“Like I’m breakfast.”
He crooked a finger, but by a force of will she didn’t know she possessed, Phil stopped herself from diving back under the covers.
“I’m going to shower,” she said. “And no, you can’t join me,” she added. “The new shutters are being delivered to Belle Maison this morning. I want to inspect them before signing for the delivery.”
“Dammit. I forgot all about that.” Jamal pushed himself up from the bed. “We need to swing by my place so I can change.”
Phil just stared at the absolute perfection of his well-honed muscles and flawless physique.
“If you don’t want me in the shower with you, you’d better stop looking at me like that,” he warned.
The humorous, cocky gleam in his eyes was just what she needed to douse her body’s amorous cravings. He was just a littletoosure of himself.
“I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” she said. “And I’d appreciate a cup of coffee waiting for me.”
She closed the door behind her and heard, “God, I love a bossy woman,” from the other side.
A half-hour later, they were pulling up to Jamal’s home. Once they were inside, he gave her a swift kiss and said, “I won’t be too long. Just a quick shower and a change of clothes. Make yourself at home.”
She wiggled her empty travel mug. “Is there a coffeemaker?”
“Morecoffee?”
“Well, someone kept me up way too late last night.”
He shot her a wicked grin and pointed her in the direction of the coffeemaker, and Phil set about making another pot. She walked over to the refrigerator in search of cream and noticed the wedding announcement and RSVP for Jamal’s sister’s wedding stuck to the stainless-steel refrigerator with a magnet. She pulled it off and read over the embossed writing.
When Jamal walked into the kitchen, she pointed to the response card. “You haven’t sent this off yet?” she asked.
His shoulders visibly sank. “Don’t bring that up. Please.”
“Jamal, think of how much it would hurt your sister if you missed her wedding.”
His face turned so grim that he hardly resembled the same man she’d spent the night with.
“Not just Lauryn. My mom, too,” he said. “There was a message from her on my voice mail, asking again if I would make the wedding.”
“You have to go, Jamal. They’re your family. Be grateful you still have them.”
He stared at her for several moments before saying, “Come with me.”
Phil’s spine stiffened. “What?”
“Come with me to Arizona.”
She shook her head and took a step back. “That’s crossing a line between client and employee that definitely should not be crossed.”
“We’re more than just client and employee, Phylicia.”
She shook her head. “Not until I finish the job on Belle Maison,” she said.
Jamal rolled his eyes. “Fine, then consider it a business trip.” He paused for a beat, his eyes widening with interest. “That’s actually not a bad idea,” he continued. “There are several bed-and-breakfasts out there that I’d like to see. We can leave a couple of days early and check out a few of them. I can interview the owners, see how they operate.”
“I can’t leave my mom,” Phil said, even as the thought of spending a few days touring parts of Arizona with Jamal sent tremors of delight up her spine.
“It would only be for a couple of days. If something happens while we’re away, I can get you back here in a matter of hours. Johnson Construction has two private jets. I’d suck it up and ask for permission to use one of them if necessary.”
He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his hands at the small of her back.
