Pride and Consequence by Altonya Washington Page B

his wife was dead serious, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked directly at her. “I’ll be leaving in a few months.”
    â€œWhere—where are you going? Why?”
    Malik rushed to Zakira and knelt beside her chair. Gathering her hands in his, he pressed soft kisses to the tops of her fingers. “It’s a private cancer treatment center.”
    Zakira began to calm down somewhat. “A treatment center? So you do want to fight this?”
    Malik couldn’t look at her. “I’ll do what I have to.”
    Zakira blinked her tear-filled eyes and took a deep breath. “So when do we leave?”
    Malik’s head snapped up. “What?”
    Zakira shook her head. “When are we leaving for the center? I know you have a million things to take care of with the restaurant and all—”
    â€œZaki…” Malik sighed.
    â€œWhat? Do you want me to help you tie up things?”
    â€œI don’t need you to do anything, all right?” he said, standing.
    Zakira let out a breath. “Listen, I know I can be stubborn about going into the restaurant, but I really don’t mind—”
    â€œZaki, please! Do you have to go on and on about this?” It killed him being unable to tell her the whole truth and he couldn’t stand seeing the confusion in her eyes. He grabbed his jacket from the sofa and stormed out of the room.

    â€œShanice, I need to see about rescheduling two appointments. I forgot about that meeting next week.”
    When her secretary didn’t answer, Edwina lifted her hazel stare from the folder she was studying. “Are you okay?” she asked, watching the young woman over the tops of her gold-rimmed, cat’s-eye glasses.
    Shanice gave Eddie a helpless smile and averted her brown gaze to the corner of the room.
    Edwina pressed her full lips together in hopes of concealing a surprised gasp. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed him as soon as she stepped out of her office. Trekel Grisani in her small reception area easily could have been compared to a bull in a china shop. Still, he carried his size with the utmost confidence and moved with the grace of a cat.
    Shanice looked back at Edwina. “I was just about to call you,” she whispered.
    Eddie was speechless as she watched Tree approach her. Lord, he was even more gorgeous than the first time she’d seen him.
    Tree stopped right before her and pushed one hand into the deep pocket of his black ankle-length leather trench. “I hope this isn’t a bad time?”
    Edwina tilted her head back in order to look directly into his deep onyx eyes. “No, no it’s not a bad time at all,” she said, managing a cool tone. She didn’t want to appear too flustered in front of Shanice.
    Tree stepped closer and took Eddie’s wrist in a light hold. “Can I talk to you for a little while?”
    With Tree’s large hand holding her wrist and his cologne teasing her senses, Eddie feared she would swoon. Taking a very deep breath, she nodded. “My office is this way,” she said, gesturing toward the corridor behind her. “Shanice, hold my calls,” she instructed, without glancing in her assistant’s direction.
    Tree pulled the coat from his huge frame as he followed Eddie down the hall. His dark gaze turned seductive as it raked her slender form encased in the stylish sky-blue dress. It was made of a clinging cottony material that hugged every curve and only reached mid-thigh.
    Tree expelled a deep breath, his eyes narrowing. He shook his head at the wicked thoughts running through his mind. Eddie opened her office door and waited for him to precede her. Instead, he laid his hand at the small of her back and urged her forward. Eddie stopped in the middle of the room and turned, waiting for him to close the door.
    â€œHas something else happened to Malik?” she immediately asked, wringing her hands.
    A small