn one:
Still I don’t like the ideal of him coming on to my woman.

Curls:
When did I become your woman, Clinton Campbell?

Stubborn one:
The moment you let me kiss you in the hallway. I knew there was no turning back after that. Don’t you want to be my woman?

Curls:
You know how I feel about you. I never cared for any man as deep as I do you.

Stubborn one:
You better remember that when you’re having the meeting tomorrow. He isn’t a bad looking man. He might say something to make you change you mind about me.

Curls:
If your alpha man attitude hasn’t scared me off by now nothing will.

Stubborn one:
Well, that’s good to hear. So, I’ll pick you up at your house around six o’clock.

Curls:
Sounds good to me. Should I wear something casual or a little dressy?

Stubborn one:
Dressy. Sweet dreams, precious.

Curls:
I’ll be ready. Good night, Clinton.

Clinton logged off the computer. He smiled in the dark empty room. He loved how far he had come with Jenisha in the last couple of days. She had bloomed right before his eyes. If he had known a few kisses would have broken down her walls, he would have kissed her fifteen months ago. Jenisha acted like she was tough as nails and without any feelings. But he knew if he stroked her right she would purr in his hands.

Shit, he wanted her so much. He thought he might go crazy from the need. Never has a woman’s laughter made his body ache

Getting up from the chair in his bedroom Clinton walked into the bathroom, turned on the water and splashed his face. Now wasn’t the time to get aroused by thoughts of Jenisha. He still needed to work on the plans for the school. He also had a meeting with Principal Kimball coming up and wanted things to move smoothly with the man. Mark Kimball didn’t seem like a man who tolerated mistakes around him.

Flicking off the lights, Clinton went back into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. He thought about his first date with Jenisha tomorrow and what it would mean.

The next morning inside a diner several miles away from town, Mark Kimball glanced at his watch.
What in the hell was taking them so long?

He wanted to get his plans in motion and quickly as possible. Finding these two had been a dream come true for him. He wanted to get back at that bitch Jenisha so bad and this was a perfect way to do that. His eyes darted around the semi-empty diner at the other customers. But, no one was playing any attention to him back in the corner. He glanced at his watch again and tapped his fingers on the table.

He knew their plane arrived hours ago. He hated to be kept waiting like this. He was a very busy man and didn’t have time for this shit. If they didn’t want to follow through with his scheme they needed to let him know before now. Especially since the first part of his plan was in motion and running smoothly. But, if his dim-witted daughter kept up with her scheme against Jenisha, his wouldn’t work. He would set things straight with Robin right after this meeting, and then it would be time to see the eye-catching Jenisha. His mouth watered at the sight of her body all the time, but he would sacrifice her to Clinton for his ploy to work.

The ringing of the bell above the door opening drew his attention toward the front. Raising his hand, he beckoned two newcomers to join him at the table. They nodded in his direction and headed toward him.

“What took you so long?” he questioned once they were seated at the table.

“Well, we had to find our rental car. That took forever. Then we got lost on the way out here to met you,” the man answered. “After driving around for close to an hour we finally saw the turn off to the restaurant. Why did you want to meet way out here for anyway?”

“I don’t want anyone to know that we know each other, because when Clinton Campbell and Jenisha Roman go down I don’t want it tracked back to me,” Mark snapped at the man. “Doesn’t that make a lot of sense? Does this one know what she’s supposed to do?” he asked pointing to the man’s female conspirator.

The woman looked back at him, but she didn’t say a word.

“Yes, I told her all about it on the airplane and she doesn’t have a problem with it.”

“Good, I love hearing that. I better go. I’ve several appointments today and I don’t want to be late.”

Standing up, Mark tossed some money down on the table. “Here buy the both of yourselves something decent to eat. I know how bad airline food it. Let’s gather here again on Thursday around twelve o’clock. We can have lunch to iron out the last of the plans.” He threw his card down on the table and walked out the door without looking back.

The man picked up the card and he shoved it into the front pocket of his shirt.” I would hate for that man to be the principal at my kid’s school. He’s one crazy bastard.”

Walking into the small café, Jenisha looked around for Principal Kimball. She spotted him sitting in the far corner near a window. Squaring her shoulders, she let out a deep breath and walked over toward him with Clinton’s blueprints in her left hand.

She felt Mark’s heated gaze on her every step of the way. She was beginning to think not letting Clinton come with her was a bad idea after all. She still didn’t know why Mark wanted to meet her instead of him anyway. It wasn’t like she had much to offer about the project right now. Everything was still in its early stages yet.

Finally arriving at the table, she waited while Mark pulled out the chair for her. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I got hung up with a phone call at home.” She sat down and laid her purse on the table.

“Don’t worry about it. I only arrived five minutes ago,” Mark said, retaking his seat across from her. He signaled the waiter to their table. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

“No, t
hank
you I’ve plans later,” Jenisha replied. She waited for Mark to give the waiter his drink order.

“Do I know the guy?” He asked her after the waiter walked away with his order.

She didn’t want to discuss her personal life with Mark. The less he knew about her outside the work place, the better off she was. “If you don’t mind I rather not discuss my personal life with my boss.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you only thought of me as your boss,” Mark snapped.

Jenisha knew it was best to ignore Mark’s outburst. He seemed to feed off confrontations. Reaching down beside her chair, she pulled the blueprints out of the portfolio case she brought with her. “I brought some of the designs for you to take home and look over. If you have any concerns, Mr. Campbell’s phone number and email are on the inside. ” She slid the portfolio across the table to Mark.

“I can’t give you my opinion right now. I need more time to look it over. What time are you free tomorrow?” Mark asked. He tossed the blueprints in the empty chair beside him.

“Principal Kimball, I think it would best if all three of us got together for our next meeting. With Mr. Campbell here next time he’ll able to answer any questions you might have. Plus, it will give you more time to look over the sketches. I know he was waiting to hear back about the building permit.”

Mark shrugged. “Okay, I’ll have Robin check my calendar and we can get something scheduled.”

Well one hurdle down, now here come another one,
Jenisha thought. She knew this might be a hard sell to Principal Kimball, but she would try anyway. “Wonderful. Now, let’s move on to the other topic I wanted to discuss with you.”

“What other topic do we have to discuss, Ms. Roman?”

Jenisha was about to answer when the waiter came back with Mark’s drink. He placed it in front of Mark and walked away. She watched Mark pick up the drink, take a long sip and sit it back down on the table. God, maybe with some liquor in his system it will make him more agreeable, she thought.

Leaning across the table, she said. “I want to take my class on a picnic the last day of school to the park. I know how you feel about money begin spent on extracurricular activities. Therefore, I’ll pay for the food and drinks if you sign the permission slip for the buses.”

“How long do you plan to be gone?” Mark muttered, taking another sip of his drink.

She couldn’t believe he was actually considering signing the permission slips for her. “Well, I wanted to leave around nine o’clock and come back around three o’clock so the children would have enough time to catch the bus or be ready for parent pickup,” she replied. “I know some of the parents said they would volunteer if you agreed to the idea.”

Tapping his fingers against the table, Mark regarded her across the table. Jenisha knew without a doubt if he agreed there was something in it for him. Mark never did anything from the kindness of is heart.

Mark took another sip of his drink and sat it back on the table. Crossing his legs, he smiled at her. “Sure, I’ll be glad to sign the documents for you when we get back from Spring Break. Just bring them down to my office first thing in the morning because I have an appointment later on.”

Jenisha frowned.
What was he up to?
“I’m stunned you agreed.”

“I’m not the monster principal all the staff makes me out to be. I hate to cut our meeting short, but I’ve got to meet my wife for dinner. Do you need me to walk you out?”

“T
hank
you that would be nice,” Jenisha answered. She waited while Mark tossed a tip down on the table for the waiter, then she walked out the door next to him. She wasn’t use to seeing this nicer side of Mark. She didn’t know how to react to him.

The warm night air blew around them as Mark walked beside her to her car parked across the street. She caught a whiff of his cologne. The scent seemed familiar to her, but she just couldn’t place it at the moment. Standing to the side of her, Mark waited while she dug her keys out of her purse.

“You really should have your keys ready before you get to your car,” Mark whispered beside her.

“Clinton has told me the same thing numerous times, but I never remember to do it,” Jenisha replied. She pulled her keys from the bottom of her purse and unlocked the door. Sliding in, she closed the door and pressed the down button for the window. “T
hank
s for walking me back to my car”.

Jenisha pulled out from the curb and then drove down the street. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she noticed that Mark hadn’t move from the spot were she left him.

Parking in her driveway, Jenisha got out of the car and hurried across the grass. She was running late for her date with Clinton, so she really needed to get going. Unlocking the front door, she went inside, slammed the door shut and then locked it behind her. While walking past her answering machine, she pushed the play button. The first two were calls from teachers at school wanting to have a lunch date the following day. The last call was True wanting to know how she was doing. She would call True back tomorrow and discuss plans for a visit around first week of June. The twins’ birthday fell into that weekend and she hadn’t laid eyes on her godsons in months. Picking up the phone, she punched in Clinton’s phone number.

“Hello.”

“How did your meeting go with Mark?”

“Well, it was better than I expected, but Mark is always Mark. A couple of times he asked me some personal questions, but I avoided them.”

“I don’t like you around that man by yourself,” Clinton replied. “I think the next time you meet with him I should be there.”

“You sound like an overprotective boyfriend, Mr. Campbell.”

“If things work out, I’ll be your boyfriend before I return to Connecticut. Jenisha, you already know how much you mean to me. I’m just waiting for you to catch up.”

“I already care for you so much already. It only has to get better and better.”

Lowering his voice, Clinton whispered, “Wear something tonight that shows off those sexy legs of yours. I want to run my hands down them.”

At the mention of her legs Jenisha glanced down at them. She didn’t think they looked all that incredible. “Ummm….since you’ve requested so nicely, maybe I can find something for you. Do you have a favorite color?”

Clinton’s deep chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. “I’ve a weakness for red. I know seeing it on your body will make me very excited.”

She felt drugged by the image of a hard, throbbing Clinton standing in front of her with his arms wrapped around her body. The shock of him fully aroused just for her ran a sense of feminine pride through her body. Would he be so thick that she could see it outlined through his slacks? Damn, she had to get her mind back on the conversation and out off Clinton’s body parts.

Thinking hard, Jenisha remembered a little red dress in the very back of her closet. She had bought it on a whim and never wore it. “I’ll try my best to find something sexy for you tonight, darling.”

“Do you think you can be ready by seven o’clock?”

Jenisha noticed it was five-thirty already, “Yes, I believe I can be dressed by then.”

“Okay, then I’ll see you soon, precious.”

Hanging up the phone, Jenisha rushed into the bathroom. Turning on the tub, she adjusted the water temperature to her liking. Searching for her favorite body wash, she found it in back of the cabinet. She poured a cap full of strawberry milkshake body wash into the tub and left the bathroom. She entered her bedroom and pulled a sinfully short red dress from her closet.

Moving back into the bathroom, she stripped down and got into the tub. After a long, relaxing bath, she climbed out of the tub and wrapped a plush white towel around her body. She strolled from the bathroom back into her bedroom. Standing beside the bed, she looked down at the dress lying on her bed.
I can’t believe I’m getting ready for my first official date with Clinton.
She felt a warm glow start in the pit of her stomach and work its way throughout her body.

I’m finally getting out of my protective shell and living life like other people. I’m not scared of the unknown
. She wasn’t scared about the night ahead of her. Actually, she was looking forward to any surprise Clinton wanted to throw her away. How many other women had a man as sexy as Clinton in love with them?

She glanced at the clock by her bedside and groaned. She had a little over an hour to get ready and she still had to deal with her hair. Dropping the towel, she started pulling herself together for her date. Clinton wouldn’t know what hit him after he got a look of her in this dress. She was going to be his every fantasy come true tonight.

After getting dressed, Jenisha carried her matching red high heels into the living room and sat down on the couch. She wrapped and tied the first strap around her ankle. As her fingers worked with the second strap, the doorbell rang. “Damn he’s early,” she muttered, tying the strap quickly.

Jumping up from the couch, she rushed toward the front door and looked out the peephole. Her heart swelled at the sight of Clinton on the other side holding roses.

Jenisha pressed her head on the door. She wasn’t nervous until she saw him standing on the other side. Blowing a deep breath out of her mouth, she whispered. “God, please don’t let this man break my heart.” Calming the last of her jitters, she swung opened the door to her future.

Clinton’s eyes widened at the vision standing in front of him. Jenisha looked exquisite in the form fitting red halter-neck dress with plunging “V” neckline. He slowly walked into the house and shut the door behind him. “You look breathtaking,” he whispered. “How do you expect me to make eye contact with you wearing a dress like that?”

Tossing the roses on the oak table by the door, Clinton eased Jenisha closer to his body. “Baby, I don’t think I can let you leave the house looking this sinful.”

Jenisha wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her fingers played with the hair at his neck. “Don’t you notice anything else about me?’

“Yes, I notice two very tempting items,” he growled, dropping his eyes down to the cleavage pouring from the top of the dress. It definitely showed more than it covered.

A soft laugh came from Jenisha’s lips, “No, look a little higher.” Male eyes slowly moved up from her chest to her face finally landing at her hair.

“You have your curls back,” he mumbled. Reaching up, he removed the hairpins from the curly mass. She tried to stop him, but he pushed her hands away. “No, I have waited too long for my hands to run through this wonderful, silky, curly hair of yours. Don’t deny me the pleasure now.” Wrapping her arms back around his neck she brushed her body against his.

“Can I at least get a kiss for my efforts?”

Twisting a fistful of hair around his wrist, Clinton backed Jenisha up until her legs hit the back of the couch. Lifting her up, he placed her firm bottom on the arm. Spreading her legs apart, he stepped between them. “I think I can spare a kiss or two.”

Clinton kissed Jenisha slowly at first because he wanted to get reacquainted with the unique taste of her. Little by little, he eased her mouth open with his lips then slid his tongue into the warm, wet haven. Sucking on her tongue, he lifted her off the arm and laid her down in the middle of the couch, covering her with his body. He let go of her mouth and worked his way down her jawline to the sensitive spot below her left ear.

“Please don’t do this to me,” Jenisha begged, running her fingers through his hair. She squirmed underneath his body trying to get closer.

“Do what, precious?” he breathed, nibbling at her ear.

“Make me crave your touch,” she moaned. “Sometimes when you touch me I don’t want you to stop. What have you done to me?”

Moving back from Jenisha’s tempting neck, he stared down in her eyes and saw the desire lurking there. As much as he wanted to make love to her, he didn’t want their first date to be remembered like that. He eased his body away from Jenisha’s and stood up before he changed his mind. She was definitely an alluring sight spread out on the couch like that.

Reaching back down, he brushed a curl away from the corner of her eye. “We need to leave if we’re going to make it to the restaurant on time.”