With This Ring

by Allison Hobbs

  “Close your eyes,” he said.

  She did as he said and smiled when she felt the cool whipped cream being applied to each of her nipples. The way he licked and sucked the cream from her titties had her whimpering and murmuring his name.

  He shook the can and she trembled with excitement when he decorated her pussy with a big puff of whipped cream that stood about six inches high. He lapped and sucked in the sugary treat until he’d worked his way down to her aching pussy. To gain better access, he held her knees apart and by the time his tongue flicked against her skin, Nivea was on fire and begging for dick.

  “Not yet,” he said. “You gotta do me, baby.” He pulled down his pants, then sprayed his dick with the creamy, white coating. Nivea scooted off the island and knelt in front of him. By the time she finished sucking whipped cream off his dick, she had acquired a taste for her man’s favorite dessert.

  Sounds of a cheering crowd emanated from the living room. “Oh, shit, my team just scored. I’ll finish you off during halftime.”

  Before Nivea could protest, and demand that he fuck her right now, he scooped her in his muscular arms and jogged from the kitchen to the living room without losing his breath or breaking into a sweat.

  The strength and stamina of her big, ol’ handsome, alpha-man made her hornier than ever. “How long before halftime?” she asked, rubbing herself as he lowered her on the couch.

  “Fuck waiting for halftime. I want this pussy right now.”

  She showed him how much she agreed by spreading open her legs.

  HARLOW

  “As I suspected, you’re carrying twins,” Dr. Talbert told Harlow.

  “Are you serious? Is that why I’m eating like a truck driver?”

  “I wouldn’t blame the babies for that. Twin pregnancies have an increased risk for preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Therefore, I’m going to be monitoring you more closely to check fetal heart rate, levels of amniotic fluid and fetal growth.”

  “I’m excited and scared at the same time.”

  “There’s nothing to be concerned about, but you should follow my dietary recommendations. I’m also going to prescribe extra vitamins and minerals.”

  “Okay.”

  “One more thing…”

  Her life had been going so well; it was actually too good to be true, and so Harlow braced herself for bad news. “What is it, Dr. Talbert?”

  “I was able to determine the gender of the twins. You’re having identical boys.”

  Harlow wanted to jump up and hug the doctor. “Oh, my God. That’s amazing news. My husband is going to be ecstatic.”

  “I’d like you to eat 2,700 healthy calories a day. By the way, did you give up those hot dogs?”

  “Yes, and I’m ready to go organic. I want to feed my babies nothing except the most nutritious food.”

  “Don’t go overboard and cut out meat. You can find organic lean meat.”

  “Okay, I will,” Harlow said excitedly with a grin plastered on her face. Dr. Talbert handed Harlow a grainy ultrasound photo of the babies. “They’re not much to look at yet, but we’ll get a better image when they get a little bigger.”

  Harlow kissed the photograph, her heart swelling with love. She’d come a long way from the sexually abused daughter of a crackhead, and she silently apologized to her babies for feeding them so many unhealthy hot dogs. Harlow tucked the photo in her purse, vowing to be a health-conscious parent from now on.

  Drake came home that evening wearing a somber expression.

  “What’s wrong, hon?” Harlow asked.

  “Something’s up with Lucio.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s like he’s trying to tell me something. And since he can’t verbalize his feelings, I try to throw out suggestions that he can either nod to or shake his head. So, I asked if he was sick of being on a liquid diet. He shook his head. I asked if he was in pain. Again, the answer was no. I went through a long list, including if he was worried about being broke. He nodded to that, and so I assured him that I would personally replace his money—”

  “How much was it, you never mentioned an exact amount.”

  “Five million dollars.”

  “Wow.”

  “That won’t break our bank, baby. I want to do whatever I can to give the old man a little peace of mind. But even after I offered to replace the money, he was still agitated. I don’t know if he’s legitimately worried about something or if he’s getting senile.”

  “I wish I had the answer for you, Drake.” She wanted to press him for details about where he’d delivered the ransom money and if he was absolutely sure the kidnappers wouldn’t come back for more. But she kept her questions to herself.

  “I’m going to take a shower and call it a night,” he said, loosening his tie.

  Drake stood at his bureau with a worried expression as he took off his watch and placed it inside his jewelry box.

  Harlow had wanted to share the good news, but decided that tonight wasn’t a good time.

  At Whole Foods, she cheerfully loaded her cart with organic produce and then went to the meat counter and selected organic chicken and lean beef. She went up and down the aisles, and carefully read the labels of every item that went into her cart. Only foods with natural ingredients were good enough for her babies.

  The classical music piping through the speakers added to her good mood. She’d never enjoyed classical; she’d discounted it as music undesirable for someone who had grown up listening to hip-hop and R&B. She wondered what it would be like to attend an evening at the symphony. She’d made a mental note to find out which symphonic orchestras were in town. Chuckling to herself, she imagined Drake’s scowl when she insisted that he escort her to a concert. She’d wait until after she told him they were going to be the parents of twins and then inform him that she’d read that classical music was soothing for the fetus while in utero.

  And that wasn’t a lie. She had read in a pamphlet at Dr. Talbert’s office that studies suggested that fetuses can hear and react to sound by moving. Classical music was thought to stimulate the baby’s developing brain. Drake would definitely want to ensure that his kids came out healthy and smart.

  There was no reason to wait until they went to a concert when she could go to iTunes and start downloading a classical music collection for her babies. Drake would make sure they were sports enthusiasts, but she would make sure their cultural pursuits were well balanced.

  She pushed her cart outside and waited for the Town Car that had brought her to the market to pull up close to the entrance. She looked from left to right, but the car was nowhere in sight. Ordinarily, she would have had the groceries delivered, but today she wanted to be more hands-on.

  The black Town Car finally glided into the parking lot. The driver must have taken a little spin while waiting for her. She stepped forward and waved and he stopped directly in front of her.

  “Mrs. Morgan?” said a driver who was much younger than the one who had brought her to Whole Foods. “My name’s Otto. Sorry, if you’ve been waiting for very long.”

  “No, not at all. What happened to the other driver?”

  “His wife went into labor and the boss asked me to replace him.”

  “Oh, he mentioned that his wife was expecting, but he didn’t tell me she was due any day. You know, I’m expecting, too,” Harlow said brightly. It wasn’t like her to tell her personal business, but she was over the moon with happiness. Then her face clouded with worry. She hoped Drake wouldn’t be on the other side of the world when she went into labor. They’d have to have a serious discussion about him limiting his traveling.

  “You don’t look like you’re expecting, ma’am,” the driver said, looking uncomfortable discussing pregnancy.

  “I’m still in my first trimester.” She wanted to blurt out that she was having twin boys, but it didn’t seem right to tell a stranger when Drake didn’t know yet.

  Th
e driver loaded her bags in the trunk. “You don’t have to worry about carrying these bags, ma’am. I’ll get them in the elevator for you and I can ride up with you and carry them inside your apartment if you’d like.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate the offer.” The packages weren’t very heavy, but Harlow didn’t want to overburden herself if she didn’t have to.

  During the ride to her apartment, she pulled out her phone and perused classical music on iTunes, and quickly learned she didn’t know what was good and what wasn’t. Listening to samples, she discovered a preference for string instruments, particularly violins.

  When she finally lifted her head, she realized they were going in the wrong direction. “Uh, did you make a mistake? I live on the Upper East Side.”

  Otto didn’t turn around, but she could see through the rearview mirror that his pleasant expression had turned to stone. “We’re not going to the Upper East Side, bitch. So shut your mouth and enjoy the scenery.”

  NIVEA

  Malcolm taught at a skydiving school in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, but when he wasn’t teaching, he liked to change up the scenery and jump from various places. Today, they were at a skydiving school in New Jersey. Nivea and Malcolm sat in the waiting area with the other daredevils who were suited up and ready to risk their lives by jumping out of an airplane.

  Malcolm was dressed in his skydiving gear: a helmet, a backpack containing his parachute, and he was wearing a jumpsuit. He looked super-hot in the loose-fitting, one-piece garment.

  “Nervous?” she asked him with a teasing smirk.

  “Not at all. I’m cool, calm, and collected.”

  “You can still back out, you know.”

  “Are you kidding? I live for this.”

  When Malcolm’s turn came to walk out on the field and get into the small plane that looked old and rickety, Nivea wanted to grab his hand and forbid him to go through with the ridiculous stunt.

  “Seriously, you don’t have to prove anything to me or anyone else. I know you’re a virile man,” she said, sort of kidding, but mostly serious.

  “You’re nervous for me, aren’t you?”

  Nivea pantomimed biting her nails. Malcolm laughed and then pulled her into an embrace, kissing her on the cheek before trotting across the field toward the waiting plane.

  Sitting on a bench in the spectator area with the other skydivers’ family and friends, Nivea watched as the small aircraft, a Cessna 182, climbed higher and higher. Much, much too high for her comfort level. Her palms began to sweat when she saw Malcolm’s silhouette appear at the opening of the distant plane. He jumped, and for a moment, he appeared to be suspended in midair. Then he began to fall slowly, and it seemed to take forever for his parachute to open. Nivea began to panic, wondering if everything was okay. A few seconds later, when the parachute still hadn’t opened, she clamped a hand over her mouth while her heart pounded in her chest.

  Finally, the rainbow-colored parachute blossomed in the sky, and it was the most beautiful sight Nivea had beheld, second only to when she’d first set eyes on her gorgeous baby girl.

  Ten thousand feet in the air, Malcolm soared through the sky, his arms stretched out, reminding her of Superman. Floating downward, his descent was beautiful—poetry in motion. And she raced across the field to greet him when his feet gracefully touched the ground.

  He lay on his back, murmuring, “That was incredible. Wow! The view was surreal. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing the bay, the bridge and land from that angle.” He flashed Nivea a grin. “It’s better than sex, babe. You should try it.”

  Nivea crouched down beside him. “Don’t ever invite me here again.”

  He sat up and looked at her with confusion. “Why not?”

  “It was too scary. I almost had a heart attack watching you being so reckless and foolhardy. I just can’t do it; I love you too much.” She gasped and her eyes widened when she realized what she’d said. “Oh, my God, I didn’t mean to say I love you. I meant to say, you know, that I really like you a lot,” Nivea blubbered. She felt like an idiot and she could feel the warmth of embarrassment rising in her cheeks. She could have kicked herself for blurting something so mushy and stupid.

  Malcolm didn’t respond or react. He maintained a prone position.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, trying to decode his body language.

  “Not really.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly. Had she frightened him by using the “L” word so soon?

  “My adrenaline is pumping and I’m ready to go again. You wanna skydive with me, baby?”

  Nivea swatted at Malcolm playfully as he pulled himself upright. “Are you crazy, boy? I value my life too much to even get inside that rickety-looking, little plane.”

  Malcolm made no mention of her love confession, and for that, she was relieved. But her words hung in the air like the proverbial elephant in the room. Nivea hoped she hadn’t scared him off by blurting out those three words. She’d cringed thinking how desperate and love-starved she must have seemed.

  Looking back and recalling how much she despised him when they’d first met, it was amazing that she’d grown to care so much for him. Though her feelings were strong, what she felt was far from love. She’d misspoken and would explain that to him later on, when they had some quiet time together.

  Malcolm climbed to his feet. “Jumping from planes burns a lot of calories. I’m starving; how about you?”

  “I could go for something to eat.”

  With their arms wrapped around each other, they walked back toward the building where Malcolm could change clothes. As they approached the spectators sitting on the benches, there was a chorus of applause as the crowd acknowledged Malcolm’s successful free fall.

  Avoiding traffic, Malcolm took back streets for a few miles and then turned off on a deserted dirt road. Malcolm had one hand on the steering wheel and the other gently clasping Nivea’s hand. It was a sweet moment, but instead of basking in it, Nivea found herself stressing over her dwindling finances.

  Malcolm made a sudden turn, snapping Nivea out of her worrisome contemplation. She gave him a curious glance. “We’re going to a restaurant in the woods?”

  “Not exactly a restaurant, but we’re having lunch at my favorite spot.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I brought lunch for us. It’s in a basket—on the floor in the back.”

  Nivea twisted around and spotted the basket. “A picnic basket?”

  “It’s a Christmas gift from my Aunt Estelle, two years ago. She’s always asking if I’ve used it yet, and she’ll be glad to hear that I finally have.”

  “I feel so special.”

  “You are special.” He looked her up and down. “You look real nice today, but then, you always look nice.” He parked under a tree, leaned in and kissed her, his hand running beneath her skirt. “Smell good, too.”

  “Keep it up and we may have to skip lunch,” Nivea said. “But I’m really hungry, so let’s eat first.”

  Malcolm laid out a gourmet spread that he’d purchased from a specialty shop. Next, he uncorked a bottle of vintage wine and poured them both a glass. “I want to propose a toast.”

  “All right.”

  “Uh, to our future…I hope.”

  “You hope? What are you saying?”

  “I have to tell you something.”

  “Oh, no. I can’t take any bad news, Malcolm.”

  “The business is folding and my partners and I may have to file bankruptcy.”

  “You can’t be serious. The gym seems to be doing a killer business.”

  “We overextended ourselves and we’re barely able to keep the doors open with all the salaries we have to pay. Recently, we were approached by a buyer. A corporation. And if we sell quickly, I can get back my investment and also have enough to pursue my dream to market my health drink.”

  “That’s good news; isn’t it, Malcolm?”

  “In a way. The only
glitch is that I have to move to the West Coast.”

  “Why?” Nivea shrieked in alarm.

  “That’s where the bottling company is located and my potential investors are out there. It’s where I need to be.”

  “Are you breaking up with me?”

  Malcolm had a sad look in his eyes. “Sort of.”

  “Sort of?”

  “My first thought was to ask if you could possibly deal with a long distance relationship, but we both know they don’t usually work out. And I can’t ask you to relocate when I don’t know what the future holds for me. If I lose everything I have, I can always tough it out, but you have a baby and a career in this area. It would be selfish of me to even expect you to run off into the unknown with me.”

  “But this is so sudden,” she said sadly.

  “I know and I’m sorry. I care for you, deeply; I honestly never intended to hurt you.”

  “I’m heartbroken, but I’ll bounce back. I’ve gotten used to being disappointed by men.”

  “I had good intentions, Nivea.”

  She sighed heavily. “I’m sure you did.”

  “Do you want to finish the picnic?”

  Nivea shook her head.

  He pulled off the gleaming watch she’d given him. “I feel I should return this gift.”

  “Keep it. Please, just take me home.”

  During the drive home, Malcolm filled the silence with steady chatter while Nivea only grunted and murmured one-word responses. Her world had suddenly shattered, and she was fighting back tears, trying hard not to reveal how totally devastated she was.

  HARLOW

  With a gun stuck in her side, Otto forced Harlow inside the basement apartment of a dilapidated building somewhere in Queens. The place was a mess with girlie magazines strewn about, and old pizza boxes were stacked atop tables and counters. The trash was overflowing in the small, unkempt kitchen and dirty dishes were piled sky-high. He guided her to the living room, which was also cluttered with everything under the sun. It appeared that no one had cleaned the place in years.