Tender to His Touch

Chapter 2

“Girrrrl, you are going to get laid for sure in that dress.” Clarence, Beverly’s best friend and self-appointed relationship advisor, snapped his fingers and twirled her around so she could face the full-length mirror.

A cocky grin sloped across Beverly’s face. She did look good. The red cocktail dress hugged her curvy body like an extra layer of skin and she debated whether she even needed the thin silver belt. What was even more surprising was how much she loved her new hairstyle.

Clarence switched his hips and smacked his clear, shimmering lips. “Do I know how to hook my girl up or what?”

Beverly happily agreed. The shorter, darker do made her golden eyes pop and easily erased the past ten years from her face. She might actually pull this off.

“Now remember, whatever booty you get, fifteen percent of it is mine.”

Beverly howled and then bumped her hip against his. “What the hell am I going to do with you?”

“Love me, sweetheart. That’s what they all do with me.” He leaned forward and blew air kisses. Dressed in an immaculate pair of shiny denim jeans and a cloud-white shirt beneath a black merino sweater, Clarence was as sharp as any male model strutting down a Prada runway. On his youthful, effeminate face he wore the lightest touch of face powder and lip gloss.

“Well, I better go,” Clarence said as he turned away from the mirror and marched out of the bathroom. “It’s Friday night and you’re not the only bitch trying to get laid.”

Beverly laughed as she followed. “Thanks again, Clarence. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t come over.”

“Uh-huh.” Clarence glanced around the large hotel suite, specifically the huge king-size bed.

“Look, I’m just staying here at the hotel during homecoming weekend because it’s a lot closer to Hollington College than my house. If I happened to have a few drinks, it’s easier to catch a cab here than risk driving all the way back out to the suburbs.”

Clarence wasn’t buying it. “Whatever, chickie.” He switched his hips as he retrieved his jacket. “You just make sure this big ol’ bed doesn’t go to waste this weekend. I’ve been telling you you needed to get your groove back for a while. I’m glad Kyra finally brought you around.”

Beverly actually blushed. “I never said I was going to this homecoming to get laid.”

“Uh-huh.” Clarence popped his lips.

“I came to just have a good time and catch up with old friends.” The lie even sounded weak to her.

Clarence rolled his eyes. “Girl, I know a freakum dress when I see it.” He headed to the door. “Have a good time and I expect details when I come by Hoops next week.”

Beverly chuckled and then added, “Thanks again for coming to my hair emergency. I was ready to pack up and go back home.”

“Relax.” Clarence reached over and squeezed her hand. “You’re the homecoming queen. They’re going to love you. And if that jerk of an ex-husband of yours does show up, give him a good swift kick in the balls for me.”

Lucius was getting excited at the thought of returning to his old stomping grounds. Rumors had been circulating that both Terrence Franklin and Micah Ross would be swinging through the joint. He hoped to get a little face time with his old buddies and shoot the breeze. He had only one last business errand to run over at the downtown Hilton before he headed off to the college. Once he dropped off a few documents with one of his clients, he promised himself to turn off his BlackBerry and just enjoy his weekend.

Hell, he deserved it.

However, Atlanta’s Friday bumper-to-bumper traffic delayed his plans for a carefree weekend. While surrounding cars engaged in an endless game of cutting each other off, honking and tossing a few middle fingers in the air, Lucius slipped in his old The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill CD. Ten years ago, his senior year in college, this disc stayed on repeat. His boys loved it and, more importantly, so did the ladies.

When his favorite jam, “Ex-Factor,” came on, a broad smile carved across his lips as he bobbed his head. This was just what he needed to get in the ’99 mood. An hour later, he finally arrived at the Hilton and met businessman Mitch Paulson in the hotel bar.

“Ah, right on time,” Paulson said as he stood to shake Lucius’s hand. “Can I get you a drink?” He waved and caught a waitress’s attention.

Lucius glanced at his watch. “Actually, I—”

“Ah, c’mon.” Paulson gestured for him to take a seat. “It’s the least I can do after having you deliver those papers on such short notice.”

Lucius hesitated, glanced at his watch. No way would he make it over to Cork for the school’s private cocktail party on time. Then again, maybe it was better to show up fashionably late.

“Don’t be rude, Lucius. Have a seat,” Paulson insisted and then added a boisterous laugh. “You know businessmen don’t like drinking alone.”

Lucius relented with a chuckle. “Maybe just one drink.”

Their waitress popped up the moment Lucius took his seat. “Whiskey on the rocks,” he ordered.

“Make that two,” Paulson corrected, giving the pixie blonde a flirtatious wink.

However, the waitress’s blue gaze was busy assessing Lucius. She was cute, but Lucius would most likely always crave the touch and love of a curvy sistah. That was just how he rolled.

When the waitress saw that she wasn’t getting any play, she drifted away from the table.

“Ah, well,” Paulson huffed and reached inside his jacket and retrieved a cigar case. “I guess I’m losing my touch.”

Or you shouldn’t try to pick up someone young enough to be your granddaughter.

“Just as well, I suppose. It’s not easy keeping up with these young girls,” he said, laughing at his own joke. “I damn near threw my back out last year with an eighteen-year-old hell-bent on turning me into a pretzel.”

Lucius laughed along, though he picked up on a few notes of sadness.

“Who knows? I probably should’ve stayed married,” Paulson continued. “But…well, back when I was your age I was married to my job more than I was to Sheila.”

This always happened when Lucius shared drinks with his male clients. Alcohol loosened tongues and Lucius found himself cast in the role of a pseudopsychiatrist.

“You married, Lucius?” Paulson asked just as their waitress returned with their drinks.

“Divorced.”

“Hmmph.” Paulson shook his head. “Big mistake.”

“I don’t know. It seemed to have worked out for the best.”

“Sure you say that now. Let a few more years roll by.” He took a sip of his drink. “Seeing anybody?”

Lucius shifted in his chair as he took a few sips of his whiskey. “Let’s just say that I’m keeping my options open.”

“How many hours are you putting in at the firm?”

“What is this, an interrogation?”

“Let me guess,” Paulson went on, sizing him up. “You look like a workaholic. I’d say about 85 to 90?”

Their gazes locked.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Paulson flashed him a lopsided grin. “Tell me. Have you noticed how cold a house gets at night yet?”

Lucius didn’t answer.

“Hmmph.” Paulson shook his head. “Believe me. It gets a lot colder. Thing is, I don’t ever remember it being that way when I was married. A house is meant to be a home.” He leveled his gaze back on Lucius. “And man was never meant to be alone—that’s the one passage I remember from the Bible.”

Lucius quickly took another sip of his drink.

“A career is great, but a good woman is even better.” Paulson scanned the room. “Are you a breast or leg man?”

“I, uh—”

“Aww. Maybe you like a woman with a little junk in the trunk?” He winked.

Lucius would never get used to old white men trying to talk hip. “Yeah. I guess you can say that I like it all.”

Paulson’s drink stopped midway to his lips. “Then it looks like you’re in luck. Check out who just walked through the door.”

Curious, Lucius turned around and nearly dropped his glass when his gaze zeroed in on a tall, gorgeous woman in red with deep brick-house curves and a smile that lit up the whole room. Spellbound, he watched her as she strolled over to the bar. Her big breasts sat high and were like—pow! Her firm, but still bouncing backside was like—ka-pow!

To maintain some semblance of cool, Lucius sipped a little more of his whiskey, but his eyes never left the seductive sway Paulson so elegantly called junk in the trunk.

“Better close your mouth and go make a move,” Paulson chuckled. “I’d say you have about five seconds before someone else beats you to the punch.”

Lucius tossed down the rest of his drink in one gulp and sprang out of his chair without a backward glance. Halfway over to the bar, he realized that he didn’t have the slightest idea what to say. His pickup lines were a little rusty.

Across the room, he saw another brother stand up; his eyes locked on the same mysterious woman. Lucius picked up his pace and settled onto the empty stool beside the lady in red, whose soft floral perfume worked like an invisible hook. Before he could speak, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

“Hello,” she greeted in a velvety smooth voice that dripped with sin.

Lucius responded with the first thing that popped into his head. “Marry me?”

Chapter 3

Beverly laughed. The question had been so unexpected that she couldn’t do anything but. The handsome stranger next to her joined in. His intriguing hazel eyes were so bewitching her heart skipped a beat. She estimated him to be six-two, lean but well muscled. His medium-brown skin had a healthy glow, and he had short-cropped hair that was well-groomed. She fought the sudden impulse to run her fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it looked. Bottom line, he was a good-looking man with a smile that took her breath away.

“Okay. I admit that was a pretty cheesy pickup line,” the handsome devil admitted.

“But very effective,” she said, throwing him a bone. “Maybe I should be asking how many wives you have stashed away.”

He held up his bare right hand. “I’m as free as a bird.”

She arched a brow at him. Did he think a missing ring meant anything these days?

“I’m divorced.”

“What a coincidence,” she said.

“Now what idiot let you go?” he countered, shaking his head and hitting her with his sexy dimples.

“I know, right?”

They laughed.

“Mind if I buy you a drink?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t—”

“C’mon. Just one.”

The bartender popped up out of nowhere.

“What’ll you have?” her handsome admirer asked.

“Whoooo, boy. It’s, um, been a while.” She hesitated, not knowing what to order. She was more of a wine connoisseur and didn’t know any of the latest cool alcoholic concoctions so she stuck with an old staple. “I’ll just have a Long Island iced tea.”

“And I’ll have another whiskey on the rocks,” the stranger said and then turned his attention back to Beverly. “By the way, I’m Lucius Gray.” He extended his hand.

“Beverly Clark—well, Turner, actually.” She laughed at the slip. “I can’t believe I still make that mistake.”

When his large hand closed around hers, a delicious warmth raced up her arm, her nipples hardened and she tingled in places she’d long forgotten about. That was definitely a good sign.

“If you don’t mind, I have a second cheesy line I’d like to ask you,” Lucius said.

“All right.” She smiled. “Shoot.”

“What’s a beautiful woman like you doing in a bar like this?”

“Well, I just wanted to grab a quick drink to help me relax before I head out for the evening.”

His gaze roamed over her. “So you’re staying at the hotel?”

The bartender returned. “One Long Island iced tea and one whiskey on the rocks. Enjoy.”

Lucius waited patiently for an answer while Beverly took a sip of her drink.

“Mmmm. Now that hit the spot.”

He chuckled, deciding to keep an obvious sexual retort to himself.

Beverly glanced over at him and read him easily. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

Lucius held up his hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, right.” She sipped more of her drink. “And to your previous question, I’m just staying at the hotel for the weekend. And yourself?”

“No, I actually, uh—” he glanced around “—had a meeting with a client, but it looks like that’s already ended.”

“I’m not keeping you from your work, am I?”

“No. No. It’s all right.” He flashed another smile. “We had already wrapped things up. When you strolled in and caught every brotha’s attention in that knockout dress.”

“What—this old thing?”

Lucius laughed.

She bobbed her head and then returned to nursing her drink. “So what do you do, Mr. Gray?”

“I’m an attorney…and please, call me Lucius.”

“Okay, Lucius,” she said, purposely lowering her voice. “It sort of sounds like luscious.”

Lucius’s eyes darkened with unmistakable desire. “You can call me that if you like,” he said, leaning in close. “But only when we’re alone.”

At the feel of his warm breath against her cheek, Beverly experienced a few more tingles. Good Lord, one drink and she was ready to jump the man’s bones.

“Anyway,” Lucius said, “I work for one of the largest African-American law firms in Atlanta. We primarily deal with big litigation cases. You know, health care, pharmaceuticals and insurance fraud.”

“Ahh, an attorney,” she said noncommittally.

“What? Don’t tell me that you have something against lawyers?”

She shrugged. “No. It’s just that…well…”

“What?”

“It’s just that you might be the first attorney I actually like.”

Lucius choked on his drink. When he recovered, he barked with laughter.

Beverly chuckled at his side. “No offense,” she added. “But the last time I had to deal with attorneys I was going through a pretty messy divorce.”

“No offense taken, I assure you. And to be completely honest with you, I wasn’t too crazy about my divorce attorney, either. If you don’t mind my asking, how long ago did you get your freedom papers?”

She shrugged. “Two years.”

“Ah. So your wounds are still fresh.”

Was he suggesting that she still had baggage? “What about you?”

Lucius took another sip of his drink. “Five years. I’ve officially been divorced longer than I was married. But I did get a beautiful daughter out of the deal.”

Beverly’s easy smile dimmed as she reached for her glass.

Lucius soaked in her profile. “Are you sure that we haven’t met somewhere before?”

This time, she nearly choked on her drink. “Cheesy line number three,” she said, dabbing her mouth with a cocktail napkin.

His laughter deepened as he shook his head. “Nah. Nah. I mean it. You look very familiar to me. Do you live here in Atlanta or did you fly in on business?”

“No. I live here in Atlanta,” she said. Her face continued to warm beneath the intensity of his gaze. It didn’t help that the alcohol from her drink felt as if it suddenly had a direct pipeline to her blood system. “Mmm.” She closed her eyes and enjoyed the small buzz.

Lucius’s body reacted to her sexy moan. “Damn. I should’ve had what you’re having.”

Beverly giggled—something she hadn’t done in a long time.

“So what is it that you do, Ms. Turner?”

“I’m a fashion designer—local. I own a boutique out in Virginia Highland. Have you ever been out there?”

He thought hard and long about it. “Can’t say that I have.” His eyes narrowed. “But I swear you seem familiar. Maybe with lighter hair?”

Beverly blinked. “Actually, I recently darkened it.”

He continued to scrutinize. “Was it longer, too?”

“Yes!” Now she tried to study him. Had they met before?

“I’m going to figure it out,” he assured her. His eyes continued to roam hungrily.

He wanted to taste a sample of her lips, not doubting for a moment that they would be sweet, intoxicating and downright addictive. He had a nearly uncontrollable desire to bury himself in the soft curves of her body. Good Lord, he was already thinking about her this way after just talking to her for a few minutes. How long had it been since he’d been with a woman? He frowned, trying to come up with an answer. Ten months. Eleven months. A year? Surely, it couldn’t have been that long—had it?

He reached for his drink again while trying to rein in his horny body. Hell, if he stood up right now he would have to figure out a way to walk with three legs.

Beverly glanced at her watch.

Lucius did the same. He was really going to be late to the private cocktail party. But if he played his cards right, maybe the night would end on a higher note than trying to see how many of his old college buddies still had a head full of hair.

“Can I get you anything else?” the bartender popped up to ask.

Beverly warred with whether she should stick around and enjoy Mr. Lucius’s company or get her butt over to Cork for the Hollington private cocktail party. It wasn’t any easy decision. It felt good to have a man look at her the way he did. It made her feel beautiful, desired, and downright horny. When was the last time that happened? In her mind, she was already experimenting with different acrobatic positions and she could feel herself overheating.

Whoooaaa, Beverly. Slow it down.

“Are you blushing?” he asked.

“Huh? What? No!” She blinked and shook her head clear of those naughty thoughts. “I’ll just have some water,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am. Coming right up.”

Lucius’s evenly groomed brows rose in mild curiosity.

“A woman must know her limitations,” Beverly said, meeting his gaze. “I don’t want to do anything I might regret in the morning.”

He clearly caught her meaning and licked his lips. “I don’t know about regret, but maybe you should do something you’ll enjoy.”

Their eyes locked and the temperature in the bar skyrocketed. Where was that damn water?

“Here you go,” the bartender said, helping Beverly break the spell she’d fallen under.

“Thank you.” She tossed down half its contents in one long gulp.

“Damn. Thirsty?” Lucius asked.

“Just a little.” She chuckled.

They glanced at their watches again.

“Am I keeping you from something?”

She hesitated and then gave him an apologetic smile. “I am supposed to be somewhere.”

“Oh?”

“It’s a cocktail party over at Cork. I—”

Lucius snapped his fingers. “That’s where I know you from.”

Beverly frowned.

“Class of ’99. Hollington College. You’re that Beverly Turner.” He balled his hand in front of his mouth and laughed. “You were homecoming queen.”

Stunned, Beverly blinked at him. “You graduated at Hollington?”

“Sure did. Four of the best years of my life. Now it’s coming back to me.” He laughed. “You used to hang with Kyra Dixon, right?”

“Yeah.” She continued to struggle to place his face.

“I used to be on the football team with Terrence Franklin. Offensive lineman.”

Beverly experienced a flicker of a memory—tall boy, tight ass, hazel eyes. “I think I do remember you,” she said, smiling. “What a coincidence.”

“I’d say.” His smoldering gaze roamed over every inch of her. “Boy, you’re just as beautiful today as you were back then.”

Beverly’s blush deepened. “I love it when a man lies to me.”

“We never officially met back then,” Lucius confessed. “But I remember peeping you out on more than one occasion.” He set down his drink. “Tell you what. Since I’m heading to Cork myself, what do you say I give you a lift?”

It wasn’t exactly smart to jump in a car with a man she hardly knew.

He leaned forward and gave her a wink. “I promise, I’m harmless—despite my being a lawyer.” He stood from his stool, tossed a few bills onto the bar and then offered her his arm. “C’mon. Live a little.”

Beverly could almost hear Clarence cussing her out if she turned down this fine brotha. It would be nice to actually walk into Cork on a handsome man’s arm. Plus, who knows how the rest of the night might end up?

Girrrrl, you are going to get laid for sure.

She certainly hoped so. “All right. Let’s go.”

Chapter 4

Beverly felt wicked as she allowed Lucius to escort her to his car. It had been years since she’d allowed a man to pick her up in a bar. In fact, she would have to think back to all those wild college spring breaks when she’d been so daring. She kept waiting for her conscience to kick in, for reason to stop her from jumping into this man’s car; however, that little voice never came. Instead, desire and lust seized her body, making her willing to see just how this whole night would play out.