Love is the one event that can never be planned…

Meeting gorgeous Micah Madden while lingerie shopping leaves event planner Lexus Turner embarrassed yet intrigued. The charismatic security expert awakens a sensual side that Lex had put on hold ever since her first marriage imploded. Only a man like Micah could make her feel this good, which is why she is determined to keep her distance.

Sweet, shy and sexier than she knows…Lex is driving Micah crazy. Hiring her firm to plan a family party, he sets out to uncover all the tantalizing passion behind her buttoned-up facade. But getting through to Lex is harder than he thought. And Micah will have to open up in ways the reformed rebel never dared before to show Lex how deliciously satisfying a real love between them could be….

“Remember what you said during the drinking game?” Micah asked, noticing a cute little brown freckle on her nose that he hadn’t seen before.

“During Never Have I Ever?” she asked breathlessly.

“Yes,” he said. “Don’t think, just do.”

She searched his eyes before dropping her gaze to his lips. She leaned in a couple more centimeters.

That’s close enough, Micah thought as he crashed his lips to hers. He expected her to be surprised, but instead, her hands went around his neck as she softly moaned into his mouth. She tasted just like he’d imagined she would…sweet and tangy with a hint of wine and tequila from the game they’d been playing.

He probed her mouth open even further and slipped his tongue deeper inside when she parted her lips more. She moaned softly into his mouth and gripped his neck even tighter, lightly massaging the back of his head as she did so. The seductive way she moved her hands just made him want to kiss her harder…longer…until they were both breathless and craving for oxygen. What was it about this woman that pushed him to the brink of insanity? He’d never been this intrigued by a woman before, nor had he enjoyed a kiss quite like this.

SHERELLE GREEN

is a Chicago native with a dynamic imagination and a passion for reading and writing. As a young girl, she channeled her creativity and turned her thoughts into short stories and poems. Although she loves to read all genres, romance holds a special place in her heart. Her love for romance developed in high school after stumbling across a hot and steamy Harlequin novel. She instantly became an avid romance reader and decided to pursue an education in English and journalism. Nothing satisfies her more than writing stories filled with compelling love affairs, multifaceted characters and intriguing relationships. A true romantic, she believes in predestined romances, love at first sight and fairy-tale endings.

Red Velvet

Kisses

Sherelle Green

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Dear Reader,

Meet vibrant and unique Lexus Turner, co-founder of Elite Events Inc.

Sometimes we are harder on ourselves for the decisions we’ve made in the past than others are. This deems true for Lex, a woman who has allowed her past mistakes to impact her future. A woman like Lex needs a bad boy like Micah Madden to teach her how to break a few rules. In exchange, Lex offers Micah a love unlike any he’s ever had. As the saying goes, opposites attract! And in this case, the attraction is electrifyingly satisfying.

Mya Winters’s story is up next, and I can’t wait for readers to learn more about her and the hero determined to win her heart. I love to hear from readers, so please feel free to contact me and check out my website for my latest book updates.

Much Love,

Sherelle

www.SherelleGreen.com AuthorSherelleGreen@gmail.com @SherelleGreen

To my husband, Henry, for your unconditional love and support. Through the years of our relationship, you have continued to encourage and uplift me. When we first met, I knew you would be an important person in my life, and now that we’re embarking on a new future, I’m so excited to continue our journey together. Thank you for being my rock…my strength…and my once in a lifetime love!

To my cousin, Shenelle, for your advice and constant encouragement. When we get together, there’s never a dull moment, and it’s been that way ever since we were kids. Your comic impersonations, spirited personality and infectious smile bring joy to others. You’re so easy to get along with, but there’s more to you than meets the eye. In order for people to truly get to know you and see what’s inside your heart, they must take the time to peel back the layers of your personality, to find the treasures that lie beneath. You have such passion for delicious dishes, and I love your unique and warm demeanor. When I was thinking about the qualities that I wanted Lex to have, you were definitely my muse.

Thanks so much for all the inspiration!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Dear Reader

Dedication

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

Epilogue

Copyright

Prologue

“To buy or not to buy,” Lexus Turner said to herself as she admired the pleated lilac babydoll in her hand. She’d been in Bare Sophistication lingerie boutique for over thirty minutes and had yet to find something sexy to purchase. Earlier that morning, she had listened to an audiobook of a female motivational speaker who stressed the importance of feeling and looking good. Lexus didn’t have a special someone in her life, but she was tired of the frumpy, yet comfortable, undies she often wore.

Would this even cover anything? she thought to herself as she observed the uncomfortable-looking tiny silk thong that accompanied the babydoll. She then pulled out the silk G-string placed next to the thong. Now this I like. She may have been contradicting herself by disliking the thong yet liking the G-string, but to her there was a big difference. The couple times she’d worn a G-string, she felt as if she was wearing nothing at all. The one and only day she wore a thong, she’d felt as if something was stuck between her butt cheeks all day. That feeling had caused her to not-so-discreetly adjust herself by shaking her leg as she walked.

She looked through the rack at the other lilac panty options. “Oh, now this is different,” she said as she held up a panty with a slit in the middle for easy access to her feminine treasures. She could only imagine all the naughty things one could do in a silky lace boyshort with a slit in the center of the panty. It was attached by intertwining ribbons on each side adding to her visual imagination.

“Oh, yes, I love this,” she said aloud as she paired the silky lace boyshort with the pleated lilac babydoll. “Perfect match.”

“I think you settled on a great set,” a deep voice said behind her. Startled, Lexus turned around quicker than anticipated, running right into the solid chest of the man with the low timbre voice. She jumped back from the intensity of the direct contact and misjudged her steps. The oversight of the large rack caused her to trip over her feet and sent her tumbling right into a pair of powerful bronzed arms.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said as he helped her regain her balance.

Lexus tried to speak, but she couldn’t formulate any words. Oh...my...goodness. The man looked tastier than the tiramisu she’d sampled earlier at a local coffee shop. His eyes were chestnut brown with gray specs sprinkled in the coloring. And from what she could tell by the outline of his clothes, he had the body of a god. She was pretty sure she was drooling, which probably didn’t look sexy at all.

She tried to stop her eyes from looking him up and down in admiration, but she couldn’t help it. He was wearing jeans and a button-up with quarter-length sleeves. He looked slightly familiar and had the sexiest deep dimples she’d ever seen on a man. She couldn’t have met him before because she was sure she would have remembered a man this fine.

“Do you need me to help you with that?” he asked.

Lexus squinted her eyes together in confusion until she followed his gaze and noticed that all of the belongings from her purse had fallen out and were scattered across the floor.

“Oh, crap,” she whispered as she bent down and began picking everything up. The man bent down to help her, and although Lexus wanted to tell him not to, she still couldn’t speak. She’d met attractive men before, but none had left her speechless.

“You sure do have a lot of lipstick,” he said with a laugh as he handed her two of the six tubes that had fallen near his feet.

Come on girl! Say something, Lex chanted in her head. Still nothing. Not a single word. Instead, she gave him a big smile and tried to make a sexy I love lipstick and look good in it sort of laugh, but it came off as an I have issues please don’t ask me any more questions type of laugh.

Big fail. Why do I even try?

“Would you like me to ring that up for you,” he asked as he picked up the lilac babydoll and boyshort that had fallen on the floor, as well. Lexus timidly nodded her head in agreement.

Making her way to the counter, she admired his walk and the way his butt moved in his jeans. She looked down at her outfit, wishing she’d chosen to wear cute skinny jeans, a flattering top and stylish shoes rather than leggings, a simple T-shirt and gym shoes that needed a good cleaning. She’d just left a nearby workout facility so she was sure the once smooth edges of her hair were now in little curly cues. Her fellow cofounders at Elite Events Incorporated always told her to dress in sexier workout gear, but she never listened. I should have taken their advice. Or at least worn a headband.

When they got to the register, he began ringing up her items. She noticed that his eyes lingered on the panties a little more than the babydoll. When he lifted his face back to her he seemed amused. She couldn’t tell if he wanted to flirt with her or laugh at her since it seemed she had no business buying such raunchy underwear. The fact that she couldn’t tell the difference from the expression on his face was even more unsettling.

“You don’t talk much do you?” he asked her as he bagged her items.

“Hahaha, um, yeah. Oh, boy do I.” Huh! What did she just say? The amused look on his face turned into a hearty laugh. Lexus only felt it fitting to awkwardly laugh along with him although she saw nothing funny about her current situation.

“You’re adorable,” he said as he handed her the receipt. Adorable? Lexus thought as she raised an eyebrow at the man. She definitely didn’t want the hot guy thinking about her as adorable, cute or any other word best used to describe a bunny, not a woman he found attractive. She had to hightail it out of there before she embarrassed herself any further.

Grabbing her bag, she flashed him a small smile before turning to the door. She arrived at the front entrance of the boutique just as a woman was entering. “Thanks so much, sweetie,” the woman said as she hastily made her way to the man that had helped her and gave him a tight hug. “You’re the best,” she continued as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Oh, well...you win some, you lose some. And there was no doubt in her mind that she wasn’t winning this man even before his girlfriend walked into the shop.

When Lexus stepped outside, the hot August air did nothing to calm the inferno the man inside the shop had ignited within her. She hastily walked to the edge of the block before rounding the corner. Briefly stopping to lean on a nearby wall, she took a couple minutes to think about the recent course of events. The motivational audiobook she had studied said that she should take charge of her life and be aggressive. Well, she definitely hadn’t taken charge of that situation. And even though she didn’t have an aggressive bone in her body, she’d wished she had at least tried to be the aggressor back in the lingerie shop.

“It doesn’t matter. He has a girlfriend anyway,” she reminded herself as she thought about the exchange between him and the woman who entered the store when she was leaving.

Getting up from the wall, Lexus put her headphones back in and began listening to the motivational audiobook she’d downloaded through iTunes. She only had a couple hours to get ready before her business partner and cousin Cydney Rayne’s dinner party in the Chicago River North area. Cyd had just gotten back from a weeklong vacation in Anguilla with her boyfriend, Shawn Miles.

As she walked back to her condo the words coming through her headphones almost made her want to cut off her phone completely. “You are in control of your own destiny. You can be the aggressor. In order to love someone else, you have to love yourself. There is nothing wrong with a vocal woman. You can do it. Just give it a try.”

Lexus blew out a frustrated breath as she continued to listen to the voice coming from her headphones. “Yeah, yeah...be the aggressor. I got it,” she huffed aloud.

* * *

Lex hopped off the CTA Red Line train and glanced at her cell phone. She was rarely late, but the glass of red wine she’d had after returning home from the lingerie shop had caused her to fall asleep. When she woke up, she’d realized she only had thirty minutes before the dinner started.

“Hello, I’m here for the Cydney Rayne dinner party,” she said to the hostess when she arrived at the restaurant.

“Right this way, miss.” Lex followed the woman to the private room. After apologizing for her tardiness, she gave hugs to everyone in attendance including her other two Elite Events business partners, Imani Rayne-Barker and Mya Winters. She took one of the two vacant seats at the end of the dinner table when Cyd’s boyfriend, Shawn, tapped his fork on his wineglass.

“Now that almost everyone is here, we have an announcement to make,” Shawn said.

“Shawn and I are engaged!” Cyd finished as she stuck out her hand to reveal a gorgeous three-carat diamond ring.

“Oh, my gosh, congratulations!” Lex exclaimed as she jumped from her seat and rushed over to hug Cyd, followed by others offering their congrats.

“I guess I missed something,” said a familiar baritone voice from the doorway of the room. What the heck is he doing here?

“Everyone,” Shawn said gathering the attention from the group and making his way to the man. “This is one of my best friends and my business partner, Micah Madden. He just moved to Chicago last month and if he accepts, he will be my best man.”

Lex watched with eyes wide open as the two men embraced while Micah shared his congrats. She barely heard Cyd’s story of how Shawn proposed in Anguilla because she was too busy staring at Micah, hoping that he wasn’t the same person she thought he was.

Unless he has a twin, that’s definitely him. As if he knew she was analyzing him, his eyes landed on her and slowly looked her up and down before he began walking toward her. She had to get out of there.

“I’ll be right back,” she said to the group of women, although they were too busy listening to Cyd’s story to hear her. She turned and walked around the table in the opposite direction Micah was walking.

Once she was in the hallway, she slipped into a nearby bathroom and took a deep breath. He’s just a man. A normal man. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Who was she kidding? He wasn’t a normal man. He was a fine man. A tempting man. A man with a nice round butt begging to be grabbed. Lex was a sucker for a man with a nice butt. And why the heck am I just meeting him! Shawn and Cyd had been dating for eight months. She didn’t remember Micah at any of Shawn’s previous get-togethers since he hadn’t lived in Chicago. But she definitely knew his name. Both Cyd and Shawn had mentioned him on more than one occasion.

Last year, Cyd had planned a series of appreciation events for the Peter Vallant Company and had gotten kidnapped at the winter formal. Shawn and Micah had been securing the series of events and Shawn had saved Cyd from a crazy woman who’d become obsessed with her. Micah had been at the formal, but Lex hadn’t arrived until after he was assigned to watch Cyd so their paths had never crossed that night. If she hadn’t had another event that day, she probably could have met him that night and saved herself some embarrassment. Usually, when Lex met an extremely attractive man for the first time, she performed a ritual to help settle her nerves. The ritual started with a quick pep talk in the mirror similar to the one she was giving herself now and it ended with a conversation with Mya who often gave her witty things to say so she could keep the guy on his toes. An unprepared Lex equaled embarrassment and she had already been embarrassed enough for one day.

“Okay girl,” she said to herself. “You can’t hide in here forever.” Fluffing her curls and reapplying a coat of red lipstick, she exited the bathroom, running right into a solid chest. Caught off guard, she tripped over his feet and twirled around so suddenly that she sent them both tumbling to the ground.

“Ouch,” she said, landing hard on the man. When she heard him let out a loud groan, she looked up at his face. Oh, great.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she attempted to get off of him.

“We have got to stop meeting like this, lingerie girl,” Micah said, not easing his grip on her. Lingerie girl...that’s kinda cute. Unfortunately, the way her purple summer dress was gathered high on her thighs was not cute at all. She was sure a part of her panties were showing.

“Can you let me go now?” she asked as she struggled out of his arms. He finally let her go. When she stood, she nervously glanced around to see how many people were around to witness their fall.

“You’re so adorable,” he said to her before taking a step forward.

Here we go with this word again. She took a step back. “I’m sure you say that to your girlfriend, too.” Real subtle Lex.

“What girlfriend?”

“The one who kissed you on the cheek in the lingerie shop today.”

“That woman was my cousin, Winter Dupree,” Micah said with a laugh. “She owns Bare Sophistication lingerie boutique and she needed me to watch the store for a few hours. The store just opened and she doesn’t have much staff right now.”

Cousin? Just kill me know. “And on that embarrassing note, I think I’ll go back to join the group,” she said leaving him in the hallway.

“Don’t turn around. Just keep walking,” she said to herself. But even with the warning, she had to know if he was staring at her. When she reached the end of the hallway, she slightly turned her head. Micah was still standing there with his hands in his pockets and a sly smile on his face. He looked handsome. And downright dangerous. Mercy.

Chapter 1

Three months later...

Lexus Turner stared out of her window seat on the CTA bus as she admired the holiday shops and boutiques festively decorated along the Magnificent Mile. She loved living in downtown Chicago, but driving in traffic often made her nervous, so she opted to take public transportation instead. Doing so allowed her the opportunity to admire her beautiful city and embark on some of the best festivities Chicago had to offer.

Lexus completely ignored the loud hustle and bustle of Chicagoans getting on and off the bus as they made their way through downtown for an array of winter festivities. When she reached her stop, she stepped off the bus and breathed in the crisp November air. Soft flakes were beginning to fall and the loud salt trucks caused a few pedestrians to take cover under store awnings to avoid the swinging salt from the trucks’ brushes. Some people disliked the busyness of the city, but Lexus loved the constant activity and noisy atmosphere.

As she made her way into the tall skyscraper and arrived on the floor where her company was located, she admired the new logo that was intricately painted on the main office glass door. When Lexus, Imani, Cyd and Mya had joined forces and founded Elite Events Incorporated, they could have never predicted their company would take off so fast. They each ran their respective divisions while alternating as lead planner on each event the company booked. Lexus considered herself lucky to be able to run a successful business with those closest to her.

“Good morning, Ellie,” Lexus said to the office assistant as she began removing her snow-white scarf and jet-black peacoat.

“Good morning, Miss Turner.”

Before she made it completely through the second glass door that separated the lounge from the main office, Cyd met her halfway.

“Lex! Great, you’re finally here,” Cyd said as she led her through the hall to the back of the floor where the conference rooms were located.

“Why the rush, Cyd?” she asked with a smile as her warm brown curls bounced around her shoulders.

“Well, we need to decide who will lead a 35th anniversary party that Micah Madden wants to have for his parents. He has a meeting down the street so he dropped by the office a few minutes ago. Mya told him we could all meet with him before he leaves for his own meeting,” Cyd explained.

The smile fell from Lex’s smooth caramel face the instant she heard that Micah was in the office.

“Judging by the look on your face, that’s exactly how I thought you would feel,” Cyd said with a giggle. “That’s why I came out of the room to warn you.”

Three months ago Shawn proposed to Cyd and she happily accepted. The two were getting married next summer and Lex and Micah were both in the wedding party. Unfortunately for Lex, that meant she would be seeing a lot more of Micah as the wedding grew closer.

“A meeting? How convenient. Seriously, Cyd, I don’t even understand why he has to plan a 35th anniversary party for his parents anyway. Why not plan a 40th anniversary party like any other normal person.”

“Actually, the percentage rate for people who have 35th anniversary parties is very high and increasing every year,” Micah said, standing behind Lex and Cyd. “My parents have never had a grand anniversary party so I think it’s long overdue.”

Crap, what are the odds, Lex thought to herself as she dropped her head to the floor. Of course he’s standing right behind me. The man always had a way of sneaking up on her.

“I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you,” Micah stated, sensing her thoughts. “I had to step into the hallway to take an important phone call.”

Lex recovered from her embarrassment and lifted her head before turning around to face Micah.

“Hello, Lexus Turner,” Micah said as he extended his hand to greet her. There he was...in the flesh. The one man she wished didn’t occupy so many of her thoughts. Most people called her Lex instead of Lexus, but her full name rolled off his tongue as if he said her name every day. Better yet, by the deepness in his voice, you’d think he said her name every night.

“Hello, Micah Madden,” Lex said, taking her cue from him and saying his full name, as well. “It’s good to see you again.”

Micah stood there observing her, his eyes burning a hole through her snug-fitting sweater dress. When his eyes left her dress and reached her lips, they lingered there for a while. On instinct, she licked her rosy colored lips trying to stop the pulsating feeling between her legs. Every time she was near him, she couldn’t help but be consumed by his presence. The first quality she studied on him today were his muscular arms that were clearly visible through his white fitted dress shirt. The second quality she observed were his perfect white teeth and sexy dimpled smile. The third quality she liked was his unique sense of style. The man could wear a pair of sleek slacks and slim black tie like no other, and always looked as if he’d just walked off the runway.

“Likewise,” Micah finally replied as he finished appraising her. “You look very nice today LG.” She wished she knew why he thought it was okay to call her LG. He had started calling her LG two and a half months ago at Cyd and Shawn’s official engagement party. It was short for lingerie girl. No one knew what it meant except for the two of them and when anyone asked, she never told them. He always called her LG after initially greeting her as Lexus. What is with this guy? If she ever got the nerve, she would question him about it. She wanted to question him now, but she couldn’t. Secretly, she liked the way it made her feel. Even saying the nickname he’d given her, Lex thought he made it sound heavenly.

Cyd cleared her throat.

“Oh, and you look very nice as well, Cyd,” Micah replied.

“Why, thanks,” Cyd said as she flipped her jet-black hair over her shoulders. “It’s so nice of you to finally notice that I’m standing here. I was about to tell you both to take it to the bedroom.”

“Cyd!” Lex exclaimed loudly. “Really?”

“No, she’s right,” Micah interjected. “We should handle this.” At Lex’s raised eyebrow he continued. “I meant that we should get started with the meeting. I wasn’t referring to the bedroom comment.”

Lex breathed a sigh of relief.

“Unless there’s something you want to tell me,” Micah stated aloud, looking solely at Lex.

“Nope, nothing to tell,” she responded a little too quickly.

“You two are hard to watch,” Cyd said as she shook her head and glanced from Lex to Micah. “Let’s just go into the conference room. Imani and Mya are waiting.”

While Micah and Cyd were making themselves comfortable at the conference table, Lex decided to pour a much-needed cup of coffee. She took her seat next to Imani, but not before she cut Cyd a slicing look of irritation.

Cyd responded to the look by innocently lifting her hands and eyebrows in indication that she didn’t understand what Lex was referring to.

“Ha! Yeah, right,” Lex said aloud, although she hadn’t intended to.

“Is everything okay?” Imani asked.

“Yup, everything is fine,” Lex replied. As long as I keep my hormones in check.

“Great! Now let’s get down to business. As you all know, Micah would like to throw a 35th anniversary party for his parents in their Arkansas hometown. First things first, we need to decide who will lead this event.”

“I think Lex should handle this event,” Mya quickly replied.

“I agree,” Cyd added.

“Sounds good to me,” Imani continued after Cyd.

“Great. Then, it’s settled,” Micah said as he stood to shake each woman’s hand before finally reaching Lex.

“I have to get to work. But let’s set a date to meet and discuss my needs.”

Lex was a little taken aback by his comment and the fact that her partners had decided she would be the event lead. Micah was still holding her hand when he voiced the last words. Did he mean work needs or personal needs?

“Both,” Micah said as if reading her thoughts again.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Lex asked in confusion. Everything was happening too fast and she couldn’t react that quickly. “Never mind, I will call you to set up a preliminary meeting for the anniversary party. Is there any day this week that doesn’t work well for you?”

Micah finally let go of her hand and flashed another priceless smile.

“Any day this week works for me.” He winked, clearly entertained by the fact that, once again, she was ignoring his advances. With that, he gave a quick nod to all the women and left the conference room.

“What just happened here?” Lex asked Mya in particular after Micah was out of earshot. “Last week, I thought we both agreed that we would figure out what Micah wanted for the anniversary party before deciding who would be the best planner since Imani and Cyd already have a few events lined up.”

“I don’t remember us saying that,” Mya responded as she pretended to be occupied with straightening a stack of unruly papers. “I talked to Micah when he first got here so I already knew that it worked best with your schedule.”

Imani and Cyd both laughed. While eyeing her friends and partners, Lex tried to figure out exactly what scheme they were trying to get away with.

“I’m pretty sure that’s what we discussed,” Lex said raising her voice a bit. “And what do you mean it worked best with my schedule. He didn’t even say what date he was interested in so you couldn’t possibly know what worked best.”

“Yes, he did,” Mya answered. “His parents never had a real wedding, but their actual wedding date is Valentine’s Day. He said that he wanted to plan their anniversary sometime next month before New Years, or after if that’s too soon. Like I said, I’d already talked to him.”

“That soon?” Lex exclaimed. “Why did we agree to plan this party? It’s already November!”

“We’ve planned plenty of parties with way less time,” Imani responded. “Besides, you still have another two weeks left in this month.”

“And let’s not forget that last year, I planned the formal for the Peter Vallant Company with way less time than you have,” Cyd added. “I had about two weeks to plan that entire event. If I can make that work, you can definitely make this work.”

Lex crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. Her body language was a clear indication that she was pouting, but she didn’t care. She felt as if she was the focal point of the joke, and being the main focus of any joke was not a good feeling.

Mya’s smartphone vibrated. “Lex, I’d love to continue this conversation but I have to meet with a client to discuss the grand opening event for their new clothing store.”

“Of course you do,” Lex said sarcastically. Imani and Cyd had their phones in their hands as well, and if Lex was a betting woman, she’d bet any dollar amount that one of them had texted Mya to give her an excuse to leave the conference room.

“I have to go, too,” Imani stated. “I have to tweet about a couple upcoming events and I have to update our page on Facebook.”

“I should probably call the florist for my wedding to confirm my appointment next week,” Cyd interjected. “Besides, I’m sure you have to start working on a game plan for the anniversary party.”

“Ugh,” Lex responded in annoyance. “I know what you guys are doing and it won’t work.”

“Sweetie, that childlike pout doesn’t look good on you,” Cyd said with a laugh.

“Besides, we don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mya added.

“Oh, really,” Lex said sitting upright in her chair while uncrossing her arms and bracing both hands on the conference table.

“Look, I’m not blind. I know Micah has a thing for me. But y’all know I’m not going there with a man like him.”

“Lex, listen to yourself,” Cyd said. “Micah is educated, successful and sexy. Plus he’s a bit of a bad boy. Trust me, women in Chicago have been drooling all over him ever since he moved here this past summer.”

“But he’s only interested in you,” Imani added.

Rubbing her hands over her face, Lex tried to ignore what they were saying. She couldn’t date a man like him. He was too easy to fall for and after everything she’d been through, she wasn’t willing to risk her heart again.

“You guys know what I went through with Evan.”

Imani reached over and softly touched Lex’s hand. “Lex, we all know that Evan’s craziness made you swear off men. But you can’t let him define your future. You need to move on from that situation.”

“I know,” Lex replied. “But it’s not that easy. He controlled every part of me in high school and college. If I hadn’t seen the light after Gamine’s death, I would have never realized the type of man he was.” When her grandmother, Faith Gamine Burrstone died a few years ago, a light switch had finally been turned on in Lex’s head.

“Sweetie, Evan Gilmore was the ultimate a-hole!” Cyd exclaimed. “We all blame ourselves for not always speaking up when it came to our true thoughts about him. But Micah Madden is not Evan Gilmore.”

“Not even close,” Mya added. “You’re twenty-eight. You need to date a real man.”

“I have dated real men,” Lex said, defending herself. “Remember Reginald Collins?”

“Right, how can we forget nerdy Reginald,” Cyd cynically replied. “I still don’t understand why you wasted your time on someone who didn’t even like to kiss in public...or private I presume.”

“That’s not true,” Lex responded. “He was just very selective on how and when he showed his feelings.” She wouldn’t dare tell them that even though they’d dated for over seven months, they hadn’t had sex and had barely even kissed.

“A peck on the cheek is not a kiss,” Imani stated. “And that’s all we ever saw him give you...a light peck on the cheek. Even with that peck, he did it sloppily.”

“He sure did,” Mya agreed. “It made us gag just watching it. Like he wanted to open his mouth and French kiss your cheek, but decided against it. Awkward.”

“Okay,” Lex said drawling out the word. “Enough about my last boyfriend.”

“If you can even call him that,” Cyd mumbled beneath her breath.

“Anyway,” Lex continued, “since I don’t have a choice, I will plan the anniversary party. But I want to make it clear that I will continue to look at Micah in a completely professional manner.”

“Hmm, and how is that working out for you so far?” Mya said, laughing. Imani and Cyd followed suit and joined in the laughter.

“Oh, you guys didn’t see them in the hall earlier,” Cyd said, ready to spill all the juicy details.

“Oh, do tell,” Imani said, rubbing her hands together.

“My work can wait,” Mya said, making no attempts to leave the room as she’d previously been prepared to do.

“Well I don’t think I need to stay around for this,” Lex said as she gathered her stuff and walked out of the conference room. Before the door fully closed, she heard the women giggle as Cyd explained how she’d made the situation even more awkward for her and Micah when she had suggested that they take it to the bedroom.

Chapter 2

When Lex got to her office, she quickly shut and locked the door. Slipping off her winter boots and replacing them with her ballerina flats, she took a seat in her cozy chair behind her large mahogany desk. She then twirled in the seat until she was facing her window with a partial view of Lake Michigan.

“I knew I should have called in sick today,” Lex said to herself. It probably wouldn’t have even mattered. Micah Madden had been a constant distraction to her stable psyche since she’d met him in the lingerie shop.

“Lord, give me strength,” she said as she shook her head and softly closed her eyes. She needed to avoid his advances and treat him like any other client. Otherwise, she had no doubt that she’d lose herself in him.

A soft knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. “Coming,” Lex said loudly for the person on the other side of the door to hear. As soon as she opened the door, she wished she’d first asked who was behind the closed door before crossing the room.

“Yes, Micah?” she asked with more disdain in her voice than she’d intended.

“Well, I’m happy to see you, too, Lex,” he said, his filled with laughter.

She stood back to let him enter her office. “I thought you left,” she said, making sure her behind swayed when she walked back to her desk.

“I was almost out the building when I remembered that I needed to give you a few notes I had about my parents. You know, their likes, dislikes...that sort of thing. That way, you can start planning now if you’d like.” He reached out his hand to give her a typed sheet of paper.

As Lex took the paper, she made sure their hands didn’t touch. The last thing she needed was any close contact. She glanced up at him again. Their chemistry was undeniable and it seemed the more she saw him the harder it was to ignore how badly her body wanted him. Her mind was saying, Heck no, you better stay away. But her body was screaming, Girl, what in the world is wrong with you? Sleep with him already!

Lex cleared her throat and briefly looked at the paper again. When she looked back up to Micah, he glanced from the paper she was holding to her eyes and flashed one of his infamous half smiles. He had to know she was daydreaming about him. He was a smart man and probably felt the heat emanating from their bodies just as strongly as she could.

“Well, I guess I’ll be going then,” Micah stated as he turned to leave her office. Lex followed, heading to the door so that she could lock it behind him. She didn’t need any more interruptions until the afternoon. When he reached the door, he quickly turned to face her, completely catching Lex off guard and causing her to run directly into his chest.

“Why do you always do that,” Lex squealed as she tried to back away from him. But she couldn’t. Her feet wouldn’t move the second she gazed into his piercing eyes. He began taking deep breaths, his eyes slowly dragging over her entire body. Lex couldn’t breathe. She feared that he would make a move if she so much as batted an eyelash. She wasn’t sure how long they stood there before he finally said something.

“You can’t fight it for much longer.”

Just watch me. “I don’t know what you mean,” Lex said, deciding to play stupid. Micah stepped a little closer to her, further invading her personal space.

“Sooner or later, I will have you positioned spread-eagle style on my bed.”

“I should smack you for saying that,” she quickly replied, surprised by his blunt comment.

“But you won’t,” he responded, getting even closer to her. “You wouldn’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know what I’d do,” Lex replied, trying to sound as sassy as she could under the circumstances.

“Yes, I do,” Micah said. “But that’s not all I want to do to you.”

Lex squinted her eyes. She shouldn’t ask him to go on, but she was way too curious to end the conversation there. “What else do you want to do to me?”

Micah glanced at her lips before looking back into her eyes. “You’ll see soon enough.”

Concluding that he wasn’t saying anything more, she finally exhaled. Her eyes dropped to his lips before she could stop them. She positioned her foot so that she could take a step back from him, but he moved toward her again, stalling her in her place.

“Be careful LG,” he said as he took one finger and dragged it over her lips. “I’m usually not a patient man so your time avoiding me is almost up.” She gasped out of surprise, but didn’t move away from his touch. Her gasp gave him the opportunity to slightly dip his finger into her mouth. He then took his lipstick-smeared finger into his mouth and gently sucked the tip.

“I can only imagine how good you really taste,” he said before taking another long look at her lips.

“Ew, I don’t know where your hands have been,” she stated as she took a step back from him. She huffed aloud, irritated at herself for not initially smacking his hand away, and aggravated at her mouth for wanting to suck his finger longer.

“Maybe not,” he said as he moved closer again, this time bringing his face close to her ear. “But I can tell you where my hands want to go.”

Once again, she gasped. Lex tried to think of a comeback, but her mind was blank, replaced by a feeling that was becoming all too familiar when she was around Micah Madden.

“See you soon,” he said as he walked out her door. Once he was gone, she leaned against her closed door and chastised herself for not being stronger.

“How in the world am I going to plan this anniversary party?” she asked herself. She had too much baggage and she needed a safe guy...a predictable guy. Not the type who represented every wet fantasy rolled into one hot male specimen.

Walking away from the closed door, she went back to her desk in hopes that Micah wouldn’t invade her dreams later.

* * *

Micah twirled his keys around his finger as he made his way to his parked Mercedes-Benz. Micah and Shawn had finally decided to name their security firm M&M Security and headquarter the company in Chicago. After leaving the police force, Micah had wanted a new start so he didn’t mind where the company was located. And after he had met Lex, he’d been even more satisfied with the location. He wanted Lex in the worst way possible and his needs went way beyond the bedroom.

Sliding into his leather seat, he pulled out of the circular parking garage and into Chicago’s morning traffic. He hadn’t lied about his meeting. He had to meet with a potential investor in the security firm in two hours. But first, he had to meet with Shawn to discuss a few details.

Although he’d only been in Chicago for six months, he had grown quite fond of the city. Leaving his job as a police officer in Arkansas had been the best decision he could have made. He enjoyed being in business for himself and he knew he had to leave the police force after realizing that it was way more corrupt than he could have ever imagined.

He turned off of Michigan Ave. onto a side street, minutes away from the M&M Security office. His thoughts instantly returned to Lex. When he’d arrived in Chicago over the summer, he was glad he could check on his cousin and see how her new lingerie boutique was doing. He had hoped that a woman would catch his eye, but he definitely wasn’t prepared to meet Lexus Turner. He hated to sound shallow, but Lex was not the type of woman he was usually attracted to. Lex was the type of woman you wife and he was more accustomed to dating the type of woman you simply bed.

Her natural beauty had captured him from the moment he first saw her. And her clumsiness and failure to form a complete sentence around him had only intrigued him more. He couldn’t explain why he was so fascinated by a woman who’d made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. Gone was the unsure, wide-eyed woman he’d met in the lingerie shop. She’d been replaced by a woman who avoided his advances every chance she got and she wasn’t afraid to tell him no.

Micah turned up his radio and instantly, Jay-Z’s latest hit filled the car’s speakers. Pulling up to a stop sign, he delayed at the sign to let three women cross the street. They took their sweet time walking, too busy flirtatiously looking at him through the front glass of the car. The one with the tight jeans, boot heels and slim winter coat caught his eye. When she turned around, Micah noticed that she was the same woman who had approached him several times at a bar near his office. Micah flashed her a smile and she waved just before stopping at the corner of the sidewalk and crooking her finger to indicate that she wanted him to pull over. Flirting with other women will definitely get my mind off Lex.

He pulled over as directed and watched the woman seductively walk in his direction. Lex would look better in those jeans, he thought. Micah shook his head, annoyed that even a woman as attractive as the one walking toward his car could not take his mind off Lex.

“Where are you headed to?” the woman voiced as she leaned over his car window, licking her lips in a way he assumed was supposed to be attractive.

“I’m headed to work,” he replied with a smile.

“I live right around the corner. Do you have some time to spare?”

The smile began to fade from Micah’s face. This is what you pulled over for...right? “In fact, I’m already late so I should go,” he continued, brushing her off. She took the hint and stood up from his car window.

“Why did you even pull over?” she huffed with an irritated frown.

“My mistake,” he said as he gave her a slight wave and took off. Crap. It wasn’t like him to be so into a woman who wouldn’t even give him the time of day. He knew Lex was attracted to him, but he didn’t understand why she spent so much time ignoring his advances when she could clearly feel the chemistry. On several occasions when they were out with their friends, Micah would catch Lex staring at him with wistful eyes full of lust. He wasn’t extremely cocky, but he knew he was a damn good catch, and women—like the one he just left—had been throwing themselves at him since he’d arrived in Chicago. All except for the one woman who he craved more than he had ever desired any woman.

When he arrived at M&M Security he greeted the receptionist before making his way to Shawn’s office and knocking on the door.

“Come in,” Shawn announced. Micah walked in and sat down in a nearby chair.

“What’s wrong?” Shawn asked, reading the tense look on his face.

“Man, I’m only gonna tell you this because I know you’ve been there,” Micah said as he let out a frustrated huff of air. Shawn laughed as if he already knew where the conversation was headed.

“Does this have to do with Lex?”

“Of course it has to do with her,” Micah exclaimed. “I had a meeting with all the ladies this morning and within minutes, Lex was informed that she would be the event planner for my parents’ anniversary party.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“It is, but it’s what happened after I left the office that caught me off guard.”

“What happened?”

Micah dragged his long fingers across his face. “Remember that woman from the bar the other night? The one who wore those blue stilettos and tight jeans? We danced a few times before you and I left.”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, I ran into her on my way to the office and she invited me back to her place.”

“In the middle of the day? Man, some women are bold nowadays,” Shawn said shaking his head. “But from the annoyed look on your face, I’m assuming you declined her offer.”

“Sure did,” Micah said as he dropped his head to the floor.

“So I guess the self-imposed streak of celibacy continues,” Shawn said with a laugh.

“You know when I turned thirty this year I promised myself that I would stop sleeping around.”

“Sleeping around with so many women, yes. Not sleeping with any women period, no.”

“I’ve been too busy trying to get settled in Chicago to think about having sex with random women. Besides—” Micah glanced out the side window in Shawn’s office “—there’s only one woman I have my eye on, and until Lex accepts the inevitable, I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with any other woman. That sounds crazy, right?”

“Well, considering I know the type of man you used to be, hell, yeah. But I understand,” Shawn responded leaning back in his desk chair. “I felt the same way about Cyd, but luckily, Cyd didn’t make me wait that long. Plus, I heard that Lex was in a serious relationship for years, one that went terribly wrong. According to Cyd, she’s sworn off dating real men.”

“So that means what? She dates fake men?”

“I don’t know. Cyd and I got distracted so we never finished the conversation.”

Micah didn’t even bother asking what had distracted Shawn and Cyd since he already knew. Nor did he bother to ask about Lex’s old relationships because he’d asked Shawn before and he said he needed to ask Lex. So he would just have to find out from her. There was way more to Lex than met the eye, and he was determined to figure it out. He’d spent the past few months observing her and patiently waiting for her to stop fighting the desire she was trying to hide. Now he was done waiting. Micah never had to persistently pursue a woman, but Lex was making him work for it. But if he left it to her they would never get together, so it was time for him to stop letting Lex control the course of their nonexistent relationship.

“Then I guess I will just have to show Lex that I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

“And I assume your sudden desire to throw your parents an anniversary party plays a part in your plans?”

“That and the fact that they deserve a celebration,” Micah said, rubbing his hands together. “Up until now, I’ve been giving Lex time to realize that she can’t fight the attraction forever. But I think it’s time to lay out all the stops the only way a Madden man knows how to.”

“I’m afraid to ask,” Shawn said with a laugh as he pulled out a folder that contained notes on the investor they were meeting with in an hour. “Well, Romeo, I can’t wait to see how this plan of yours plays out. In the meantime, let’s get ready for our meeting.”

Micah was barely listening to Shawn as he went over the notes in the file. His mind was already racing with different seduction tactics. Time for you to see things my way, Lex.

Chapter 3

“Ya’ll couldn’t possibly expect me to agree to this,” Lex shouted as she slammed a piece of paper on Imani’s desk. It had only been three days since she’d seen Micah and he was already working her last nerve.

“Let’s be reasonable, Lex,” Imani said as she stood from her chair and walked around her desk. “If a client needs us to travel we almost always accommodate their needs.”

“She’s right,” Mya said, entering Imani’s office with Cyd by her side. “Our main goal at Elite Events Incorporated is to make every event we plan a memorable experience. We achieve this by putting our all into every event we plan.”

“Please save the speech for someone who didn’t help cofound this company or create part of the mission statement,” Lex said as she turned slightly to Mya and raised a hand to cut her off.

“Someone’s bitchy this morning,” Cyd said as she plopped down in a nearby chair. Lex cut her eyes at Cyd before taking a step back so she could face all the women. She took a couple deep breaths before she continued her rant.

“Look,” she stated firmly. “Micah’s request that I accompany him to his Arkansas hometown to get to know his parents better should not be a requirement.”

“How is this any different than when you and I attended several family outings to get to know the families of Kaydence Walters and Justin Phillips before we planned their wedding and prewedding festivities earlier this year?” Mya asked.

“Or when Cyd and I spent three days with the families of Brooklyn Hathaway and Wyatt Lexington for the exact same reason before we began planning their wedding?” Imani interjected.

“All of that didn’t require us to leave Chicago. Did any of you actually read this piece of paper before agreeing to his contract?” Lex asked as she picked up the paper from Imani’s desk and waved it in the air. “Well let me inform you of Mr. Madden’s ridiculous requests.”

She flipped some fallen hair out of her face before she gripped the paper with both hands. “Number one—the event planner must meet with me in person once a week to ensure we are on schedule with the plans. Number two—the event planner must agree to at least three dinner meetings as my daily schedule is too busy for morning or afternoon consultations. Number three—the event planner must attend the winter festival in my Arkansas hometown during the month of December.”

She placed the piece of paper back on the desk before looking at her partners. The smirks on their faces were really starting to get under her skin. “I don’t think anything is funny about this situation!”

“Well, if you were looking at the situation through our eyes, maybe you would,” Mya said with a laugh and shrug of her shoulders.

“Oh, lord,” Cyd said getting up from the chair. “Lex, we know you’re pissed off, but honestly, we’ve done more for clients before. You’re usually so accommodating and you rarely complain so we can only assume that you like Micah more than you have let on.”

“Oh, please,” Lex said, waving off the comment. “I just value my time and with Christmas right around the corner, it irritates me that Micah is trying to occupy so much of it.”

“Or,” Imani responded as she placed her pointer finger in the air. “Spending that much time with Micah irritates you because you can’t avoid him like you have been lately.”

She sighed deeply. Lex was tired of arguing about the same subject and was even more tired of convincing herself they were wrong when she knew, deep down, that they were right. She dropped her head down to the floor before lifting it back up.

“I give up,” Lex said taking a seat in the chair Cyd had just vacated. “You guys are right, but I just don’t get it. Why is he even into me when he can have his pick of women? I’ve constantly ignored his advances.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Mya asked raising an eyebrow. “Why not you? He’d be lucky to have you.”

Lex wasn’t so sure. The ladies didn’t know how embarrassing it was the first time she’d met him. And once she realized she would have to see him again, she’d decided that she could either be that pathetic woman he met in the lingerie boutique, or she could act indifferent to him, which somehow came off as dislike. That wasn’t her intention, but anything was better than being submissive to his charm.

She covered her face with both hands. “I’m done talking about Micah. Like I said before, I have too much baggage to even consider dating a man like him. Besides,” she said getting up from the chair and smoothing out her dress slacks. “I’ve avoided his advances for this long so I’m sure another month or so will be a piece of cake.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Lex jumped at the sound of Micah’s voice in the doorway. Oh, no...how much did he hear? From the sly smile on his smooth brown face she could only assume he’d heard way too much.

“I hate when you do that,” she said placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him. The man made her tense, and Lex hated feeling on edge. And why was he just standing there not saying anything? Fine! If he wants to stand there and stare at me, I can do the same thing. The only problem with that plan was that Micah had mastered the act of seduction and the thoughts reflected in his eyes made her heart beat ten times faster than normal.

“Your office assistant, Ellie, told me I could go directly into your office. I went there first,” Micah finally said.

“Hmm. Funny that she didn’t make you wait in the lobby.” Lex looked around at her partners knowing that one of them had probably given Ellie the okay to add Micah to the list of people who could stop by without appointments. Otherwise, there was no way he would have been allowed to see her without first calling and scheduling an appointment.

“Can we talk?” he asked, his stare still unwavering. Today he looked more casual in jeans, a black polo and black peacoat. He removed his winter hat and instantly, Lex wished she could run her fingers through his soft natural black curls.

I really wasn’t prepared to see him today. “Sure,” Lex answered as she walked around the chair and accidentally bumped into it. She slightly stumbled before Micah’s strong arms caught her.

“This feels familiar,” he voiced as he helped her to her feet without releasing his hold.

“Uh-huh...sure does,” she replied breathlessly. Don’t look at his lips! Don’t look at his lips!

“Ready to go to your office?”

Crap! Man he has sexy lips! Soft and inviting... Why did he have to look at her like that? Like his main purpose was to always be her hero. Say something!

“Oh, um, yeah, okay, that works, um, let’s.” What the heck did I just say! Great! Now I’m back to sounding like a blubbering idiot. At the sound of a few giggles, Lex turned her head, having forgot that Imani, Cyd and Mya were still in the office and were witnessing the entire scene.

Way to go, Lex! How about you have a couple more embarrassing moments so that your friends will really have something to talk about.

* * *

As he followed Lex to her office, Micah couldn’t hide the smile that crossed his face. Lex was frazzled, and he loved when she got nervous around him. She had the same affect on him, but he could hide it better than she could.

He’d heard enough of her conversation with her partners to know that Lex was having a hard time avoiding his advances. And he was sure that she disapproved of the extra paragraph in his contract that ensured they would be spending a lot of quality time together over the holiday season.

“How about we go to the café on the corner for brunch?” Micah asked when they arrived at her office. When she turned around to face him, she twisted her mouth and squinted her eyes.

“I thought your contract said you are really busy in the mornings and afternoons.”

So she did read that part. “That’s true, except today I had to run some errands so I’ll be going into the office later this afternoon.”

“How convenient,” Lex said as she began tidying up her desk. Micah could only assume she was trying to look occupied while she contemplated her response. He didn’t mind because it gave him the opportunity to observe her more than he had in Imani’s office. She had no idea how attractive she was. On occasion, he’d overheard her say that she assumed he liked the model-type. Little did she know, he much preferred her five-four petite frame and nice round ass that he was sure would fit perfectly in the palm of his hands.

“Okay, let’s do brunch,” she replied, breaking his thoughts. She sat down to remove her ballerina shoes and put on her winter boots. She’d barely made eye contact with him since they arrived at her office. He smiled as he thought about the last time he was in her office.

When she stood, she went to grab her coffee mug, but accidentally spilled the remaining contents on a stack of papers.

“Oh, shoot,” she shrieked, grabbing some tissue and dabbing the papers. It took all of Micah’s focus not to laugh. He didn’t want to make her even more uncomfortable. Her clumsiness is so cute. Only then did she chance a glance in his direction. He couldn’t read her expression at first, but he was glad when he heard her laugh. He laughed along with her.

“Being around you makes me more clumsy.”

“Well, being around you makes me do a lot of things I don’t normally do,” he said. Like be celibate for over three months. If his brothers knew, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be the object of their jokes for days. He was Micah Madden after all... Bad boy turned good and lover of all things female. Unofficially voted in high school as the number one panty snatcher and the sexiest. Celibate for over three months? Definitely a new record for him.

“Let’s go,” she said as she grabbed her coat. They walked half a block to the café in a comfortable silence. Lex wore a slight smile, and he wondered what she was thinking.

“You have a nice smile,” he said after they ordered a couple of sandwiches and drinks. He had her order first so he could pay for both meals. When she looked hesitant, he reminded her that he was the one who’d invited her to brunch. Luckily, she didn’t argue with him and they retreated to an empty corner table in the café.

“Thanks,” she said, meeting his eyes. “I like your smile, too.”

A compliment? “Finally warming up to me, huh?”

“Don’t push your luck,” she said with a laugh. “I have to be nice now that I’m planning your parents’ anniversary party.”

Micah bit into his sandwich and observed her in between eating. “From what I hear, you’re always nice. Cyd consistently calls you the nice one.”

Lex nodded her head in agreement. “That’s usually true...except...”

Micah searched her eyes. “Except when it comes to me, right?” he finished when she didn’t continue. Lex gave him a soft smile and tilted her head to the side.

“How about we start over?” she asked.

“Meaning, you want me to forget about the incident at Bare Sophistication?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Yeah, that wasn’t my most shining moment.”

“I beg to differ,” he said, trying to ignore the way she licked her lips after the last bite of her sandwich. “You were so adorable that day. At the lingerie shop and then the dinner party.”

“Not really,” she said as she went into her purse and put on an extra coat of lipstick.

“Maybelline and Covergirl must love you,” he said, nodding to the tube in her hand. Her eyes grew big as she shoved the tube back in her purse.

“My mother is a lipstick fanatic and so was my grandmother. I guess you can say they passed their fascination with lipstick down to me.”

“Well it looks great on you,” he responded as his eyes dropped to her ruby lips. She had perfectly shaped lips...lips that craved to be devoured. She began fidgeting with the sheer pink scarf around her neck.

“So, what did you want to discuss today?” she asked.

“Well,” Micah said, clasping his hands together, “I know you received the contract so I wanted to make sure you were okay with everything.”

She tilted her head to the side before leaning slightly forward. “To be honest, I wasn’t too happy that your contract was already approved and signed off on.”

She stopped talking, but it seemed she still had more to say. “Is that all?” Micah asked.

“No,” Lex said letting out a deep breath. “Since I’m the lead planner for your parents’ anniversary party, I would like you to go through me for everything you need in the future. No more going behind my back to my partners. Deal?”

“That’s reasonable,” Micah said. “But in my defense, I only went to them because you always avoid me.”

“I’ll work on that,” she said with a smile. “I did have a question about the December winter festival in your hometown. What day did you want me to arrive for the festival?”

She is not gonna like my answer. “Um, here’s the thing. My family plays an important part in the festival and my parents are on the town council, so I will be down there for eight days.”

“Okay,” she said before taking a sip of her water. “So do you want me to arrive on the first of the eight days or toward the end of the eight days?”

“I need you to be there for the entire stay.”

“What!” Lex yelled as she braced both hands on the table. Micah looked around at the curious glances from people sitting nearby before he leaned in closer toward her.

“I was originally thinking I could plan their anniversary here in Chicago, but that wasn’t really logical. It makes more sense for the party to take place in Arkansas.”

“So exactly why would I need to be down there the entire time you’re there? We plan long-distance parties all the time at Elite Events Incorporated. We have vendor contacts everywhere, including Arkansas. Venues, florists, DJs...you name it!”

“Cranberry Heights, Arkansas, is not your typical Arkansas town. In order to plan the type of anniversary party my parents will love, you have to get to know the town and the people who live there.”

Lex scrunched her face in irritation. So much for us getting along.

“Where would I stay?” she asked.

“My parents’ house is large so you can either stay there with them like I will, or at the town’s B and B.”

“What reason will you give your parents as to why I’m visiting.”

I was hoping she’d ask that question. “I’ll tell them we’re dating and I wanted to show you the town.”

“Absolutely not,” Lex said raising her voice again. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Do you have a better idea?” Micah asked.

“Yes,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You could go to the winter festival by yourself and avoid having to lie to your parents altogether.”

Micah glanced at her chest before meeting her eyes again. “No can do. And quite frankly, it’s in the contract and you asked me not to go to your partners about this so I was assuming that meant you’d be accommodating.”

“Is Arkansas country living or city living?” she asked.

“Both,” he said with a laugh. “You have something against farm animals?”

Instead of responding, she stood up and began putting on her coat. I guess we’re leaving, Micah thought, taking his cue from her and putting on his coat, as well.

“You don’t have to walk me back to the office,” Lex said when they reached the outside.

“Okay.” They stood there in silence for a few moments before Micah spoke again. “So, will you come with me to Cranberry Heights for the entire stay?”

She dodged a couple of groups of people walking by. “I’ll have to think about it.” She continued looking at him straight on.

“I understand,” Micah replied. “Let me know your decision at Imani and Daman’s party this weekend,” he continued before turning to walk in the direction opposite of her.

“Wait,” Lex said, gently grabbing his arm. “You were invited to Imani and Daman’s Friends-giving?”

“Is that what they are calling the party?”

“Yes. Since we all spend Thanksgiving with our families, Imani and Daman plan a Thanksgiving with their close friends.”

“Well, yeah, that’s the party. Daman invited me last week.”

“Great,” Lex huffed.

“Tell me how you really feel.”

“Sorry,” Lex responded quickly. “I’ll let you know my answer then. See you later.” With that, she put on her hat and began walking back to her office building.

“Have a good day,” Micah yelled after her. She turned slightly and gave him a half smile.

She’s gonna say yes. She really had no choice. Micah knew exactly what he was doing when he put that clause in his contract. He was sure visiting his hometown was the perfect way to take her out of her element and, hopefully, get her to see another side of him. She was used to these pretty boys, and Micah definitely wasn’t that. He was rough around the edges and damn proud of it. He intrigued Lex. He could tell. But she wasn’t all the way convinced yet.

“Watch out, Lex,” he said aloud to himself. She was a challenge and if there was anything Micah loved as much as he loved women, it was a challenge.

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