A Tempting Proposal (Kimani Romance) (3 page)

Chapter 4

W
hen Daman walked into R&W Marketing Tuesday morning, he immediately felt at ease. Every time he walked into the firm that his boys, Taheim Reed and Jaleen Walker, had successfully established, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Two months ago, he decided to partner with his best friends full time to bring R&W to the next level. If Taheim and Jaleen could run a successful business and also be junior partners in their family businesses, he didn’t see any reason why he couldn’t, too. Daman had been traveling between his Detroit hometown and the windy city of Chicago almost every week by plane or car, but planned on making Chicago his permanent home by the end of the year. At thirty, he was proud of what he’d accomplished so far. Although Daman’s career was thriving with R&W, he couldn’t say the same for his feelings about Barker Architecture.

His father, Stan, and uncle Frank had opened Barker Architecture when they were in their early twenties. Now, Barker Architecture had grown to an astounding fifteen offices. They were responsible for much of the beautiful architecture and amazing landmarks throughout the Midwest. When Daman’s father passed away eight years ago, his uncle took over as president and chief executive officer of the company. His uncle had never had children of his own, so he treated Daman like the son he never had. Daman had just graduated from college and was working on his master’s, but his uncle picked up where Daman’s father had left off and began showing him all the ins and outs of the company. When Daman became vice president of Barker Architecture, he began noticing inconsistencies with some of the accounting documentation. Barker Architecture was one of the companies affected by the 2008 economic crisis.

In order to keep the company afloat, Barker Architecture reached out to several investors, many of whom were old friends of Daman’s father. When Daman became vice president in 2011, he wanted to focus all his energy into ensuring Barker Architecture would never be a victim of another economic crisis, so he began looking into the company’s accounting files. His uncle was quick to try and divert Daman away from his personal investigation, but Daman continued to question his uncle about certain accounts and customers. Was Barker Architecture really in trouble in 2008? Or was his uncle hiding something? A few months ago, Daman decided it was finally time for him to step away from the office to figure out what was really going on. Since their second largest office was in Chicago, Daman told his uncle he would work out of that office and return to Detroit weekly or biweekly as needed. His uncle agreed, considering he was also aware of Daman’s new partnership with R&W.

As Daman walked into R&W, he tried to put Barker Architecture out of his mind for the moment, but a phone call earlier that morning had been filled with disappointing news concerning just that.

“Hello, Mr. Barker!” the perky front-desk receptionist said, breaking his thoughts.

“Hi, Sherry. Are there any messages for me?”

Flipping her auburn hair behind her ear, she shuffled through a stack of papers. “Yes, you have several. Mr. Kingsberg called to recap last week’s meeting, and Mrs. Remmy called about her upcoming meeting. Also, Glamour Cosmetics, Franko Industries and William’s Whole Foods are all interested in starting an account with R&W. Mr. Reed and Mr. Walker would like you to begin working on those accounts.”

“Thanks, Sherry.”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Barker.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, and I almost forgot! Imani Rayne from Elite Events Incorporated called your connected line and asked if you could call her back when you got a chance.”

Daman smiled. He’d wondered if she would call. His connected line was the private line displayed on his business card for Barker Architecture. That was the only line connected to both Barker Architecture and R&W Marketing.

“Is that all she said?”

“Yes, Mr. Barker. She left her work number for you to call back.”

“Thanks again, Sherry.”

Daman looked at the clock sitting on Sherry’s desk to see how much time he had before his meeting with Taheim and Jaleen. Noticing he only had three minutes to spare, he placed the paper displaying his messages in his suit jacket and headed down the hall.

He walked into the large conference room and was immediately greeted by both men.

Taheim was the first to speak. “Man, Jaleen told me about the proposal to plan the gala. That would be great exposure for R&W. You agreed, right?”

“Of course.”

“Great. Did you decide when you want to announce your partnership with R&W?”

“I’m not sure, exactly. I’m still trying to tie up a few things at Barker Architecture before making the announcement, but I will definitely do it before the gala.”

Taheim and Jaleen nodded in agreement.

“Who are you planning the gala with?” Jaleen asked. “I don’t remember you telling me on the phone the other day.”

Daman wished he’d been able to stop thinking about Imani.

“A woman, and a very attractive woman at that. We didn’t get off to the best start. She thinks I’m arrogant and cocky. But you know me. I’m determined to show her my softer side.” He gave his best “all-American boy” look and placed his hands over his heart in exaggeration.

Taheim laughed. “Already on the prowl, huh?”

“Well, yeah, but there’s something about her. She’s educated, successful and confident, and I know she wants the gala to be a success, too.”

“D, no offense, but the women you mess with are never educated, successful, or confident. Well, a couple have been, but not many.”

“I know. She’s different.”

“What’s her name?” Jaleen asked.

“Imani Rayne.” No sooner than her name left his mouth, did Taheim spill his coffee on the table.

“Is everything okay, man?” Daman asked.

Taheim and Jaleen shared a look that didn’t go unseen by Daman. Taheim cleaned up the spilled coffee.

“Yeah, man. I’m good. Have the two of you met yet?”

Daman didn’t like not knowing what was up with his boys. He tried to squash the tinge of jealousy he felt. “Yeah, we met. Why? Did one of you date her or something?”

“No,” both men replied in unison. They didn’t date each other’s exes, and he didn’t even know why he cared. It’s not like he wanted to date her. Daman Barker didn’t date; he entertained.

Jaleen began to speak, but he was cut off by Taheim.

“The truth is that we’ve heard of her and her family. Not much happens in Chicago that her family isn’t involved with socially or politically.”

Jaleen nodded in agreement. “Not to mention she’s attractive, and so are all the women in her circle.”

Daman felt like there was more to the story than either man was telling him, but he chose to ignore it.

“Okay, well, she called me about the gala, and I was going to return her call right after this meeting. Could we talk more after I finish the call?”

“Sure, man. We’ll talk at lunch or something.”

* * *

Daman walked into his tastefully decorated office, sat down at his desk and began dialing the number Imani had left in her message.

“Thank you for calling Elite Events Incorporated. How may I direct your call?”

“Hello. May I please speak with Imani Rayne?”

“May I ask who’s calling?”

“Daman Barker.”

“One moment, Mr. Barker.”

Daman enjoyed the upbeat R&B music that played in the background. It was much better than the dreadful elevator music most companies played when they put you on hold.

Imani’s voice suddenly filled the line. “Hello, Daman. Thanks for returning my call so promptly.”

“You’re welcome. I assume your call has something to do with the gala?”
Although I wouldn’t mind if it were about something more personal.

“Yes. I was wondering if we could meet tomorrow instead of Friday to discuss the plans. I’m going to make an appearance in Atlanta next week. So I figured I could introduce myself to the team when I get there.”

“Okay, that sounds good. One of us should go to make sure we know the people we’re working with. Where do you want to meet?”

“How about 6:00 p.m. at my place?”

Daman was shocked. After dinner the other day, he figured most of their meetings would be in public places. “Your place?”

“Yes, my place. Is that okay with you?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine. I’ll be there. What’s your address?”

After Daman hung up the phone, he thought about what tomorrow had in store. He knew Imani would try her best to remain collected around him, but he enjoyed making her nervous. She probably thought she hid it well, but she didn’t. He would use their mutual attraction to his advantage, and persuade her to give him the estate. One thing was on his side: women could be just as cutthroat as men, but they had more difficulty separating business from pleasure. Daman knew better. He played the game with his mind. Emotions only stood in the way and made you lose touch with reality. A woman didn’t stand a chance against a determined man, and after only two meetings, seducing Imani was at the top of his to-do list.

Chapter 5

I
mani spent a full two hours trying to get ready for her meeting with Daman. She didn’t know why she was making such a big deal about seeing him. She kept reminding herself that it was strictly business and to ignore the discomfort she always felt in his presence. He was due to arrive in ten minutes, and she still felt mentally unprepared for his visit. She looked at herself in the mirror for the twentieth time.

Man, I look good!
She had chosen to dress casually. A clingy mahogany maxi dress softly hugged her curves and complemented her flawless complexion. The dress was sure to make his mouth water, putting her at a great advantage.

The buzzer to the condo’s security desk rang.

“Yes, Bernard?”

“There’s a Mr. Barker here to see you.”

“Thank you, Bernard. Please send him up.”

With one more glance in the mirror, Imani took a deep breath and made her way to the door.
Here goes nothing....
Opening her door, she was greeted by Daman’s seductive smile.

“Hello, Imani. Nice to see you again.”

“Likewise, Daman. Please come in.”

As he made his way into her condo, she heard him take a deep breath. His eyes were burning a hole in her dress, causing her stomach to flutter. She moved to the couch and bent over, pretending to fluff the pillows as she motioned for him to take a seat. She was fully aware that he was watching her every move. She knew what she was doing, and even though this was only their third meeting, she could tell he appreciated a woman with a nice butt.

“Did you get here all right?”

Daman cleared his throat before answering. “Yes, your building was easy to find.”

“Great. Would you like anything to drink?”

“Yes, a Coke would be fine.”

“Coming right up.”

Imani made her way to the kitchen, making sure she swayed extra hard while she had his undivided attention. She heard him mumble something under his breath that sounded a lot like
damn
. She had to admit, he definitely looked handsome in his blue sweater and dark jeans, but she felt a sense of power in seeing his reaction to her seductive dress.

“One point for me,” she said to herself when she reached the kitchen, licking the tip of her finger and swiping an imaginary number one in the air.

When she returned, she noticed her short trip to the kitchen had allowed Daman enough time to regain his cool.

“Here you go.” She handed Daman his drink. “Shall we get down to business?”

“Yes. When are you leaving for Atlanta?”

“I’m leaving this Friday, but I’m only staying over the weekend. I’ll work with the gala volunteers over the weekend. Then I have to be back in Chicago because I’m interviewing on
The Jimmy King Morning Show
on Z105.”

Imani sat on the couch a little closer to Daman than she had originally planned.

“That sounds great,” Daman responded, taking a sip of his drink.

She watched the movement of his Adam’s apple as the liquid slid down his throat.

Imani shifted to adjust her dress, aware that Daman’s eyes had now ventured to her breasts. She perked them outward, glad she’d worn her new Victoria’s Secret push-up bra.

“I met Jimmy King at a party we planned for Jennifer Hudson a couple months ago, so originally I was going on his show to advertise and discuss Elite Events. Now, I’m going to discuss the gala, as well. I’ve talked to the Simses and it’s been approved for me to discuss the event.”

“I’m sure you’ll do well,” Daman said with a smile. “So are you proud of everything Elite Events has accomplished so far?”

“Of course I am. Nothing beats going into business for yourself. What about you? How do you like being the vice president of Barker Architecture?”

She noticed the slight tightening of his jawline before he told her that he enjoyed it. Sensing he was uncomfortable with the subject, she decided to let it go—for now.

“Okay, so I figure the first thing I’ll do the morning after I check in to my hotel is head down to the location of the gala. I have a contact list that Mrs. Sims emailed me, so I’ll make a few calls and see who can meet me there.”

“Sounds good. Be sure to see if the volunteers are as excited about helping as Mr. and Mrs. Sims made it seem. What’s next?”

“Well, I think we should start with the guest list. I have no idea exactly how many people have RSVP’d, so I’ll need to talk to Vicky Gordon, the head volunteer. I was under the impression that catering, decorations and media are all in the works, but nothing is finalized.”

“Same here. Mr. Sims emailed me with strict instructions for both of us. The issue that seems to need immediate attention is the media. The same news shows and television stations that always televise and broadcast the gala will be there. However, we need to make sure that we still maintain a certain amount of privacy for our guests during all the pre-gala events. We want everyone to be comfortable.”

“Yes, we do. I have some contacts in the media that I can reach out to. I think I emailed so many questions to Mrs. Sims that she decided to send me a really detailed to-do list. This list covers more of what we need to do for the pre-gala events.”

Imani handed Daman the list, and her hand briefly grazed his. At the previous dinner, they hadn’t had any physical contact, making this only the third time they’d touched. She couldn’t help but enjoy how stimulating the sensation was. The glazed look in Daman’s eyes told her that he had felt it, too. She couldn’t help but wonder what sensations other body parts could create if she almost melted by the light touch of his hands.

They spent the next two hours discussing Imani’s list of things to do and calling volunteers. Much to Imani’s surprise, most of the meeting remained professional.

“Imani, I must say it was a pleasure discussing business with you.”

“It was surprisingly a pleasure for me, also,” she replied with a sly look on her face.

Daman liked the look Imani gave whenever she was being sarcastic, yet flirty. He just laughed at her comment.

“I’ll give you an update on the gala when I return next weekend.”

“Great. I look forward to it.” As Daman began walking toward the door, he saw something flicker out of the corner of his eye. He looked in that direction and noticed a gold frame on the fireplace mantel that caught the light. For some reason, he needed to get a closer look at the photo in the frame.

Daman could tell that Imani was wondering what had caught his attention. He walked over to the photograph and studied the picture with intense concentration.

“Daman, is everything okay?” Imani asked, breaking his concentration.

He couldn’t explain why he kept staring at the photo. The little girl in the picture was undoubtedly Imani. Her facial structure and features looked the same now as they did when the photo was taken, only more mature. Yet there was a slight difference he couldn’t place that had nothing to do with maturity.

“I’m fine. Who’s the woman in the picture with you?”

Imani walked over to her fireplace. “It’s Gamine.” She picked up the photo and lightly touched the frame. “It was taken when I was seven. Gamine had taken me out of town on a shopping trip. We had the best time.”

Daman knew Imani and Gamine were extremely close, so it was hard to see her look so lost as she stared at the photo. Imani set the frame back down and quickly glanced at him before her eyes settled back on the photo. In that short second, he saw the flicker of despair in her eyes.

That’s what it is.
Imani’s eyes had noticeably changed since her youth. In the photo, her eyes were filled with love and happiness, yet in the few times Daman had seen her, they lacked the same elation that the photo captured. She had been a carefree child, and she now carried the weight of adulthood on her shoulders, but his inner voice told him it was something deeper than that.

Imani abruptly stepped back from the fireplace. “Shall I walk you out?”

Her voice sounded pleasant enough, but she wore a plastered smile on her face that might have appeared genuine to many. Daman knew the difference, but luckily for Imani, he wasn’t the type to interfere in other people’s business. He didn’t even know why he cared so much, and the fact that he was so curious about how she felt worried him. He decided it was best if he left before he did or said something he would regret.

“Thanks for a good evening, Imani. Have a safe flight, and feel free to call me if you need anything while you’re in Atlanta.”

“Thanks, Daman. Have a good weekend.”

After the door closed behind him, Daman tried to process his reaction to the photo. “What is it with this woman?” he asked to no one in particular before heading home.