Page 66 of Mahogany 2
“Straight up, what?” Mahogany asked, pretending not to know what I was referring to. “I’m transferring you because my workload is heavy and?—“
“Bullshit,” I interrupted as I circled the desk. Her hand went to the back of her neck as she followed me with her eyes.
“It’s not bullshit,” She lied. “My workloadisheavy. Besides…”
“Besides what?” I asked, standing next to her.
I clenched down on my jaw, with restraint. I wanted to touch her. Wanted to bury my face into the side of her neck. She smelled delectable. Today, she smelled like vanilla and honey. Not as sweet as she did the other night, but invigorating still.
“You know what,” she said, looking up at me before taking a step back. “It’s best if I transfer your case, Mr. Carter.”
“Don’t call me that. Not right now,” I told her.
Mr. Carter coming from her lips right now, while I was on ten, did nothing but wake my dick up. She was stern. Headstrong. Confident. No bullshit. And it was something about that, that turned me on.
With a sigh, she turned the corners of her lips up. “Crescent.”
“Hm?” I asked, wearing a smirk.
“We had sex,” She whispered. “I’m a married woman. A happily?—”
“Mmmh,” I grunted, interrupting her. “You keep saying that. I don’t know about that sweetheart.”
She drew back, offended. “Why? Because we had sex?” She paused. “That don’t mean shit.”
I drew in closer to her, closing the small space between us. It was almost as if I could hear her calling out to me. Not vocally—she’d never do that vocally. But energetically? Energetically, I felt her wanting me closer. So, I gave her that. Gave us that because just as bad as she wanted me closer, I wanted to be closer too. She looked up at me. Eyes centered. Unwavering. ButI noticed something. Another swallow. She was doing a great job standing her ground. Phenomenal even, but the truth still lied on the surface. I still had that effect on her that made her shy and timid. Of course I did. We just had sex two days ago. Regardless of how hard she tried not to be, she was still the same Mahogany today as she was then.
I didn’t say anything. Wasn’t given an opportunity to before she placed her hand on my chest, pushing me away.
“See what I mean? Like I said… It’s best if I transfer your case.” She walked away. I grabbed her wrist. She snatched away. I let her.
“We can’t work together.”
I shook my head. “Nah.Youcan’t work withme.”
“And you can work with me?” She sized me up. “You got up in my personal space twice already.”
“Because you asked me to.”
She drew back again. “Crescent.”
“Without words,” I added. “Listen… I understand.”
“No,” she paused. “No, you don’t. You can’t possibly understand. I am a married woman?—”
“Anunhappilymarried woman. A happily married woman wouldn’t have done the things you did.”
She paused, staring up at me with her arms crossed over her chest, silent. Probably to collect her lies because right after she got to rambling. Walked away from me and began to pace her office, talking. Talking about the mistake she made. Talking about how she was professional and never crossed lines with clients. Talked about how long she’d been married. Gave me explanations about why she did what she did. Explanations I didn’t need. Mahogany had sex with me because she wanted to. Fucked me because she couldn’t help but. There was something between us. Something drawing. Something that pulled me toward her, and her toward me. Felt it every single time I wasin her presence. This urge to draw closer. This urge to not give a fuck. Did she not think I had workplace morals? Lines I refused to cross? Mahogany wasn’t the first beautiful woman I worked with. However, she was the first I couldn’t resist. Which was crazy, considering she had a ring on her finger.
“You done?” I interrupted.
She looked over at me. “What?”
I hadn’t moved. I stayed planted behind her desk, hands stuffed into my pockets, watching her. Listening to her. Feeling her. The lies she spewed. The denial she was in. I was like that. Slow to defend, quick to listen.
“I asked if you were done,” I reiterated. “You want me to work with Shardae because we crossed the line. Cool. I hear you but as your client, I reject?—”
She placed her hands on her desk, leaned forward and looked up at me with misty eyes. “Crescent, please. You—” she paused. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to make this decision. I… I don’t operate like this. I don’t…” She shrugged. “I don’t—I can’t mess up.”
