Love Me Deadly

by Linda Verji

  “What are we going to do about Brooklyn?”she asked when they stopped to take a breath.

  “Well, first, you need to get her out of your house,” Reggie said.

  “You’re right.” Extracting her phone from her discarded jeans, Erica called Kendra. The conversation was short and to the point. Brooklyn needed to go. Even Kendra couldn’t defend Brooklyn’s actions the previous night. Reggie gave her an earful about hosting Brooklyn despite knowing the woman’s shadowy background.

  “What kind of idiot is okay with living with someone with a record like hers,” Reggie quarreled his sister.

  “But it was her past,” Kendra defended.

  “Nico may be okay with that kind of excuse but I’m not,” he said, his tone hard with restrained anger. “What if she’d done something to you?”

  Kendra was quiet for a long moment before saying, “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. Be safe,” he insisted. “I’m leaving for your apartment in a couple of minutes to get her out of-”

  “No, don’t,” Kendra said. “Let me do it.”

  “I don’t want you near that woman.”

  “I know she’s done some crazy stuff, but she’s still my friend.” Kendra pleaded, “Let me handle this.”

  “Then you can meet me there.”

  “No,” his sister protested. “If you come then Erica will too and things won’t go well if they’re both there.”

  Reggie shot a look towards Erica. She looked calm enough but there was no guarantee that things would remain that way if she and Brooklyn ended up in the same room.

  “Nico will come with me,” Kendra convinced.

  It took a bit more convincing but finally Reggie agreed to keep Erica at his house while Nico and Kendra went to handle the Brooklyn situation. As soon as he ended the phone call, Erica asked, “Are we meeting them there?”

  “No.”

  “But-” he didn’t give her a chance to complete the sentence. He pressed his lips to hers in a deep kiss. Pretty soon he had her arching upwards for more and guiding his hand between her thighs.

  He was all too willing to give what she wanted and he slid his hand upwards. She whimpered when he teased around her inner thighs before going for gold. The moment his fingers finally came into contact with the silky blue fabric of her panties she arched in response. He swallowed her instinctive moan when he cupped the heated flesh.

  He reveled in how responsive she was to him. How she moaned when he snuck his other arm around her to play her perked up nipple. How she groaned when he rubbed her pussy over the fabric. How she whimpered when he fit his fingers in the valley between her lips. How she let out a keening cry and widened her thighs when he brushed her swollen pleasure button. He didn’t even have to divest her of the small slip of fabric. He simply pushed the flimsy gusset aside and set his fingers to her flesh. She was crying even before he pushed the first finger in.

  He watched her expressive face as he pushed his finger in and out of her. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp as her fingers dug into his wrist. When he added in a second finger, she started to tremble and bit her lip.

  “I want to hear you come,” he breathed into her cheek as he sawed in and out of her in faster strokes.

  “Reeeeegggie,” she cried as she creamed on his fingers. He swallowed her cry with a deep kiss and even as her walls constricted around his digits, Reggie didn’t stop pleasuring her. So intent was he in his actions that he didn’t notice her actions until she touched his dick.

  Even with the soft cotton of his shorts acting as a barrier the pleasure was as immediate as it was sudden. Excruciating need followed close on its heels as she began to stroke him with slow up and down motions. Reggie slanted his mouth harder over hers as punishment – or reward – for the teasing she was doing to him. She stroked him in time to the rhythm of their kiss.

  Just as suddenly, Erica ended their kiss then abruptly sunk to her knees between his thighs.

  “Baby, you don’t have to do this,” he protested when she tugged at his shorts.

  “I want to,” she dismissed as she yanked harder at his shorts. His dick popped out the top of his waistband. It promptly belied his protests by twitching needily. Erica smiled saucily up at Reggie as she reached for the thick column of flesh. “And he needs some love.”

  Even if he’d wanted to protest more, the moment she touched him, his words went flying out the window. And when she licked the head, his thoughts followed fast. Electric sensations zipped through his body and blood thundered to his rod and balls. He was all too willing to rise up a bit allowing her to strip him of his shorts and his socks. His t-shirt soon landed in a pile next to them.

  Reggie’s toes curled into the bathmat when she furtively licked around his length.

  “Fuck.” He almost exploded when she finally took him into her mouth. Damn! She was skilled. The sensation of her warm mouth wrapping around his cock was intense and shot right through his body like a bolt of lightning.

  “Shit.” He curled his fingers into her braids, urging her to take more of him.

  Between the suctioning, sucking and teasing it was no wonder that in no time at all his balls tightened. His instinct was to come in her mouth but he wanted her with him when he sailed. Pressing a finger between her lips, he urged her to release his cock before sinking down on the bath mat beside her. In short work, he stripped her of hoodie, t-shirt and bra, then pinned her to the mat.

  “Reggie,” she whimpered and gripped his shoulders as he thrust his hips forcefully forward. He drew out the action letting her feel every inch he had to offer. They both moaned in pleasure when he was finally fully seated inside her.

  God! He loved the feel of her. She was so tight, so warm. She fit him perfectly. He squeezed the fleshy cheeks of her ass with every inward stroke. Her moisture coated his length imbuing the bathroom with the scent of her pleasure. His mouth sought hers and her tongue darted into his to wind a spell around his senses. His grip on her ass hardened as he tilted her upwards so he could get deeper inside her.

  “Oh. Oh. Oh.” She moaned with each rhythmic motion her walls around tightened around his cock to the point he didn’t even want to withdraw. He gritted his teeth as he withdrew then plunged in again. Her keening cries were like firewood being thrown to an already stoked fire. They ignited him over and over again as he fucked her.

  She was so sweet. Oh so sweet. Too sweet.

  His eyes popped open as he realized that he was in her raw.

  “Condom,” he somehow managed to gasp as he started to withdraw. But before he exited her sweetness completely her heels dug into his ass.

  “Uh uh.” Her eyes were still closed, as she whimpered, “I’m…I’m…on birth control.”

  That was all he needed. He thrust his swollen shaft back in. Long strokes, hard strokes, deep strokes. He never wanted it to end. They way she sucked him in, spat him out then squeezed him in again had him panting and pushing in harder. She writhed beneath him like a nymphomaniac, taking in everything he had to offer and demanding more.

  It was a struggle to hold on until she came, but hold on he did. She screamed as her walls convulsed around him. The throbbing pulsations of her pussy milking him combined with her keening cry as she stepped over the edge were enough to send him over the edge.

  His release tore through him with such force he was surprised his knees didn’t buckle at the pleasure. His arms tightened around her, holding her close as he filled her with his seed. He took deep gasping breaths as he worked through the last vestiges of his orgasm. Her breath whispered across his shoulders while her hands cradled his neck and head, as she too took her own hushed breath.

  Finally when he could breathe again he slid off her, taking her with her until their positions were switched and he was the one on the floor and she above him.

  “Sorry, I went wild on you.”

  “I like you wild.” She kissed his nose. “And that was very, very nice.”

  “Nice?” He na
rrowed his eyes in faked affront and lightly slapped her ass. “That was better than nice.”

  “Ow,” she said but didn’t seem to mind it. In fact she bent down and started to kiss him again. Her lower body started to grind on his.

  Reggie chuckled. “I’mma need a minute for that.”

  “I thought you were superman.” Erica pouted as he shifted her off him, got to his feet then helped her up.

  “I am,” he said as he opened the faucets to fill up the tub. He guided her into the brimming water with every intention of showing her just how much of her superman he was. Hours later she was deep asleep beside him in the guest room.

  She still refused to sleep in the same bed Brooklyn had slept in. He didn’t care. He would buy a new bed if that was what it took to have her next to him. They didn’t talk about the reason Erica had even been at his doorstep in the first place when she hadn’t spoken to him for a week. But he chose to take it as a good sign. Then as if to bolster up his hopes, the next morning she left her previous day’s clothes in his basket before they headed to work.

  Now that’s what he called the right signals.

  “Well RJ, it seems we’ll have to come up with another strategy to get your Daddy back.” Brooklyn’s voice echoed in the room as she sat on her bed, rubbing her belly. “He’s playing hard to get but he wants us.”

  She’d taken to talking to Reginald Junior whenever she was alone. He was barely three months old but she already felt a connection to him, maybe because he reminded her so much of his father. The thought of giving Reggie a son made her giddy with happiness. It would only make Reggie love her more than he already did.

  “Did you see Erica’s face when she saw us there?”She laughed. Smiling down at the barely visible bump under her white sequined tank-top, she said, “Don’t worry soon she’ll see that Reggie loves me. Soon, you, me and your daddy will be a family.”

  She could’ve sworn the little tyke kicked back in approval and feeling a spurt of affection for him, she patted her bump, “You like that, don’t-”

  A sudden knock on the door cut into her words and Kendra walked in. What was she doing here? She was supposed to be at Nico’s until the following day. Nico stepped into the room behind her. His presence was intimidating but it was the look on Kendra’s face that sent a nervous ripple through Brooklyn as did her cold voice when she said, “Erica just called me.”

  Already? Brooklyn’s pulse jumped in alarm and she rushed to say, “I…I can explain.”

  “You don’t have to explain anything.” Kendra edged closer to the bed and held it out an envelope to Brooklyn. “There’s five hundred dollars in there. By the time I come back from work, I don’t want to find you here.”

  “Where am I going to go?”

  “You should’ve thought of that before you went to Reggie’s apartment.”

  “But I’m pregnant,” Brooklyn cried out desperately. There was a glimmer of pity in Kendra’s eyes and for a second Brooklyn thought she might capitulate, but then her gaze hardened.

  “I’ve tried to help you, Brooklyn, but I can’t anymore. Each time you’re given a chance, you spit on it by doing something like what you did last night. I’m done. Really, I’m done. You need to find your own feet this time.” Kendra stopped at the door to give a parting warning over her shoulder. “If Erica finds you here it will be worse.”

  Even after they left, Brooklyn stared at the door – still in shock. They’d actually kicked her out. They couldn’t do that. She was their friend and friends helped each other out. So she’d made a few mistakes but true friends stuck with you through the good and bad. How could they betray her like this?

  This was Erica’s fault.

  CHAPTER 20

  “What do you think of this one?” Erica pointed to a page on the recipe book she was reading. She was seated across Reggie’s lap with her legs dangling to one side.

  Reggie shook his head. “Ailea’s allergic to pecan nuts.”

  “Really?” She flipped through a few more pages then stopped. “Sweet potato pie?”

  “Uh uh. You do not want to do that. Ma will have baked enough for the whole neighborhood,” he said as he nuzzled his nose into her shoulder. “Why are you so worried about bringing something, anyway? Ma won’t mind and Kendra and I never carry anything anyway.”

  “I can’t go to your mom’s empty handed,” Erica dismissed as she cruised through a few more pages. She stopped at, “Caramel apple cheesecake?”

  That one got his attention and he stopped long enough to stare at the tantalizing picture at the top of the recipe. “Mm that looks good.” He kissed her temple. “But only if you’re gon’ let your man eat if off you.”

  “Hmm. My man?” Saying the word was enough to warm her insides. They hadn’t had an official discussion or anything about the change in their relationship. It seemed like things had just tilted themselves aright over the last week until all of sudden she was in a relationship, she had a man and she was planning to share thanksgiving with his family.

  It would be a lie to say that the change in their relationship didn’t scare the crap out of her. Thinking of the intense feelings that had ripped through her when she’d seen Brooklyn standing at his doorsteps, was enough to give her pause. Reggie had wormed his way into her heart so deeply that without a doubt his leaving would leave her torn in ribbons.

  But what other option did she have? To continue to pretend that he was nothing more than a friend? For how long? The other option was to end their relationship to save her heart. Tempting as that was, it sent a cold dread through her. Reggie was like color. Once you’d seen it, you couldn’t live without it. She didn’t want to go back to black and white. Like Kendra had said, sometimes your only option was to throw the dice and hope you landed a good number. She was taking this one day at a time and hoping that her number had come up.

  She turned her face to him and met his teasing gaze. “Only if he’s a really really good.”

  “Oh, he can be a really…” He pressed his lips to hers. “really…” Another kiss. “…good.”

  She sunk into the kiss easily, already coming to life under the sensuous ministrations of his mouth. The recipe book fell from her hands as she turned her upper body into his. She wrapped her arms around his neck as her lips opened up for him, letting his tongue dance torturously against hers.

  The powerful muscles of his chest pressed against her breasts, lighting up the sensitive flesh with need. She cupped her hand over the nape of his neck while with her other hand she stroked his neck. The lips teasing hers moved to press against the side of her mouth, her jaw, then to lick at her neck. His hands ran furtively up and down the side of her body activating her nerve cells to his touch. One hand slid beneath her tank-top, brushing against her tummy before moving to cup one heavy breast over her bra.

  Erica moaned when he tweaked her already sensitized nipple. She ground on his lap, into the hard lump pressing into her ass. It was too much, she needed more. She started to turn in his arms but as she did, a hand pushed her head towards Reggie’s.

  “Ew, Nasty. Get a room,” Kendra said, mashing their heads together and effectively ending their make-out session. They hadn’t even noticed her come out of her room. With Kendra so often spending the night at Nico’s and Brooklyn no longer in the house, it was easy for Erica to forget that she and Reggie weren’t alone in the house.

  No one knew where Brooklyn was. She seemed to have disappeared into thin air. According to Nico’s sources, she’d last been seen at the bus station but there was no record of where she’d gone. He was still tapping his resources with the hopes that they’d find her. As far as Erica was concerned it was good riddance to bad rubbish. The less she heard about Brooklyn, the better.

  “Get a room yourself,” Reggie said pushing Kendra’s hand away from his head.

  “Making out on the couch like a couple of teenagers.” Kendra threw over her shoulders as she headed to the kitchen. “You should be embarrassed of yoursel
f.”

  You betcha, Erica was embarrassed. She pressed her palms to her heated cheeks even as Reggie pressed his forehead to her temple. His body shook as his guffaws vibrated against her neck.

  “Stop laughing.” She smacked his arm. “Your sister just caught us making out.”

  “She’s grown.” He chuckled. She tried to stand up but he kept his arm tight around her. The same arm slid upwards and he flicked her still pert nipple.

  “Reggie, stop.” She protested even though her body responded immediately sending a flood of desire through her. Luckily her phone chose to ring just then. Pushing Reggie’s hand away from her, she bent and reached for it from the coffee table.

  The number was a strange one. Her brow drawn into lines of curiosity, she slid her finger across the screen and accepted the call. “Hello?”

  “Erica?” Erica almost dropped her phone when her father’s deep voice soared over the line – a voice she hadn’t heard in almost a decade. She didn’t respond and he repeated, “Erica?”

  She opened her mouth to say something but no words came. It was as if her vocal chords had been cut off as had her ability to breathe. Her heart was beating so loudly she could hear it in her throat, her lungs burning from holding her breath and her palms so sweaty she was surprised the phone didn’t slide right to the floor.

  “Erica, are you there?” Malcolm Young called out.

  She could feel the heat of Reggie stare searing into the side of her face as she held the phone to her ear in abject silence. As if he could sense the tension in her, he squeezed her waist. That squeeze gave her strength and through dry lips she found herself saying, “Dad?”

  “How are you?”

  How did he think she was? Nine years and he hadn’t bothered to find out. So what if she was the one who’d walked out. So what if she’d thrown some hurtful words to him that a daughter should never throw at her father before she left. He was her dad, she wanted to scream. He should’ve called before now. No. No. She didn’t want him calling. He shouldn’t have called. She was doing fine all by herself. So she gave him an icy, “Fine.”