Love UnCharted (Love's Improbable Possibility) (38 page)

“Boyd’s presentations sure are always elegant! This smells amazing. Did you pick the menu?”

Azmir gave an affirmative nod. “In hopes of you delighting in it. Do I have your approval?”

My mouth formed a wide and annoying smile that I couldn’t get rid of. I tried so much that I ended up laughing at myself.

As Azmir was sorting through his plate, he caught the infectious amusement as well. 

“Someone has had one glass of Rothschild too many,” he sang.

His smile appeared and I couldn’t ignore how gorgeous this man was. His teeth were perfectly aligned and his nose was nicely proportioned to his face. His eyes were seizing even when they weren’t on me. I’d often wondered if he knew how good looking he was. I took notice of other women checking him out, but I would never make a big fuss over it. He wasn’t something I’d possessed. But I questioned how he regarded himself.

“You know you’re an extremely good looking man?” The alcohol was definitely making me more brazen than usual.

He stopped with the fork in his mouth.
Lucky fork
. He pulled it out and looked up at me. “You don’t say!”

I nodded and grinned like a little schoolgirl.
 

“Do you get that often?” I asked just before sampling my fish.
Mmmmmmm! Delicious
.

He takes a sip of his drink. “Actually, I don’t. But it wouldn’t mean as much as it does coming from you.”

I didn’t believe him. Every woman that I know has commented on his features. Does he really expect for me to take him at his word?

“You’re being modest.” Suddenly, I was feeling so bashful that I could barely look him in the face.
 

He smiled embarrassingly. “Ms. Brimm, if a pretty face can’t get a woman that I’m seriously...madly pursuing to go away with me, what good is it?”

“That face has gotten you in the most private of places with this lady. What’s more intimate than that?” I’m flirting and it feels so refreshing.

He raised an eyebrow, “My tongue got my face into those private places, Ms. Brimm, I don’t know what else you think did.”

I giggled.

Boyd comes to check on us. “My compliments to the chef! Delicioso!” I cheered as I clapped my hands.

“Boyd, you’ve outdone yourself, my dude. This is off the chain,” Azmir praised the meal.

“Thank you, Mr. Jacobs, Ms. Brimm,” Chef Boyd humbly bowed his head towards me, using professional grace. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it so far. I just wanted to check up on you since Kim and Chaise are inside putting the kitchen back together. I hope you’ve left room for dessert, Ms. Brimm. I do believe we have one of your favorites this evening.”

I dubiously glanced at Azmir who gives the most intense gaze with a slight squint in his eye.

Turning back to Boyd, I softly say, “I can’t wait.”

Okay, Ms. Brimm, I’ll refill your wine. And is there something I can get for you, Mr. Jacobs?”

“If you can, get Ms. Brimm here to agree to come away with me, I’d go to bed with the widest smile because my goal of the day would have been met.”

I gasped, “Azmir.”

“Water would be nice,” Azmir retracts in jest.

“If I may, Ms. Brimm, I’ve come across lots of people in my line of work and rarely do I find what’s embodied in Mr. Jacobs. He’s a hardworking man that’s fair and generous. He’s very narrowly focused. If he wants you…give him the honor. I doubt you’d go wrong.”

 
Azmir’s beautiful mouth forms an infectious smile that I can’t ignore. 

“Did he pay you to say that, CB?” I tease.

“Not at all,” Boyd says with a chuckle and then turns to Azmir, “Your water is coming up, Mr. Jacobs,” and then turned on his heels.

I take a sip of my wine, still eyeing Azmir with great suspicion. I murmur, “Only under one condition.”

“Anything,” he shoots back.

“You let me cuff you.”

He stilled in his seat, furrowed his eyebrows as he licked his lips and sucked in the bottom when he was done. He brought his eyes to mine, “I don’t know if you’re ready for that yet, do you?”

What?
“Why not? What’s the worst that could happen?”

“You may take advantage of me. You know—” he’s interrupted by Kim, clearing our dinner plates, making room for dessert. Chaise immediately follows her with Azmir’s water.

When they’re gone I asked, “Like what?” 

He chuckles. “I don’t know...like you having me restrained and screaming like a little bitch,” he says and I take note of his Brooklyn accent.

I tilted my head to the side and squinted my eyes. Chaise has returned with the our dessert. Crème brûlée.

“Oh, wow, Azmir! How thoughtful!” I jumped up and ran over to his seat to grab his face and plop a juicy one on his lips. He wanted more. I could tell by how long it took for him to open his eyes. I stood, bent over him smiling salaciously.
 

“Girl, you better stop playing. You gotta give a brother due warning before you come over here with that after talking about cuffing me,” he whispered.

I couldn’t help it. I had to tell him, “Azmir, baby, you can take me anywhere you like. I am so happy to have you in my life. I think I’m a pretty lucky girl—dare I say, blessed?”

He looked troubled by my introspection. He moved in and gave me the softest kiss as he squeezed the small of my back if that were possible.
What’s biting him?

“Let’s finish dessert. I want to give you another round of training with the cuffs before handing over the keys.” I felt butterflies in my stomach as I sauntered back over to my seat.
 

The crème brûlée was to die for. Chef Boyd really knew his craft. We sang our praises to him and his team as they walked out the door. I tried to hide my yearning to have Azmir all to myself. He held me by the waist in his pelvis as we saw them out the door. I’d discovered that evening that Boyd owned
 his own restaurant. He worked part-time for Azmir to earn extra cash for his twin daughters’ college tuition. Kim and Chaise were waiters from his restaurant. That explains the odd hours. I wondered how much Azmir paid him, though I’d never ask.

Boyd shut the door behind him and I turned to Azmir, placing my palms flat on his hard chest and asked, “So, what now?” I couldn’t help my giggle.

“You really wanna know or would you rather be surprised?” He smiled at my giddiness.

“No surprises for me, Mr. Jacobs,” I flirted as I turned back to tease him with the softness of my rear.

He bent down and whispered in my ear as he nibbled on it so softly and sensually, “We go to our room and strip down naked so that I can acquaint myself with your third hole.”

I gasped speaking in a louder tempo, “What do you mean
acquaint
?”

Azmir turned me around and gave me the sexiest deep gaze dead in my eyes. I felt my lubrication immediately. “I’ll take it slow and won’t move a minute before you’re ready, but let me prep it,” he hummed in my ear and that’s all it took for me to be fully intrigued. He led me to the master suite where we explored a new level of intimacy.
 

~~~~~~~~~~

I’m on my way back to the office, and on my drive I’m still settling mind on my trip to a swimwear boutique Azmir arranged for me to visit. We were scheduled to leave for our excursion the following day. Apparently, the proprietor is an old acquaintance that he wanted to support in her new venture. Tanu was extremely hospitable and knew her craft. From the time I walked through the doors until I said my goodbyes, she was very attentive. Her pieces were exclusive and included all types of appealing fabrics and designs. I had no idea there was market in bathing suits, but after seeing them in great variety I’d been enlightened. She recommended several pieces based upon my size and shape and after being put through the scrutiny of trying on, literally tiny straps of material, I can honestly appreciate Tyler’s tough regimens at the gym.

I surprised myself by selecting a few sheer cover ups that didn’t include breast coverings in the ensemble. Azmir wouldn’t tell me where we’re headed, but he did advise that we would be surrounded by water and have privacy. He also ordered that Tanu not discuss the prices with me and simply bill him. Once again, I was uneasy about his exorbitant splurging on me. I fought off feeling like a sycophant as I walked out of the boutique. The bathing ensembles were exquisite, I must admit.

I leave the bags in the trunk as I go into the building. Sharon’s at her desk and informs me that I have a visitor in the conference room.

“Oh?” I wasn’t expecting anyone.

“Yes, he’s a detective and was insistent on waiting for you,” Sharon shrugged her shoulders as she whispered over her hand, holding the phone from the call she was on.

I mouthed to her, “Okay,” as I headed to the back. The only thing that I could think of that would bring law enforcement here was either matters from my PT assistant being arrested earlier in the summer or the Wayne Tanner lawsuit that was underway. On my way, I dropped off my purse and slipped on my white work coat.

I opened the door to the small conference room to find a middle-aged, brown skinned man with eyes full of charisma. His belly was slightly pronounced and his head completely bald and shiny. His smile was disarming and slick.

“Rayna Brimm, sir. How may I assist you, Mr...?” I attempted as a means of getting a name.

“Ms. Brimm. I finally have the pleasure of making your acquaintance,” he mutters, flashing a sinister smile as he rises from his chair. “You’ve been such a focal point in my circle. It’s nice to put a face to a name, or better yet an energy. And a quite lovely face at that. It makes a little sense now.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t quite understand.”

He gives a chuckle, but I quickly gather it’s at my expense.

“You are, sir?” I ask with a little more blitz in my tone.

“I’m Darryl Harrison. You are...what terms are you kids using nowadays?” He squints his eyes while rubbing his chin. “...fucking...a young man who’s like a son to me. Divine.”

“Azmir?” I murmur.

Is this about Azmir? Is this Tara's father? Why is he here?

“Ah...is that the reference of your relationship?” he snorted in a revelatory manner. “I came here expecting to see you in an administrative assistant role of some sort, but I’ve underestimated my son. I taught him well,” Harrison announces boastfully. “He loves the high sharks. I wasn’t prepared for an educated and...
well-ranked
professional,” he says as he’s surveying the room, but referencing my position at the practice. “But I’ll speak to you in terms that you’re better conversant with in spite of your academic and professional accomplishments.

My eyes were glued to him. I had no idea where this conversation was going, but what I was quite sure of is that I wouldn’t like the end result. I braced myself.

“Rayna dear, we have a problem. See, your presence in Divine’s life has created a bit of a…rift in my family. And I am very protective over what’s mine,” Harrison narrows his eyes to emphasize his sentiment. “I lost my wife this past spring and she never got the opportunity to meet our granddaughter, Azina.” He gives a short yet, hearty laugh while searching his breast pocket and pulling out his mobile phone, “I’m a proud Pop-Pop. You have to see this gorgeous little angel.” He taps the phone several times before a picture appears. If he was about to show me a picture of Azmir with Tara, and this baby I was prepared to lose my bladder and the bile from my stomach simultaneously, on the carpet where I stood. But it wasn’t.

Whew!
Instead, it was a candid shot of a newborn child.

He flashes the phone toward me, “Isn’t she a precious little thing?” He shakes his head in admiration as he puts it away. This man is really full of melodrama. I wasn’t prepared to speak yet, so I remained silent. I wanted to know why he was here.

“I see you were bright enough to rise from the ashes of the projects in New Jersey and despite your humble up-bringing, was formidable enough to go to school and obtain a lofty and stable career here,” he waves at the room again. “But just as I imparted into Divine, I did the same for my little girl. I told her when she was a little girl to only end up with a man that can provide for her and her children…and well. Now she has a little girl...just like her. And so soon her family is in a disarray.” Harrison sets his glower on me, “I can’t have that in my legacy. Remember, it was I who told her how to choose her man.” He paused while searching the corner of the room. “Well, she did that. Not only did she choose well, but she chose a man of my sculpting and mentoring, honey. It doesn’t get any better than that. Divine is young, calculating, intelligent far beyond what he’s credited for, collected, connected...and rich, something I’m quite sure you’re aware of.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I get the allure.”

He was taking this too far and taking too long to get to the point of him showing up at my job!

“The point of your visit to my workplace, Mr. Harrison?”

He hiked his brows, “That’s Detective Harrison to you, sweetie!” he hissed.

Excuse me?
I froze in place. Where was this going? I was getting upset and feeling threatened. It was only a matter of time before I would go off.