Love’s sweet refrain?

Appointed to head Atlanta’s first-ever jazz festival, go-to marketing guru Michael “MJ” Jane sets out to create an annual event to rival New Orleans. Even if that means hiring her irresistible crush Jamal Carver to run security... The former marine with the killer smile and amazing abs also happens to be her best friend’s husband’s confidant. But despite their sizzling attraction, she refuses to become the playboy’s latest conquest.

The driven, desirable bachelorette makes the decorated marine long to hang up his own bachelor status. It’s getting harder for Jamal to keep things strictly business between them—can’t MJ see they’re creating a passionate tune of their own? Just as Jamal starts to earn MJ’s trust, their relationship is threatened by a relentless, still-in-the-picture ex-girlfriend. Will a downbeat melody end their romance before it truly begins? Or can love keep Jamal and MJ in harmony...forever?

“Ready to be surprised?”

She rolled her eyes. “I guess I have to be.”

“You’re going to love it,” he said. He kissed her on the cheek, then led her into the backyard. Michael was all smiles when she saw the fire pit glowing and the food on the table. But it was the telescope that caught her eye.

“What’s this?”

“Some people call it dinner.” Jamal’s arms went around her waist. “Shrimp, grilled peppers and hush puppies. Because I know you love them.”

“Really? I can’t lie—they are pretty awesome. And I have dessert. Shoot, I left it in the car.”

“We can have it for breakfast.”

“Breakfast? You assume I’m spending the night?”

“Not assuming, just stating a fact. I plan to keep you up all night.”

Michael blinked and her mouth fell open. Images of her body pressed against Jamal’s naked one flashed in her head. “I didn’t come here to sleep with you, and if...”

“Whoa, little red Corvette, slow down. While I would never kick you out of bed, tonight isn’t the night.” Jamal pointed to the telescope. “Tonight I’m going to give you the universe.”

Dear Reader,

Sometimes you never know what you need until she or he smiles in your face. Jamal Carver didn’t know he needed one woman to love until Michael “MJ” Jane came into his life. Convincing her that he’s willing to give up his playboy ways will take some effort, because MJ will not be played, no matter how much she finds herself falling for this sexy former marine.

Writing about two people who were looking for anything but love was a fun journey, and I hope you will enjoy the heat.

Always,

Cheris Hodges

The Heat Between Us

Cheris Hodges

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHERIS HODGES was bit by the writing bug early. The 1999 graduate of Johnson C. Smith University is a freelance journalist and always looks for love stories in the most unusual places. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she is trying and failing to develop a green thumb.

This book is dedicated to my readers. Without your support, I’d probably be wondering what to do with all of these stories floating around in my head. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

Michael Jane, also known as MJ, yawned as she leaned back in her office chair while reading over the latest edition of the local newspaper. It wasn’t that the story was boring—she just hated Monday mornings, and this one was particularly difficult. Mimi had talked her into a three-mile run, and then a green smoothie for breakfast.

No wonder the caramel beauty was tired and ready for a power nap. MJ looked at her reflection in her compact mirror. Her light brown eyes were sparkling and her auburn curls were actually in perfect form today, despite her run this morning. MJ was often complimented on her full lips, especially when she smiled. It was the one trait she’d got from her mother that she appreciated. Her lips and the beauty mark near her bottom lip.

“Miss Jane,” her assistant said. “You have a visitor.”

“Who is it?” Michael stifled another yawn. She knew she didn’t have any appointments this morning, which was the only reason she’d allowed Mimi to talk her into that crazy run.

“Nicolas Prince.”

Michael groaned and tugged at her auburn tresses. “Send him in.”

Before the door opened, Michael smoothed the corners of her mouth then sat up straight in her chair.

Nicolas Prince used to be the man of her dreams, the man she’d seen standing at the altar on her wedding day. Now he was simply the client she wished she’d never signed to her marketing company. Nic, who’d always had a healthy dose of confidence, leaned on the strength of their friendship to show up without an appointment. It wasn’t a good look.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said as he walked in and took a seat in front of her desk.

“What do you want, Nic?” She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. MJ played with her bouncy curls when she was annoyed. Nic’s unannounced visit was very annoying. Granted, there was a time when seeing Nic would’ve sent her heart fluttering and made her smile. She’d even gone so far as to fantasize about a future with him. But that was before he’d made it clear that he didn’t have the same feelings for her that she had for him, leaving her crushed. Nic had used her to get what he wanted and she vowed that she’d never be used by another man again. Mimi Collins-Daniels, MJ’s best friend, had tried to warn her that Nic was a player, but Michael had wanted to see the best in him. She wanted to believe that she could be the one to bring out the love in him, like a princess in a fairy tale. Unfortunately, life wasn’t a fairy tale and neither was her one-sided relationship with Nic.

At least she’d learned her lesson. She’d never make the mistake of falling for a player again.

“What’s up with the attitude this morning?”

“Why are you here without an appointment? Mondays are busy days for me.” She raised her right eyebrow. “You could’ve at least brought coffee and bagels if you were going to come in here unannounced.”

Nic shook his head. “Well, I apologize, but I have an amazing idea and I need your help to make it sizzle.”

MJ sighed. “I’m listening.”

“Are you?” He rolled his eyes. “Stayed out partying last night?”

Michael gave him a look. “Get on with it. I have another appointment.” The sooner he said what he had to say, the quicker she could get him out of her office. “And how I spend my nights aren’t your concern. What’s your idea?”

“The Great Atlanta Jazz Fest. A two-day citywide event to spotlight the growing scene here and give New Orleans a little competition.”

MJ perked up in her seat. “Go on.”

“Of course my spot would get the most publicity because I’d be a main sponsor and host all of the after-parties.”

Michael gave him an icy glance. “Yeah, I imagine you would expect that. What about the artists?”

“I have a few ideas. A few of the groups I’ve had at the club would be great headliners. But we need some big names.”

“Okay, so how are we going to work this event and get the city on board?”

Nic nodded. Michael turned to her computer and pulled up her internet browser. “We need to make sure we don’t have any of the same artists who were in New Orleans headlining here. We want Atlanta’s jazz fest to be different, our own thing.”

Even if this festival was Nic’s idea, MJ knew having her company attached to a successful event like this would put her business at the top when it came to landing multimillion-dollar accounts. She needed this to work, even if it meant working with Nic.

Nic slapped the edge of her desk with excitement. “And this is why I came to you. I knew you could make this work. You’re one of the only other people I know who can take an idea and make it as big as it needs to be.”

“Me and my staff...”

“No, MJ, I’m only working with you on this. I know your people are sharp, but you’re the best.”

“Everyone here is capable of making this a stellar—”

He interrupted her. “We have a contract, remember? It says that we—”

“Clearly, I know what it says,” she snapped. “Give me a couple of days to get a proposal together. Then we can start firming up plans.”

“Miss Jane,” her assistant said over the intercom. “Mimi Collins is here for you.”

Nic rose to his feet. “My cue to leave. I’ll call you to make an appointment so that we can go over this in more detail.”

“Please do,” she replied as Mimi walked in.

There was no love lost between Michael’s best friend and Nic. Ever since they were undergrads at Spelman and Morehouse, Mimi and Nic had butted heads. MJ could never put her finger on why, and at this point she’d chalked it up as one of life’s unexplained mysteries.

“Ooh,” Mimi said, giving Nic a cool glance. “Am I, hopefully, interrupting something?”

“Hello and goodbye, Mimi. I was just leaving.” Nic strode to the door.

“Don’t let me stop you.” Mimi took the seat that Nic had vacated.

“Guys, this is my office, not the quad,” Michael said. “Nic, we’ll talk soon.”

Mimi made a face and crossed her legs as Nic walked out the door. “Please tell me that was about business.”

“It was and you’re rude!” MJ broke out into laughter. “I don’t get you two.”

“Whatever. Are you in as much pain as I am?”

“Not you, Miss Marathon Queen.” MJ rolled her eyes. “Let me just go on record and remind you that this morning’s run was your idea.”

Mimi yawned. “Well, I had a bit of a workout last night with my loving husband, so three miles was a bit much this morning.” Mimi stretched her left foot out. “And these heels are murderous. But I had to show up at the Blog-Her conference looking like a million bucks.”

“Umm, TMI, Mimi! How’s the conference going so far?” Michael asked, quickly changing the subject. MJ had watched her friend rise to fame and infamy with the power of the keystroke as the creator of the Mis-Adventures of Mimi blog. After her public spat with the online dating website Fast Love, Mimi had fallen in love with her attorney, Brent Daniels. Michael had hoped their real love story would’ve made her friend a little less controversial on her blog. It hadn’t and that was why the public loved her. Mimi still wrote about relationships and real life issues.

Her last post had been about women not waiting for a man’s potential to kick in while dating. The post had gotten over seven million hits.

“I think I might have started something positive,” Mimi said with a smirk.

“Why does that statement scare me?”

“Because you’re nuts. I met a web designer who wants to make a site that celebrates women. Highlights our trials and tribulations. Falls from grace and comebacks. There are a few sisters looking to create some dating apps that aren’t just about your looks and can match couples by the books they’ve read.”

“That does sound positive. I could see myself logging on to an app like that.” MJ smiled. “And what else has been going on at the conference?”

Mimi smiled and excitement sparkled in her eyes. “A lot of good ideas in our early sessions. There’s even talk of a No More Mistresses website that would list all of the married men pretending to be single on dating websites.” Mimi kicked off her shoes. “Enough about me. Why was Nic here?”

“Business. He wants to do a citywide jazz fest and I’d be handling the marketing for it. We’re just sketching things out right now. But it sounds like it could be a great idea.”

“I hope it’s successful for your sake. But Nic can hug and kiss my—”

“Got it, Mimi.”

“I forgot to tell you this morning, but Jamal asked about you over dinner.”

MJ smiled and Mimi pointed at her. “What?”

“You and Jamal. What’s that all about?”

MJ sucked her teeth. “Jamal and I are just friends. He’s a foodie, despite the fact that he looks like he eats nothing but protein bars. We were going out Saturday night, but I got a call from a client because of some negative social-media reviews. We had brunch Sunday morning. Then he had to set up security at a venue for a concert or something.”

“So, this thing with you and Jamal is still light and fun or...”

“Stop it. Because for the last time, we’re just friends.” And Michael wondered if they would ever be more than that. If she was honest with herself, she’d admit that she wanted to be more than Jamal’s friend, but she also knew his reputation as a ladies’ man, so she kept her heart as guarded as possible. The last thing she would be was another name on his list of conquests. And she wasn’t about to get her heart smashed again by expecting too much from a man who didn’t know what he wanted.

* * *

Jamal loved his family, especially his grandmother Ethel. Every Monday, she called him to make sure he was taking care of himself—as if he was a teenager away at boarding school. And every Monday, he looked forward to his early morning conversations with his beloved grandmother.

But at this moment, he needed to get off the phone. A blast from his not-so-distant past had just made eye contact with him.

“Gran, I have to go,” he said as he saw a woman walking toward him with a smile on her face. How was it that the one morning he decided to go out for breakfast, he ran into Loony Lu-Lu, also known as Lucy Becker? The wannabe Atlanta socialite couldn’t fathom that Jamal rejected her advances and she couldn’t take no for an answer. And she always seemed to show up out of nowhere like a ghost of bad dates past. Jamal had gone out with Lucy only once. They’d attended a concert where she spent most of the night on her phone Tweeting and taking selfies for Instagram. It was a boring date, and when she outlined her plans for being on a reality show, Jamal knew he’d never go out with that crazy bird again.

Too bad she hadn’t gotten the message.

“Jamal, I do wish you would settle down like Brent. Look at him and Mimi, just as happy as they can be,” Ethel said.

“Gran, how do you know that they’re happy?”

“Because I read her blog! Anyway, go ahead and do whatever it is you said that you had to do and make sure you get me some fresh crawfish for my Savannah boil this year. I know that stuff you brought last year was frozen.”

Jamal chuckled, surprised that his grandmother read Mimi’s saucy blog. He remembered how Brent had gotten all out of sorts when his wife had written about their kiss on that infamous blog. “All right, Gran, fresh crawfish and settle down like Brent. I’m going to give you a call tomorrow.” He disconnected the call and bit back a groan. If Jamal thought he was going to get away from Lu-Lu, he was wrong.

“Jamal Carver,” she exclaimed, “you could’ve invited me to breakfast and I would’ve gladly accepted. Now you had to eat alone and where is the fun in that?”

“Hello, Lucy. Being alone is always fun—best company ever.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and dropped it on the table. Rising to his feet, Jamal reached for his wallet and left enough cash to pay for his breakfast and tip his waitress. “Well, I’m off to work. Have a nice day,” he said.

“How about we have a nice night, together?”

“I’m good,” he said then headed for the door. Jamal silently cursed himself out for ever going out with Loony. He’d known his lips were dangerous, but he’d kissed her anyway. And she’d fallen head over heels. If only he had that effect on Michael Jane’s sexy ass.

Sighing, he unlocked his Ford Mustang and slid behind the wheel. MJ had been the star of his dreams since they’d met at his buddy’s cookout last year. Despite her masculine name, Michael was all woman, with dangerous curves he wanted to ride like the wind. And those expressive brown eyes. Sometimes, he’d just stare at her to watch the golden flecks in them. MJ’s dimples were another reason why he’d always tried to make the caramel beauty smile.

But she had wanted to keep things light. Normally, he’d be all for that, but something about MJ made him look for more. Was his gran right about it being time to settle down?

When he arrived at his security firm in the heart of downtown Atlanta, he focused on the breakdown in coverage at a concert his firm was providing security for where a deadly shooting had happened. He needed answers and someone was going to lose their job today. Jamal prided himself and his company on keeping people safe. His reputation wasn’t going to be sullied by people not doing their jobs. And then there was always the possibility of a lawsuit.

Better call Brent after this meeting, he thought. Jamal walked into the conference room and looked around at his staff. Three of the men had been with him for a decade, and two of the guys had come highly recommended from his marine buddy, Walter Ramirez.

“What in the hell happened last night?” Jamal demanded.

“J,” Harry Mancini began, “I was in charge last night and I take full responsibility for what happened. Around twelve thirty, the crowd started clearing out and I let two of the guys go home. Then the rest of us had to do security detail for the talent. We had no idea that there had been an argument.”

“How did a weapon get on the premises? We were supposed to be checking cars as well! Did you guys not pat folks down?” Jamal asked, disappointed that he was going to have to let Harry go. But he’d dropped the ball big-time.

“We were, but...”

“No buts, Harry. What happened last night was unacceptable and you were in charge. A life was lost. I have no choice but to let you go.”

Gasps filled the room, but Jamal wasn’t finished. “The rest of you are off duty until further notice. I can’t have people on my team who don’t follow the rules. We’re the First Line of Defense and last night we were worse than rent-a-cops.”

Harry rose to his feet and headed for the door. “Jamal, I’m sorry about what happened, but these guys don’t deserve this punishment.”

“And that’s not your choice to make.”

Jamal waited for the men to file out of the room before he dropped his head on the table. What he did had to be done but it still wasn’t easy to do. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Brent.

“What’s up, Jamal?” Brent asked when he answered.

“I’m in trouble,” Jamal began. “Or potentially in trouble.”

“What’s her name?”

“Bruh, this is serious. First Line of Defense was the security company at that concert over the weekend.”

“Oh, shit. And people are talking about suing you already?”

“No, but it’s only a matter of time. This is America and after the tragedy comes the lawsuit.”

“Yeah, but they will probably go after the promoter and the artist first. That’s where the money is.”

“Still, my guys failed to do their job and I feel responsible.”

“Don’t say that to anyone else. I know you take your job seriously and you have an impeccable reputation, but you can’t save everybody and no one is going to hold you responsible.”

“That’s what you say until someone files a lawsuit.”

“If they do, then you know I got your back. Stop borrowing trouble.”

“You’re right, but I had one of my top guys running the point on this concert and I had to fire him today.”

“Damn, that was harsh.”

“So was not following my rules. But whatever. I’m going to go do some paperwork.”

“Dude, this is not like you at all. What’s the real problem?”

MJ.

“Who said I had a problem?”

“Your actions and your attitude. The last time I saw you act like this was during the... What’s her name?”

Jamal groaned. “It’s MJ.”

“I knew it. I thought you guys were just kicking it and having a good time?”

“And I thought I could handle that,” Jamal said. “Any other woman, I would’ve been good with that, but there is something different about Michael.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t want you. Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest.”

“Says the man who married his former client. I guess you would know.”

“I’m going to chalk that up to you not getting any and being jealous. You know nothing happened between Mimi and me before I settled her case. Not that it matters now, because she’s my wife and whatever I did worked.”

“I know. As a matter of fact, I should send your wife a few dozen roses to get her to help me win MJ over.”

Brent broke out into laughter. “You know if you ask Mimi for help, you might end up fodder for her blog.”

“Umm, I forgot about that. You know my gran reads her blog. Still, I don’t know how and why Michael has gotten under my skin the way she has,” Jamal said. “I feel like I’m one step away from being Loony Lu-Lu.”

“Is that woman still after you?”

“Sadly. Like they say, it’s the ones you don’t want who are always chasing after you.”

“That’s what happens when you have too many ones,” Brent said. “I got to go, but I can tell you this—I might be having lunch with my wife and her best friend at the new Sunshine Café in the West End around one thirty.”

“You might be getting a six-pack of craft beer to relax with this weekend. I’ll see y’all at one thirty,” Jamal said.

After hanging up the phone with Brent, Jamal felt a little better about everything.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that he had too much time on his hands to sit there and think about Michael. So, he logged on to his computer and pulled up his rules-of-engagement document for his employees and printed it out. He didn’t want any more excuses about not knowing what to do.

Chapter 2

Michael and Mimi were still sitting in her office when Brent called his wife. As she listened to Mimi cooing and laughing into the phone, Michael could only shake her head. But she had to admit, love looked really good on her friend. She couldn’t believe she’d ever thought that a narcissist like Nic was capable of making her feel like this. Get over it. Turning to her computer, she googled the lineup for the past New Orleans jazz fest and made notes of the artists who had performed there. She wanted to make sure they didn’t book the same people for the Atlanta event. Then an idea hit her. What if they used local bands? That would really give the Peach City its own thing. The food would have to be amazing as well. She then started searching some of the restaurants that Jamal had introduced her to that she enjoyed. As she thought about her dinner with him last week, she couldn’t help but laugh. They had been sitting on the patio at a new Peachtree Street eatery when a woman walked over to Jamal and threw a glass of water in his face.

She’d gone off on him for not returning her phone calls and proceeded to call him every name in the book. Then Jamal had dried his face with a napkin and stood up and handed her a dollar.

“Maybe this will help you buy a clue as to why I didn’t call.”

It had been funny to Michael, even as a part of her wondered if this was what it would be like dating a playboy like Jamal.

But they weren’t dating.

“What are you giggling about?” Mimi asked as she dropped her phone in her purse.

“Nothing as exciting as whatever Brent was saying to you.”

“He was reminding me that we shouldn’t be late for lunch.” The smile on her friend’s face told Michael that was not all he’d said. “Come on, MJ. Leave those files and let’s get moving. You know how traffic is around here.”

“Yeah. But you’re driving since you made me run this morning.”

“And we’re running tomorrow as well, so get ready for it.”

Michael groaned as she rose to her feet. “I never thought I’d say this, but I can’t wait for you to go back to New Orleans.”

“Whatever. You know you miss me when I’m not here. And luckily for you, once my travel series is over, I’ll be back in Atlanta full-time. That means we can run every morning.”

“No, ma’am.”

Mimi rose to her feet and told her friend that she and Brent would see her at the restaurant in about an hour. Before MJ could tell her friend goodbye, her phone rang.

Monday was actually turning into a busy day for her.

Finally, after she wrapped up her calls and reports for her clients about their marketing campaigns, it was time for lunch.

If it hadn’t been for the fact that Michael had been clamoring to try the new West End restaurant, Sunshine Café, she wouldn’t have agreed to be the third wheel on Brent and Mimi’s lunch date. She started to tell her friend not to become that married woman who was always trying to hook up her single friends.

Mimi and Brent were the perfect couple, in her opinion. He was the calm where Mimi was the storm and it worked for them. Her friendship with Jamal was a bit like that. The more time they spent together, the more she found things to really like about him.

The fact that he was a foodie and found the most off-the-beaten-path restaurants in the city always made her smile. She hoped that she could introduce him to a place for a change.

If only he wasn’t such a playboy...

Walking into the restaurant, she smiled when she saw Mimi waving for her. “Brent got held up on a case at work,” she said when Michael made it to the table. “This place seems really nice.”

“I know. I was hoping to tell Jamal about it, since he is always finding cool places for us to eat around the city.”

Mimi laughed. “Were you expecting him for lunch? Because here he comes.”

Michael turned toward the door and smiled when she saw him walking her way. Their eyes locked and Michael’s heart rate increased. Relax, she told herself.

Jamal Carver was a beautiful, yet rugged, man. His caramel-brown skin was smooth as silk and that goatee gave him the right mix of tough and sexy. His bedroom eyes gave hints of mystery and sex, and that brilliant smile just made her melt every time. Even if she tried to deny there was an attraction between them that went beyond friendship.

Then he had a body that seemed chiseled from mythological marble and wood, crafted by a sensual deity for pleasure and desire. But since she wasn’t the friends-with-benefits type, she kept her wanton thoughts under wraps.

“Hello, ladies,” he said when he reached the table, then leaned in and gave Michael a kiss on the cheek.

Mimi smiled. “Jamal, what are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d check this place out and I see that great minds think alike,” he said then winked at Michael as he took a seat across from her.

“And here I was hoping to scope it out and bring you someplace new for a change,” Michael replied.

“Have you all ordered yet?” Jamal asked.

“No, and I’m going to go,” Mimi said as she waved her phone, a peculiar gleam in her eye. “Brent wants me to meet him at the office.”

Jamal and Michael shared knowing glances. “Umm, huh,” Michael said. “I bet he doesn’t need you.”

“Anyway. You two enjoy—lunch, that is,” Mimi said as she rose to her feet and sauntered away.

“Were we set up or what?” Michael asked.

Jamal shrugged innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You know how I love new restaurants.”

“Sure you do,” she quipped. “How’s your Monday going?”

“It just got a thousand times better,” he said with a wink. Michael felt herself blush.

“Glad I could help,” she said. “Hopefully this place is as good as it smells.”

Jamal reached across the table and took her hand in his. “What are you doing tonight? I have something I want to show you.”

“What?”

“Why would I tell you now?” He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. Shivers of delight attacked her spine as his fingers caressed her. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t held her hand before, but today felt different. She slipped her hand from underneath his, urging her heart to return to its normal pace.

“Because I hate surprises.”

“Too bad. About nine, meet me at my place.”

“Jamal, I... Okay.”

“Don’t get all excited on me,” he quipped.

“Oh, stop,” she said with a giggle.

A few moments later, a waitress appeared at the table to go over the day’s specials. Michael decided to go with the shrimp, chicken and grits, while Jamal was a bit more adventurous and chose a crawfish jambalaya pie.

“Wow,” Michael said. “Now, that was a bold choice.”

“Have to try it first to see if I don’t like it.”

She nodded in agreement. “But if you don’t, my grits are so off-limits.”

“Just selfish. But I’m sure this food is going to be amazing. If not, I have good company.”

“Flattery is not going to get you a spoonful of my grits,” she joked. Michael liked being with him—laughing was so easy. But she couldn’t and didn’t want to risk her heart again or get hurt. Jamal was everything that she knew wasn’t good for her. A playboy. Would he even want to settle down with one woman? Could he?

“MJ?” Jamal said, breaking into her thoughts.

“Yes?”

“Where did your mind go?”

“Work. A client who came in today wants to do a citywide jazz fest.”

“Mmm, that could be a logistics nightmare, depending on how many venues you plan to use.”

“Not when I know a dream team that can help.” Michael smiled. “First Line of Defense, perhaps.”

“I’d be happy to help, but I have to be honest with you. We had an incident over the weekend.”

“What happened?”

He told her about the shooting at the concert and how his team hadn’t been able to prevent it. “Ten years in business and nothing like this had ever happened.”

“People make mistakes, Jamal.”

“But this is bigger than a mistake. Someone died.”

“And that’s not your fault.”

“Wish I felt that way,” he said as the waitress made her way to the table with their food.

* * *

Jamal was silent until he and MJ took their first bite of food. Then they were singing the praises of the dishes and Jamal wasn’t thinking of last night’s tragedy. “These are the best grits I’ve ever had!”

Jamal nodded in agreement. “And the corn bread is tender and sweet. Reminds me of something else.”

She rolled her eyes. “And what would that be?”

“You.”

“Jamal, you probably say that to all of the girls.” Michael wiped her mouth with her napkin.

“Being that you’re the first girl I’ve eaten with here, you’re the only one who gets treated to this.”

“For now.”

“This is officially going to be our spot. It’s going to be MJ and Jamal’s, not the Sunshine Café. Should I carve our names in the table right now?”

She hid her grin as she shook her head. “You’re a mess.”

“And? If I was Joe Regular, you wouldn’t be here with me, now would you?”

She smiled and nodded. “You’re right. And that pie looks delicious.”

“It is.” Jamal held a fork full of his savory meal out to her. When Michael closed her lips around the fork, he was jealous. That fork had what he wanted. Michael’s lips and tongue. Then Michael moaned. He could make her moan like that. She just needed to give him the chance.

“So good.”

Jamal nodded. “Like I said, this is our spot. And for the record, I want points for sharing my food.”

She nodded. “Ten points for sharing your food. Only if the dessert is as good as the entrées.”

Jamal slowly allowed his eyes to roam over Michael’s lithe body. “Where does it all go?”

“What?”

“The food.”

“Burns off in the gym. You should join me for one of my morning workouts.”

Jamal laughed. “You’re not ready. Have you forgotten that I’m a marine?”

“Sounds like you’re challenging me and I’m always up for a challenge. You haven’t learned from that spades game at Brent’s place?”

“Yeah, but you won’t have your partner in crime Mimi this time. Name the time and the place.”

“Six a.m., Anytime Fitness in midtown.”

“Hope you like burpees.”

Michael rolled her eyes. “I’m the burpee queen. Hope you like losing.”

“Want to know a secret? Brent and I let you ladies win that day because he wanted to get in Mimi’s pants.”

“That’s bull and you know it. Brent was going to get into her pants win or lose. When you guys want a rematch, we’re not hard to find.”

Why did she have to say “hard”? Thinking about her in a pair of spandex shorts and a sports bra made him harder than a brick. “I hear you talking, beautiful. But this time we will show no mercy. Brent already has his woman.” And soon enough, I’m going to get mine.

“And just like Mimi, I don’t like to lose.” Michael winked at him then waved for the waitress.

“Yes, ma’am?” she asked as she approached the table.

“Do you have a dessert menu?”

“Of course. I’ll bring it right over to you.”

Michael looked at Jamal with a smile on her lips. “I hope they have chocolate cake.”

“With lots of icing.” He winked at her, and then his cell phone rang. When he saw Brent’s name, he started to ignore it, but he excused himself from the table and took the call.

* * *

Michael watched as Jamal walked away, talking on the phone. Part of her wondered if it was one of his women. This is stupid. If I can’t trust him, why am I here?

The waitress returned to the table and handed her a menu. “Is that your man? Because, girl, you are lucky.”

“Oh, we’re just friends.”

The waitress’s mouth dropped open. “Does he know that?”

“Well aware. Question—do you guys have a chocolate cake?”

She nodded excitedly. “And it is very good. Moist, and the icing is homemade.”

“I need two big slices.”

The waitress nodded and smiled as Jamal walked back toward the table. “He has the hots for you,” she whispered to Michael. “You better take advantage of it before I do.”

Michael offered her a mock salute. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

Jamal sat down and placed his hand on top of Michael’s. “Sorry about that.”

“No worries.”

“That was Brent. He had news for me about the shooting this past weekend. So far, it looks as if we have a legal standing if lawsuits start piling up because the promoter should’ve...”

Michael threw her hand up. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. You get phone calls.”

Jamal shook his head then polished off the last of his pie. “Did you find anything you liked on the dessert menu?”

“Oh, yeah. I think it’s coming our way right now.” She nodded toward the waitress.

“That’s some good-looking cake,” he said as the waitress set the hunking slices on the table.

“Just wait until you taste it.” The waitress gave Jamal a wink and Michael felt a twinge of jealousy. Was this woman really flirting with him in front of her face? But then again, she’d just told her that she and Jamal were only friends.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any milk, would you?” Michael asked, wanting to send her away.

“Soy, almond or regular?”

“Definitely almond with a side of ice.”

The waitress turned to Jamal. “Can I get you some milk as well?”

“No, just some water.” When the waitress left, Jamal took a glance at Michael as she took a big bite of her cake slice. “I know you aren’t going to eat all of that.”

She stuffed it in her mouth and smiled. “Mmm.”

Jamal followed her lead and took a big bite of the cake as well. It was good, but when he saw a drop of chocolate on Michael’s bottom lip, he didn’t care about how the cake tasted because he wanted to taste her.

“What?”

Jamal leaned forward and wiped the chocolate from her lip with his thumb. “Just a drop of chocolate on your face.”

Chapter 3

Michael shivered at the feel of Jamal’s thumb against her lip. Something about his touch just made her body tingle. She wanted him, but knew it probably wasn’t a smart thing to want. Playboys were like leopards—their spots didn’t change simply because you wanted them to.

“Th-thanks,” she said.

“No problem. Got to keep that pretty face clean. Or you could’ve used that shot to market this cake.”

“They haven’t hired me yet, so no free advertising.”

“You’re hard-core, huh?” He stuck his finger in the chocolate icing and brushed it across her full bottom lip. Just as he was about to lean in and kiss the confection away, Michael beat him to it and licked the chocolate herself.

“Okay, this icing is so good that I would give them a shout-out for free.”

“How nice of you,” he said. “Don’t forget to meet me at nine tonight.”

“For a surprise, right?”

Jamal kissed her hand. “Yes. And, no, I’m not telling you what it is. But I do have to run. I have a meeting in the heart of the city and I’m about to be late.”

“Have a good meeting and I guess I will see you tonight.”

“Come on—you can’t act like that.”

“Here’s the second surprise—if I show up or not. And you should probably save your seduction skills for someone else.” MJ nodded toward the waitress who was clearing a table not far from theirs. “She’d like it, I’m sure.”

Jamal pulled out his wallet and left enough cash on the table to pay for their meals. “You think I’m trying to seduce you?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re telling me that you’re not?”

“Babe, if I was trying to seduce you, you’d be in my arms right now. Just make sure you’re not late tonight.” He winked at her then headed for the door.

Michael watched him walk away and realized that he was right. She’d see him at nine, and no matter what his surprise was, she was going to enjoy it. Be happy about it and pretend that it didn’t make her heart and soul melt.

“I’m in so much trouble,” she muttered as the waitress walked over with her glass of milk.

* * *

Jamal hopped into his car and drove to the Atlanta Metro Credit Union. He was meeting with the head of security there to revamp their security protocol. As he walked into the building, his mind was on MJ’s lips. That woman wore that chocolate like the most delicious lipstick. He’d wanted nothing more than to kiss her and taste that sweetness on her. But she was faster than he’d expected and had licked the chocolate away.

Seeing her tongue pass over that full bottom lip had made his blood pressure rise off the charts. What was it about this woman that made him want her so badly? Maybe it was because she told him no or the fact that she didn’t act like the typical Atlanta women he’d dated. She didn’t think that three dates meant they were in a relationship or that the fifth date meant an engagement ring was coming next.

MJ was the exact opposite. She didn’t take herself, or what they had going on, seriously. At first, he’d enjoyed it. Felt as if he could be himself around her. He could be silly. He could be serious. They could talk politics in one sitting then turn around and debate about who the best comedian of all time was. Jamal had never found that range of conversation with another woman.

And the woman liked football. When he’d scored two tickets to the Atlanta Falcons season opener, he’d taken MJ with him and she’d been an avid fan of the game. Especially the star cornerback. Jamal had been impressed because most women he’d taken to a game knew only the quarterback and maybe a wide receiver or two.

“Defense wins championships, and the way Atlanta looks right now, we’re going to the big game!” Michael had said at the end of the game.

“It’s just the first game of the season.”

“You have no faith.”

“I know we have Carolina twice this season and their offense is finally as explosive as their defense,” he’d said.

“Please. We’re going to eat them up.”

Smiling at the memory, Jamal walked up to the receptionist and asked for Craig Franklin.

* * *

Michael returned to her office and decided to throw herself into work. She didn’t want to think about Jamal, but in the silence of her office, all she could do was think about him. If his finger was any indication, his kiss would be damn near deadly. Shivering, she wondered if anything would happen beyond the heat between them. Would the fire burn out and she end up like the woman who tossed that drink in Jamal’s face?

“Nope. I’m not going to let that happen.” Logging on to her computer, Michael did immerse herself in her work for about thirty minutes, and then her phone rang. When she saw Mimi’s number, she answered because she was going to give her BFF a small piece of her mind.

“You’re not slick, Mimi.”

“What are you talking about? I had to meet my husband.”

“Sure you did. You and Brent aren’t slick at all.”

“I had no idea that Jamal was going to show up at lunch. That was all Brent because he said his boy was having a bad day.”

“And I’m supposed to be the make-him-feel-better girl?”

“It worked, didn’t it? I don’t get you two.”

“Wait a minute! You were totally against me getting serious with Jamal and called him a rebound.”

“And you said you guys weren’t serious.” Michael could imagine her friend’s eyebrow raised to the heavens. “So, what’s the problem here?”

“We’re friends, Mimi. Just friends. I don’t understand why people don’t get that. And I’m not looking for another dead-end relationship that is going to end up with me looking like a fool again.”

“You like him more than you want to admit. Michael, remember the words of wisdom you used to give me? Time to take your own advice. Stop running and go after what your heart wants.”

Michael rolled her eyes. “Because you took my advice, Mimi?”

“Umm, well, had I listened to you about that Fast Love post, I would’ve never had the chance to get close to Brent and fall in love with him. And you wouldn’t have met Jamal. Then you’d still be sitting here pining for Nic.”

“That’s not true.”

“What part isn’t true? You meeting Jamal or still trying to show Nic that you’re in love with him.”

“Let’s put Nic in the past, where he belongs. I wasted a lot of time trying to make him think we should’ve been a power couple. I own that. I’m over that.”

“Then why are you working with him?”

“Contract.”

Mimi sucked her teeth. “So.”

“And if this event is as big as I want it to be, this is going to mean more high-profile clients, more big events and the success I’ve been chasing.”

“You’re already successful. You run this city,” Mimi said.

“From your mouth to God’s ear. People know I’m Mimi’s friend, but they have no idea what I can really do.”

“Whatever. How was the food at the café, though?”

“Amazing, and the dessert was superb. Maybe you and Brent should go there for dinner, since you guys set up that bogus lunch.”

“For the record, it didn’t start that way, but if you must blame someone, blame Mr. Law and Order. He told Jamal where we were having lunch.”

“Oh, there you go. Let me tell you something, Mimi Collins-Daniels. If I read your blog and see any parts of me and Jamal on there, I’m going to hurt you.”

“You mean like real names?”

“Don’t play with me, Mimi!”

“All right, I’ll try.”

Michael sighed. “You better do more than try.”

“You have my word, unless something really juicy happens. And don’t say anything else, because I do write about myself on my blog.”

“What does that have to...? Mimi, my brand isn’t like yours, and if you...”

“Let me stop playing with you. I won’t do it. And you better be ready to run in the morning.”

Michael grinned. “About that run. I’m going to work out with Jamal in the morning.”

“Ooh. With or without clothes?”

“Stop it. We’re going to the gym. And he wants me to come see him tonight.”

“You mean he wants to go on a date?”

“It’s not a date. It’s a...”

“D-A-T-E! Stop living in the land of denial. You two are getting to be annoying.”

“Spoken like someone who has been annoying for years.”

“And on that note, I’m hanging up.”

“I love you, Mimi,” Michael said through her laughter. After hanging up, she opened a file on her computer and started planning logistics for the jazz festival. When she typed in security, the only company she could think of to handle the job was First Line of Defense. Michael picked up the phone and called Jamal.

Voice mail.

“Jamal, this is MJ. Give me a call when you get a chance. I have a proposal, a business proposal, for you. I wanted to discuss it with you before I see you tonight, if possible. Thanks.”

* * *

Jamal shook hands with Craig Franklin. “You’ve been really lucky,” Jamal told the bank CEO.

“And I don’t want to continue to press my luck. Your security ideas are just what we need to make the bank more secure from inside and outside jobs.”

“You also shouldn’t give an employee access to the video system. Not saying that you have someone stealing from you, but you have to be proactive instead of reactive.”

“Makes sense. I look forward to your report and I’m sure the board will agree to the project.”

Jamal nodded. “Let me know when you guys want me to get started and I’ll send my tech team in.”

The two men walked to the lobby and shook hands again. “Looking forward to working with you,” Craig said.

Jamal nodded and told his client goodbye. When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he pulled it out and smiled when he saw a missed call and voice mail from MJ. If she was trying to back out of his surprise evening, he was not going to allow it. Tonight, he’d show her a side of him no other woman had ever seen.

Once he got into the car, Jamal listened to Michael’s message. Business proposal? Interesting, he thought as he called her back.

“Hey, Jamal. I hope you got my message.” Michael’s voice was like a sweet song that he wanted to keep on Repeat.

“I did. Do you want to meet tomorrow and talk about it?”

“Aren’t we getting together tonight?”

“Just looked at my watch and First Line of Defense is closed.”

“Jamal.”

“MJ. Listen, you do too much. Tonight, we’re going to relax and not say a word about your proposal.”

“All right. But you are considering it, right?”

“I’ll tell you in the morning. When’s a good time for us to get together?”

He could hear the keys on her computer moving at a rapid pace. “I have an opening at nine forty-five.”

“That’s about the time I have breakfast. Want to see if the Sunshine Café has better eggs than West Egg?”

“No, but I’ll meet you at West Egg because those potatoes are just amazing.”

“Good. See you later,” he said.

“And what are we doing tonight?”

“You’ll see when you get there. ’Bye, MJ.”

* * *

Looking at her phone, Michael couldn’t help but smile when she and Jamal hung up. He always made her smile. But that doubtful voice in her head kept telling her that they would never be serious. He was a player. And what made her think that she could be the woman who would change his mind about his lifestyle? The last thing she wanted was to be another one of those women who saw him out on the town and had an emotional breakdown.

That’s not my style, she thought as she shut her computer down and prepared to leave the office. It wasn’t easy to keep saying and pretending that she didn’t want more from him. She just couldn’t say it to him. Fear froze her tongue every time she tried. As she walked out of the office toward her car, she decided to head to the gym to burn off some nervous energy.

Would tonight be the night that she and Jamal took the next step in their relationship?

What was this big surprise? She knew that he wasn’t going to propose. That thought made her laugh. It wasn’t as if they’d known each other long enough for her to start fantasizing about being Mrs. Carver. She put the blame squarely on Mimi’s shoulders for making marriage look so good.

As she pulled into the parking lot of the gym, Michael’s cell phone rang. She wasn’t happy at all when she saw Nic’s name flash across the screen. She started to ignore the call, but she knew he wouldn’t stop calling because obviously he needed something.

“Yes, Nic.”

“Don’t sound so excited. I just wanted to see if you had time to meet with me tomorrow. I have some great ideas that I want us to look at for the jazz festival.”

“You do realize that it is way after office hours, right?”

“Since when did we start standing on ceremony?” Nic’s laughter actually made her blood boil.

“Nic, you’re simply a client. We aren’t in a space where you can call me in the middle of the night because you have an idea. You made it clear that we’re all about business. So, respect me enough not to invade my personal time because you have a freaking idea.”

“I’m sorry—am I interrupting you and Mimi talking about whatever it is you two cackle about when you get together?”

“No, you’re interrupting me and a very handsome man making a beeline between my thighs. Good night.” She ended the call and tossed the phone in the glove compartment. Michael was ready to punch something really hard now.

* * *

It was times like this when Jamal was glad he lived out in the burbs. Tonight he’d have a clear view of the sky and he had a fire pit that he didn’t have to worry about getting zoning permission to light. He took his telescope to the edge of the woods that abutted his property and gave him the clearest view of the sky. Not many people knew that Jamal was an astronomy nerd. Since he was a kid, he’d enjoyed looking to the stars for answers. He would’ve been an astronaut if the Challenger incident hadn’t scarred him. But still, he enjoyed watching the universe. And though he wouldn’t tell his boys, he was a man who wished on stars sometimes. Especially when he was in Iraq. He’d prayed and wished for all of his comrades to make it through the night. He’d prayed and wished that the people he shot in the heat of battle were terrorists and not human shields.

The stars calmed him, made him feel as if he’d have his normal life back. After two years in the Middle East and an injury that left him unfit for combat, Jamal had lost partial sight in his right eye. And though he had surgery to correct the injury and remove the shrapnel from his eye, he hadn’t been able to pass the physical requirements of the Marines to rejoin the corps. For about a year, he’d been a recruiter in Alabama. But Jamal missed action. Missed helping people and saving lives.

Deciding not to reenlist, Jamal had moved back to Atlanta and opened First Line of Defense. His grandmother had not been pleased. The matriarch of the Carver family wanted her only grandson, at the time, out of harm’s way. She needed him to settle down and carry on the family name. For years, he’d ignored her constant nagging about finding the one. Jamal wasn’t interested in a family. His father was MIA and that had had a huge impact on his life. He’d watched his mother cry over this man who’d broken his promises. One thing that Jamal could say about the women he dated was that he never made promises to them. He tried not to play with their emotions and make them believe that he was going to provide them a future.

In all these years he’d taken three women to his family’s annual low-country boil in Savannah, but he now knew it had been a mistake to take any of them there. Introducing a woman to his family was unfair to her if he wasn’t serious about the relationship, so Jamal had decided that the next woman he took to Savannah would be the one he planned a future with. And for a long time, he’d felt he wouldn’t be bringing anyone down there for a while.

But lately, Jamal had caught himself wondering what it would be like to take MJ to Savannah. Would she even want to go with him this year? He figured that she’d say no. But he liked the idea of Gran and the family meeting her. He wouldn’t even step in if they started asking uncomfortable questions like Are you guys serious?

That was a question he wanted an answer to. Could they be serious? What was holding her back from being his? Glancing at his watch, Jamal saw that he needed to get the shrimp on the grill and grab the graham crackers for the s’mores. Tonight was going to be simple and fun. And he hoped that it would lead to MJ understanding that he wanted her and no one else. She was a woman who made him feel like love did exist, without cameras and tabloid headlines. Too many women in Atlanta wanted to live like reality-TV stars. He wasn’t about that life and he was glad that MJ felt the same way.

Even though she might not believe he was ready to be a one-woman man. But Jamal was so ready for MJ to be the only woman in his life.

Chapter 4

Michael stood under the cool shower spray after her hour-and-a-half workout. She’d hit the heavy bag, run for three miles on the treadmill and flipped a 350-pound tire thirty times. She was sore and tired. She wanted to call Jamal and see if they could reschedule, but she wanted to see him. She was excited about his surprise. Closing her eyes, she imagined him slipping in behind her, his big hands stroking her breasts until her nipples were rock-hard. Leaning her head back underneath the shower spray, she slipped her hand between her thighs, imagining that her fingers were Jamal’s tongue. Hearing a throaty moan escape her mouth, Michael snapped back to reality.

Shutting the water off, she grabbed her towel and dried off. Lord, grant me self-control when I see this man.

After getting dressed in her favorite purple romper and silver sandals, Michael decided to get a surprise for Jamal as well. She drove to the Sunshine Café and ordered two slices of the sinfully delicious chocolate cake. She waved at her favorite waitress as the latter crossed the full dining room to greet her.

“Cake, huh? Where is Mr. He-Is-Just-My-Friend?”

“I’m taking this cake to him, because friends do stuff like that.” Michael smiled.

“Umm, my mama would say that you’re working on getting to his heart through his stomach. Good job. But you better learn how to cook, if you don’t know how to already.”

Michael broke out into laughter. “I’m so not after his heart and I can cook.”

“And Shakespeare would say, the lady doth protest too much. Girl, if you don’t jump on that man, I know a bunch of women in Atlanta who will.”

Michael held her tongue because she knew a bunch of women in Atlanta already had. How am I any different?

“Well? I hope you have a thong and a cute bra on underneath that outfit.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Not at all,” Michael said. “Just friends.”

“Keep in mind that we do cater weddings.”

Michael took her slices and shook her head. “You’re worse than my friend Mimi. Sounds like something she’d say on her blog.”

“As in Mimi Collins? You know her.”

“Yep.”

“Tell her I’m her biggest fan. I comment on her blog as Cheyenne twelve-eighteen.”

“I will let her know and maybe even bring her back for lunch tomorrow.” Michael winked at her then headed out the door. Glancing at her watch, she saw that she was going to be late if traffic was bad.

For once, it wasn’t. She arrived at Jamal’s house right on time. She loved the quietness in his neighborhood. No sounds from the highway, no blaring horns and sirens every five minutes. And his lawn was always amazing. The little girl in her wanted to kick off her shoes and run through the manicured grass.

“Hello, beautiful.”

She locked eyes with Jamal, who met her at the door dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and a white tank top. He looked so delicious and youthful as well as sexy. “Hey, you.” He enveloped her in his arms and she inhaled sharply. He smelled good, woodsy and clean.

“Ready to be surprised?”

She rolled her eyes. “I guess I have to be.”

“You’re going to love it,” he said. Kissing her on the cheek, he led her into the backyard. Michael was all smiles when she saw the fire pit glowing and the food on the table. But it was the telescope that caught her eye.

“What’s this?”

“Some people call it dinner.” Jamal’s arms went around her waist. “Shrimp, grilled peppers and hush puppies. Because I know you love them.”

“Really? I can’t lie—they are pretty awesome. And I have dessert. Shoot, I left it in the car.”

“We can have it for breakfast.”

“Breakfast? You assume I’m spending the night.”

“Not assuming, just stating a fact. I plan to keep you up all night.”

Michael blinked and her mouth fell open. Images of her body pressed against Jamal’s naked one flashed in her head. “I didn’t come here to sleep with you, and if...”

“Whoa, little red Corvette, slow down. While I would never kick you out of bed, tonight isn’t the night.” Jamal pointed to the telescope. “Tonight, I’m going to give you the universe.”

“The universe, huh?”

“First, we eat.” Jamal led her to the table and pulled the chair out for her like a perfect gentleman. “And you can tell me what you have against surprises.”

“What do you know about astronomy?” Michael asked as she dug into her shrimp. “And I don’t like surprises because most of the time, it turns out to be something bad.”

“That’s because you haven’t had the right kind of surprises. Stick with me, baby girl, and every day will be a happy surprise.”

“I hear you talking. You’re going to have to show and prove. I’m curious, though. How did you get into all of this?”

“I’m what you’d call a nerd—a sexy nerd, but a nerd nonetheless. When I was a kid, I’d always escape into the stars.”

“Did you ever find anything up there?”

“Sometimes I did. But my big dream was to fly to the moon.”

“Yet you joined the Marines and went to war?”

Jamal shrugged as he stabbed at his shrimp. “What can I say? I wanted to serve my country and I don’t regret a minute of it. But when they get that space shuttle ready for commercial flights, I’m going to be the first one on it. Play your cards right and I might take you with me.”

Michael almost choked on her juicy shrimp. “I’ll watch you from down here while you shoot for the moon.”

Jamal handed her a glass of wine. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Planted right here on the ground.”

“Chicken.”

Nodding, Michael took a sip of wine then set her glass on the table. “I’ll be that. But I don’t want to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.”

* * *

Jamal watched MJ eat her shrimp and his loins ached as he imagined her lips wrapped around him like that. Her tongue gliding across his hardness the way she licked the garlic sauce from the jumbo shrimp. He shifted in his seat, growing harder than a brick while watching her eat. He couldn’t remember the last time the simple act of a woman eating had aroused him so much.

“This is so good.”

“I bet you are.”

“What?”

“Thank you.”

“Who taught you how to cook?”

“My gran. She doesn’t believe any Carver, male or female, should be unable to feed themselves. So, when she went in the kitchen, she grabbed one of us to be her assistant. Then there was a quiz.”

“Your gran seems like she doesn’t play.”

“She doesn’t. You guys would probably get along famously.”

“You think so?”

Jamal nodded. “We do a low-country boil at the end of the summer, when the whole clan goes down to Savannah. We all have a part of the meal we’re responsible for. I’m the crawfish king.”

“Sounds like fun. My family does catering and indoor reunions, once every five years.”

Jamal popped a shrimp in his mouth. “You and your family aren’t close?”

She shrugged. “We’re busy and a small group, so... I guess we’re not close. Mimi and I decided to make our own family.”

“Y’all are very close.”

“That’s my crazy sister.”

“She’s mine, too, but always remember you and I are not related.” He poured them both more wine. “Come on—let me take you to the moon.” They walked over to the telescope and Jamal pointed to the pillows underneath the stand. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but get on your knees.”

Michael sucked her teeth. “You know...”

“I’m not the one with the dirty mind, baby. That’s you.”

She laughed and followed his directions. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist as he knelt behind her. “Now, if you turn your head to the left, you will see Orion.”

Michael looked to the left with the telescope. “Wow. Now, is this the same as Orion’s Belt?”

“That’s the top of the constellation. But look at the whole thing. That’s the thing about stars. When you look beyond the surface you see so much more.”

She turned around and looked at him. “Why can’t people be that easy?”

“People are that easy, if you take a deeper look.” He brought his face closer to hers, his lips inches away from hers. The heat of her breath teased him and made him want her with a force so strong that he could barely think. His body was on fire with need for her. He’d never felt this way about a woman before in his life. He didn’t know when she’d gotten under his skin like this.

“Jamal...”

Capturing her lips, he devoured her mouth, savoring the softness of her lips and the taste of her tongue. Jamal pulled her closer as if he was trying to melt with her. She didn’t fight the heat. Her spicy response made him harder than concrete. But just like the end of a summer rain shower, she pushed him away.

“We can’t do this.” Her voice was a husky whisper. Could she get any sexier?

“Why not?”

“Because we’re friends and this is just going to complicate everything.” Rising to her feet, Michael smoothed her hands down her thighs. “I have to go.”

“Don’t go,” he said as he closed the dark space between them. “My intentions were to show you the stars. I don’t want you to do anything that you’re not ready for.”

“I saw stars all right. Jamal, it’s getting late and we have a meeting in the morning. I can’t stargaze all night.”

He stroked her arm. “That’s fine. We’re still going to eat the cake for breakfast, just in your office.” Winking at her, Jamal walked over to the fire pit and doused the flames. “Next time we’ll make the s’mores.”

“You had s’mores?”

“Why else would I have a fire going in the summer?”

MJ smiled and stroked his cheek. “Aren’t you just full of surprises, Mr. Carver. Next time, lead with the chocolate.”

“Oh, so there will be a next time?”

She shook her head. “You’re something else, but this was a good surprise and thank you for sharing the stars with me.”

I’d share a lot more if you’d let me. Jamal took her hand in his and walked her to the driveway. “Call me and let me know you made it home safely,” he said as he opened her car door.

“I will. And thank you again for dinner,” MJ said as she closed the door. Watching her drive away, Jamal could only shake his head. He wanted this woman in his arms tonight, even if they kept all of their clothes on.

* * *

As Michael drove home, all she could think about was Jamal’s kiss. That hot, soul-searing kiss had made her knees weak. Now her body ached with need. She needed Jamal’s touch. Needed to feel him between her thighs. Why did she kiss him? It wasn’t their first kiss. She’d kissed him last year when they’d met at his house to talk about his situation with his mother and Brent’s father. At that time, Jamal had been an emotional mess because Brent didn’t know that his father was also Jamal’s little brother’s father. According to Jamal, Brent had unresolved anger issues with his father and he wondered how that would play into his relationship with the little boy after Brent Sr.’s death.

But that had been a gentle kiss. A friendly smooch that said, I support you. But this kiss... This kiss said, I want you. I need you. And boy, did she want him. It just wasn’t going to be good for her heart.

He was a playboy. He’d even admitted that he hadn’t wanted to settle down. Had something changed? Was he really trying to be with her as more than a friend or had they just gotten caught up in the heat of the moment?

As she pulled into her driveway, Michael sent Jamal a text. I made it home.

She wasn’t sure if hearing his voice would make her turn around and live out her shower fantasy with him. Grabbing the cake slices, she exited the car and walked up to her front door. When her phone rang, shattering the silence around her, she nearly dropped her purse and the cake.

“Hello?”

“Your text was nice, but I could’ve sworn I asked you to call me.”

“Jamal, go to bed.”

“I will, at some point. Have you walked in the house yet?”

“Unlocking the door now.”

“Good. And when you activate your security system, I’ll let you go.”

“You’re all about protection, huh?” Michael keyed in her alarm code. “Done.”

“Sleep well, beautiful. See you in the morning.”

“Good night.” Michael floated to her bedroom on the promise of seeing Jamal in the morning. She didn’t even notice the text message she’d missed from Nic.

* * *

Jamal didn’t sleep well, so when morning came it felt as if it was too soon. His body was so keyed up from wanting MJ that he would have to take a run, and a cold shower would certainly follow. Now he understood Lu-Lu’s insanity from one kiss. Well, kind of. Lu-Lu was crazy, while he was just falling hard for the most amazing woman he’d ever met. Pulling himself out of bed, Jamal tugged on his running shorts, grabbed his sneakers and a bottle of water. Even though it was five after six, it was hot in Atlanta already. Jamal started with a slow jog and sped up as he started thinking about what Michael was doing this morning.

Did she sleep alone last night? Did he cross her mind? Was she going to act as if nothing had happened between them when he walked into her office in a few hours? He slowed his gait; he was going to see her in a few hours. Would he be able to handle that?

I got this, he thought as he started running again. Mile one was easy. Mile two, he ran into Lucy.

“Good morning, handsome,” she said, seeming to appear from nowhere.

“Morning.”

“Isn’t this a beautiful green space? I love running here. I wish I’d known that you were working out this morning.”

Jamal stopped and gave her a sidelong glance. “Yeah. Lucy, enjoy your run.” He tore off as if he was Usain Bolt. Once he’d run for three miles, Jamal was tired. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was time to head home so that he could get ready to meet MJ.

As he ran home, Jamal glanced over his shoulder to make sure Lucy hadn’t followed him. He smiled when he made it home without encountering her again. Now he could focus his attention on MJ. And he hoped that she’d brought the chocolate cake in for them to enjoy over coffee. That cold shower was going to work miracles for him after his morning run.

* * *

Michael wanted to call in sick, but since she was the boss, that couldn’t happen. Besides, she was the one who’d invited Jamal and his company to work on the biggest account in her company’s history.

“What was I thinking?” she muttered as she rose from her bed and headed to the shower. She’d missed two calls from Mimi and she didn’t care because she was in no position to run this morning. All night, Michael had dreamed of Jamal taking his kiss deeper and making all of her fantasies come true. But when she woke up holding her pillow and not Jamal, she had to get her act together.

Business. Focus on business.

Michael took the coldest shower that she could stand. Her mind had conjured up erotic visions of Jamal last night, of his magical tongue touching her most sensitive spots. But in the light of day, she realized that she had to sit across from him and talk real business. She had to listen to him plan how to keep this jazz fest safe.

Get your hormones under control, girl, she thought as she stepped underneath the cold spray. It was just one amazing kiss. Not as if it was your first amazing kiss.

But it was. Michael let the cold water wash over her shoulders. She’d never been kissed like that before, and if she was honest, she knew she wanted more. Needed more. Jamal had awakened a passion inside her that she’d never felt before. He was everything she wanted and that scared her because she had a nagging fear that she might not be enough for him.

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