Still Loving You. Sheryl Lister

smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Green and Mr. Lawler. I appreciate your confidence.”

      Soon they took their seats for dinner and the awards portion of the program. Lauren listened as Malcolm and his brothers gave short speeches. However, it was the one given by a man she didn’t know—Cameron Hughes—that pulled at her emotional strings. He spoke of losing his wife and children in an accident and, unable to bear the pain, ending up homeless. But he also expressed gratefulness to his wife’s best friend, who happened to be Khalil’s wife, for not giving up on him.

      Afterward, the music started and couples took to the floor, including Mr. Lawler and his wife. Lauren stood, intending to use this opportunity to go to the bathroom.

      Mr. Green stood and helped her with her chair and waved at someone. “I know you’re still meeting with players, but have you had a chance to meet Malcolm Gray yet?”

      The hairs stood up on the back of her neck. Before she could respond, she felt the heat and, without turning around, knew it was Malcolm.

      “Congratulations, Malcolm,” Mr. Green said, shaking Malcolm’s hand. “Have you met Lauren Emerson? She’s going to be a great asset to the team.”

      Malcolm stared down into Lauren’s eyes. “Thanks, and yes, we’ve met. Hello, Lauren.”

      That’s one way to describe it. “Hi, Malcolm.” She had only seen photos of him wearing a tuxedo, and those pictures hadn’t come close to capturing the raw magnetism he exuded standing next to her. She couldn’t decide whether she liked him better with his locs or the close-cropped look he now sported.

      “Well, my wife is going to have my head if we don’t get at least one dance in, so I’ll see you two later. Malcolm, can you make sure Lauren gets acquainted with everyone?”

      Lauren’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’ll be fine. I’m sure Malcolm has some other people to see.” She looked to Malcolm, expecting him to agree. To her amazement, he extended his arm.

      “Shall we?”

      With Mr. Green and his wife staring at her with huge smiles, she couldn’t very well say what she wanted. Instead, she took his arm and let him lead her out to the dance floor. She regretted it the moment he wrapped his arm around her. Malcolm kept a respectable distance, but it didn’t matter. His closeness caused an involuntary shiver to pass through her. And why did he have to smell so good? The fragrance had a perfect balance of citrus and earth that was as comforting as it was sensual. How was she going to make it through the next five minutes?

      Malcolm must have sensed her nervousness. “Relax, Lauren. We’ve danced closer than this, so what’s the problem?”

      Lauren didn’t need any reminders of how close they’d been in the past. “I’m fine,” she mumbled.

      A minute went by and Malcolm said, “Smile. You don’t want everyone to think you’re not enjoying my company.”

      She glared up at him. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

      He grinned. “I’m holding a beautiful woman in my arms. What’s not to enjoy?”

      Mr. Green and his wife smiled Lauren’s way, and she smiled back. As soon as they turned away, she dropped her smile. “I can’t play these games with you, Malcolm,” she whispered harshly.

      “This is no game.” Their eyes locked for a lengthy moment, then he pulled her closer and kept up the slow sway.

      Lauren fell silent and tried to maintain her composure. The softness she saw reflected in his eyes gave her pause, given that it had only been a few days since their confrontation. She figured he was just being polite because they were in a room full of people, but deep inside, a small piece of her wondered if it was something else. Common sense said to let it go, but she couldn’t. “Why are you doing this?”

      Malcolm’s brows knit. “Doing what? I’m just dancing.”

      She let out an exasperated sigh. “You know what I mean. Five days ago you wanted me gone. Now, tonight, you’re acting like you don’t hate me...almost like you care or something.”

      “I don’t hate you, Lauren. At least not anymore.”

      She gasped softly.

      “I won’t lie. For about six months afterward...let’s just say you weren’t at the top of my favorite-persons list.” He shrugged. “Now...” He let the sentence hang.

      “A lot of time has passed, and we’re not the same. I’ve changed and so have you.”

      He didn’t say anything for a moment. “That’s true. But there are some things that are still the same.”

      The last notes of the song faded, and he led her off the dance floor. “What are you talking about?”

      Malcolm stopped near her table. “Your kiss.” He pivoted and walked off.

      Lauren stood stunned and unconsciously brought her hand to her lips. Realizing what she’d done, she snatched it down. She turned and saw Morgan glaring at her from across the room and hoped to escape a confrontation. She didn’t need one more thing tonight. After locating upper management and a few of the players and saying goodbye, she left the ballroom. If Lauren were lucky, she’d make it out of the hotel and to her car without any problems.

      When she took the job, Lauren had known she would have to deal with Malcolm, but she hadn’t counted on this.