But, rather than filling her stomach with food, she’d have to force down the bile while she spewed a string of new lies. They were lies that had to end, but no over the phone.
Taking a steadying breath, she quickly dialed Richard’s number.
On the first ring, he picked up. “And there is the woman of the hour, my beautiful fiancée. I’ve missed you.”
“Y-you’re back home?” she gulped hard and purposely ignored the endearment. “I thought that you weren’t coming back until the middle of the week.”
“The case wrapped faster than I thought. I’ll be back tomorrow evening sometime, maybe around 5 pm. Too bad seeing your long lost fiancé isn’t a viable enough reason to take a sick day from school,” Richard suggested, throwing out the subtle hint. “Of course, it’s not in the play book.”
She stiffened against the guilt. “No, it’s not.”
“We’ll see one another tomorrow, then?”
“Yes, I’ll call you as soon as I leave work,” she said quietly, gripping the phone hard and stared at the ceiling. Wasn’t she the most horrible person alive? Gulping hard, she spoke again. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“Naturally, we do especially since the wedding is drawing closer.” In the background, there was the sound of muted voices. He broke from the conversation for a few seconds o attend to them. “Really hate to do this, but I have to go. Harris and I are meeting with the clients for a celebratory drink. I love you. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Richard.”
As the call ended, she released an anxious breath. “This has to stop. What I’m doing is cruel and unfair. Richard doesn’t deserve any of this.” She closed her eyes on a groan. “Why didn’t I just tell the truth to begin with? None of this would be happening if I did. But, there’s nothing that I can do about it except move forward.” Still, though, the guilt was overwhelming. “I need to calm down. Christopher doesn’t need to see me in this state. He has enough to deal with as it is.” Sighing, she extracted a bill and some loose change from her purse. “Maybe a little snack will help settle me down.”
Just as she made the statement, a group of noisy teenagers waltzed in, three of them, all African-American males. They all wore matching blue shirts with the logo, ‘It’s a Boy’, and one of them was even clutching a balloon that sported ‘congratulations’. They closely resembled in physical features and ages, probably brothers separated by merely a year or part. Deep in their juvenile laden conversation, they barely glanced at her as they meandered to the vending machines. After making their selections, they settled at the small round table before her.
Soon, her attention returned to other things while she snacked on the chips and soda.
But, as the stranger that she’d encountered earlier walked through the door, she nearly sputtered on the carbonated soda. In a sudden rise, her tension returned along with her nervousness. Though he didn’t look at her as he came in, she knew that his focus was on her. Acting nonchalantly, he strolled to the soda machine before sliding the necessary change into the slot.
With rising unease, she watched him.
Straightening, the stranger clenched the bottled soda in a firm grip and strolled to the table on the opposite side of the teenaged boys. Flipping the chair backwards, he straddled it before twisting the cap off the soda. No longer pretending, he eyed her across the room.
Quickly, she dropped her eyes to the table.
Before, she’d dismissed his behavior.
But, she couldn’t any longer.
He was freaking her out, and not a little freaking either!
The chair scraped noisily as she pushed it back from the table hurriedly. Then, snatching up the half-eaten bag of chips and soda from the table, she scurried from the vending area. As she hurried along the corridor, she glanced over her shoulder and made sure that she wasn’t being followed.
By the time she made it back to the lobby area, she was nearly out of breath. But, the sight of the grieving family brought her back down to earth. These people were suffering and had no time for her irrational ramblings.
At exactly 10:00 pm, visiting hours were over.
As he related to his estranged family members, he was quiet and tensed.
She stayed close by his side, offering what little comfort that she could.
It was during the drive on the dark interstate that he responded. “Thank you for being there.” Reaching across the console, he grabbed her hand and clung to it. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She reached over and caressed his face. “Good thing that you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.” Sighing, she glanced out the passenger’s side window. “Richard called.”
His hand tensed about hers. “What did he want?”
“He’s coming home tomorrow instead of Wednesday.” Pausing, she looked at him again. “Richard and I are meeting tomorrow after work. I’m telling him along with everyone else.”
“We’ll do it together---”
“No,” she insisted firmly, shaking her head. “You have enough going on with Josephine. The last thing that you need is more problems---”
“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself. The last thing that I’m going to do is throw you into the lion’s den, and then stand back and hide like a fucking coward while you deal with the fallout.” He took his eyes off the road briefly. “No, we’re doing this together.”
“Okay,” she relented with a heavy sigh, leaning her head back against the seat, and then looked out the window again. “I really hate going back to work tomorrow, especially with everything that’s going on with Josephine. You don’t need to go through this alone.” As the freeway lights danced across his face, she studied his visage again. “Did the doctors say anything more?”
“They’re running a series tests around 12:00 or 12:30 in the afternoon. I’m canceling all of my meetings and taking the day off.” He released a pent-up sigh. “It promises to be one helluva day tomorrow.”
The Viper rolled to a smooth stop outside her apartment building, and they both climbed out as soon as it did. Quickly, he set the alarm before joining her.
Together, hand-in-hand, they strolled along the sidewalk.
Several moments later, she didn’t bother to turn on the lights as they entered her darkened apartment. As soon as she secured the lock, they were in each other’s arms.
Their shallow breathing marred the silence as they disrobed. After they were completely undressed, he lifted her in his arms before striding to her bedroom. The nightlight bathed the room in a soft glow as he gently lay her down.
Her eyes swelled with hot tears.
In his eyes, she saw every bit of the love he felt for her.
No longer would either of them hide it.
“I love you,” he said thickly, staring down at her. “I always will.”
“I love you,” she whispered back, and then extended her hand towards him. “Please, let me show you how much.”
As his hand closed about hers, she hauled him onto the bed. Then, she waited patiently and quietly, allowing him to settle on his back before straddling him. Leaning forward, she initiated a tongue-thrashing kiss, hurling them both headfast into the vicious passionate storm. A deep groan of protest left him as she pulled away, and a myriad of unspoken questions shone in his eyes.
But, for once, she was setting the provocative stage.
She shifted against his body, straddling him again, but now facing the opposite direction. A tremble racked through her at this new position. He had a wide field view of her butt cheeks along with the rest of her backside. She sucked in a shallow breath as his fingers trailed along her delicate skin and traced a slow path along the fine stretch marks marring her waist. His touch signified one thing---the thin lines were the etchings of a fine masterpiece. As his finger traced a daring path along her spine and paused at the rise of her hips, a helpless shiver coursed through her. Moaning deep, staring across the room, she embraced the wond
er of his blatant admiration.
He made her feel so beautiful.
It was time that he realized that he was as well.
That meant loving him tonight in a different kind of way…
For hours on end, she’d researched this new sex position, she mulled and changed positions again, moving until she rested atop of him. Some sexual experts referred to it as the year 69, she thought headily, adjusting her needy body until his mouth was positioned directly under her sex. Just beneath her mouth, his engorged penis waited.
In an instance, he realized her dangerous intent, and his hard body quaked beneath hers in eager anticipation. He swore in a desperate breath. “Damn it, princess… sweet fuck…”
She went in for the kill.
As she closed her mouth about his hard length, he nearly catapulted from the bed. Her lips were suction, drawing him in deep, and moved provocatively along the ridged areas. Her tongue was a deadly weapon as she outlined a treacherous path, eliciting a rich taste of cum from the pointed tip. All the while, she kneaded the twin sacs that were warm under her touch. Though he fought for control, his body belied his efforts in every way. The hard shudders racked through his naked form, and his deep groans erupted from him endlessly.
But, was she really the victor, she cried out passionately, trembling violently as his mouth ate away at her sex. His tongue, his mouth, his lips…they were destroying every part of her in the most damaging and pleasing way. There wasn’t a fraction of the sensitive flesh that he didn’t taste. The tiny nub, the thin slit, the deep well…
The dark reality of their passion stole her senses.
And his…
For now, they both sought to destroy the other.
As fast as she went down on him, his movements were just as quick.
She gripped his thighs harder, and her wild feral sounds matched the deadly actions that she was erecting upon his body. The spasmodic shocks of pleasure tore through her system as he clenched her hips, holding her badly trembling body in place against his hot mouth.
In a blinding rush, she came…spilling her hot juices into his mouth. Just as he came, his release was like a flooding dam, and she got a fresh tasting of his own wet madness. As their bodies quaked from the pleasure simultaneously, they held on. Sobbing wildly from pleasure, she called his name. “Christopher…”
But, their amorous adventure wasn’t over yet, she determined, rising until her derriere rose in the air. Before he could muster a movement, she straddled him again, sinking down onto his hardness once more. And he was game for the act, she thought, breathing in a round of shallow breaths. For once more, he clenched her hips in a deathly grip as she rode him. Though, they’d just come, their passion ignited quickly, and once more they tumbled over into the pleasurable abyss.
Over and over, through the dark hours of the night, they made love.
Again and again, they surrendered.
And this time wasn’t any different…
Crying out passionately, pressing her thighs firmly against the mattress, she bore his weight and absorbed the impact of his deep penetrating thrusts. She strained against the handcuffs as he drove into her hard. With his every strike, a wild cry was wrenched from her.
Driven and blinded by his dominance, she screamed out, and she became the aggressor as she clenched her thighs against him tightly. Now, the direct, pulsating hits were sharp, pleasing jabs inside her body. Grasping her hips, he grunted hard as the pleasure stole him. Then, changing tactics, he altered the pace, slowing his thrusts until they were agonizingly pleasing.
The sweat glistened against their skin, leaving a fine sheen, and it added an amorous effect to the friction.
Their tortured stares held.
His head lowered.
She breathed in his air.
He breathed hers in.
They were hurled directly into insanity.
For the madness was them…
Raising her head, she stole his lips, tonguing him while working her hips faster. His grip tightened along her flesh, and he exacted direct punishment by increasing their pace again.
The grinding motion was dizzying, obscuring her already befuddled senses. In her head, the passionate noises roared along with the guttural, primal sounds that they made. The scent of their passion assailed her senses to a degree that she inhaled nothing besides it. Crashing in like a fiery inferno, the pleasure reared its dangerous head. On the rise, they finally reached the maddening peak.
The pleasure seized his handsome visage, and he stiffened against her quivering body, just as the uncontrollable shudders racked through him. Her body jerked against the rippling spasms tearing through her system, and she could only strain against the handcuffs that bound her.
Within the chaotic nature of their coupling, they realized the truth.
They were inextricably intertwined.
Together, it would be them against the world.
At 2:00 am, lying in the spooning position, they were finally satiated and tired.
“I think that I’m going to call in tomorrow morning,” she mumbled sleepily, snuggling closer to him under the covers. “When your mother has her tests, I want to be there with you.”
He kissed her head. “I appreciate that.”
She smiled in the darkness. “I love you.”
Against her head, she felt his smile. “I love you, too.”
Finally, at peace, they slept.
Chapter 33
It was the incessant ringing of the doorbell that awakened her.
She cracked an eye lid open and looked at the clock.
8:15 am.
She frowned past her grogginess.
Who could that be?
She’d already called in at work around 6:00…
Of course, she mulled, snapping fully awake.
Probably, the superintendent coming to check the leaky pipes that she’d reported weeks ago. Well, it was about time…not that it’d be a problem after she moved in with Christopher.
And the poor baby was still asleep, she mulled, growing soft all over. Dead tired no doubt after dealing with Josephine’s medical crisis.
The doorbell was ringing non-stop.
“For goodness sakes,” she mumbled irritably, carefully disentangling herself from his sleeping form. To her relief, he didn’t awaken because good rest was what he needed. But, if she didn’t get to the door soon, it’d easily be disrupted. A deep frown creased her forehead, and she couldn’t fight the irritability any longer. “I’m coming, Jones. Give me a few minutes to get dressed.”
After crawling from the bed, she shrugged the thick terry robe on before combing a hand through her mussed tresses. Quickly, she stepped into the fuzzy pink house slippers before padding crossing the room. After passing through the door, she closed it behind her quietly, making sure not to disturb him.
The fall sunlight filtered into the living space and fell across the sofa. Since she’d hardly been here in the past few days, the entire apartment was spotless. Bypassing the sofa, she headed for the door. As she grasped the door knob, she already was designing questions as to the time of the repair. When she wrenched the door open, the words and polite smile died instantly on her lips, and she stared back at her visitor in pure shock. She barely managed the surprised stammer. “Richard---”
“At a loss for words, Hayven?” Richard asked coldly, standing in the doorway, and in his hands, he held a large manila envelope. Without waiting for a response or invitation, he brushed past her, and then, he turned to face her. “I took an early flight home because I wanted to see my sweet, beautiful, and innocent fiancée.” His gaze swept over her robed form from head to toe, and then moved to the discarded clothing beside the sofa. “Is this a bad time? Looks like you might be, uh, busy?” His green gaze turned glacier. “You look surprised to see me,” he added, releasing a mocking laugh. “I just bet you are. You know what? I never figured you for a liar. But, firsthand, I see that you are. Like the fact that you lied and said
that you’d be working. Imagine my surprise when I showed up at your school bearing flowers, only to find out that you weren’t even there.”
“Something important came up.” Rather than closing the door, she left it partially open. Swallowing hard, she began moving away from it. But, just what was the right approach in a volatile situation like this? Taking a steadying breath, she started, “We need to talk---”
“You damned right, we do,” Richard snapped and snatched the manila envelope open. Barely restraining his anger, he hurled the glossy photos at her feet. “Try explaining these nasty filthy pictures to me, bitch.”
Shaking, swallowing hard, she bent over and retrieved one from the floor.
The heat infused her face.
Christopher and her…
They were clenched in a passionate embrace.
It was the day that they’d gone to the open air café, just before the movies…The glossy photo, along with the other ones scattered across the floor, only signified the heady truth. They were lovers…
“How long have you been fucking my brother?” Richard demanded through tightly clenched teeth. “A day? A month? A week?”
“I---it’s more complicated than that,” she stammered guiltily. “We didn’t plan it---”
“Of course you did,” Richard snapped, eyeing her hard. “You arrange to meet, you do the deed, and all the while, you lie to my face.” Pausing mid-sentence, he looked at her dazed. “You know what? The signs were always there, but I ignored them. Deep in my gut, I knew that there was something between you two. The subtle glances when you thought that nobody else was looking, the longing looks on your faces, and the tensing of your body whenever he got close. Shit, it was right there in front of my eyes.” He released a bitter curse. “I’m a damned fool for trusting either of you.”
She swallowed against the guilt again. “We didn’t want to hurt you.”
Reign on Me Page 41