Divinely KAYA: 2008

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Words of Thanks...

First, I'd like to thank you for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to peruse through Divinely Kaya (Kaya's Creations). This blogspot has been created, for you, my readers and or inquiriees to learn more about me, my novels, and their release/availability. Above all, I'd like to thank you for becoming a part of my fan base and helping me be one step further to achieving success. To give you a little bit about me, the authoress, I hail from Gary, Indiana (GI). Yes, the infamous Gary, but I am not a product of the city - as many automatically stereotype. I am married, not a mother of any children (...yet) and my goal as a writer is to become an African-American Bestselling Author like the next EJD (Eric Jerome Dickey), Zane, Omar Tyree - you name em', I want to be one in the number. Please keep in mind, my novels are not meant for anyone under 18--my target audience is Adult. So again, I do thank you for visiting my blogspot, feel free to kick off your shoes and relax your feet as you read excerpts, synopses, and visit the websites that are selling my novels.

And, guess what, you can do all this FOR FREE! :-))

Much Love,

Divinely Kaya

Tailored Secrets

Synopsis:
Born into families both religious in background, Leoni and Taye were forced into vows of abstinence until marriage. The only thing keeping them going was the favorable lifestyles of their families—despite the minor occurrences of their parents’ broken marriages. Once the secrets begin to surface, showing the true colors and the lies that have been held in place, it becomes harder for them to maintain their vow and to uphold their faith in family. Torn by broken hearts, ending friendships and two best friends who are hiding secrets, neither Taye nor Leoni know which way to turn or whom to trust. Tailored Secrets is the tale of two families: a mother demanding of her daughter’s virtue and a man torn between loving and hating his mother because of the secrets about his father’s death. Leoni and Taye must face a reality that is nothing they planned before they are swallowed up in the confusion of their loved ones and friends. It soon affects their relationship and threatens to tear apart the only thing they have left.

Tailored Secrets is currently available at:
Borders
Barnes and Nobles
Amazon.com
Also available at:
http://www.publishamerica.com/

Excerpt:
They heard voices coming from the front of the townhouse and Jacki sprang to her feet, helping Leoni up as she walked towards the front entrance.

“It’s prolly Jimmy bringin my assignments over,” she said, “Cuz’ I done missed a few classes this past week and I told him to just come on in cuz we were the only ones here.”

“You gettin lazy. I promise you are, Jacki,” Leoni said stroking her stomach, the other hand bracing her back.

“Whateva, you gone get there too, just wait til after Spring Brea—“ she broke off talking when she saw Taye and Sophia standing at the door laughing and talking, “Aw shit,” she muttered.

Leoni’s eyes grew wide and she glared at Taye who turned in shock to see both of them standing there once he placed his luggage on the ground. Sophia placed her long, slender hands on her broad hips and smiled slyly at Leoni as if she were mocking her presence.

“Oh no he didn’t,” Jacki muttered, turning and grabbing her backpack, “I’ll catch you lata Jaz. I’m goin to my place to study,” and she quickly exited the building.

Leoni stepped forward and rested her hands on her lower back, looking at the both of them back and forth.

“Hi Taye,” she said a nervous smile on her face, “You’re back early,” she said, trying to stay calm and not jump to any initial conclusions.

He smiled and said hello back before licking his lips and glancing at the 5’11, thin framed, D cupped, ebony complected woman with the apple shaped face, high cheekbones, thin lips and narrow eyes. Her hair was cut in a low S-Curl and her skin had a glow to it as if she had come from a tropical island. She was beautiful and it only made Leoni feel inferior to her now that she was standing before the casually dressed woman, literally barefoot and pregnant in capris and a pink maternity shirt; her shoulder length hair pulled back into a tight bun.

“Sophia, this is Leoni. You remember her, right?” he introduced.

The woman stepped forward with her long legs and extended her hand to the shorter Leoni, smiling down at her as if she were a goddess and Leoni, was her servant there to wait after her.

“I remember the name. But, we’ve never met. However, Taye has told me so much about you over the years. And he’s right; you are a very beautiful woman. It’s nice to meet you finally,” she said, her somewhat husky voice filling the room.

Leoni looked at Taye, she had been under the impression that he hadn’t spoken to Sophia since they had broken their relationship. But now, she was aware that they had never stopped communicating; this realization only hurt Leoni more and made her feel more inferior and less attractive compared to the woman standing in front of her because he hid it from her for some reason. And obviously, the reason was staring her dead in the face at this very moment.

“Sophia, you can have a seat. Did you want anything while you were here?” he asked her.

Leoni stood there, amazed at the episode transpiring before her very eyes. She swallowed hard, fighting the tears that were building and tried to maintain her composure even though she wished that she was invisible at this moment.

“No, I’m alright, thank you Taye. I’ll just wait for you in the living room,” she said, smiling at him and sauntering gracefully out of the room.

He looked at Leoni and smiled, stepping forward to hug her, “Hey baby, I missed you so much.”

She placed her hand in front of her, stopping him in his tracks and he looked at her, bewildered.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Leoni opened her mouth, no words escaped; she couldn’t bring logic to her brain at this moment. She fought with her thoughts and her emotions, trying to speak coherently, but she struggled. Finally, she took a deep breath and asked, “What’s goin on?”

“I’m done with my internship and our flight was changed to an earlier one—“

“No, what is she doin here…with you…in your townhouse?” she interrupted, her eyebrows high.

“She’s just in town for the next couple days. Her job sent her here for a few meetings; that’s all.”

“But why is she here?” she asked, pointing at the floor.

Taye stroked his fade, “She wanted to see the place, Leoni. And I brought her here before it was too late, so that she could be outta here and at her hotel and wouldn’t have to come another time,” he explained.

“When-when were you gonna tell me this?”

He sighed, “I didn’t think it was a big deal—“

“You didn’t think—” she yelled, but stopped suddenly to lower her voice, “you didn’t think it was a big deal? You bring your ex here and you don’t think it’s a big deal?” she stared at him in disbelief, “What is wrong with you?”

He shrugged slightly, “Well, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Wow. I cannot believe you just said that to me,” she said, growing angrier, his words twisting the knife deeper in her heart.

He closed his eyes momentarily, knowing he shouldn’t have spoken those words and that it had come out the wrong way. He took in a deep breath, trying to find a way to make this not turn into an argument and to straighten this up with her. He was innocent, there were no intentions hidden in bringing Sophia here, she wanted to see the townhouse and he didn’t want her making an excuse that it was “too late” and she may need to stay at his place because it she had missed her check in time; thus she would go to the hotel the following morning. So he brought her early enough so that she could see it and leave and not have an excuse to come into his personal space again. But, he knew this wouldn’t be okay with Leoni; that’s why he hoped she would not have been at his place when he returned so that he could bring Sophia, give her a brief tour and she would be gone about her business without Leoni ever having to know she had been there. Sophia was his ex, he learned extra pointers on how to give good lovin’ from her and she received his dick on a regular. They were together for half of a year—the second longest relationship besides he and Leoni; every other female was just a booty call. But Sophia, she was someone he actually had a relationship with and that was what made the difference—he had previous feelings for her and they had only broken up because she contemplating moving to Florida and he and Leoni had decided to work things out.

He sighed, “That wasn’t meant the way it sounded, Leoni.”

“No, I know what it meant,” she said angrily.

“Leoni, that’s not—“

“If you don’t wanna be with me anymore—fine, your wish is granted; you’re a free man now. And since you’re bringin her into your place, I know I’m not welcome here anymore,” she said turning and waddling toward the back of the townhouse and into his bedroom.

He followed her and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. She had grabbed a suitcase out of the closet and was beginning to pack her clothes, tears falling down her flushed cheeks.

“Leoni—Jaz, don’t—don’t do that. That’s not necessary—“

“No, it is necessary!” she yelled, “I know that I haven’t been able to make love to you cuz’ I’m carryin around this huge ass belly now, but damnit Taye,” she paused for a minute, “if you didn’t want me anymore, that’s all you had to say. You didn’t have to bring her here to make your point.”

He stroked his fade, “That’s not what this is about,” he watched her viciously throw clothes into the deep case, “Leoni, stop packin! I’m not…shit, I’m not tryin to get back wit her! She just wanted to see my place and I brought her here straight from the airport so she could take her ass back to the hotel and not try to make any excuses as to why she needed to stay the night,” he said, desperately trying to correct the situation, “And I-I wanted her gone before you got here to keep the peace!”

“Yeah, whatever you say,” she mumbled, still packing, “You need some pussy, that’s all this is about and since I’m not givin it up; you get it elsewhere.”

“That’s not….Leoni, that’s not what this is about. Damn, I love you, not her!”

“No, you don’t fuckin love me! If you loved me, she wouldn’t be here!” she yelled, “But you don’t have to worry about that anymore cuz’ I’m gone. I’ll send some friends to get the rest of my shit outta here. You don’t have to do a damn thing but be happy with your ex and go on about your business.”

His heart was racing a thousand beats a minute. He was scared of losing her and now it was happening right before his very eyes.

“Leoni, don’t do this. Please don’t do this. I love you and we have a baby—“

“Don’t worry about the baby, we’ll be just fine,” she said quickly.

He walked over to her and grabbed the suitcase, “No, you’re not leavin’,” he said.

She snatched it back, “You have company to tend to,” she snapped, glaring up at him, “And your guest is leavin’ so you two can have privacy.”

Taye sighed, “Leoni, I’m not cheatin on you—“

“Then why did you lie to me about your advisor settin up the internship when Miss Sophia requested you come there? Why did you lie to me sayin you don’t talk to her anymore when you never even stopped, Taye!” she yelled.

He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, shocked and speechless. He didn’t think she would ever find out the truth. Leoni nodded, watching him and seeing that he was caught red handed.

“That’s exactly what I thought Mista’ I didn’t think you’d be here. If you’re so innocent, you wouldn’t have lied from the beginnin’,” she said and zipped the suitcase, snatching it up, “Maybe wit the next female, you’ll be smart enough to have ya damn cell phone on and get her out your place before you bring anotha heifa up in it,” and she turned, storming out of the bedroom and slamming the door behind her.

Taye cursed under his breath and sat down on his bed, leaning forward on his elbows and stroking his fade, “Man, what the hell did I just do?” he said softly, closing his eyes and fighting the tears.

He heard a soft knock and he sat up once the door began to open, Sophia’s S-curl easing through the crack. She looked at him and grinned, “Can I come in?”

Taye stood and sighed, “Yeah. I need to be gettin you back to the hotel,” he said, stroking his fade.

The tall woman stepped into the room, her long body blocking the doorway, she never stopped showing off her pearly whites. “I see it’s still so easy to see you’re stressed out,” she said, walking toward him.

Taye’s eyes glanced down at her long, dark and smooth legs that were exposed from her too short business suit skirt that ended mid-thigh. He had an immediate flashback to when those long stems would be either in the air spread from the east to west or wrapped around his neck as he would fuck her endlessly on her office desk after hours or around her condominium overlooking downtown Atlanta. She was always able to take his entire dick in those positions with no problem—something he had to be gentle with when it came to Leoni. She had been a model when she was a teenager—always had a natural beauty and Taye knew she would one day be seen on the cover of magazines showing off her flawless skin and those gorgeous narrow eyes. He had learned through their emails that she never pursued modeling because after an interview, she was told her breasts were too big and either she had to get a reduction, or she simply would not make it in the industry; they already had a Tyra Banks on the scene. Thus, she took her intelligence and recruiting skills along with her Masters degree in Finance and joined a Fortune500 company that had been propositioning her while she worked at Spellman—not willing to change what the good Lord had blessed her with.

She reached up and placed her hands on his strong jaw line. He felt something plastic brush up against his cheek, but he stared into her eyes, “You’re always so serious,” she said softly, her eyes scanning him over hungrily, “yet you were gentle at the same time. I’ll never forget that….I never have forgotten it,” she paused for a moment, “and I want that back.”

He swallowed hard as his gaze moved down to her thin lips. That was one thing she never received: thick lips or a full behind. She always lacked in those two areas: another reason why she was told modeling was not for her because of her imbalanced shape. But Taye saw past that and witnessed the beauty that was in her personality as well as her face. She was naturally elegant and that’s what attracted him to her when he drove onto the campus and spotted her walking to her car years ago when he had ventured there to pick up Marc’s cousin. He thought Sophia was a student, but came to find out that she was indeed a recruiter at the university when he pulled up and approached her at her brand new Lexus. The pearly whites shining their bright light into his face awoke him from his memories and he looked into her eyes.

“We should go,” he said but was silenced by her beginning to kiss him passionately in the mouth.

Taye hadn’t had any affection in the past few months. Granted he and Leoni had tried to cuddle and give massages as their way of showing physical attraction because she was too scared that if they made love it would end up with her in the hospital again. But the last month, he had been in Chicago and the months before that, they both were busy with school that when they were back at his place, the only thing they wanted to do was eat and sleep; they had even stopped kissing and soon it had just become phone conversation and text between classes. They slept in the same bed together, but holding one another had also begun to fade before he went to his internship. As her stomach grew, so did Leoni’s desire for more space. Therefore, he wasn’t welcomed to touch her anymore. And so as his horniness grew he buried his urges deep inside and held them locked down in his soul even though they yearned to be exposed. How many nights he phened to make love to Leoni, but he knew he wouldn’t even get past touching her arm. She didn’t want to be bothered, she was too stressed or too tired or her back was aching. She wouldn’t even let him kiss her. So he felt unwanted, almost unattractive to her. Therefore, he never again approached her sexually and she never complained, which further confirmed her lack of interest in him.

The kiss felt warm, it wasn’t Leoni’s full lips, but the closeness and tenderness felt nice to him for a change. And he was lonely—had been lonely and wanting some affection from Leoni—even if it had been just a hug for the past months. So he kissed Sophia back, wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her with all the passion that he had wanted to give to Leoni. She had walked out on him—despite his pleas for her to stay and never gave him a chance to state his case of innocence. Feeling Sophia’s soft skin—feeling velvety skin felt welcoming to him and he eased his hands up farther until they were filled with her supple breasts. His pent up desire began to burst through and before he could stop himself, he was yanking her suit jacket off and tearing away the rest of her clothes until she was completely naked before him. He lifted her and carried her to the bed, tossing her onto the mattress beneath and staring down at her naked body lying before him as she began to undo his jeans and slide a Magnum onto his dick. She did not look like Leoni; she wasn’t Leoni in any way, shape or form. And even though his heart begged him to not go forward; to not indulge in her heat, he needed release—he needed an escape from his broken heart. He had lost his love and he needed some satisfaction—something to ease his pain. So he grabbed her ankles, pushed her slender thighs against her breasts and thrust all of himself inside of her—her walls unyielding—her body as open as a valley.

Nothing like Leoni.

UNPLUGGED - (my favorite)..... NOW AVAILABLE!

Synopsis:

Shayla Tatum Devereaux, a successful black attorney, once thought that she could live her life according to plan. She found security and tranquility in the knowledge that nothing in her life was out of her control and she lived in a world of victory and determination based on the values her mother had concretely instilled in her. Until one day, she met Caleb Jordan. In midst of her childhood friends, she hid her first love. But, knowing that her mother would not accept Caleb into the family, she was strained to do what she had to do.

That is, until an architect immediately caught her into his rapture after their first encounter. Soon, Shayla Devereaux found herself spiraling in love again. Only this time, Malik Devereaux III wasn’t something she could control and ended up in a marriage arrangement that even her friends couldn’t accept. Despite the challenges, Shayla committed herself to their union. But, when Malik’s deception landed on their doorstep, she abandoned her plan and was forced to learn the harsh lesson that many are not to be judged by their cover.

After all of the deceitfulness and lies, Shayla finds herself at a crossroad between making the necessary sacrifices or handing it all over to the unknown and living with the consequences of her unplanned decisions.

Excerpt:

Shayla deeply inhaled the steam from the sauna. It had been a few weeks since she was turned away from her parents’ home. She decided to get a room at the Westin, knowing that those that knew her would think she had snuck into a place secluded from the city and in the heart of downtown would be the last place they’d look. Her ringer was set to vibrate since she left her mother’s presence and the only time she answered was when it pertained to work—that, she did not neglect.
While she was reading over contracts while sipping vitamin water, her phone began to vibrate again and she decided to check her voicemails. All were Malik and after listening to all twenty of his pleas of sadness for her to come home, she wanted nothing less than rest and relaxation. Her first stop would be Bally’s and then the M&B spa. She was one of the spa’s regular customers, but she usually only indulged in their packages every three months.

“Are you ready for your clay wrap, Mrs. Devereaux?” she heard a polite and professional voice ask.

She snapped out of her momentary bliss and her heart ached when she heard her married name. Shayla adjusted the towel around her breasts and groaned slightly.

“Just call me Shay from now on, Catrina.”

“Oh, sorry girl… everything alright?” the tall, Asian-eyed fair skinned woman asked, immediately snapping out of her working demeanor once she shut the door and sitting down to relax her weary feet, rubbing her palm against her faded hair.

She and Catrina had grown to know one another more than just customer and spa assistant. She stood at 5’6 with a thin frame and highlighted shoulder length hair. After being hired at M&B spa for a year, she and Shayla’s clay wrapping and massage sessions had turned into counseling sessions; both bouncing off their life events to one another for advice or simply needing someone there to listen. Shayla sighed and massaged the back of her neck, feeling the tightness.

“I really don’t wanna talk about it this time around. Can we skip the wrap and put me down for a full body massage?” she asked.

“Oh well, I’m booked—”

“I want Terrence this time around.”

Catrina was taken aback, “Girl, you usually avoid him,” she tried to read her acquaintance, “You sure you alright?”

Shayla raised a brow, “No offense girl, cause you know your massages are the bomb. But I could use a fine, strong man touchin’ me right about now, that’s all I gotta say.”

Catrina cleared her throat and cracked open the door to pick up the phone secured to the wall. She listened as the request was made for Terrence, their most popular male masseuse and previous model to pencil in Shayla. They both knew he had been trying to get her onto his table the moment he laid eyes on her petite brick house body strolling down the hall of the spa in nothing but flip flops and a wrap. That was mainly the reason why Shayla avoided his overly praised hands from caressing her body onto cloud nine. Terrence had modeled for many high fashion designers for ten years fresh out of high school, but decided to pursue his passion in massage therapy. He was downright gorgeous with his Indian features and almond colored skin. His body was nothing less than hypnotizing, standing at 6’0 and toned beyond comprehension. Shayla giggled to herself at the thought that she had his calendar in her apartment during law school. She and Rhonda always called him their Chippendale and Shayla needed to feel wanted from preferred attention. Terrence was just the man to provide it. . . .

Shayla waited in the quiet room, the comforting sounds distracting and calming the storm within her. She hadn’t thought about her drama since she stepped on the treadmill at Bally’s earlier that day. She got lost inside the classical playing through her IPOD headphones and pounded her thoughts into each mile she ran. She had stopped to fill herself with water and wipe away her sweat when she read the dial to see she had broken her record ten miles. Today, she had made fifteen and it was then she decided to melt away the remainder of her sorrows at M&B. Plus, she knew she’d be regretting those extra five miles if she didn’t get her muscles kneaded to fluidity.

She began to hum along with the music of Sade, a soft smile forming on her face until she heard her cell begin to vibrate in the chair. She reached over and snatched up the Blackberry, her eyes filling with tears as Malik’s familiar eyes stared back at her. She quickly pressed ignore and looked at her call log, seeing that it was the fifteenth call she’d missed from her dear husband, one from Rhonda, two from her mother and none from Caleb. She didn’t want to hear his voice nor did she desire to listen to Malik begging her forgiveness. Her phone began to vibrate again and she looked at the screen, seeing Rhonda’s goofy photo flashing. She couldn’t ignore her girl forever, she needed her uplifting spirit.

“Hey girl,” she said after pressing talk.

“What? You actually picked up this time?” Rhonda joked.

Shayla smiled, “Yeah, you know I couldn’t avoid your crazy self too long.”

“What you got goin’ on, Ms Lady?” she asked, treading lightly.

“Well, I hit up Bally’s earlier….” Rhonda groaned, “And now I’m at M&B.”

“Oh, why didn’t you call me?” she exclaimed, “Now that sounded like a plan… you can have that total fitness mess,” they laughed, “you gettin’ a massage?”

“Yeah, Chippendale’s gonna hook me up,” she sighed, hearing her friend moan at the thought of Terrence, “I need his hands on me today.”

“Girl, I don’t blame you. You got plans later on?” she asked, “I’m done here at the hotel—decided to let myself have a few hours off early. Y’know, since I’m manager and all. They shoulda’ known better than to give a black person like me a position of authority,” they both giggled.

Shayla sat up and ran her fingers through her locs, “I don’t have nothin’ planned for later right now. Really just wanna have another nice quiet evening; tryin’ to have another week of no drama.”

“Alrighty then, give me a call when you get done. Let’s meet up at K&K. I need me some soul food since you gettin’ the sexy man touchin’ you. We gotta break even here.”

They laughed, “Let’s do eight thirty,” Shayla suggested.

“Bet,” her best friend said and hung up.

Shayla smiled, her mood elevated, as she tossed her Blackberry back onto the soft chair cushion next to her Coach hobo. There was a soft knock on the door and she shifted, adjusting her locs and pulling the wrap up higher, exposing her thighs more. She wanted to look even sexier for Terrence. He was an attractive man and her body had been lonely the past weeks. Sleeping with Caleb dug a deeper hole into her heart; it wasn’t a stress reliever, it just made her feel even worse about her situation because he was someone she hid from her husband—no better than the women he concealed from her own knowledge. She needed a neutral party to scratch her itch.

Terrence stepped inside and instantaneously grinned at her, his flawless smile reminding her of an Orbitz commercial. He was wearing white linen pants and matching tee. His almond skin looked absolutely luscious against the material. He crossed the room with his confident stroll, their eyes never leaving one another’s gaze until he turned his back to dim the bulbs and light a few scented candles in the room. He opened upper cabinets filled with fragranced lotions and turned to look at her. Shayla’s heart skipped beats as she noticed the subtle yet striking details up close and personal—his auburn eyes and long lashes. He was standing less than two feet from her. Her eyes scanned down his face, to his average nose, high cheekbones and full lips. There were no blemishes of any kind on his face; his eyebrows were dark and full. He looked like he stepped out of the November spread—her favorite month of his calendar. She still had it hanging in her office at home even though she was married. She felt nothing wrong with admiring another man as long as her heart remained with the one she vowed to honor and cherish.

Terrence was her secret fantasy even while she was dating Caleb. She felt it was harmless because the odds of her meeting him were slim to none. He was a native of West Virginia, how he possibly ended up in Atlanta is something she always wondered. Of all the places he could have gone, he chose Atlanta. But, then again, lots of men flocked to their city in hopes of finding a gem due to the increasing number of unavailable men seeking other men which left endless possibilities for the straight walkers. Yet, from the interviews with Terrence, he always desired to head back to his hometown once he retired from modeling, but Atlanta had become his new home. He was comfortable with his life in the dirty south. He was able to go to college, earn a degree and get licensed in massage therapy. He also saw that due to his level of attractiveness; a lot of women did not approach him at the simple stereotype that all fine men in ATL like to play with the boys. It gave him the opportunity to chase after the woman of his choice, pursue his true passion and transition into a normal life without distraction. She jerked when she felt his fingertips against her thigh.

“You okay?” his gentle voice asked.

Shayla looked into his eyes, not realizing she had gone into a momentary coma as she drooled over her crush. She cleared her throat and forced out a smile.

“Um yeah, I’m good…” she sighed, “I’m great. What-what were you askin’ me?”

He continued to smile at her, knowing she was caught off guard by his presence. He slowly licked his lips, wanting to tease her more, seeing her focus zero in on his mouth and her bottom lip unconsciously slide between her teeth, one eyebrow raised in delight. He saw her a few times as she visited the salon for her monthly recoup sessions. Little did she know, he desired her more than she wanted him. Terrence had a lot of women approach him during his modeling career, but he was very selective with whom he shared his body—his momma raised him as such. And he was no fool to be suckered into the big glam and glitter that went along with celebrity. It was mainly why he decided to leave modeling behind. Plus, there were things in his life that he wished to keep private that being a celebrity did not sustain.

“I was asking what kind of massage do you want and which scent do you prefer?”

“How many times did you ask me that?” she asked, her voice soft.

“About five times… you just sat there and stared at me.”

“Wow, I was completely zoned out,” her eyes scanned him over, Y’know, thinkin’ about wo-work,” she tried to lie.

There was awkward silence and they both began to laugh at her obvious perjury. Shayla raised her eyebrows and fanned herself, “I’m sorry, you’re just—you’re…” she stared at him, “Honestly, I have your calendar hangin’ on my office wall at home and everytime I see you around here it’s like I’m a kid in a candy store,” she admitted, shocking herself, but she felt surprisingly comfortable with this man.

Terrence laughed harder this time and she looked away, squeezing her eyes shut in embarrassment and scolding herself silently.

“Thanks for the compliment. I mean, you’re not the first woman to tell me that. I’ve had a ton come in here and try to get me to do some crazy shit… You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”

“You thought massage therapy would be able to hide you from your fans?” she asked, watching him as he washed his hands, her eyes scanning over the silhouette of his body through his clothes and feeling her legs begin to tingle.

“Nah, I didn’t. It helps my career of all things cause I have dedicated customers,” they laughed, “so business is good.”

“I’m sure,” he turned to face her, “You should open up your own spa. You have the money to do it.”

He nodded, “I do, but right now I’m focusing on takin’ care of my Mom,” he wiped his hands with a towel, “she’s got cancer and,” he shrugged, “she comes first in my life cause she pushed me to follow my dreams. And she supported me when I didn’t go straight into college to get my business degree.”

Shayla felt her heart weep for him. Not only was he fine, but he was caring and generous. Deep inside she wished she had met him before Caleb and Malik.

“Where is your Mom now?” she asked.

“I moved her down here with me,” he smiled slightly, “she put up a pretty good fight though cause our fam is up in—”

“West Virginia,” she answered for him.

They both laughed, “Yeah you’re a definite fan of mine,” he said, still grinning, “But, she just started gettin’ sick about a year ago. It’s crazy cause one minute someone is doin’ so good and then bam…. They’re nothin’ like they used to be.”

“Yeah, I definitely feel you. But, I’m sure she’s proud of you. I mean, you had a great career, got your degree, licensed. I’m sure you’re gonna open your own business one day to use that degree of yours,” she hinted and he smiled at her.

“Of course, gotta make momma proud,” he said with a wink.

Shayla sighed, “Man, if only we could rewind time,” she said softly.

Terrence stared at her, “What makes you say that?”

She shrugged slightly, “Just things you’d do over, y’know? Things you’d completely change now that you see how it turned out in the long run.”

“Yeah but they say hind sight is twenty-twenty.”

Shayla nodded, “So, why are you single?” She paused, “I mean, are you single?”

He laughed, “I am. I had a lady when I was goin’ through my licensing but, she was on some other shit and,” he shrugged slightly, “I had to cut her loose. I don’t want someone who’s with me cause of status reasons and too bad I fell hard and found out later that’s all she was after.”

“You’ve been in love before?” she asked.

Terrence nodded, “Yep and we parted ways because our lives were just goin’ in two different directions. But, you live and you learn. Would I go back? Probably not. You gotta learn to move on and let life take care of itself instead of tryin’ to control every little aspect. I realized I let go of a lot of drama and stress when I learned to do that.”

Shayla nodded and silence fell across the room as his words of wisdom sunk into her brain, fitting her current situation to the brim. Terrence stared at her and glanced at the clock. They had been talking for the past twenty minutes and the spa would be closing in about ten. He fit her into his schedule at the last minute, even though he knew they’d be the last two left in the building. He saw her expression begin to sadden and he decided to pick up the pace and get to making her feel good.

“Let me guess, you’re either a vanilla or cinnamon lover,” he said softly, pouring a small mound of the ivory cream onto his palm and gently caressing it on her hand, causing Shayla’s eyes to flutter shut; his hands were magical.

When her eyes opened, he stood there, smiling at her. She grinned back and he nodded, “You’re definitely a cinnamon lover,” Terrence snatched up the smaller, round bottle on the counter and placing it on the small stand next to the massage table.

He looked at her with concern as she didn’t budge. All massage customers knew that once the lotion was decided and set out, it was time to get rubbed down. Shayla stared at him, focused all her vision could offer taking in this masterpiece standing in front of her. She knew he coveted her and the feeling was mutual. She could guarantee pleasure from this man simply by asking.

Her mind drifted to Malik and she wondered how he could sleep with women he barely knew—women, like she and Terrence, he had less than a half hour’s worth of conversation with and seemingly found himself deep inside of their warmth. She needed to understand him, maybe in that; his infidelity would not be as painful. The fact that he was able to say he loved her, yet share his body with different women burned her soul and she needed to know what it felt like to be him—to have uncommitted sex simply driven by lust, to permit herself to give into those desires without allowing her conscience to ruin the endeavor and stop it altogether. She gazed at his stunning face and licked her lips. She wanted this man, could feel her nipples rising and her lips swelling in response to his charm. This was a moment she could not disregard—a celebrity, someone who was wanted by millions of women, she could have him at this very moment-quench the thirst she held deep within for this man.

“If I asked you to do something out of your,” she paused, searching for the perfect phrasing, “scope of work, would you do it for me?” she asked, her voice soft.

Terrence raised his eyebrows, his intense stare sending ripples down her spine, “It depends on what you’re askin’ for.”

Shayla untied her wrap and let it fall from her breasts, exposing her body to him, watching his eyes widen and his face flush. She reached over and began to untie his pants, pushing them down until they fell to his ankles. He watched her hands, silent and not objecting. His heart had begun to speed and she grinned at his hardness pressing against the white fabric of boxer briefs, stretching the material to its farthest extent. She reached down and palmed the bulge, hearing him moan and look into her eyes.

“Hand me my purse,” she instructed and he followed obediently.