Can't Stop Loving You

  Kaycee stood there in silence. Had her ears deceived her or did he just say he was distracted by her? She licked her lips and bit down on one of the corners, looking for something to say, but nothing came to mind.

  “I wish you well in your endeavors,” he said and held out his hand for a shake.

  Kaycee placed her hand in his and the same current that had transferred upon their first meeting replayed itself. She shivered in response.

  “Good luck to you, too, Kendrick,” she whispered. They stood there for a moment, hand in hand, then Kaycee released her hold and walked away.

  Holding a glass of chardonnay, Kaycee strolled over to the custom-built wall unit that contained her complete music collection. The cabinet held her compact stereo, vast CD and album collection and her most prized possession, a turntable and microphone given to her by her favorite uncle who’d been a popular deejay.

  She fingered through the CDs in search of the right one to complement her mood. The song that came to mind was by one of her favorite artists, Heather Headley. She smiled when she spotted the CD that contained the song “He Is.”

  Since her encounter with Kendrick at Café Jireh, she didn’t know what to think. His words had both frightened and delighted her. The fact that he didn’t want to do business with her was disheartening, but, oddly, his reasons made her hopeful. She’d rather be a distraction than nothing at all!

  He made it clear that he was avoiding her. Even she noticed that he had been doing a good job of it by keeping Tiki under wraps and by limiting his time outside where they could bump into each other.

  How could she have gotten into a situation like this? All she wanted to do was start up her business. Why did she have to be attracted to her next-door neighbor who owned one of the most popular spots in town in the process? One that she was trying to do business with. Granted, she could go out and try to secure business with other establishments, but everything in the area was practically saturated. Deep down inside, she knew that Jireh and Soulicious were a perfect match.

  With a sigh of defeat, Kaycee walked over to the French doors that led out to the lanai. She flipped on the outdoor blue lights and turned on the speakers to the outdoor sound system.

  She eased onto the sofa and took a sip of her wine. The June night was beautiful. The air was warm. The moon was a bright orange ball in the sky. It was the kind of night that tempted you to sleep under the stars. Kaycee loved the night air, which was why she’d had the outdoor kitchen and living room added. Any given day or night she’d go outside to sit before the fireplace or prepare dinner in the kitchen.

  The slight hum of lawn sprinklers coming on startled her. She watched as the water droplets sprayed across her thick Kentucky blue grass with the precision of a synchronized swim team. It looked so refreshing yet relaxing and seemed to be calling her name.

  Kaycee didn’t know if it was the alcohol that caused her to make her move. Before she knew it, she’d drunk down the contents of her glass, then she undid the belt on her robe, exposing her tank top and panties underneath. As Heather reached her crescendo in the song, Kaycee boldly walked into the flying spray.

  The tepid water cooled her skin as she edged closer to the sprinkler head. There she stood with her eyes closed as the water beat against her body like a thousand tiny massaging hands.

  She’d needed to do something crazy to offset the nerves jumping in her stomach. Her life faded in and out of uncertainty and the results haunted her. Four months ago, she’d reassessed and changed her life and she’s gotten over the change. Now she was ready to face the results of her decisions.

  The midnight shower seemed like just what she needed. Things were going to work out. They had to. She believed that Soulicious was her destiny and she was determined to fulfill it.

  As the water pelted her body, Kaycee stood in its midst, totally oblivious to the fact that she was being watched.

  Kendrick stood frozen in his bedroom window as he watched Kaycee standing in the sprinklers below. When he had first heard the music, he’d stepped over to the window to investigate just as she was taking off her robe.

  He felt wrong for standing there watching her, but he couldn’t turn his attention away. Watching Kaycee in action was like studying a piece of fine art. Perfect strokes, the use of color, bold and abstract.

  He was sure that if she’d known that his master bedroom faced her backyard, she probably would have thought twice about stepping out like that.

  There was nothing lewd about her actions. In fact she looked at ease, at peace, as if the water was refreshing her spirit. In turn, he actually admired her because he didn’t know one sister who would do something so spontaneous, especially if it meant getting her hair wet. Martinique surely wouldn’t. In this way, Kaycee reminded him of his late wife Amanda.

  That she was doing it without knowledge of his observation turned him on.

  That was what Kaycee did to him. She didn’t know it, but their little verbal exchanges made him want to snatch her up in his arms and press his lips against hers the way he’d seen the men do in old Western movies. She was a definite femme fatale and he was the alpha male. Despite what his head was telling him, he wanted Kaycee Jordan and it would only be a matter of time before he had her.

  Chapter 8

  “Sid, just say you’ll go with me,” Kaycee told Sidra over the telephone.

  “Where?”

  “Just say you’ll go, please?” she begged.

  “What are you talking about?” Sidra said with a sigh.

  “Tonight, I have an important event to attend and I don’t want to go by myself.”

  “What kind of event?” Sidra asked in a bored tone.

  “Have you ever heard of Soul Connection?”

  “No, what’s that?”

  “A dating service for black professionals. They’re meeting at Café Jireh tonight and I want you to go with me.”

  “Ooh,” Sidra cooed. “That will mean fine, single brothers with money, girl, count me in!”

  “Good, I’ll pick you up at seven,” Kaycee announced before hanging up the phone.

  That was all Kaycee needed. Tonight she was going to show up at Kendrick’s affair whether he wanted to work with her or not. She wasn’t about to be put off so easily. For some reason, she couldn’t cut her losses and walk away. She felt as if she was supposed to pursue this.

  She turned on the light in her walk-in closet and went straight to her outfit for the evening: a black halter top with rhinestone beading along the neckline with a matching pair of wide-legged pants that flowed when she walked. She completed the outfit with a pair of stiletto sandals with delicate rhinestone straps.

  She wet her hair, applied some mousse to it and spiked it up for a sassy, sexy look. The dramatic style coupled with her smoky eye shadow brought out the natural slant of her eyes. She completed her look with warm gloss on her lips and a natural-toned blush to her cheekbones.

  When she looked at herself in the mirror, she smiled as she turned her head from side to side. She looked gorgeous. With a dab of her favorite perfume she was ready to go.

  As she backed out of the driveway, a strange feeling came over her. Was she doing the right thing invading Kendrick’s party? Was she playing games? What she had admired in the mirror ten minutes earlier, she was ashamed of now. She regretted having asked Sidra to go along because she could see her pouting like a kid leaving a candy store with no purchases if she changed her mind.

  She paused at the wheel. It wasn’t her style to be so scheming and she thought about pulling back into the garage, but the idea was fleeting as something else overrode her feelings. It was a sense of urgency that was too strong to ignore. She had to be there for him tonight. If only to show her face in support of his efforts, then that was what she would do.

  “Sooky, sooky, now,” Sidra crooned as she handed over the keys to the handsome young valet.

  Kaycee looked at the long line of partygoers. She wished she had arrived earlier. Acco
rding to her estimations it would easily be more than an hour before they got inside. The thought of standing outside in her finest turned her off. She was a grown woman and had given up waiting in lines to get inside nightclubs years ago.

  “Girl,” Sidra said through closed teeth, trying not to be too obvious. “I think I died and went to brother heaven! I just hope we don’t have to wait in that long line. It could take all night getting through that.”

  Just as she turned to Sidra to suggest another plan of action, she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. The petite build and fast-paced walk let Kaycee know it was La Jetta. Her eyes lit up. She hadn’t seen La Jetta since her first visit. It was like running into an old friend.

  “La Jetta!”

  La Jetta looked up and let out a shrill of recognition when she saw Kaycee. She scurried over to give her a hug.

  “Hey, Kaycee, girl, what is going on besides looking fly?”

  “Just let me know when you’re ready to give up that outfit,” Kaycee replied. La Jetta sported a teal-blue knit top with silver beaded neckline and a tiered skirt paired with silver tie-up stilettos. It was an ensemble that Kaycee could easily see in her own closet.

  She nudged her head in the direction of the door. “How’s the party?”

  “Better now that I got out of there. It’s so hot and there’s so many people. I just hope they don’t tear up the place. Mr. Rick keeps the place nice to draw people, not turn them away, you know.”

  Kaycee nodded. She hoped Kendrick appreciated that committed staff like La Jetta and Charlotte had his back. They held him in such high esteem that it set a tone for others.

  “Charlotte told me you got the meeting.”

  Kaycee nodded. “I did, thank you so much for your suggestions. It went very well.”

  “I heard,” she replied. “Mr. Rick hasn’t stopped talking about you. So when are you going to bring some things in?”

  Kaycee didn’t answer right away because she was still hung up on La Jetta’s words about Kendrick talking about her.

  Rather than update her on the conversation that she and Kendrick had had the night before, she just smiled. She guessed that he’d probably been too busy to tell his staff of the latest decision not to partner with her.

  “Look, La Jetta, I’d like to go in. Is there any way around the crowd?”

  “Yes, there is,” she replied. “It’s called the Jetta Pass.”

  She grabbed Kaycee’s hand and led her over to the massive bouncer, Sidra tagging along behind. Kaycee’s eyes widened as they approached. The bouncer looked as wide as he was tall, with a bald head and a bulldog expression.

  “Charles, this is Mr. Rick’s new associate. She’s here to check out the place.”

  “No problem, Jet,” he replied in a soft voice that made Kaycee and Sidra exchange glances. Neither could believe that inside that big body resided such a soft voice. It was like Mike Tyson all over again.

  “Thanks, La Jetta,” Kaycee said. “Are you coming back in?”

  La Jetta shook her head with a roll of her eyes. “No, I’m done for the night.”

  “I’ll see you later then.”

  The moment they entered, Kaycee was surprised and impressed. Gone was the coffee house, replaced by a supper-club environment.

  Jireh’s was jumping! The transformation of the place had her tongue-tied. What Kaycee had thought would be a tired reception full of bourgeois black folks sipping on champagne and talking about investments and international affairs turned out to be a full-fledged affair with food, a parquet dance floor, live jazz band and outdoor seating, complete with decorative hanging paper lanterns stringing the deck out back. The bar consisted of the usual coffee varieties along with exotic mixed drinks.

  Sidra grabbed Kaycee’s hand and squeezed it. “Girl, I’m like a kid in a candy store. I don’t know if I should eat, buy or what.”

  Kaycee laughed. Sidra was right. There were some good-looking men in the place. The pair went deeper in the crowd with Sidra pinching Kaycee nearly every time they passed a well-dressed man.

  After circling the room, they returned to the front counter to check out the drink menu when Sidra caught sight of two tall men standing off to the side. Both were dressed in casual designer attire, sporting fresh haircuts with bling-bling flashing in their ears and dangling from their necks. To Kaycee they looked like professional basketball players.

  “Good evening, ladies,” one said, stepping forward and extending his hand. Even in the dim light, Kaycee and Sidra noticed the diamond-encrusted Rolex on his wrist. Sidra, clearly impressed by all that she saw, sashayed over to him, her hips swinging like a pendulum. She extended her hand for him to take.

  “Why, hello,” she cooed. “Are you having a good time?”

  He responded with an equally flirtatious grin, “Now I am.”

  Sidra giggled in return. “I’m Sidra Rodgers and you are?”

  “Hampton Barnes, but my friends call me Hamp,” he replied. He turned to his friend standing by his side. “This is my boy, Miles Jordan.”

  Sidra pulled Kaycee to her side, “What a coincidence. My friend Kaycee’s last name is Jordan.”

  Kaycee looked over at Miles and smiled. “I don’t think I see the family resemblance.”

  “Why do you say that? Because I don’t have those sexy brown eyes?” he asked, leaning down toward her as if trying to get a better look. He was not what Kaycee would call fine, more like cute, with boyish features like Will Smith.

  “No, I was thinking more of our trademark foreheads,” Kaycee answered. “The hazel eyes actually came from the Harpers on my mom’s side.”

  “But aren’t they sexy as hell?” a familiar male voice exclaimed over Kaycee’s shoulder. She quickly turned to find herself face-to-face with her ex-fiancé Paul.

  Her nose wrinkled in distaste. “Paul,” she said with surprise. She hadn’t expected to see him. Their months apart appeared to have done him some good. She noticed he was a little slimmer and had grown a mustache; he used to despise facial hair. Yet, he was still the same meticulous, clean-cut Paul down to the tan-and-black shirt, black trousers and sandals.

  “Hello, Kaycee.” His eyes canvassed the full length of her body before coming to rest on her face.

  “Whassup Paul? Is this your playa?” Hampton Barnes asked, jutting his thumb in her direction.

  Kaycee immediately decided that she didn’t like Hampton.

  Paul slyly smiled and slipped his arm around her slim waist. “Yeah, this is my girl.”

  “Ex-girl,” Kaycee quickly corrected him as she peeled his hand from around her body. She stepped out of his reach. “Get it right.”

  Her reaction made him flush with embarrassment and he stepped back with an uneasy laugh. “Yeah, that’s right.”

  Miles took the cue and quietly strolled away, taking his attention with him to the next woman standing nearby.

  Paul stepped back with a smile, his expression openly lust filled as he admired Kaycee’s new look. He shook his head with a click of his tongue.

  “My, my, my, Kaycee, I can’t get over how good you look. You even changed your hair.”

  Kaycee stepped back, putting space between them. “I’ve changed a lot of things in my life, Paul.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “What have you been doing with yourself?”

  Kaycee was at a standstill as to what she should say. She debated whether she should tell him about her business venture, but then she remembered how Paul like to intimidate through interrogation, and she thought twice about it. So she was very surprised when Sidra stepped forward to give him the 411.

  “My girl here doesn’t want to brag, but she’s a partner with the owner of this place.”

  Kaycee rolled her eyes. Leave it to Sidra to make up a fantastic tale and to rub it in his face, too. Although she didn’t agree with telling lies she was glad for Sidra’s quick thinking.

  “Really?” he asked w
ith a raised brow. “This place is big-time. Congrats.”

  Kaycee murmured “Thank you,” hating that she’d fallen into Sidra’s trap, yet glad to be able to show well. Even if it wasn’t the truth, at least in Paul’s eyes she wasn’t sitting around doing nothing after their relationship ended.

  “I think this calls for a toast.” Paul held up his hand to get the attention of one of the roaming waiters. “What would you like?”

  “Nothing, thank you,” Kaycee replied, turning to glance around the room again, wondering if Kendrick was nearby. She hadn’t seen him when she’d walked around minutes ago.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by Paul’s hand stroking her hair. Again, she ducked out of his reach and batted his hand away.

  “Stop it, Paul,” she said with irritation.

  “Sidra, why’s your girl acting all scared of me?” Paul asked. “It’s not like we don’t know each other.”

  “I don’t know, Paul, but I will have a Key Lime Margarita,” Sidra shouted out her order. “With extra lime.”

  “Baby, I got your drink,” Hampton informed her with a tug on her arm. Sidra responded by sinking back against him suggestively.

  “What do you want, Kaycee?” Paul asked, getting back to her order. “Do you still drink Cosmopolitans like they’re going out of style?”

  Kaycee shook her head. “No, that’s a thing of my past, too.” She hoped he caught on to the double meaning.

  However, Paul was not fazed. “So, what do you drink now?”

  “I think a glass of white wine will suit the lady just fine,” a husky male voice intervened. The quartet turned around to find Kendrick standing behind them.

  Kaycee’s heart began to thump rapidly in her chest, and she fought to keep the excitement of seeing him out of her face. He was dashing in a crisp white shirt and tailored black trousers.

  “Kendrick, hi,” she said, just above a whisper.

  “Kaycee,” he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. What could have been viewed as a greeting between associates was much more between the two of them.