Scandalous Heroes Box Set (174 page)

“We’re looking to outsource our current security team,” the other man at the table said. “Show us what you have. I’m very interested in seeing what you all can offer.”

Unable to complete a thought right now, Tank turned to his employee. “Rosalie, why don’t you tell them what we can do technically for them?” While she talked, he would have to wrap his mind around the fact that he sat in the same room as the woman who had broken his heart not once but twice.

After his employee stopped talking, Eminence shocked Tank by directing a question to him.

“Mr. Tanksley—”

“Please, call me Tank.” He stared at her, hoping his implied statement of calling him Master Tank came through on his request.

“Tank, can you tell us  your plan for making our business office feel safe and secure?” She chewed her lower lip as she waited for his answer.

“If you need it, I can give you twenty-four hour, seven days a week coverage. I would make sure all of your needs are met. I will be honest.” Tank kept his stare on Eminence to show the depth of his sincerity.

“Honest? What do you mean by that?” an associate asked.

Tank directed his attention to him. “I just mean that if I have employees here working at times where I think you don’t need coverage, I’ll let you know so that you can reduce your cost. Most times, just video surveillance is all you need. But, we can offer physical support.”

The man seemed impressed by the answer and scribbled something down on his pad. The meeting went on for another hour before the group finally dismissed him and Rosalie.

“Great meeting you, Tank,” one man said as he shook Tank’s hand. “We’ll be in touch. I like what you had to say today.”

“Thank you, sir. I think I offer a great business at a fair price.” Tank turned to Eminence. This time he held out his hand. “Ms. Dutton.”

Eminence shook it. “Call me Eminence.”

The electricity that went up his arm didn’t stop even after he stopped shaking Eminence’s hand. He left the room with Rosalie and headed to the elevator. Once in the car alone, Rosalie turned to him.

“That was a good meeting.” Rosalie beamed.

“Yes. Very good.”

“I’m not talking about for the business. You and Ms. Dutton. Something going on there between you two?” Rosalie jabbed Tank in his side with her elbow.

“Long time ago.” Yeah, if a few weeks ago constituted as a long time ago.

“Looks like she thought about you quite a bit. She requested your business to do security for this business. That’s huge.”

Yes, and so was the implication of Eminence contacting his business at all. Tank still didn’t know what Eminence wanted, if anything. Now that he knew where she worked, he could certainly find out.

****

Eminence stood on the porch of a home Jordie said Keys had now moved to after he left Virginia Beach. The meeting she’d set up at her office had been the first step. If Keys came across as hostile, she would know that she had no chance with him. He hadn’t been that way. He had hung on to every word she’d said during the meeting.

Eminence rang the doorbell, then knocked on his door and waited. She carried a bottle of wine in her hand as stood on his porch.

The door opened and the woman who accompanied him to the meeting stood on the other side. Eminence’s heartbeat slowed as she looked at this young woman.

“Ms. Dutton, right?” Rosalie held out her hand. “I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Rosalie. I work for Mr. Tanksley.”

“Yes, I remember you from the meeting yesterday.” Eminence stood up straight with her head held high. She wouldn’t look defeated.

“Are you here to see my boss?” A salacious smile crossed Rosalie’s face. “Or is that bottle of wine for me?” She winked.

Eminence blinked. “Oh, no, this is for Tank, uh, Keys. Um, Mr. Tanksley. Is he home?”

“Rosalie, close the door. You’re letting the heat in.” Tank came up behind Rosalie. As soon as he saw Eminence he froze.

“I was just about to go home to a cool dinner and a hot chick. See you in the morning, boss.” Rosalie bounded down the steps to her VW. “Nice seeing you again.”

Eminence nodded her head toward the woman. She turned to Keys. “Am I mistaken or is she a lesbian?”

Keys nodded. “Out and proud, and damn good at her job.” He took a step to the side. “Want to come in?”

She nodded then took a step into Keys’s home. Eminence scanned the home that still had packing boxes all over the place.

“You still haven’t unpacked all of your stuff?” Eminence strolled to him.

“Just haven’t had time. Soon as I got to town, I pretty much hit the ground running.” He glanced down at her hands. “Is that for me?”

Eminence looked at the bottle as though she’d forgotten she had brought it there for him. “Oh, yes. Sorry. This is for you.”

“Thanks.” He accepted the bottle. “Is this a welcome to the neighborhood present?”

Eminence shook her head. “More like congratulations. You’ve got the contract gift.”

Keys stared at her for a moment. “Are you serious?”

She nodded. “The board liked your pitch. They especially liked what Rosalie had to say. You’re in. Congratulations.”

Keys approached Eminence as though he wanted to hug her. Then he stopped. “Thanks. I mean that. I know a lot has happened between us. I appreciate that you looked out for me.”

“About that. I wanted us to talk.”

“Look, I don’t want some big drama.” Keys turned his back on her and placed the bottle on the coffee table. “We both agreed that we would do the one night, no regrets, and move on.”

Eminence’s throat tightened. Impending tears stung her eyes. Thank God Keys had his back to her.

“I think we’ve both said what we had to say to each other.” He picked up box and carried it into the kitchen.

“I didn’t,” she managed to squeak out.

He must have caught her breaking voice. He finally turned to face her.

She wiped the tears that had streamed down her cheeks, not caring how she looked right now. “I would have said no.”

Keys furrowed his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”

Eminence had to be honest about everything. If she had any hope of starting a life with Keys, she had to be just as vulnerable with him as he had been with her.

“That day in your room—”

Keys rolled his eyes. “Christ, do we have to go over that again?”

She held up her hand. “Just hear me out. I had seen you a week before at Bryant Jewelers.”

Realization washed over his face.

Eminence nodded. “You’re right. I couldn’t commit. I saw you buying a ring and I just knew you were going to ask me to marry you. We were still in high school. I had plans to go away to college. Then everything happened with my dad and I saw the two of you. And you’re right. I had my easy out and I split. But if none of that happened, and you just asked me to marry you then, I would have said no.”

Keys slammed the box onto the counter. “Good to know.” He started to storm by her. “Was that it? Have all confessions been made now?”

Eminence grabbed his hand and pulled him back. “Not all of them.” She cradled his face. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I’ve always, always trusted you. It’s me that I didn’t trust. I didn’t believe I could be good enough for you because so many girls back in high school wanted your attention. I remember hearing my parents fighting so I knew their relationship was rocky for a long time, so I didn’t believe that there was such a thing as a lasting marriage. I can head up a department, but I can’t control my emotions. I do know this. Losing you again scares the hell out of me. If you ask me again, I would say yes.”

“I’ve spent half of my life waiting for you. I can’t do that again. If you want to be with me, you had better be sure because I—”

Before he could finish his statement, Eminence crushed her lips against his. Rigid at first, Keys’s lips slowed to relax against hers. When it did, he melted into her. His arms wrapped around her waist and he drew her body closer to his.

He pulled back from her for a second, giving her the opportunity to ask, “How do you feel about me?”

“Baby, you don’t know?” He put his hand against her cheek and raised her face so that he could kiss her again. “I love you.”

Eminence beamed.

“So it looks like you got the job. Congratulations to you.” Keys smiled.

“After everything that happened, I decided to put in for that job. I wanted to do it for me.” Eminence felt the warmth inside her as she talked about her dreams.

“You did it. I’m so proud of you.”

Eminence shook her head. “I’m more proud of you. You’ve known who you are and what you could do for years. You never had a doubt. Even with that, um, other thing you do.” She took a step back. “Until you played with me, I had no idea that I would want to do something like that.” She chuckled as she sat on his couch. “You know it feels weird to put clothespins on your body yourself. It feels better somehow when someone else does it.”

Keys laughed. “No one can work your body like me. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

“I’m starting to realize it now.” Eminence patted the space on the couch next to her. After Keys took a seat, she asked him a question that had been plaguing her for a few weeks. “Who’s Pet?”

Keys furrowed his eyebrows. “Who?”

“Pet. The woman who was at your house in Virginia Beach the last time we saw each other.” Eminence dropped her gaze as she spoke. “Tell me the truth and I won’t be mad. Did you have sex with her?”

Keys put his hand to her chin and raised her head to look him in the eyes. “No. That night I helped you in the store, I needed something to take the edge off of seeing you again after all these years. I called a Dom buddy of mine to send over a sub bottom to play with. She felt it more than I did and wanted us to do more than just play. I squashed that request that night and when she came over to my house unannounced that day.” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “In a normal D/s relationship, there is no sex.”

“Then why did you have sex with me?”

Keys laughed. “Seriously? Because I was crazy about you. Still am. I tried so hard to fight sleeping with you, but I couldn’t help it. All the old feelings came back as soon as I saw you.”

“Here I accused you of not having your life together, and you and Jordyna both do. It’s me that’s screwed up.” She shook her head.

“We all lose our way here and there. Great friends can help put us back on the right path. To be honest, had you not pushed me back in the day to do more with my life, I wouldn’t have been motivated to start my own business. I owe my life to you. Look at you now. You just needed some time.” He offered a smile to comfort her. “Jordie gave me a pep talk. She told me some great things about you. She gave me some advice about us.”

Eminence took a deep breath before asking her next question. “Is there an us again?” Then she chewed on her lower lip.

Keys stared at her for a moment. “You’re going to have to do a lot more to get rid of me.”

She shook her head. “Never again. You’re stuck with me.”

“Through thick and thin?”

She nodded.

“What if I lose all of my hair?”

Eminence ran her hand over his head. “Ohh, you with a shaved head. Sounds sexy.”

“What if my business tanks?”

“I’ll take care of us.” She climbed onto his lap. “Remember, I have a new job now that came with a substantial raise.”

“Let’s see. You’ve answered the question about being better or worse. And you answered the question about being with me if I was rich or poor.”

“I’ll definitely take care of you if you get sick.” She beamed.

“Rosalie will like that. She had to take care of me the last time I wasn’t feeling so great. Guess there’s one other question to ask you.” Keys lowered himself to one knee.

Before he could ask the question, Eminence blurted, “Yes! Yes! I will!”

“Oh, good. I was going to ask you to check my head for ticks.” He lowered his head in front of her.

She playfully slapped his shoulder. “You are not funny.”

He looked up at her. “So why are you laughing?”

Eminence stopped laughing to smile. “To keep from crying.”

Keys held onto her hands and stared at her with his warm eyes that always seduced her. “Eminence Marie Dutton, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

This time she didn’t say a word. She nodded and pressed her lips against his.

Keys rose to his feet, pulling her up from the couch. “Did I show you my tricked out SUV with the tinted windows out in the garage?”

Eminence shook her head. “Are the windows really dark?”

He held her hand and led her to a door on the other side of the kitchen. “So dark you can’t see anything through them. Or we can just go to my bedroom. The bed is set up.”

Eminence held Keys’s hand and pulled him toward the garage area. “Sounds like my kind of ride.”

“And you sound like my kind of woman. I love you, Eminence.”

“I love you, too, Keys.” She stood beside the garage door. “There’s always been something I wanted to do in a vehicle that I’ve never done before.”

Keys blinked at her.

“Hey, I’m a good girl, remember?”

“Yeah, closets must be your kryptonite.”

She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

Once inside of the pricey ride that still carried that new-car smell that she loved, it took her no time to straddle his lap and undo his pants. As she slid the garment down his legs, she slid down to the floor.

Thank God Keys decided to go commando today. Eminence wrapped her hand around his shaft. His impressive cock pulsated in her hand, getting harder and harder the longer she held him. When she moved her hand up to the tip, Keys sucked air in between his teeth.

Licking the tip of his dick had Keys squirming in his seat.

“Shit. Don’t stop. Whatever you do, don’t stop.” He covered his eyes with his hand and leaned his head back.

Far be it for her to disappoint him. Eminence eased her mouth down his cock to the root and held him in her mouth until she felt his legs shaking. She made the slow, wonderfully torturous trek back up to the tip where she gave it a loving kiss.

“Anything you want. Secrets, money, my business. I’ll give it all to you.”