In the Red Zone (9 page)

She chuckled, and the last of the cold dread fled her soul, leaving behind an odd sensation she couldn’t quite pinpoint. There was a sincerity to Frank’s words that made her wonder how much of it was the truth. “For the record, I never bailed you out.”

“You got me out of the slammer, and that’s what counts.” His grin widened. “Can you imagine what someone as good looking as me would’ve had to endure if I’d stayed in there?”

His good-natured conceit lightened the mood, and she laughed wholeheartedly. Leave it to Frank to take her from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other in a matter of minutes. But it felt good, being with him. Even after she’d revealed her shortcomings, he’d managed to make her feel better. And he showed no evidence of losing interest in her, judging by the way his gaze kept flickering her way as he zoomed through the streets.

He drove into the parking garage of her building and parked next to her car. Before she could even grab the handle of her door, he was out of his seat and jogging around the car to open it for her. “Allow me, lovely lady.”

“Still trying to get on my good side?” she quipped while smothering a grin.

“You can say that.” He took her hand to help her out, but didn’t release it right away. His eyes darkened, and his face grew uncharacteristically serious. “Kiana, if I’m going too far, please tell me.”

Her breath hitched, allowing his scent to linger in her nose long enough for her to recognize the masculine notes of leather and cedar in his cologne. “Depends on what you’re planning to do.”

“Can we try that kiss again?” He held up his hands in surrender. “I promise not to lay a finger on you.”

That kiss had been nice. At least, until he touched the back of her neck. But maybe, just maybe, she could enjoy one more. She leaned into him and pressed her lips to his.

If the earlier kiss had been raw and unrestrained, this one was gentle and cautious. And frustratingly tame. Frank allowed her to control the tempo and the heat of the kiss, responding to the demands of her tongue, but obviously holding back. She opened one eye to see his hands shaking at his sides. A whimper rose from his throat, forming a silent plea that convinced her to tear down the wall he was trying to stay behind.

She grabbed his hands and placed them on her bottom.

A muffled gasp followed, and the chains that had been holding Frank at bay vanished. He grabbed her ass with vigor and pressed her against him while he deepened the kiss. A moan rose into the still night air, but she couldn’t tell if it was from him or her. All she knew was the rising desire building between them that made her want to forget everything but him.

She allowed herself this one moment of bliss, to fall into the arms of a man who knew how to kiss her in a way that made her toes curl. A man who caressed her generous curves like she was the most desirable woman on earth. A man who made her feel safe and secure in his arms even while he tempted her to engage in the most reckless behavior she’d embraced in over two years.

But she couldn’t be reckless anymore. She was a mother, and she didn’t want to make the same mistakes her mother had. The thought of her daughter tempered her lust long enough for her to end the kiss before it got out of hand.

“Damn, Kiana,” Frank said with shuddering breaths. “You have the most luscious ass I’ve ever held.”

He gave her behind one more squeeze as though to prove his point, and she laughed. Frank Kelly would never be the serious sort of guy she needed to settle down with, but he was definitely amusing enough to keep around. She gave him one final peck on the lips before prying his hands off her skin-tight jeans. “I have a meeting at eight in the morning.”

“And I have a few favors to call in.” He moved to her car. “Give me a few days to pull everything together.”

Finding her keys, she opened her door and started the engine. “I’m grateful for anything you can do to help the foundation.”

“I’m not just doing it for the foundation.” His eyes never left her face as he closed her door and stepped back. Even in silence, he drove his point home. He wanted her.

Her pulse quickened, and she drove away before she lost all common sense and invited him back to her place for what would most certainly be a night of orgasmic sex. But would the pleasure be worth the pain that would follow?

No, it was better to be safe. He was trying to stay on her good side, and she needed to stay on his, especially if he followed through on his offer. Launching headfirst into a purely physical relationship with him would leave her breathless, but in the end, they’d have to go their separate ways. Romeo would add another notch on his headboard while she’d go back to being the responsible adult she had to be for both Savannah and the foundation.

It just wasn’t worth the risk.

But that still didn’t keep her from lying awake in her cold, lonely bed and replaying how good it had felt to be in his arms.

Chapter Seven

Kiana watched Savannah on the nanny cam as her daughter teetered across the floor and climbed onto her unicorn rocking horse. Madison, her nanny, cheered as the twenty-month-old moved back and forth without assistance.

At her desk, Kiana clapped and cheered, wishing she could be there to witness it in person instead of on a computer screen. Her daughter never ceased to amaze her. Every day brought something new. And she hoped Savannah would one day grow up to be a confident young woman who knew the value of her own self-worth.

But in order to teach her that, I need to demonstrate it for her
.

Which meant back to work. If she could turn this foundation into a success, she’d be one step closer to becoming the role model she wanted to be for her daughter.

She clicked off the nanny cam and opened a spreadsheet. The first page contained the costs of the gala, all in the red. But the second sheet made her smile. It showed that the number of tickets sold had more than tripled since they’d placed the ad with Frank’s picture last Sunday. Not bad for two weeks’ worth of work, especially considering the large spike that had occurred since she’d gone to the game with him ten days ago.

Of course, she hadn’t heard a peep from him since then, either. He’d said he needed a few days to round up some items for the auction, but his silence raised all kinds of doubts. Like, had she scared him away by mentioning her history with Malcolm? Or had her reaction to him touching the back of her neck made him question getting involved with a basket case like her?

She lowered her head to her desk and heaved a heavy sigh. As much as she wanted to keep things professional, he’d managed to get under her skin. That last kiss just sealed the deal. And ten lonely nights had done nothing to ease the ache of desire that flared every time she replayed it.

Focus, girl. You have more important things to worry about than him
.

She lifted her head and smoothed her hair back just a split second before she heard the low rumble of a man’s voice outside her office. She glanced at her screen to make sure the nanny cam window was closed.

Sherita’s high-pitched laughter filled the office when Frank opened the door. He wore his usual flirtatious grin and laughed back. “Just think about it,” he said before turning his attention to Kiana. “Good morning, lovely lady.”

“Do you ever lay off the charm?” she asked, rising from her chair.

“Nope. It’s encoded in my DNA.” He winked and held out a file folder. “I just wanted to stop by and show you my progress.”

She took the folder and opened it. The first page was a spreadsheet listing the items donated by Frank’s team members. The second page listed items from the Hawks, including a signed jersey from Doug Boutry. The rest of the pages were pictures of the items.

Her throat choked up as she went through them. “Frank, this is amazing!”

“It’s just the start.” He sat down at the desk and took over her mouse. “I’ve talked with a local tech company here, and they’ve set up an online auction site for you to use since we’ll probably run out of space in the ballroom at the rate we’re going.”

A few clicks later, she was staring at a professional website listing some of the items in the folder. “Frank, it’s too much.”

“No, it’s not.” His expression grew serious. “When I sign up to do something, I never give less than a hundred and ten percent. And I’m just getting warmed up.”

“But why?”

“I thought the answer was obvious.” His voice softened, and his gaze fell to her lips.

Before she knew what was happening, she had moved between him and the desk. What started out as a simple kiss of appreciation quickly morphed into the same wild and unrestrained passion from the other night. She threaded her fingers through his short hair and teased the opening of his mouth with her tongue. She wasted no time once he granted her access to it, tasting the hint of peppermint toothpaste that lingered inside. She breathed in his clean scent and fell further into the blissful insanity of desire.

Frank stood and cupped her ass in his hands before lifting her up on the desk. Then he pushed her dress up until it was bunched around her hips. With gentle hands, he guided her legs around his waist while he ground against her, each movement of his hips replicating what she wanted him to do to her in the bedroom. He paused long enough to murmur her name in a sexy growl that only made her want him even more before kissing her senseless once again.

She locked her ankles around him and pressed him as tightly against her as she could. With their previous kisses, she’d held back, ever fearful someone would catch her losing control like this. But behind the closed door of her office, she didn’t fear getting caught by anyone other than Sherita, and she already knew her best friend would only cheer her on if she walked in on them.

Frank squeezed her ass. “Damn it, Kiana. I don’t know how much longer I can keep being a gentleman when you kiss me like that.”

“Then what would you do?” she asked.

His pupils expanded, and the heat in his voice sent delicious shivers down her spine. “You know exactly what I’d do. I’d strip you naked. Then I’d taste every inch of your skin.” He paused to draw her earlobe into his mouth and flick his tongue over it, earning another shiver from her. “Then, once I had you hot and wet and ready for me, I’d make you come so hard, you’d be left sated and exhausted until morning.”

“And then what?”

His low chuckle made her insides quiver in anticipation. “And then I’d do it all over again.”

Now she understood why his teammates called him Romeo, because she was more than ready to surrender to him and let him carry out his promises right there on her desk.

Thankfully, the pause allowed her to hear another voice.

Her brother’s.

A chill of fear washed over her, and she pushed Frank away. A glance at the clock said it was eleven thirty. “Shit! I forgot that Tre and Denise were coming over for lunch.”

She jumped off the desk and pulled her dress down. Her cheeks burned, and a quick glance in the mirror revealed a guilty flush and undeniably swollen lips. All they’d have to do was take one look at her to know exactly what she and Frank had been doing moments before. And she wasn’t ready to announce that she and Frank were an item, especially when she wasn’t sure where their so-called relationship stood.

At least Sherita seemed to be stalling them, judging by the conversation on the other side of the door.

For his part, Frank didn’t seem too mussed up from their makeout session. His shirt had managed to stay neatly tucked in, and his closely cropped hair showed no signs of the disorder her fingers had caused when she’d run them through it moments before. He stepped back with a wince and covered the bulge in his jeans with the file folder, his chest still rising and falling faster than normal.

But thankfully, by the time Tre and Denise entered her office, she and Frank had managed to get themselves in order.

Her brother stopped short when he saw his teammate, his eyes narrowing. “What are you doing here?”

“Just showing Kiana something I’ve been working on.” He squared his shoulders and stared at Tre like he had every right to be there. “I was demonstrating a few things I’d like to try. That is, if she was open to the idea.”

A new wave of heat rose into her cheeks, and she stared at the top of her desk. If he followed through on what he promised, she was more than open to the idea. Unfortunately, a night of pleasure in his bed had nothing to do with the foundation she needed to run during the day.

The staring match intensified, only now she was bearing some of the anger from Tre’s glare. Time to diffuse it before the boys got into a fistfight.

After she introduced Frank to Denise, she beckoned her brother and stepmother over to her computer. “Come see what Frank set up for the foundation.”

Denise came over first and smiled when she saw the auction website. She clicked through some of the listings, her smile widening. “Look at all the items!”

That was all Tre needed to end his silent standoff. He joined his mother at the computer screen. “Where did you get all this?”

“I just asked around,” Frank replied with a shrug. “I have a few more things in works, though.”

His gaze fell on Kiana in an unspoken dare that asked if she was up to accepting his offer.