Chapter 1
one
CREEPIN’
ASA
July, This Year
Inoticed her every time she walked into a space. The soft sway of her hips, that ass, those lips, her brown eyes. One thing that had never changed about Rissa was that she knew how to work a room.
Networking was in her blood, probably because she’d built an impressive career helping companies expand and improve their human resources departments.
She’d spent hours strategizing with executive leadership on headcount, compensation and benefits, compliance, succession planning, organization culture, recruiting initiatives, and compliance.
Currently, she worked as a VP of Organizational Development & Culture for a Fortune 500 company.
Right now, she was smiling at stuffy C-Suite Power Players, sliding her business card across tables, and generally being lovely in white linen wide-leg pants and a matching top.
Her hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail with a center part.
She wore diamond-stud earrings, and the gold MICHELE watch she’d bought herself for her birthday.
Stunning.
Across the room, she met my gaze and smiled. After excusing herself, she glided over to me. “You came.” She placed a quick kiss on my cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I traced the line of her nose. “I told you I would come.”
Over the last few years, we’d seen each other casually. Which was kind of ironic since I didn’t have casual feelings for her. But I’d decided the morning after our first night together, after she’d nicely kicked me out of her hotel room, that would take her any way I could get her.
It worked out, though, because I traveled to California several times a year to work with clients.
I’d worked as a personal trainer off and on for a decade and I thought it was a good time to invest in that.
I sort of fell into training when I finally enrolled in college and declared Movement Science as my major.
I took a break when I opened a fitness center.
But after several years in business, I closed my boutique gym last year.
With rising operating costs, significant rent increases, and declining membership fees due to changing fitness trends, I knew it was time to pivot again.
I loved running the gym, but I loved making a profit too. So the decision was easy.
Since Jax owned Pure Talent Agency, he’d referred me to his celebrity clientele who wanted to be more discreet when they were training for a new role or recovering from an injury.
And when he retired, his son Xavier continued sending people my way.
I’d done everything from traveling with high-profile athletes, meeting at private gyms, teaching classes for small groups, and developing custom workout plans for people looking to improve their lifestyle.
“How’s Paige?”
Black America’s Sweetheart, actress Paige Mills, needed to get in shape for a role and she’d hired me to help her. I’d been busy making moves myself, so I’d barely seen Rissa.
“She’s good. Tired, sore, complaining.”
She chuckled. “Well, she does have small children.”
Paige and her husband Andrew welcomed twins a couple of years ago, and she’d taken extended time off to care for them. “And they are busy.”
“I bet,” she agreed.
“How’s it going?”
She scanned the room and sighed. “Did I tell you I quit my job?”
I frowned. “What? No.”
“It’s a long story. My last day is the day before Labor Day. I’m currently executing my succession plan.”
“What are you going to do?”
Shrugging, she said, “I don’t know. And you know what? That feels good.”
“Still thinking about moving?”
The last time we’d seen each other, she had mentioned moving to Atlanta to be near her sister Zara. “I think I’m going to move,” she confessed with a sigh. “I’ve been in Cali all my life. It’s time for a change.”
“Atlanta?”
“Maybe. We’ll see. I actually have an interview in Detroit.”
I frowned. “With who?”
“Batchelor Corp. My friend Cyn is the granddaughter of the CEO.”
I nodded. “I know Cyn.”
“You do? How?”
I scratched the back of my neck. “I met her through her cousin Erica.”
“Wait, did you and Erica have something going on?”
“We went out a few times.”
A smirk formed on her perfect lips. “Really?”
“It didn’t work out.”
“I don’t know if I wanted to hear that,” she admitted.
I laughed. “Well, you told me to always be honest.”
“I did.” She smoothed a hand over the lapel of my jacket. “You look good. Clean, refined. I like the short cut.”
Absently, I rubbed my hand over my head. I cut my hair off last month on a whim, figuring I’d rock the taper cut for the summer. “It’s growing on me.” Leaning in, I whispered, “Does that mean you’re keeping me for a little bit?”
It was our thing, a code phrase.
Her eyes gleamed. “Maybe a little bit. You hungry?”
“For what?”
Averting her gaze, Rissa blew out a slow breath. “You’re killing me.”
“You asked the question.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip before releasing it. “Let’s go.”
“You sure?”
Checking her watch, she nodded. “I’ve been here long enough. If you feed me, I’ll feed you.”
I followed her out of the venue. “Did you drive?”
“I took an Uber,” she said, peering at me over her shoulder. “Where did you park?”
“In the parking garage across the street.”
We hurried to the structure and stepped into the empty elevator. Once the door closed, I tugged her into me, kissing her hard. A loud ding signaled we were coming to a stop and I reluctantly put some distance between us.
“Shit,” Rissa whispered, fanning herself.
I covered my smile when she sagged against the wall. “You good?”
She eyed me. “Boy, don’t play.”
The doors opened and an older couple stepped inside.
“Hello,” the woman said with a genuine grin.
“Hi,” Rissa and I said simultaneously.
“Wonderful night, huh?” the woman continued. “I love evenings like this.”
The man greeted me with a nod and smiled at Rissa. He wrapped his arm about the woman, pulling her to him. It was cute, kind of endearing. Reminded me of the love my father and mother shared, even after forty years of marriage.
For the first time, I thought about what it would be like to grow old with someone, to give everything to one person.
Glancing at Rissa, I peeped the way she stared at the couple with a soft smile on her lips.
I wondered if she was thinking the same thing, but I wouldn’t ask her.
Our arrangement worked because we didn’t set expectations neither of us could live up to.
And even if I thought about her more than I probably should, I wasn’t planning to rock the boat anytime soon.
When the elevator stopped at our floor, we both said a quick goodbye. Again, at the same time.
“Have a good evening,” Rissa added as we stepped out of the cab.
I entwined my fingers with hers. “Are you okay?”
She met my gaze. “They were so cute.”
“Yeah, love to see it.”
We stood there for a moment, eyes locked on each other.
“Ready?” I asked finally.
“When you are.”
We stopped at a pizza joint near Rissa’s house. After the waitress took our order, I pulled Rissa closer to me. Nuzzling the side of her face, I whispered, “We should’ve just ordered pizza at your place.”
She grabbed my face and brushed her lips over mine. “Then I wouldn’t be able to have the fried cauliflower I ordered.”
I kissed her again, this time soft and slow, drawing a low groan from her. I hummed against her mouth. “You taste good.” I slipped my hand between her thighs, brushing my thumb against her core. The heat of her arousal was driving me crazy. “You feel good, too.”
“I can’t concentrate on this wine if you keep touching like that.” She sipped the red she’d ordered with her meal. “Delicious.”
Resting my head against her shoulder, I slid my fingers into the waistband of her pants.
The soft hitch of her breath shot straight to my dick. I wanted to tug her on my lap and let her ride me in the damn booth. Instead, I inched lower, finding her panties wet. For me. Grinning, I raised a brow. “Already, huh?”
“Asa,” she whispered in a half-warning, half-permission tone. “You’re killing me.”
I dragged my finger over the thin material of her panties, applying pressure on her clit through the fabric. I wanted to rip them off, but I wouldn’t. Not there.
Her eyes fluttered closed as she moved in time with the slow rhythm I set. “Oh, shit.”
“You want me to stop?” I whispered.
“Please don’t.”
I stroked her slowly, covering her low groans with my mouth as I picked up the pace. It didn’t take long for her to climax with her lips fused to mine, her nails digging into my arms.
Pulling away, I traced her lips with one finger and kissed her one last time. I licked the tip of my forefinger and groaned when her eyes followed my movement like a hawk.
“You don’t play fair,” she whispered.
I waggled my eyebrows. “Never.”
She leaned into me, gently nipping my jaw-line. “We should ask them to wrap the food up.”
“I’m good with that,” I said, burying my face in her neck, inhaling her scent. She smelled like orchids and chocolate. “You smell good.”
Rissa stiffened in my arms. “Oh shit.”
Frowning, I pulled back. “What’s wrong?”
“Gemma’s here.”
I glanced at the door where Gemma stood with another woman. When I arrived in town, we’d planned to get together, but our schedules didn’t line up. Tomorrow, though, we planned to hook up and shoot the breeze. “Hm,” I said. “Who is that with her?”
“What if she sees us?” Rissa asked.
Here’s the thing. We’d never discussed the very real possibility that one of our siblings or our parents would find out about us. It was kind of assumed that we were keeping things lowkey because we both valued our privacy, not because we were hiding.
I stared at her. “Does that bother you?”
“Shouldn’t it?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I don’t care either.”
She blew out a shaky breath. “But I do.”
My shoulders fell. “Okay.”
Rissa gasped again and ducked when the hostess walked Gemma and her friend over to a table. “Did they sit down yet?” she whispered.
I glanced over at Gemma, who hadn’t even noticed I was there. “Yes.”