Five-star Seduction (9 page)

“You want this.”

His growl was a statement, not a question, so Langa simply watched him.

“You want me.”

This was a little too close to the truth. She parted her lips. “No,” she groaned huskily.

Anger flitted over the lust in his eyes.

“Yes,” he thundered. “Why are you doing this?”

Why indeed?

“Good question. Let go of me, Lazola. I've kept you from your . . . companion for long enough.”

She pushed past him before he could stop her. She returned to her table to find that the bill had already been paid.

Noluvuyo was watching her with concern. “You've been gone a while, and when Lazola disappeared we thought –”

“Wouldn't it be great to go hang out at my place tonight?” Angela chimed in. “We could laze about in T-shirts and do each other's nails and talk till late.”

Langa saw right through her and nodded in gratitude. Angela was great at damage control. A night of frivolity was exactly what she needed to help her forget the way she'd lost her mind this evening.

Her mind, her heart . . . Was there any part of herself that Lazola Rhadebe did not own?

10

Langa had told herself she was holding it together.

She'd congratulated herself on always paying attention in meetings and not missing a single deadline. She'd reminded herself to smile when jokes were told and to nod when asked if she was well. She'd cheered herself on and almost believed the overly chipper voice inside which assured her that she was coping just fine.

That was until this morning.

The day had started out like any other. She'd arrived at work early and kept busy for a few hours. A craving for coffee had kicked in then, and she'd decided to give her legs a stretch and fetch it herself instead of sending Marie.

And now she was in the break room watching four of her female colleagues squeal in delight. She was pulled into the group before she could make her escape.

“Langa, you won't
believe
it, darling!” Anushri from accounting was gripping her fingers tightly enough to crush bone.

“Oh?”

“Remember how long Ranak and I have been trying to have a baby?”

Langa recalled that they had gotten married slightly less than a year ago and wondered if that was the long time her coworker was referring to. She nodded.

“Well, we finally caved and made an appointment for next week, you know, to see some fertility specialists. But now we don't need that any more!”

Langa gasped. “You mean you're . . .”

“Pregnant! Yes, I'm expecting a baby! Two years ago I was all alone, praying for someone special – and now it's all coming together. I have Ranak
and
the baby on the way.”

“That's wonderful, Anushri. I'm so happy for you both.” Just a handful of words, but Langa almost didn't manage to deliver them.

Something cold and heavy was bearing down on her chest. She was struggling to breathe in properly. Why couldn't she inhale deeper? She became really concerned when she felt her eyes start to burn.

Langa placed her mug on the counter before she lost her grip on it. Anushri was still smiling at her, so she gave her a warm hug. She was happy for her, she really was. The weight on her heart was something else.

“I need . . . I must . . .” She left the group, which had fortunately moved on to discussing the pros and cons of waterbirth.

Langa rushed blindly through the hallways and into the ladies' room. She was grateful that her tears only started falling once she'd slammed the door shut and locked herself in an empty stall.

It was all too much.

To find out that love at first sight, soulmates and all-consuming passion were actually real. To be allowed to bond her heart to an amazing man and be given a taste of what a life with him could be like. To be taught to ache for something in her world that would last forever. To have all that, and then have it snatched away.

She wouldn't get to open her eyes to Lazola's smile every day. She wouldn't get to share her aspirations and achievements with him. She would never know what it felt like to bear his child. An incomplete fantasy was all she had left to call her own.

It was too much.

The weight of the immutable realisation finally crushed her, and she wept bitterly. Hot tears flowed, and more followed. It took everything she had to keep her sobs silent. This was it, the end.

She cried until she felt drained; then she sat a few minutes longer in order to calm herself. Her reality had finally sunk into all levels of her consciousness. She had lost Lazola and she could never have him back. Life without him would hurt but she needed to accept that as soon as possible, instead of wearing herself out emotionally.

She rose unsteadily and went to freshen up in front of the mirror. She stared in wonder at her reflection. How could she be so torn up inside and yet continue to look the same on the outside? She had the worst imaginable ailment, and it came with few visible symptoms and no treatments.

On her way back to the office she passed more women congratulating Anushri while raising glasses of orange juice. She hurried on and only relaxed slightly once she was in her quiet office again. As happy as she was for her glowing colleague, she knew that there was no way she could sit through lunch in an office full of gushing women. She'd have to listen to anecdotes and plans for the future and pretend that it wasn't all highlighting her own loneliness.

She didn't have the strength for that yet.

At midday, Langa left a little early, hoping to avoid bumping into anyone who might suggest joining her for lunch. After a quick stop at a health shop, she decided to drive to the park; the further she was from the office, the greater chance she had of eating alone. She settled on a sunlit bench and unpacked her food.

She noted her mistake as soon as she looked around. This was the park Lazola had brought her to a lifetime ago. They had shared their pasts and compared funny university tales. She weighed the contentment she'd felt then against the cloudy resignation she felt now and grimaced.

She finished her lunch without tasting a single bite, before making her way back to the office. Was there no place she could go without thinking about that man? The office, the hotels and now the park – they all reminded her of him. Getting over Lazola Rhadebe would prove to be the hardest feat she'd ever attempted.

In the lift, on the way up to her office, Langa purposefully steered her thoughts towards work. She ran a mental checklist of everything she could do to occupy her time and sternly rejected any thoughts that weren't work-related. It was a good start and she felt a little better by the time the lift's bell pinged, announcing her floor.

She stepped out and made it two steps before Anushri pounced. “
There
you are!”

Please, no more. “Yes, here I am.”

Anushri was still excited, but the glint in her eyes looked different. “We've been searching for you all over the place! Your office was empty and you'd left your cellphone. No one knew where you were.”

“What's wrong? What happened?”

“Oh no, nothing's amiss! I didn't mean that. There was a man here, darling. A very, very handsome man. He was looking for you and when we didn't know where you were, he almost tore the place apart! So where have you been hiding him, you dark horse?”

Langa knew that she could only be referring to one person. “I haven't. He's . . . He's just a client. I'm handling his account.”

“Oh.” The petite woman seemed disappointed. “That's all then? He was just here about work?”

“Yes, he's been here before. Where, uh, is he? Has he left?”

“I think so. Robert talked to him and managed to calm him down. They were in your office, but I've just seen Robert go to his office alone, so the man must've left. Who is he, Langa?”

“The owner of the Sandton ROCH. Like I said, he's just a client.”

Langa's shoulders were tense as she made her way from the lifts. That had been a close call. Clearly she would have to set some ground rules for Lazola Rhadebe if she was to avoid a scene like this in the future.

She shut her door softly once she'd slipped into her office and leaned her forehead against it.

“Do you believe in coincidences, honey? I don't.”

Langa spun around in shock and her eyes snapped to her desk. Lazola was lounging in her leather chair, watching her closely. His tone was light, but the expression in his eyes wasn't.

“What are you doing here?”

He continued speaking as if he hadn't heard her. “Things happen sometimes, things that seem utterly random. But I've learnt never to disregard random occurrences.”

“Lazola, what are you doing here?”

He rose and circled the desk slowly. “A simple phone call, for example. One day, out of the blue, someone who has no business having my number gives me a call.”

She straightened her shoulders, willing her knees not to buckle. “What are you talking about?”

He stopped in front of her, not touching her yet, but caressing her with his eyes. “An unexpected kiss, that's another example. How often have I been drawn to a complete stranger with such intensity that touching her, kissing her was my only desire? Before you, never. How do I ignore that?”

Langa met his gaze unyieldingly. She recognised this story. “Lazola . . . I don't think –”

“And just when I was certain that I'd never lay eyes on you again, I did. Coincidence? Was it just a fluke that our minds fitted together so perfectly, that you've made me laugh more than I have in years, that yours is the only touch that brings me peace?”

“I don't know what you're getting at.”

“Oh, but I believe you do, honey.”

Langa's anger and frustration took over. She fled from her office before she could give in to the urge to beat upon Lazola's chest and demand answers. Could he not see how much this cat-and-mouse game was hurting her? Or was he aware of her feelings and amused by her dilemma?

She rushed down the hallway, aware of the curious glances she attracted. She made a more conscious effort to control her features and tugged at her jacket. All she had to do was make it to her car without causing a scene.

“You can't run forever, honey!”

What did the man think he was doing? Desperation propelled Langa's feet even faster. How dare he do this at her place of work?!

“Or you could, but you'd always take our memories with you wherever you went.” By the time she registered that his voice was much closer, it was too late. Lazola grabbed her hand and stopped her before she reached the lifts. “And my heart.”

Langa's breath was ragged, but she'd heard his words. “What?”

He turned her around to face him and she was mortified to see that a few coworkers had poked their heads out of their offices. Scenes like this never happened in real life, certainly not to women like her.

Lazola's tone remained clear and certain. “I can't let you run from me any more, honey. Not when you tear my heart out every time you do.”

Her head bowed; this had to be a horrible prank. “Please, Lazola. Please don't do this to me. It's too . . . I'll never survive it.”

There. Now he knew.

“Sorry, but I can't let you go again. I know you want to put as much distance between us as you can, but I need you. Give me a chance to show you how good we could be together.”

Langa could barely make out the earnestness in his eyes through her tears. “Why are you doing this? You can't . . .”

Lazola drew her closer to him. “How can you turn away from what we have? It's too deep and too explosive for you not to know it's rare. Please don't tell me that I can't love you, honey, because it's too late. I already do. Just give me a chance. I know I can teach you to love me too if you'd only give me a chance.”

“You don't love me.” Her voice was bitter.

“Langalethu, this is one argument you can never win.” His tone was almost angry, his dark eyes blazing. “I've loved you since I first saw you that night at The Adonis. You were so beautiful, I couldn't take my eyes off you.”

Langa was shaking her head but his words continued to flow.

“Yes, honey. I held you and kissed you, and right then I knew I'd never be the same man again. You touched a place within me that no other woman has ever reached. I knew I needed to be with you forever. I told you that then.”

“No,” she gasped. “You just wanted to sleep with me. You said . . .”

His words came back to her then. “I need to be with you”.

Could he possibly have meant . . .? She'd assumed he wanted her in his bed. Could she have been wrong? No. If Lazola had loved her all along, he would never have used her behind another woman's back. He would never have bought someone else a ring.

“I told you that I wanted to be with you, and I meant every word,” he said. “You fought me from the beginning, but my feelings still wouldn't die and they never will. I know this. I've never known a woman as incredible as you. I told my family about you, honey. I told them I found the woman I want to marry.”

Langa's eyes were large. “You didn't.”

“I did.” A hint of amusement played across his features now. “My mother sent Thami out so fast, I'm fairly certain her plane landed before I'd even hung up the phone.”

“Thami?”

“I told you about Nomathamsanqa. My sister.”

“You told me she lives in Port Elizabeth.”

“Which is what made her speedy arrival so suspicious. I got the confession out of her, though. She was here to check out the woman who had such an amazing hold on my heart. And she's been back a couple of times since.”

Langa was trembling, tumbling, grasping for any sort of stability. His sister? The woman with Lazola . . .

“I saw her. I thought you were engaged. When I heard that you'd bought a ring for her . . . I nearly died.”

He was frowning in slight confusion. “I did buy a ring. It was never for her, though . . . Wait, you were upset?”

“I was devastated.”

His grip on her arms tightened. “Langalethu, no more games and no more running. I've spent months now thinking you hated me and trying to work out how to win your heart. I need you to be straight with me, today and every day from now on. How do you feel about me? Do you . . . do you care for me?”

She had never heard him falter before, never seen him looking vulnerable and so hopeful.

“No,” she answered.

The pain she saw in his eyes prompted a silent vow within her. She would do all she could to ensure that he never looked like that again.

“It's much more than caring. I love you.”

There was a pause in Lazola's reaction, as if he expected her to take the words back. When she didn't, he smiled. “You love me.”

“Yes, I do,” she confirmed. “You make it very hard for a girl not to.”

He pulled her closer and swept her up into his arms. Her surprised laughter entwined with his triumphant roar. When her feet touched the floor again, his lips found hers and for the first time Langa allowed her love to wash over him. Her kisses were confirmations, reassurances, promises – and Lazola groaned in full understanding.