Sydney shook her head. “No, and besides I think he’s been fixed.”
“Ouch!”
Sydney burst out laughing. “Yes, a typical man would say that.” She then returned to the stove. “I hope you like pancakes.”
He cradled her from behind, enclosing her gently in his arms. “I do. I also like making love to you.”
She turned around to him. “And I like making love to you, too. Thank you.”
He raised a dark brow. “For what?”
“For making it special and for proving that all men aren’t inconsiderate like Rafe.”
Tyrone’s gaze hardened at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. “Most of us aren’t. You just picked a bad apple with that guy.”
“Yes, I see that now.”
His expression softened and he stroked her cheek tenderly. “Good, and let’s not talk about him anymore. All right?”
“All right. If you’ll have a seat I’ll serve you.”
He shook his head. “No, let’s serve each other. Tell me what I can do to help.”
She smiled. “Okay, since you’re so eager to help, you can take down the glasses and pour the orange juice.”
She drew in a shaky breath when he left her to walk over to the cabinets. She wondered how in the world she was going to handle downplaying the feelings she had for him for the next two weeks before going back to Memphis. A heavy feeling settled in her stomach.
“Sydney?”
She glanced over at him. Their gazes met. “Yes?”
“Thank you for yesterday and last night.”
She chuckled. “And just what did I do?”
He leaned against the counter. “After a solid fifteen months of celibacy, I got just what I needed and from the person I wanted it from. You’re some kind of a lady.”
She remembered all they had done and laughed. “A lady?”
His smiled widened as those same memories flickered through his mind. “Yes, a lady. A very sensuous lady.”
Sydney’s heart leapt at Tyrone’s words. Rafe had never complimented her in bed although she’d known she’d pleased him. Words were important and evidently Tyrone knew that. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Sydney discovered that even after their day and night of wild abandon, there was no awkwardness between them. Together they set up breakfast, then sat down to eat, chatting amiably about Linc and Raven’s plans to leave D.C. so Linc could return to Memphis and pursue a political career.
“My family is excited that he’s returning home,” Sydney said. “Everyone in the family works in our law firm, and when he left there was a huge void.”
After breakfast Tyrone helped clean up the kitchen. Somehow, something as simple as sharing breakfast had been a complete turn-on. Sitting across the table from her and knowing she had nothing on underneath her robe had almost driven him out of his mind.
When he watched her reach up and place the last dish back in the cabinet, he pulled her into his arms, wanting her again. Their mouths met, the kiss was hot and explosive, carnal. Picking her up into his arms, he carried her to the bedroom and placed her down on the unmade bed. Immediately his hand began fumbling with the opening of her robe, and when he opened it and saw her naked body, his mind and his senses suddenly went over the edge.
He wanted to touch her everywhere and he did, making her moan with pleasure. His hands explored her, stroking her to a fever pitch. Then he leaned down and kissed her again. She returned his kiss hungrily, greedily, which made him that much hotter for her.
“Sydney.” He breathed her name and forced himself to pull back, remove his jeans, and prepare himself for her when he felt his sanity and control begin to slip again.
He quickly returned to her and gathered her into his arms, placing her beneath his throbbing body. He almost went weak in the knees when she grabbed hold of his erection and led him to her warm, moist center.
When she raised her hips to him, he flexed his body to go deeper into hers, wanting all of her, needing to claim every part of her as his. He reached out and caught her face in his hands and forced her to look at him, to marvel at what they were sharing.
“Look at me, Sydney,” he whispered huskily, needing to see her reaction each time he thrust inside of her, wanting to see her features contort with a passion he knew no other man had given her, and wanting to know from the look in her eyes that she enjoyed his being inside of her as much as he did.
When she tightened her feminine muscles around him, clenching him with all her might, he growled in pleasure.
“You like this, don’t you?” he asked as he slowly moved his body inside of her, setting a rhythm dictated by a particular tune that played inside of his head.
She sucked in her breath as he went still deeper. “Yes,” she said breathlessly, straining to hold herself back as Tyrone’s body leisurely pumped into hers, almost driving her crazy.
“Good, because I like this, too.”
He thrust into her deeper, relentlessly, almost taking her over the brink, then slowed the pace again to prolong their pleasure. When it became so overpowering that her eyes fluttered and closed with desire, he urged her again to look at him so he could know just how his lovemaking was making her feel.
When they couldn’t handle the exquisite sensations anymore, he sped up the rhythm, thrusting with a manic urgency. She cried out his name. Her face lit up with a climax so intense, the spasms that racked her body also racked his, pulling everything out of him and giving her more of himself than he’d ever given a woman. He screamed her name over and over, and when he thrust into her one last time, determined to go deeper than before, his world exploded and he knew that he could never get enough of Sydney, even if they were to make love every day for the rest of their lives.
A thought came to his mind as his body succumbed to the delight of her; how on earth was he ever going to walk away?
A while later, when he could find the strength to move, Tyrone eased onto his elbows and looked down at Sydney. She was looking at him with glazed eyes, flushed features, and a smile tilting her lips. “You are something else,” she managed to say in a breathless sigh.
He leaned down and kissed her lips. “No, you’re something else. I could make love to you all day and all night.”
The smile on her lips widened. “I’m up for it if you are.”
He chuckled. “Don’t tempt me.” He glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. “Besides, I need to get out of here if I’m going to make it to class on time. I don’t want my students to think I’ve gone soft.”
Sydney grinned when she felt his erection, hard as ever, pressing against her thigh. “Soft? I don’t think you know the meaning of the word.”
He laughed. “It’s all your fault. I’m going to have to shower again before I leave, or I’ll have the scent of you clinging to me all day, and I’ll never get any work done.”
Moments later, when he came out of the now steamy bathroom, Sydney was just where he’d left her, naked in bed. Her eyes were closed and he figured she had fallen asleep. He leaned against the dresser and stared at her, thinking once again that she was the most beautiful, senuous woman he had ever seen.
He knelt beside the bed and kissed her lips. Her eyes slowly opened. “You’re leaving now?”
He smiled down at her, liking the way her features still reflected the pleasures he’d shared with her earlier. “Yes. What are your plans for today?”
She smiled. “I’d thought about catching the subway downtown to do some shopping. But I don’t think I have the strength to move.”
He leaned down and placed another kiss on her lips. “Well, when you get your strength back, how about dropping by the Cotton Club later? A group of friends from Juilliard who live here in New York and I will be this evening’s entertainment. We’re trying to raise money for the Harlem Music Festival.”
She nodded. “What time?”
“Around five.”
She smiled. “I’ll be
there.”
“Good,” he said, liking her quick response, and he knew she would be on his mind until he saw her again. He also knew that getting all wrapped up in Sydney was not the smartest thing to do, but for now he couldn’t help it. The woman had totally bewitched him.
He stood, knowing that if he didn’t leave now, he would climb back in that bed with her and make love to her all over again. “I’ll see you later.”
As he forced himself to leave her, he realized it was the hardest thing he’d had to do in a long time.
Eight
Sydney tapped lightly upon the glossy surface of her table at the Cotton Club. Several groups had performed, but the one Tyrone was a part of had yet to come on stage.
She glanced at her watch. She’d been here an hour already but couldn’t complain, as she was enjoying herself. She had felt joyful all day. After Tyrone had left that morning she had gone back to sleep. When she woke up she felt rejuvenated and energized. A day and night spent making love with Tyrone had certainly been the thing she needed.
The lights in the club dimmed, signaling that the matinee was over and the next show was about to begin. She took a sip of her drink, leaned back in her chair, and waited. Her heart raced when four men and a woman appeared on stage. Everyone gave them a big applause, and moments later the emcee introduced them.
“Most of you will remember this group of dedicated musicians,” he said. “Years ago, while students at Juilliard, they used to come play for free each week to benefit the Harlem Youth Choir and other charitable events. Tonight they have returned on behalf of the Harlem Music Festival that will be held this summer. Let’s give them another round of applause.”
And the audience did just that. Sydney joined them, proud of the dedication of Tyrone and his friends on behalf of the Harlem community.
The lone female in the group went to the drums. Sydney lifted a brow when Tyrone went to the piano instead of the saxophone. Their first number was “A Fifth of Beethoven,” Walter Murphy’s upbeat jazzy style.
She tried ignoring a group of women sitting at the table behind her who were whispering loudly about Tyrone. They all agreed that he was the best-looking man on stage. “Look at that great body.” One of the women crooned. “I bet he knows just how to use it in bed.”
Sydney tried to force the woman’s words from her mind but couldn’t, especially since she knew firsthand how Tyrone could use his body to pleasure a woman. Just thinking about what they had shared yesterday and this morning sent sharp sexual awareness through her.
Then the music took over and she joined the audience that was rocking to the beat. She caught Tyrone’s eye and her heart fluttered when he smiled at her. The women behind her squealed, thinking his look had been directed at them. Sydney smiled back at him, enjoying the moment, confident that she had been the recipient of that smile. After a few other numbers, most of them soft jazz, they turned the heat up again with a fast-paced number.
The emcee called for a break and the group left the stage to prepare for their final two numbers. Sydney raised her hand to get a waiter’s attention for another drink, and he had just left her table when she heard the women burst into excited chatter behind her. Tyrone was heading in their direction. She couldn’t help but admire his looks as she watched him walk toward her. Her smile widened when she heard the women’s disappointed sighs when he stopped at her table. She could just imagine the envious looks they were probably giving her.
“Hi. Enjoying yourself?” he asked, snagging the empty chair at her table.
“Yes,” she said, beaming, the luckiest woman in the place. “I’m impressed. Just how many instruments do you know how to play?” she asked. “You played just about every one on stage. I’ve heard you play the sax, but it’s incredible how you handle the piano and the guitar. You’re really gifted, Tyrone.”
He grinned. “I can play just about any instrument that’s put in front of me. I love music.”
Sydney nodded, believing him. She could tell from the expression on his face while performing.
“Are you hungry?” he asked her. “If you are, we can grab something when we leave here.”
“I ate before I came but if you’re hungry we can certainly go somewhere later.”
“I’d like that. There’s an all-night restaurant in my hotel.” He lowered his voice and leaned over and whispered seductively, “And if you stay with me tonight, I promise to have you back in the morning to take care of Denzel’s needs.”
She agreed quickly since there was no way she could resist his invitation.
He leaned across the table and kissed the tip of her nose, then leaned in closer to kiss her lips as the women behind her sighed in unison. “I have to get back.”
She watched him walk away, astonished once again at how anytime he came within two feet of her, her body came alive with wanting. She took a deep breath, knowing she was in trouble by letting herself be drawn to a man who had made it clear from the beginning that he couldn’t commit to any woman. But, for her, what had started as merely a short fling was no longer casual in her mind, which proved that she was a woman who could only sleep with a man if her heart was in it. And her heart was in this so deep that it was beginning to get downright scary.
After leaving the club they had stopped at the restaurant in his hotel. She drank coffee while he ate a hearty meal of steak and potatoes. Then, barely keeping their hands off each other, they rode up in the elevator to his hotel room.
Once inside his suite, he had begun taking her clothes off. Then, not bothering to take off his own, he had picked her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, kissing her with a passion that had taken her breath away and had sent sensation after sensation rippling through her. After placing her on the bed, he removed his clothes.
She would never forget the look in his eyes just moments before he had entered her. For long moments they remained perfectly still, caressing each other with their eyes. Then he had slowly pressed himself inside of her, joining their bodies.
A look of satisfaction had spread across his face as he entered her to the hilt, and then the action began. He had literally rocked her world—her body, the bed, her mind—as he established a rhythm that was destined to drive them both to the edge. However, before the inevitable free-fall, he would slow down to extend the agony.
She begged him to give her what she craved, but he kept prolonging the moment until his control broke and he growled her name through clenched teeth, taking one final, hard and deep thrust inside of her, letting them explode in mutual ecstasy as they toppled over the edge together, yet another heightened pleasure she experienced for the first time with Tyrone.
“Tyrone!”
His name came out as a whispered gasp on Sydney’s lips as he pushed deeper into her. She felt as if she were on fire.
They had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. The next morning, she opened her eyes to the sight of his sleeping features. She drew in a deep breath, not regretting what they had shared the last two days.
He opened his eyes, as if he could read her mind, and pulled her closer into his arms. Leaning over, he kissed her lips. “You’re something else, Sydney.”
She shook her head. “No, Tyrone, you’re the one who’s something else. I’m just glad we’re both here. In this place and at this time.”
He gently pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “No regrets?”
She shook her head. “No regrets.”
Sydney knew that the odds were that when she left New York she wouldn’t be seeing him again, as Linc and Raven were moving to Memphis. That meant she would have no reason to visit the nation’s capital. It also meant that this New York trip was the only time the two of them would share such intimacies like this.
When she felt Tyrone shift in bed, she noted that all signs of sleep had suddenly disappeared from his face. Instinctively she went into his arms when he reached for her. As his mouth covered hers she knew she had meant just what she’d said.
For her there would be no regrets.
Nine
Over the next two weeks Tyrone and Sydney settled into a satisfying and pleasurable routine. On the days he taught classes, Sydney kept busy touring Harlem or catching the subway into Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. There was so much to see and do. She shopped at some of her favorite stores and went to museums. On the days Tyrone didn’t have a class, he would join her. As he had lived in New York, he became her personal tour guide.
In the afternoon they would attend a play, go to some hot entertainment spot, or just enjoy a nice cozy dinner at a restaurant. Better yet were those evenings when they didn’t make any plans but stayed in at his place or hers and talked. Then at night, they enjoyed each other. They had taken their intimacy to a new level, and it became the norm for them to wake up every morning cuddled in each other’s arms. Neither discussed what would happen when the fling was over since it was understood that in the end, she would go her way and he would go his. But Tyrone knew that the degree of intimacy they shared would stay with him forever. A culmination of three weeks of mindless, earth-shattering pleasure guaranteed that.
Tyrone heard Denzel scratching against the door. Deciding that Sydney needed her rest, he silently closed the door behind him as memories of the intensity of their lovemaking the night before flooded his mind. After making unforgettable love, they hadn’t had energy to do more than fall asleep in each other’s arms.
As he slipped into the clothes he had hastily tossed on the sofa the night before, he tried not to think about how he and Sydney had only two more days together. Her friend Donna was due back tomorrow and Sydney would be leaving for Memphis the following day. He had planned something special for her final night in New York, but now, as he thought about it, he decided it would not be enough.
What could you do for a woman who in three weeks had shown you a side of passion you’d never seen before? What did you give a woman who made you appreciate the fact that you were born a man? A woman who made multiple orgasms appear like a common achievement?
Some Like It Hot Page 24