Page 18 of Rich & Decadent

“Imani. Look at you,” Tom said. Imani shook Tom’s hand. The other man glanced over at Will. Imani quickly did the introductions between him and the other men. Apparently, they were all from the same office back in Atlanta. Will ensured he gave each of them a warning squeeze when he shook their hands. He didn’t want them getting any ideas about Imani. She was there with him. “This is some party.”

“It is. It’s actually kind of fun,” Imani said. She moved to Will’s side and took his hand. Will felt something swell in his chest at her move. He liked how she reached for him.

“I hear you’ll be staying in town a little longer. Making big moves, I see,” the one named Jeff said. Imani laughed and shook her head. From what Imani had shared with Will, this meeting she had on Tuesday was a big deal. She hadn’t seemed sure of what was going to come out of it, but she had been excited about it.

“Big moves? I have no idea,” she said. “I’m sure it’ll just be a consult for the international offices or something. I’ll be back in Atlanta soon enough,” Imani said. She wagged a finger at them. “But don’t worry. I’ll be fair in charging them for my services.”

They moved on and Imani stopped and spoke with another group of people. Will didn’t mind her networking. She was a star, and he was in awe of how she moved and spoke with the other attendees. Everyone was captivated by her.

“I can have my secretary set something up, Alisha,” Imani was speaking with an older woman. The music changed to a slow song and Will glanced toward the dance floor. There were quite a few couples there already. He wasn’t big on dancing, but he wanted to get Imani to himself for a few moments.

“Let’s dance,” he murmured in her ear. She glanced up at him with a smile on her lips. She nodded and turned back to the woman she was speaking with.

“It looks like I’m being swept away. I’ll talk to you soon,” Imani smiled. She shook the woman’s hand. Alisha’s gaze roamed over Will’s body in a way that made his skin crawl. Even if he hadn’t been with Imani, he wouldn’t have given her a second look. But that didn’t matter. Imani had his full attention tonight.

“Don’t keep a man like him waiting, my dear. He might get scooped up by someone else,” Alisha said and boldly winked at Will. He held back a scowl and tugged slightly on Imani’s hand wanting to leave the other woman’s presence as quickly as possible.

“Oh, don’t worry. He’s not going anywhere.” Imani turned toward him and he suddenly had the feeling that her words were meant for him. He reached up and caressed her face.

“Come on,” he murmured. He took her hand in his again and led her away.

“Can you believe her? Openly flirting with you while I’m standing right there,” Imani muttered. She had an unladylike scowl embedded on her face and Will tried not to laugh. When they arrived at the makeshift dance floor, he pulled her into his arms and began to sway softly to the music. He didn’t have much in the way of skill when it came to dancing, but he could manage a slow number with a sexy woman in his arms.

“Well, you did introduce me to her as your friend,” he said.

Imani didn’t say a word as she studied him. She lifted her arm and rested it on his shoulder while she pulled her other hand out of his grasp and rested it on his chest.

“Does that bother you?” she asked softly. He pulled her closer so she could feel how he truly felt about her. His cockwas pushing against his pants. Her eyes widened while her lips parted slightly.

“Does this feelfriendlyto you?” he rasped. Will didn’t like the term at all. It didn’t fit what was between them. He didn’t know exactly whatthiswas, but it certainlywasn’ta platonic relationship. He didn’t have sex with friends, and he certainly didn’t get jealous when other men looked at them.

Imani belonged to him.

He swallowed hard.Could he be the man she needed?His hands shook at the thought and he tightened them on her hips.What if he let her down? What if he ended up like his father?His brother was succeeding in his relationship, but was he as strong as Niko? Could he make this work between them?

“It feels like it’s something we should explore,” Imani replied. Her tongue snuck out and slid along her bottom lip drawing his attention to it. Memories of watching his cock slide into her mouth made his pants feel entirely too tight. “I understand you not wanting to be in a committed relationship, but what if we didn’tlabelit and just did us and see where it goes?”

A possessiveness filled him as he considered her words.

Deep down he wanted her.

Maybe it was time to toss caution to the wind and take a chance.

He wasn’t getting any younger, but his brother’s warning re-surfaced. He would never hurt Imani. He would walk away before he’d do that.

But she belonged to him. He knew it as much as he knew he needed air to breathe. How could henotlabel what was between them.

He would man up and make the leap.

Imani deserved that.

She deserved all the happiness in the world and if she wantedhim, then he’d do everything in his power to give her what she wanted and needed.

“I want you, Imani.”

Her face lit up at his announcement. She pulled his head down to her and offered her lips to him. He wasted no time in claiming them. Her fingers entwined themselves in his hair and he had to remind himself that they were in public—at a work function. He lifted his head slightly and looked down into her beautiful face. She smiled at him and his heart stuttered.

“Then you shall have me.”

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