Craving Temptation (7 page)

“You don't understand, Amina, and I do not believe you are trying to understand. I know that your life was very different when you were living with your mother and I know this is a big change for you but I expect you to do better. There will be obedience in my home and I will not be disrespected.”

“But, Father, I didn't—”

Nasser cut her off a second time. He shook his head as he continued. “I believe that I have given you far too much responsibility with my campaign. My expectations are too great, especially since there is much you still need to be learning about Islam and our beliefs and values. I've asked Basil to step in as co-campaign manager to assist you.”

Amina bristled. “But I don't need Basil's help! I am perfectly capable of running this campaign, Father.”

Her father nodded. “No, you don't. You are very capable. But I do think you need you brother's support. This position has demands on your time that would be better served by a man. A woman should not be keeping such late hours. For certain situations it is more appropriate for Basil to step in and support you.”

The man paused to take a breath, leaning forward in his seat as he did. “You need to trust me on this. A father does know best and this is for the best. I expect that you will try to spend more time with your sister. You can both be great influences on each other. It's time you started thinking about marriage and a family of your own; preparing yourself to be a good wife. Rasheeda can help you with that.”

“And what can I help Rasheeda with?” Amina asked, her tone slightly sarcastic as she met his stern gaze with one of her own.

Nasser's jaw tightened. He took his own breath and held it before speaking. “Rasheeda has been sheltered here with me and your brother for far too long. I think you can help her blossom; to realize her full potential. You can help her realize some of her dreams; to become as accomplished as you've become.”

Amina dropped her gaze to the floor as she nodded.

Nasser smiled. “I am not your enemy, Daughter. I only want the very best for you. I hope you know that.”

“I do, Father.”

Rising from his seat Nasser moved to Amina's side. He gripped her face between his two palms and gently kissed her forehead. “We're having family dinner tomorrow. Please, be punctual. Company will be joining us.”

Amina nodded once again. “Yes, Father.”

He kissed her one last time then moved toward the door. “Good night, Amina. Sleep well, child.”

“Good night, Father.”

 

 

Upstairs, Rasheeda was sitting up, a paperback book nestled against her lap. When Amina entered the room, the girl jumped, not expecting that anyone would have caught her awake when she should have been asleep. She shoved the book in her hand beneath the pillows, pulling the covers up to her chin.

“It's just me,” Amina said. “I didn't mean to scare you.”

Rasheeda shrugged. “I wasn't scared.”

Her sister smiled. She moved to Rasheeda's side and pulled the paperback from its hiding spot. A pretty couple in a seductive pose graced the cover. The book's titillating title indicated it was an erotic romance. She tossed Rasheeda a smile. “I haven't read this one. Is it good?”

Rasheeda took the book from Amina's hand and pushed it back between the covers. “You read romances?”

Amina nodded. “I do.”

She moved back to her side of the room and searched through a backpack on the table. She pulled her electronic book reader from an inside flap. Crossing back across the room she dropped down onto the bed beside Rasheeda and passed the device to her sister.

“I probably have a few hundred titles loaded on this thing. I have them sorted by sensuality level. Some are really sweet and then there are some that are really heated. Those are in the folder labeled with the five Xs,” she said.

Rasheeda pressed the power button as she tossed Amina a quick look. “It's asking for a password,” she said, dropping her gaze back to the device.

Amina shared the six-digit code that allowed access. “Keep it to yourself, please. If you push the power button again the screen will go black and you'll have to enter the password again to turn it back on. It keeps people from accidentally seeing what you're reading.”

“And I can borrow it?” Rasheeda asked.

“You can have it,” Amina responded.

Neither woman said another word as Rasheeda flipped through the device's contents, a full smile pulling at her mouth. Amina stripped out of her clothes and stepped into her nightgown. She dropped down against her own bed, closing her eyes as she thought back to her day.

Her lips still burned hot from the kiss she and Troy had shared. She could still taste him and as she licked her lips she found herself wishing their night had never ended. Troy had made her happier than she could ever remember being. He liked her and had wanted her and he hadn't been afraid to tell her so. Troy had been open and honest and had no qualms about opening himself up to her.

Rasheeda's alto voice broke through the quiet. “Did Father ask where you were so late?”

Sitting up, Amina met her sister's curious stare. She shook her head. “No.”

“He probably knew you would lie.”

Amina shrugged. “Then again he might have known that I would have told him the truth.”

Rasheeda pondered the response for a moment then laughed. Her gaiety made Amina smile. “Did you have a nice time with your friend?” Rasheeda asked when she'd regained her composure.

“I did. I had a really great time.”

“Don't let Father or Basil find out,” Rasheeda said.

“I won't tell if you don't.”

Rasheeda smiled back. She waved her romance novel in Amina's direction. “I'll keep your secret if you keep mine.”

The two sisters laughed, understanding sweeping between them. From the nightstand Amina's cell phone chimed, the unit vibrating harshly against the hardwood. Amina grabbed it, silencing it as quickly as she could.

Rasheeda jumped from the bed.

“What's wrong?” Amina asked, her voice dropping to a loud whisper.

“I need to pee before you lock yourself in the bathroom!”

Amina laughed. “Hurry up!” she said.

Troy only had time for one quick cup of coffee and a pecan Danish. He had taken a seat at the corner table and was previewing his schedule on his iPad when Quentin made his way over and took a chair by his brother's side.

“Good morning.”

Quentin nodded. “How are you doing this morning?”

Troy shrugged. “I didn't sleep well.”

“Company in the bed will do that to a man.”

Troy chuckled. “I wish that had been my problem.”

Quentin took a sip of coffee from his own cup. “How'd your date go? You two were back fairly early, weren't you?”

Troy nodded. “Amina is living with her daddy,” he said, his tone sarcastic.

Quentin laughed. “We remember those days, don't we? Pop was a stickler about the hours we came in and went out in his house. Even after we were grown.”

“That's why we both purchased our own homes, remember that?”

His brother nodded. “So, why didn't you get enough sleep?”

Troy shrugged, not having the words to tell Quentin everything he might have wanted to share with him. He was grateful when one of the staff suddenly called for Quentin's help back in the kitchen.

Troy thought back to the previous night. Dinner had been amazing. He couldn't remember ever having that much fun on any date. But then Troy had never done a lot of dating. There had been a few women who'd briefly captured his attention but no one who'd been able to hold it for any length of time. There was something about Amina though that had his full attention on lock.

He hadn't known what to expect when their evening had started. But he had never expected that he'd be wanting Amina as badly as he found himself wanting the woman. His desire for her had been consuming, simmering on a low burn until he found himself so heated that he felt like he would combust from the inside out. Leaving her had been the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

That first kiss had been monumental. She'd been too sweet and he had felt an addiction for her rising with a vengeance. She'd left him weak, and wanting, and none of it made an ounce of sense to him.

He'd kissed her one last time before she'd knocked on the back door for his sister-in-law's attention. When Harper had answered he'd wished both women a good night and had gone on his way. He'd been afraid to follow her inside. Troy knew that if he had stepped into the home behind her he would never have been able to let her go. That knowledge disturbed him more than he was willing to admit. He blew a deep sigh.

It had taken him almost two hours to regain a semblance of control over his emotions and his body. He had resisted calling her but dialed her number, his want like an addiction causing him to need to hear her voice one more time. Frustration had tainted the conversation. Amina had been frustrated as she'd told him about her conversation with her father. They'd talked into the early morning hours and Troy had wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms to take her hurt away. He had wanted to protect her, to assure her that he would make everything well. All he could think of was having her with him, by his side, and then he'd felt selfish for even having had those thoughts. It disturbed him because Troy had never been a selfish man, but wanting Amina had him thinking of very little else.

Shaking the thoughts from his head Troy tossed back the last drops of caffeine in his cup and stood up. He had a full schedule ahead of him and couldn't afford to be late to his first meeting. He also had to be focused and after the sleepless night he'd had, he was finding that harder and harder to do.

 

 

Amina had been at the campaign headquarters for most of the morning by the time her brother found his way there. Her father and Rasheeda were attending a benefit lunch and Amina welcomed the opportunity to talk with her brother alone.

“Glad you could join us,” she said flippantly.

“I'm a busy man, little girl. What's the problem?”

She shook her head unable to mask her annoyance. “First, don't call me little girl. Ever! And what were you busy doing? What is more important right now than this election?”

Basil narrowed his gaze. “Who are you to question a man's business?”

She met the stare he was giving her, her own eyes the thinnest of slits. “Don't test me, Basil. You will lose this fight. I promise you. Now, we have a job to do and I fully expect you to hold up your end of that responsibility. This has nothing to do with your manhood or me being a woman. Nothing at all.”

Basil crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned back against the wall and stared at her. “I'm going to let your insolence pass this time but only because I'm in a very good mood. Now, exactly what is it that I missed?”

Amina gave him a harsh stare before bothering to respond. “Have you read this morning's newspaper?”

“No, should I have?”

“The
Memphis Daily News
shows Father behind in the polls. They also gave their endorsement to Troy Elliott. Mr. Elliott also got an official endorsement from the governor, the lieutenant governor, the Memphis Education Association, and the Memphis Urban League.”

“That's not good.”

“No, Basil. That's not good. Not if Father hopes to win.”

“So what do we do now?”

“I've arranged for Father to speak at the Students for Change event next week. Father really needs to appeal to the young voters.”

Basil nodded. “I also think we should set up a debate or two with Father and the other candidates. Put him front and center in the public eye.”

“I don't know if that's a good idea. Not yet.”

“Well, I disagree. So make it happen.” Basil turned to leave. He was halfway across the room before he suddenly turned back around to face her. “Hey, I need some legal work from you.”

Amina took a deep breath. “What kind of legal work?”

“I did business with a man named Dwayne Porter a while back and—”

“Dwayne Porter?” The color drained from Amina's face and she felt her eye begin to twitch.

“Yeah, he's a local businessman and . . . what's wrong with you? You look like you just saw a ghost!”

Amina shook her head. “Nothing. Go on,” she said, gesturing with her hand.

Basil tossed her a curious look. “Anyway, rumor had it that Porter was trying to acquire some property down on Beale Street last year. There's an eatery or something there now. But something changed his mind. I did a little digging and it seems the city is about to make some ordinance changes that will make that property worth three times its current value.”

“Has this ordinance been voted on already?”

Basil smiled. “Let's just say that once Father gets into office it'll be on the table for consideration.”

“And you know this how?”

“Let's just say I have an inside track.”

“What kind of inside track?”

“I have a friend in the city planning office. She tells me things.”

Amina shook her head. “What are you up to, Basil?”

“I want that property from the corner of Beale Street, down Front Street all the way to Peabody Place. Once Father's in office and the ordinance passes I'm going to be a very rich man.”

“Your goals are lofty, Basil, but really? If the owner isn't willing to sell, how do you propose to acquire that property?”

He tossed her a wink of his eye. “I already hold the titles to a good portion of land in that area. I just need that final piece of the pie.” Basil stole a quick glance toward the clock. “I have to run. We'll discuss it more at dinner.”

As her brother walked away Amina shook her head. If she hadn't been sure before, she was definitely certain of it now. Basil had completely lost his chauvinistic mind.

 

 

Amina glanced quickly at the clock on the wall. Minutes ago she'd been early and now Troy was running late. Stealing away to German town to meet him had involved a little white lie to her father and a thirty-minute drive away from prying eyes. It was as far as their limited time would allow.

Amina couldn't stop thinking that her agreeing to meet Troy was a mistake. She knew that she was playing with fire and she was suddenly afraid that she might get burned if things didn't work out. But she liked him. She liked him a lot even if it did mean stealing away to spend time with him.

As he made his way into Java Café, moving to the back table where she sat, every one of her concerns was washed away by his smile. Troy stole his own quick glance around the room before he leaned to kiss her cheek, his lips warm and gentle against her skin.

“I missed you,” Troy said as he settled himself against the seat next to her.

She beamed. “I missed you, too!”

“How's your day going?”

“Busy. How about yours?”

“Busier.” Troy took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly. He gestured for the waiter and when the young man moved to their side, he ordered two cups of coffee and two chocolate chip scones.

When the young man had served their order and was out of earshot, Amina said, “I was surprised to get your text.”

Troy nodded as he swallowed the first bite of his pastry. “I was surprised I sent it. But I wanted to see you.” His eyes brushed hers for a brief moment before he lowered his gaze to the table. He suddenly didn't have the words to tell her that talking to her in the late-night hours was no longer enough for him. That he was desperate to lay eyes on her, if only for a brief moment. “I just
needed
to see you,” he finally said, lifting his gaze back to hers.

A moment of understanding seemed to pass between them, volumes spoken without one word being uttered. Amina smiled. She extended her hand to brush crumbs from his top lip, her fingers lingering against his cheek for a second longer than necessary.

“We have exactly thirty minutes,” Amina said as she tossed a second glance toward that clock. “I have to make it home on time.”

Troy nodded. “Fine and the only subject we cannot talk about is the campaign. Agreed?”

“Agreed. So tell me something I don't know about you, Mr. Elliott.”

Troy smiled. “Something you don't know . . .” He pondered her question briefly. “I think I've told you everything about myself.”

“I'm sure there's something. Think harder.”

He took a breath and another bite of his snack. “I have a passion for airplanes. I love everything to do with aeronautics. In another life I would have been a pilot.”

“Why not this life?”

“Because I'm afraid of heights.”

Amina laughed. “Really? I can't imagine you being afraid of anything.”

“So, what would your career choice have been in another life?”

“I'd have been a high-fashion model. I'd also be twelve inches taller.”

Troy nodded. “I could see you walking the catwalk.”

She giggled ever so slightly. “But I love being an attorney and I especially enjoy the work I've done in Atlanta to help the community. Eventually I hope to do more of that here.”

“I eventually hope to make a senate run. I'm hoping you'll be available to run that campaign.”

“What about your buddy Mike?”

“I love Mike but even he says you're the best.”

“He's being kind.”

“Tell me about your brother and sister. I'd like to meet them someday.”

“I'm having a really hard time connecting with the two of them. Basil is just mean-spirited and ill-tempered. And Rasheeda . . . well, she's her father's daughter. It's hard to get past that but we're working on it.”

“Keep trying. Family is important. I don't know where I would be if I didn't have Quentin and Harper.”

Troy reached across the table for her hand, his fingers entwining with hers. Touching her felt good, warm and tender. Amina pulled his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers, her touch endearing. He slid his palm along her jawline, resting it against her cheek. He met the look she was giving him, joy shimmering in her stare. Her smile was wide and in that moment he would have given anything to have lingered beneath it forever.

 

 

Not only was she on time for family dinner but Amina was early enough to give her sister a hand with the evening's meal. The two women were actually having a good time together and Amina vowed to make more of an effort to spend time with the young woman.

They were sharing a laugh when the front bell rang and they heard Basil open the door to greet their company. Nasser's voice rang out warmly, the man's exuberant greeting moving the two women to toss each other a curious look.

“Who's eating with us?” Amina questioned.

Rasheeda shrugged her narrow shoulders. “I don't know. Father just said to set three extra places.”

“I'm going to go see and say hello,” Amina said.

Rasheeda shook her head. “You should wait until Father calls for us. Trust me. We'll have a better evening that way.”

“Don't all these rules get on your nerves?” Amina asked as she shook salt and pepper into the mixed vegetables.

Rasheeda smiled, the faintest lift to her mouth. She didn't bother to answer.

Amina shook her head. “Well, I know they get on my nerves,” she said.

Rasheeda laughed as she moved to her sister's side. She passed her a stack of china plates. “It really isn't so bad, Amina. Now go set the dinner table, please.”

Amina gave Rasheeda a look, then both women burst out laughing. Minutes later the table was set and the platters were filled with food, ready to be served. Rasheeda seemed happy with the presentation so Amina was happy too. As if on cue, Nasser peeked into the room.

“Amina, there is someone I want you to meet,” he said, gesturing for her to follow behind him.

Just as Amina reached the door Rasheeda called her name. The young woman gestured with her hand, passing her palm and fingers in front of her face. “Your veil,” Rasheeda whispered loudly, her eyes wide.