Tormented

“You want to?”

She thought for a moment. “I’d like to.”

“Why’s that?”

“I feel like I’ve abandoned the other women.”

“They have plenty of company.”

“And I left something at in the cabin.”

“What’s that?”

“My pen. I couldn’t find it before we left.”

“I have plenty of pens you can help yourself to.”

She lowered her lashes. “This one, uh, has sentimental value.”

“And you decided to bring something of value along on a week of sex?”

“It’s like a good luck charm.”

He didn’t tell her that her so-called charm was about to run out of luck.

CHAPTER NINE

Something was up. Kimani could sense it. She’d often felt Ben’s penetrating gaze on her, but either it was more intense on the drive back to his place or it was more frequent. Or both.

Often in these instances, when she met his stare, she could see lust swimming in his eyes. The dilated pools of black made her heart quicken. But his pupils were more constricted at the moment. She found it difficult to swallow. And when he closed the door of his penthouse behind them, she felt as if he were closing her only escape.

It was just as well. She needed to have her guard up after all that talk with Keisha. At lunch, she had relaxed because of Gordon. Now that she was alone with Ben, she needed to watch herself. She didn’t like that he had left her hot and bothered once again. And even though she wouldn’t be doing anything differently if she didn’t have the chastity belt on, knowing it was there only increased her agitation.

He did it to deliberately frustrate you. To keep you down and assert his dominance. You don’t want to fall for a guy like that, do you?

He put the sweet potato pie, his keys, and cell on the kitchen counter before turning to her. Leaning back against the counter, he said

, “There something you want to tell me, Kimani?”

Kimani. He had used her name instead of calling her “my pet.” Was that good or bad?

“Like what?” she returned.

“Like who you had coffee with this morning.”

Was he jealous? That might explain the tenseness she had picked up on.

“Just an old friend,” she replied nonchalantly, making sure she stood within leaping distance of the front door.

“How come you didn’t meet with Sam?”

She gave him a quizzical look.

“Your girlfriend Sam, who used to be a man, who was so worried about you that you felt the need to call or text her on a daily basis. You had the whole morning to yourself, and you chose to have your hair done and meet with someone other than Sam.”

“Oh. Sam doesn’t live in the city.”

Did he suspect Sam was a boyfriend or lover of hers? She thought he didn’t care if she was in a relationship with anyone.