Black Demands (A Kelly Black Affair Book 2) Read online

  “Detective? What do you mean?”

  “I mean, he was snooping through my closet, digging through my clothes and shoes,” I sat up and propped myself up on one elbow, “he even went through my entire bathroom.” My forehead wrinkled. “That’s, like, extremely personal stuff, man.”

  “Wo-man,” Alex said, pointing at herself. “And, by the way, that’s totally weird. Are you sure he’s worth it?”

  “Aren’t you the one who pushed for me to sign his silly contract?”

  Alex tapped her finger on her bottom lip and looked up and to the left. “Are you even allowed to be in a relationship?”

  My brows knitted. “Of course I’m allowed to be in a relationship.”

  “I mean, since the Madam is technically still involved in the decision making—is what you and Kelly have even considered a relationship?”

  I dropped my feet over the side of the bed. “She doesn’t make my decisions for me.”

  “Except she allowed Kelly to pay an undisclosed amount to have you—”

  I shoved my hand in her face, dangling the ring Kelly gave me under her nose, close enough for her to remember that piece of him that made Kelly worth all the risk in the world.

  “It’s nice.” Alex lowered my hand away from her face. “I’ll give you that. But what other requests has he made?”

  Over the next several minutes, I laid out the demands Kelly made. How I was to eat healthy, shower twice a day, keep my makeup and appearance in place, and have sex with him at least three times a week. “Or whenever the mood strikes.”

  “Him or you?” she asked, biting the inside of her cheek.

  “Either.” My shoulders rose then fell. What did it matter? “He just wants me to stay in tip-top shape. Don’t you want that for me, too?”

  “I could use some motivation in that department.” Alex sighed before finishing her drink.

  My hands slapped down on her shoulders. “We can do it together.”

  Alex pressed her lips together. She didn’t look as thrilled as I’d hoped she would. “Maybe I spoke too soon.”

  “C’mon. It will be fun!” I shook her as the excitement rolled through me.

  “We’ll see.” She smiled, causing me to plant a wet one smack dab in the middle of her beautiful forehead.

  My aesthetician knocked on the door and peeked her head inside. “Kendra?”

  I turned and smiled. “Hey, baby.”

  “Ready?”

  I looked back at Alex. “I have to get back to work,” she said, standing.

  “Now, if you’ll excuse us, Ms. Grace—” I snickered, “—we have some primping to do.”

  Alex stuck her tongue out at me just as she was leaving, and I knew that Kelly’s demands would do both of us some good.

  6

  Kelly

  My thumb scrolled over the screen of my phone, searching.

  I couldn’t recall the last time I’d spoken with Colin Cobbs. Message after message, I looked to find when the exact day—even year—was. Except there was nothing. Clearly, we were in need of reconnecting. And though I’d instructed Giselle to contact him suggesting he help us with Mario’s case, I knew that once he heard I put in the request myself, he’d want to phone me, if only to see how I was doing.

  I stopped my scrolling when Kendra’s name appeared.

  My dick twitched at the mere thought of her—how her curves glowed, radiating perfectly to accentuate all that made her beautiful.

  The sun beat down on the crown of my head, getting me to angle my chin to the sky. It was bright and intense as I squinted under the heat before moving to the shade.

  A woman passed in front of me, sending familiar, intoxicating scents of Kendra straight to my brain. If it wasn’t for the smell, reminding me of what I had to look forward to, then I wouldn’t have bothered watching the woman continue on down the street. I would have let her go. Forgetting her completely.

  Instead, I stared, imagining that it was Kendra swaying her hips from side to side as I got lost in her magnificence.

  I leaned my shoulders back against the building’s wall and the woman glanced over her shoulder as if she could feel me staring. She even moved like Kendra. Graceful and fluid, like she didn’t have a care in the world.

  Kendra had cast her spell on me. I saw her everywhere. Even when I licked my lips, I could still taste her tight pussy on my tongue. The way it went from tart to sweet after she came. Closing my eyes, I could feel her squirming beneath my weight as I thrust my tongue deep into her hot cavern, driving her to ecstasy. She was a vixen that I couldn’t get enough of.

  And that was why I demanded she be perfect. I knew she thought my requests were ridiculous, but she didn’t have a choice. And neither did I.

  I glanced up from my phone when a loud trash truck drove by. Still, there was no sight of the Madam. God, I hated waiting. She was catching on. Knowing my own tactic of purposely arriving late so as not to be the one left waiting. I’d have to remember this for next time I scheduled a meeting with her. Unless she had a worthy excuse, her tardiness was uncalled for and I’d be sure to pay it back sometime in the future.

  Turning my head back down the street, I caught sight of the woman I’d been watching just before she rounded a corner and disappeared completely.

  My cock thickened at the memories of how Kendra made me feel.

  The demands I made of her were simple enough and served two very important purposes. First, to see if she could obey my command. It was important that she could—without hesitation—when moving her into the submissive role I wanted her to take.

  And, second, to make sure she looked the part I needed her to fill. She might not know it now, but I was grooming her for a life next to me. And that meant a life in the spotlight—a life under both scrutiny and praise. Together, we had to be flawless.

  And it wasn’t like I requested her to do things without first thinking of my own needs. I placed the same rigid lifestyle upon myself. Eating right, exercising, and taking time out of my busy schedule to relieve the dark desires I had boiling inside my groin. There wasn’t room to slip up. We needed that time to get lost in each other.

  Finally, unable to take it any longer, I typed a quick message to her.

  Clear your schedule. I’ll be by to pick you up in 30.

  A couple minutes passed and I kept my eye out for the Madam before Kendra responded.

  What do you have planned?

  My thumb worked over the touch-screen, responding to my sweet Bella.

  Surprise. Just be ready. See you soon.

  I smirked.

  P.S. And wear a short skirt.

  Madam’s jet-black limo arrived just as I tucked my phone away. I moved out of the comfort of the shade and into the blazing sun just as Jerome stepped out to hold the door open for me. “Morning, Mr. Black.”

  “Jerome.” I nodded. “Always a pleasure.” Ducking my head and sliding my body inside the vehicle, I found the Madam waiting on the opposite bench with her usual smug smile plastered across her face.

  “I must admit, Kelly,” she grinned, “I’m a bit surprised to be hearing from you so soon.”

  Jerome settled back into his seat and weighted down the back wheel-well. I leaned back in my seat, unbuttoning my jacket so it wasn’t so tight around my mid-section. “And why is that?”

  “After agreeing to give you access to Kendra for a month, I thought you two would disappear without a trace.” She straightened out the white gloves she was wearing and tilted her head to the side, pausing.

  “Work doesn’t stop.” I lifted my arm and rested it across the back of the seat.

  “So that’s the reason you requested to see me?”

  I glanced at Jerome. He looked cramped as he sat on the far side of the bench from Madam. He was such a large man, I wondered why the Madam didn’t custom-fit her rides to accommodate him. I knew she had the money, and Jerome had been with her long enough for her to know he wasn’t going anywhere fast.

&nb
sp; “I’ve decided to take on Stone’s case,” I said as soon as we started to drive.

  She didn’t act surprised. Not even relieved to hear the news. And after all her impatient moments, I couldn’t even get her to smile. “Who will be covering for Mario?” she asked simply.

  “I’ve got that handled.”

  “Kelly, Maria Greer deserves justice.” Her chest expanded just before she let out a heavy sigh.

  Her sudden interest in Maria had me skeptical. I couldn’t help but wonder what her play was. Why she suddenly cared more for a strange dead girl than she did about her own motives was beyond me. It wasn’t like her to forget her own interests, and so I assumed that she hadn’t. But what was her angle?

  “She’ll get the justice she deserves,” I assured her. “And Mario will be properly represented. Giselle is setting that up now.”

  “If you’re stepping away from Mario, then I assume he told you everything you needed to know about Stone?”

  My tongue worked over the front of my teeth as I glanced out the window over her shoulder.

  “What Mario told you,” Madam continued, pressing for information when I remained tight-lipped, “is it enough to put Stone away for good?”

  We passed a corner deli that served up delicious blueberry muffins worth dying for. Suddenly my stomach grumbled, realizing that I hadn’t had much to eat today. I tried my best to hide the fact that I was on to her, that I knew what she was up to and why she wanted to see Stone locked away for good. There wasn’t enough evidence to convict—or even accuse her today of my suspicions—but I knew Adrianna and I were onto something worth fighting for. We were close to uncovering her dirt.

  My eyes drifted back to Madam’s. We held our gazes and I stared back into her tiny pupils, questioning if I even knew who she was anymore. “Mario didn’t tell me anything.”

  She squinted as I watched her posture go stiff. Madam was the best at hiding her frustration, and if it weren’t for the years of getting to know her—watching the way she operated—I would have missed the subtlety of her resentment toward me. “Kelly,” she tsked, “why would you make such an amateur move?”

  My brows pinched. “Are you questioning my strategy?”

  “Kelly, darling. That wasn’t the plan we discussed. I specifically instructed you that I’d like to know what Mario knew about Stone.” She angled her head over to Jerome and cackled. “If only to make your job easier.” She turned back to me and smiled. “That is all, sweetheart.”

  I thumbed my ear, thinking. “How do you even know Mario knows anything about Stone?”

  “Honey,” she dropped her chin and looked at me beneath sunken brows, “you and I both know that he knows something.”

  Of course I knew that. But I wanted to know how she knew. “Then tell me. How can you be so certain?”

  The driver made a turn, heading back toward my office. “My girls. They tell me everything. Isn’t that right, Jerome?”

  “That’s right,” Jerome said in his deep baritone.

  I cast my gaze at Jerome, watching him sweat in his suit. His hands were perfectly stretched out on his large thighs as he stared straight ahead, never once taking his eye off of me.

  “Kelly,” Madam lifted her brow, “you need to get what Mario knows on record.”

  My tongue wet my lips.

  Her other brow rose. “It’s imperative.”

  “It shouldn’t be a problem,” I said as the limo stopped at the curb outside my office building.

  “That’s good.” Her shoulders relaxed. “I hope it’s not.”

  “I’ll be overseeing the case. Every step of the way I’ll be reported to.” My eyes narrowed. “But it’s important I also mention that none of this can get leaked. No one can know that I’m secretly running the show on both Mario and Stone.”

  “My lips are sealed.” Madam grinned.

  “It will all be done in private to keep the conflict of interest hidden and out of sight.” I leaned forward, preparing to exit the vehicle. “Madam, it needs to be done this way if we are going to get Stone convicted. Trust me when I say that I haven’t lost sight of our original intention.”

  Madam held her chin high with a satisfied gleam in her eye. “Report back to me, Kelly,” she said as I opened the door to leave. “We can’t let this drag on forever. This city and its interests move much too fast to be dicking around.”

  7

  Kendra

  The moment I stepped into my empty apartment I knew I didn’t have much time.

  If I knew anything about Kelly, it was that he hated to wait.

  I glanced at the kitchen to check the time. It had already been ten minutes since he’d texted telling me to wear a short skirt. I wondered if he wanted me to wear anything beneath. I snickered at the thought.

  Tossing my handbag on the couch, I scampered to the back of my apartment, swung my closet doors open, and began digging for a skirt I knew he’d love to see me in. With as good as he had been treating me, I had no reason to purposely upset him. And depending on what I chose to wear, I could easily dictate how today went.

  Sliding the hangers to the side, digging and fingering my way through the bundle of clothes bunched up on either side of the closet, I debated my options. It was impossible not to see Kelly here going through my clothes, telling me that they weren’t good enough. I didn’t get it. Didn’t understand why everyone was so down on my sense of fashion. I had a great sense of style. Why couldn’t anyone see that?

  Renewed with a sense of determination to prove Kelly wrong, my fingers pinched the fabric of what could be a worthy option for me to wear. I thought how Kelly never did say what it was he had planned. Just for me to be ready. Which reminded me—time was ticking.

  I could pair my tight-fitting leather mini-skirt with extremely tall heels and a white button-up to give him the sexy professional look. Or I could go with something less risqué. My closet was packed full of options; sometimes it made for tough decisions.

  When I hung the clothes back on the pole, I wondered out loud, “Did he need a quickie before finishing his afternoon work? Or was this more about us, taking me out for lunch to socialize?”

  Working my way to the back, that was when I saw it. Forgetting I had it, my eyes widened, sparkling with joy, knowing that this was it. It was beautiful and had an edge of danger unlike anything else I owned. I had to wear this.

  Pulling it free and holding it out in front of my face, I smiled.

  It was a contemporary style with a curved hem to show all my most tempting features, and the snake skin patterned mini-skirt had all the elements Kelly had requested. It was figure flaunting and I knew that if I paired it with a deep V-neck blouse—dangling a necklace to draw attention to my bra-less girls—and fitting strappy heels over my feet, Kelly wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself.

  My nipples puckered at the thought of driving him mad.

  With no time to waste, I began shedding the clothes I was wearing and exchanging them for my new outfit. I was thankful that I had showered before visiting the spa and that I still smelled of citrus oils and hot wax. A shower now was most definitely out of the question.

  I was dressed and downstairs in no time flat. With my heels clacking through the lobby, Mr. Anderson, my doorman, lifted his head with a smile. “You seem to be in a particularly good mood.”

  I slowed my gait in order to respond. “Am I not always?”

  “Today, you have more bounce in your step.”

  “Must be the heels.” I smiled.

  “Must be.” He winked.

  “Or…it could be this.” I stepped forward and dangled the diamond ring Kelly had gifted me in front of his face.

  He angled his head to the side and gave me a questioning look.

  “It’s what was in the box the other day.” I nodded, staring at the exquisite jewel. “I should be thanking you—”

  His brows pinched. “Thanking me for what?”

  “For keeping Kelly Black around.�
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  He bowed his head. “Anything for you, Ms. Williams.”

  “You know, I really like him,” I said, holding my chin high.

  “Mr. Black is a true gentleman.” Mr. Anderson nodded to the resident who entered the building.

  “Well, I’m glad you think so, because that’s who I’m on my way to see now.”

  “May you enjoy your afternoon.” He nodded his head, this time to me, and smiled.

  As I made my way out of the building, I thought how I liked how cordial Mr. Anderson was. He was a gentleman, the man who never had anything bad to say about anyone or anything. And I liked that I could share my life with him. After watching me come and go, I was certain he knew more about me than I’d ever allow most people to learn.

  The outside hit my face like a breath of fresh air. Kelly was already waiting, standing next to his jet-black Escalade SUV, his infamous sexy smirk dimpling his cheeks.

  Heat spread through my core, keeping my nipples the sharp little bullets they always were when I was around him.

  His driver was behind the wheel with his focus forward and Kelly pushed off the vehicle and strode toward me, meeting me halfway. “Look at you.” He pulled his hands from his pockets and quickly wrapped his fingers around my waist, pulling me in for a deep, lingering kiss.

  I melted into him, my heart fluttering out of control.

  He swirled his tongue against mine before dipping me.

  I couldn’t recall ever being dipped, and it got me to laugh. “What has you in such a great mood?”

  His lips brushed against mine. “Get inside,” he pulled me back upright and tugged on my fingers, leading me toward his car, “and you’ll find out.”

  Kelly’s broad shoulders sheltered me from the squelching sun as he opened the door, assisting me into the backseat. The windows were darkly tinted and a privacy partition kept his driver free from whatever happened in the back. As soon as Kelly shut the door, the vehicle pulled away from the curb and we were off. “Mr. Anderson says you’re quite the gentleman.”