Read Only You Online

Authors: Francis Ray

Tags: #Romance, #Erotica, #African American, #Contemporary, #Fiction

Only You (8 page)

BOOK: Only You
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She thought she was prepared, then knew there was no way her body could ever get used to the sheer sexual impact of the man watching her with unblinking eyes. He wore a gray pin-striped suit that probably cost a small fortune, but it couldn’t hide the intense magnetism.
“Hello, Blade. I wondered when you’d show up.”
His eyebrow lifted. “One of these days I’m going to surprise you.”
“You have quite a setup here.” She looked at the scale of the residence to give herself time to gather her fraying nerves. She was smart. She could handle any situation. Then his fingers threaded their way through her unbound hair and she couldn’t stop the shiver that raced through her.
Her gaze sought his. All her truths and certainties went out the door.
“I took your suggestions for Navarone Place,” he said lazily.
“I hope you gave me credit for them,” she said, glad her voice wasn’t as breathless and as weak as she felt.
His lips curved upward just a fraction and Sierra waited for him to really smile. When it didn’t happen, she felt sadness all the way to her soul.
“What’s the matter?” he asked
“You might not like the answer.”
“I’ll take that chance.”
The eyes that had been almost tender became hard. Blade wouldn’t be an easy man to get to know, but then no one in her family liked easy. “I wanted to see you really smile, and when you didn’t, it made me sad.”
Raw emotions flashed in his eyes. His long fingers speared through her hair, cupping her head and arching her mouth upward toward his. Intent was in every line of his body.
She wasn’t aware of the pressing closer, of whispering his name. His head lowered. Her breath caught. His mouth took hers with carnal pleasure. She locked her arms around his neck and let him take her to the edge of reason.
“Blade.”
The intrusion of Shane calling Blade’s name brought Sierra hurtling back to where she was, in a sales and information office with John and Delores nearby. Embarrassment flushed Sierra’s cheeks. She pushed against his chest. It was like pushing against a warm mountain.
“Please.”
His fingers clenched, then uncurled. He stepped back. “John and Delores left when I came in.”
Sierra didn’t know if that made her feel better or worse. At least Shane had disappeared. There was only one thing that she was sure of. “I plan to win, and when I do, I don’t want there to be any talk about favoritism.”
“I don’t care what people think.”
“I do. I think it’s best if you were to visit one of your other properties until the competition is over.”
Incredulous, he stared at her. No one, absolutely no one, told him what to do. Shane and Rio tried, but ultimately Blade did as he pleased. He didn’t plan to change. “If I don’t?”
“I won’t be able to stay.”
He laughed, but it was a cold sound that raked over her. “Are you threatening me?”
She flinched inside, but she held her ground. She had wanted to hear his laugh but hoped never to hear that cruel mocking sound again. But she wasn’t a Grayson for nothing. “No one but a fool would do that. I’m simply telling you under what conditions I can and cannot work.”
She meant it.
Standing there with her lips still moist from his mouth, the remnants of passion still lingering in her beautiful black eyes, she thought to dictate to him. “And if I say I’m staying here?”
She lowered her head. He sensed defeat, yet deep inside something in him rebelled at the idea of her losing to him or anyone.
He wanted her happy and willing in his bed. He was about to accept her terms when her head lifted.
“Good-bye, Blade. I won’t need this.” She pitched the notebook on the table, then walked from the room. “Hello, Shane,” she said on passing as he reappeared at the door.
“Don’t interfere again, Shane,” Blade said, his temper spiking. He didn’t like ultimatums or being interrupted. His body still hummed, still desperately wanted.
Shade grunted and went to the table to pick up what Sierra had tossed. He whistled.
“So she tossed her notebook. It’s not irreplaceable,” Blade said. No woman dictated to him.
“But this is.” Shane lifted the memory card to the digital camera. “I guess the lady doesn’t bluff.”
Blade cursed long and hard.
 
S
ierra was too angry to cry.
Yanking her suitcases out of her closet, she began tossing clothes inside. Her first priority was to get out of the hotel as quickly as possible. Once she was packed and, she hoped, calmer, she’d call the airline to see what was available. She’d fly standby if necessary. Her cousin Dominique was on a photo shoot, so Sierra couldn’t hang out with her. And, despite what Sierra had told Luke, there was no way she was calling him.
She had gotten herself into this mess, she’d darn well get herself out. Banging one suitcase shut, she whirled to the closet for another load of clothes. Why had she packed so much?
To look good for Blade
. She ground her teeth.
So she’d made a mistake. It wasn’t her first. At least she hadn’t made the ultimate one by caring for a heartless man. Her hand clenched a pair of linen slacks.
Blade wasn’t heartless. He could care. He’d been tender and passionate with her. He hadn’t tried as others had to take their kiss further than she was willing to go. But he didn’t understand she needed this, needed to know he had enough faith in her to win.
She ignored the knock on her door. She didn’t want to see Blade. Or Shane, although if things hadn’t turned out the way they did, she might have thanked him for interrupting the kiss.
Or maybe not. She’d wanted that hot, mindless kiss that swept through her body like wildfire, hot and passionate. To her annoyance, she still did.
Tossing the linen slacks into the suitcase, she reached for the matching blouse. The phone on the nightstand rang. “Go away, Blade.”
Moments later there was a pounding at her door. She clenched her fists and briefly shut her eyes. Graysons didn’t run from a fight. She’d tear a strip off Blade Navarone that he’d never forget;
then
she’d leave.
Righteous anger and indignation carried her to the door and she swung it open. Her mouth snapped shut on seeing Delores.
“He didn’t think you’d strangle me.”
Sierra blew out a breath. Almost as quickly as it had come, her anger evaporated. “I’m so mad I just might.” She stepped aside and the other woman came in and closed the door behind her.
“People don’t disagree with Mr. Navarone, at least not to his face, and they certainly don’t toss a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity back at him.”
“Perhaps it’s time they did.” Sierra folded her arms.
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t agree. He asked that I give you this.” Handing Sierra a sealed letter, Delores went to the door. “For what it’s worth, he’s a good man.” The door closed softly.
Sierra looked at the sealed letter, took a firm grip with both hands and started to rip it, then stopped. Her family always accused her of acting before she thought. It wouldn’t hurt to read what he’d said. She could still catch a plane and go home.
Going to the desk, she picked up the brass letter opener and slit the top. Unfolding the sheet, she discovered the memory card she’d left in the sales office. She began to read.
If you want to see me smile, win the competition. Blade
 
There were no words of apology, but the disk was enough. He understood. “I’m going to win and hold you to it.” Taking the memory card, she uploaded it to her computer, then scanned the list of prospects she’d printed out the night before. At the top of the list was a man who could well afford any of the condos.
She’d never tried to sell to him, but if anyone could appreciate long-range investments, the draw of nearby American Airlines Centers to sports and music enthusiasts, the West End, and the famed Arts District, it was Daniel Falcon.
The pictures she’d taken materialized on the monitor along with the one of Blade. Her fingers traced the curve of his sensual mouth, the strong jaw. “What have I gotten myself into?”
No answer came to her. She hadn’t expected one. She copied the photo and stored it in a separate file. Finished, she erased it from the others of the scale model. She was ready. Pushing Blade to the back of her mind, she picked up the phone and dialed. She was about to make her first pitch.
“Falcon residence.”
Sierra had heard Higgins, the butler/friend of the Falcon family, answer the phone dozens of time, but for a moment her hand clenched on the receiver. This was the most important sales call she had ever made. “Hello, Higgins. How are you?”
“Hello, Sierra. I’m fine, thank you. Daniel or Madelyn?”
“Daniel, please,” she answered, her gaze going back to the photos.
“Hello, Sierra,” Daniel greeted her a short time later. “How are you?”
“Fine,” she told him. “How about Madelyn and Daniel Junior?”
“Great. I’m a lucky man,” he said proudly.
“So is your family.” Too tense to sit, she stood. “If you have time, I’d like to talk to you about purchasing a property. As you know, I’m one of the Realtors for Navarone Place in Dallas.”
“You’ve never tried to sell me a property before,” he said. “What’s so special about Navarone Place?”
He’d given her the opening she’d needed, and since Daniel was an intelligent man, it wasn’t a coincidence. “The fifty-five estates will possess elegance, luxury, and comfort in an upscale residence that will only increase in value. Situated within walking distance of American Airlines Center, you can watch your hometown Houston Rockets outscore the Dallas Mavericks.”
“The division championship will be ours this year,” he predicted with annoyance.
“There’s also a helipad.” Daniel was as apt to fly as he was to drive. “The large terrace has a gas fireplace for warmth and romance, and a four-foot-high bricked wall for safety.” The welfare of his son would be foremost in his mind. “The interior can be designed to fit your specifications. You’ll be near Dominique and less than an hour away from your parents’ ranch in Oklahoma.”
“When can we see the property?” Daniel asked.
“Is tomorrow too soon?” Sierra tried to contain her excitement, but she knew Daniel had heard it when he chuckled.
“We’ll all be there around one. Please check to see if the helipad will be available.”
“I will. Thank you, Daniel. I’ll see you all then. Good-bye.” She hung up the phone and pumped her fist. She was going to win and get that smile from Blade.
 
 
B
lade wasn’t a patient man. He’d wanted to talk to Sierra directly but hadn’t wanted to take the chance that she wouldn’t listen. Sending another person in his place was usual for business, but not in personal matters.
He paced to the window in his penthouse on the top floor of Navarone Place and looked at the sprawl of buildings going up in Victory Park. Perhaps he should let her go. Perhaps he was as ruthless as some people thought.
He had good reason to be.
When he’d lost Mary, he had lost a part of himself. He’d met her while building her parents’ retirement home. She was sweet, kind, and generous to a fault. In short, nothing like him. He had few friends and liked it that way.
Her adoring parents accepted him because she had. Six months after they met they were married in her parents’ new home. It hadn’t mattered to her that as a kindergarten schoolteacher she had cleared more money than he had. She never stopped encouraging him, believing in him. His fledgling construction business took almost every cent he made. Although he couldn’t take her to the places she deserved, she happily kept their small house and took care of him. She always told him he’d succeed and then they could go wherever the mood struck.
They’d never gotten to do those things. When his business finally took off, he was too busy. Then she was gone and it was too late. The grief of losing her had nearly driven him insane. His salvation was in knowing she would have hated that. He’d moved from Oklahoma to Tucson and thrown himself into building their dream. People thought him arrogant for using his name, but it had been her dream to see his name on properties around the world. He’d succeeded, but she hadn’t been there to see.
His heart clenched. His eyes shut. When they opened, he saw a woman with long black hair swirling around her shoulders come out of the W. His hands fisted when he saw the luggage cart. He’d lost. No, he wouldn’t accept defeat. Somehow he’d talk her into staying.
He was about to turn to the door when he saw Sierra continue toward his building. Was she coming to tell him off before she left? He finally understood why she continued when two other women went to the taxi where the luggage was being loaded.
Relief swept through him. There was still a chance. For exactly what he wasn’t sure. He pulled his cell phone from his coat pocket. “Shane, I want to leave for Navarone Riviera Maya within the hour. Have the car waiting for me. I’ll be right down.” Disconnecting the call, he headed out of the office.
The only way he could keep his mind off the competition in Dallas was work. He could certainly do that at his other project on the famed Mexican Caribbean coastline. The exotic setting was unlike any other.
In the hallway, he started for his private elevator, then veered away. If he saw her, he saw her. He didn’t like to leave with her remembering his anger. Stepping on, he pushed 1, then watched as the floors clicked off. When it reached 3 he was tempted to push 2, the floor with the sales office. He put his hands in his pockets instead.
It stopped on 2. Steel and chrome glass doors slid open smoothly. The woman he couldn’t get out of his mind stood in front of him, a notebook clasped under her arm, with the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. Then it was gone, and he knew he had to talk fast.
“A car is waiting downstairs to take me to the airport.”
After a moment’s hesitation, a moment when he was almost afraid to breathe, she stepped on, bringing with her an intoxicating sent of jasmine and oranges. The door closed. He only had moments, seconds.
He nodded toward the notebook. “Does that mean you’re staying?”
She finally looked at him. “I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to see you smile.”
He didn’t know what to say. She touched him in places he’d thought long dead. The door opened on 1 before he could find the words. She started to step off. He jabbed the “door close” button. She angled her head at him as the elevator doors shut.
“Is it all right if I kiss you good-bye?”
“If you do it right.”
The corners of his mouth curved slightly upward. Was there ever another woman like her? “Only you.” He pulled her into his arms. “I’ll do my best.”
His lips found hers. His body sighed, then sizzled with remembered heat. The shape, the feel, of her mouth on his, her body straining against him, was pleasure unceasing.
Knowing the elevator doors might open any second, he reluctantly set her away from him. Almost immediately the doors slid apart. Taking her arm, he stepped off, then released her. “I’ll be back on Friday. Win, lose, draw. This isn’t the end.”
Sierra watched Blade stride across the lobby. She knew she wore a wide grin on her face and didn’t care. She’d gotten the kiss she wanted. She’d get that smile as well.
She’d been right to stay. If things went as planned, she’d be here longer than a week. Clutching the notebook tighter, she headed for her room, sparing only a longing glance at Blade’s limo pulling away.
Once in her room, she began the long, laborious process of contacting old clients, delicately asking for leads. Hours later, she was still hard at it when her headset rang.
“Sierra Grayson.”
“Working hard, I’ll bet,” came the cheerful voice.
Sierra smiled on hearing her cousin Dominique Falcon-Masters’s voice. “You know it. Daniel is coming tomorrow to look at the estates.”
“Great. He’s always welcome at our home, but I’d love for him to have a residence here. In the meantime, I’m at the Belo Mansion, not far from you. When I mentioned your coup in San Francisco and that you were one of the brokers for Navarone Place, several ladies wanted to meet you. So dress to impress, bring lots of business cards, and get over here as quickly as possible.”
“I’m on my way. Thanks.” Sierra quickly changed into a black Dior suit with bag and shoes to match, then rushed downstairs to grab a cab. Once she was there, her eyes actually gleamed on seeing the two hundred–plus well-heeled women in attendance.
Thanks to Dominique, not only had the story of the San Francisco auction circulated, but who her famous sisters-in-law were as well. Since Sierra was well acquainted with “who you knew was often more important than what you knew,” she played the game. It only took one woman, the wife of the president of a bank, to ask to see the property for others to request the same thing.
Sierra grinned at Dominique, and her cousin grinned back as they both passed out business cards. Women, bless their hearts, loved to gossip, and many of them loved even more being able to say they had met a famous person. Money was one thing, fame quite another.
BOOK: Only You
4.14Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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