The Way You Tempt Me. Elle Wright

this mean you didn’t hear a word of my presentation?”

      “I heard you.” Jax leaned forward, elbows against the oak desk. “Xavier, you came into my office and showed off this ring you purchased for Naomi. Then you went into your work proposal. Shouldn’t we talk about this? You are my son. This is a big deal.”

      Xavier shrugged. “It is. Which is why I wanted to show you the ring first.”

      “A ring doesn’t make a marriage, son. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

      “Yeah, I’m ready. Dad, there is a board meeting in two hours. I need to table the discussion about the ring and focus on the work proposal I have to make.”

      Pure Talent Agency was founded by Jax Starks in 1989, after he had made a name for himself as a sharp, dedicated entertainment attorney for several African-American celebrities. He’d spent years building his brand, negotiating unheard-of deals in Hollywood for actors who had floundered under different representation. The first order of business was signing Xavier himself as the first child actor of the boutique agency.

      With his father’s vision and connections in the industry, Xavier landed a sought-after role on one of the most influential sitcoms of the 1990s. Every Tuesday evening, families of all backgrounds watched Xavier grow up right before their eyes as the sharp, inquisitive son of a fictional lawyer and his family.

      It wasn’t long before Xavier had decided he didn’t want the life of red carpets and photo shoots. He didn’t want to spend his school year with tutors, instead of teachers, and with costars, instead of his friends. Once he realized that acting was not for him, he’d gone to great lengths to distance himself from his squeaky-clean child star image, eventually settling into a career of his own within the agency as one of the best youth-performer agents at Pure Talent. Now he wanted—no, he needed—to take his career to the next level.

      “Expanding into sports is huge for this company,” Xavier said. “And I want to be the agent to helm this new venture. I’ve done the work, I’ve studied the market, I’ve made invaluable connections. This is exactly the type of project that I’m looking forward to sinking my teeth into.”

      Jax leaned back in his chair. “I agree. A sports division is the next logical step. I can definitely foresee us taking this company to a whole new level of success.”

      “Exactly.”

      “It’s no secret that I’m getting older.”

      Xavier dropped his gaze. Over the past few months, his father had been talking more and more about retirement, of traveling for pleasure, of enjoying dinner with X’s mother without interruptions from clients and staff. As much as he understood the notion, he hated to think of his father getting older. In Xavier’s mind, Jax Starks was still a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

      “I have to admit that seeing you take the initiative on something like this makes me happy,” Jax continued. “You’ve done a good job on the proposal, your presentation is thorough. I’m very interested in exploring this further.”

      “Thank you. Your faith in me means a lot, Dad.”

      “Have you thought about potential agents?”

      Xavier finally took a seat. “I have some ideas. I can get you a list this afternoon, after the presentation.”

      “Great. I see no reason not to move on this quickly. I also have a few names.”

      Curiosity piqued, Xavier asked, “Care to share?”

      “Not particularly.”

      Xavier barked out a laugh. “I’m not surprised.” Without another word, Xavier closed his laptop and gathered his hard copy of the presentation.

      “Are you sure?”

      Glancing at his father, Xavier sighed. He’d been in this position with his father more times than not, hoping to distract from a conversation he didn’t want to have. When he’d mentioned marriage to Naomi, both of his parents had reservations and had made it known in no uncertain terms.

      He couldn’t say that he blamed them. Naomi was one of the hottest black actresses in the industry. Going out with her was inviting attention that he’d tried hard to avoid for many years.

      “I’m sure,” Xavier said finally.

      “Why? Why is she the one?”

      “We’ve been together for over a year.”

      “That’s not an answer.”

      Xavier shrugged. “What do you want me to say?”

      “I want you to tell me why you’re proposing to a woman who spends more time on her phone than with you. What is it about her that makes you think marriage is the next logical step?” Jax stood to his full height and strolled over to the mini refrigerator he kept in the office. Pulling out two bottles of water, he offered Xavier one before twisting the cap off of his own. “Being married is much more than a high-profile wedding. I just want to be sure you’re doing this for you—and not for an image you think you need.”

      “I don’t need to get married, Dad. I want to. Naomi is talented, funny, adventurous, beautiful. We get along, we have fun together, we enjoy the same food and the same activities. She challenges me to...” Watch reality TV and read fanfiction? He scratched the back of his neck. “She’s amazing.”

      His father leaned against the desk and assessed him with eyes that saw too much, way more than Xavier wanted them to see in that moment. “But you didn’t mention love. Do you love her?”

      “Love”? Xavier closed his eyes as the chorus to that damn Tina Turner song played in his head. The question in the song taunted him, because love hadn’t been a part of his decision-making process. Of course, he cared for her, and he did love her. But not in a fiery, all-consuming “A Couple of Forevers” way. More like a “We’ve Only Just Begun” way.

      Still, he couldn’t bring himself to admit that to his father; he knew it would only make matters worse. Because Jax Starks fell in love with Ana Perry-Starks thirty-eight years ago and had never stopped being in love with his wife. Growing up, Xavier had watched his parents build an empire, all while demonstrating unconditional love to each other, even during the hard times. Marrying for anything other than love was a no-no to his mother and father.

      “You know I have feelings for her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing this. I’m a grown man doing grown-man things. I know you think I’m being impulsive, but I don’t take this lightly.”

      He’d thought about everything, weighed the possible pros and cons. In the past, Xavier had made very questionable decisions, based on emotions and appearances.

      “I’m doing the right thing.” Xavier stood, picked up his laptop. “Tonight is the night I will propose to Naomi. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

      “Fine. If this is what you want, I’m going to support you.”

      “Thanks. I have to run an errand. I’ll be back in an hour.”

      Xavier left his father’s office and hurried to his own office to drop off his things. Grabbing his jacket, he told his assistant, Jennifer, to hold his calls; then he rushed to the elevator. He responded to a client while he waited for the car and sent a text to another. When the door opened, he stepped inside. As soon as he exited the elevator, his phone buzzed.

      “What’s the word, bruh?” Xavier breezed past a crew in the process of decorating one of the many Christmas trees that would adorn the lobby leading up to the holiday in a few weeks.

      “Shit,” Duke answered.

      Since they were kids, Duke Young had been a constant in Xavier’s life, since their fathers were best friends. They’d seen each other through stupid decisions, crazy exes, and even an overnight stint in jail.

      “Is everything all set?” Xavier’s phone buzzed, indicating another call