No Other Lover Will Do (8 page)

“Mr. Crawford, I had no idea that you were here today and I…”

Solomon held his hands up. “It's not a problem, we were out of line. Thanks for doing your job,” he said with a smile.

“Would you like to sign up for our cross-country lessons?” Jean asked.

Kandace shook her head furiously. “Not at all,” she said.

Solomon pulled Kandace against his hip. “She's a beginner,” he said.

Jean nodded. “All right, if you two follow me, I can get you set up on the bunny hill.”

Solomon and Kandace followed Jean to the beginner's slope where the instructors were fitting two ten-year-olds with skis. “Maybe this isn't a good idea,” Kandace said to Solomon. “We could still go on the hike.”

“Are you afraid you're going to get showed up by the kids?” Solomon asked. Kandace pinched his forearm. “Obviously, I'm not going to shut you up unless I ski down this mountain,” she said.

“Actually, this is a hill,” Solomon said. “And I'm going to be right beside you and the smile on my face won't be me laughing at you, I swear.”

“Jerk!”

 

Carmen watched as Richmond talked to the homicide detectives from the NYPD. So far they'd deduced that whoever shot and killed Danny didn't enter the building through force and didn't steal anything. The detectives thought the killer made his or her escape through the fire escape. There were no fingerprints in the office other than Danny's. The crime scene technicians were processing the fire escape for fingerprints.

“Do you think he was killed by someone he knew?” Richmond asked.

What a stupid question,
Carmen thought as she fought the urge to roll her eyes.

Detective Dave Myer nodded. “How long had Mr. Jones been with the company?”

Richmond shook his head. “Not long. My brother hired him to do background checks on our employees and I wasn't aware of his actual duties or anything like that.”

“The computer was shot and the hard drive is missing,” Detective Joel Cohen said. “Any idea what was on the hard drive?”

Richmond looked to Carmen. “Do you know what he was working on?”

“No, I don't. Other than what Solomon told me about the background checks, I have no idea what he was doing.”

“Know of any possible criminal ties he may have had?” Detective Cohen asked, looking from Richmond to Carmen.

“As I said,” Richmond said, “my brother hired him and he's out of town.”

“We're going to need to contact your brother to ask him some questions,” Myer said. “Does he have a number where he can be reached?”

Richmond nodded. “I'll give you his cell phone number.”

“Where was he last night?” Cohen asked.

“In Sugar Mountain, North Carolina,” Carmen said. “He went to check out our new resort.”

“When did he leave?” Cohen asked.

“Two days ago,” Carmen said. “He wasn't involved in this.”

“Crawford Hotels isn't involved in this at all,” Richmond added.

“It doesn't look that way,” Cohen said. “From the looks of things, it seems as if this may have been a personal crime. I think Danny Jones brought his killer in the building with him.”

“But just to be sure,” Myer said, “we need to know if there were any employees in the building between midnight and two
A.M
.”

Richmond walked the detectives to the door, telling them that he would take them down to the security desk to see if anyone had checked in the building after hours. Carmen headed for her office, hiding the smirk on her face from the shell-shocked employees she passed in the hallway. She was going to get away with murder—again. Now, she just had to get Solomon to come back to New York.

After what had been a horribly funny skiing lesson that had seen Kandace hitting the ground more than once, Solomon and Kandace sat in front of the fireplace in the café sipping hot chocolate.

“Will you stop smirking at me?” Kandace said as she glanced at him.

“No,” he said, then broke out in laughter. “I have never seen someone fall up a hill. You really can't ski.”

Kandace tossed the plastic swizzle stick from her mug at him. “I told you that I didn't want to ski.”

Solomon ducked out of the way and smiled. “You know you really had fun.”

“No,
you
had fun laughing at me,” she said as she poked her bottom lip out like a petulant child. “You and those damned kids.”

“I think it was all the screaming that made everyone laugh so much.”

Kandace rolled her eyes as Solomon leaned over, kissed her on the cheek, and said, “At least it's only your pride that's bruised.”

“And since you can't kiss that, keep your lips to yourself,” she joked as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

“Why are you acting like that?” Solomon asked as he tweaked her nose. “Because I have more plans for you.”

“I don't even think I want to know.”

He pulled her face to his. Their lips were inches apart and Kandace knew he was going to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her.

“First,” he said, “we have to get you out of these clothes.” He ran his hand down her arm. “Then into the hot tub to relax those tense muscles. Then I'm going to give you a massage so that you can relax even more and I can have my way with you.”

Kandace brushed her lips against his. “What if I want to have my way with you?”

Solomon nearly dropped his mug of cocoa. “Did I hear you correctly?”

Kandace took the mug from his hand and placed it on the table. “Yes, you did.”

He chuckled softly. “So, how do you want to have your way with me?”

She stood up and stroked his cheek. “I'd rather show you than tell you and I'm not showing you a thing until I get my massage.”

Solomon rose from his seat and pulled Kandace against his chest. “Sounds like someone has been thinking about me stroking them since the spa.”

“I'll meet you at the hot tub,” she said as she pushed out of his arms.

“Umm, too bad you didn't keep that suit I bought you,” he said as he watched her walk away.

 

Carmen's head was throbbing as she listened to Solomon's outgoing voice mail message for the tenth time in an hour. Where in the hell was he? With that bitch, no doubt. She slammed her cell phone against the desk.
I'm going to have to go down there and stake my claim on him,
she thought as she rose from her chair and stood at the window. “I'm not going to lose him,” she mumbled.

“Carmen,” Richmond said from the doorway, “are you all right?”

She turned around and frowned at him. “I'm just a little shaken up by everything that happened today. I wish Solomon was here.”

“So do I. He got us involved with Jones. I have a bad feeling about this. We don't need this kind of publicity. It's bad enough that Solomon's exploits with women make the papers, but a murder in our headquarters,” Richmond said as he shook with anger.

“Danny was Solomon's friend. If he was involved in something shady, I'm willing to bet that Solomon knew nothing about it,” Carmen said.

“What did you know about Danny? Or about Solomon hiring him?”

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “I told you that I didn't know anything about Danny's hiring, and Solomon said that it was for security.”

“Some damned security. He's dead now. How the hell is he going to protect us? This is a scandal that we don't need.” Richmond ran his hand across his face in a frustrated motion. “Have you gotten in touch with him?”

“He's not answering his cell phone nor his hotel room phone.”

Richmond shook his head. “He wants to run this company, but when we need him, he's not here. I'd better get out in front of this.”

“Wait,” Carmen said. “When Solomon finds out what's going on, he's going to come back.”

“With the twenty-four-hour news cycle, we don't have time to wait for Solomon to stop his vacation and come handle business.” Richmond stormed out of the office and Carmen slammed the door behind him. Solomon would take care of everything, but he had to come back to New York.

Maybe I should go to North Carolina and get him,
she thought.
I will if he doesn't answer the phone.
Carmen picked up the phone and dialed Solomon's number again.

“This is Solomon Crawford. I'm unavailable at the moment. Please leave a message and I'll return your call at my earliest convenience.”

Carmen hung up before the beep and made another call to her travel agent. “I need a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina,” she said when the agent answered the phone.

 

Solomon smiled as he watched Kandace enter the grotto. He'd told the staff not to let anyone but Kandace in the grotto tonight. An
OUT OF ORDER
sign had been placed on the door after the massage table and oils had been set up.

“Wow,” Kandace said. “Massage table and everything, huh?”

“Yes,” he said as he crossed over to her. Solomon gave her a slow once-over. She had on the hotel robe and a pair of Uggs and still she looked phenomenal. He tugged at the belt, which she had loosely tied around her waist. “Let's see what's underneath here.” The robe fluttered open and Solomon grinned when he saw that Kandace was wearing the fur bikini that he'd sent her the night he found her in the hot tub.

“Aww, damn. I knew that would look good on you.”

Kandace smiled as she did her Tyra Banks runway imitation. “It does look good on me, doesn't it?”

“But I still want to see it on the floor.”

Kandace gave him another model pose over her shoulder and blew him a kiss. “If you're a good boy.”

“A good boy? It's so much more fun being bad,” he said. Then he captured her in his arms and kissed her with a scorching passion that made Kandace swoon. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her hips into his. He was immediately aroused by her bold move. This was the side of Kandace that he'd been yearning to see. And so far, he'd been right about her. She was full of passion. As she slipped her hand down his neck, slowly snaking across his chest and down into his swimming trunks, she proved that she wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. Solomon's knees buckled as Kandace stroked him while her tongue explored his mouth. She had the perfect combination of tongue and lip in her kiss. Solomon knew this was a feeling he wouldn't soon forget. Kandace pulled back from him and licked those swollen, well-kissed lips.

“So, do I have to take this off or are you going to do it?” she asked as she tugged at the string on her bikini. Solomon ran his hand across his face.

“Why don't you let me watch you take it all off?” he said in a deep voice that resembled a moan.

Kandace slowly untied her bikini top and then, like a Las Vegas showgirl, she covered her breasts as the top fell to the floor. Sensually, she twisted her hips, moving as if she heard her own bass line. Solomon stood there mesmerized by her dance as she dropped her arm and revealed a set of perfect breasts, creamy like the best chocolate, topped with a dark chocolate nipple. He couldn't wait a moment longer, he had to taste the luscious beauty that was Kandace. He reached out and pulled her against his chest by the top of her bikini bottoms. First he kissed her neck, slowly licking her until soft moans escaped her throat. With one hand, he eased her skimpy fur bottoms down. As Kandace lifted her leg to step out of her suit, Solomon slipped his hand between her thighs. Her wetness thrilled him, making the throbbing hardness between his thighs spring forward.

Kandace shivered as his finger dipped into her wet folds of flesh. But when he found her pleasure point and smoothly stroked it, every nerve in her body stood on end. “Ooh,” she said as he moved his finger back and forth, making her wetter and hotter.

“You like that?” he asked as he continued his exploration. “I want to find every spot that makes you moan like that. You're so damned sexy.” Solomon closed his lips around her nipple, flicking the hardened pebble with his tongue. Kandace dug her nails into his shoulders as waves of ecstasy washed over her body.

“I need you, Solomon,” she cried out. “Need you inside me.”

“And I need to be inside you,” he replied. “But not until I taste you.” He removed his finger from her pulsating mound and licked her womanly juices from it. “And that isn't enough.”

Solomon scooped her up and rushed over to the massage table. He placed her on the table, and then lifted her legs as he marveled at the beauty of her long legs and thick thighs. Spreading them apart, he quickly dove in between and kissed her inner thigh before heading for her luscious core. He could feel her trembling as his lips touched her wet ones.

Kandace closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of Solomon's breath against her throbbing bud. When his tongue lashed her womanhood, she screamed out in pleasure. It had been so long since she was tasted this passionately. Solomon licked and sucked the most neglected part of her body until she was dizzy with desire. There was no vibrator in the world that could make her feel this good and make her climax over and over again.

“Open your eyes,” Solomon commanded softly. “I want you to see how I'm making you feel so good.”

Kandace moaned and watched Solomon as he continued to taste her and make her body quiver with pleasure. She lost count of the number of times he'd made her come after four and she struggled not to close her eyes and lose herself in the waves of pleasure. Solomon pulled back from her and shed his swimming trunks. The size of his erection caused her to gasp. He was big, bigger than any man she'd ever been with. No wonder he'd brought so many women to tears.

“I'll be gentle, at first,” he said as he winked at her. Solomon walked over to the cart where the massage oils were and retrieved a condom. Kandace watched as he rolled the sheath in place. “Now, we're ready.”

Kandace released a breath as he strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I'm going to need more room than this table and you're going to thank me for it,” he said as he lifted her from the massage table and walked over to the over-sized sofa in the corner.

“I'm glad you have more than just a big ego, but you've done enough talking,” Kandace said, then brushed her lips against his. Solomon sat down on the sofa with Kandace wrapped around him. As he attempted to lean back, Kandace placed her hand on his chest.

“No, like this,” she said as she opened her thighs and guided Solomon into her valley. She threw her head back as he filled her. Solomon clutched her buttocks as she ground against his hardness. At first, their passion burned slowly, then everything around them exploded as Kandace rocked him harder and faster.

“Yes,” he moaned. “Damn, baby, you feel so good.”

“So do you,” she cried as she felt an orgasm tugging at her senses. Kandace felt as if she was going to explode and Solomon wanted to take her over the edge as he pressed deeper and deeper into her. Kandace released a satisfied groan as she reached her release. Collapsing against his chest, she closed her eyes with a smile on her lips.

Solomon's body tingled as he held Kandace against his chest. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so satisfied after sex. Thank God he'd been right about Kandace's passion. The way she took control of their encounter was damned erotic and something he hadn't experienced in a long time. He thought he was going to break the condom when he'd reached his climax. He released a cleansing sigh, then stroked her hair back from her forehead. She was beautiful in the after-glow of their lovemaking, he thought as she ran her hand across his chest.

“Kandace,” he said, “I have one word to describe you.”

“What's that?” she asked.

“Incredible.”

Chuckling softly, she kissed him in the center of his chest. “I guess you're not half bad,” she joked.

“Half bad? Woman…”

“I'm joking,” she sang. “So, was all your stalking worth it?”

“Ask me again in the morning, after I eat you for breakfast.”

Kandace propped up on her elbows. “You mean after we eat breakfast?”

Solomon kissed her softly on her full lips. “I meant just what I said.”

After a quick nap on the sofa, Solomon and Kandace woke up feeling extremely hungry. “Let's go to my suite and order room service,” she said. “Then we can talk about your breakfast dish.”

As she slipped her robe on, Solomon realized he wasn't going to wait until morning to have his breakfast.

 

Carmen wanted to sleep, but that was the last thing she had time for if she was going to pack and make her flight. She really hated the fact that she wasn't going to be able to stay at her resort. All of the rooms were still booked. As she haphazardly stuffed clothes into her suitcase, Carmen realized that checking into another hotel would give her an added advantage. Solomon wouldn't know she was there immediately and she could get a good look at the bitch he'd been spending time with. Then she smiled, knowing if Solomon had slept with Kandace, that she was history. One thing Carmen could count on was Solomon's way with women and how once he'd gotten what he wanted, he moved on. Kandace was nothing more than a speed bump. If he didn't stay with all the actresses and supermodels that he'd been with, what was going to make this woman any different?

Carmen almost changed her mind about taking the trip as a wave of satisfaction washed over her. There had only been one woman in his life with any kind of staying power and that had been her. Everyone else was a temporary fixation that he'd quickly gotten over. Maybe it was time for her to tell him the truth—that she was in love with him—so that Solomon would stop wasting time with women like Kandace Davis. Yes, that was it! She was going to meet up with Solomon and tell him that she was the woman he'd been looking for. Maybe she'd tell him everything. Carmen stopped packing and thought about the first time she'd met Solomon.