by La Jill Hunt
Nigel pulled her to him, and she willingly accepted the kiss that she’d desired for weeks. His mouth was warm and inviting, their tongues intentional as they explored each other. Devyn playfully sucked on his bottom lip and tugged at his T-shirt as he slipped the cardigan she wore off her shoulders and slid his hand under her tank top. Her nipples hardened through the lace of her bra as his fingertips brushed across them. Devyn took off her shoes and quickly stepped out of her pants, kicking them across the floor.
“Damn, Dev, you’re so beautiful.” Nigel’s sexy growl and the lust in his eyes made Devyn even wetter. She bit her bottom lip as she gazed at his shirtless torso, amazed at the size of his broad, muscular chest and arms, covered with tribal tattoos. Her gaze lowered to his groin and the noticeable protrusion under his shorts.
“Oh damn,” she gasped at the thought of what was underneath.
“Don’t get scared now, Dev. You said you wanted me.” Nigel picked her up.
Devyn squealed as she wrapped her long legs around him while being carried into his bedroom. He placed her into the center of his king-size bed, then used his teeth to take off her panties. The only light came from the moon streaming through the windows. She didn’t even have the chance to be self-conscious about her fuller figure because she was too busy enjoying the sensation of Nigel’s tongue tasting every inch of her body. He kissed and licked her from her forehead to the bottom of her pedicured feet. Then he devoured the sticky, sweet center between her legs as if it were a secret recipe he’d carefully prepared and couldn’t wait to taste. When she erupted, his fingers replaced his mouth, which was now sucking her breasts one at a time, restarting the fire that she thought was extinguished by her climax moments earlier.
“Oh shit, Nigel,” she moaned and arched her back. Her hands reached for the shorts that were no longer there, and instead, were met by his hardened, massive manhood.
“You ready?” he whispered.
Devyn nodded, eager with anticipation of what was about to take place. Nigel paused long enough to remove a condom from the nightstand. Devyn happily assisted him in opening the gold, foil wrapper, and slid it on.
“Lie back,” she told him.
“You sure?” Nigel raised an eyebrow.
“I wanna enjoy this ride,” Devyn grinned and straddled on top of him, carefully guiding him into her moistness. She teased herself by rubbing his swollen tip against her clit, intensifying the anticipation before finally accepting the gift she’d been looking forward to receiving. The slight pain as it entered took a split second to wear off, soon replaced by a level of pleasure she’d never before experienced. She rhythmically maneuvered herself up and down, forward and backward, gyrating her hips slowly, then faster. Nigel’s hands alternated between holding on to her waist and smacking her ass as she rode him.
“Shit, Dev,” he moaned.
Devyn was in total control and enjoyed every moment until they both arrived at the point of satisfaction. Then she collapsed on his sweat-covered chest, breathless and happy that they both finally knew exactly what they wanted.
Chapter 26
Asha
“Are you coming back after your two o’clock?” Libby poked her head into Asha’s office and asked.
Asha looked up from her computer screen. “Let me double-check.”
There were now three different schedules she had to keep up with: work, personal, and Pivot. She already knew the only thing she had on her work schedule was a two o’clock appointment at the Chamber of Commerce. Her personal schedule was quite empty these days, especially with her now-strained relationship with Sully. The biggest adjustment was her schedule for Pivot that became busier and busier each week.
“I can,” Asha told her, seeing that the rest of her day was empty in all three categories. “I don’t have to if I don’t need to, put it that way.”
“Understood. It’s just that the guy from the Iron Workers Union is coming to meet with Greg. I peeped at the contract and noticed a transportation request for buses to take members from the hotel to the convention site, and since your client . . .” Libby lowered her voice and gave her a knowing look.
“Good looking out, Lib. What time is he coming?” Asha asked.
Libby turned toward the sound of approaching voices in the hallway, then held up four fingers.
“I’ll be back before then,” Asha whispered, picking up the phone and dialing Ben’s number. He didn’t answer, so she sent a text asking him to call her back as soon as possible. They hadn’t spoken since the day of the launch. She’d meant to reach out but never got around to it. Now, she had a reason. The Iron Union Workers were one of the company’s biggest clients, and they hosted several large events throughout the region each year. Connecting Ben with them would be major. When he hadn’t responded to her message by the time she walked out of the Commerce Building at three o’clock, Asha decided to visit him.
* * *
“Can I help you?” a nice, older woman dressed in one of the same company polo shirts that Ben often wore greeted her when she walked into the offices of Maxwell Transportation.
“Hi, is Mr. Maxwell available? I’m Asha Bailey with Great Expectation,” Asha introduced herself.
“Oh, the party coordinator. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Deloris, his aunt. I help run things around here and try to keep him in line.” The woman shook Asha’s hand.
“Nice to meet you. I tried reaching Ben on his cell, but I couldn’t, so I just popped in, hoping to see him if he’s not too busy,” Asha explained. “It’s kind of important.”
“He’s been working in the garage. They got that music blasting back there, and he probably didn’t hear the phone. Come on.” Deloris stood and led Devyn down a long hallway lined with photos of various vehicles with the Maxwell logo on them.
“Wow, that’s a lot of cars,” Asha commented.
“Honey, that ain’t the half of them. And his fool self done went and bought a doggone camper, of all things. It’s always something. My nephew is obsessed with anything on wheels. Been that way since he was little. All he wanted to do was play with cars. He used to get in trouble in school because instead of paying attention and doing his work, he’d draw cars and trucks all day.” Deloris laughed and pointed to a large oil canvas of a beautiful woman that hung in the center of the wall. “Used to drive my sister Beverly crazy. He loved his mama, though. Took care of her until the very end. That’s why this party is so important to all of us.”
“I understand. We are gonna have a beautiful time,” Asha said.
“Gives me a reason to get fancy,” Deloris laughed. She pushed a door open, and the sound of rap music came blasting from the other side. Asha’s eyes widened. Deloris leaned over and yelled. “Told you.”
“I see.” Asha nodded as she looked at the rows of buses and vans lined up in the garage. A couple of guys in grease-covered coveralls were working, but she didn’t see Ben anywhere.
“Mickey, where’s Ben? Ben!” When no one responded, Deloris hit a button on the wall, and the music stopped.
“What the . . .?” One of the guys turned around to see what happened.
“Hey, who touched the music?” Ben came sliding from under the RV that Asha now noticed at the back of the garage. It must’ve been the latest four-wheel purchase his aunt was referring to. Wow, he really bought an RV.
“I did. Can you get from under your new toy? You’ve got a visitor,” Deloris told him.
“Asha, hey there.” He smiled and stood up. “It’s good to see you. What brings you to the grease pit?”
“Well, I called and sent you a text about a potential opportunity, and when you didn’t respond, I decided to come by,” she explained, noticing the specks of what must’ve been oil on his face.
“Aw, man, my bad.” Ben shook his head. “I can’t hear nothing back here.”
“You could if you turn that loud, thumpity-thump mess down,” Deloris snapped at him.
“Come on inside, and we can c
hat.” Ben’s eyes remained on Asha for a moment. They followed Deloris back into the building. Instead of going to the entrance area, though, Ben led her into his office.
“This is nice,” Asha commented as she looked around the large, comfortable room. A large leather sofa with a matching chair stood to the side, a nice mahogany desk was centered, and shelves of model cars lined the walls.
“Thanks, it’s chill.” Ben sat on the sofa and motioned for her. “Come, sit.”
“Oh, okay.” Asha was caught off guard, expecting him to sit behind his desk. She placed her purse on the chair, then sat on the opposite end of the sofa, angling her body to face him the same way he’d done his.
“So, what’s this opportunity you’ve got for a brother?” Ben asked.
Just as Asha was about to tell him, her phone rang. She checked the caller ID of her Apple Watch and saw that it was Libby. “Excuse me, it’s work.”
“Take your time. Hey, you thirsty? I have water, juice, and soda,” Ben offered.
“Water would be great,” Asha told him.
“Be right back.” He jumped up and walked out.
“What’s up, Lib?” Asha said after retrieving her phone from her purse.
“Hey, nix the four o’clock. They just called to reschedule for next week. You don’t have to come back. I’ll lock up your office,” Libby told her.
“Oh, well, thanks for letting me know. Keep me posted on the rescheduled date. See you in the morning,” Asha said and put her phone away.
“Here you are.” Ben returned with two bottles of water and handed her one.
“Thank you. Now, I feel bad for bothering you because the meeting I came to tell you about just got canceled. That’s why they were calling me,” Asha informed Ben.
“Mm-hmmm. Just admit you wanted to see me. And it’s no bother at all. Besides, I know you’ve been dying to hear my latest ideas,” Ben teased.
“That is definitely not why I’m here. Please, spare me.” She opened her water and took a sip.
“I see Pivot is blowing up on the Gram. Y’all know if you need security, I’m always available,” he nodded.
“God, I’m hoping that was just one isolated incident. I appreciate your saving the day, literally. That was crazy,” Asha told him.
“And I heard Dev and Nigel are happy. That’s great. They both deserve it.” Ben said it in a way that let Asha know he was sincere.
“Yeah, that took me by surprise. I must admit I’m not too thrilled. But it’s her choice, not mine, so I guess there’s not much I can do,” Asha exhaled. She thought Devyn was joking when she told her she was in love with Nigel.
“Girl, you play too much.” Asha smirked and shook her head as they sat in Devyn’s backyard, talking and enjoying a “sip” of tea that Uncle Julian sent.
“I’m serious, Asha. I am. He makes me happy,” Devyn said with a dreamy look in her eyes.
“Devyn, You hardly know him or anything about—”
“I know him well enough, Asha,” Devyn replied. “Once you get to know him, which I’m asking you to do as my sister and best friend, you will understand why I love him. And you will too.”
“What’s wrong with you? Why do you insist on building relationships with guys who aren’t good enough?” Asha demanded. “You’re D’Morgan, for God’s sake. You’re in the middle of making a huge comeback. He’s a nobody with a history of putting his hands on women.”
“Asha, you got it twisted. First of all, I’m Devyn, and there’s nothing wrong with me. Again, once you learn who Nigel is, you’ll see that I’m the lucky one. As far as his past accusation, he has no problem telling you about it.” Devyn was downright pleasant, which led Asha to understand what was really happening.
“Did you fuck him?” Asha took another approach.
“Well, duh.” Chase, who’d been silently observing, interjected, “You don’t fall in love with bad dick, Asha. It’s unlovable.”
“That’s not true,” Devyn countered.
“Devyn, you won’t even date a guy that’s a bad kisser, so shut up.” Chase raised an eyebrow.
“Well, Asha loves Sully.” Devyn pointed toward Asha.
“That is true. Point made.” Chase nodded, then shuddered. “Ewwww.”
“This ain’t about me,” Asha shouted, now irritated and ready to go. “You know what, Devyn? You wanna be with Nigel—fine. But, don’t expect me to have anything to do with it.”
“That’s your choice, Asha. Nigel is mine,” Devyn said.
From that moment, there was an unwritten rule, much like the one they had for Tremell, but this time, it applied to Nigel. Devyn didn’t talk about him, and neither did Asha. At least, not to each other. Now, here she was discussing him with Ben, of all people.
“Why wouldn’t you be thrilled? Nigel is one of the good ones,” Ben told her.
He’s not you. You’re the great guy she needs to be with—that’s why.
“I want Devyn to be safe, and let’s be real. From what I’ve been told, Nigel has a history of being hands-on. I don’t want to kill him, but if he ever—” Asha stated.
“Whoa whoa whoa. Ain’t nobody gonna catch a case. You wildin’, for real.” Ben shook his head.
“Ben, I know what he did to Ingrid. Even though she was showing her ass, literally, while protesting, she kinda had good reason,” Asha told him.
“Nah, Asha, she didn’t. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t condone putting hands on women, but if anybody had a cause to do so, Nigel did,” Ben told her.
“There’s never an excuse.” Asha shook her head.
“You think so, huh? Well, let me tell you what happened, and I’m sure you’ll see it differently.” Ben sipped his water, then told the story. “What Bear saw in Ingrid, I’ll never know. But somehow, they started dating. Bear was working for me as a driver, going to culinary school, and working at an Oyster bar part time. He did this to pay all the bills: his and Ingrid’s. He was working so hard that he began sleeping a lot. It got to the point where he was oversleeping and running late to everything. Some days, he’d come in and be out of it. That’s my boy, so I ain’t really say nothing. One morning, though, he’s driving one of the vans and, bam, he drifts off the road and hits a tree.”
“Oh, wow,” Asha whispered. “Was he okay?”
“Yeah, or so we thought. They take him to the hospital to get checked out: a few bruises here and there, no broken bones. Of course, he’s a Black man, so they run a tox screen. Lo and behold, he pops positive.”
“He was on drugs? Oh my God.” Asha began to panic. Instead of Ben’s story helping, she was even more worried.
“No. But there were drugs in his system—a lot,” Ben explained. “Nigel never messed with anything, not even weed. This dude had prescription drugs in his system, and he hadn’t been to the doctor. Enough drugs were in him to the point where he really could’ve died. It was crazy. Well, he went to Ingrid’s crib, opened the medicine cabinet, and bam. There they were. Bottles of sleeping pills—all kinds.”
“Wait, Ingrid was drugging him?” Asha gasped.
“Yep. And when he confronted her, she tried to flip it on him, and he lost it. He choked the shit out of her. It was wild.” Ben exhaled loudly. “He was facing some serious charges, but eventually everything got dropped. It still messed him up. Folks talked about him for a while. So, he left. I’m glad he came back, though. Culture is gonna be big for him. He’s a smart guy with a great future.”
“Damn.” Asha was stunned. She’d misjudged Nigel and hadn’t even given him a chance.
“So, your girl is gonna be fine,” Ben assured her.
“I still feel kinda bad,” Asha told him. “I thought you and Dev would’ve hit it off. You were into her.”
Ben shook his head. “Nah, not really.”
“What? Yes, you were.” Asha shook her head in disbelief. “You told me she was beautiful and stuff.”
“She is. That doesn’t mean anything,” Ben said softly and moved clo
ser. “Asha, you wanted me to be with Devyn. I wanted to be with you.”
In one swift motion, he leaned in and kissed her, gently at first, just enough to make sure she understood his action. It took a split second for the initial shock to wear off. Then as her lips responded to him, the intensity grew. Her mouth opened and welcomed his tongue as her arms caressed his neck. Time seemed to stand still as their mouths explored, tasted, and enjoyed each other. Asha became lost in the moment as Ben’s fingers traced along her neck as he nibbled her collarbone and triggered the warm sensation between her legs. Her hands moved down his back, and a soft moan slipped from her lips.
“Ben,” she managed to call his name.
“Oh, my bad.” He finally sat up and smiled. “I’ve wanted to do that from the moment I walked into your office.”
Asha adjusted her blouse that was now half open and exposing more than her cleavage. Ben had to do some adjusting of his own. Asha smiled at the noticeable bulge of his crotch. He definitely ain’t on blood pressure meds. And I ain’t gotta take a nap before he’s ready.
“Wow.” Asha picked up her water bottle that had slipped from her hand and drank every remaining drop.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked, his voice now nervous.
“I’m great,” Asha replied. “I . . . I didn’t know.”
“And now that you do?” Ben took her hand in his.
“I damn sure ain’t mad,” Asha laughed, still shocked by his confession.
“Does that mean you’ll go to dinner with me? We can go someplace nice, get a good meal, share a bottle of wine.” He brought her hand to his lips. “Then maybe you can come back to my place and talk.”
Asha’s eyes went back to his crotch. A myriad of scenarios flooded her mind. Suddenly, she snatched her hand away and sat back.
“Asha, what’s wrong?” Ben noticed the sudden change in her demeanor.
Her eyes met his. “Why was Ingrid drugging Nigel?”
“Huh?” Ben gave her a confused look.
“Why was Ingrid giving Nigel the sleeping pills?” she asked again.