want to hear right now. He held up his hand. “Let’s wait and discuss things further after dinner. All right?”
Opal pulled in a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, but I want to go back to the house and rest up for dinner,” she said, taking another step back. She turned to leave and he called out to her.
“Opal?”
She stopped and turned back around. “Yes?”
“Are you afraid of me?”
She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. “No, D’marcus, I’m not afraid of you.”
He inhaled deeply, relieved. “Then, what are you afraid of?”
She glanced out at the ocean before looking back at him. “Of the unknown,” she said in a soft voice. “I’ve always wanted to share something with a man that will last a lifetime. I take it you don’t want that from a woman. You don’t want to marry nor do you want to have children. I’m not into casual relationships and you’re the last type of man I should become involved with. And, on top of that, you’re my boss.”
He nodded. “But?”
She stared at him wondering how he knew there was a but. “But I admit I’m attracted to you, as well.” And, since it seemed they were going for honesty and admissions of the soul, she added, “And I have been for a long time.”
With that said, she turned and began walking toward the house.
Chapter 10
O pal paced her bedroom not knowing what she should do. It had been bad enough when she’d tried ignoring her attraction to D’marcus. Bad enough, when her sisters accused her of having a crush on him, and she had denied their allegations with a passion. But now, after the kiss they’d shared on the beach, she had to admit a few things to herself. What she was feeling was worse than a crush. She had fallen heads over heels in love with him.
“That’s just great, Opal,” she said aloud to herself, throwing up her hands. “Why are you setting yourself up for failure and heartbreak?”
She knew the answer. Falling in love with him was something she hadn’t planned on. In fact, she had been prepared not to like him, and, initially, he had made it quite easy to do just that. But, at times, she had seen beyond his overbearing demeanor, his demanding ways. It was there in his voice whenever he had spoken to the coordinators of his various charities and, twice a month, he served as mentor for a group of high-school students who were interested in getting into business one day. The totally different attitude, the caring, was obvious.
Falling in love with him was her problem; one she would have to deal with while doing everything she could to maintain her dignity. D’marcus was a handsome man who could arouse her silly with just a kiss. She couldn’t let her emotions overwhelm her. And, no matter what, she had to consider the consequences of loving a man who didn’t love her back.
Disappointment filled her heart at the thought that she might have to find employment elsewhere. She liked her job, but the fact that she loved her boss was a major issue. She tried not to think about how she had felt in his arms or how his mouth had taken her with a mastery that, even now, had her breathless. The chemistry between them was obvious although she wished it wasn’t. In Detroit, they had downplayed it, ignored it, bottled it. But now it seemed it couldn’t be avoided any longer.
She sighed deeply when she heard him moving around downstairs, probably in the kitchen preparing the steaks to be grilled. Somehow, she had to go down there and act as though nothing had happened. Had to pretend his kiss hadn’t rocked her world or that, even now, she wanted him to kiss her again.
As she headed for her bedroom door, she promised herself that, no matter what, she would get through the evening and later, when they did sit down to talk, she would try and be open-minded about things. But, if she had to resign from her job, she would do it.
D’marcus glanced up from what he was doing when Opal walked into the
Opal pulled in a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, but I want to go back to the house and rest up for dinner,” she said, taking another step back. She turned to leave and he called out to her.
“Opal?”
She stopped and turned back around. “Yes?”
“Are you afraid of me?”
She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. “No, D’marcus, I’m not afraid of you.”
He inhaled deeply, relieved. “Then, what are you afraid of?”
She glanced out at the ocean before looking back at him. “Of the unknown,” she said in a soft voice. “I’ve always wanted to share something with a man that will last a lifetime. I take it you don’t want that from a woman. You don’t want to marry nor do you want to have children. I’m not into casual relationships and you’re the last type of man I should become involved with. And, on top of that, you’re my boss.”
He nodded. “But?”
She stared at him wondering how he knew there was a but. “But I admit I’m attracted to you, as well.” And, since it seemed they were going for honesty and admissions of the soul, she added, “And I have been for a long time.”
With that said, she turned and began walking toward the house.
Chapter 10
O pal paced her bedroom not knowing what she should do. It had been bad enough when she’d tried ignoring her attraction to D’marcus. Bad enough, when her sisters accused her of having a crush on him, and she had denied their allegations with a passion. But now, after the kiss they’d shared on the beach, she had to admit a few things to herself. What she was feeling was worse than a crush. She had fallen heads over heels in love with him.
“That’s just great, Opal,” she said aloud to herself, throwing up her hands. “Why are you setting yourself up for failure and heartbreak?”
She knew the answer. Falling in love with him was something she hadn’t planned on. In fact, she had been prepared not to like him, and, initially, he had made it quite easy to do just that. But, at times, she had seen beyond his overbearing demeanor, his demanding ways. It was there in his voice whenever he had spoken to the coordinators of his various charities and, twice a month, he served as mentor for a group of high-school students who were interested in getting into business one day. The totally different attitude, the caring, was obvious.
Falling in love with him was her problem; one she would have to deal with while doing everything she could to maintain her dignity. D’marcus was a handsome man who could arouse her silly with just a kiss. She couldn’t let her emotions overwhelm her. And, no matter what, she had to consider the consequences of loving a man who didn’t love her back.
Disappointment filled her heart at the thought that she might have to find employment elsewhere. She liked her job, but the fact that she loved her boss was a major issue. She tried not to think about how she had felt in his arms or how his mouth had taken her with a mastery that, even now, had her breathless. The chemistry between them was obvious although she wished it wasn’t. In Detroit, they had downplayed it, ignored it, bottled it. But now it seemed it couldn’t be avoided any longer.
She sighed deeply when she heard him moving around downstairs, probably in the kitchen preparing the steaks to be grilled. Somehow, she had to go down there and act as though nothing had happened. Had to pretend his kiss hadn’t rocked her world or that, even now, she wanted him to kiss her again.
As she headed for her bedroom door, she promised herself that, no matter what, she would get through the evening and later, when they did sit down to talk, she would try and be open-minded about things. But, if she had to resign from her job, she would do it.
D’marcus glanced up from what he was doing when Opal walked into the
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