Loving Sweetness (Sweet #2) Read online

  Saying no to my man was no longer an option. We had to find a compromise.

  We made it to the shower, but only to start over. This time, I got to look at him. My legs coiled around him as he is pushing me against the wall, he thrust slower, with more passion than anger. The warm water dripping down our bodies added comfort to our moment.

  “I love you, Sweetness.” He kissed and sucked on my nipples. “I love you, so fucking much,” he repeated.

  “I love you just as much, baby.”

  My first week as a manager ended well. Although I was exhausted, I thought I had done a pretty good job. Calvin kept telling me how proud he was to be working with me. He probably liked it only because we had a habit of meeting at the gym after our lunchtime workout. The thought alone had me smiling. We had become naughtier than ever, but I refused to let him win when it came to my office. I planned on keeping that space virgin for as long as I possibly could, and it was killing him. He tried seducing me by bringing strawberries and chocolate for my mid-afternoon break. Oh, trust me, it tasted like heaven and filled the room with romance, but I didn’t let him tempt me into his dirty ideas.

  As boring as it sounded, Calvin had to work on a Friday night. He and Candice had to go over a contract and after, he had to work at the lounge until late at night. Earlier in the week, we had talked about making Friday a date night, but those plans didn’t last long. All my girls had come to the mutual decision that we needed a night out to celebrate my and Krys’ new job. Who was I to be a party pooper?

  Krys had started a new job last week after quitting the fast food restaurant. One thing remained certain—we had a lot to talk about. From the strange attitude Candice had towards me, to the strawberries I had eaten, I didn’t know where to start.

  “Krys, can you get the door? It’s probably Danielle,” I asked while I finished getting dressed.

  Living at the penthouse was like living in a house I didn’t belong in. Everything sparkled, or looked like a home staging magazine. Calvin had given me space in the walk-in for my clothes, and that space alone almost equaled my bedroom at the residence hall. He had more suits than necessary, and I was starting to buy more and more clothes to fill up all that empty space.

  In the past, or should I say, before meeting him, Calvin never invited anyone to his place. He kept it to himself, his personal space, but I was in the habit of inviting my friends over quite often. I asked him before I did anything. I loved the penthouse, but I didn’t own it and could probably never afford it on my own. He insisted that I invite my friends over anytime. What he meant probably by this was that he preferred having me under his roof than anywhere else. My safety since the attack had been his main priority. He promised he would never let anyone hurt me again.

  “Hey, Iris.” Danielle waved at me from her spot at the entrance of the bedroom. For both of us, things could get awkward. She used to be with Calvin years ago, and entering his home, knowing how private he was, felt wrong to her.

  “Come, if you want,” I said putting on the last of my earrings.

  “I’ll wait in the living room,” she declined. Krys joined her and I hurried with my last-minute touch ups so I could join them.

  I loved our girls’ night out, but tonight, I didn’t feel like dressing up too sexy. My comfort appealed more than showing too much skin. Skinny pants and a nice loose tank top would do the trick. The weather had warmed up a lot in the past few days. It didn’t reach the heights of what I was used to in Florida, but enough to make it impossible without air conditioning.

  “Are we all ready to go?” I asked, walking into the living room.

  “Yes! Let’s go, girl. We have thirty minutes to make it before our reservation.” Krys handed me my handbag.

  The taxi waited for us. We hopped inside and I realized I had no clue where we were going. Knowing Krys, she had found us a trendy place, somewhere that wouldn’t disappoint. The taxi driver stopped a corner south of Central Park. I paid for the ride and followed the girls to a very modern restaurant. I had heard the name from Calvin before. I was certain he’d suggested it the other day.

  The waiter brought us sparkling water right away, and gave us the menu. My eyes drifted from the black and white pictures framed on the walls to the dark purple table cloths, over to the waiter taking orders at the table next to us. Why? Because he reminded me of Zach. I hadn’t talked to him since moving out of the residence. It had been weird and nothing was getting better about our relationship. I completely avoided him in our class and ignored his text messages. He’d hurt me and acted like an ass. Dealing with him no longer interested me. I had moved on.

  “Iris, have you seen something you like?” Danielle teased.

  “No… no… He just looked familiar, but I don’t know him.”

  “Oh geez, he really looks like Zach, doesn’t he?” Of course, Krys couldn’t be subtle. “Don’t think about him, Iris, he’s not worth it. Tonight is all about fun.”

  I sighed. “I know. It surprised me, that’s all. They really look alike.” I sipped on my sparkling water and made a face. “Why don’t we order some wine?” I suggested and tried to change the subject.

  “About time,” Danielle joked, and we all laughed.

  We intercepted our waiter and ordered wine and appetizers.

  “So, tell us how it is working with Calvin.” Krys’s curiosity would never die.

  “It’s good. I mean, we had to adjust a few things, but all is going well so far. I think we’ll be a great team. We seem to have the same vision so far, and he likes my ideas.”

  “Wait, what about Candice?” Danielle asked and eyed me in a way that told me she knew how Candice acted.

  “Well, that’s a different story. I’m trying not to judge too much, but I can’t say that I have a good feeling about her.”

  Krys’ hand grab my forearm, concerned. “What do you mean? Do we have to make a plan?”

  “No. Not yet, anyway. She said a few things that threw me off a bit. I think she’s possessive of Calvin, in a personal assistant kind of way. It’s hard to say. She had him all to herself before, I guess, and now it changed. I’m there and I’m his girlfriend.”

  “She feels endangered.” Krys added. “She probably doesn’t like you stepping in the office as a manager, since you were just a receptionist before, no offense.”

  “She sure feels the pressure. I can’t stand her,” Danielle admitted.

  “Why, what happened?” I asked.

  “Whenever I go in Calvin’s office, she eyes me with a look that could kill. She hates when other women are around him. Apart from her, all the others working with Calvin are men, and she has a big influence on him. I hope she doesn’t try to get between you two, because it’s going to get ugly. I suggest you try talking to Calvin about it.”

  Crap, her words confirmed what I thought. Candice was trouble.

  “And she always has been like that. I’ve been Calvin’s friend forever, and she acts like a total bitch to me whenever she comes to the gym. She hasn’t been there in months, though. Since you two started dating, actually.”

  “Maybe it means something,” I thought out loud.

  “It only means she’s jealous, Iris. She can’t stand watching you two together. It’s that simple and now that she’s in a place where she still has some power, she’ll use it against you.” Krys had never met her, but could see right through her game. I hated Candice already.

  “Okay… This is too much. I have to talk to Calvin tonight.”

  “Ladies.” The waiter brought our appetizers and wine.

  “It looks delicious.” My stomach growled, clamoring for food. “Enough about Candice. Besides I think they’re working together tonight. I can’t think about her alone with him. It’s driving me crazy.”

  I grabbed my phone out of my handbag to see if there were any messages waiting for me from him. My stomach sank—nothing. I knew he had things to do. They probably were busy, but the jealousy in me didn’t like the situation
at all.

  I miss you, baby.

  My phone alerted me seconds later.

  I miss you too, babe. We’re done. I’ll be at The Whiskey lounge after grabbing something to eat.

  I’ll meet you there later. Xx

  I waited for a response, but it didn’t come. They were done, I kept reminding myself, knowing it meant she wasn’t with him anymore. I took a sip of my wine and realized both girls were looking at me.

  “Everything okay?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. They’re done. Calvin’s going to the Lounge for the rest of the night.” I put on a smile and tried to act like I didn’t want to run to him. The last months had been intense for us. Our connection kept getting stronger and so was our sex life. I blushed.

  Danielle took a bite of the pita and hummus. Her eyes closed and she groaned with a heavy appetite. “This is mouth-watering. So good.”

  Her reaction urged me to try it and yes, it was that good. A roasted pepper hummus with so much flavor, I kept wanting more.

  “How’s your new job, Krys?” Until now, it had been all about me, but we hadn’t asked about her.

  “Oh, well…hum… It’s different.” She took a sip of her wine. “My boss is an ass. A completely arrogant ass, but other than that, I like the job…so far.”

  I chuckled, unsure if I should laugh or not. Danielle had her phone in hand, texting.

  “Why is he an ass? What has he done?” It only had been one or two weeks since her first day; what could he have done in such a short time?

  “He can’t even say good morning when he comes in. He growls if he doesn’t have a coffee waiting on his desk, and is very demanding and frustrating in everything he asks for.”

  “Ass.” Danielle added.

  “Right, and it’s not as if he has been in the business for a long time. I’m not even sure if he is thirty-five years old yet.”

  “Is he hot?” From my point of view, knowing Krys, it must be the only reason why she put up with his poor attitude.

  She flushed, her cheeks covered in a reddish shade. “Well, yeah, he is. A young George Clooney. I still hate him, even if he does have a nice ass.”

  We all laughed, but Danielle abruptly stopped and eyed Krys. “What? Did George Clooney walk in?”

  “And I thought I was up against Chris Hemsworth? George Clooney, babe, really?”

  “Cal, I’m so happy to see you.” I got up from my chair and jump into his arms. “Thank you for coming! I really needed to see you.”

  He pulled away from me. “Is everything okay?”

  I nodded, and pulled him back as close as I could. “I’m okay. Nothing to worry about.”

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “I love you.”

  “Mr. Banks. Your order is ready.” A restaurant staff member interrupted our little moment.

  “Thank you. I’ll be with you in a minute.” He gently dismissed the employee. “Are you girls coming to The Whisky Lounge after?”

  “I am,” I said, kissing his lips chastely.

  “I think we could do that.”

  “Grab a cab, please or I could ask Justin to pick you all up.” He kissed my forehead before letting go of me.

  “We’ll get a cab,” I told him.

  “Don’t worry, Calvin, I’m not letting her do anything reckless,” Danielle mentioned, hoping to make him feel better.

  “Nothing’s going to happen. It’s just a girls’ night out,” I murmured to his ear and kissed his earlobe. He had never really gotten over that night. The vision he had of me in the hospital bed still haunted him, and I felt terrible about it.

  “I trust you, babe. I’ll see you later. I love you.”

  He winked and gave me his precious smile before waving at the girls. I sat back on my chair, lightheaded. “He’s driving me crazy, but in a very good way. It’s like he can read my mind. He knew I missed him, so he ordered his food here so he could see me and I feel much better now.”

  “Watching you two is like watching an introduction to a very good porn movie,” Krys joked and it made me laugh out loud. “It’s true. You guys can’t keep your hands to yourself. You’re all touchy and kissy and damn, I need someone like that in my life.”

  “Maybe your ass of a boss. Break him in. Short skirt, show some cleavage.” I never thought Danielle would say something like that. Had she tried that with Calvin? For a few seconds, I laughed, but I wasn’t convinced if I found it funny or not.

  Danielle and Calvin had a really good, friendly relationship now, but had she ever tried to win him back? I knew the answer of that question; she had, but from what I understood, Calvin never agreed to give them a second chance. He didn’t have many friends from his early life. I think Danielle meant too much for him to risk it. Danielle’s comment had caused a mess in my mind. My insecurities about everything I had with Calvin rushed back to me.

  He loves me, right? Yes, he does.

  He’s serious about me, right? Yes, he is. He keeps telling me.

  I closed my eyes for few short seconds and tried to erase these thoughts from my head. I couldn’t let my fear of not being who he wanted controlling me. He has always showed me and told me—even now. Even Danielle seemed okay with Calvin and me.

  “Are you okay, Iris? You look like you’re about to cry.”

  “No, no, I’m fine.” Fine said by a woman is contradictory. But I gave Krys my best reassuring smile and she believed me. At least, she acted like she did.

  “More wine?” asked the waiter. We nodded in unison. “Mr. Banks wanted me to mention that your bill is taken care of.”

  “Well, thank you, Mr. Banks.” Krys sang loud enough for the other people to stare at us. I tried not to look at anyone. Krys had the habit of being loud.

  The rest of the evening flew by. The waiter kept filling up my wine glass. I could feel my cheeks burning up and my arms getting heavier. I had to start drinking more water or I would end up drunk and the idea really didn’t appeal tonight.

  We ate the naughtiest chocolate cake ever made. Danielle insisted on ordering it.

  “I feel like I just gained ten pounds. We gotta hit the gym, Danielle. Seriously, I just want to unbutton my pants.”

  “But was it worth every single calorie?” Danielle questioned, knowing what I would say.

  “Oh, hell yes. Every one of them. So worth it.” I couldn’t stop my sudden giggle fit. Damn alcohol. Krys and Danielle escorted me out and into the taxi cab.

  “Okay, Iris, you can stop now.” Krys pleaded. Giggling tired me more than anything. I finally stopped just before reaching the Lounge.

  I got out of the car and went directly inside. Calvin spotted me. Our gaze locked as I went unswervingly into his office. I knew it was a matter of seconds before he would be right behind, following me.

  I sat in his chair, fearless and watched as he entered just moments behind me.

  “Why do I sense that I’m about to be yelled at?” He looked scared.

  “Thank you for the dinner,” I said out of the blue. What I wanted to discuss had nothing to do with the dinner. My heart started pounding and my fingers shook. That damn wine was messing up with me.

  “You’re welcome, babe.” He tried to get closer to me.

  “Did Danielle ever seduce you to win you back? Recently? Did she ever try to get back with you?”

  The expression on his face told me he didn’t want to talk about this. He rubbed his eyebrows and took seconds before answering me, which only added to my anxiety.

  “How much wine did you have?”

  “Some.”

  “Okay, babe. No, she hasn’t. Danielle and I, we aren’t getting back together, ever. The two of us together is nothing but history. I thought you knew that. Why are you doubting us, or me, now?”

  I wanted to cry, hide, or run away. “She said something and it got me thinking.”

  “What did she say that could make you feel this way? You know I’m serious about this, don’t you?”

  “Krys is
having an issue with her boss and Danielle suggested she show some cleavage to smooth things with her boss. I thought she had tried that with you.”

  Calvin started laughing. “No, Iris. Trust me. Danielle is a girl who likes showing off. I mean, you’ve seen her in a sports bra walking around at the gym. She’s comfortable and it has nothing to do with me.”

  I stared at him. He made a point and my mind felt better now. My hands covered my face in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m an idiot.”

  “Iris, look at me, please.” I shook my head no. “Iris, now, please.” The tone of his voice told me I had to listen. I took a deep breath and slowly faced him. He stood tall by the door as he unbuttoned the first button of his dark blue shirt.

  “Baby.” I still wanted to run away.

  “I’ve never wanted anyone else like I want you. Deep down, you know that. I think the wine went to your head. I’m not Damien and she’s not Caroline. You have to trust me.”

  I nodded. “I trust you, Cal.” I got up, wanting to be into his arms.

  He motioned me to stop. He continued unbuttoning his shirt while watching me. “I love you, Sweetness. You’re perfect for me, you complete me.” He removed his shirt and placed it on the hand rest of the chair sitting in front of his desk.

  Why was he taking off his clothes alone, forbidding me to move? Touching him, feeling his arms holding me tightly against him, I needed those things now. He undid his belt and pushed down his pants and boxer briefs all at once, placing them with his shirt.

  “I love you, Calvin.” I whispered, taking in his beauty, his perfect body. “Why can’t I touch you now?”

  “Look at me, Sweetness. This is all of me and it’s all yours. Danielle, or anyone else for that matter, doesn’t get to see this. Only you.”

  Screw it, I had to touch him. Calvin could tell me to stop, but I wouldn’t listen. He was mine to claim. As soon as I could touch him, I placed my hand over his heart. “Mine.”