Higher Love Page 7

  “Of course I do. But later.” He nodded toward his crotch. “We have other pressing matters to attend to right now.”

  *****

  This man just had a way of making me change my plans.

  After hashing everything out with Millie, I should’ve hopped a plane back home and started planning my itinerary for the rest of the year since I now had access to the private jet of my choice, but all it took was him asking me to stay, and I did. I would’ve stayed even if he hadn’t offered to pay for my room. He wined me and dined me and sexed me every single night. My days were spent sleeping, because he usually kept me up all night. He was insatiable, but so was I when it came to what he had to offer. Just being in the room with him kept me in a constant state of moistness. I had never experienced anything as intense as the attraction we shared, and it made me question whatever feelings I thought I had for Lloyd. Whatever it was, it wasn’t even in the same area code as what I felt for Derek. Was I falling in love or just totally blinded by lust? It was hard to differentiate. But one thing was for sure: I didn’t want it to end. The more I learned about him, the more I liked about him. I could easily see myself spending the rest of my life with him.

  I’d told him almost everything about me, from me being an only child to my obsession with traveling to my love for blogging. He listened intently, seemed genuinely interested, which was more than I could say about any other man I’d ever been involved with. On the final night of my stay in Houston, as I lay in his arms breathless from another round of lovemaking, I brushed my lips against his bare chest, and said, “I think I’m falling for you.”

  He kissed my forehead and rubbed my shoulder. “Hmm, I already fell for you, broke my leg, broke my hip, got a concussion…”

  I laughed. “That bad?”

  “No, that good. I can’t get enough of you, Greer. I don’t want to get enough of you.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  “And I know you’ve got to return to your life, but I don’t want you to go. I don’t want us to be apart.”

  “Me either, but you can come see me. After all, we live in the same state. It’s a big-ass state, but we’re only three hours away from each other, quicker for you since you own a whole fleet of jets.”

  He chuckled. “My jets are your jets, baby.”

  “You know what it does to me when you call me baby?”

  “Probably the same thing it does to me when you call me Mr. Hill. Hey, can I ask you something?”

  I closed my eyes. “Yeah, anything,”

  “Where’s your ring?”

  My eyes popped back open. “What?”

  “The ring you were wearing in Virginia. It looked like an engagement ring. What happened to it?”

  “Uh...well, it was an engagement ring, but the engagement ended shortly before I got to Virginia. It just took me a while to take it off.”

  “So it’s over now?”

  “Very over. I gave it back to him.” Well, that was sort of true.

  “Good, and for the record, whoever he is, he’s a damn fool, but his foolishness is my good fortune.”

  “Hmm, thanks for saying that.”

  He tightened his arm around me. “I meant every word. You’re smart, beautiful, and excuse my language, but you have the best pussy I’ve ever had. So, yeah…he’s a damn fool.”

  I lifted my head. “You must want to go for round four, because that just turned me the hell on.”

  “Baby, we can do it all night if that’s what you want.”

  I climbed on top of him, and said, “There you go calling me baby again…”

  21

  I was still in bed, fast asleep, when the sound of my front door opening and closing awakened me. I sat up and strained my ears, reached for the knife I kept under my mattress and braced myself. A few seconds later, Denise appeared in my bedroom doorway.

  “I’m really gonna have to take that damn key,” I muttered as I scratched my head through my silk bonnet.

  “Well then, I guess your ass should learn how to call people and let them know you made it home safely.”

  “I got home after midnight. It’s only—” I glanced at the clock at my bedside. “Shit, it’s after eleven?”

  “Yes, heifer, and if Trevia wasn’t tracking Wesley like a damn bloodhound, she’d be here, too.”

  I rubbed my forehead. “Lord, what’s going on with them now?”

  “Who the hell knows? Now tell me what happened in Houston.”

  “Trevia didn’t tell you already?” I asked through a yawn.

  “She told me that Virginia sex dude owns the jet company and she was pretty sure she caught you screwing him.”

  “I just can’t have any privacy in my life, can I?”

  She leaned against the door facing with an expectant look on her face.

  “Derek is the CEO of Sable Inc. and...”

  She folded her arms over her chest and leaned forward. “And what?”

  “And I signed the contract. I’m partnering with Sable Jets, and girl, the deal is the bomb!”

  “Girl, I don’t give a damn about that! What happened with him?”

  I rolled my eyes. “We…uh, we have an understanding.”

  “Okay...”

  “Oh, hell. You know I stayed longer than expected.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Well, I spent that time doing the nasty with Mr. Derek Hill!”

  She rushed over to my bed and sat at the foot. “I knew it! So y’all are a thing now?”

  “Yes, we are.”

  “Still no pictures of him?”

  I grabbed my phone from beside me on the bed and scrolled to a picture I took of him on the Tarmac before I boarded his jet to return home.

  Denise stared at the phone. “Daaaaamnnnn. I hope you got his number this time, because fine like this is hard to come by.”

  “I got his number, email, you name it.”

  “I know that’s right. I’m so happy for you. Lloyd ain’t got shit on Mr. CEO.”

  I smiled and then started laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I can’t tell you the last time I thought about Lloyd. It’s like I totally forgot that we were together and engaged two months ago.”

  “That’s when you know the penis is stellar. The man done gave you amnesia.”

  I fell back onto the bed and laughed, but she was right. Derek Hill and all of his goodness had all but erased Lloyd from my memory.

  *****

  “Trevia, when you get this, give me a call, okay? I’m worried about you.”

  I’d been home a week and was finalizing plans to travel to a literary festival, but I couldn’t shake this bad feeling I was having about Trevia. I hadn’t seen or heard from her since I’d been back and that definitely wasn’t like her. What alarmed me more was that neither her sister nor Denise had heard from her either. I’d even tried to reach Wesley to no avail. I really hoped nothing had happened to her.

  I sighed and decided to check my email before figuring out what I was going to eat for lunch. I scrolled through the new, unread messages—spam, newsletters I’d subscribed to, and one from Adventure Airlines. I frowned as I opened it and scanned the message.

  Greer,

  I hope you’re doing well. I need to meet with you as soon as possible. In person. Please reply with a day and time that’s good for you.

  Thanks,

  Lloyd

  I spent the next hour obsessing over the email, wondering if it sounded as personal as I thought it did or if I was imagining that, or maybe I just wanted it to sound personal because I still loved him. That couldn’t be it, could it? I had Derek. Derek with the good body, great face, and exquisite penis.

  No, I definitely wasn’t in love with Lloyd. Not at all.

  “Okay, I’ll bite,” I said to myself.

  Lloyd,

  You can meet me at Dardenne’s tomorrow at 5PM.

  Greer

  22

  I was at my desk, starin
g out the window instead of tackling the work in front of me. I’d been doing that a lot in the week since Greer left. If it was up to me, she wouldn’t have left at all. It felt crazy to think that, but it was exactly what I desired—to be with her all day, every day.

  I had never met anyone like her. Adventurous, smart, independent, sexy, everything I ever wanted in a woman. I’d never felt so connected to a woman before, never wanted anyone or anything as badly as I wanted her at that moment. Was I in love with Greer Kennedy? That was the only logical explanation for what I was feeling, but how could I share my feelings with her without scaring her away? It had taken using my best negotiation skills to convince her to even give me a chance. She’d just been hurt. If I moved too fast, I was sure I’d ruin things.

  I would have to move slowly—court her, make sure she felt my love before I declared it to her verbally.

  “Knock, knock.”

  I shifted my attention from the window to the door where my brother stood with some papers in his hand.

  “What’s up, Mr. Hill?” I asked.

  He crossed the room and sat in front of my desk. “We need to go over this marketing deal you okayed with Millie.”

  I sighed. Brandon was the CFO by choice, and he was an obsessive micromanager of the company’s finances. I was an unapologetic risk-taker while Brandon was cautious to a fault. I suppose I had him to thank for the company’s financial stability and success. But his second-guessing my decisions despite my proven track record was irritating as hell.

  “It’s a sound investment, Brandon. Did you read the blog stats? 50,000 unique visitors per week. Hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Nearly one million in social media reach. She’s written travel articles for Ebony and Essence. It’s good exposure for us.”

  “But is it the right demographic? Can this woman’s followers afford to charter our jets?”

  “What Millie and I discussed is that we’ll gear the ads toward group charters. You know, a group of friends sharing the cost of a trip. Plus, the blog has a small celebrity following according to Millie. Greer receives invitations to some exclusive events, and she will stand out arriving via our sponsored ground transportation. And don’t forget about the publications she’s written for. There’s a good chance she could be invited to write for them again while partnering with us.”

  Brandon shook his head. “I don’t believe this. It’s true.”

  I straightened in my chair and with a furrowed brow, said, “What?”

  “You have a thing for the blogger. I heard you couldn’t take your eyes off of her during the meeting.”

  “Heard from who?” I was shocked. I’d never seen Millie as a gossiper.

  “The office rumor mill. And then you took her to dinner? God only knows what else you did with her while she was here.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “Your judgment is clouded. Who is this woman? What was it, love at first sight or something in the boardroom?”

  I sighed as I tugged at my tie. “I’ve met her before.”

  The room fell silent. A minute or two later, Brandon said, “Virginia.”

  I nodded.

  “Shit, no wonder.”

  “Look, I didn’t know it was her when I okayed the deal.”

  “Damn, Derek. You can’t do this.”

  “It’s only a six-month deal. Six months. Six trips that we’ll be covering. If we see where it’s not benefitting the company, we don’t have to continue. When have you ever known me to hold on to something that wasn’t working?”

  Brandon rubbed his forehead. “Okay, I hear you, but Derek, we’re absorbing the costs of fuel, paying the pilot, ground transportation, hotel...We’re going to be hemorrhaging money for six months!”

  “Did you look at the cost comparison of this deal as opposed to running TV and magazine ads in publications other than our own?”

  “Yes, but—”

  I slapped my hand on the desk. “Look, Brandon! The deal stands even if I have to pay for it out of my own pocket!”

  Brandon stared at me. “Shit, you’re in love with this woman.”

  I didn’t reply. Hell, I couldn’t reply.

  “You’re going to have to do something about Sasha now if you want a future with this woman. And from what I can see, you definitely want a future with her.”

  “I know. I’m still trying to figure that one out.”

  “Well, you better figure it out quickly. A secret baby’s mama will definitely ruin things.”

  “I don’t know that she’s my baby’s mama, B.”

  “Then why is she living in your house while you sleep here and there and everywhere?”

  “Because I’m not a bad person. Her house burned and she lost her job. My baby or not, I wasn’t going to let her be homeless.”

  “How’d she manage to run into that much bad luck at the same time? She’s scamming you, bro.”

  “She probably is, but I’m going to fix it.”

  “You better.” He held the papers up and added, “And you better be right about this deal.”

  “When am I ever wrong when it comes to Sable Inc.?”

  “You do have a point.” He stood to leave. “Hey, I’m glad you found someone who makes you happy.”

  “She does, Brandon. She really does.”

  “Good. You deserve it.”

  *****

  I unlocked my front door, entered my house, and for the first time since Sasha moved in, I actually hoped she was home. Instead of me dealing with things as I had in the past, which amounted to not dealing with them at all, I was going to handle this situation with her. Brandon was right. I had to know the truth about Sasha’s baby before things went any further with Greer. If she found out about this crazy arrangement, I’d lose her before she was truly mine.

  I found her in the living room, curled up on the couch sleeping with the TV on the Lifetime Channel. There was an empty plate and glass on the coffee table. Something about seeing her so relaxed in my home, when I knew I couldn’t bring Greer there because of her pissed me off, so I shouted, “Sasha!”

  She sprung up and instantly placed her hand protectively on her stomach. “What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes darting around the room.

  “What’s your price?” I asked.

  She looked even more confused. “What?”

  I moved to the loveseat situated adjacent to the couch and sat down. “Look, you love money, especially my money. I’ve always known that, because you’ve made it perfectly clear. That’s why you’ve decided this baby is mine and not that random guy you cheated with. You want the baby to be mine because of my money.”

  “Derek—”

  “I want the test done, Sasha. I need to know for sure if that’s my baby. If it’s not, I’ll help you get a place. Hell, I’ll help you find a job, too, but if that is not my child, I want you out of my life. For good.”

  A single tear trickled down her cheek. “I can’t believe this. I’m not lying. This is your baby.”

  “Prove it. Let’s do the paternity test. ASAP.”

  “I don’t want to. I want you to trust me.”

  “I can’t. Now, name your price. How much do I need to pay you in order for you to agree to take this test?”

  She rubbed her belly again. “What kind of person are you? You never ask about me or the baby. You just storm in and out of here like I’m some inconvenience.”

  “Name. Your. Price.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Fifty thousand.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you know when I get the appointment scheduled.”

  “You are going to regret treating me like this.”

  As I left without responding to her threat, I heard her scream, “I hate you!”

  23

  I was filled with apprehension when I entered the restaurant and spotted Lloyd sitting at a table near the back. I was so anxious, I wordlessly side-stepped the greeter and headed straight for the table. He looked the same—tall, neat, well-dres
sed, handsome, but sitting at that table with him felt so...odd. It almost felt like we hadn’t seen each other in years rather than a few months. Whatever I thought I felt for him at one time was a distant memory, because I can honestly say I felt nothing for him as I sat there but regret for having wasted my time with him. The only thought in my mind was there were a ton of more productive things I could’ve been doing at that moment. Why had I agreed to this meeting?

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet me.”

  I stared at him.

  “And I’m sorry about the deal with your blog. I just couldn’t get the powers that be to jump on board with it.”

  “What do you want? Because I know we’re not here about my blog.”

  He locked his eyes on me. “Straight to the point, huh? Same old Greer. You don’t want a drink or anything?”

  “Why are we here, Lloyd?”

  “Okay, first, I want to apologize to you again now that we’re face to face. I’m sorry for the way I handled things.”

  “Things?”

  “With us. I’m sorry about the way I handled things with us.”

  “I think the point is you didn’t handle things. At all.”

  He nodded as he dropped his eyes to his hands, which rested on the table. “You’re right. I was...I was afraid to tell you, but I was going to tell you. It just so happened that you found out before I could.”

  “Lloyd, you ignored my calls after blocking me on Facebook. You had obviously already moved on without bothering to tell me anything. Your actions were the reason I found out. Your actions also showed me you had no intentions of ever telling me a damn thing. If you are going to sit here and lie to me, I’m leaving because believe me, I have much better shit I could be doing right now.”

  “Okay...I’m sorry. Look, I was a coward. I messed up.”

  “That’s all you have to say? That’s why you wanted to see me? Lloyd, we could’ve done this over the phone.”