The Last Chance Read online

  He caressed her thigh and said, “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to, Ramsey, so let me. OK?”

  Ramsey licked his lips. “You’re killing me, Keilah. Besides, I thought we were through.”

  “Don’t say it like that. Besides, today is your special day, so let’s enjoy it and not think about that. Deal?”

  He smiled and said, “Deal. So is this what I have to look forward to tonight?”

  “I’ll never tell,” she teased.

  “Are you saying you’re going to make me wait until tonight?”

  She stepped out of his arms and tied the belt on her trench coat. “A couple of months ago you wouldn’t even kiss me in here, so I know you’re not going to do anything else.”

  He stepped to her, backing her against the wall. “That was then and this is now. Don’t play with me, woman. You’ve started something, and now I’m going to finish it. I don’t care what you say.”

  He sprinkled Keilah’s neck with gentle kisses, causing her eyes to flutter as soft moans escaped her lips. “You’re making this real hard for me, Ramsey.”

  Ramsey trailed kisses from her neck down to her cleavage. “Join the club.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “So what do you want to do?”

  He pressed his forehead against hers and then kissed her greedily on the lips. “You should be able to tell. I know you feel it.”

  Keilah giggled. “Sherrie might hear us, and then what?”

  “Damn. I forgot about Sherrie and her bionic ears,” he said as he continued to caress Keilah’s hips.

  “Ramsey,” she whispered. “Are you OK?”

  He released her and went and sat down on his leather sofa. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Keilah let her coat slide off her shoulders before joining him on the sofa.

  “Keilah, please, don’t touch me right now. I have to calm down and get myself together.”

  Keilah could see the agony on Ramsey’s face and in his lower region as she caressed him. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, “I got you, partner. Happy Birthday.”

  Before he could respond she unbuckled his belt, unzipped his trousers and dipped her head toward his lap. In mere seconds she covered him with her soft, rose-colored lips. Ramsey felt like he was frozen in time, in shock, unable to move. Keilah had just taken their liaison to another level as he felt her warm mouth devour him. She was torturing him while she savored the sweetness of his body. Ramsey gritted his teeth and ran his hands through her soft curls as he watched her set his soul on fire. His moans of satisfaction sent her into overdrive and him spiraling out of control. He knew his body was going to betray him at any minute. “Keilah, please,” he begged.

  His pleas caused her to move even faster over him. “Keilah,” he begged again with a slight elevation in his voice.

  She looked up at him as she slowed down momentarily. The tears she saw in his eyes and the pulsating vein in his neck was her signal of triumph. She quickly retrieved a condom from her coat pocket and walked back over to Ramsey. He looked up at her and smiled. “You’re not serious, are you?”

  She proceeded to applied the condom without hesitation. Glancing up at him she seductively asked, “Why stop now?”

  What about Sherrie?” he asked.

  “I won’t scream if you won’t,” she teased as she straddled his lap and allowed him to glide with ease into her moist flesh.

  Ramsey wasn’t able to guarantee his silence as he gripped her hips and assisted her as she gyrated her body against him. They never lost eye contact as they pleasured each other. The moment Ramsey felt Keilah’s body stiffen, he knew she was there and so was he. She fell against his chest and grunted, “Oh, baby.”

  Ramsey had to use every fiber of his being to keep from screaming out her name. How he succeeded, he would never know. Keilah looked down at him and smiled. He kissed her once again, continuously sucking her tongue into his mouth.

  “I can’t believe you did that, Keilah.”

  Keilah giggled and climbed off his lap. “I wanted you to remember this birthday and to thank you properly for making me feel so good these past few months.”

  “Well, you’re right about one thing. I’ll never forget this birthday.”

  She hurriedly put on her trench coat while he zipped up his pants. When she got to his door she turned and said, “Have a nice day, Ramsey, and meet me at my house at seven tonight for dinner.”

  He slowly made his way over to his desk. “I’ll be there. Now go put on some clothes.” Ramsey could hear Keilah giggling as she walked down the hallway.

  Later that night, Keilah and Ramsey celebrated his birthday in a simple fashion. Keilah treated him to a first-class dinner at D’Acqua restaurant and then they went back to her house to watch the movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Unfortunately, neither one of them were able to stay awake to see the end of the movie. Instead they fell fast asleep in each other’s arms on Keilah’s sofa.

  What they’d done in his office earlier that morning was a birthday Ramsey would never forget. Keilah cared deeply for Ramsey, but had decided that if she wanted to take a chance with Michael Monroe, she couldn’t date him and still be sleeping with Ramsey.

  The next morning, the pair got up early and teamed up on an assignment with two of their newest employees to observe and to assist them on a detail. They had to protect an abortion clinic doctor and her children as they attended an outdoor book festival on the grounds of Potomac Park. Keilah bought a bag of popcorn and shared it with Ramsey as they walked around the park, blending into the crowd.

  “Keilah, I want to thank you again for an awesome birthday.”

  She popped a few kernels of popcorn into her mouth and said, “You’re very welcome. Listen, Ramsey, I need to talk to you about something.”

  He adjusted his sunglasses and asked, “What’s up?”

  “I met someone.”

  “You did? When?” he asked as he found them a seat on a nearby bench. From this angle they were still able to observe their employees and their clients. “I met him the other night when I took Teresa Randolph to that Breast Cancer Awareness dinner.”

  He smiled and asked, “Who is it?”

  “Teresa Randolph’s nephew, Major Michael Monroe.”

  Ramsey looked out over the crowd and repeated, “Major Michael Monroe, huh? Why haven’t you mentioned him before now?”

  “I don’t know,” she responded.

  “What is he like?”

  Keilah smiled. “He’s nice, Ramsey. In that short time I was around him, I felt like I’ve known him for years.”

  “I see. So he has no problem with you being a bodyguard?”

  She ate more of the popcorn and said, “No, he said he found it quite fascinating.”

  Ramsey didn’t respond. Instead he spoke into his hidden transistor to instruct his employees to move into closer proximity to their clients. Keilah handed the bag of popcorn to him so he could grab a few kernels. When he handed it back to her he asked, “Do you think Mrs. Randolph set you up?”

  With a smirk on her face, Keilah replied, “It was so obvious, Ramsey, but I’m glad she did it. Michael has the warmest smile.”

  He looked over at her and observed her facial expression. It was evident that Keilah was smitten with this mysterious man.

  They stared at each other for a moment. Keilah felt something tugging at her heart. She broke the silence as she looked away and put her hand over her heart. “You know I have you right here, don’t you?”

  “I know,” he answered. “I feel the same way.”

  “I’m really going to miss snuggling up next to you at night, Ramsey. You’ve spoiled me.”

  Ramsey stopped a passing vendor to purchase a couple of sodas. He glanced over at her and said, “I’m going to miss you, too, especially the way you snore.”

  “I don’t snore!”

  He laughed. “Yes, you do.”

  She laughed along with him.
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  Ramsey put his arm around Keilah’s shoulders and gave her a loving hug. “It’s been a wild few months, huh?”

  Keilah blushed. “Yes it has, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You’re a passionate man, Stone.”

  He chuckled. “Thank you, Keilah. You’re packing some heat yourself.“

  “Thank you,” she replied softly. “You have a special place in my heart, Ramsey Stone.”

  He removed his arm and stared into her eyes. He did his best to swallow the lump in his throat. “Right back at you. I hope this guy has everything you’re looking for.”

  Keilah smiled and said, “Me too.”

  Ramsey ate a little more of the popcorn as Keilah glanced over in the direction of their client. The smile left her face when she noticed a woman with something in her hand moving slowly in their direction. She stood and said, “Ramsey, look at that woman in the black T-shirt. What does she have in her hand?”

  Ramsey also stood. “I can’t tell, but from here it looks like a thermos. Let’s move closer.”

  Ramsey and Keilah moved closer and watched the woman as she stopped to look at some books. He watched her eyes as she glanced over at their client before moving to the next table, which brought her closer to them. Ramsey spoke into his transistor. “Heads up, guys. There’s a lady in a black T-shirt moving in from the southwest corner who looks suspicious. We’re maneuvering in from the south and west for support.”

  Before Ramsey could say another word, Keilah was already within ten feet of the suspicious woman. It was then she noticed that the woman had unscrewed the top of the thermos. Seconds later, the woman screamed out some type of gibberish and made an aggressive move toward their client. The crowd scattered as Keilah tackled her with ease. The woman was still screaming as she struggled to get away, but she was unable to because Keilah put her knee in the woman’s back and pulled her arms around behind her. She held her there until Ramsey arrived with handcuffs to retrain her. The Stone Chance Protection Agency employees hustled their client and her children away to a safe area while Ramsey and Keilah dealt with the assailant. Ramsey kicked the thermos away from her hand as police officers hurried over to them. They immediately handcuffed the woman, who was screaming anti-abortion slogans. A second police officer picked up the thermos carefully and realized it had what appeared to be blood inside it. As the woman was placed in a police car, Ramsey and Keilah showed the officers their identification. Ramsey asked, “Do you know what was in the thermos?”

  The officer said, “It’s probably pig’s blood. A lot of those anti-abortion protesters use pig’s blood to throw on abortion doctors. You guys did a good job.”

  Keilah knocked grass off her pants leg and said, “Thank you, officer. Do you need to interview our client before we take her home? I’m sure her children are pretty shaken up.”

  “Just briefly, and then you can be on your way,” the officer said before shaking Keilah and Ramsey’s hands.

  Ramsey and Keilah walked with the officers over to their client and their employees. Once there, they congratulated their employees for a job well done in protecting the client. Once the officers finished interviewing the doctor, they were allowed to leave. On the way back to Ramsey’s car, he looked over at Keilah and laughed.

  “What are you laughing at, Stone?”

  He unlocked the doors on his truck and said, “You.”

  She put her hands on her hips and asked, “Why?”

  He opened the truck door for her and said, “Because you can be scary at times. You took that woman down so fast, I didn’t have time to blink.”

  “She was making her move, Ramsey. What was I supposed to do?”

  He laughed again. “You did your job, Keilah. All I know is she’s going to be sore as hell in the morning.”

  Keilah climbed into Ramsey’s truck and smiled. “Oh well. She brought it on herself.”

  He started the engine and put it in drive. “You’re right about that.”

  Ramsey pulled away from the curb and headed back to their office to do paperwork on the incident.

  Chapter Seven

  A few days later, Ramsey got the chance to meet Major Michael Monroe in the flesh when he showed up at their office with two dozen pink roses for Keilah. Ramsey couldn’t help but notice how distinguished he looked in his military uniform.

  “May I help you?” Ramsey asked.

  The major extended his hand. “Good afternoon. I’m Michael Monroe, here to see Keilah Chance.”

  “Oh, yeah, you’re Teresa Randolph’s nephew. Keilah told me she met you at the charity banquet,” Ramsey stated as he shook the major’s hand.

  “Guilty as charged. And you are?” Michael asked.

  “Ramsey Stone. Keilah and I run the company together.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you. Keilah speaks very highly of you.”

  “Likewise,” Ramsey replied as he signed some papers and handed them back to the receptionist. “Nice flowers. Does Keilah know you’re here?”

  “I just stepped off the elevator when you walked up. Your receptionist was just about to announce my arrival.”

  Ramsey shook his hand once more before walking away. “Well, I know for a fact she’ll love the flowers. I’m sure she’ll be right out. It was nice meeting you. Give my regards to your aunt and uncle.”

  “I will,” Michael replied.

  When Michael was out of earshot, Ramsey mumbled, “Toy soldier.”

  An hour or so later, Ramsey walked into Keilah’s office pretending not to know anything about the flowers. “Who sent the flowers?”

  She looked up and smiled. “Michael brought them by this morning.”

  Ramsey walked over to the flowers and picked up the card. “May I?”

  Keilah glanced up at him and said, “Sure, go ahead.”

  Ramsey unbuttoned his jacket and sat down. He pulled the card out of the envelope and started reading aloud. “‘Thank you for being such a beautiful distraction Saturday evening. I hope to get a chance to know you even better. Yours truly, Michael Monroe.’” He turned his attention to Keilah. “Well, well, well, Miss Chance, I see that Major Monroe is making all the moves to win your heart.”

  Without looking up she said, “Very funny, Ramsey.”

  Ramsey sat the card on her desk. “So you really like this guy, huh?”

  She tilted her head. “So far, so good. We’ve been talking on the telephone to try to get to know each other better.”

  Ramsey scratched his head and then asked, “You haven’t told him what you’re worth, have you?”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “Of course not. I learned not to do that a long time ago. I want to be loved for me, not for my money.”

  Ramsey got up and walked toward the door and said, “Take it slow, Keilah. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

  “Don’t worry, I am,” Keilah said as she picked up her pen and started writing.

  Ramsey turned to Keilah and said, “I have a detail to do this evening if you’re looking for me.”

  She frowned and pulled up his itinerary. “When did you add this one?”

  “About two hours ago. I’m doing a favor for Ron Davenport.”

  “I see,” she responded. “Well, have fun.”

  “I’ll holler at you later. Keep me posted on G.I. Joe,” he teased.

  She giggled. “I will. He invited me to dinner tonight, so if you’re looking for me that’s where I’ll be.”

  “Oh, really?” Ramsey asked.

  She nodded mischievously and tapped her pen on her desk. “Really. Be careful tonight and text me when you get home.”

  “Will do, and before I go, the lawyers called and said Malik Rivers pled guilty. He got fifteen years, so you can put that chapter behind you.”

  “You think?” she asked.

  “Quentin gave me his word.”

  “If you say so, because the next time, there won’t be any survivors,” she announced.

  “I understand,” he
replied before closing the door behind him. He wasn’t ready to let go of his intimate moments with Keilah, and deep down he prayed that Major Michael Monroe would disappear just as quickly as he’d appeared.

  Ramsey followed Ron’s directions and picked up a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties from an apartment complex not far from the campus of Howard University. His name was Martez, and he was scheduled to testify against a fellow student by the name Jazera, known around campus as “Jazz,” who’d been selling drugs with Martez on the campus of Howard University. Martez wanted out and agreed to testify against his partner for immunity, or at least a lighter sentence. Martez was the nephew of a friend of Ron Davenport’s and the young man he was going to testify against had ties to a prominent family in Chicago. Today, they were headed to a college football game, which would be challenging for Ramsey because of the huge crowd.

  “So, Mr. Stone, I guess you know about the trial coming up, huh?”

  Ramsey pulled into the parking lot of the stadium and put the car in park. “It’s my job to know everything about my clients.”

  “Don’t you want to know why I did it?” Martez asked.

  “It doesn’t matter to me. I’m here to do my job, period,” Ramsey replied.

  “Cool,” Martez replied as he opened the car door.

  Ramsey grabbed his arm and said, “Let’s go over the rules again.”

  Martez sighed and listened as Ramsey reminded him of the dos and don’ts. Once he was finished, he said, “Do you understand everything I just told you, Martez?”

  “Yes, Mr. Stone, I understand. Just try not to look so obvious. I don’t want my friends to know.”

  “They might not have a choice. Listen, son, there’s a reason your parents wanted me to protect you. It’s obvious they’re a little more concerned about you testifying against that other kid than you are.”

  Martez scratched his head and said, “All right. I’ll do what you say.”

  Ramsey climbed out of the car and said, “As long as we have an understanding, we have nothing to worry about.”