The Ultimate Merger by Delaney Diamond Page B

he’d been in and out of meetings and spent the rest of
his time on his laptop conducting research and communicating with
his staff. He’d hoped to be farther along in the deal by now, but
he’d just have to be patient a little while longer.
    He flexed his shoulders and grabbed the room
key from the desk. He’d been in the room all day, and it was now
dark outside. He needed a break. Time to get out and see a little
bit of what Chicago had to offer.
    Downstairs, he asked for a recommendation to
a place where he could get a drink and unwind. Before long, he
headed out on foot to a nearby restaurant recommended by the
concierge. When he arrived at Giovanni’s he could hear music
playing and the weekend crowd had already started gathering.
    One of the best ways to relieve stress was in
the arms of a woman. Unfortunately, he’d been so busy he hadn’t had
time to make the acquaintance of anyone during his short stay. The
energy of the patrons and the beat of rock music would have to
suffice tonight.
    Renaldo sat at the bar and ordered a scotch.
As he nursed his drink, mentally listing everything he had to
accomplish next week, a tall black woman walked in. She entered the
restaurant with a straight spine and a confident walk. At first he
gave her only a cursory glance. She appeared to have just left
work, dressed in a plain gray business suit with a white silk
blouse and very little jewelry. After she took a seat at the
opposite end of the bar, his eyes strayed to her again.
    With her kinky, chestnut-colored hair pulled
back from her face and clipped neatly at the back of her head, he
couldn’t tell its true length. She didn’t wear much makeup on her
tawny-colored skin. Good thing, too, because she had an attractive
face.
    In one graceful movement, she removed her
blazer and then twisted on the stool to hang it over the back of
the chair, the motion causing the silk blouse to pull taut across
her chest. He was a breast man, and she had two nice-looking ones.
Not big, but enough to almost fill his hands. His jaw tightened at
the thought as he swirled the scotch in the glass. He hoped she was
alone. If so, his situation might be improving.
    He enjoyed burying his face in the perfumed
cleft of a woman’s cleavage. What would the cleft between her
breasts smell like? The thought stirred his loins awake.
    As he watched her, Renaldo wondered, too,
about the color of her eyes. Were they brown or black? He soon
received an answer. She idly scanned the room and her gaze landed
on him. White heat pooled in his stomach, causing him to halt the
swirling motion of his hand.
    Light brown. Stunning.
    ****
    Sabrina didn’t think she could have
experienced a greater shock if the force of a lightning bolt had
coursed through her body. For a moment she froze, bewitched by a
pair of eyes as black as midnight.
    Unnerved, she dragged her eyes away, but not
before she registered the man’s other features: an aquiline nose,
short-cut hair the same color of his eyes, and swarthy skin which
suggested he might be Italian or Latin. His white shirt opened at
the collar to reveal a strong throat and a sprinkling of crisp,
black hair.
    Even though she’d looked away, she knew he
still watched. She could feel it.
    “What can I get for you?” the bartender asked
with a friendly smile.
    She ordered a glass of red wine. When he
walked away, she picked up the menu to check out the selection of
appetizers, disregarding the biting intensity of the feelings that
had just flowed through her. A few minutes later, she placed an
order for stuffed mushrooms and had a glass of wine in her
hand.
    Glancing around the bar, careful not to look
straight ahead again, she regretted telling Ernestine not to come.
They always had fun when they hung out together. Well, she’d have
the next best thing soon enough. She’d left Samuel a voice mail
before she left work, so he should be here soon.
    Unable to resist, she let her eyes drift back
across the bar. A pretty