by Queen Pen
His eyes pierced mine and I couldn’t look away. Without even thinking about it I whispered, “you have me.”
One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. “I ain’t talking about right here and right now. I mean that I want you to be mine. It ain’t no other niggas, none of that no more. Just me and you.”
“I don’t have any other guys in my life,” I said.
“Keep it that way,” he said seriously. I wanted to respond smartly, but something in me held back. I understood that him expressing his feelings was hard for him, so I made it easy on him.
“Okay, deal, but you can’t have any other women around you, either. From what I’ve heard, that might be hard for you.” I tilted my head to the side.
“Who the fuck told you that shit?” He growled.
I shrugged, “I’ve heard things.”
“Whatever, man. I ain’t on that shit when it comes to you. I haven’t even thought about another bitch since you been around.”
“Okay and what you aren’t going to do in front of me is call women bitches.” I put my hand on my hips, so he knew I was serious.
“You’re so sexy when you put your lil foot down,” he teased.
I rolled my eyes, “I’m serious, Maddey.”
He sighed, “fine.”
I reached up and caressed his face. My heart started an unfamiliar tempo as I touched him and stared into his eyes. “I don’t know how it happened, but I have feelings for you too. I didn’t want to admit it to myself because I was positive that you didn’t feel the same way, but now that I know I am willing to try this out. I can’t lie and say I’m not nervous, though.”
He smiled down at me and I melted into him as he pulled me closer. “What do you have to be nervous about?”
“I’ve never been in a relationship.”
He drew his head back, “I find that hard to believe.”
“I’m serious. Unless you want to count the little ones when I was a teenager.”
“How is that shit even possible?” He asked.
Instead of answering him and ruining the moment by delving into my past, I put my hands on his chest and laid my head on him. His arms enclosed around my waist and we stood there watching the final rays of sun disappear. When it was completely dark with nothing but the lights around the Eiffel tower illuminating our bodies Maddey grasped my chin and tilted my head back. My heart quickened as his head lowered to mine.
The kiss was slow and passionate, which was unexpected coming from Maddey. I always pictured him a rough kisser, or honestly, not one to kiss at all, but this kiss was life altering. I leaned into him as he turned and pinned me against the railing. My back pressed into the metal bars as his hands caressed my hips and moved down to my bottom. I had never felt like this before and I was dizzy with emotions.
I reached my hands up and latched them around his neck as our kiss deepened. I felt him bend down a bit as he grasped the back of my thighs and lifted me up. My legs automatically wrapped around his middle and I moaned. I had no idea what was happening to me, but Maddey was awakening something in me that I thought was dead. For a moment, flashes of various men clouded my vision, but I clasped my eyes tight and rode along with the feeling of lust. Maddey wasn’t like those men. They never made me feel this good. This wanted. This loved.
I forced my mind to leave the past where it should stay and enjoyed the feeling of Maddey’s strong hands teasing my nipples through the fabric of my dress. I gasped into his mouth as he moved his hands down and slid my dress up. He tore my thong off and threw it behind him, “I want you right here.” He growled in my ear.
The wine had me feeling bold as I nodded my head and licked my lips. He was bringing a whole new side out of me that I hadn’t even known existed. Without waiting any longer, he put me down and took his shirt off and dropped his pants and boxers. I stared at his body and instantly felt a wetness between my legs. I know they called him The Beast in the hood, but they really have no idea, I thought as I stared at how well-endowed he was. Maddey tugged at my dress and I allowed him to slip it over my head.
We didn’t waste any time embracing again as we explored each other’s bodies. He picked me up again and carried me over to an area that had pillows and blankets along with dessert set up. He swiped the dessert away and laid me on my back. “You’re fuckin beautiful,” he grumbled as he wedged himself between my legs.
A wildfire spread through my body as he kissed parts of me that had never been touched by someone so loving. He took his time with me, which was another surprise because in any other situation, Maddey was impatient. Not now, though. We made love for hours under the twinkling lights of the Eiffel tower on top of the Paris Hotel. I was exhausted by the time we came up for air and I could barely walk. Maddey dressed me again and carried me all the way down to the car. I was asleep before the door shut.
I woke up the next morning aching. I didn’t remember getting into bed and I guessed that was because of the fact that I drank a whole bottle of wine to myself last night, and the exhaustion from all that good loving I received.
I grinned to myself and then blushed at the memories of last night. I turned around in bed and realized I wasn’t in my room. This room was huge complete with a walk-in closet, master bathroom and fireplace. A smile graced my face when I realized that I must have been in Maddey’s room. As long as I’d been staying here, I hadn’t seen his room. He was extremely private and although he had friends and staff coming and going in and out of the suite on a daily basis, he never let anyone into his wing.
I was startled when I noticed a figure behind the stained glass that lead to the bathroom. A moment later Maddey stepped out from behind the door with a towel wrapped around him. I sat up in bed with a shy smile and wrapped the black satin sheet around my body.
He frowned at me, “don’t act all shy and shit now, Rebel. I saw every damn inch of your body last night, baby, and trust me, there ain’t no forgetting that shit.”
My cheeks heated as I decided to ignore his statement, “good morning.”
He came over to me and leaned over. He kissed me hungrily before saying, “morning,” in his deep raspy voice.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and nuzzled into him, breathing in his scent. “Don’t forget that it’s game night tonight so no fancy dinner plans, okay?”
“Aight, man.” He grumbled and I smirked at him.
“You get irritated so easily,” I giggled.
“So I’ve heard,” he responded before kissing me one last time and disappearing into his closet.
I flopped back on the bed and instantly regretted the sudden movement as my head began to pound. The wine from last night was catching up to me, but I needed to push through it because I promised Ms. Keddle that I would help with preparing everything for tonight. Once the pain subsided, I rolled out of bed so that I could go to my room and get ready for the day. I was looking for the dress that I had on the night before when Maddey came out of his closet dressed in a suit. My eyes scanned his body from head to toe. He was wearing the hell out of that suit.
“The fuck you doing?” He asked, snapping me out of my daze.
I rolled my eyes, “why do you have to be so rude all the time?”
He stared at me without responding and I sighed in frustration. His manners were definitely going to need some work, but I let it slide for now. “I’m looking for my dress so that I can go back to my room and shower. Unless you want me to go like this?” I gestured with my hand up and down my naked body that I was desperately trying to cover with my other arm and hand.
He looked at me like I was crazy, “fuck that shit,” he growled. “I’ll have someone bring your shit in here. You aren’t going back to that room.”
It didn’t seem like I had much say in the situation so I didn’t respond. I honestly didn’t mind the thought of staying in Maddey’s room with him. The thought actually thrilled me as I felt a fluttering in my stomach. I walked up to Maddey and stood on my tiptoes. I pecke
d him on the lips, told him to have a good day and then proceeded towards the bathroom. He caught my arm before I could get very far. “Stop trying to cover your body up and shit. It’s mine now, better get used to it.”
He smacked me on the ass and walked towards the bedroom door. I blushed as I watched the door close behind him. I took a quick shower and by the time I was finished brushing my teeth with a spare toothbrush I found in Maddey’s medicine cabinet, my things were sitting on the floor next to the couch.
I dressed swiftly and headed down to the kitchen where I was sure to find Ms. Keddle and Chip. Maybe Jazzy would be around, too. I smiled at that thought. Sure enough, when I entered the kitchen, Chip was eating cereal at the island while Ms. Keddle was writing out what appeared to be a grocery list. She looked up when I walked into the kitchen and smiled slyly at me. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Long night?”
I blushed, “something like that. Where is Jazzy?”
“Poor baby. She’s so shy. She opted to eat in her room this morning, but I am making some progress with her. I don’t know what Mr. Madden—”
“Just Maddey,” I corrected her.
She looked taken aback for a moment before nodding. “I don’t know what Maddey was thinking leaving that poor child cooped up like that. Now she barely wants to leave her room. I did get her cleaned up, though. She is looking a lot better, especially after eating a real meal and not that junk that Maddey was giving her.”
I nodded my head and took a seat next to Chip.
“Bel! I went to wake you this morning, but you weren’t in your room. Did you sleep over at a friend’s house?” Chip asked with his head cocked to the side.
“Yeah, Bel. Did you have a sleepover last night?” Ms. Keddle eyed me knowingly.
“Yup,” I murmured before grasping the box of cereal that sat next to Chip. My cheeks were flaming hot, but I refused to make eye contact with Ms. Keddle.
I heard her laugh behind me before I felt a hand on my shoulder, “I’m happy for you, honey.” She whispered in my ear.
No longer wanting to speak on my sex life, I changed the subject. “What all do we need to do for this game night tonight?”
Picking up on my queue to stop teasing me, Ms. Keddle heeded. “We need some things from the grocery store and believe it or not, there isn’t a single game in this house, so we need to go buy some.”
I nodded my head. “And what about this munchkin right here?” I ruffled Chip’s wild hair.
“Hey!” He whined as he swatted my hand away. “What about me?”
“Sorry, squirt. No kids allowed tonight.” I stuck my tongue out at him and he returned the favor.
Ms. Keddle laughed. “Rebel, leave my baby alone. We are going to drop him off at his friend’s house tonight, so he can have a sleepover of his own.”
I peeked over my shoulder and saw that she had an eyebrow raised at me. I stopped teasing Chip and finished eating my cereal. She sure knew how to shut me up. We finished breakfast quickly and then Ms. Keddle and I sat around for an hour while Chip made a big show about what to pack for his sleepover. Once he was sure that every toy that would be needed was packed, I made a quick stop up to Jazzy’s room to see if she wanted to come to the store with us.
I knocked on her door softly before opening it. She was laying on her bed, looking up at the ceiling again. I was shocked at her transformation. Her hair was spread out on the bed like a dark halo that shined with the smallest movement. Her skin had a warm hue to it and she even wore clothes that looked to be brand new. Ms. Keddle really worked her magic. From where I was standing, Jazzy almost looked like a normal girl her age. If it wasn’t for those saddened eyes.
“Hi Jazzy,” I smiled.
She jumped when she heard my voice, but then relaxed when she saw me. She must have been too caught up in her thoughts to hear me knock and come into the room.
“Bel,” she gave me a small smile.
“It looks like Ms. Keddle got you cleaned up. How do you feel?”
“Better,” she nodded.
I sat down next to her on the bed. She was so cute. I wanted to reach out and stroke her hair, but I knew enough about traumatized kids to know that it probably wasn’t a good idea. Not until I understood her situation better. I stared at her while she peered up at me through thick eyelashes. I smiled. “How old are you, Jazzy?”
“Seven.” She replied confidently.
“Not too much older than Chip. What did you think of him?” I asked.
She scrunched her face up, “he was okay, but he talked a lot.”
I laughed, “Yeah, Chip does talk quite a bit. We are bringing him over to a friend’s house right now and then to the grocery store. I came to see if you wanted to come?”
Jazzy shrunk back a little bit and grabbed her blanket that was laying on her pillows. “No, I don’t want to.”
I smiled down at her, even though I wanted to cry. The way that she wanted to stay cooped up in this room all the time was not healthy and quite alarming to me, but I knew I had to be patient. I nodded my head, “that’s okay. Maybe next time, huh?” She nodded her head. Her big eyes peered up at me and my heart melted. “Do you want me to stay here with you? Maybe we can watch a movie or play a game?”
She wrinkled her nose up and thought about it for a moment, “Do you have Candy Land?”
I laughed, “we sure do. It’s one of Chip’s favorite games.”
She thought about it for another moment and then nodded her head. My heart swelled and I left the room for a moment to tell Ms. Keddle that I was going to stay here and entertain Jazzy. Five minutes didn’t pass before I was back in Jazzy’s room toting Candy Land, ice cream, and chips.
Jazzy jumped off her bed, when she saw everything I had in my arms and clapped excitedly. “I like Ms. Keddle a lot, but she say’s I can’t eat junk food all day. Is she telling the truth?”
I giggled, “yes, she is telling the truth, but this can be our little secret.”
She smiled at me mischievously and sat down on the beanbag chair that sat on the floor. I sat down across from her and dispersed the items onto the carpet. Jazzy attacked the ice cream, while I set up the board game. Once everything was in its place, we began to play. I was used to playing with Chip and letting him win, so I was surprised when Jazzy was actually a good player all on her own. It isn’t as if Candy Land takes rocket science, but I guessed that the two-year difference between Chip and Jazzy made a big difference in their game playing skills.
“How did you get so good at this game, Jazzy?” I asked.
Her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed in concentration as she studied a card. I could see her counting the spaces out in her head. “My mommy and daddy used to play with me all the time,” she finally responded absentmindedly once she finished her turn.
“Is that right? They taught you how to play really well. Where are they now?” I asked.
“Dead.” She replied. Her response and the fact that she replied so quickly threw me off guard. I was debating on how to respond when she continued. “They died in a car accident when I was six. Then I went to live with the bad people. It’s your turn.”
I looked down at the board and distractedly played my turn before responding to her. “Were the bad people a foster family?”
She nodded her head slowly, “I think that’s what they called it. But they weren’t like a family. They treated me bad.”
“How so?” I asked nonchalantly. I didn’t want her to get the sense that we were talking about something painful, although, I was sure she understood at least that much.
“You’ve been hurt, too. You said so, remember?” I was thrown off by the direction change of the conversation, but I took it in stride.
“Yes, Jazzy. I have. People have touched me inappropriately, when I didn’t want them to. Did that happen to you, too?”
She nodded her head and tears welled in my eyes. She was so young, I thought. The things that I went through were terrible, but at least I was ol
d enough to understand what was happening. It didn’t make it right, but it made it more tolerable. Jazzy lost both of her parents and then only months later she had to deal with abuse from complete strangers. I knew that she felt alone, but I wanted to make her feel as though she had people in her corner that she could trust and that cared about her.
“Is that why you ran away?” I looked at her.
She nodded her head again, “Ms. Claudia hit me a lot. Even if I sat real still like she told me to, she would hurt me. One time, she bit me so hard that my arm wouldn’t stop bleeding for days.” She held up her little arm and I was horrified to see a scar in the shape of teeth.
“Did you leave after she bit you?” I moved to sit closer to her, our game of Candy Land completely forgotten.
Jazzy shook her head, “no. I ran away a long time after that. Josh came into my room one night and he hurt me worse. He—” She stopped talking when a visible shudder coursed through her body.
I hesitantly put my arm around her, unsure of how she would react. I was relieved when she leaned into me. “You don’t have to tell me what happened if you don’t want to.”
I rubbed her back and it was silent for a moment before she surprised me by speaking again. “I didn’t leave right away. I thought that maybe that was the only time. So, I stayed ‘cause I was scared to leave, but then it happened again. I left that same night and I never went back.”
“Where did you go when you left?” I asked with tears streaming down my face.
“I mostly just stayed away from the busy street,” she whispered. I knew she must be talking about the strip. “There were some older kids that helped me out, sometimes. They gave me a sleeping bag and some food when they could, but one day I was so hungry and I knew that if I went to the busy street, I might get some food.”
“And that’s when you met Maddey?” I asked quietly, my heart thudding in my chest. Her story speaking to a part of me that I liked to keep buried.
I felt her nod her head up and down against my chest. “He saved me. A lady was trying to get me to come with her, but I didn’t want to. The older kids told me about adults that take kids like me. Nobody knew where they went because they never came back, so I was afraid. A man tried to drag me towards a car that was down an alley, but Maddey came and the man released me. I ran, then. I ran all the way back to the other kids and told them what happened. I didn’t go back to the big street again, no matter how hungry I was, but Maddey found me one day and I came back here to live with him. He said he would keep me safe and that I could have all the food I wanted.”