The Rhythm of Blues (Love In Rhythm & Blues Book 1)

by Love Belvin

  And I want to again…

  “Gee-Gee.”

  “Huhn?”

  “You never answered my question.”

  “What question?” I legit forgot, so caught up in my head again.

  She laughed. “Y’all stay in separate rooms when away, too?”

  We didn’t stay in separate rooms now. I didn’t want to do that in Minnesota, either. I wanted Wynter in my bed. I wanted to kick it with her again.

  I closed the coat closet door. “Not sure about separate suites. Could be one. I don’t know what Myisha booked. Maybe.” I vocally shrugged.

  It was something men did when they wanted to play dumb. I wasn’t about to explain to Heather how things had changed between Wynter and me. It didn’t matter because all of it was temporary anyway.

  “Well, just be careful,” she heeded. “I can’t say enough how risky all of this is. I don’t wanna have to commit a homicide and repent later. I hate this.”

  “You trippin’, girl.” The humor in my tone was natural. It was easy to gloss over things for me. “I gotta go. Earl texted me in church, saying Pastor McKinnon needed me.”

  “She probably got word of that drama with the choir.”

  “A’ight.” I was closing the conversation.

  “Love you, Gee,” she whispered.

  “Later.” I tapped to hang up.

  The first place I headed to was the kitchen. It was empty at first, only half the lights on. I walked toward the large room, hearing small noises until I found Earl deep in the pantry, cleaning the lower shelves.

  “Aye.”

  On his knees, he strained to turn around.

  “Oh,” he grunted. “She’s in her room. I told her I’d send you when you got in.”

  “What’s good?”

  “She said she needs to go home and check on business for a few days.”

  I nodded, thinking Heather was right. When I left out, Earl called behind me.

  “Should I call for a driver?”

  I was already on it, phone in hand, searching the number to text. “I got it.”

  Then I went straight up to her room. After knocking, she invited me in.

  “Gee-Gee!” she called, surprised by my presence. “I’m glad you came straight home after Bible study.” She strained to get up from the sofa chair where she was watching television. “Did the presence of the Lord make itself known tonight?”

  I shrugged with my face, confirming. “Saturated the sanctuary.”

  “Amen. Praise His holy name.” She powered off the television. “The choir director—the Dawn girl—got into it with Bobby and a few others in the choir tonight at practice.”

  I wouldn’t tell her Heather had just given me the latest on the ride home from the City. I was confident the whole church knew about it at this point.

  She made her way to me and nodded toward the bed where I noticed a bag packed.

  “I called a meeting with them for tomorrow night. But I got Evangelist Mary taking me to Robert Wood hospital in the morning. Elder Johnson’s having his hip surgery.”

  “Oh.” I scratched my mustache. “A’ight.” She stood straight with her bag in her hand. I noticed it wasn’t all she arrived with. But I still needed clarity. This could change a lot. “So, this the end of your sabbatical?” I covered my curiosity with a joke while grabbing the bag from her.

  “No!” She raised a hand and shook her head. “I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

  I stood in front of her. “Okay.”

  “Okay, baby?” She tried smiling.

  My grandmother was trying to soothe me. Little did she know, I was past the age where her protective presence was necessary.

  “Okay. Evangelist Mary gone ride me over to Heather and Brother Taylor’s baby’s party Saturday. Now, I done talked to the ministerial staff and told them I’ll be back here next week; I’m still on leave. But I’m gonna be in service on Sunday to restore order amongst the people.” She moved to leave the room and I followed her. “Then I’ll check in with you to come back out here.”

  We were headed down the stairs. “S’all good. You welcome back whenever you like.”

  “I know, baby.” She breathed hard, dropping down step by step sideways while holding onto the rail. “I gotta come back. The Lord ain’t say my rest time is up. My numbers look okay, but He said they’ll get even better, and I’mma be obedient to His heeding. Amen?”

  “Amen.”

  Once we hit the first floor, I grabbed her coat from the closet. By the time we made it to the front door, the car was sitting idle waiting on her. I walked her out, freezing my ass off while getting her in the car and her duffle in the trunk.

  “You got my number, Pastor,” I reminded her while hunched down beside the car door. “Let me know if I can be of more help.”

  Funny thing was, I trained my grandmother to go through other channels to reach me. Yeah, she’d always had my number, but I wouldn’t answer when she’d call. I’d have Myisha or one of the assistants call her back to check, telling her I was tied up. But for the first time since I was a kid, I didn’t mind my grandmother’s direct access. Her being here these past few weeks had shifted something between us.

  “Amen.” She nodded. “You’ll hear from me in a couple of days. I promise.”

  After closing the door, I tapped the roof, dismissing them. Then I jogged back into the house, loving the heat hitting my chilled frame right away. It was mad early, but felt late, thanks to my grandmother’s schedule. At close to eleven at night, my day was still high time. Since she’d been here, it had been shut down time.

  The time when I’d be upstairs running my yap to her…

  And I was tired. Damn, I was fatigued. I could head into the studio and lay a few lyrics looping in my head the past few days. I could even correct a few melodies on the “Setembro” remake. But I was honestly burned out. So, burned out, I didn’t even want to think about what my grandmother leaving meant for me. And Wynter.

  I tapped a few times on my phone and listened to it ring.

  “Yeah?” I heard loud music in the background.

  “Confirming for tomorrow. Everything set?”

  “Texted Captain Morgan a couple of hours ago. Jet is fueled and being stocked tonight. The suite has been confirmed. Security will arrive about an hour before you to do a sweep. TB’s people know you’ll be in their suite.”

  “Cool.” I climbed the stairs.

  “Oh, and Nelly from Azmir’s camp hit me up yesterday. She said he wants you to stop by his suite, too. He wants to meet Wynter.”

  “Perfect.”

  “I know. Right?”

  “You good?” I asked.

  Not that I cared for the details of my cousin’s dating life, but Myisha hadn’t been talking about her time away when we spoke. It was always about business.

  “I’m grand. Just grand.” Her tone was bland, but that was her sense of humor, it seemed.

  “A’ight. Be safe.”

  “Be smart.”

  “Always.” I disconnected the call and made my way down the hall to the master suite.

  That tightening in my chest started again the closer I got to the doors. I wondered if she was sleep. Each night since she ran out of my studio she’d been asleep by the time I came to bed.

  Damn…

  My eyes squeezed closed, upset. I’d had her trained to do that. It wasn’t something I was proud of, but what I needed, and Wynter had been making it happen.

  Quietly, I stepped into the dark room and closed the door behind me. I crept over to the walk-in and kicked off my shoes then started taking off my clothes. I could smell her in my closet. Her things hadn’t been in here a full month yet, but she was here. In each corner of my room. The craziest thing about that was I wanted her here. I couldn’t tell her because I couldn’t explain it and didn’t know how long I’d want it. But I did.

  God…

  I messed up. I let her leave the studio and hadn’t had the heart to man up
and at least talk to her about what happened. I thought to kick it with Ezra about it tonight, but decided against it before I sent a text before service. I had a feeling what he’d say, and I was sick of dealing with that old ass issue.

  In no time, I was in the bathroom to take a leak. My mind was so busy and back on this shit with Wynter, I didn’t realize I couldn’t pee until it hit me I’d been staring at the same spot in the wall, over the toilet for mad long. I looked down at my dick and saw it was almost full blown hard in my hand.

  Nah…

  I closed my eyes and rolled my head backward, willing myself to think about anything other than this girl. My dick was hard because I could still smell her. She was every damn where! I looked across the bathroom and saw her house coat tossed across the vanity. Her slippers were inches away from the magazine bin. Wynter had taken over my damn room.

  This was my life. I was a married man. What was crazy was when I did imagine myself married, it was only with Heather. We would fantasize about what our lives would be like together. She swore she was going to be the type of wife that stayed home and took care of everything, including the kids. She said I’d only have to go to work and come home with money to feed our family. She’d even fix my lunch every day.

  That had me busting out laughing over the toilet. My free hand went to my bare chest where the ache still throbbed. Me, a wife, kids, and a nine-to-five. That would never happen—at least the last two. My eyes shot down when I heard trickling in the toilet. I’d finally started to piss. To pee! This shit had become so bad I couldn’t even pee?

  After washing my hands, I cleaned my face and brushed my teeth. The pain in my chest was still there as I walked out into the main room in the dark. My feet felt heavy and my head started to pound. This was crazy. I pulled back the cover and lowered myself on the bed, and that’s when her scent turned dizzying.

  Oh, God, what is this?

  Since when was I affected by a woman to this degree? I shuffled underneath on my back and lay stiff on the bed, trying to stay on my side. I closed my eyes and fought hard to fall asleep. Chest pains, head pains, dick throbs. This day had to end, and soon.

  Word…

  14

  “Raj…” her alarmed tone had my head shoot over to her over the pillow. Her tight eyes were wild. “You…you okay?” her delivery breathy, cautious.

  Then I followed her eyes down the bed to the tent in my boxers. I must have kicked the comforter off of me at some point. I was burning hot last night, twisting and turning. Even though I couldn’t remember them, I was in and out of colorful dreams. That wasn’t new for me.

  I turned to her again, finding her expression worried. “You snore.” Half my face lifted in a smile.

  Wynter dragged her eyes away from my swollen cock to my face. She licked her lips and blinked.

  “You’re just now finding out after all this time?”

  “Kinda.”

  I tried to find more words that would distract her enough for me to get out of bed. But my mind froze, I ached with crazy need. My body was shaking and I hoped she couldn’t tell. This shit was crazy. It was one thing to go to sleep like this, but waking up and having her look at me with those perceptive eyes. Wynter may have been nice, but she wasn’t dumb. She could sense how crazy all this shit was. She knew I had issues. I wished I understood fully what they were.

  I used my hands to brush down my face as I let go of a heavy breath. Out of nowhere, my body felt…chilled. Automatically, my hand went for the comforter bunched between us. When I grabbed it to pull over me, her soft hand covered mine. My eyes slammed into hers again.

  “I can help you…” she licked her lips again, “…with that.” She tossed her forehead to my crotch.

  That made the throbbing painful. I wouldn’t do it. I was not about to embarrass myself.

  “I’m good.”

  “You’re not,” her throat seemed to thicken and brows lifted. “It’s okay, Raj. We’re two consenting adults. It’s no big deal.”

  No big deal?

  I saw the need in her face. She wanted me almost as much as I needed her. The problem was, I didn’t want to use her, especially because I had no clue what was going on my damn self. The other morning in the studio was so one sided, it didn’t sit right with me. I’d been horny before, wanted a woman before. But never had it manifested itself past my dick and mind. I wasn’t the type of man to trip over sex. I got it when I wanted it—which wasn’t that often—and I was good.

  This… It was something different. And I didn’t really know this woman. I couldn’t believe it was because she was a beautiful girl sleeping in my bed. I didn’t like company in my bed. But I liked having her in my bedroom. I’d been enjoying the proximity.

  Wynter wasn’t letting up. She looked tense sitting up next to me on one arm, eyes going between my face and inflated dick. Her nipples peaked through her thin gown and her eyes were dark and heavy. She wanted me.

  And I couldn’t move to invite her.

  Didn’t want to.

  Hated the need to have her.

  She moved. Wynter shifted to her knees and shuffled down my legs. I panicked.

  “Wyn—”

  “Ssh!” she hushed sharply. “If you go down, I’ll try to help get you back up again.”

  “That might not work,” I tried.

  “If it doesn’t, we stop and I’ll forget this ever happened. Again.”

  She was frozen over me, her eyes measuring mine. Her scent was all over me now. Her pussy. It was…awake. I could smell it. Her hair, her mild morning breath—it was all the perfect concoction to propel my need. Goose bumps raised all over and my body shivered. An angry groan ripped from the back of my throat. I wanted her to touch me. Wanted to lose myself inside her again, but that initiation factor wasn’t available.

  “Raj, please,” she breathed those words. “Please.” She swallowed. Then I saw her eyes narrow as though something clicked for her. Wynter licked her lips. “Ca—can I touch you?”

  My heart felt like it was about to fuckin’ explode. What was this?

  She stood on her knees between my legs and pulled her gown from the hem, over her head. God… Wynter was naked beneath. Tanned areolas and pebbled nipples. A fine trail of hairs from her belly button down to the bed of her valley. Damn, I remembered what that valley felt like gripping my cock.

  “Raj.” Her cry snapped me out of my head.

  Breathing loud and with my chest moving up and down, I nodded hard.

  God, please…

  I didn’t want to play myself and hurt her feelings again. Wynter nodded then cocked her head to the side. She reached for me with both hands and pulled at the band of my boxers. I lifted, helping her. She did just enough for my dick to come jutting out, standing in the air. Her eyes zoomed into my barbell. Her tongue pushed against her top lip as she considered it. I knew she was because I knew the look. For the first time, that made me nervous, too.

  Wynter flicked it lightly with her finger and watched for a reaction. My ass lifted from the bed, but I was so damn aroused, her breathing on me could’ve done that. She took a warm hand and gripped me, starting from the base and squeezed gently all the way to the head, up until she got to the barbell. I watched everything. Wynter made sure to stay with me by checking for my expression. And when her thumb and index made it underneath the mushroomed head and a bead of liquid came out, Wynter’s eyes met mine and her jaw dropped.

  She knelt down and licked the drop, eyes on me the entire time. Then she repeated her hand game, fisting me from root to head. And it felt so good. She felt so good, I widened my thighs, falling into her touch. Wynter moaned as she went down again, this time flicking out her tongue and rolling it up the side of my cock from the bottom. She did it again on the other side, this time bringing her arms up my chest and using her nails to scrape down to my jumping abs.

  She used her tongue to roll over the barbell, at first using light pressure. She watched me for cues either way. I was so tens
e and anxious, I could do nothing but watch and pray she kept going. Then she sheathed her teeth and took my whole head in, rolling her tongue around, knocking it gently against the bar. When it pressed into my urethra the sensation was so intense I slurped back my saliva with teeth clenched so hard, my jaw felt locked.

  Her head bobbed over me when she used her mouth to massage the top half of me. Her mouth felt fucking soft. So fucking satiny and wet, and her teeth no longer existed. She felt so good, I wanted to close my eyes and drop my head back to the pillow to ride this out. But I couldn’t. I had to stay with it to feel…alert. Plus, I got the impression Wynter wanted me “with” her. She made sure to keep her eyes on me as she worked me. Her sucking and swishing over me had my damn toes curling.

  She’s cool…

  She’s okay…

  She wants this, too…

  I had to remind myself over and over again. And before I knew it, my hips worked with her, lifting and dipping. Wynter moved her hands to help her mouth. She used both to palm me while her mouth stroked the top of me. My head started to spin from pleasure. She warmed me all over. Those chills I felt earlier were replaced with waves of heat. My heart still worked hard, but it skipped beats now. The sight of her hips in the air, over her head. Her eyes on me, wanting to be noticed. Her hands moving as fast as my hips. The sight of my damn nipples hard like hers. All of it worked me to a peak.

  “Gaaaaah!” My head slammed against the pillow and my pelvis jerked wildly.

  My hands went to her head, teased by the coarse texture of her hair. And Wynter used one hand to massage my balls as my hot cum jetted in her mouth. My groin rolled. My heart roared. Lungs stretched painfully to keep my groans in my damn belly. And I kept coming. Kept blasting off. Before I could fear Wynter was uncomfortable or felt violated, she moaned over me, fisting my throbbing cock, and caressing my swollen balls.

  I didn’t know when I stopped coming, but figured when the wild movements of my pelvis slowed, I had. Wynter’s movements slowed, too. My eyes were shut and mouth wide open, trying to catch my damn lungs. When I opened my eyes and my vision cleared, I was able to finally look at her. Wynter’s eyes were nervous, she moved slowly to sit up. I couldn’t speak and I could tell she knew. She bit her bottom lip, studying my face.