7
L awrence stopped off to grab two smoothies on his way to see Alijah. He’d sent her a text and asked if Kieran wanted one, but Alijah told him that he’d be on a conference call when he got there, and she tried not to bother him on calls when he didn’t need her. So, he’d bypassed getting him one.
When he arrived at the building, he went inside, went over to the security guards, and gave them his name. A guard pointed toward the elevator, and Lawrence got on and rode it to the top floor. Alijah had volunteered to come down and get him, but Lawrence assured her he could ride an elevator alone. To which she told him it would be his own fault if he got stuck, and both laughed.
Lawrence stepped out when the elevator doors opened on the top floor. Alijah stood from her desk and approached him. He handed her the peach mango smoothie, and she smiled at him.
“I can’t believe I’ve worked here for two years now, and this is your first time coming to visit.”
“I could say the same to you,” Lawrence responded.
“Touché. Come on, let’s sit in the breakroom. We can talk for a bit, and then I’ll show you this floor and the sales floor since that’s your department so that you can get some ideas.”
Lawrence took in the breakroom as he sat across from Alijah. However, it should have more accurately been called a kitchen. Breakrooms had the essentials like places to sit, a refrigerator, and a microwave. This one also had a stove and built-in oven, what looked like a coffee and tea bar—no doubt Alijah’s idea—lush sofas, and a television mounted on the wall in the far corner .
“How many people work on this floor?” Lawrence questioned after taking a drink of his smoothie.
“There are six offices, including Kieran’s and a conference room, but he and I are the only ones that work on this floor,” she informed him. “Three other offices are used occasionally when a product is getting ready to be marketed and launched along with the conference room. Kieran likes to have them all nearby during that time to oversee each aspect more easily. And the other two offices are empty for the most part.”
Lawrence found himself nodding. He couldn’t imagine what having an entire floor to himself would be like. He definitely wouldn’t have to deal with his nosey work neighbor or have her coming over every hour to attempt to gossip with him. But he could imagine what Alijah and Kieran did with the privacy.
“I bet you’ve been bent over every surface up here,” Lawrence said teasingly, and Alijah rolled her eyes at him before giving him a little smile and taking a drink of her smoothie.
Lawrence knew it. He’d seen them together enough to know that Kieran couldn’t keep his hands off Alijah, and he seldom cared where they were when he did so.
For the next twenty minutes, they talked about Lawrence’s current project and the new paintings Alijah was planning to add to her gallery. It made him happy that she was now showing her work off to people. It had always baffled him that she enjoyed painting as much as she did but tended to keep her paintings under lock and key unless it was for someone.
Lawrence knew that it was thanks to Kieran. Had he not bought her that gallery, Lawrence believed Alijah would still be painting and hiding her works in her closet, under her bed, or anywhere else she could keep them to herself.
They were about to start the tour and were walking past Alijah’s desk when Kieran’s voice came over the speaker, asking her to come into his office momentarily.
“I’ll be right back. You can go ahead and look around; all the doors are unlocked,” Alijah informed him.
Lawrence nodded, reaching the first office, opening the door, and turning on the light. Alijah stated that three offices were used, and he figured this was one of them. It was furnished nicely, and the décor was bright, giving the room an airy feel, which Lawrence knew helped, considering the only windows it had peered into the hallway.
Lawrence knew he’d like this layout for his office. Even though he did have a window view, brighter colors would make it seem bigger and more open. Taking out his phone, Lawrence took a couple of pictures of the office before turning the light off and closing the door behind him.
The room across from that office was the conference room, and after a glance inside, Lawrence continued on his way. He expected the other offices that were used to look much like the first one. However, each was decorated differently, but if you put them side by side, he was sure they’d still flow nicely.
Lawrence heard what he thought was the elevator ding, but he figured Alijah would take care of it, so he entered the fifth office. This one was as Alijah stated it would be. There was nothing besides a desk, desk chair, and two chairs to sit in. Though the walls were still bright, it felt bleak without all the other touches.
Lawrence was heading down the hall to the last office when he felt himself being grabbed. He was pulled into the office he’d just left out of and was spun around before he could react. Catching sight of the person who had initiated this semi-kidnapping. His hazel eyes met with brown ones.
There was a silence that hung between them in the room. Neither spoke, but Lawrence didn't need words to know what the older man was thinking. Why did you run out on me after the other night? Why haven't you been answering my calls?
He had the answer to both of those questions, but he was unsure he would ever speak them out loud. This man scared him. In every way, that was good and bad. He was used to being the one that dictated how things went. Every part of him that wanted that went out the window in the presence of the chocolate god standing before him.
His hand grabbed Lawrence's chin, and the younger man looked back into his eyes. Not noticing, his gaze had trailed away when he'd read the questions in those brown eyes.
Slowly, his head came down, and Lawrence felt his breath hitch. Soft lips touched his, and at that moment, he wondered how it could have been any better than it was the first night. He could only assume it was because it was different. There was no hurry. They were taking their time this time around without the intense need that had been there before. However, that unspeakable desire remained.
Lawrence kissed him back, following his lead because that seemed all he could do in this man's presence. He was so dominating. From the way he looked at him to his voice and stature.
He was by no means a short or petite man, but the one in front of him made him feel as if he was small and fragile. Lawrence stood at six feet but felt dwarfed by the six foot five, two hundred plus pounds of deliciousness that was slowly guiding his lips.
“Lawrence!” His name being called pulled him from bliss, and he placed his hands on the other man's chest to push him away, but it was no use.
“Come by my place tonight,” he instructed against Lawrence's lips. “I won't keep playing these games with you.”
His voice left no room for argument, and Lawrence found himself slowly nodding his head. With that, he watched as the older man stepped away, and Lawrence opened the door, peeking out.
He went to the end of the hall opposite the elevator where her voice came from and found Alijah in the last office he’d been heading to. This one had a few rolling boards, and she pulled one of them towards the door.
“There you are. Where were you?”
“I was just looking around in the other empty office envisioning ideas,” he informed her.
She nodded and led them out of the room. He helped her navigate the board, pushing it while she pulled. They placed it into the conference room before exiting, and Lawrence stopped behind her as she did.
“Remy?” she questioned. “I forgot you were coming by with the watch.”
“Yes, I was, but I found the owner,” he responded in that slightly accented voice. “I came to see Kieran. Is he in his office? ”
“Yes, go ahead in. He’s finished with his call.” She then hit her forehead. “Where are my manners? Remy, you remember my friend Lawrence, right? You two met at the wedding.”
Those brown eyes turned to Lawrence. “Yes, I do.” He then turned his attention back to Alijah. “I'm going to talk to Kieran and then leave for the day. I'll see you Tuesday, Alijah.” His attention came back to Lawrence. “See you later, Lawrence.”
Lawrence swallowed slowly. He would indeed see the sexy Haitian man later.
“T ell me again why you’re hiding in here?” Kieran questioned, leaning back in his chair.
“I’m not hiding,” Remy responded. “I just needed to come in here for a minute.”
“To hide.”
Remy shook his head because he knew it didn’t matter what he said; short of telling Kieran exactly why he was pretending he needed to talk to him, the other man would still claim he was hiding. Hell, if he knew, then it would make it accurate.
He had not expected to be caught by Alijah on his way from the floor. He knew he could have told her that he had just left Kieran's office. But he also knew that if she had just left, or if she hadn't and it was brought up later between her and Kieran, then Alijah would know that Remy had lied to her. So, the safer option was to step in and talk to Kieran for a couple of minutes.
Remy was aware of why Kieran would think he was hiding now. The last few times he’d come to his office unannounced had been when Chloe was pregnant, and he needed to get away from her mood swings for a few minutes. Though there was something he could talk to Kieran about. He’d planned on waiting until he returned Tuesday, but now was as good a time as any.
“I do have something I want to run by you,” Remy stated, and when Kieran nodded, he continued. “There was a proposal made for a partnership with a hygienics company while you were gone, and I’ve just finished reviewing their financial statements. The company is in the red. ”
“They’re looking for a savior, not a partner. We aren’t here to rescue businesses because the people running them are incompetent.”
“Agreed, but the company is making good revenue. The expenses are draining the tank, and I feel they’re unnecessary.”
“What are you proposing?” Kieran questioned.
“Several of their shareholders want out, and if they agree to sell those shares to Cayman Industries, you’d hold the majority or close to it. Then it would be a matter of convincing the board of directors…” Remy allowed the implication to trail off.
Kieran leaned forward, lacing his fingers and propping his chin on them with a smirk. “A hostile takeover. I like it. We haven’t done one in a few years. How fast can we be in a position to do this?”
Remy chuckled at Kieran’s excitement but hadn’t expected anything less. “My source on his board tells me they’ve already set expectations for him several times which he hasn’t followed, and they’re prepared to vote him out if they know whoever, or whatever entity, will be able to turn business around. So, you could potentially fire him in a week or two. The rest will take the standard amount of time.”
“I’ll respond to the inquiry personally. Send it to me before you leave, along with the statements.” Kieran stated. “I’ll also have Alijah get financing to buy those shares. Let’s see if we can have him gone in a week. The sooner he is, the sooner the acquisition and handover process can start.”
Remy nodded. He would send it to Kieran on his way out since it was all in his email, and he could access it from his phone. He stood, heading for the door, figuring he’d spent enough time in the office.
“Remy,” Kieran called, and Remy turned back to look at him. “What’s the name of the company?”
“Monroe Hygienics.”
Kieran nodded, and Remy left the office. He’d expected to see Lawrence when he did, but neither he nor Alijah was anywhere in sight. Remy wouldn’t worry about it. He’d see him that evening. As he got onto the elevator, he pressed the button for the first floor before taking out his phone and forwarding Kieran the requested information.
The entire takeover process could typically take six months to a year when the board of directors wasn’t on your side. However, that wouldn’t be the case in this one. So, Remy knew it would take less time, and unlike with a typical takeover, they could push Andrew Monroe out quickly while they worked on the rest.
I t was going on eight o’clock when Remy stepped out of the shower. When he made it home after leaving work, he’d made himself some lunch and watched television before deciding to go to the gym for a bit.
He dried off, grabbed his lotion, and moisturized before spraying on some cologne. He went into his bedroom and pulled a pair of gray sweatpants from one of his drawers, pulling them on. He then grabbed a pair of socks.
Lawrence was due to show up at any minute, and Remy knew what he was doing. Was it playing fair? No. Did he care? That was also a no. He had every intention of tempting the other man. He wanted to know why Lawrence left without saying anything, why he’d been ignoring him.
However, Remy had also decided that if Lawrence wanted him the way his eyes and body said he did back at the office, then he would have to be the one to make the next move. Remy was serious when he told him he wouldn’t keep playing whatever game they were playing.
He didn’t make it a habit of chasing people who didn’t want him. Yet here he was, doing it with Lawrence. Because of that, he’d decided that if Lawrence wanted to play down his attraction to him and decided he didn’t want to speak to or see Remy again, then that would be that. He would erase Lawrence’s number from his phone and let their night together dissolve from his memories. There would be no second chances.
Remy exited his bedroom when he heard the tone play throughout his condo, signaling that someone was in the elevator and requesting access to his floor and condo. He approached the receiver, knowing it was Lawrence, before looking .
Remy pressed the accept button and watched Lawrence ride the elevator to his floor. Only a moment later, he heard Lawrence on the other side of his front door. Remy opened it just as he raised his hand to knock.
Lawrence’s eyes trailed over his chest and down his stomach. Remy allowed him to take as long as he wanted, and when Lawrence’s eyes came back to his as if he’d been startled out of what he was doing, Remy took a couple of steps back and allowed him to enter.
Closing and locking the door, Remy led the way to the living room and gestured for Lawrence to have a seat. Remy decided to sit on the coffee table in front of him. He wasn’t going to beat around the bush.
“You want to tell me why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“I’m sure you know,” Lawrence responded, looking over Remy’s shoulder.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you.” Remy gripped his chin, making Lawrence look him in the eyes. “Tell me.”
“It’s that,” Lawrence responded, pulling his chin from Remy’s grasp. “The way you say things, causes me to do things and respond in ways I didn’t even know I could. I don’t…I don’t know if I like it.”
Remy didn’t say anything for a moment. He could understand that. He could, and he wished Lawrence would have just talked to him about it. He wasn’t sure if the other man realized that some part of him liked it because here they were, because Lawrence had shown up when he could have gone back to ignoring him.
It wasn’t the first time something like that happened. Remy understood the contrast between how he was inside and outside of the bedroom could be significant to some. He was aware of the demanding dominance that overtook him behind closed doors, but it was never without absolute pleasure to his partners.
Some could deal with it immediately because it was what they wanted, what they liked unfiltered. However, there were others it wasn’t for, and they’d gone their separate ways with no issues. Then there was Lawrence, who probably tended to give more than he received. It would be a completely new experience for him .
“You’re here. That should answer the questions filtering through your mind at least a bit,” Remy told him.
Lawrence nodded after a moment. “You’re right.” He paused. “I would like to see the mirror in your bedroom.”
Remy knewwhat he was really asking. “No,” he responded.
“Wait, what?”
“You thought I was going to reward you for ignoring me?” Remy licked his lower lip before smirking at Lawrence. “That’s cute.”
“Then why are you dressed like that? It’s practically male lingerie.”
Remy leaned in and pecked Lawrence on the lips. It was a brief kiss before he stood. He watched as the other man licked his lips, eyes on the crotch of Remy’s sweats.
He slid his finger under Lawrence’s chin and tipped his head back to look at him. “This is a reminder of what you won’t get if we go through this again.” Remy left the living room and entered his kitchen. “Now, have you eaten?” Lawrence shook his head, and Remy nodded, deciding to make them something quick.
He needed to get away from Lawrence for a few minutes before he was tempted to bypass the mirror and take him over the back of the couch.