A Time To Love

by Lynn Emery

  “So how do like your first major holiday season in Louisiana? Big difference, I’ll bet.” Neva took a sip of cool wine from her glass. She hoped it would lower her temperature.

  “To be honest, not having snow around this time is a little strange. But beautiful blue skies and walks in the woods make up for it.”

  “Most folks from up north do come here to escape the cold then complain when they don’t get a white Christmas.” Neva laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re going to get homesick.”

  “A little. My family makes a big deal about the holidays. I’ll probably go back for Christmas. To be with my son.” Chandler’s expression became tinged with sadness.

  Neva wanted to put her arms around him. They had not really talked about the past. Maybe it was time. “You really miss him,” she said. It was a statement, not a question.

  “Every day. But now that I’m online, we swap e-mail regularly. We even go into a private chat room and talk.” Chandler’s eyes lit up.

  “And they say computers keep us from connecting on a human level,” Neva said.

  “I thank God for those little micro chips,” Chandler quipped. “Without them, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with what’s happening at Frederick Douglass Academy. Or know that some girl named Datrice is a real pain.”

  “Translation, he’s got a major crush on her. Right?” Neva smiled.

  “You got it. But don’t tell him that. He’s still in denial,” Chandler said with a chuckle. “He hasn’t learned the big lesson all males learn with the onset of adolescence.”

  “Which is?”

  “To surrender immediately. Once the hormones kick in, the battle of the sexes is essentially over. The ladies win with a knockout punch.” Chandler raised an eyebrow at her and lifted his glass as if in salute.

  “Oh please!” Neva waved a hand at him.

  “It’s true,” Chandler said. He put a hand over hers. “When you find a special woman it’s like finding a rare jewel. You pay whatever price it takes to keep it.” His voice was low and sincere.

  “Chandler, I...” Neva tried to go on but the band started another love ballad.

  “Let’s dance again.” Chandler pulled her up from the chair.

  Neva let out a small cry of pleasure when he wrapped his arms around her. He smelled of Aramis cologne, spicy and warm.

  “I love this song,” Chandler murmured in her ear. He started to hum along with the music.

  The pounding in her chest was like a drum sending a message to her body. His deep voice made her want to feel his naked flesh against hers. No, this is too much too soon! That sensible voice sounded just in time to stop her from pressing her pelvis against him seductively.

  “We should go slow,” Neva said, her voice breathless.

  “If we go any slower, we’ll be standing still.” Chandler gazed down at her. “But you’re not talking about the dance.”

  “No.” Neva stared into his clear eyes then looked away.

  “Let’s sit down.” Chandler wore a slight frown.

  Back at the table, Neva was all ready feeling embarrassed. “Look, I didn’t mean to come off as prissy.”

  “I’m sorry if I offended you in some way.” Chandler spoke in a tight voice. “I thought we... Well, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s my fault.” Neva rushed to take the blame. She hated the look in his eyes, a mixture of humiliation and irritation.

  “I shouldn’t have assumed so much.” Chandler looked down at his hands folded on the table.

  “Chandler, I know you’re angry–”

  “Yes, with myself for being such an idiot. Believe me, I’m not the player type. I wasn’t trying to make a move on you.”

  “I didn’t think you were,” Neva said fervently. How could she explain?

  “Hell, I know how it is to have unwanted attention shoved at you.” Chandler grunted.

  “You–”

  “And here you are still trying to adjust to your husband’s death and I– You must think I’m a first class chump.” Chandler shook his head.

  “Not at all,” Neva stammered.

  Chandler sighed. “Look, I came on too strong. I apologize.”

  “But I do, “ Neva blurted out loudly. She froze with mortification when people around them stared with interest.

  “Really?” Chandler ignored the attention they were getting. “I don’t think you understand what I mean.”

  “You like me is what you mean,” she said in a soft voice.

  “No.” Chandler leaned close to Neva, his face only an inch from hers. “Like doesn’t cover it. It’s like a strong magnetic force pulling at my insides, making me want you. It gets stronger every time we’re together.”

  “Oh,” Neva whispered.

  “Still say you feel the same way?” His voice was deep.

  Neva blinked at the shock of lust that went through her. “Yes.”

  Chandler pressed lips to her forehead then stood. Neva allowed him to put her wool cape around her shoulders and lead her out of the lounge to his car in the parking lot. The only communication between them on the ride back to his apartment was touch. Neva sat close to him, her head resting on his shoulder while jazz played softly on the car stereo. At each red light, Chandler would lean down to kiss her. His lips took hers in a warm, sweet way that left her more dazed each time. Finally they arrived back at his townhouse.

  They entered and he locked the door behind them. After turning on his compact disc player, he joined her on the sofa.

  Chandler gazed down at her with an air of expectation. “Here we are.” He put one arm across the back of the sofa yet still made no move to touch her.

  Neva snuggled close to him. “That old saying is so right, getting here was half the fun.”

  Chandler smiled with relief. “I was afraid you would change your mind.” He relaxed against her.

  “Being with you is like being wrapped up in a soft warm blanket. It’s so cozy, so pleasurable.” Neva rested her cheek on his chest, her fingers tracing an invisible line on the forest green sweater he wore. “It wipes away all the bad memories.”

  “You want to talk about it?” Chandler said in a soft voice.

  “No, not right now at least.” Neva shook her head as though to clear away those memories. “I want to concentrate on the present and being with you.”

  “There is nothing I want more, too.”

  Chandler took her in a strong embrace. His lips brushed her eyelids, her nose and both cheeks. When his mouth covered hers, his tongue flickered along the soft inside of her lips. With soft sighs and words of endearments, Neva guided his hands to all the places she ached to be touched. In a fog they drifted into the bedroom. Chandler turned on a small lamp that sat next to a chair in the near his queen-sized bed. Soon the layers of clothes that kept away the chill of the early November night were removed because of the fire that burned in them both. In the soft light, they explored each other visually, with their mouths and fingertips.

  “Are you very sure? I feel something so strong,” Neva whispered. A flicker of doubt managed to push its way into her consciousness. This passion he stirred was a roaring storm like nothing she’d ever experienced. But does he feel the same way?

  “Oh yeah,” Chandler moaned. He licked her nipples eagerly. “I want to be with you in every way. You’re so beautiful. Your skin feels like satin.”

  “Do you have–”

  “Hmm.” Chandler reached into the drawer of the nightstand without taking his mouth from her breasts. He extracted the small square package.

  “Let me.” Neva sat on the edge of the bed with Chandler standing in front of her. With slow deliberate movements she fitted the condom on him. His whole body shuddered.

  “Hurry, please,” Chandler moaned.

  “Oh, no. We’re going to take it slow, remember?” Neva brushed his pubic area then his thighs with her fingers until he was panting rapidly.

  “Now,” Chandler rumbled with a wild look in his eyes. He pushed h
er onto the bed and climbed on top.

  Neva wrapped her legs around him. The sensation of his first thrust made her cry out with pain and pleasure. He lay still until Neva could stand it no longer. She began to rock her pelvis, first gently. But soon a hunger deep inside cried out for more. Chandler moaned as he began to moved with greater force, more urgency. Neva slowed the pace with great effort, she wanted this to last. Soon they went with a rhythmic grinding pattern of motion that sent them both into a nether world of mindless ecstasy. There was nothing but the feel of him inside her, the taste of his mouth, the sensation of his hands gripping her thighs. The world dropped away and there was only them. After a sweet eternity, whispered words of affection became cries of lust. They both came with the force of a powerful explosion. Neva screamed out as she became lost in a shower of colors and a feeling of sexual rapture like she’d never known. Chandler called her name over and over. They lay still, both dazed. After several minutes, Chandler rolled onto his side. He drew her close to him with one arm and covered them both with the comforter with the other.

  “You feel so good,” he murmured. He brushed his fingers through her hair. “I wanted it to go on forever.”

  “Me too.” Neva breathed in the smell of his sweat and cologne. What a delicious scent!

  “Baby, I want you in my life.”

  Suddenly Neva thought of the life outside this magical cocoon they’d fashioned. There was the gossip he was bound to hear about her past. Then there was his son to consider. Before Neva would have brushed it all aside with the skill of a true romantic. Yet she had resolved not to live with stars in her eyes anymore.

  “What will Tariq think?” Not to mention your ex-wife. Neva could sensed a change in the few moments that passed before he spoke.

  “He’ll have to adjust but he knows I’ve been on a few dates.” Chandler rested his chin on the top of her head. “Tariq will be fine.”

  “You’re not sure.” Neva could read it in the subtle way his voice lowered. “So many major changes in his short life.” What was it? Guilt?

  “It’s been rough for him, too,” Chandler admitted with a sigh. “But the past six months or so he’s really come around. He’s had fewer school problems. Alise and I stopped fighting so much for his sake.”

  Hearing him refer to he and Alise as a couple brought on a stab of jealousy that surprised Neva. “You haven’t been divorced that long. You loved each other once and you have a son. Maybe....” She let her voice trail off.

  Chandler tightened his embrace. “Alise and I were through long before the divorce. We were just going through the motions.”

  Neva felt the anxiety building in her gut begin to subside at his words. “Yes, when it’s like that marriage can be hell on earth.” She thought of her years with Nathan.

  “But with you I feel brand new. Like anything is possible,” Chandler said.

  “Me too.”

  Neva let her heart sink into his sweetness as completely as she let her body melt against his. No melancholy ghosts from years gone by could dampen the happiness of being with Chandler. They talked on for two hours about the past. Neva told him more about her past, her mother and even a bit about her marriage. Chandler shared his dreams of the future. Sometimes they were serious, sometimes laughing. Neva and Chandler seemed to fit together like the long missing pieces of a puzzle. It was phenomenal.

  “Together. What a fabulous word,” he mumbled. His chest rose and fell as he drifted into sleep.

  “It sure is.” Neva kissed his neck, her hands trailed down his leg and back up again. Within seconds he became aroused.

  “Ummm, yeah.” Chandler began to nibble her breasts. “Touch me again.”

  “Hey, I thought you were sleepy.” Neva continued to caress him.

  “So did I,” Chandler said with a chuckle. “But now I’m wide awake and in the mood for love.” He turned on his back pulling her on top.

  Once more they made love, vanishing into a sea of bright colors and blissful sexual completion. Later they lay spent, bathed in perspiration. Chandler stroked her hair with tenderness, his eyes half-closed.

  Neva looked at the clock beside the bed.

  “I know, you have to go home,” Chandler said in a wistful voice.

  “Yes, but there’s always tomorrow.” Neva kissed him.

  “And the day after, and the day after.”

  Neva laughed for joy. He was right. The days ahead were a delight to think about.

  ***

  “I’m wasn’t a bit surprised.” Desiree yawned lazily. She stretched like a sleek brown cat enjoying the feel of the fine cotton sheets against her skin.

  Sunlight slanted through the windows of the bedroom through slate blue draperies. A matching spread with a border of flowers was neatly folded over a teakwood rack. The king-sized bed sat in the middle of the huge room. A dressing room led into the master bath decorated in slate blue and green. The apartment was in an old house in a historic neighborhood called Beauregard Town in Baton Rouge. Located near downtown it was within minutes of the old Governor’s Mansion.

  “Stubborn, like all your tribe,” her lover said in a muffled voice. His mouth was pressed against her neck.

  “Hmm, Ivory cut it out. I’ve got an appointment.” Desiree made no real move to stop him.

  Ivory ran his tongue down her neck and between her breast. Then in one quick motion, he pulled away. The shudder that went through Desiree made him chuckle. He lay on his back, hands behind his head, with a look of satisfaction.

  “Bet that old fool can’t give it to you like that,” he said in a cool voice.

  “I told you more than once we’re doing business.” Desiree got up. She pulled on a short light blue satin robe then sat down at the dresser facing the bed. “That’s all, just business.”

  “Uh-huh.” Ivory watched her brush the long tangle of reddish brown hair until it was back in place.

  “Don’t give me that ‘Mr. Know-it-all’ tone.” She lifted her nose and admired herself in the mirror. “People always make the wrong assumptions about me.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Ivory swung muscled legs over the side of the bed as he sat up. He lit a cigarette. “Just don’t get carried away.”

  “Not in here,” she snapped at him.

  Ivory took several puffs before going into the bathroom. The toilet flushed and he came back out. “Used to having your way, that’s your problem. I blame your parents. You better watch how you use people.”

  “I know what Hollis Claiborne wants, babe. That family has nursed a grudge because my great great grandfather was smarter.” Desiree sprayed air freshener to banish the smell of cigarette smoke.

  “Having the Claibornes and Bellows families for enemies is dangerous stuff. Be sure you know what you’re doing, sweet stuff.” Ivory gazed at her.

  “I’ll give him a little of what he wants. By the time he figures out the Claibornes have been out-smarted again, I’ll be lying on a beach on St. Lucia.” Desiree chuckled to herself.

  “Pretty full yourself, aren’t you?” Ivory watched her carefully.

  “Neva is not going to get what’s mine.” Desiree wore a hard look that made her pretty face less attractive.

  “Your grandmother isn’t going to stand by and let you run over Neva.”

  “Mama Jo won’t have a choice,” Desiree shot back. “When I’m done, they’ll be taking orders from me.”

  “You got some kind of plan?”

  “I’m working on it.” Desiree’s eyes were half-closed, like a cat studying prey.

  “What’s to stop Mama Jo from giving it all to Neva?”

  “I have as much right to that store and the land as Neva,” Desiree said in an intense voice. “More! I’ve spent years kissing up to that old woman and for what? I’m not going to settle for crumbs.”

  “My, my. And here I was thinking you were such a saint. Visiting your poor grandmother and taking care of all those worrisome details for her.” Ivory barked out a laugh.

&n
bsp; “This time I’m coming out on top.” Desiree glared at him as though daring him to challenge her right.

  “So you want it all, huh baby?” Ivory walked up behind her. He reached around to cup both breasts in his large hands.

  “It’s mine.” Desiree leaned on him. Her breath became ragged as she watched his hands move over the satin fabric.

  “Sure you want to get them rich, almighty white folks mad at you even more?” Ivory moved one hand down to untie the white sash holding the garment closed.

  “They won’t be able to do anything either.” Desiree looked up at him. Her eyes shone bright with hunger. “I’ll make it so they can’t afford to make a fuss.” She guided his hands over her flesh as she shrugged free of the robe.

  “Come here,” Ivory said in hoarse voice. He lifted her up from the cushioned chair.

  “Like I said, I always know just what I’m doing.” Desiree stood naked before him, legs apart. “And you always like the results,” she said with an arrogant smile.

  “Guess so, you got this fine apartment and three rental properties in prime neighborhoods here in Baton Rouge.” Ivory ran a tongue over his lips. “You must be doing something right for old Hollis.”

  Desiree turned cold as ice. “Are you calling me a prostitute?” She knocked his hands from her body.

  “A courtesan is more accurate.” Ivory grabbed her by the shoulders, his fingers digging into her flesh. “Get your hands off me,” Desiree said. She twisted in an effort to break free.

  “Listen up, sweet stuff,” he muttered in a low menacing voice. “Don’t take this thing with Claiborne too far. If I ever think you’re going to ditch me...”

  “You’re crazy,” Desiree said in a strangled voice. She struggled against him. “What would I want with him?”

  “Good, use him up. Just don’t forget you’re mine.” Ivory crushed her against him and kissed her hard.

  “Sure, baby. Sure.” Desiree rubbed his hips with both hands. “You’re in charge.”

  “We’re in this together.” Ivory was shaking with lust as he gazed into her eyes. “Together, girl.”