Slow Seduction (15 page)

“What are you doing?” Jenisha asked as she tried to keep up with his longer steps.

“Taking you upstairs,” he whispered, going up the steps.

Stopping midway up the steps, Jenisha looked at him. “Clinton, I want to see more of your house,” she said, her meaning loud and clear.

“Baby, I’m taking you to a phone,” Clinton said, looking at her innocently. “What did you think I was going to do,” he asked, arching a masculine eyebrow.

Jenisha felt her face getting warm at thinking Clinton wanted her again so soon. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” she whispered, easing past him up the stairs.

He stood behind her back, grinning like a fool.
So, she wants me to make love to her,
he thought
. Walking silently behind Jenisha, he lusted after her tight, firm body. She was finally all his, and he wasn’t about to give her up for anything.

Stopping in the middle of the hallway, Jenisha looked at the pictures on his wall. “Is this woman your mother?” she asked, pointing to a family photo hanging in the middle of the wall.

“Yes, we took that the year before Hayward’s family died.”

“She was very beautiful,” Jenisha remarked, noticing how much Clinton resembled his mother. “You look more like your mother,” she said. “You have the same shade of green eyes as hers.”

“Green-eyed people run on her side of the family,” he answered. “But, I think I have more of my father’s personality, and Hayward took more after her.”

Jenisha put her hands on her hips and turned to look at Clinton. “I have to agree with you. You are blunter than Hayward, but I think it’s to hide your softer side,” she told him. “You don’t want a woman to find out what a wonderful person you are. I find that so hot! I have never felt this way with another man,” Jenisha admitted, almost against her better judgment. “You must have put a spell on me.” Tilting her head to the side, she asked, “Do you know magic?”

Sliding his finger inside the waistband of Jenisha’s jeans, Clinton slid her tempting body toward his aroused one. “If you want to feel some real magic meet me downstairs after your phone call with True,” he groaned in her ear. He took her by the hand and led her to the phone in his bedroom. Giving her a quick peck on the lips, he closed the door and dashed back downstairs before he did something else.

Sitting on the huge, black, brass bed, Jenisha dialed True’s number and waited for an answer. She was about to give up when True picked up on the fourth ring.

“Hello.”

“True, it’s me Jenisha. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

“I just put the boys down for a nap, so I have a few minutes,” True replied distantly.

Jenisha didn’t miss how aloof True sounded. She didn’t want her best friend mad at her. “True, are you still mad at me?”

“No….just had a long day with the boys,” True answered.

She still thought True was upset with her because she wasn’t her usually perky self. “Are you sure? I’m not going to hang up until I’m positive that you aren’t pissed I didn’t tell you about Clinton.”

“Jenisha….I swear I’m not upset with you.”

“Okay….I guess I believe you.” Jenisha answered, not quite sure that she did.

True laughed on the other end. “Hey….I’m telling you the truth. I’m not upset with you for telling Hayward before you told me. I wish you all the luck in the world with Clinton. He’s a wonderful guy.”

“T
hank
you,” Jenisha mumbled, pleased to hear the spunk back in her best friend’s voice.

They talked a little while longer about several different things until one of the boys woke up and True had to end the phone call. She made Jenisha promise to call her again in a couple of days to tell her how things were going with Clinton.

Hanging up the phone, she felt a hundred times better now that things had been smoothed over with True. Jenisha took off her jacket and tossed it on the wide bed behind her. She couldn’t believe Clinton had a bed like this.

It was almost three times the size of hers back home. He had a lot of room to make love or sleep. Getting off the bed, she walked over to inspect some of his books lying on his desk. Most of them were about construction and designing homes, but a red book on the bottom caught her attention.

Big black letters stared back at her saying, “
How to make the women of your dreams fall in love with you
.” Laughing, Jenisha picked up the book and took it downstairs with her. She found Clinton in the living room watching the news. “Baby, why do you have this book,” she asked, tossing it in his lap.

Picking up the book, Clinton looked up at her from his seated position. “Were you searching through my things?” he asked.

A guilty looked crossed her beautiful face. “Yes, I was,” she admitted.

Pitching the book on the table and turning off the television, Clinton pulled her into his lap. “Jenisha, I’m not upset with you. As a matter of fact, I’m very happy.

“You are?” she asked, leaning back in his arms to get a better look at his handsome face.

“That’s means you’re interested in my life,” he said. “But, I don’t need this book anymore because I already know how to make you fall in love with me.”

Brushing her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, she asked, “How are you going to make me fall in love with you?”

“With wild, hot, passionate sex,” he moaned, kissing her fully on the lips.

Easing her back down on the couch, Clinton slid his hands under her shirt and touched her back. “You feel so damn good in my arms. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of toughing you.”

Jenisha wiggled against his hard, muscular length; trying to get closer to the part she craved the most. Clinton grasped her hips, holding her down on the couch. “We can’t start this because we won’t be able to finish it. Dave and Jim are coming over to talk about the school plans.”

Clinton sat up on the couch, pulling her up with him. “You’ll like them. We have all been friends for about seven years now. Honestly, you couldn’t ask for two better guys working on the project. They will always be on time and work hard.”

Jenisha touched him on the arm. “You don’t have to sell them to me. If you say they are honest and dependable, then I believe you. My only goal with this redesign of the school is to have it turn out wonderful for the children. I want them to be able to have a facility in which they can learn more productively.”

“I think a bigger; better section of the school will motivate not only my class, but the rest of the school as well. By the way, do you know how much the committee hates me now? One of them saw you leaving the school and asked me all about you. Right now you are the hottest gossip of Spring Break.”

Clinton couldn’t believe he was the hottest gossip of Spring Break. “Oh, I am?” he asked, staring into Jenisha’s beautiful eyes. He wanted to look into her eyes for the rest of his life. Jenisha was truly his everything, but he wondered if she knew that.

“I know for a fact that the single females at Bryant Elementary are setting up a betting pot to see who will land you first,” Jenisha’s voice said, breaking into his thoughts. “Of course, all of it is done in fun,” she added.

“Well, whoever who placed a bet on you will win a lot of money,” Clinton said, touching her thigh.”

Laughing, Jenisha brushed her long curls over her shoulder. “See, that’s the funny part. I’m not even in the competition. Robin is in the lead with about forty-five percent of the votes.”

Clinton rested his back on the arm of the couch, pulling Jenisha to lie on his chest. “Why does everyone think I want Robin? She isn’t even my type.”

Jenisha moved her neck to look at him in the face. “You look like you would date the tall, young, leggy and, of course, blond woman, am I wrong?”

Clinton looked over her head, staring at a far wall thinking back to all his past girlfriends, and they all were as she described them.

“Sweetheart, I have to agree with you,” Clinton admitted. “I think you are the first raven haired beauty I have ever dated, and by the way, you will be the last,” he continued. “I want us to spend as much time as we can together. Every moment we spend with each other should leave a warm place in you heart and an exciting memory in your mind.”

“Clinton Christopher Campbell, you sure do have a way with words to romance a woman,” Jenisha whispered, pressing her head into his shoulder. “I’m really touched. I want us to become close, too. You are so much different than I imagined you would be.”

Rubbing Jenisha’s bare arms, Clinton asked, “How did you have me envisioned?”

“I thought you were just a playboy who wanted to experience sex with a black woman,” Jenisha confessed, not realizing the wounded look that passed over Clinton’s face at her words.

Stunned by Jenisha’s words, he eased his body away from hers. Clinton got off the couch to stand in the middle of the room with his back to her.

“Clinton, is something wrong?” Worried she had hurt his feelings and damaged their new relationship in progress, Jenisha followed him off the couch

“Did I really come across like I was looking for a quick bed buddy? God, if just wanted sex with a black woman, I could have gone out club hopping and found one.”

Jenisha’s eyes narrowed quickly at his harsh comment. “Are you saying black woman are easily picked up at a club?”

“What I’m saying is there is always someone at a club no matter the race looking for a one night stand, even in this day and age,” Clinton muttered, spinning back around to stare at the woman he loved more than anything else in this world.

Some of the anger left Jenisha’s body, but not all of it. What was wrong with some men? They say how much they want the truth, and when you give it to them they can’t handle it or switch it around, making it all your fault.

“Clinton, what I said wasn’t meant to hurt you. I wanted to give you an honest answer. How was I supposed to know you would take it so hard?”

“Darling, can we just drop this conversation all together?” he asked.

“I know now I was wrong about you. I don’t want you to be upset when your friends come over,” Jenisha said one last time, trying to make him understand.

Clinton’s body still hummed with silent anger and hurt at Jenisha. He opened up to her more than he had to any other woman, and she thought it was only for sex. Massaging the back of his tense neck, he tried to shake off his hurt feelings, but it just wasn’t working. He walked into the kitchen, putting more distance between them. He just couldn’t talk to her right now.

Jenisha stood stunned in the middle of the room and watched as Clinton left her in the living room. She started out after him, but the doorbell ringing stopped her.

Walking to the front door, she opened it to the surprise of two very attractive men on the other side. “Hello, are you Jim Russell and Dave Turner,” she asked, trying not to laugh at the look of surprise on their handsome faces.

“Yeah, we sure are,” the older of the two answered, smiling down at her.

Stepping back, she let them into the house. “Come on in,” she said. The older man walked in and was followed by a younger, very muscular one. “Hi, I’m Jenisha,” she said, shaking their hands.

“Hello, I’m Jim Russell,” the older one replied, and then pointed to the muscular man standing to his left. “My sidekick is Dave Turner.”

Jim Russell stood six foot, one inches tall with long brown hair pulled back in a pony tail. A sexy, yet dangerous five o’clock shadow enhanced his strong jawbone. Perfect white teeth in a warm grin smiled down at her.

Jenisha turned her attention to Dave Turner. She didn’t picture him working for a construction and design company with his jet-black hair and large arms covered in several amazing tattoos. She guessed he was around six foot five inches tall, and she loved the tiny gold hoop earring in his left ear. It enhanced the image he wanted to give off. He was tough, yet had a hint of coolness mixed in, making any red-blooded woman want to get to know him better. She shut the door after them and moved into the room.

“Clinton has mentioned you several times,” Dave said, “but he left out how gorgeous you are.”

Jenisha was getting a little thrown by Dave’s appraisal of her. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her since entering the house.

“Dave, stop staring at my girlfriend,” Clinton stated, coming out of the kitchen carrying a tray filled with chips and beer.

“I’m just flirting with her,” Dave said with a wink in her direction.

Clinton sat the tray on the table and shook hands with his friends. “God, it’s so good to see you guys. How did everything go in Florida?”

“Everything is finished and it looks terrific. I told them you would call next week and set up an appointment to look at it yourself,” Jim answered.

“T
hank
s, I have to write that down on my calendar. Maybe I can go at the end of the month after I get things moving at Jenisha’s school.”

Dave looked away from him and back over at Jenisha. Clinton didn’t want his flirtatious friend making his girlfriend feel any more uncomfortable that she already was. Jenisha had gotten over a lot of her shyness with him, but she was still a little shy around other people.

“I still can’t believe you’re a second grade teacher. Your class is very lucky to have a teacher who’s smart and pretty.”

He frowned when Jenisha flashed Dave one of her winning smile. “T
hank
you,” she muttered.

“Dave, you need to stop it or I’m going to get jealous, even though I know you’re just being you,” Clinton advised.

Holding up his hands, Dave backed away and sat on the couch. He picked up a chip and stuck it in his mouth.

“Why don’t I leave you guys alone so you can talk,” Jenisha said. “Do you mind if I use the computer in the bedroom? I need to get on the Internet.”

“No….baby, go ahead,” Clinton said and kissed her on the lips. When Jenisha turned to leave, he patted her on the butt. Shaking her head at him, Jenisha went upstairs and left him alone downstairs with Jim and Dave. He watched Jenisha until she was out of sight.

“Man, she’s one hot looking chic,” Jim stated. “I don’t remember seeing her before. How did you meet her?”

Clinton let Jim’s comment fly over his head. He knew that he didn’t mean anything by it. “She’s my sister in-law’s best friend.”

“Now, True is really sexy,” Dave said with a chip in his mouth.

“God, you better be glad my brother isn’t here,” Clinton said. “He wouldn’t be happy to hear what you just said. Hayward is very protective of his wife.”

“I would be too,” Dave said, reaching for another fat free chip. “Most women aren’t as hot as True. However, Jenisha is a close second with those long, sexy legs of hers.”

Strolling across the room, Clinton patted his muscular friend on his back. “How about you keep your comments about my girlfriend and my sister-in law to yourself?”

Nodding at him, Dave opened a can of beer and took a long sip. Jim sat down on the couch beside his friend while Clinton sat in a chair to the side of them.

“Okay, Clinton, tell us about the job at the school,” Jim said.

Clinton grabbed a chip then proceeded to tell them about his ideas.

An hour later, Clinton stood in the door watching Jenisha write stuff down on one of his legal pads. He loved seeing her in his bedroom looking right at home. She fit in perfectly. “Sweetheart, what are you writing down that you couldn’t just print out,” he asked, walking up behind her.

“I found this great web site about lesson plans for second grade teachers, so I decided to take notes. I didn’t want to use all the ink up in your printer,” she said.

“You shouldn’t worry about such small things,” he commented. “I have plenty of ink cartridges in the desk.”

Logging off of the computer, Jenisha spun around in the chair and looked at him with those huge, light brown eyes. “Have Dave and Jim left?”

“Yes, they left about ten minutes ago.”

“Well, I have to say Dave is very outspoken, isn’t he?”

“Dave has always been like that around females.” Clinton said. “I’m happy you didn’t get upset.” Because, if Jenisha had, no matter how much he liked Dave, he would have been out the door.

She shrugged her shoulders. “He was basically harmless, and he is sort of cute.”

He didn’t like that Jenisha thought Dave was cute. “Dave isn’t good boyfriend material ,” Clinton muttered jealously. “He doesn’t know how to stay faithful.”

Jenisha laughed at his attempt to make her find fault with Dave. “Honey, I just said he was cute, not that I wanted to date him.”

Looking Jenisha in the eye, he saw she was telling the truth. “Okay, I just thought maybe you were drawn to him.”

Jenisha got up out of the chair and kissed him on the mouth. “I’m much more attracted to the handsome man standing in front of me.”

Clinton picked Jenisha up and sat back down in the chair with her on his lap. “Precious, I want you to understand that I really want this to work with us. I’m not looking for a couple of months filled with fun and sex. I want to build on what we have and make it into what Hayward and True found. I see you as the woman I could spend the rest of my life with.”

Pressing her closer to his chest, he tucked a curl behind her ear. “I don’t want to date anyone else or go out looking for someone who isn’t interested in me. You have every quality I have been searching for in a woman for the last seven years of my life.”

“Clinton… I don’t know what to say,” Jenisha whispered, staring into his eyes.

He pressed two fingers to her lips and shook his head. “Please, let me finish. I’m no longer into the girls who crave partying until the next day and then end up having unfulfilling sex. I desire a woman I can make love to because I’m in love with her. If you don’t want to be that woman, please let me know. I don’t want to fall deeper in love with you than I already am.”

Tears poured down Jenisha’s cheeks at Clinton’s speech. She knew right at that moment she wanted to be his wife and would do anything to make it happen. “Baby, I have never in my life had a man say to me what you just did. I want us to work at building this into something magical, too.”

Clinton watched Jenisha brush her tears away with the back of her left hand. “I used to listen to True talk about Hayward, wishing every day to find a man who would make me feel the same way. I’m so happy someone was listening and sent you to me. I’m falling in love with you too, sweetheart.”

Mark unlocked his office door and flicked on the light switch, bringing a bright light to the once dark room. He hated keeping his office door locked, but his wife was so damn nosy. He wished Brenda wouldn’t come back from the visit at her sister’s house.