by Tia Sirrah
Pulling my phone out of my bag, I fired off a text to Amy.
You were right.
I stared down at my phone screen and contemplated sending that text. Brushing my finger over the send button, I hastily pressed the delete button instead, before turning off my phone.
"Miss Dumont," Colin’s voice echoed through the intercom. "Mr. Brathwaite has requested that you power on your phone. He’s also asked me to turn the car around and head back to his estate."
"You can tell Conner that I said to go to hell. Take me home, Colin. Thank you."
"Yes, ma’am," I heard a smile in his voice.
∞∞∞
AS SOON AS I arrived home, I kicked off my shoes and headed to the refrigerator. I retrieved a bottle of white wine and poured myself a hefty glass. I started toward my terrace doors. I paused with my hand on the handle, at the sound of my doorbell. No wonder on who it was. I opened my terrace doors, letting the cool night air prickle my skin and calm my heated nerves. The doorbell rang sequentially. Setting my wine glass on the counter, I strolled to the front door.
I opened the door just enough to peek through. "Go home, Conner," I said glumly, before attempting to close the door, only to be blocked by his foot.
"Angel, I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that." He pleaded with his eyes. "Please let me in. I was an asshole."
I opened the door wide. "Yes, you were." I jammed my finger hard into his chest, hurting my finger in the process. "You treated me like crap back there. You literally screwed me and then kicked me out."
He winced as he gripped the doorway frame. "I know what it looks like, but it’s not what you think."
I stepped aside with my arms folded across my chest. I wanted to hear him out. I needed him to prove Amy wrong. "I was disrespectful towards you. I’m so sorry."
"What the hell happened back there? You shut down on me." My voice croaked.
He shoved his fingers through his hair and gripped the roots. "I just…I don’t talk about my brother, ever…to anyone."
"And I was supposed to know that? I’m sorry about your brother. I really am. But that gives you no right to treat me the way you did back there. You made me feel cheap. Like I don’t even matter to you."
Conner was suddenly in front of me, cupping my face with his hands. "You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Being with you…being inside of you, was unlike anything I’ve ever known." My conflicted heart swelled, and my traitorous body buzzed with lust at the mention of what we did in the pool house.
"I’m assuming he’s no longer with us?" I tipped my head back to look at him.
He nodded. "He’s not." He sighed heavily, and his shoulders slumped. "There are aspects of my childhood that I don’t talk about. I’ve told you all that I’m willing to share about my past. I can’t give you any more. It’s a non-negotiable."
"Non-negotiable," I repeated, absorbing the reality of those two words. Conner’s thumbs slowly caressed my cheeks as he palmed my jaw and searched my face. I knew nothing about his childhood. It disturbed me that he felt the need to lie about being an only child. "So…if I can’t accept that then this is…over?"
He gave an almost imperceptible nod. My heart sank. I couldn’t think straight with his hands on me. I turned my head away from him, causing him to release my cheeks from his palms. "I care about you, Novalee…a great deal. But I meant what I said. I’ll give you every other part of me, except for my past. I just can’t…" He shook his head as if he were shaking off a bad memory. "It’s a deal-breaker for me." A pained looked was etched across his face as he gave that ultimatum.
My heart cracked a little. For him. For us. I knew a thing or two about painful secrets. I had my own that I wasn’t ready to divulge. But could this ever work between us if we kept significant parts of ourselves from each other, no matter how dirty or unpleasant they were? He now knew about some of the physical abuse that I suffered by the hands of Keisha. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Did our relationship stand a fighting chance to ever grow beyond what we had at this moment?
Giving in to my need to be with him, I relented. "Okay. I understand," I said, even though I doubted my resolve. I knew, deep down, that my patience and understanding had an expiration date. When that would be, time would only tell. But I knew the day would come when I’d want more, and he’d deserve more, from me. I prayed that in time, we would both be able to open our hearts and our lives up to each other, no matter how painful.
I rested the palms of my hands on his chest. He visibly relaxed under my touch. "Thank you," he said, barely above a whisper as we embraced.
Chapter 8
"COFFEE?" I ASKED, WHILE filling my Keurig canister with water. I poured my glass of wine out in the sink, opting for a caffeinated drink instead.
"Sure," he said as he reached above me for two coffee mugs.
"I’ve decided to drop out of dental school." This was a much-needed change in conversation.
Conner stood beside me, leaning his back against the counter. "Really?" His eyebrows rose as he slowly nodded.
I prepared his coffee just the way he liked it – black and handed it to him. Leaning my back against the counter, I crossed my arms, holding the coffee mug in my hand. "Yeah. I’ve been doing some soul searching, if you will. I’m just not happy. I only pursued dentistry because of my dad. With him being an oral surgeon and Helena being a plastic surgeon, my options were few in their eyes. They always imagined that I would follow in his or her footsteps." Conner listened intently as he drank his coffee. "I’ve always love sketching, creating my own patterns, and sewing my own designs. For as long as I can remember, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I sew almost all my clothes. And I have journals full of sketches. It’s all I ever think about."
"Wow. That’s incredible. I’m proud of you, angel."
"Thanks. Now all I have to do is break the news to my folks," I said with chagrin and took a sip of my coffee.
"You can’t live your life for your parents or for anyone. Stop trying to please everyone. It’s fucking exhausting and will only make you miserable in the process."
A slow smile curved on my lips. "Just like that, huh. You make it sound so simple."
He removed my mug from my hand, and placed both mugs on the counter beside us, before standing in front of me. My body buzzed with awareness and arousal as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I tried desperately to keep my hormones in check, at least during this conversation, but all I could think about was how he felt inside of me. "It really is that simple. If you’re not happy with your career path, change it. I’ll support you in any way you need. I’ll buy you a fucking store. Whatever you want. Just let me know. I’ll write you a blank check."
My eyes slightly bugged at his offer. "It’s really awesome that you believe in me like that. Thank you. But keep your money, Mr. Money Bags," I teased. "I have some inheritance money saved up from my grandfather. I’ve decided to use some of it for tuition. I’m going to major in Fashion Design." I ran my hands up and down his arms before standing on my tippy toes and wrapping my arms around his neck. "Did you always want to work in real estate development?"
"My dad groomed us – me since I was a child. It’s all I’ve ever known and what I’ve always wanted to do."
I caught the slip but ignored it. "Well, you rock at it. I read an article in last week’s Business Journal U.S.A on you and your latest home division expansion of Brathwaite, Inc. Your father must be very proud."
"I don’t know. Maybe."
I nuzzled my lips against his neck. "I must say it’s kinda hot. Dating a boss, and all." I sucked on the beating pulse in his neck, before planting kisses along his jaw. His fingertips gripped my sides.
A slow simmer of desire coursed through my veins as his hands traveled to my backside and squeezed. My center still ached from our earlier sexcapades, but I still wanted more of him. As much as I could get. The answering bulge in his pants told me he wanted more of me too.
Conner swiftly lifted me up onto the countertop, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. "You drive me fucking wild," he confessed, his voice laced with need.
"Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet." I grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, exposing his hard, tanned body. Faint scratches marred his shoulders from our earlier lovemaking.
We started kissing feverishly, and he pulled the top of my strapless maxi dress down to my waist. His large hands massaged my breasts, and he broke from our kiss to pay them both revert attention. I moaned his name repeatedly as he took a nipple into his mouth and sucked it, before tugging it gently between his teeth. Bunching my dress up my thighs, he slid my panties down and stuffed them into his back pocket. I clawed at his back, creating new marks. My sex and thighs were slick with my juices, and I ground my hips into him. I made a mental note to sanitize the counters the very next day.
He moved his mouth up to meet mine, and our tongues mingled in a carnal kiss. I reached for the waistband of his pants, pulling them down just enough to expose his hard cock.
He pulled me forward by my hips and penetrated me so deliciously slow and so deep. "I can’t get over how tight you are," he said against my lips in a trembling voice. "Fuck," he growled as our bodies began to move.
While still kissing me, Conner gripped my backside and lifted me off the counter. With my legs wrapped tightly around him, he bounced me up and down onto his hard length, continuously and effortlessly, causing my eyes to roll back in my head. At some point during the bouncing, we made our way to my bedroom.
"I need to ride you. Please, baby," I begged, my voice sounding unrecognizable to my ears.
He set me down on my feet, and I pushed him back onto the bed. I climbed on top of him in an instant and straddled him. His hands roamed up and down my back and squeezed my bum cheeks, while I seductively ran my tongue along the flat disc of his nipples. His chest rose and fell rapidly, as I licked my way down his chest, to the ridges of his abs.
"Damn, you’re sexy," I rasped, before trailing my tongue back up the contours of his chest, his throat, and to his lips. I sucked on his tongue before breaking our kiss. "I need you inside of me," I said. "Now." I arched my back and splayed my hands across his chest as I lowered myself onto him. The penetration was so deep with me on top. The intensity of being completely stuffed caused me to gasp. His fingertips bit into my hips as I slowly raised myself up to the tip of him, before dropping myself back down.
"Ah, fuck," he gritted out. I continued my torturous riding. Slowly up to the tip. Crashing down onto his entire length. After a few times, he stilled my movements by gripping onto my sides. "Wait, wait, wait, baby, fuck!"
I removed his hands from my waist and placed them on my breasts. "Hold on, daddy. Just lie back and enjoy the ride." I began circling and bucking my hips, riding his cock like an expert cowgirl. "Ah, Conner! It feels so fucking good!" I screamed and moaned as the pressure built up in my womb. "Fuck, baby, I’m about to cum!" An orgasm skirted to the surface as my head lolled back in total bliss.
"Fuck, you know how to ride this dick!" he growled, as his fingers gripped my bum cheeks. He began thrusting his hips into me, topping me from the bottom, causing orgasm number two to hit me with full force. Tingly sensations coursed throughout my body from my toenails up to my hair follicles. My walls began to squeeze down on his cock, and fireworks exploded behind my eyes. The look on his face was one of pained ecstasy before he flipped me over in some type of acrobatic Kamasutra position.
Conner now sat up straight, his back against the headboard, his long legs outstretched in front of him. I was turned away from him, my arms grasping his muscular calves, as I lay face down, along the length of his legs. My opened legs were outstretched on each side of his waist. Our centers met in this position. Conner penetrated me while grabbing my hips and gliding me up and down onto him. It paid off to be petite, as Conner flipped me into this position in all of two seconds. Never I had I ever had sex in this position, but always and forever would I keep this in my mental Rolodex. I was too revved up to feel awkward about the fact that Conner had a close-up view of my bouncing bum cheeks.
I cried out indiscernible moans and grunts, and I completely fell apart when I felt his wicked tongue lick between the crack of my cheeks. Orgasm number three ripped through me when he penetrated my anus with his tongue. I trembled around him, causing him to follow me over the cliff into an earthshattering abyss.
∞∞∞
THANKS, GOOGLE. THE PRONE Tiger was the position that rocked my world inside out. I put my phone down on the nightstand, as I heard the bathroom faucet shut off. Conner strolled out of the bathroom in all his naked glory and snuggled under the sheets with me. I snuggled against his chest, and he wrapped his arms tightly around me. "You’re going to be the death of me one day," he said in a gravelly voice.
I looked up at him with a sedated smile on my face.
"I thought my fucking brain was going to explode," he said on a chuckle.
"I don’t think I can walk," I confessed. We both laughed heartily at our banter. But what was going on between us and blossoming within me was no laughing matter. I love you. That thought ran through my mind and pierced my heart. I knew at that moment; Conner had the power obliterate my heart in a thousand tiny pieces. As I looked into his brilliant green eyes, I think I saw love reflected at me, which made my heart swell. But I also saw an immense amount of pain in the depths of his irises. But what caused my heart to catch in my throat, were the secrets. Secrets lie beneath his eyes like a dormant volcano, threatening to erupt and destroy everything in its wake, mainly me. I looked away and rested my head on his chest once again, and I closed my eyes. The beating of his heart soothed my unsettled spirit. This is real. As real as his heartbeat. His secrets have nothing to do with me. His breathing began to slow down, as did mine, and sleep soon came for the both of us.
Chapter 9
"WOW. MEETING THE FOLKS, huh?" Amy’s voice carried over my phone’s speaker.
"I know, right? I’m nervous!" Conner never mentioned his father outside of work and didn’t seem to have a personal relationship with his mother, either. But I was appreciative of him being amenable to making the introduction.
I secured my ruby and diamond teardrop earrings and matching tennis bracelet. Conner had given them to me over breakfast a month ago. Over the last few weeks, many of our mornings and evenings were spent together. My favorite pastime became watching him dress for work. He would wake up at 4 a.m. to go for a run through his million-dollar neighborhood or to lift weights in his downstairs gym.
I would often lie awake nude under his covers as I watched him transform himself from the doting boyfriend into the intimidating businessman that the outside world knew him to be. He would encase himself with his usual armor of a custom-made suit, shiny cufflinks, Italian leather shoes, and tamed hair. I felt closer to him, in a way. Like I knew the man he really was, underneath the mask that he donned for the world.
"Don’t be nervous," Amy consoled. "They’ll love you. Everyone does."
"What are they like?" I secured another bobby pin in my loose curly chignon.
"Mr. Brathwaite has a heart of gold. Super kind and such a gentleman, unlike his son."
"Ha, ha. Very funny. And Mrs. Brathwaite?"
"Ummm…well…Martina is a bit more…reserved. That’s where Conner gets his douchey-ness from, I’m sure."
I sighed, my stomach in knots. "Lay it on me, Amy." I examined the high split in my dress in my full-length mirror and hoped it wasn’t too revealing. The ruby-red gown hugged my curves like a glove.
"Well, she’s kind of a bitch. Don’t take it personally. She was this mega-famous supermodel back in the day, and she’s uber gorgeous. Conner is like the male version of her. They look exactly alike." I scrutinized myself in the mirror, making sure my makeup was flawless. Tonight, I wore more than usual. I opted for a light bronzer, as to not cover my freckles that Conner loved so much, and I chose a more drama
tic eye, a bold smoky look that I had perfected many years ago from Helena’s instruction. I decided to go with my usual glossy nude lip, as Helena instilled in me that a bold lip and a smoky eye had no place at a formal affair. Choose one, she would say. Lest you’ll look like a tramp. An instruction that Fatima strongly disagreed with. "Martina’s polite enough and says all the right things." Amy hesitated a bit. "Kind of like my mother."
"Your mom thinks I’m awesome," I said facetiously.
"I’m sure she just wants him to be happy and meet the right woman. However, her idea of the right woman is probably some boring socialite from her inner circle. But that’s not who Conner chose," she said endearingly. "Although," she warned, "he’s probably banged most of them."
"Can we please refrain from talking about my boyfriend’s past sexual exploits?"
"You’re right. I’m sorry. But to be blunt, yes. Martina may have a problem with Conner dating an African American woman. Not that she’s a racist or anything. Some people are just more comfortable with staying with their own kind. And in Martina’s case, no one as of yet has been good enough for her precious Conner."
I absorbed all that she had said. "What time do you and Quentin plan to arrive?"
"Soon. I’m getting ready now."
"I’m so glad you’re coming. It’ll be nice to see another familiar face." I grabbed my clutch bag and checked its contents. Lip-gloss. Check. Powder. Check. Breath mints. Check. Hand sanitizer. Check. Compact Mirror. Check. Identification. Check. Credit card and cash. Check.
"Quentin’s partners from the firm will be there, and a lot of potential donors for his upcoming campaign. But I don’t really see the need to brownnose since my father is planning to give him more money than God for marrying his precious only daughter." Her voice was laced with bitterness. "Anyway," she singsonged. "I better get off the phone. I hate being late."
"Ok, hun. I’ll see you soon."