Sarah grinned. “I should be asking you that.” Her grin widened.
Imani frowned, confused by Sarah’s obvious teasing mood. She was also thinking that Colt had been right to leave when he did. At the rate they’d been going, he would’ve still been deep inside of her.
“You could imagine my surprise to find my usually extremely conservative best friend knocking boots.” Sarah laughed at her own joke. “You left these in the hall by the way.” Sarah dropped the discarded panties from the night before into Imani’s palm.
“I’m not conservative,” she said lamely. There was nothing else she could say. She was just hoping that Sarah didn’t realize whom she was knocking boots with.
“That’s all you’re going to say? Ah, hell no! I want all the details. I didn’t know you were seeing anyone. Is it someone from work? How long has this been going on?”
“Whoa, slow down.” Imani laughed shakily. “Can I get dressed first?”
“No! I’m dying of curiosity!”
Imani laughed again. This time with more humor. “It was amazing.”
“Oh, girl, I’m so happy for you. What’s he like? He must be an amazing guy to get you to finally give it up. When am I going to meet him? Who is he?” Sarah sat on the edge of the bed, making herself comfortable on the untidy bedding.
“I’m happy for me too. But I need you to get out of here so I can get dressed, and I’m starving.”
“Yeah, that’s the appetite you worked up from good sex. I’ll take out the eggs and bacon. You know I can’t cook worth a damn, but I love your cooking.”
Imani shook her head at Sarah’s unrepentant attitude about her inability to cook. “Girl, you’re from Texas. Isn’t that a mortal sin for you to not be able to cook? There should at least be a penalty for that shit,” Imani teased. She grabbed Sarah’s arm and pulled her none too gently as she prodded her toward the bedroom door. “Now shoo before I don’t feed you at all. Damn pampered, B.”
Sarah shrugged off the insults to keep firing questions at her until Imani managed to close the door in her face.
Imani leaned against the door in relief. What the hell am I going to do when she asks to meet my new boyfriend? She hadn’t intended letting Sarah know anything about her sex life. She’d have to think of something to change the subject.
Twenty minutes later, Imani stood in the kitchen rampaging through the fridge to prepare breakfast as Sarah continued firing questions at her that she wasn’t going to answer, no matter who asked.
A strong knock sounded at the door, stopping Sarah’s latest attempts to get answers.
Sarah muttered under her breath in annoyance. However, she stood and went to open the door.
Imani shook her head at her friend’s relentless quest for details. She smiled at the remembered bliss of Colt’s possession.
“Now you really have to tell me what happened last night.” Sarah walked back into the kitchen. “You’re smiling with your whole body!”
Imani looked up at Sarah to give her another lame diversion from the topic, but the words froze on her lips at the sight of Colt staring intently at her.
“Hi,” Imani whispered hesitantly.
“Good morning, Imani,” he said huskily.
Imani felt herself drowning in his gaze and felt as though she’d dissolved into a full-body blush.
“Good news!” Sarah exclaimed and forced Imani to finally look away from Colt and back to her best friend. “Colt brought us breakfast. So you have no excuse now not to talk. Tell us about this guy you met.” Sarah moved about the room, gathering dishes and utensils.
Imani rolled her eyes at her friend’s determination to get information from her. “I’m sure your guardian doesn’t want to hear about my personal life.”
“I’m interested in both of your lives,” Colt said coolly. He gave her a smirk when Imani hissed in surprise at his words. He waited a beat before letting her off the hook and murmured to his ward, “Sarah, let Imani eat her breakfast in peace. I’m sure the last thing she wants to do is talk about her love life in front of your old guardian.”
“Yeah, Sarah, let me at least eat first before you start grilling me.”
“But, Colt, Imani’s my best friend, and in all the years I’ve known her, she’s never brought a guy to our apartment,” Sarah whined in protest. “And you’re not old. You’re in your prime,” she teased.
“And damn beautiful too,” Imani mumbled before she could help herself.
Colt chuckled as Imani again blushed with embarrassment when Sarah looked at her in surprise. He gave Sarah the basket containing the food. “Go set the table. Imani and I’ll bring the plates and drinks.”
Sarah pouted, but she took the basket and left the kitchen to set up in the small dining area that formed part of their larger living room.
Knowing that, even with Sarah out of the room, it would still not afford them any privacy, and certainly wouldn’t allow them to speak without being heard by her, Imani was surprised when Colt closed the space between and captured her lips in a tender kiss. The soothing care he’d employed when he’d helped her in her bath earlier that morning was still evident in his soft kiss, which only made the contrast in the emotion it evoked more volatile. His kiss was soft as a whisper, but the fire it lit in her belly was red hot and scorching. Whimpering in distress, she wound her arms around his neck and held him tight against her.
She wasn’t ready when he suddenly put her away from him.
“Colt, that’s a lot of food. There’s no way we can eat all of that.” Sarah came into the room as Colt was reaching into the cupboard for plates.
Imani made herself busy gathering drinking glasses and collecting orange juice from the fridge.
“Now that you’ve started this trend, every Saturday you’re in town, I will be expecting this full spread,” Sarah continued to gush. She didn’t need any encouragement to talk and carry the conversation, and neither Imani nor Colt interrupted her monologue.
Imani knew her friend was nervous about Colt demanding that she send in her application for law school. It was a constant on every one of his visits. However, despite Sarah running out of topics mid-breakfast, Colt never brought it up. The frown on Sarah’s face was a testament to her confusion over Colt’s unusual behavior. And even as Sarah issued her usual invitation for Imani to join them, which Sarah knew Imani would decline, Colt ignored her frown and then caused it to deepen.
“Imani is joining us today,” he told them and continued to eat as though he hadn’t just dropped a bomb.
Sarah guarded her time with Colt jealously, and there was no way she would be okay with Imani going with them.
“But—” Imani started.
“If you’re both finished eating, go get dressed.” He held her gaze, making it clear he was going to ignore her protest. “We’re leaving in fifteen minutes.”
Imani knew from the look in his eyes that if she disobeyed him in this, he would think nothing of exposing a little of their relationship to get his way. It was clear that he wanted her with him today and didn’t give a fuck who knew about it. And this was why, fifteen minutes later, all of them were piling into Colt’s truck and on their way to the mall.
She had at first thought that Sarah’s presence would save her from making a fool of herself over Colt. However, by the afternoon, Imani knew that no one’s presence was going to save her from Colt’s relentless sensual assault. He used every opportunity. Looking through racks of clothes got her soft caresses on her midriff that she’d foolishly left bare. Trying on clothes in the fitting room had him sneaking into the room and kissing her until she was panting for his possession, and waiting in line to pay at the checkout found him standing so close behind her that his hard cock was nestled against the crack of her ass. By the time they were seated in the VIP section of a darkened movie theatre, with Colt sitting between her and Sarah, she knew that the next two hours would be pure sweet torture. They were in reclining
bucket seats with blankets draped from their waist to their legs. It should have been a comfy, lazy afternoon. However, it seemed that Colt understood the lazy part, but he wasn’t allowing Imani any comfort.
It wasn’t long before he was feeding her popcorn and she was sucking the salty snack from his fingers. And perhaps those fingers were still being sucked even after the snack was long gone. Even more torturous was that those digits were soon sliding under the blanket and her long skirt, between her thighs, and then being stuffed into her very wet snatch. He operated with the same stealth skill she knew had served him well as a soldier and was serving her more than well now to evade the scrutiny of Sarah and the other occupants of their row of seats. When Sarah looked over at them, she would have seen one of Colt’s hands under the blanket and another on top of the thick wool. Knowing Sarah’s refusal to see what was bold in her face, they were not too concerned over Sarah becoming suspicious.
If anyone had asked her what movie they’d all watched that afternoon, Imani wouldn’t have been able to answer, because, for most of the movie, Colt’s erotic caresses had kept her in a sexual fog. He would bring her to the brink of an orgasm, only to pull back and then do it all again. By the end of the movie, she was so primed from him that she was barely coherent. Her panties were a soggy mess. She was reduced to wanting to crawl into his lap and let him fuck her senseless. And she didn’t care who was watching them.
When she and Sarah went to the restroom before leaving the theater to go to the car, she peeled off her panties and stuffed them into her handbag. It gave her a naughty kind of pleasure to be sitting next to Colt bare assed.
Sarah was oblivious to it all. She kept up most of the conversation and didn’t seem to expect much in response. A few well-timed grunts or “uh-huh” were enough for her to launch into another monologue that neither Imani nor Colt were paying attention to.
“Imani, I can’t believe you’re not gushing more,” Sarah was saying as Colt drove them from the movie theater toward their apartment. “You love that actor, and most times, I can’t shut you up about him. Jason Momoa is so hot, you always say,” Sarah teased. “Must be that mystery man from last night that’s got you teamed.”
Imani didn’t have to look at Colt to know he was amused.
“Sarah, can’t a girl have a few secrets please?” Imani was almost begging her to shut up.
“That guy must have really rocked your world last night, and made you immune to Jason Momoa? I can’t wait to meet him!”
“You have a new boyfriend, Imani?” Colt asked innocently.
“You know, just for that, I require a moment of silence. Jason’s name has been invoked. That there is sacred ground,” Imani smirked. “Silence please.”
“Nope, too late. You’re not going to duck our questions.” Sarah grinned, knowing that Imani was desperate for her to change the subject. “Colt, this isn’t a new boyfriend for Imani.” Sarah laughed. “It’s the only boyfriend I’ve ever known her to have.”
“Thanks for talkin’ my business, Sarah.” Imani pretended outrage. “But you’re right, Jason Momoa is always sweet toffee, caramelized golden goodness, and super fine.” She smacked her lips to emphasize her point and shared a giggle of feminine appreciation with Sarah. She knew she had to get Sarah off this topic of her boyfriend.
Colt shook his head at their silliness but seemed to be distracted by the traffic around them. “Thank you, ladies, for spending your day with me. Although it’s still early, I need both of you to stay in tonight.”
Imani was happy when Sarah protested. “I have a date tonight, Colt.”
Because if Sarah stayed home, Imani doubted Colt would come to her tonight.
“It may be nothing, but I have to check something out, and I need to know you’re both safe.”
“We’re adults, Colt. And we live in this city all my ourselves.”
“This isn’t up for debate, Sarah,” Colt muttered.
“What’s going on, Colt?” Imani could tell that Colt wasn’t asking them to be cautious because of his usual overprotective self. Something had spooked him.
“As soon as I know that, I’ll let you know.”
Imani knew he wouldn’t ever tell them if he thought the news would upset them. Given her history with violence, she immediately started paying more attention to their surroundings. She wondered if he carried around the gun or jacket that she’d made him. Did they need them?
“Colt…”
“Sarah, let it go.” Imani didn’t flinch or back down from Sarah’s look of disappointment. She knew that, despite Sarah being surrounded by men of action, she was clueless to the reality of the violent city that they lived in. Colt needed to concentrate on what was potentially a threat to them.
Colt pulled into the underground garage of their apartment building. “Sit tight,” he muttered as he exited the truck.
Even as they watched, two dark sedans with tinted windows, which didn’t allow visibility of the interior of the cars, pulled slowly into the garage. Cold sweat poured onto the surface of her skin at the ominous presence those vehicles represented. Imani watched in awe as Colt stood calmly, waiting, unflinching with his long legs braced apart, his shoulders squared, and his head held high, daring whoever was in the vehicles to make the first move. Was he insane? He was fully exposed! Supposed they gunned him down? He didn’t even have his bulletproof jacket on. Imani shifted in her seat in discomfort.
“Oh my God, Colt!” Sarah was losing her shit as Colt started walking toward the vehicles as though he could withstand being mowed down by either of the cars.
Imani did a double take as she looked at his hands. Colt wasn’t as defenseless as she’d first thought. He held the custom-made gun in his palm as though it was an extension of his arm. He walked toward the approaching vehicles with cool authority. The vehicles came to a stop, and everything around them seemed to still with chilling suspense.
The front passenger door of one of the vehicles opened, and a dark-headed white man climbed out and gave Colt a salute. “Colonel.” The man’s salute was crisp and precise.
Imani lowered the truck window slightly to better hear what was being said.
Colt didn’t relax his stance, nor did he acknowledge the greeting. “Why the fuck have you been following us all day?”
“General Lippman would like a word, sir,” the man answered.
“He has my fuckin’ phone number.” Colt raised his arm and then pointed the gun at the soldier. “Now, try tellin’ me again. Why were you followin’ us?”
“We have orders, sir.” The soldier didn’t flinch, but he looked slightly uncomfortable now.
“Orders to do what?”
“General Lippman wants to speak with you and the girl.”
Sarah gasped and curled herself into a ball.
“The girl? What fuckin’ girl?”
“Ms. St. John.”
It was Imani’s turn to draw in a sharp breath. Did they know? Did they realize it was her after all?
“Why?”
“I don’t know, sir. He didn’t say.”
“Well, you can tell Lippman to kiss my ass. And if he sends any more of you mudderfuckers after me again, I’ll be sending you back in body bags.”
“We have our orders, sir. We need you to come peacefully.”
“Yeah, well, I want to fuck my girl until we’re both comatose. Since that shit’s not likely to happen tonight, y’all are outta luck on my goin’ anywhere with you.”
Imani was happy that the interior of the truck had so little light because she knew Sarah wouldn’t have been able to miss her blush. At his words, she was a quivering hot mess. Everything about this man induced panty-dropping inclinations.
The doors of the vehicles were pushed open, and seven more men stepped out with their guns drawn.
“We have orders to bring you in alive, sir, but the general didn’t say anything about the women,” another man piped up.
Colt fired his weapon with such speed and precision that Imani was initially confused about how it was possible that he could have done so without the eight men getting off even one shot. He stood with supreme confidence before them after having shot each man in the arm or hand that held a gun. The chorus of groans of pain and guns hitting the concrete floor seemed loud in the aftermath and otherwise shocking silence.
He walked over to the agent who had last spoken. His punch was filled with such fury that the sound of cracked bones and splitting flesh echoed throughout the garage. “Don’t ever fuckin’ threaten my women!”
The man roared in pain.
Colt’s anger was palatable, and there was no doubt that he would kill the other men if tested. He wore his mantle of absolute alpha with supreme confidence. “Tell that punk-ass Lippman if he wants to talk to me, pick up the fuckin’ phone!” There was no mistaking the absolute resolve in Colt’s voice and stance.
“Sir.” The first soldier grunted in acknowledgment of Colt’s instruction and violence-induced caution. He slowly crawled back into the car. The others followed suit after feebly grabbing their guns from the ground with their hand that wasn’t bloodied from being shot. They all carefully climbed into the waiting cars.
As soon as they reversed out of the garage, Colt moved quickly to open the truck’s passenger side door and beckoned them out. “They will be back with more men, and I want you out of here when they do.”
“What’s going on, Colt?”
Imani grabbed Colt’s hand as he pulled both her and Sarah from the car.
“Let’s go.” He moved swiftly toward the elevators, almost dragging them along behind him.
“What do they want with Imani?”
Colt ignored that too.
As soon as the elevator doors closed behind them, Sarah again started peppering questions at him, but Imani couldn’t bring herself to do the same. She knew exactly why the men had come. They wanted the weapon and jacket she’d invented.
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