by Reana Malori
His mind whirled with the possibilities. He wanted to interrupt her. To ask what she was referring to, but he held off. This was something he needed her to tell him. If she was simply referring to the situation with his family, or the surprise of him walking into her office, that was one thing. He wasn’t prepared for her to know anything else. Not yet.
When he’d laid them down in her bed earlier tonight, he’d taken off his shirt to be more comfortable. When he felt her fingers rubbing along his skin, he inhaled deeply. Her touch was his aphrodisiac.
The softness of her skin rubbing against his bare chest stiffened his cock. Reaching down to adjust himself, he pulled her closer, then pressed his lower body into hers. If he couldn’t made love to her right now, she’d at least know how much he wanted her.
When Max realized Kiana had gone silent for more than a few seconds, he finally spoke up. He decided it was best to focus on the known issue.
“Babe. Whatever you need to know about my family, I’ll tell you. It’s important that you know I’ve never looked at you as anything but a beautiful woman. A smart woman. A woman that captured my attention from the very first moment I saw you. Of course, I also saw you as an extremely beautiful, desirable black woman.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kiana looked up at Max with a wide smile on her face. “I’m so glad you said that. I thought you were gonna say you’re colorblind or some other mess. You know, like one of those people who say, ‘I don’t see color,’ thinking it’ll make them seem less racist.”
“I’ve learned that saying I don’t see color is a stupid ass comment. Of course, I see it. It just doesn’t matter to me.”
“Thank you for that.”
Laughing, he was glad he remembered that lesson from Big Mama. “You’re welcome.” Kissing her lightly on the lips, he continued. “Plus, I’ve dated women of every color and hue.”
“Um, I don’t really want to hear about that,” she snapped.
“Come on now, Ki, don’t be like that. I’m just saying that when I look at a woman, I see beauty. The shade of her skin doesn’t change my opinion. I’m not gonna lie, though; the contrast of our bodies when we’re fucking, when my white dick is sliding inside your beautiful brown body, is sexy as hell. Shit, just thinking about it makes me want to be inside you.”
As she went to move, he tightened his hold.
“Oh, no. You’re not going anywhere.” He began rubbing along her back, making a figure eight pattern, which he knew would relax her. “Listen to me, baby.” When she said nothing, he asked again. “Babe, you listening to me?”
“Yes, Max. I’m listening.”
He smiled at the exasperation in her tone. Whenever she felt he was being a little too controlling, her independence flared its head. It just made it that much more fun when he forced her to submit.
“I’m not saying these things to make you upset. Hell, you know I can be a bit too honest when I speak. My brain doesn’t always remember to be politically correct or to soften my words. My mouth says what it needs to say, and most times it keeps me out of trouble.”
“Yeah, well, your mouth is gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble if you don’t watch it.”
Damn, she was fucking perfect. Only a few people spoke to him that way and got away with it. The number so small, he could count them on one hand. That she didn’t shy away from him, and gave as good as she got, made him want her even more.
“I just need you to know that your race doesn’t matter to me. I’m with you because I want you. When I go to sleep at night, you’re the one I want next to me. When I wake up in the morning, it’s your black headscarf I want to see on the pillow next to me.”
Lifting her face, she kissed him on the lips. The soft touch of her lips against his made his dick twitch. His hands clenched in need along her sides, squeezing her tightly. Kiana lifted her face, giving him a small smile. Moving her body, she climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. Her hair was loose, so she took a few moments to run her fingers through the dark strands.
Once finished, she removed her black camisole. Since she hadn’t been wearing a bra underneath, his eyes immediately focused on the dark chocolate tips of her breasts. His mouth watered with the need to have his mouth wrapped around the hardened nipples.
Seeing her like this, his eyes roamed her body from the top of her head to the juncture of her thighs. His personal pathway to heaven rested right over his thick cock. A shudder went through his body at the thought of making love to his woman.
“My headscarf better be the only one you wake up next to every day.”
“All day. Every day,” he responded with a slight laugh. Looking into her eyes, he turned serious. “I know I fucked up earlier today. When you walked into your boss’s office and turned in my direction, I knew.” Lifting one hand from her hip, he rested his palm on her cheek, his thumb rubbing along her soft skin. “The look in your eyes tore me apart. I never meant to hurt you. That wasn’t my intention.”
Leaning down, she placed her head over his heart, and his breath hitched in his chest. The feel of her bare skin against his was almost his undoing. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? How this made him feel?
He’d come over here tonight thinking he was on the verge of losing her. His mind had been filled with images of her never talking to him again. Of never making love to her as she moaned his name, her eyes filled with lust and desire. Or hearing her laugh as she watched those romantic comedies she loved so much.
Just a few short hours ago, his world had been crushing in on him. And he hadn’t been taking it very well. Everyone he encountered after leaving her office felt his wrath. After she’d walked away from him, it took everything in him not to go after her. After finishing up some final comments to the senior partner who’d fulfilled his wish for Kiana to be his advisor, he stepped into the elevator.
When he’d met Nico at the office a couple of hours later, he’d caught him up on what happened with his nephew and then at Kiana’s law firm. Nico, asshole best friend that he was, had only shaken his head. The look his friend gave him confirmed what Max had already been thinking. He’d fucked up.
Max had been so confident Kiana would still come to his house that night, he’d gone home to wait for her. When she failed to show up, it took him a while to realize what was going on. It never entered his mind that what he’d done could actually end them.
Then she refused to open the door to him when he’d arrived at her place. He’d been out of his mind with fear that she’d leave him. On the verge of kicking the door in when he’d heard the locks disengage, he had to force himself to hold back from barging inside her place.
This woman owned him, heart, body, and soul—if he had one—and he doubted she even realized it.
“Talk to me first next time.”
“Hopefully, there won’t be a next time.” For his nephew at least. When it came to his own situation, he had no idea.
“Just don’t shut me out. Let me decide how I want to handle a situation. If I can’t handle who you are and all that it brings, I don’t deserve you.”
“Don’t say that. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you. You’re too good for me.” He meant every word, not sure what he’d done in his life to warrant a woman like her by his side. Whatever it was, he hoped it granted him just a bit more mercy.
“I love you, Max.”
Her whispered words made his breath catch in his chest. Looking into her eyes, he knew she meant for him to hear the words this time. Six months may not seem like a long time to some, but for him, it had felt like a lifetime. He could see his silence was beginning to bother her.
She shifted her gaze away from his before speaking. “You don’t have to say it if you don’t feel the same. But I wanted you to know.”
“You crazy, silly, beautiful woman. I love you too. You own my heart. The devil may have taken my soul years ago, but I swear you’ve given me a new one.” Grabbin
g her face in his hands, Max brought her lips to his.
Kissing her deeply, he grinded his hips upwards, pressing against her. His need for her grew by the second. He began pulling at her night shorts, pulling them down her body. When he noticed she wasn’t wearing underwear, he closed his eyes. “Baby, you’re gonna kill me.”
“No, Max. I want you to live. Because that means I get to love you longer.”
Pausing in his efforts to get them both naked, he looked into her eyes. “I love you, Kiana. I may not say the words the way you want to hear them, or do all that fluffy shit other men do. But my love for you is unmistakable. We have some shit to deal with, but as long as you’re with me, I think we got this beat.”
“I’m always with you.”
Max flipped them over, placing Kiana beneath him. Quickly divesting them of any remaining clothing, he took a moment to look at her. “So fucking beautiful and you’re all mine.”
Leaning down, he began kissing her neck, chest, and breasts. Creating a trail of kisses down her body, he paused at her stomach, placing kisses all over her flesh. One day, he thought, my babies will grow here. Nourished and protected by the only woman he’d ever want to be his wife.
His mouth soon latched onto her pussy, his lips covering the thick flesh, his tongue licking her from bottom to top.
“Oh, Max!” she screamed.
He smiled.
She grabbed the headboard as her legs splayed wider, allowing him room to settle in. Damn, he loved this part. Using his tongue to penetrate her slick folds, he placed her clit between his lips and suckled. The tip of his tongue teased and flicked the hardened nub. Her taste was like ambrosia. Her scent filled his nostrils. The juices flowing from her body splashed against his chin. Hips writhing in ecstasy, his name fell from her lips in a prayer.
“Max! Yes, please. I’m…going…come…please…Fuck! Fuck!” Kiana’s body stiffened, her fingers clawed at his hair and scalp, pussy pressed against his face as she flew off the cliff and fell into her orgasm.
Without giving her time to recover, he lifted his face from her, shifted his body, and pressed his thick cock inside her channel. “Oh, damn,” he said through gritted teeth. Her channel was pulsing, squeezing him in a tight grip as he continued his forward motion.
Fully in to the hilt, he positioned her legs over the bend of his elbows. Sliding out slightly, he noticed her eyes were closed. Oh no, this would never work.
“Open your eyes,” he growled.
Her eyes shot open and he smiled at the dreamy look in her eyes.
“That’s it, baby. I want you to know it’s me that makes you scream.” He began stroking inside her body as the sensation of coming home began to roll through his body.
“Only you, Max.”
If he could explain to her how good it felt making love to her, he would. But the words wouldn’t come. All he could do was give her more. The deeper he went, the deeper he wanted to go. He’d never get enough of her. Looking down into the face of the only woman he’d ever loved, he prayed for the first time in his life.
Please, don’t let this end. I need her.
“Max, please don’t stop. I’m…Oh, God…I’m coming again,” Kiana moaned, something akin to awe filling her voice.
He began thrusting faster. “Come for me, baby.” Gritting his teeth, he felt his own orgasm rushing through his body. “I’m gonna fill you up. Take all of me, Kiana.”
The clenching of her channel and the wetness that began coating his cock caused him to groan. She felt so good. He was never giving this up. Giving five strong thrusts inside her, he roared into the silence of the room as his release shot out of his body. Once his body stopped moving, he rested his forehead on hers. Their harsh breathing sounded in the room.
“You’re mine, Kiana. Don’t ask me to give you up. I can’t. I won’t.”
Max had a sudden need to take Kiana away. To place her somewhere safe so she’d never be touched by the things he knew would soon come her way. He couldn’t remember the last time he feared harm to himself or even death. But right now, he was scared to death that he’d lose his fucking mind if anything ever happened to her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It had been just under two weeks since they’d had their major blow-up. Things were finally settling down for Kiana and Max. They’d been waiting to hear if his nephew would be charged as an adult. It seemed the prosecutor was waiting to see if the young man in the hospital would regain consciousness before deciding. It looked as if the young man was coming around, but it was too soon to tell if he’d make a full recovery.
Max’s nephew had continued telling the same story. He’d been out with a new group of friends. Some guys he’d met a few weeks ago while hanging out. Not his regular crew, but they’d seemed cool. That night, everything had seemed okay for a while. After one of the guys got a phone call, they’d started acting odd.
It was as if they were looking for trouble. They’d talk trash to anyone and everyone, but they seemed to really go after black people, gays, Asians, and basically anyone who didn’t look like them. When they saw that kid walking out of the store, the two guys he was with made a beeline over to him. They were yelling out derogatory words and making monkey sounds. When they began pushing him and punching him, Jeremy had stepped in. Or at least he’d tried to.
He’d yelled for them to stop. Told them it wasn’t worth it. That the guy hadn’t done anything to them. That’s when one of the guys had turned to him, holding a black expandable baton like the ones the police carry around. He’d threatened Jeremy, called him names for trying to protect the other kid. The guy, Pete, had told Jeremy he’d be on the ground next to the victim if he didn’t shut up.
Jeremy kept yelling at them to stop. He approached the other guy, Terry, and pushed him away, causing him to fall onto the ground. That’s when Pete began hitting the black kid with the stick. Terry held a stick to Jeremy’s head, threatening to hit him if Jeremy didn’t watch the beating. So he did. He watched as the stick was brought down on top of the kid over and over again. Jeremy didn’t realize Terry had been filming until he yelled out something about how good it would look on the internet.
After everything was said and done, Kiana believed Jeremy. Remorse and guilt filled every inch of his body as he relayed what had happened. There were times he had to stop due to how emotional he’d become. The video of the event had been confiscated but the sound had been stripped. If Max’s nephew was somehow able to get out of this situation, it would be a long road before it was over.
The young man who was beaten would need years of physical therapy. His family would have medical bills to pay for years to come. He’d essentially have to learn how to live life again. But there was something in the back of her mind that wouldn’t go away. Where did these kids come from? If Jeremy had just met them, why would they commit a crime like that with someone they barely knew? Who was the person who had called Pete before their behavior changed? There was something she was missing.
Clearing those thoughts from her mind, she tried to focus on the here and now. They were spending tonight at Max’s house watching a movie. Well, she was watching a movie. Max was either texting someone, having harsh, whispered phone conversations, or pacing the floor. She was worried about him. These past few days, he’d been on edge. Nico had been around more, and the look on his face told her something was going on. After another muttered curse, she paused the movie.
Standing, she walked over to Max as he stood next to the breakfast bar near the kitchen.
“Talk to me.” She sat on the stool, turning her body toward his. Grabbing his hand, she tugged at him. “I just want to be here for you.” When he smiled down at her, she resisted melting into a puddle. Barely.
“Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about,” he responded. Placing the phone down, he grabbed her face, pulling her closer to him. His tongue slid into her mouth as he kissed her deeply. Wanting to be closer to him, she
wrapped her arms around his waist. Stepping into the spread of her legs, he pressed his body closer to hers.
Her hands reached up to clasp his arms tightly, her fingers clenching against his biceps, pulling him closer to her. Removing his hands from the counter behind her, he wrapped his strong arms around her. One hand traveled up her back to grab her hair, deepening the kiss and communicating his desire for her.
She could feel his rock-hard erection pressing into her warmth, and she almost lost it right then and there. This man was going to be the death of her. Everything about him made her want him that much more. Since he was so stressed, this was her way of getting him to relax.
Whimpers and moans filled the room. The air was thick with desire and sexual need. The hand that wasn’t holding her hair snaked down her side and grabbed her thigh, just under the curve of her ass, lifting her leg so he could sink even further into the cradle of her body. Desire coursed through her like a freight train.
Breaking the kiss, he whispered softly, “Ki, I need you.” Raw need came through in every word.
“Max, I—”
Just then, they both heard loud knocking on his door. Breaking apart, she noticed Max’s face become hard. Picking up his phone, he growled at what he saw—or didn’t see. “Baby, go get dressed. We need to leave.”
Confused, she didn’t immediately respond to his order. “Leave? Why?”
“Just do as I say. I’ll explain later.”
“No, Max. You’re going to explain now,” she demanded. He wasn’t going to leave her in the dark again. Not today.
“Boss, it’s Nico,” his friend’s voice called through the door.
Kiana saw Max visibly relax. His head dipped slightly, and he turned to face her. “Kiana, I need you to just listen to me. Go get dressed for me. When you come out, we’ll talk.”
“Are you finally going to tell me the truth?” The time for secrets was over.