You Have Always Been My Dream

by Jaycee Avalon

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Because…” he says, advancing slowly yet stealthy towards me. I back up but he just keeps advancing until my back hits a wall. “Because I have every intention of sleeping with you.”

  “Ah…”

  “I’ve been looking for you, Lolita,” he says really low. He plasters a hand against the wall by the left side of my head and lifts his other hand to run down my cheek, down my neck to my collarbone.

  “You… Ah… Dios mío!” God have mercy. This man is about to make me go up in flames and I most positively can’t let that happen.

  “You’ve been haunting my dreams for a very long time, you see,” he explains.

  “I have?” I squeak out, in complete contradiction to my powers of seduction and take-no-prisoners attitude.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Erick

  I chuckle at her response and move closer still to her delectable body. I’m going to be collecting all those wet dreams she’s been giving me.

  This woman has been haunting my dreams for longer than two years. When Melody showed me her picture about a year ago, I was so shocked I couldn’t quite process what I was looking at. But now it makes sense. The face on the picture was the face in my dreams.

  What was upsetting was the fact that I had dreamt her before. I had talked to Joy about it, especially when I had dreams where I’ve seen her in pain. Joy tended to be as hocus-pocus as Justin and would tell me it was an omen.

  When Joy and I were together, the dreams were almost as if she was my little sister or a cousin. They were never of a sexual nature. But they were real, the pain was real as well as the times I dreamt her being happy.

  But for the past two years, she’s been seducing me in those dreams, waking me up with a hard-on and with unfulfilled needs. I wondered if she knew Joy was no longer in the picture.

  I’m unsure what this is, what it means. I loved Joy with every fiber of my being. With the power of one-hundred horses and with unending devotion. Can it be that I was meant to fall in love twice in a lifetime? How would it be once I have them in heaven with me?

  “Oh, yeah!” I finally answer her question.

  “Um… Look, mi mama is into the whole voodoo stuff, being a curandera and all, but I don’t really buy into it,” she finally says with conviction, getting herself back under control.

  “Cu…randera?”

  “You know, one of those healers,” she laughs.

  I chuckle at that and bring my finger back to her face, caressing her chin, then lazily run my thumb on her lower lip.

  “Erick!” My name is a puff of breath from her lips and I groan low in my throat before I’m once again kissing her with all the hunger I’ve been missing.

  Justin Fucking Mayfield and his hocus-pocus ass! His insanity must be contagious because I’m pretty sure this is my one and only, the woman Joy set me free to find and own.

  She pries her mouth from mine and turns her head to the side, making my lips grace her cheek and find the hollow of her throat, I suck softly and bite down a bit on her.

  “I… Oh, God! I don’t do men, Erick,” she moans out, in contradiction to her words.

  “Are you into women?”

  “What? No!”

  “Are you a virgin?”

  “Ah… No,” she sighs out. Her hands try to push me off her but they hold me in place for my kisses and bites to her throat.

  “Then you are right. You don’t do men,” I groan, sucking on her earlobe and making her whimper.

  “That’s… mmm… that’s what, I, said.” Damn! So breathy!

  “That’s right, bella. You don’t do men. You. Only. Do. Me!” I growl at her and sliding her body down the wall, bring us down to the carpeted floor and kiss the hell out of her.

  She moans deep and her hands go around my neck, squeezing lightly, setting me on fire. “Fuck!” She pushes my left shoulder hard and I allow her to turn me, ending up on my back with her straddling me, my hands holding onto her hips.

  “This doesn’t mean shit!” she tells me angrily while unbuttoning my shirt. Her hands push my undershirt up until she reveals my hard chest to her eyes, groaning deeply. Planting her face on my chest, she starts licking and biting me.

  I groan myself at that and grab her ass with both hands, squeezing hard. Pulling her dress up I find that she’s indeed going commando.

  I lift a hand up and bring it down hard on her left cheek, making her grunt and she lifts her upper body up to look at me in shock.

  “My woman doesn’t go commando!” I bark at her and put her back under me.

  “I’m not your woman!” she barks back.

  “Actually, Lolita. You are. I don’t do hook-ups and something tells me you don’t either,” I explain.

  She tries to push me off her then. I grab both her hands, bringing them over her head and keeping her prisoner underneath me.

  “Erick,” she warns.

  I grind my hardness on her and she moans, closing her eyes for a second before she starts struggling again.

  Lowering myself on her, I kiss her temple and place my lips near her ear. “I know you want me. You want my cock, don’t you, señorita?” I ask, remembering my Spanish.

  “Not like this,” she gasps.

  “No. Never like this. I would never force myself on you,” I assure her.

  “Erick?”

  “I have a job tonight but I want to see you tomorrow. Give me your number,” I breathe out.

  “No.”

  “Lolita. Give. Me. Your. Number!”

  “Vete al diablo!”

  “Justin will give me your number,” I remind her.

  “No. He’s not allowed to give out my number.”

  “I have the power to get your number. But I’ll rather get it from you. Por favor,” I add a pleading note to my voice.

  “Fine!” she sasses and rattles it off, making me smile down at her and giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Erick

  I have a stake-out tonight. A rich woman believes her husband is cheating on her and since she’s the one with the money, she wants proof. I hate these jobs with a passion. Sitting inside a car, just watching and surveying for any signs of movement.

  The money is good, really good though and we need it. She’s paying a lot for this and since I do hate cheaters, I took the job.

  I pull up my web and google the Spanish words she told me, making me smile wide. Damn woman told me to go the devil “vete al diablo,” I chuckle.

  Downloading Rosetta Stone into my phone, I push an earplug on one ear and hit play. I took Spanish in high school for a couple of years but since I had no reason to use it, forgot most of it. But I’ll have it back soon enough.

  I scan the area, wondering if he has his car parked right in front of his lover’s home. He’s not being very subtle about it and I’m wondering as to why. It’s a nice quiet neighborhood but it’s not his neighborhood.

  If my wife was out this late at night, I’ll probably file for divorce without needing proof. Of course, we are talking thousands of dollars here so I see my client’s viewpoint and need for it.

  I run my tongue over my lips still tasting her. Damn but she tasted good, haven’t tasted something so incredible since my Joy. My boy was hard instantly and the heat I felt from her told me she was as turned on for me as I was for her.

  I turn my phone off and take the earplug out as I see him walk out a couple doors down, going on alert and getting back on the job.

  ∞

  Job done and plenty of photographs later, I send her a text and drive myself home. A small, one-bedroom apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. Way too far from her! I’m thinking I’m going to have to take up Samson’s offer and take that condo he’s been offering in Yorkshire.

  That’d put me near her and she’ll be more willing to stay with me and close to home. Melody had no problem giving up Harlem for Justin.

  If my business succeeds, I’ll have plenty o
f money to give her all the comfort she deserves. Not that I’m without money since my parents aren’t poor and could afford Harvard but we aren’t loaded like the Mayfields.

  Samson owns the goddamn building where he’s offering a condo to me. I’m practically part of the family since I’ve been friends with Justin since we were small, but it’s not my money and I’ll be making mine the old fashion way.

  A hot shower and a deep sleep, till almost twelve the next day, has me feeling refreshed and I wake up with plenty of energy.

  “Erick, how is it going, son?” Samson answers.

  “Mr. Mayfield, was wondering if I can take you up on that condo offer,” I get right to the point.

  “Ah! Justin mentioned last night you found your woman,” he chuckles.

  “Justin needs to get his nose off my business,” I growl, making him laugh.

  “I met Lolita, Erick. That little lady has fire in her. You think Melody gave Justin a hard time? You hadn’t been around Lolita long enough, son,” he warns with a lot of comedy in his voice.

  “I can take her,” I assure him.

  “I bet you can. I bet you can. And yes, that condo is still open, all ready for you. Justin has the keys, have him show you.”

  “I will and thank you. Should I go over rent with him?”

  “He won’t take it, but I know you’re a man, a hardworking man. Just pay whatever you pay for that place of yours. It’s quite a nice place you got there. The sounds of Hell’s Kitchen all around you. Make sure you say goodbye to it properly,” he chuckles before hanging up on me.

  I smile and look around. It is a nice place I made my home in. My parents weren’t very happy about me moving to New York, but I assured them I’d be home plenty of times.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Lolita

  I’m in big trouble! Big, big trouble!

  “Hello?”

  “Where you go last night, nena?” Mel asks. She has called me nena, which means ‘little girl’ in Spanish, since she heard my mama called me so.

  “I had to leave my own show. Leave! Did you know Erick was crazy? Damn man told me I’m his woman. HIS!!!. You do know I hate men, don’t you? After that puto John played me, I’ve swore off men. You just had to go and send me a crazy one. A Loco!” I ramble on and scream at her.

  She chuckles at that. Chuckles!

  “I think Justin rubbed off on him a little,” she laughs.

  “I don’t give a damn who rubbed off on whom. I’m on my way to the mall to get a new cell phone number, unlisted, because he demanded I give him my number last night. He promised to come after me tonight.”

  “I really don’t think that’s a good idea, Lola,” she says in a serious voice.

  “And why the hell not?”

  “If he’s anything like Justin, he’ll come after you in one way or another and he’ll probably be pretty upset you’re giving him the slip. Also, let me remind you he’s a PI. He’ll find you. Not that you’ll be hard to find since you’re my best friend.”

  “Hijo de Ugh!” I curse.

  “Come over to my place. I’ll let him know you’re here and we’ll straighten this out. How about that?”

  “Fine! I’ll be there in thirty. I’ll take a taxi.”

  Ten minutes after I get a taxi my cell rings and I groan at the caller. My mama can smell problems a mile away. Freaking witch!

  “Si, Mama?”

  “No Hello or How are you? You must be having a bad day today,” she chuckles.

  “You have no idea!”

  “Actually, last night two of my grandbabies came to see me in my sleep. Regaled my dreams they did! I’m thinking you met the father. Who is he and when did you meet him?”

  “Mama…” I groan.

  “Don’t you mama me, Dolores! Qué barbaridad! My own daughter refusing to give me grandbabies. You’re twenty-two for crying out loud. You should have given me three by now.”

  “Mama, I got to go. Let me call you later,” I deflect.

  “No. I want to meet him.”

  “Mama!”

  “Bring him to dinner on Sunday. He needs to meet la familia.”

  “Mama. I’m telling you, there’s no man,” I groan.

  “Mentiras! Sunday, Dolores, or I’ll do a cleanse on you to get rid of whatever disease that puto John gave you,” she threatens and hangs up on me.

  I groan at the mess my life has become in less than twenty-four hours. I knew he was trouble the minute I saw him walk into the Gallery. I saw him looking around. Searching for something I’m sure he wasn’t even aware of searching for.

  But he was yummy. God, he was yummy and I couldn’t stop myself from going to him. I needed to capture him with my lenses and get his tormented eyes on film. There was something behind his kiss I couldn’t quite figure out but damn if I was going to go all voodoo like my mama.

  I may have Cuban blood but I’m so not into witchcraft. My family have been practicing Santería for generations and my mama is a big fan. No way she’s doing a cleansing on me!

  I’m in big trouble. Big, big trouble.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Erick

  “Hey, bro. You know Lolita is here, right? Damn man, what did you do to her last night? She ran off like her ass was on fire,” Justin tells me over the phone.

  “Yeah. Mel texted me earlier to come over. I didn’t do half the things I wanted to do to her, believe me.”

  “You know her mom is into that Cuban witchcraft shit, right? You need to tread lightly or she’ll send her mama your way,” he laughs out, warning me.

  “Shit! Alright, don’t worry. I’m sure I can have her mom on my side. I’ll be there soon, keep her put,” I order before hanging up and taking a right towards their place.

  I have no desire to go through the song and dance Justin and Melody went through. So… When I’m finally sitting across from her at the dinner table, I do the only logical thing any man would do.

  “I’m so sorry about last night. I hope I didn’t scare you too much,” I apologize sincerely.

  “You are?” Dolores asks.

  “I am. I had lack of sleep and food and I guess the champagne went to my head,” I tell her, groaning deeply.

  “Fuck! I don’t think I’m supposed to admit that, am I, Justin?” I add for emphasis.

  “You’re a pussy. That’s what you are and I’m thinking you’re le—”

  “The Fuck? Want me to show you how much of a pussy I am?” I ask standing up to my full height, challenging him, asshole was about to blow my cover.

  “Hey! No wrestling in my home,” Melody announces in a hard voice.

  “Ooohhh…. I wanna see them wrestle,” Dolores says excitedly.

  “How about an hour after dinner? In the home gym, so they don’t break anything?” Melody suggests.

  “What!?” Justin and I both screech, making the girls laugh.

  “Seriously, Dolores, I am sorry about last night, would you forgive me?” Damn! I didn’t know I could grovel.

  “Um… I have a feeling you’re lying,” she laughs. “However, does that mean you’re no longer interested in me?”

  “Wow there, lady, come on. That would be almost impossible, wouldn’t it? You are a very beautiful woman.”

  “And still not interested in anything serious,” she admits.

  “How about casual dating? I would like a date or two, if you’re willing,” I suggest.

  “I don’t do that either. Since I like being exclusive.”

  “Perfect! Since I don’t share well. You can go out on a few dates with me when I’m free and not out in the field.”

  “I don’t think that’s—”

  “Oh, come on, nena. The man is offering a good opportunity. Besides, you need to get back on the horse again and you know, en la cama, si?” Melody encourages.

  I especially like the “back in bed” bit. Though I doubt they know I can understand their Spanish. I so didn’t know Melody spoke Spanish.

  CHAPTER SEVEN
/>   Lolita

  I have a feeling this man is setting me up but at the same time he sounds sincere. I groan inwardly at my predicament but then I’m thinking that I can kill two birds with one stone. He can be my rebound and I can bring him home to la familia.