BWWM Interracial Romance 1: Professional Relations by Elena Brown Page B

Regina jumped. She picked up the phone in fumbling hands and opened the new text.
    You sound like you need a drink. McNulty’s?
    Regina smiled to herself at the brusque but friendly reply. She texted back her agreement, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders already. She told herself not to hope too hard—Bradley was a decent human being, and kind man under his veneer of competitiveness and arrogance, but she didn’t know if he would believe her.
    Regina left work exactly on time for the first time in weeks, driving to the pub with a pounding heart full of wishes. She hoped that Bradley would believe her; she hoped that he would understand, and that he would possibly want to renew their relationship. Regina gradually realized that what enraged her most about the trick her petty husband had pulled, even more than the death of her career, was that it had deprived her of the man she loved.
    Bradley arrived a few moments after her, walking in and looking around until he spotted her. Regina felt herself blushing as he smiled, crossing the room to come to the table she had taken. She had ordered for him—a seven and seven, which she remembered as one of his favorite drinks, with a sangria for herself.
    “So,” Bradley said, sitting down and taking his drink in hand. “It’s good to see you again, although I can tell by your face that you’re in some kind of deep trouble. Tell me about it.”
    Regina took a deep breath and a sip of her drink and began to slowly and falteringly explain. She told Bradley about her abusive ex-husband; she had refused to mention Richard the entire time they had been together—the whole two months—in part because she had been raised that mentioning previous lovers was in bad taste and in part because she hadn’t wanted to see pity in his eyes when she told him what kind of husband she had had, or contempt when she said how long she had stayed with him. Instead of either, she saw understanding in the bright blue gaze that stayed riveted on her face. She explained that she left Richard, foregoing alimony or any kind of benefit in favor of a fast divorce and the prospect of a new life.
    Finally, she came to the real trouble. Looking down at the table in shame, she explained why she had broken things off with Bradley. “I hate myself for thinking it now, but I didn’t have any idea that Richard was behind all the slander being said about me and, well… I haven’t been given a lot of reasons to trust men I sleep with in the past several years.”
    Bradley’s hands entered her field of vision, and Regina almost startled as his pale, milky skin came against hers, his hands gripping both of hers tightly for a long moment until she looked up.
    “I didn’t guess at any of the specifics,” he said quietly, a faint, sympathetic smile curving at his lips, “But I did notice that you never mentioned any previous relationships at all, and that you seemed absolutely terrified when I brought it up. And the time you had to use the safe word, I figured there was more to it than just the moment. And of course, when you broke up with me…” He took a deep breath. “I knew there had to be more to it. I don’t blame you at all for suspecting me, Reggie.” He leaned in and kissed her gently. “I have to admit that all this time I’ve been holding out the hope that you’d get comfortable with the idea of us dating again. Is there any chance of that? I’ll help you no matter what you decide.”
    Regina smiled. “I’ve been bawling my eyes out over losing you for months! Of course there’s a chance of us dating again.”
    Regina barely noticed the dinner they ate at the pub; she was so happy, so relieved by Bradley’s presence, that she would have happily eaten anything. When he would have said good night, she kissed him hungrily, touching him all over to let him know that she didn’t want the evening to end just yet—that she needed his comfort in more than just