Can't Stop Loving You

  “For your information, I’m here for an important business meeting, so I don’t have time to get into it with you over your dog.”

  Kendrick’s face fell. “Don’t tell me that you’re Kaycee Jordan from Soulicious?”

  “Why?” The look on his face told it all. He was Kendrick Thompson. “You can’t be,” she stuttered.

  “I am,” he replied. His eyes took in the spread on the table before her. “What is all of this?” he asked with a wave of his arm.

  “It’s a part of my presentation.”

  “Do you think all of that is necessary?” His tone reminded her of the flippant comment about her shoes and she immediately went on the defensive.

  “For my business it is,” she carefully replied. “I happen to take what I do very seriously and I treat all of my clients with the utmost professionalism. So if you’d care to hear my presentation, I would like to get on with it.”

  A slow smile curved Kendrick’s lips and he nodded for her to proceed. He pulled out the bistro chair and took a seat.

  Kendrick hoped that his attraction to Kaycee would be mistaken for attentiveness to her presentation. If asked, he probably couldn’t recall a word she said. His eyes drank in her beauty. He liked the way the chocolate-brown dress hugged her womanly curves in all the right places. Although sexy, it was tasteful.

  That was the one thing he noticed about her right away. She had class, unlike other women who tried to hold on to the banner of youth by sporting tattoos and piercings in unmentionable and in some cases obvious places, Kaycee carried herself as a woman who commanded respect. She was the first woman who had managed to capture his attention since his beloved wife had passed away.

  He decided that he liked everything about her already. The lilt in her voice and the light in her eyes as she talked about her business displayed her passion for what she did. He thought her rich, husky voice was sexy and he imagined her whispering words for his ears only.

  “Mr. Thompson, I said would you like to sample some of the cake?” she repeated in a soft voice as smooth as a caress.

  Kendrick jumped out of his daydream and cleared his throat nervously. “Huh, wh-what?” He looked up to find her standing over him with a gold fork and a plate in hand.

  “Cake,” she said holding out the plate. “Would you like some?”

  “Sure,” he replied. He couldn’t deny that his attention had zeroed in on the coconut cake when he’d first arrived at the table. Charlotte had raved over the peach cobbler. If the coconut cake was as good, he might have to consider doing business with Kaycee.

  Kaycee transferred the cake from the box onto the plate and placed it before him.

  Kendrick took the fork and dug in. The taste reminded him of Sunday afternoons when he and his brothers and sisters had looked forward to their mother’s coconut cake after church. Kaycee’s was just as moist and just as delicious.

  “This is good,” he announced.

  Kaycee’s eyes widened at the look of passion in Kendrick’s face as he ate. She had never seen a man show so much expression. The way his full lips savored the cake made her want to jump on the plate, too. The whole experience was almost…orgasmic!

  “Try some of the Italian cream cake and tell me what you think.” She slid a corner of the cake onto his plate. The second the cake hit his mouth, it seemed to melt.

  “Mmm, mmm, mmm,” he moaned. “Are you sure that you made these?”

  “What are you trying to imply?” she asked, surprised by another one of his offhand comments.

  Kendrick shrugged and wiped his mouth on the napkin she provided. “It’s just that you’re kind of young, and I thought people your age would be more interested in buying a cake than baking one.”

  Her first reaction was to cut him off with a sharp comment, but what would that accomplish? Nothing. Would it get her the business she was trying to secure? Probably not. So she chose to take the high road.

  “Mr. Thompson, understand this. I’m a very serious business woman. Baking is now my life. Every one of these recipes has been handed down from generations. I’m offended that you’d think I would try to accomplish something by taking shortcuts. That’s not my style.”

  Kendrick reared his head back to look her squarely in the eye. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me for my lack of professionalism. It’s just that I’ve been in this situation before. I know you don’t have anything to do with it, but it’s kind of hard getting over.”

  She exhaled slowly, relieved that he wasn’t the monster she thought him to be. “I’ll accept your apology if you place an order.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  Kaycee paused and looked into his eyes and struggled for a witty comeback, but she had none to throw. With a sigh she just shook her head in defeat. The man was definitely a challenge.

  The silence was comforting yet awkward at the same time. Kendrick tilted his head to the side and his eyes lowered as if studying the depths of her soul, just as they had the other night. Kaycee squirmed under his gaze, but she couldn’t look away. He had her locked in.

  He’s doing it again, she thought. He’s giving me that same look that makes me…

  “I have an event coming up sponsored by the Soul Connection—ever hear of them?”

  Kaycee’s eyes widened in recognition of the popular local dating club. It was full of well-to-do young professionals with lots of connections. She nodded.

  “Your product is perfect. I may consider working with you. Why don’t you leave these with me,” he said, picking up one of her catalogs and an order form. “I’ll call you later in the week to let you know where I stand. Fair enough?”

  “Fair enough,” she replied, placing her hand into his. As their hands touched, Kaycee sucked in a breath at the current of energy that transferred between them. She didn’t know what Kendrick Thompson was all about, but she had a distinct feeling that she would soon find out.

  Chapter 7

  Kendrick found it difficult to focus on the papers before him. He had his work cut out for him. In exactly one week, Café Jireh would be alive with singles hoping to make a love connection. Kendrick had been honored when the president of Soul Connection called to request a large party reservation.

  To impress the attendees, Kendrick wanted to go all-out. He’d thought about hiring a band, clearing a space for a dance floor and planning a special dinner and dessert buffet.

  Everything had to go off without incident. So he called in the big guns, Martinique Rivers of Finest Affairs Special Event Planning Team, who also happened to be one of his former lovers.

  He didn’t really want to have Martinique plan the event but she was one of the city’s most talented event planners. When they’d parted a year ago, Kendrick had known it was for the best. Martinique had wanted something from him that he wasn’t ready to give—at least to her. But since the café had taken off, he’d quickly realized that his hands were full, and he needed to recruit someone who could put on an excellent affair for an excellent price and he knew he could get both from Martinique.

  “Mr. Rick,” a voice called out, interrupting his thoughts.

  Kendrick glanced up to find Charlotte wearing a bothered expression.

  “Charlotte, what’s wrong?”

  The older woman rolled her eyes and through tight lips announced, “Ms. Rivers is here to see you.”

  His eyes rolled back in his head and he sighed deeply. “Tell her that I’ll be out in a second.”

  Instead of doing what she was told, Charlotte stepped inside the small office and closed the door.

  “Mr. Rick, why is she here?” she whispered. “I thought you said it was over between you two.”

  Kendrick ran his palm over his head and sighed. “Charlotte, it is over, but I need her help.”

  “In what way?” the older lady snapped. “She helped you last time when she almost cost you your business. You remember that, don’t ya? Why you foolin’ with her again?”

  He stood up behind his
desk. “Charlotte. I have the Soul Connection affair coming up next week and I don’t have one thing planned. Martinique is good at that.”

  He was ashamed to admit that he didn’t have any plans. Each time he tried to sit down to generate ideas he was pulled in another direction. Last week it had been his daughter Bianca. She’d been working late in court and needed Kendrick to pick up his two-year-old grandson, Sebastian, from daycare. This week it was Kaycee.

  Since their run-in, followed by the meeting a few days ago, Kendrick could not get her off his mind. From the time he rose each morning until he left the house, his thoughts were on her. Each morning, he hoped to catch a glimpse of her walking the neighborhood or leaving her house, but their paths never crossed. When he returned late in the evenings, he found himself glancing at her house to see if there was life, but it was always quiet.

  Since the latest incident with Tiki, he’d been extra careful about letting the dog roam so freely. He must have been doing a better job than he thought, because he hadn’t heard a single complaint.

  He thought about how Kaycee’s business would be a welcome addition to the café. He knew he needed delicious desserts to complement the coffees, and Kaycee’s fare fit the bill, but he was having a hard time making up his mind. He had been burned and he wasn’t ready to go there yet.

  Her name was Antoinette. She’d breezed into Kendrick’s life shortly after he’d moved back to the Atlanta area. They’d met at an art gallery. She was a recent divorcée with a teenage son, a gorgeous face and beautiful body.

  Right away, she had let him know that she found him attractive, too, and wanted to see him on a personal level. Although he’d told her that he wasn’t looking for a relationship, she’d pursued him anyway. At first their relationship was strictly platonic.

  They hung out, caught a movie here and there, attended plays and jazz concerts in the park. They also shared a passion for business. It was common to find them at the local diner hashing out business ideas.

  Kendrick had told Antoinette about his desire to open the café and she’d insisted that she wanted to help. In turn, Antoinette connected him with the people he needed to make the paperwork move faster. She’d also enlisted her uncle who was a pastry chef at a famous L.A. restaurant to ship desserts. Everything appeared to be on the up and up and Kendrick began entertaining the idea of opening up his heart again. So he’d let down his defenses and began to initiate dates. He and Antoinette enjoyed his favorite pastimes like picnics in the park, riding his motorcycle and fishing—but it wasn’t enough.

  Right before he was to open the doors to Café Jireh, Antoinette handed him a contract stating that she would be a silent partner and would reap forty-five percent of all earnings from the restaurant. Attached to it was a list of those tasks that she had so “graciously” performed for him.

  Kendrick was taken by surprise and he quietly paid her out of the picture, vowing to keep his personal and business lives separate, which is why he didn’t want to move forward with Kaycee. He was attracted to her, and to the fact that she had an excellent product, but he couldn’t bare to repeat the Antoinette fiasco.

  “Mr. Rick, Mr. Rick,” Charlotte called while snapping her fingers before his face.

  “I’m sorry, Charlotte,” he apologized. “I guess I was daydreaming.”

  “I said, what do you want me to tell old starch britches out there?” she asked, nudging her head toward the dining room.

  Kendrick chuckled. Martinique had a reputation around Jireh as the ice queen who surreptitiously hid her royal scepter up her behind.

  He stood up with the party file in hand and draped his arm across Charlotte’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll take it from here.”

  Kendrick spotted Martinique sitting in a corner booth, tapping away on her laptop while holding a conversation on her cell phone, as usual.

  With a deep sigh he approached, hoping that he wasn’t making a mistake.

  She looked up as he got nearer. “Kendrick, darling!” she said, standing up; her three-inch heels placed her eye to eye with him. She had an aristocratic air about her and a blue-blood pedigree to match. She frequently bragged about how she could trace her generations back to one of the oldest, most prominent African-American families in Atlanta.

  They exchanged air kisses.

  “Martinique, thank you for coming,” he said and waited for her to sit down before taking a chair across from her.

  Martinique reclaimed her seat and signed off from her call. She placed the cell phone on the table and took Kendrick’s hand in hers. “Ken, you know I’m honored that you would ask me to help you.”

  “I couldn’t think of anyone else who’d be better for the job.” He failed to mention that his main purpose for calling was so that he could assign all of the coordinating to her. He neither had the time nor did he have the energy to do it with business as busy as it was. Besides, he knew that with her connections, she could put on an affair that would keep people talking about Jireh.

  Martinique giggled. “Now, tell me the good stuff. Are you interested in something safe and affordable—a Honda party—or are you looking for something elite and memorable—a Bentley party?”

  Kendrick shook his head with a laugh at her analogy. Martinique was something else. As he leaned forward to explain what he wanted, he didn’t notice the pearl-white Toyota pulling up outside and Kaycee stepping out.

  “Hi, Charlotte, how are you?” Kaycee greeted the woman behind the counter with a smile.

  Charlotte’s face lit up with joy. “Ms. Jordan, how are you?”

  “Kaycee, please call me Kaycee,” she corrected. “Is Mr. Thompson available to see me today?”

  Charlotte’s eyes traveled over to where Kendrick sat with Martinique. “He’s in a meeting right now.”

  Kaycee turned her head in the direction that Charlotte was looking and her eyes came to rest on Kendrick and Martinique. Her brow raised at the sight of the well-coiffed, sophisticated older woman, and she immediately wished she had chosen something else to wear.

  Suddenly the lightweight gray pantsuit and light blue blouse looked rather ordinary compared to the shantung pantsuit that the woman in Kendrick’s company was wearing. She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should approach, but something inside moved her, and before she knew it, she was standing at their table.

  Both Kendrick and Martinique looked up simultaneously upon Kaycee’s arrival. Kendrick’s eyes widened with surprise. He immediately scrambled up from his seat.

  “Did we have a meeting today?”

  Kaycee shook her head. “No, I was just dropping by to see if you’d come to a decision on that little matter,” she said, trying to be as vague as possible. She didn’t know the woman sitting at the table and didn’t see a reason to be spreading her business.

  Martinique gave Kaycee the once-over with a smirk and boldly sat forward in her seat, resting her chin on her crossed hands. Her actions put Kaycee in mind of a lioness claiming her territory.

  “About that,” Kendrick began. “I think we need to talk.”

  Kaycee surprised all three of them when she grabbed Kendrick’s forearm and said in a sweet voice, “I’ve been waiting for your response for the last few days. I don’t think it’s nice to keep me waiting.”

  Kendrick looked down on her with wide questioning eyes, immediately lost in her beauty. He liked the way her eyes lowered seductively and how her voice was a little over a husky whisper. He liked her soft hands holding on to his arm as though she was more than just a business associate. Her sweet fragrance teased his nostrils.

  Was Kaycee trying to come on to him? Martinique’s mouth dropped open at Kaycee’s boldness, which only delighted Kaycee.

  The older woman cleared her throat, breaking through his fantasizing. “Kenny, where are your manners?” she purred with false sweetness.

  “Martinique!” Kendrick coughed out. In the midst of Kaycee’s actions, he’d forgotten all about their meeting. “I’m sorry,
Kaycee Jordan, Martinique Rivers. Kaycee’s my, my—” for some reason he was at a loss for words to describe their relationship.

  “Good friend,” Kaycee threw out in a sugary voice. She reached out her hand for Martinique to shake, but the older woman just stared back in return. It was obvious that she wasn’t interested in knowing who Kaycee was.

  “Nice to meet you, Kizzy,” Martinique said in a bored tone.

  “That’s Kaycee,” Kaycee immediately corrected her.

  Knowing Martinique the way he did, Kendrick thought it was best that he separate the two women before some conflict broke out.

  “Martinique, please excuse me.”

  He placed his hand on Kaycee’s lower back and led her across the room.

  When they were out of earshot of Martinique, he turned to Kaycee with a look of disapproval. “Ms. Jordan, what is going on?”

  Kaycee hated that she’d lost her cool; she knew it stemmed from jealousy, but she wasn’t about to let Kendrick know that.

  “I wanted to know if you’d made your decision about my proposal.”

  Kendrick stared at her for a few seconds without answering. His response made Kaycee nervous. She didn’t know if she could handle him saying no, but she had a feeling that was what she was about to hear.

  “Kaycee, I’ve been thinking about your proposal. I think your business is a great idea and I know that it is something that could definitely enhance my business.”

  “I feel a but coming on,” she said softly.

  He turned away, not wanting to see disappointment on her beautiful face. “But I’m not sure if it’s a good idea that we work together.”

  “Why’s that?” she asked.

  He took a few steps forward before turning around to face her. “For starters we’re neighbors and we didn’t necessarily get off on the right foot. Secondly, I’ve been in this position before, and I’m not sure if I can trust this kind of arrangement to work again, and third—”

  “There’s more?” Kaycee asked with a sigh.

  Kendrick nodded. “I think you are a beautiful, talented and exciting woman. I don’t need any distractions in my life right now.”