Chapter 2 #2
“Kennedi, this is my boy and business partner, Ro, the one I told you about. And Ro, this is Kennedi Walters. She’s covering the premiere.”
She held out her hand, aiming for professional composure. Until the perfect gentleman softly helped her from her seat.
A grin appeared on her face until she mumbled, “Hi, Kennedi, with an I.”
She didn’t know why she said that stupid shit; she was nervous.
“Sup, Rolani, also with an I. But everybody calls me Ro.”
His voice was deeper than she expected, a rasp curling at the edges from a deep southern drawl. And that crooked grin of his made her let out a breath. This was not good.
“Kennedi might come on permanently,” Giovanni went on, oblivious to the love connection happening right before his eyes. “She’s got her own platform. Through Ken’s Lens.”
She nodded quickly, trying to pull herself back into focus. “Right. Authentic stories and topics. Local stories. Success that usually gets overlooked. Just small stuff for now.” Her voice sounded too fast, too small, even to her. Rambling. Rookie shit. He already had her thrown off.
Why was she nervous? Men didn’t usually shake her—she’d perfected the art of professional distance, of keeping attraction compartmentalized.
“Sounds big to me.” Rolani’s eyes stayed locked on hers. The tone wasn’t slick. It wasn’t dismissive. It was… genuine. Which somehow knocked her off balance even more.
“G, this her?” he asked, never taking his eyes off of her. Her eyebrows bunched, and curiosity flooded her mind. What did that mean, and what was said?
“Yeah, bruh,” Giovanni scoffed with a chuckle.
“Good looking out.” His stare could burn a hole through her with its intensity. The sweat resting at the nape of her neck told her this was going to be a long weekend.
“You two can get acquainted during the flight,” Paige sang, dropping into Giovanni’s lap with that damn smug smile. “It looks like that’s the only seat left.”
Kennedi wanted to kick Paige in the shin. Both of them were acting like this was an episode of The Love Connection.
Rolani moved first, sliding into the seat and looking up at her. She cleared her throat and took her seat. He stretched his long legs slowly, sliding them until they bracketed hers. He leaned back, arms relaxed, gaze steady, settling in to watch her squirm.
She shifted in her seat with nowhere to go. She was making notes about his arrogant ass.
“Are you comfortable?” she asked with a slight attitude. He didn’t even know her to be crowding her space the way he was.
“Very.”
His cologne wrapped around her as he shifted.
It was the good shit, but soft; she didn’t expect anything less.
His outfit said money, but the calluses on his hands said he didn’t mind hard work.
She leaned back as if distance would save her, but it didn’t matter. His eyes tracked every move she made.
“You good?” he asked, pulling out his phone like he didn’t have a care in the world. “You’ve been staring at me since I sat down.”
She straightened, narrowing her eyes. “Are you good? Seems like you’re the one doing the staring.”
A slow smirk curved his mouth. “Yeah. And what if I am Kennedi with an I?”
Her name slipped off his tongue before she was ready for it. “Well, Rolani also with an I, maybe you should look elsewhere. I don’t want anything you’re selling.”
The sound of his first name, all intimate, was music to his ears. His smile sharpened into a predatory smirk.
“Get some sleep, gorgeous. We got a long weekend.”
Gorgeous. It wasn’t a line, just a fact. Kennedi was gorgeous, sitting across from him in grey biker shorts that showed off her meaty thighs. The crop hoodie showed off her tight midsection. Caramel skin going for miles. He licked his lips, pure lust… for now.
She bit back a smile, staring hard at her laptop screen. This was a disaster waiting to happen. How was she supposed to work under this kind of pressure? If her laptop crashed, she would crash with it; she needed a buffer, and for now, her laptop would have to suffice.
It seemed as if the cabin came alive again—Paige tucked under Giovanni’s arm, Taylor and Blake chatting, Brooks and Emon joking across the aisle. But not her and him. They sat in silence thick as peanut butter, staring, both pretending they weren’t cataloging every detail.
As the jet lifted, Kennedi pulled out her phone, her fingers flying to the group chat she hadn’t touched in a few days.
Kennedi: I’m in trouble. I just met the finest damn man. I can’t think straight.
Shadow: Who?
She glanced up to make sure he wasn't watching, then quickly angled her phone to snap a discreet photo. The camera flash lit up the cabin, and her whole cover was blown.
Shit.
Her eyes went wide, and every head turned. Paige burst into laughter. Giovanni shook his head. And Rolani leaned forward with a slow grin.
“Did you just take a picture of me?” His voice carried dangerous levels of amusement that made her want to disappear into her seat.
“No,” she lied, clutching her phone to her chest.
“Baby, the flash went off. We all saw it.” He gestured around the cabin, where everyone was trying not to laugh. “You want another one? I can pose this time.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Baby? Let’s not act like we know each other.”
“We getting to know each other right now.” His grin was unapologetic. “Do you want another picture or not?”
“First of all, my name is Kennedi. Second, one is enough.” She tucked her phone away, cheeks still burning. “And third, we just met five minutes ago lets keep it professional.”
“Kennedi,” he repeated, like he was testing how it felt on his tongue. “Nah, I like baby. But you still took my picture without asking, the least you could do is let me have that.”
She opened her mouth to tell him exactly what he could do with his “baby” and his audacity, but his flash went off.
“Really?” she asked, glaring at him until her phone buzzed in her hand. Thank God she thought. She glanced down at the responses, and her cheeks hurt from trying to contain her smile.
Isha: Girl... that’s Rolani Pracher. You’ve been gone too long, friend.
Shadow: Have fun, hoe! That’s one of the most eligible bachelors in the city.
“Your friends telling you about me? What they say?” he asked, acting like this was some joke. She shut her eyes; embarrassment consumed her again. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten caught and that he turned right around and snapped one of her.
Her mouth began to move as she whispered a quick prayer, begging for focus. Lord, don’t let me lose my head over this man. Help me keep my legs closed. This weekend is about work. She was a professional. Here for business. Nothing else.
Even as she tried to regulate her breathing, the weight of his attention lingered. When she opened her eyes again, their gazes met, steady this time. He was not pressing her or crowding her space. He was simply watching her, curious and unhurried.
Rolani leaned back in his seat with easy confidence, one arm resting along the side, the faint smile that said don’t try and hide from me unsettled her more than if he had tried to flirt outright.
By the time the jet leveled out in the sky, she was aware of one thing with uncomfortable clarity. This weekend was going to require more discipline than she had planned for.