Kanton.
EARLIER THAT DAY . . .
S HELBY WALKED INTO my office and placed a stack of papers on my desk, then settled onto the armchair that sat a few feet away from my desk and crossed one leg over the other, staring at me.
“What’s this?”
“Another one of your not-so-indiscreet love letters.”
I looked at her, and she pointed. “The contract from Brighton. Read it.”
“Did you add the provisions I asked for?”
“Yes.”
“Did he agree?”
“Of course, he did. You saved the man millions in one week. He will do whatever you ask to ensure you pad his bottom line.”
This was true. With a few clicks of a mouse, I showed Brighton how to dump several business expenses that cost him more than he had realized.
Some things were easily overlooked, and by the end of the month, he would be singing my praises once my firm had done a deep dive to finalize ways to increase business and lower expenses. A huge part of growing business was rebranding, and Noel would help.
I hoped.
“One year and complete control to rebrand not only his stateside locations but also the international ones.”
“It’s what you asked for.”
“And the hundred grand,” I clarified.
“Payable as soon as she signs the contract.”
Noel needed the money. Offering a hundred grand up front of the 250 grand she would make for the year would hopefully sweeten the deal and force her to overlook the fact that I personally handed over what would likely be her biggest contract ever. She was proud, and if I learned anything about the woman, she wouldn’t appreciate feeling like she was getting a handout.
This wasn’t a handout. I had seen her work. She was competent. Shelby agreed, which eased my mind a bit that I was thinking with the proper head. Both heads missed Noel something terrible, but I didn’t want her feeling obligated to see me because I presented the option, and she was too kind to turn it down.
This was simply a gentle nudge to, at the very least, have a conversation. Even if it was Noel yelling at me about meddling in her business. Which reminded me . . .
“Any word from Spencer yet?”
“Nope. He sent the email midmorning yesterday. She hasn’t responded.”
“You checked . . .”
“Today, yes. A few minutes before I came in here to bring you that. I had a feeling the topic would come up.”
My eyes narrowed on her, and she smiled smugly. “I’m good at my job, Kanton, but you know this.”
I do.
“What I’m confused about is why you won’t just pick up the phone and call her instead of manipulating things with her life.”
“I’m not manip—”
“You are. You had her website redone.”
“Only so that she was more presentable, and that was your idea.”
“My idea after you insisted on adding Design Dreams as an à la carte selection to your service for your clients. Clients that trust you. I refuse to allow Rainbow Brite the ability to damage your brand and have them questioning your reliability. Presentation is everything, and you have a reputation. A flawless reputation, I might add.”
I leaned back in my seat, massaging my chin. My fingers mindlessly stroked over my beard, reminding me of Noel, and then my dick began to play as well, lengthening in my briefs with the memory of her naked body on my chest while her fingers mirrored the same motion of massaging my beard.
“She’s a good person who has had some tough breaks. Why is it an issue for me to help?”
“To help is one thing, but a quarter-million-dollar job?” Shelby arched a brow, and I shrugged.
“You negotiated the terms. I only requested she receive an advance on the salary. Standard practice when accepting such a huge undertaking.”
“You also knew I would broker the best deal possible, and the standard is 30 percent. You demanded 40.”
“Is she qualified?” I challenged.
“No.” I narrowed my eyes, and Shelby clarified. “Talent-wise, from what I’ve seen, I believe she can do the job, but you and I both know she’s never handled a job this large. If she were someone who was not privileged enough to speak from personal experience about the joys of receiving orgasms from you, would you be so open to demanding that type of payout? Her résumé does not support the demand.”
“Brighton doesn’t know that.”
“But you do, and so do I.”
“He agreed.”
“Because he trusts you. What happens if Noel doesn’t deliver?”
“She will.”
“But it’s possible she won’t.”
“Anything’s possible, Shelby. Brighton could suffer a heart attack while fucking his wife and never know if Noel delivers or not.”
“Let’s not kill the guy. . .”
“I wanted you to get my point.”
“You wanted me to fuck off and leave this alone. I won’t. Not until I say what I have to say.”
I gave her my full attention. Not that I had a choice. Shelby was ruthless that way. It was why I paid her so much. She would likely be heading one of our branches one day when I saw fit to open a new one, but I also wasn’t interested in accepting anyone in her place, so I wasn’t rushing the idea. She was me in female form. Damn good at her job, and she knew it.
“I’ve never seen this version of you before.”
“You disapprove? I thought you were all for me finding the love of my life and delivering on the kids thing.” I smirked, and she returned one.
“I am, but that’s not what you’re doing. If that were the case, you would pick up the phone, call the woman, and invite her to the city for a weekend. Instead, you’re adding her account to the company technology expense and securing quarter-million-dollar contracts for a woman who’s never cleared more than ten thousand on any project she’s managed.”
“I’m not seeing your point.”
“What’s the deal, Kanton?”
“There is no deal.”
“Did you proposition her, and she turned you down?”
“Proposition her?” I laughed at the thought.
“You had sex, clearly, and I’m not mad because, apparently, sis has a platinum pussy, but obviously, you want more, and she doesn’t.”
“You think I’m trying to buy her with a website and a job offer?”
“No, because that’s not your standard mode of operation, but you are clearly trying to get her attention.”
“I’m helping a friend.”
It was a lie. Shelby saw straight through it, but what I wouldn’t admit was that I wanted Noel to choose me. I had already chosen her. I didn’t want to place the possibility of us on the table for her to consider out of obligation.
I wanted Noel to think about me and come willingly to the conclusion that she and I were a perfect fit. Her career was important. That much I understood, and I would never want Noel to choose one or the other, but in a way, she had.
I just need a year or two to find my footing with the company. Then I’ll focus on my personal life.
I didn’t have a year or two. Or rather, I did, but I refused to wait that long. I wanted Noel in my life now. The past two weeks without her had been very mundane. I was still trying to figure out how one week with her had shifted my entire outlook on life.
I was tired of pretending she hadn’t, so it was time to do something about it. What’s the point of being rich with accessibility if I didn’t do rich-people shit? That was why I was working so hard to cancel any argument Noel could use as an excuse for why a relationship with me would not work.
The year contract and advance from Brighton solved the issue she had with building her career. Once her name was attached to the rebranding of his companies, her opportunities would be endless. With a thriving career, she could focus on other things.
Me.
Noel wanted more. I saw it in her eyes, I felt it in her touch, I sensed it in the way she didn’t want me to leave the night before my flight. She had been placed in the position to choose before, and she lost in the end because of a man who didn’t deserve or value her. I didn’t want Noel to feel a sense of déjà vu. This was how I needed to handle the situation.
“You’re ‘friends’ now?”
“Yes.”
“You’re full of shit. Just call her and get it over with. You’re a very calculated man. You live your life by planning, following those plans, and executing with precision.”
“Planning and executing with precision has made me wealthy and successful.”
“With business—but the same might not be the case regarding relationships. It might actually backfire.”
“Says the woman who planned her own engagement.”
Her eyes lowered to the ring on her finger, and she smiled. “Gordon lives by the same rules you do. The same rules I understand, so that works in our world. Do you really believe the same will work for her? She’s not like us.”
Like always, Shelby had very valid points.
Regardless, I released a sigh and remained steady with my feelings on the matter.
“I know what I’m doing.”
She stood from the sofa. “I hope you do because, if not, this will end badly.”
Which I had already considered.
“Ten minutes until we meet with Johnson.”
I nodded and rolled my neck, feeling the tension building in it and my back. Since returning from Atlanta, I’d been hoping that getting home and sleeping in my bed again would help, but it hadn’t. As comfy as Noel’s sofa was for sitting, it wasn’t the best option for sleeping.
“I’ll be there,” I murmured.
Shelby paused at my office door. “Physically, sure, but I need your head in the game, This is an important meeting. Once you’re done with Johnson, you can head home.”
“Are we confused again about who works for whom?”
She flashed me a pointed smile. “Although the lines often get blurred, absolutely not. You’re the boss. I’m in your employ.” She winked. “I’m only telling you because Kiara will be at your place by seven.” My chiropractor . “You should have already seen her, but you’re stubborn. I’m starting to think you’re personally suffering through this as a reminder of her .”
She didn’t wait for a response because she didn’t have to. The truth was painfully obvious. I missed Noel and held onto whatever I could that connected me to her. Even this pulsing pain in my neck and back.
PRESENT TIME ...
Traffic was a bitch right now. I was grateful that I elected to have a driver today, or the tension in my neck and back would have been a lot worse from the frustration of navigating through the overly crowded New York streets. By the time we reached my building, I was also grateful for Shelby ignoring my persistence about not seeing Kiara. Once she had me realigned, I planned on taking a hot shower, cracking open a few beers, and figuring out what the hell I was doing with my life.
The short answer was avoiding the obvious. I wanted Noel. I wanted her in my life, and I wanted her to welcome me into hers. The way I was currently handling things would no longer suffice, which meant I had to make some tough decisions, one of which was how to fix this problem because my mind was made up. Noel was mine. The rest would be decided once I convinced her of such.
“Evening, sir.” I nodded at Gerald and immediately thought of Lewis. I chuckled lightly at how different my world was from Noel’s. I was familiar with the rotation of people who worked here at my building, but we weren’t friends. I didn’t gift them personal things for Christmas, nor did I know the intimate details of their lives as Noel did of those she encountered daily.
That was a Noel thing. A layer of who she was. She cared about people. It wasn’t that I didn’t. I simply allowed myself to be so absorbed in my own life, which often couldn’t be avoided, that I rarely crossed boundaries with others.
However, Noel didn’t just cross boundaries; she demolished them. The thought made me smile as I stopped at my door and removed the keys from my pocket to enter. Only before I did, a frown marred my face at the sound of music playing behind the door.
What the fuck?
The minute I stepped inside, I realized why.
Jordan.
When the door slammed with my annoyance for her being here a week late and unannounced, she peeked her head from my bedroom. “Oh, hey. You’re home.”
I ignored the pleasantries and barked out a question. “What are you doing here?”
“I told you I was coming back to get my things.”
“You did, and you were supposed to have done that last week.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. Plans changed, but I’m here now, and I’ll be packed and out by tomorrow. You don’t mind if I stay tonight, right?”
She peeked over her shoulder, but my eyes were moving around the explosion of her things that cluttered my bedroom. There were several large suitcases and two trunks, all expensive and very much Jordan’s signature style.
“You don’t mind, right?” she repeated because I had yet to respond.
“No. The sooner you’re done, the sooner you can be out of here, but pick a guest room. You’re not sleeping in here. That’s a bad idea.” I knew she was coming at some point, and I wasn’t really upset, but Jordan being here disrupted my thoughts about what I would do about Noel. I might not have been as courteous as I usually would have been.
“It could be a good idea. One last hurrah, you know?”
She lifted a glass from the dresser, swirling the ruby-red liquid, and then turned to lean against the dresser. Sex with Jordan was one of our good points, but the offer no longer enticed me. I simply wanted her out.
“I’ll pass.”
“You’re in a mood.”
“You’re a week late, your things are everywhere, and you’re drinking my wine.”
“It’s my favorite.”
“It’s my favorite, which you became partial to. I stock it for me, not because you like it, Jordan.”
She grinned and shrugged. “True, but this . . .” She tipped the glass in my direction. “. . . is not what that mood is all about. Did she call you because I swear I didn’t say anything inappropriate? I even offered to let her come in and wait.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The woman who showed up here.”
“Kiara?” I mumbled, still confused about what the hell she was talking about. I glanced at my watch. It was a quarter to seven. Kiara was punctual but rarely ever early, and Jordan knew Kiara so that she wouldn’t have described her as “ the woman. ”
“No, not her.” She smiled wider. “Now it makes sense. She was surprising you , and I surprised her .”
“ Her who, Jordan? Did she give you a name?” Not that it mattered. I wasn’t expecting anyone.
“No, but I can describe her. My height, natural hair, my complexion, and she had amazing skin. She was cute, but not me . Not really your type.”
I shot her an amused look. “ You’re not my type.”
Her lips tilted up before the glass was hiding the expression. “I used to be.”
In both of our delusional minds.
“What else? That’s not much to go on.”
“Nothing else. She was cute. Had a kinda sweet and innocent vibe, even though I could tell she wanted to claw my eyes out when I answered the door. She had a suitcase with her . . .”
My mind jolted.
There’s no way!
The woman she was describing could have easily been Noel, but...
“How long ago was she here?”
“Twenty, maybe thirty minutes. You just missed her.”
“Fuck.”
I snatched my phone from my pocket and dialed her number. It went straight to voicemail, so I tried again. Three more times, back-to-back, and the same result. She was either ignoring my calls, or her phone was on “do not disturb.”
Because she was on a plane.
But not that fast, so she was definitely hitting ignore or blocking me.
“Damn it.”
I hurried to the living room and lifted the cordless linked to my landline. I pulled up her number in my cell and dialed. It rang twice, and then she answered, thank God.
“Noel . . .”
She didn’t speak. Not one word, but she was there. I felt it.
“Noel, you’re in New York—”
“Don’t worry. Not for long. I’m leaving. I shouldn’t have come. It was a stupid idea to come in the first place. No hard feelings, but please don’t call me again. This time, the asshole didn’t change, and the girl didn’t get the guy.”
Just before she ended the call, I heard “Welcome to LaGuardia” in the background.
She’s at the airport.
She’s leaving.
“Fuck,” I mumbled again, making another call, but this time to Shelby.
“I need you to book me a flight to Atlanta. The first thing out that you can book me on.”
I stepped back into my room to find Jordan sorting through her things as if she wasn’t the reason behind my current problem. I couldn’t deal with her right now, so I bypassed her and headed to the closet.
“Although I’m glad you’re finally coming to your senses about Noel, you don’t need a flight to Atlanta. She’s here in New York and should have been at your place by now,” Shelby said.
I froze, reaching for my duffle. “How do you know she’s here?”
“Because she called the office while you were meeting with Johnson. She wanted to surprise you, or at least, I assumed she did because she pretended you were ‘old friends.’ But when she offered her name, I knew exactly who she was. I gave her your address so that she could surprise you at home. It’s why I told you to leave after the meeting.”
“You said it was because of Kiara.”
“Originally, it was. I already had Kiara booked, but after Noel called, I wanted to ensure you didn’t miss her. Consider it the universe aligning.”
“Damn it.”
“What?”
“The universe didn’t get the memo about aligning. She’s on her way back to Atlanta. I need a flight.”
“What do you mean on her way back to Atlanta?”
“When Noel arrived, I wasn’t here. Jordan was. I called from my cell, and she ignored me. I called from the apartment because she wouldn’t recognize the number and got lucky. She answered but didn’t give me a chance to explain. She’s back at the airport. I heard the announcement about LaGuardia in the background before she hung up on me.”
“Then you missed her. I’m looking now. There’s a flight at 7:45, which she’s probably on.”
“When’s the next one?”
“9:45—”
“Book it. I’m packing now. That gives me plenty of time to get there.”
“That’s 9:45 in the morning , There are no more fights this evening.”
“How is that even possible? There are at least fifty flights a day to Atlanta.”
“Normally, but they’ve had weather issues, so they’ve limited flights.”
“What about private?”
“I can try, but that might not work either. If one’s at a nearby airport, I can try to charter it for you, but it will cost. Also, if they’re limiting commercial, that likely applies to private.”
“I don’t give a damn about the cost. Just try. I’m packing now. Call me back as soon as you have an answer.”
“Will do, but you know this is your fault, right?”
“I had no idea Jordan was going to be here.”
“That’s not what I mean. You should have called long before now. When a woman makes a grand gesture like this, and it ends badly, they typically don’t forgive easily . . . or at all.”
This time, the asshole didn’t change, and the girl didn’t get the guy.
Noel and those damn movies!
“I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m not with Jordan. She shouldn’t even fucking be here.”
“Nope, she shouldn’t, but that’s a conversation for another day.”
“Can you save the lecture and find me a way to Atlanta?”
“Sure thing, boss.” Her tone was light and laced with amusement. She was enjoying this far too much, but she was right about one thing. It wasn’t going to be easy to sway Noel on the truth.The lie she walked in on was far more convincing. Either way, I was going to Atlanta to plead my case, but first, I needed to deal with my current problem.
I left my closet and tossed my duffle on the bed, gaining Jordan’s attention.
“Didn’t take you long to move on.” She didn’t sound upset, but I hadn’t expected her to be. We split amicably.
My eyes found hers, which danced with curiosity, so I nipped that immediately. “Not your concern. I need you to finish this up and be out of here by tomorrow, and this time, for good. No more excuses. No more pop-ups.”
“That was the plan.”
“Good, and leave the key with the concierge.”
She smiled, slowly lifting her wineglass. I felt her watching me as I moved around my room, yanking things from my dresser and tossing them on the bed. When I was tired of her eyes following my movements, I turned to face her.
“What?”
“She’s important.” The look I gave said, “Leave it alone,” but Jordan smiled wider. “I’m not upset.”
“If you were, you wouldn’t have the right to be. We’re not together, and you’ve also moved on.”
With multiple people—another issue that got in the way of us working. Jordan wanted the freedom to explore various partners. I did not.
“No, we’re not, and I have, but you’re wrong. I do have the right to be upset. This person you are now is someone you never offered me the opportunity to get to know. You’re catching a flight to chase a woman. When we ended things, it was like ending a business endeavor. Very polite and to the point.”
She was right. Yet another reason why I knew that I had to make this right with Noel. Ending things with her would be loud and messy, and we hadn’t even begun anything that needed to end.
But if that day came, I’d argue why her not being in my life was not something I could accept, and I would be happy to do so. The thought of doing the same to keep Jordan never even crossed my mind. I was more relieved than anything.
“We both understood that you and I would have never been more than what it was.”
“We did, but it still stings a bit. Every girl likes to believe they’re the one, or at least, have the potential to be.”
My eyes lifted to hers, and she smiled. “I’m happy for you, ”
“Are you?”
“I am. I hope this works, and if you would like me to clear things up with her, I’d be happy to help out.”
“Absolutely not. You’ve done enough.”
“Maybe I have, but unintentionally. I didn’t know who she was, and I didn’t purposely try to sabotage things with her.”
I believed her.
And that was the end of things. Jordan went back to sipping her wine, and I packed my things, praying that Shelby could find me a flight before morning. And if she didn’t, I wouldn’t be getting any sleep until I was on my way to fix this.