Let love in...

Mya Winters has overcome a tough childhood in foster care to create a wonderful life. Organizing the first annual Elite Events Charity Date Auction is a way to give back to her community. There’s one hitch—her sexy cohost, private investigator Malik Madden. She feels the heat beneath his quiet gaze, and he’s made it clear he’d revoke his “most eligible bachelor” status for her. For someone as relationship-shy as Mya, that’s a terrifying—and tempting—proposition.

Malik has the close, loving family that Mya always craved, but a recent breakup made him swear off romance. Beautiful, driven Mya is changing all that. If she’ll just confide in him, he can help piece together the truth about her past. But trust works both ways. And his only chance at a future with her is to share a secret that threatens their passionate connection...

“When you look at me like that,” Malik said as he brought his mouth toward hers, “you make it hard for me to deny myself a taste.”

“Then don’t,” she said, causing him to halt right before his lips touched hers.

He searched her eyes, and instead of kissing her, he moved to her neck, placing a soft kiss right behind her ear. His tongue swirled small circles on her sweet spot until Mya released a soft moan. The teasing was over as quickly as it started.

Malik snaked one arm behind her back and pulled her into his embrace as his other hand went behind her head. Slowly, he brought his lips down on hers in such a seductive way that Mya had barely processed what they were doing until they were already doing it.

She felt his kiss all the way in her toes, feeding her desire even more. Just as she’d predicted, lips like his were made for kissing, and the gentle, methodical movement of his tongue reached parts of her that no man had ever even come close to reaching before.

Forgotten was the fact that she had been holding up her dress. But instead of caring that the material was now lying on the floor, she was more concerned with her wish for his towel to join her dress.

Dear Reader,

Meet Mya Winters. And Malik Madden, the hero determined to break the barriers around Mya’s heart. I knew from the minute I wrote about Malik’s character in A Tempting Proposal that he was the perfect hero for the feisty yet fabulous Mya.

Writing the love story for the final Elite Events founder was exciting, yet sad at the same time. But I’m currently working on a new series featuring cousins of a few characters you’ve met before! I just couldn’t resist giving the Elite Event founders an opportunity to make a guest appearance in my new series.

I hope you enjoy Mya and Malik’s journey as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to contact me.

Much love,

Sherelle

AuthorSherelleGreen@gmail.com

@sherellegreen

Sherelle Green

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SHERELLE GREEN is a Chicago native with a dynamic imagination and a passion for reading and writing. Her love for romance developed in high school after stumbling across a hot-and-steamy Mills & Boon novel. She instantly became an avid romance reader and decided to pursue an education in English and journalism. A true romantic, she believes in predestined romances, love at first sight and fairy-tale endings.

To my grandparents, John, Gladys, Hazel and James. Each of you has played an extremely important role in my life, and I feel so blessed to have you as grandparents. Papa John, I received my determination and fortitude from you... Always hardworking, never yielding and always striving to succeed, provide and educate. Grandma Gladys, I received my compassion, spirit and love for life from you... Always living life to its fullest, warm soul to the core and loving your family and close friends with every piece of your heart. Grandma Hazel, I received my inner strength and ability to compose great stories from you... Always sharing a piece of yourself and your heart to better someone else while your stories and reflections make memories for generations. Papa James, I received my sense of humor and quick thinking from you... Always striving to place a smile on someone’s face and always thinking fast on your feet, teaching us that the key to a happy life is to always wear a smile. Each of you has overcome so much adversity, and because of the values and beliefs you instilled in your children and grandchildren, we are confident. We are compassionate. But more important, we are loved!

Acknowledgments

To my bestie Alexandria “Alex”—when we first met, I knew you would be the friend of a lifetime. You aren’t afraid to take chances and truly live life to the fullest. The ultimate go-getter, you always strive to succeed. Your quick-fire wittiness never ceases to amaze me, and I love the fact that you remain true to your character no matter what the circumstance. Years ago, we made a promise to always support each other’s goals and dreams. At the time, we had no idea what path life would take us down. Your journey has inspired me in so many ways. We’ve had so many great and amazing times together and I am so proud of you. Thank you so much for your friendship...LYLAS!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Prologue

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

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Copyright

Prologue

“Say one more word to me and you’ll be walking around this wedding reception decorated with this delicious glass of expensive white wine.” As Mya Winters gracefully walked away from the current subject of her irritation, she hoped the intensity in her eyes had provided extra warning.

Her four-inch turquoise heels clicked against the smooth cranberry-wood surface of the massive deck adorned in a variety of exotic floral arrangements. Before she could reach the other side that overlooked the Caribbean Sea, a strong hand grabbed her arm.

She turned abruptly, her eyes traveling from the hand on her arm to the face of a man who clearly didn’t understand the meaning of leaving her alone.

When the annoying pick-up lines that he’d been using on her all night continued to spurt from his mouth, she couldn’t help the jolt of her hand as the remnants in her glass of wine made contact with his face.

“I can’t believe you just did that you b—”

“Keep talking and one of my heels will get friendly with a part of your body that I’m sure you’ll need in the future,” Mya said, cutting off whatever he had been about to say. She crossed her arms over her chest before she continued. “Although it doesn’t really matter since it’s evident that the lack of style in your walk is directly proportionate to the way you handle business in the bedroom...quick and sloppy.”

The man frantically looked around the crowded wedding reception to see who had overheard Mya’s comment. Noticing that they had garnered more than enough attention, he placed his hands on his drenched face and muttered expletives as he finally walked away from her.

“Did you really have to throw your wine at him?” asked Lex Turner, Mya’s business partner and friend, as she approached.

“Well, he wouldn’t shut up,” Mya said as quietly as she could. “Besides, I gave him several warnings to leave me the hell alone.”

“Mya,” Lex said leading her farther away from the crowd. “This is Cyd and Shawn’s dream wedding. It isn’t like you to show out at important events. What’s going on?”

Mya casted her eyes to the floor, refusing to look Lex in the eye in fear she would see through the lie she was about to tell. “Nothing’s wrong. I guess I’m just a little tired from all the events I had to plan before the wedding.”

Mya Winters and her partners Lexus Turner, Imani Rayne-Barker and Cydney Rayne—who was now officially Cydney Rayne-Miles—were the owners of Elite Events Incorporated in Chicago, Illinois. What had once started as a dream was now an established event-planning company, and business was thriving in ways the foursome had never imagined.

“I don’t believe you,” Lex stated. “But I’m sure you’ll tell me when you’re ready. In the meantime, can you try to refrain from dousing wine on every man that approaches you tonight?”

“I will make no such promise.”

“Mya!” Lex exclaimed.

“Okay, okay,” Mya replied as she waved her hands in the air. “For the rest of the night, my wine will stay in my glass.” Unless another sorry excuse for a man decides that tonight is the night he wants to challenge me.

Lex shot her another look of disbelief before she walked off to join her fiancé, Micah Madden. Mya watched Lex softly kiss her soon-to-be-husband, before witnessing a similar exchange between Imani and her husband, Daman, and newlyweds, Cyd and Shawn.

“All this cuteness is making me nauseous,” she said to herself before grabbing a glass of wine from a nearby waiter and taking a large gulp of the smooth liquid.

“Try not to throw this one,” the male waiter said with a laugh as he walked away.

“That was cute,” Mya said with slight disregard. She shot the waiter a strained smile before setting her wistful gaze back on her friends. It wasn’t that she was jealous of her friends’ relationships. She was actually really happy for them and glad they had each found the man of their dreams.

But she couldn’t help but be a bit jealous of the happiness reflected in their eyes. A happiness she hadn’t felt in a really long time.

Ever since I got that phone call,’she thought. There weren’t many things in life that surprised Mya, but getting a discreet phone call from someone who seemed to know something about her past was definitely unexpected and she had been in a foul mood for the past week because of it.

Growing up in foster care and witnessing things that no child ever deserved to see, had dismissed any fantasies she had about having a life that resembled one plucked from a classic fairy tale. Real life wasn’t filled with happily-ever-afters and knights in shiny armor. Maybe for some it was, but never for her. Despite Mya’s love for her foster mother, Ms. Bee, who’d been her savior after a slew of terrible foster homes, there wasn’t any part of her childhood that could be remotely viewed as perfect.

Taking another sip of her wine, Mya sighed deeply. Now wasn’t the time for a pity party. Just as she was about to continue her journey to the somewhat empty side of the deck, a loan figure caused her to avert her eyes in another direction. He stopped to talk to a few other people as he made his way back to the group, but it was his walk that had caught her attention. Confident. Powerful. Purposeful. She knew him, of course. This wasn’t the first time she’d noticed his walk and with all the love in the air, her hormones were surely acting wacky.

She tried to will herself to look away from Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome. But as usual, she never seemed to tear her gaze away fast enough. She let her eyes roam over his athletic build that was encased in light gray beachwear attire identical to the other groomsmen. By the time her gaze made it to his face, she wasn’t surprised to find his eyes locked on hers.

Why on earth did he always have to look so sexy? Since the first day she’d met private investigator Malik Madden, the Ivy League graduate had been getting under her skin in the best way possible. Today he was sporting a pair of stylish black glasses that made him look even sexier than usual. Mya wasn’t usually even attracted to men who wore glasses, but she found that she missed them whenever Malik chose not to wear them.

As if it weren’t bad enough, they had been paired together for the current wedding and were paired again later this year for another wedding. They also both held major parts in each. It had become difficult for their friends not to pair them together during rehearsals and prewedding events.

The slight breeze that caught her hair was a friendly reminder that she should continue her journey to the other side of the deck and stop playing eye tag with Malik. Giving him one more thorough glance, she downed the rest of her wine before walking off.

* * *

“Damn, bro,” Micah said, slapping Malik’s shoulder. “If you ever decide to actually tell Mya how much you’re interested in her, maybe you should skip talking to her in front of large groups of people or any other public displays of affection.”

Malik shook his head at his younger brother, never taking his eyes off Mya’s legs. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said raising an eyebrow at Micah. “She’s really not all that bad.”

Micah almost spit his drink out across the floor. “Dude, did you just see her berate Shawn’s friend who tried to talk to her?”

“Yeah, I saw it,” Malik said with a shrug as he took a swig of his Corona.

“She basically castrated him with those words,” Micah exclaimed. “No female at this wedding will go two feet near him now.”

“He’s always been a jerk anyway,” Malik replied, finally willing his gaze to move beyond her legs. When he did, he was satisfied to find her checking him out just as thoroughly. She always looked great every time he saw her, but tonight, seeing her in a short turquoise strapless dress was pushing his desire to another limit.

“Jerk or not, Mya’s tongue is lethal and ever since I got with Lex, I’ve watched her dismiss plenty of guys who have tried to get close to her but failed.”

Malik turned slightly to the side to regard his brother. “Are you saying you don’t think I could handle a woman like Mya?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, bro,” Micah said with a laugh. “Mya’s really cool to hang out with and she’s beautiful. I even like that she can watch sports with Shawn and I just like one of the guys. But to date her? I think you’d have your hands full.”

Malik shook off his brother’s warning, knowing it was already too late for him. He’d made up his mind years ago, the first time he saw her at Daman and Imani’s wedding, that he would make her his one day. He’d attended that wedding with his ex, Alicia, and even then, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Mya.

“Besides,” Micah said. “Mya is feisty as hell. And no offense, bro, but you never did do well with spontaneous women like her since you’re...um...you just overthink things too much.”

Malik looked away from Micah. He already knew what he was about to say. While Micah had been playing with the neighborhood kids back when they lived in Little Rock, Arkansas, Malik had been inside studying for advanced placement classes. Although they were close, Malik and Micah were like night and day. But Malik didn’t like being labeled as the boring brother who always followed the rules. Following the rules had certainly helped with his career, but hadn’t worked so well when it came to women and relationships.

“Oh ye of little faith,” Malik said gripping Micah’s shoulder and brushing off his words. “When will you learn not to underestimate your big brother?”

Micah shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Malik barely heard Micah’s words as he continued to observe Mya’s blatant appraisal of him. He didn’t understand why their chemistry was so intense, but as it usually went with them, he locked his eyes to her face and waited for her to make direct contact. When she cast her coffee-colored eyes on his deep mahogany ones, he felt the intensity of their connection throughout his entire body.

He could have stood there and stared at her all night, but she broke the moment, gave him a slight smile, and walked away. Only when she left did Malik let his breath rush from his lips, and then he took a final swig of his beer.

“But on the other hand,” Micah said. “I never see her look at anyone the way she looks at you. So maybe she’s just waiting for you to make a move.”

Malik didn’t know if Micah had told him that in hopes that he’d make a fool of himself and prove him right, or if he actually believed what he was saying. Regardless, it didn’t matter because there was no doubt in his mind that he could handle all that Mya was willing to offer and more. Making up his mind, he passed Micah his empty beer bottle and followed after Mya.

* * *

The Anguilla beach on a hot March night was truly a beautiful sight. But even the warm wind looping through Mya’s brown curls and the festive reggae music couldn’t ease her mind. Taking off her heels, she stepped off the deck. She then placed her pedicured toes in the white sand and began walking toward the ocean.

Even in the nighttime, she could see shadows of couples on the beach wrapped up in their own love cocoon. As she stood there, gazing out at the ocean, she welcomed the darkness that hid the sadness written across her face. I’ll just stand like this for a few minutes and then I’ll rejoin the party and put on my best smile, she thought to herself as she closed her eyes. She was determined not to waste any more time on her friend’s special day thinking about the call she wished she hadn’t received. Besides, she was leaving for the airport the next morning to meet with some members of the Chicago community about the current status of two after-school programs that were in danger of closing. She had to make sure that her brain was clear for her meeting.

“I love the sound of the ocean at night,” she whispered. Her eyes remained closed, but she was well aware that someone else had joined her on the beach and was standing close by. The light scent of Giorgio Armani cologne proved that it was the one person she wished hadn’t followed her to the beach. Not because she was prepared to subject him to the same verbal warning that she had given to the guy who had hit on her earlier, but because she knew he was the one man who made her feel so unlike herself.

“It really is a beautiful sound.”

Mya slowly lifted her head and peered over to the man who owned the deep, penetrating voice that caused shivers to run throughout her body.

“Are you enjoying the wedding?” Malik asked, staring back at her.

“Of course,” she said with a smile. “It’s everything that Cyd and Shawn wanted.”

“Think you’ll ever get married one day?” The question he asked would’ve been simple if it had come from any other man, but coming from Malik, it made her pause before responding.

“Probably not,” she finally replied. “What about you?”

“Not in the cards for me, either, although my mom is trying to convince me to go out with her friend’s daughter. Micah getting engaged before me is really complicating my life,” he said with a laugh.

“That’s understandable,” Mya said, joining in his laughter as she remembered the way Cynthia Madden had inquired about her love life when she realized Mya was still single on the day Micah proposed to Lex.

They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Malik began to speak again. “Listen,” he said stepping a little closer to her. “I have some business to take care of in Chicago next week so after I leave here I won’t be going right back to Detroit.”

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Mya replied as she tried to stall the question she knew Malik would ask and averted her eyes back to the ocean.

“So I was wondering,” Malik continued, staring directly at her and ignoring her attempt to sidetrack him. Even in the darkness, she could feel the intensity in his eyes. “Would you like to go out with me sometime next week?”

Ugh! Why did he have to ask me out? “Listen,” Mya said as she tried to think about the best way to decline and not come off as rude. “I appreciate the offer, but I have to pass. I can’t go out with you.”

“Okay,” he said, turning back to the ocean. “May I ask why?”

I wish you wouldn’t. “I just have a lot going on and I don’t have time to date.”

She could feel the tension in the air and knew he still had more questions.

“I understand,” he said, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. “But one date couldn’t hurt.”

I really don’t have time for this. Mya actually did like Malik, but she didn’t want to date him or any other man right now. She had way too much going on in her personal life and dating Malik, a man who knew all her friends, meant that he was too close to her life. If things didn’t work out, where would that leave them? Mya knew the deal. One date would turn into two dates, and then three dates. Next thing they knew, everyone would be celebrating their wedding and proclaiming what a cute couple they were. It had happened to Imani, Cyd and recently engaged Lex.

She laughed aloud at the direction of her thoughts. The man had asked her on one date and she was already predicting how badly it could end. Nonetheless, she knew her decision was a solid no.

“How about we just stick to seeing each other at friendly gatherings,” Mya finally replied.

Malik gave her a sly smile. “For now,” he added before he began walking back to the deck. Mya turned around to watch him walk away until he faded into the darkness.

Malik was sweet, nice and definitely not equipped to understand her complicated life. He would never be able to handle me,’she thought, turning back to the ocean.

Chapter 1

Two months later...

There was nothing cuter than an adorable little guy with smooth creamy brown skin, piercing round honey eyes and a head full of curly brown hair.

“It’s official, I think I’m in love,” Mya Winters said softly as she placed a hand over her heart and gazed down at the face of her newest addiction.

“He’s such a ladies’ man,” said Mya’s friend and Elite Events cofounder, Imani Rayne-Barker. “I think he has a crush on you.”

“I think he does too,” Mya replied as her heart swelled with pride. “Hey, little guy,” she cooed while touching the hands of the smallest human she’d ever held. “It’s Auntie Mya and I’ve been thinking about another promise I want to make to you. I promise to always give you cookies and teach you all the things your mom doesn’t want me to teach you.”

“Really, Mya,” Imani said, her voice filled with laughter. Imani and her husband, Daman Barker, were the proud parents of Daman Stanley Barker Jr., who everyone affectionately called DJ.

“You are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” she exclaimed as she rocked DJ in her arms. He laughed in a way that proved he agreed with her statement. He caught ahold of her pinkie finger and gently tugged, rewarded by a large smile from Mya.

“He’s only five weeks old and you already spoil him way too much,” Imani said as she walked around her living room picking up an array of shopping bags filled with clothes and toys for DJ that Mya had lugged through the door earlier.

“I can’t help it,” Mya said as she made funny faces at DJ. “He deserves the best.”

Imani opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by her husband, Daman.

“The rest of the clan is here,” Daman announced as he walked into the room followed by Cyd and Lex.

Imani stood to hug them, but the two women went straight to Mya who was still making funny faces at DJ.

“I’m next,” Cyd said taking DJ out of Mya’s arms after promising Mya that she would give him back soon. “How’s my handsome nephew doing?” She brushed noses with DJ who raised his little hands to cup her face.

“I love it when he does that,” Lex said observing the exchange between Cyd and DJ before she placed more shopping bags in the corner of the living room where Imani had neatly stacked the bags from Mya.

“No love for me?” Imani said reaching out her arms. Lex walked over and gave her a quick hug.

“Sorry, sis,” Cyd said, making no attempt to move. “I’ve been waiting all day to hold DJ.”

“I can’t wait until you guys have kids so that y’all can see how it feels to be ignored.” Mya laughed at her friend’s comment. Imani was the most motherly of the group so Mya knew she loved the attention DJ was getting. Happiness was reflected in her eyes every time she looked at DJ.

Mya wasn’t the mushy or sentimental type, but being around DJ brought out feelings in her that she hadn’t ever felt before. Not having a family of her own meant she missed normal family milestones like graduations, birthday parties, first births of the family and the overall feeling of belonging.

“How about I take my son with me to the next room while you ladies get started on business,” Daman announced to the room. He reached his arms out to a reluctant Lex who had just tugged DJ from Cyd. After giving the infant a small peck, Lex handed DJ over to his father.

“Okay, since I called this meeting, I’ll start,” Mya said as she slipped a few sheets of paper out of her bag. Ever since Imani had given birth to DJ, there had been more meetings hosted at Imani and Daman’s estate with a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan, than the Elite Events office in downtown Chicago. Choosing Imani’s home to host their weekly Monday meetings gave Mya, Cyd and Lex a chance to see DJ who had quickly become the main reason any of them went shopping anymore.

“As I discussed a few months ago, there is a huge problem with the two after-school programs that we sponsor in conjunction with Chicago Public Schools.” Mya handed each of the women a sheet of paper. “A few days ago, the advisory board informed me that the programs would be shutting down in a couple months. Our efforts to save the programs didn’t help.”

“How is that possible?” Imani asked as she scanned over the notes on the paper. “We received more investments over the past couple months for this school year than ever before.”

“I know,” Mya said in irritation as she thought about her meeting with the board. “Apparently, since so many CPS schools closed last year and even more the year before, enrollment in the after-school programs was extremely low. The money we received from investors wasn’t enough to cover all the costs.”

“Sounds like BS to me,” Cyd stated as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Enrollment is never that expensive, so the money they would have gotten would have been minimal anyway. Seems suspicious.”

“Don’t even get me started,” Mya said as she waved her hands in the air. “I’ve already raised hell, but it’s not doing any good. There are plenty of CPS teachers and employees still upset about the direction of our schools and after-school programs. Most of our voices are going unheard. It’s getting better, but there’s still a long journey ahead.”

Overseeing programs Elite Events sponsored was always something that Mya enjoyed. Especially managing the after-school programs. If Mya hadn’t started Elite Events Inc. with her partners, she would have definitely been a public school teacher. Through the after-school programs, she still put her love for education to good use despite the obstacles she was currently faced with.

“I remember a time when the Monday news didn’t consist of a summary of shootings that happened over the weekend. But this is still a great city and you all know how much I value education. It seems that there are fewer opportunities to keep students in school and out of the streets. The youth needs these programs now more than ever.”

Mya had devoted a lot of time and energy into the programs, and Elite Events had invested large amounts of money to keep them from shutting down. “It’s time for us to take matters into our own hands.”

“Are you thinking about a plan to try and save the after-school programs?” Lex asked.

“Even better,” Mya replied as she reached in her bag once more and pulled out three portfolios. “Instead of investing more money and allowing the board to control these programs, I think we should open our own after-school program.”

She handed each woman a portfolio containing all the details about the Chicagoland location where they would headquarter the program, and a list of teachers and employees who currently worked at the other two after-school programs who had expressed interest in working for the Elite Events After-School Program if they chose to take that route.

“This all seems great,” Imani said scrolling through the pages. “And I agree that there are plenty of students who could benefit from us funding our own program. But even though business is booming, how can we afford this initiative?”

“I was hoping you would ask,” Mya said with a smile. “I didn’t include these details in the portfolio, but I’ve been losing sleep over how we can get the initial money needed to fund this program despite the fact that we’d be utilizing the building and staff of one of the closing locations.”

Mya scooted to the edge of her seat, excited to share her plan with the ladies. “We meet so many influential people in our line of work and so many of them are single. What do you guys think about Elite Events hosting the first annual Elite Events Charity Date Auction? If all goes well, we could host one every year.”

“Oh, I like that,” Lex replied while Cyd and Imani expressed similar sentiments.

“This charity date auction will be unlike any other auction that Chicagoans have seen before. Tickets for the auction will cost a small fee and the highest bidder gets to go on a date with his or her bid. All proceeds will go to the ‘save our after-school programs’ fund, only in true Elite Events fashion, we will host a dream date for the six winning couples from the audience chosen by a random draw. Therefore, singles get a chance to bid on their favorite participant and possibly win one of six dates after all the participants have been auctioned off. I know next month is soon, but we need to raise the money before school starts after Labor Day. What does everyone think?”

Mya sat back in her seat and waited anxiously for their opinions.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Lex replied with a smile. “Maybe we should hold an informational meeting for the participants too.”

“I love it too,” Cyd added. “When we have a solid plan, I’ll reach out to a few of our friends in the media.”

Imani looked up from the portfolio she was still scanning. “I really think you’re on to something, Mya,” she said excitedly. “This charity date auction will get Chicagoans who aren’t usually concerned with education excited about contributing to a greater cause. There’s only one thing really missing from this plan.”

Mya studied Imani’s expression. “Which would be what exactly?”

Imani glanced from Cyd to Lex before setting her eyes back on Mya. “A sexy male cohost, of course.”

* * *

“Cohost a date auction? For what?” Malik asked as he propped up his iPhone on his grand dark cherry desk and shuffled through a cluster of file folders.

“You really need to quit being so old school sometimes,” Micah said as his eyes scanned over Malik’s desk. Malik ignored the jab, but he had to agree with Micah. The colorful array of folders was another reminder that he really needed to digitally document his old files before the end of the year.

“I am digital with most of my client files. I need to be since I’m always traveling. These are old files from over six years ago that I haven’t had time to document online.” He was trying his best to concentrate on what Micah was explaining to him, but as usual, Micah seemed to be up to something.

“You FaceTimed me right before an important meeting to ask me to do something you know I won’t do and to criticize the way I organize my office?” Malik wasn’t agreeing to cohost anything until he knew exactly why Micah thought he’d be interested. When his brother began spurting random analogies that compared Malik to his fiancée, Lex, who was also a cautious thinker, he didn’t have the patience to wait any longer for the catch.

“Spit it out, Micah,” he said as he leaned back in his oversized desk chair and slightly turned to view beads of rain cascade down the side of his Detroit office window.

“Elite Events is hosting their first charity date auction next month and they are looking for a cohost for the event.”

“Next month? That’s really soon.”

“They know,” Micah replied. “They need to move quickly because the funds from the date auction will help them fund a new after-school program that will accept all of the students from two programs that are closing. They need everything finalized before Labor Day.”

“I’d be happy to donate,” Malik said as he twirled his chair to a small black filing cabinet and placed some folders back in their appropriate place. “But I’m not really into cohosting events like this. I’m sure the ladies would rather someone else cohost whose presence will bring in extra money and someone who permanently resides in Chicago.”

“Naw, bro. For whatever reason, they think you would be great as a cohost. I told Lex that you wouldn’t be interested, but she thinks there is at least one reason you won’t be able to turn them down.”

Malik already had a feeling that he knew what that reason was, but he wanted to hear Micah confirm his suspicions. “And what might that be?”

“Mya is the lead on planning this project and is also hosting the charity date auction.”

“I figured,” Malik said with a laugh as he turned back to his phone and clasped his large hands together. “Does Mya know about the ladies asking me to cohost?”

“I doubt it,” Micah answered. “Which is why I knew this call was pointless and you wouldn’t do it. I noticed that you and Mya didn’t really talk much at Shawn and Cyd’s wedding after you went after her. I warned you she was tough to handle.”

Malik could admit that things with Mya hadn’t exactly gone as planned, but he wasn’t giving up on his pursuit of her. She may have said one thing, but her body language that night had contradicted her words.

The charity date auction would give him a chance to be around her more. Since they didn’t live in the same state, he didn’t see her much and that definitely needed to change if he was going to pursue her.

“Tell you what,” Malik said leaning back in his desk chair. “I’ll cohost the event under one condition.” Micah asked Malik to explain. “Tell the ladies that I want to be the one to tell Mya that I’m cohosting the charity date auction.”

“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Malik raised an eyebrow at Micah. “Like you didn’t pull the same thing when you convinced the ladies to make Lex plan our parents’ anniversary party.”

“That was different,” Micah interjected. “Only Lex and Mya were free to plan the party anyway. But hold on while I tell her what you said.”

Malik waited patiently as he stared at his phone and observed the photos on Micah’s wall. The framed pictures were from a couple different family events. There was one photo of his parents and another candid photo of Micah and Lex when Micah had proposed. But the photo that caught his attention was the one that had been taken of the entire group at their engagement party. It was another candid shot and most people were laughing or cheering in the photo. He spotted himself in the back of the group on one side of the picture with Mya a few people down from where he stood.

Malik remembered the exact moment the shot was taken. He had been staring at Mya for most of the day, intrigued by the mystery behind her gaze. He had wondered what she had been thinking and had decided to approach her just as he heard the round of applause and tore his gaze away from her to cheer for his brother and Lex when they walked into the room.

Malik leaned in closer to his screen, wishing FaceTime had a zoom-in option so he could see the photo better. When he concluded that he couldn’t, he paused his FaceTime and searched through his emails to see if Lex had included that particular photo in the hundreds she’d sent him from the party. Luckily, she had grouped the photos and he was able to find the one he had been searching for. When he did, he zoomed in on his face in the photo before sliding his finger across the screen to view Mya.

“How did I miss that?” he said to himself as he noticed Mya’s face in the photo for the first time. Her face may have been turned towards Micah and Lex, but her eyes were definitely pointed in his direction. There was no guarantee that she was looking at him, but his gut was telling him that she was.

“Malik, you still there?”

Malik exited his email and returned to his FaceTime chat with his brother. “Yeah, I’m still here, what did she say?”

“You are one lucky man, my dude. Lex said that she could set up a meeting with Mya so that you can be the one to tell her the news. She’ll contact you to discuss the details.”

“Sounds good,” Malik responded. After briefly catching up about work and family, Malik disconnected the call. He peered out the window at the light gray sky and wondered how Mya would take the news. He knew she wouldn’t like it, but maybe Mya was too professional to let him know how she really felt about him being the cohost.

Chapter 2

“You have got to be kidding me,” Mya said loudly with both hands on her hips as she paced back and forth. “No offense, but you don’t exactly strike me as the type to host an event like this. I’m pretty sure hosting a retirement party is more your speed.”

Hosting a retirement party? He turned an eyebrow up at her as he listened to Mya’s voice bounce across the office walls. He had been in her office for ten minutes and Mya still seemed as irritated by the idea as she had when he had first delivered the news.

Malik would be the first to admit that he didn’t exactly go club hopping every weekend. But in all his almost thirty-four years he had never had a woman make assumptions about him like the ones that were spurting from Mya’s mouth. A mouth that he wasn’t sure needed taming with words or his lips. Since he was pretty sure she would slap him across the face if he dared to pull her into his arms and silence her with a breathtaking kiss, he figured words were his only ally.

“Hear me out,” he said, getting up from the sturdy chair. “I was surprised that the women wanted me to cohost too. But like it or not, we are in this together and I never break a commitment. Besides,” he continued as he stepped a little closer to her. “I happen to know a lot of professional singles in the Detroit area, as well as other Midwest cities, so we can use my connections to our advantage by pulling in as many influential people as possible.” Although he had been hesitant to accept at first, now that he was committed to hosting the event, he planned on doing a damn good job at it.

“Right. Because that makes all the difference,” Mya mumbled sarcastically as she finally stopped pacing. “Look, I know that you’re well connected. But this charity date auction is really important to me. You have to be personable and engaging. Yes, it’s great that you have connections, but...never mind.” Mya crossed her arms over her chest in slight irritation.

Malik gave her a stern look as he contemplated what he should say next. A part of him wanted to tell her to finish her statement. But he knew she’d only stopped herself because the words that had been on the tip of her tongue were unpleasant.

“Mya, I understand that this may not be the most ideal situation for you.”

“You think?” she said cutting him off.

“But like it or not, I’m your cohost,” he continued, ignoring her interjection.

Her arms remained crossed, but her facial expression softened.

“This is a huge commitment because the event is next month. You don’t even live in Chicago, so I assume you’re fine with traveling back and forth from Detroit in case you’re needed before the event. I have to be able to rely on you.”

Malik studied Mya’s expression and shook his head in disbelief. Responsible and dependable were two qualities often used to describe his character, yet Mya was treating him as if he wasn’t either. Granted, she didn’t know a lot about him, but he assumed with the mutual friends they shared, she knew enough.

“I’ve had an office in Chicago for years since I have so many clients in this city,” he said enjoying the surprised look on her face. “So I’m constantly commuting anyway. Trust me, I’m a man of my word.”

Mya squinted her eyes once more before the tension finally released from her face. She sat on the edge of her desk, her navy skirt rising ever so slowly up her luscious thighs. Smooth. Creamy. Kissable. In any other situation with an attractive woman, Malik would have kept his eyes positioned on the woman’s face. After all, he was a trained private investigator who usually portrayed patience and discipline.

But Mya wasn’t just any woman and after listening to the incorrect judgments she’d made about his character since he stepped into her office, he figured he was allowed to take a look at the sexy set of legs he’d love to see wrapped around his midsection.

When the room grew silent with awareness, Malik forced himself to tear his gaze away from her to peer at the clock on the wall.

“I have to get going, but I’m in town for the next few days. How about we meet up and discuss some of the details for the charity date auction over dinner. I want to make sure I’m giving you exactly want you need,” Malik said, purposefully implying a double meaning. She couldn’t mask the interest reflected in her eyes quickly enough, proving to Malik that she could feel their chemistry as well. But he also knew that she would refuse to entertain the idea unless he gave her a push in the right direction.

“I could pick you up around seven and we could head to that Spanish restaurant in the West Loop,” he continued. During Cyd and Shawn’s rehearsal dinner, he’d heard Mya mention to Lex that she had really been enjoying Spanish food lately. He wasn’t sure if that was still the case, but he hoped it was.

She tilted her head to the side and slightly squinted her eyes in observation. “Why can’t we just meet for lunch or meet here at the office?”

He sensed her hesitation, so he decided to adjust his tactic. “Tell you what,” he said crossing his arms over his chest. “If you want, we can meet at my office and I’ll order takeout. That way, you get to see my office and we won’t be alone because my assistant will still be there finalizing some paperwork for me.”

Her brow creased as she considered his suggestion. Malik forced himself to concentrate on her face and not the increased pace of her breathing that drew attention to the peaks of her breasts lightly covered in a white blouse. To him, meeting in his private office was much more intimate than meeting in a restaurant, but the choice was hers to make.

“So,” he said uncrossing his arms and placing his hands in the pockets of his sleek black slacks. “What will it be? The restaurant or my office?”

* * *

Mya met Malik’s stare, determined to give him her best poker face. She knew what he was doing. If she chose the restaurant, it would feel more like a date rather than a business dinner. If she chose his office, even with his assistant there, it would probably feel more intimate than the restaurant.

She gave him a quick glance over. There was no doubt that Malik’s good looks would garner more attention to the charity date auction. Especially when single hopefuls found out he would be cohosting. And she knew he really did have a lot of connections. The more people they had at the auction and the more prominent singles that agreed to be auctioned off, the better turnout they would have.

She didn’t need help with the planning portion because most of it was already under control. But she did need someone who was reliable and believed in the cause. She didn’t doubt that Malik had the best intentions, but she had hoped he would back out when he realized she didn’t want to work with him. Instead, it only made him try harder.

She had to give him points for his patience. The past few minutes, he had been silently awaiting her answer and she hadn’t done much talking after her rant about him cohosting.

She took a deep breath and thought about her choices once more. Standing before her in that sexy suit and those glasses, he reminded her of Tyson Beckford on this reality show she’d watched a few weeks ago, and it wasn’t making her decision to constantly reject him an easy one.

“Okay,” she said as she stood from her desk. She slightly smiled to herself over the fact that he was trying his best not to look at her legs and thighs as she did so. Her heels gave her an extra three inches, but at about six feet tall he still towered over her five-foot-three-inch frame. “How about you give me the address to your office and I’ll meet you there on Thursday.”

His lips curled into a slow smile. “Sounds like a plan. As promised, I’ll order dinner while we work. I’ll stick with Spanish if that’s okay with you.”

“Spanish is fine,” she replied, moving behind her metal and glass desk. She pulled a business card from the desk holder and jotted down her personal cell number on the back. “If you don’t already have it, here’s my contact information in case anything changes with your schedule.”

“No, I didn’t have it. Thank you, but I doubt anything will change,” he said with confidence as he took the card from her before slipping his own business card out of his pants pocket. “Here is the address to my Chicago office,” he said, jotting down the information on the back of the card. Just as she’d carefully given her card to him, she was cautious to accept his card without their hands touching.

“This is the address,” she stated as she read the details he’d written on the back of the card since the front had his Detroit information. “It’s only a few minutes away from here and right down the street from Micah and Shawn’s office.”

He gave her a small grin before responding. “It’s definitely the right address. I was the one who told Micah and Shawn about the River North vacancy. But I wasn’t aware that the Elite Events office was this close until today.”

“Then I guess it’s just my luck that you’re so close to my office,” she said sarcastically.

“Do you ever think about the things you say before you say them?”

She smiled pretentiously. “Of course I do. Some people just take what I say the wrong way.” Mya was a straight shooter and she’d rather be blunt and honest with people than passive and misleading.

“If you say so,” Malik said with a slight laugh. “But something tells me you’ve been asked that before.”

She shrugged her shoulders and pretended to tidy a few unruly papers on her desk. He was right. She had been asked that question before. But she wouldn’t dare tell him that. He already seemed to pick up on more of her personality traits than any man she’d met before.

She was still fumbling with the papers when she chanced a look in his direction. As she’d predicted, his eyes were still locked on her. But it wasn’t the look in his eyes that was unnerving her at the moment. It was the slow curl of his lips when he caught her attention.

Oh lord, what is he thinking? Mya wasn’t the type to ever put much effort forth into trying to figure out what a man was thinking. But she also never really cared since for the most part, men were always really easy for her to read.

In her experience, there were two thoughts that men always had on their mind regardless of the conversation or situation. The most obvious thought was always how soon they could get laid, and the less recognizable thought that was still true of most men, was the process of trying to remember everything about you so they could masturbate later to the vision of having sex with you.

Both thoughts had been proven true on more than one occasion. Men dreamed of situations with women they knew would never happen in real life. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop some men from trying to pursue the object of their desire any chance they got. She had no doubt that Malik wanted to sleep with her since they had obvious chemistry. She could admit that the thought of sleeping with him had crossed her mind more than once, but Malik wasn’t like most men. He kept his thoughts more guarded. And the reason she assumed they always got caught staring at one another was because neither one of them could ever really tell what the other was thinking.

Malik was very respectable and while they had only had a couple conversations, it hadn’t felt forced like other men she’d been in contact with. But what annoyed Mya about Malik wasn’t that she put him in the same category as most men...it was the fact that she didn’t.

That smile, that side smirk that he did all too well, had a lot of meaning behind it. From what she’d observed, Malik was safe. Predictable. Played by the rules. However, when he gave her that smirk, she wasn’t quite sure he was as harmless as she assumed he was.

Breaking their trance, Malik glanced at his black metal watch and informed her that he had to get going. As he made his way to her office door, Mya stood to see him out, careful not to get too close to him.

When he reached the door, he slightly glanced over his shoulder, catching Mya off guard. “I look forward to our meeting on Thursday,” he said as he studied her eyes once more, and shut the door.

As the door closed behind him, Mya placed her hand on her stomach and swished a light breath into the air. She remembered in a business class she had taken in college, her professor had stated that it was beneficial to study the competition and familiarize yourself with their strengths, weaknesses, and their sales and marketing tactics so that you could develop a strategic plan to win over a client or business.

Mya knew this wasn’t exactly the same situation, but it sure as hell felt like it. Malik was up to something and she knew it had to do with her. She really didn’t have any time to focus on avoiding a man’s advances and a couple months ago, she thought she had succeeded in figuring out the type of man he was. But today had been an eye-opener. Although she had thought she had made herself clear in Anguilla that she had no interest in going out with him, it was obvious that Malik Madden could not be underestimated.

Chapter 3

Malik glanced around the small conference room, glad that Mona, his office manager, had cleared out the boxes that had originally been stored in the room.

“Do you need me to do anything else?” Mona asked.

“No, that’s all for today,” Malik responded as he opened the blinds to allow sunlight to seep into the room before the sun set.

“Great,” Mona replied. “I placed an order for the food to arrive around 8:00 p.m. As promised, I’ll leave now, so you can have the office to yourself. Good luck with your meeting.”

“Thanks, Mona.” The minute Mya had agreed to meet him at his office he had decided that he would release Mona a little early that day. He figured Mya wouldn’t like that they were alone, but he definitely preferred it that way.

Malik checked the clock on the cream-colored wall before heading back to his office. She should be here soon. He had a feeling she was a stickler for being on time after the speech she had given him the other day about being reliable.

When he arrived to his office, he glanced around at the decor he had added to the walls. Abstract paintings created by his younger brother Malakai now decorated the once-bland space. He’d also replaced his furniture with more contemporary office furnishings. With the help of Mona, his Chicago office was finally starting to look like a place where he actually spent time.

The loud sound of the buzzer interrupted his perusal of the office.

“Madden Incorporated,” Malik said into the speaker.

“Hi, Malik. It’s Mya.”

“I’ll buzz you up.” As he pressed the buzzer to let her into his second floor office, he took note of the way she had said his name. He enjoyed listening to the way his name rolled off her tongue, but the way she said it sounded too formal. This might be a professional meeting, but Malik preferred her to sound a little more relaxed.

At the light ding of the elevator, he opened the door to his office suite just as she was stepping into the hallway. She had worn a similar skirt to when he had seen her a couple days ago, but this one was beige and she wore it with a russet-colored blouse. The colors really brought out the golden highlights in her wavy brown hair that he hadn’t really noticed before.

“You look great,” he said. She gave him a quick up and down glance before replying, “Thanks, so do you.”

Malik had chosen to get rid of his tie and had unbuttoned the first few buttons of his light gray dress shirt that he’d paired with dark gray slacks.

“Thanks. If you’ll follow me to the conference room, we can begin discussing business.” Mya followed behind Malik and he could feel her eyes glued to the back of his head.

“You must be in Chicago quite a bit,” she said as they passed Mona’s desk.

“Not really,” he replied as he held open the conference room door for her to enter. She placed her bag and purse in a nearby chair and sat down at the table, observing the art on the wall. “Since I’ll be cohosting the auction and I currently have more clients in Illinois than Michigan, I figured I would work out of Chicago for a while.”

Mya’s head whipped towards Malik just as he took a seat across the table from her.

“You’re staying in Chicago?” she asked.

“Yes, I am. I figured it would be easier than all the traveling. But once a week, I’ll still take a drive to my office in Detroit. I have an office manager and three interns there, so my office is in good hands.”

Mya stared at him for a while and didn’t say anything. He imagined that she was still trying to accept the fact that he would be residing in her city for a while.

She cleared her throat and nervously brushed her fingers through her hair before leaning back in the swivel chair. The act was done subconsciously, which made her look even sexier to Malik. She had a good poker face. He’d give her that. But he was paid to see beneath the surface and study a person’s actions. He wondered if Mya knew that her actions were proving just how nervous she was.

“So,” she said, recovering from his statement. “You said your assistant would be here too. Did she step out for a minute?”

“Actually, I told her she could go home early, so it’s just the two of us,” he responded.

“Oh, I see,” she said, her brown eyes growing slightly bigger before returning to their normal size.

He was sure she didn’t see the big picture. Not fully anyway. Malik was a careful thinker. He was the type of person who could develop a plan that would take years to execute. And he would maintain his patience until every task of the plan had been completed.

“Where will you stay?” she asked.

“I own an apartment complex in Hyde Park. I have tenants in all units except the penthouse, so I will reside there while I’m in Chicago.”

“Nice,” she said as she began removing items from her bag. “Did you decide how long you will stay?”

I’m sure much longer than you’d like. “Probably at least until the auction. After that, I’ll play it by ear.”

Malik stood up and walked to the corner of the conference room where the Keurig was placed. “Would you like some coffee?”

“I don’t drink coffee,” she stated as she jotted something down in her notepad. “But tea would be great if you have it.”

“Yes, I do,” he said as he placed the sugar holder and stirrers on the conference table. “So, how about you tell me the overall goal of the fundraiser.”

“Sure,” she said as she crossed one leg over the other. It took all Malik’s strength not to drop his eyes to her legs. He distracted himself with making his coffee and her tea instead.

“At Elite Events, there are a variety of organizations and events that we sponsor. One of my most cherished sponsorships is the work we do with Chicago after-school programs. There are two programs in particular that we donate a hefty amount of money to annually. But a few months ago we learned that our efforts to save those programs weren’t effective, and they will have to permanently close before the start of school.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Malik responded as he placed the hot drinks on the conference table.

“Exactly,” Mya stated. “After talking with my partners, we’ve decided to open our own after-school program. The employees who currently work in the programs that are closing have agreed to transition to our program since they will be out of jobs soon. It will take a lot of hard work to make everything happen in a little over three months, but we have a lot of support, so I think we can do it. I’ll also be spending one or two days a week as needed working in the office of the after-school program instead of the Elite Events office.”

“Wow,” Malik stated as he absorbed everything Mya had said. “I admire your dedication, it will really make a difference in the community.”

She smiled before she slid a piece of paper across the desk. “Thanks. I just hope we can help the students that benefit from the programs that are closing and also bring awareness to those who don’t follow what goes on in the education system. We can’t fund the entire program and keep it running without the help of the community, that’s why we are having the charity date auction next month.”

“I’d say you’re well on your way and I like the idea of a date auction to raise money. June is a good month to have a singles event because people probably spent last fall, winter and spring preparing mentally and physically for the hot weather.”

“Exactly,” Mya said nodding her head in agreement. “You know the streets overflow with people as soon as the weather gets above fifty degrees. And it will take place right after school ends.”

“So,” Malik said as he stirred around the sugar and hazelnut cream he’d poured into his coffee. “What help do you need from me?”

“Well, that piece of paper details everything,” she replied as she pointed to the paper she had slid across the table. “It’s a tentative schedule of all deadlines including dates for auditions to see what singles we want to auction off and many other details. My partners and I have settled on auctioning off twenty singles...ten women and ten men. Of the twenty participants, I want at least half to be business professionals or well known individuals in the Midwest states to up the ante and get singles more excited at the possibility of going out with a local celebrity. I already have two business women and two Chicago athletes who have agreed, so I’m looking for about six more.”

“I can definitely reach out to a few people as well,” Malik added.

“Great! We may charge a small fee to enter the auction and since we’re event planners, we will plan dates for a few lucky couples in the audience.”

“How would that work?” Malik asked.

“Two weeks before the auction, we will email a questionnaire for everyone to fill out. Anyone interested in winning a date will only have forty-eight hours to fill out the form and return it to us. Then we will shuffle through the data and match at least six singles. We will announce the matches at the auction.”

“It looks like you and your partners even have the media plan for the event taken care of,” Malik said as he skimmed the sheet of paper.

“We do,” Mya said as she nodded her head. “Which is why I knew we didn’t really have to meet tonight to discuss anything further. I will let you know when I need you.”

Malik laughed. Nice try. “That’s where you’re wrong, Mya.”

“How so?” she asked as she scrunched her forehead.

Malik spun in his chair and reached for the red folder he’d placed aside before Mya arrived. He quickly glanced at her before removing a sheet of paper from the folder and handing it to her.

“What’s this?” Mya asked, not even bothering to look down at the paper.

Malik crossed his hands in front of him on the table. “If you take a look at that document, you will notice that I need to be involved with every step of the process.”

Mya yanked the paper off the table and skimmed the contents stated. “A contract? You drafted a contract? For what? You’re just a cohost, so all you really need to do is support, promote and be present for any rehearsals and of course the day of the auction.”

He smirked and ignored the hitch in her voice. He knew she wouldn’t like the idea of working with him more than she’d planned. But she’d just have to deal with it.

“It’s not a draft,” he stated in a calm voice. “If you pay close attention, it’s an actual contract that Lex, Imani and Cyd signed when I left your office the other day.”

Mya stood from her chair and slammed the paper on the table in front of him. “I don’t know what bullshit you’re trying to pull, but I never signed this contract and since I’m the lead planner of the event, this isn’t valid.”

He shot her a sly smirk, knowing the action would make her even more upset, but he couldn’t help it. He enjoyed seeing her all hot and bothered. “Quite the contrary, Mya. It clearly states in the fine print that only two members from Elite Events need to sign off on a contract.”

He watched the rise and fall of her chest as she came to the realization that he had her pinned in a corner. “If you look closely,” he continued as he pointed to the document, “I have three signatures, so your signature isn’t needed.”

She squinted her eyes at him. “Why are you doing this?” she asked him softly.

Malik studied her expression, hoping that he hadn’t made a mistake by pushing her to work more closely with him. “Before I even talked to you about the charity date auction, Lex had filled me in on the efforts Elite Events were trying to make. I believe in giving back to the community and I wanted to help.”

He slid an envelope to her that had Elite Events written on it. “Here, open this.”

Mya looked hesitant at first, but she took the envelope and opened it. Her eyes grew big in surprise before she responded. “Is this for our after-school program?” she asked as she glanced back down at the check.

“Yes, I decided to help sponsor the date auction and I have a few more checks coming from a few business friends of mine who also want to help your cause. As you stated before, you need help if you’re going to achieve this goal.”

Malik watched some of her frustration subside, but he knew she still had a lot of fight left concerning his close involvement. Mya wasn’t the type of woman who liked being strong-armed into anything, but he could also tell that she really cared for the Chicago students and wouldn’t let her pride get in the way of helping them out.

“I need to make a call,” she said as she stood up from the conference table and smoothed out her blouse. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back,” she said before walking out of the conference room and firmly shutting the door behind her.

Malik leaned back in his seat and titled his head to the ceiling. I wonder how long it will take her to process everything. The food was due to arrive any minute, but he wasn’t sure if he could even talk her into staying after the news he’d just dropped on her. A part of him felt wrong for putting her in this situation, but little did she know, if they didn’t seem to work well together, he would back off and let her continue preparing for the date auction alone. He truly did admire her determination to start a new after-school program and he didn’t want anything standing in the way of her achieving that...not even him.

Chapter 4

“Who the hell does he think he is?” she said through clenched teeth into the phone as she paced the hallway. “I don’t care how much money he wants to donate. He can’t blackmail me into working with him.”

“It’s hardly blackmail,” Lex said on the other line. “He presented Imani, Cyd and I with an actual contract that we had our lawyer review. He isn’t asking Elite Events for anything more than allowing Madden Incorporated to cosponsor the date auction and be notified of all the steps of the planning process.”

“Sounds like blackmail to me since I’m the main Elite Events founder planning this event,” Mya huffed.

“Mya, it’s not as bad as it sounds,” said another voice through the line. Mya looked questionably at her phone before bringing it back up to her ear.

“Imani, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“And me,” Cyd chimed in.

Mya slowly closed her eyes and dropped her head to the floor. “Let me guess, all three of you are together.”

They didn’t have time to answer before she heard the soft cooing of baby DJ in the background that proved her point.

“No need to answer. You all knew I was getting together with Malik tonight anyway. Ugh, this is ridiculous. I was really looking forward to planning the date auction drama-free.”

“Malik is by far the least dramatic person I know,” Imani responded.

“So true,” Cyd agreed. “You’re way more dramatic than he is. Just look at how you’re reacting right now.”

“I’m not even going to respond to that,” Mya rebuked.

“No need. I know I’m right,” Cyd replied.

“Listen,” Mya said ready to start a debate. She was fed up with the entire situation.

Before she could begin, Lex cut her off. “Mya, it won’t be that bad. The bottom line is, Malik is cosponsoring the event and donating an extremely generous amount of money. If I know you, you probably didn’t even read the contract in detail since your first thought was to reject whatever it stated. He isn’t asking for a lot and he is nowhere near as demanding as Micah was when y’all signed off on that ridiculous contract he had drawn up for me last year.”

Mya smiled as she thought about the part she’d played in the contract Micah had presented to Lex last year when he needed Elite Events’ help planning an event.

The sound of the elevator ding distracted her from her call. “Hold on, guys,” she said into the phone before placing them on mute.

She followed the food courier who had walked into Micah’s office suite. “Hello, can I help you?”

“Sorry, someone was leaving so I came right up,” the young man said with a smile. “I have a food delivery for Malik Madden.”

Mya observed the restaurant icon on the brown paper bag and wondered if he’d purposely ordered food from one of her favorite Spanish restaurants. If he did, how did he even find out? “I can take it,” she stated as she took the bag. “Hold on while I get some money for your tip.”

“No need,” the courier stated. “It’s already been taken care of. Have a great day, miss.”

“You too,” she replied as he walked out the door.

She glanced at her phone and unclicked the hold button. “Hey,” she said into the phone. “Did any of you happen to give Malik a rundown of all my favorite restaurants?”

Of course, they all said no, but Mya didn’t know how much she believed them. She sighed into the phone. “Okay, I’m not done with you guys, but I want to speed up this meeting, so we’ll finish this conversation later.”

She hung up her phone and briefly contemplated taking the food, getting on the elevator and heading to her South Loop condo. But she knew that wasn’t possible. Not only was her bag still in the conference room with Malik, but she also didn’t want to be that rude.

Why is he being so persistent? she asked herself as she began walking back to the conference room. She should have known that helping Micah get closer to Lex would come back to bite her in the butt. After all, Malik and Micah were brothers, and although they were opposite in personality, they probably had a lot in common, like how they chose to pursue women they were interested in.

Mya stopped walking abruptly. Malik had only officially asked her on one date, so that didn’t necessarily mean he was looking for a relationship. He wants to get a rise out of you. That had to be it. Malik wanted to make her feel uncomfortable so she would give in and go out with him, which was absolutely out of the question.

She took a few more steps. But you’re attracted to him too, and it’s been a while since you’ve had sex with a man that fine. She stopped walking again, surprised at the direction of her thoughts. “This isn’t like me,” she mumbled under her breath as she continued her walk back to the conference room. She didn’t spend time agonizing over men and the tactics they used to try and get with her. She was too fierce for that. Too independent. She’d spent too much time trying to become the person she was today and had gone through too many misfortunes to let the likes of one man jeopardize her character. She could handle this. So what if you’re more attracted to him than you are most men. Who cares! She’d overcome a lot in her thirty years and she could definitely handle a man like Malik Madden.

When she opened the door to the conference room, Malik’s back was to her as he stared out the window. It was dark outside now, but the city always looked good at night. He was positioned towards a well-lit street and he didn’t appear to hear her enter. She took a brief moment to savor how good he looked from the back.

Even through his gray dress shirt, she noticed how broad and muscular his shoulders and arms were. He had unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them to quarter length. His hands were in his pockets so his pants stretched slightly forward, accentuating his butt.

Standing there ogling him felt somewhat invasive, but she couldn’t help it. It was hard enough trying to not sneak glances at him when he was watching her, so it was even harder to tear her eyes away when he didn’t know she was watching.

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