Raven's Seduction

by Yvonne Nicolas

  “Shit! Naturi… stop! Naturi…!”

  Hearing him scream her name only fueled her rage. She cocked back again and let her helmet fly. The film holding the glass in place bowed. She reared back a third time and struck as hard as she could. This time, the window completely shattered. Glass burst inside the car, all over the driver’s seat.

  “What da fuck, you crazy bitch!” Luca screamed, his face flushed red. “Oh shit!”

  She breathed out a sigh then let out a small chuckle. Let’s see him follow me now. “Look what you made me do, Luca.” Brushing off the top of her helmet, she closed in on him.

  “You on some crazy shit, Nat.” A combination of fear and anger marred his expression as he stared wide eyed at her. He slid along the length of the car, trying to keep his distance from her.

  Oh right, he’d never seen this side of her before. She probably looked like a demon in his eyes now. “Yes sir, I’m on some real crazy shit, and I have you to thank for that.” Holding his glare, she closed in the space he had made. “Listen carefully, Luca, ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once. This relationship is over. Done! Terminado! Finito! No more! So that means no following me around, no phone calls, no text messages, no fuckin’ emails. And keep your ass outta my DMs! I don’t wanna see your face again in this lifetime or the next. You hear me? Leave me the fuck alone!” She slipped her helmet on and marched toward her bike. “And for the last time, have a nice life,” she tossed over her shoulder with her middle finger raised to the sky.

  “Fuck!” Luca screamed out.

  She made her way back to her bike, taking glances at the clerk through the store window. The guy was cracking up, holding his phone out.

  Guess this scene is gonna show up on someone’s social media page. I pray it doesn’t go viral.

  “Jesus…” She hadn’t meant to snap like that… but what’s done is done. She hopped on her bike and hightailed it out of the gas station. As NightOwl ate up miles on the highway, her mind raced. She was supposed to be home hours ago. This was supposed to be their night.

  Dammit, I should’ve put Luca on the back burner for another day! Raven’s gonna be so pissed, I just know it.

  Chapter 22

  Billie Holiday

  Naturi pulled in a deep breath before she stepped into the house.

  It was dark, save for the soft illumination coming from the candles that guided her way into the house.

  “Oh noo…” she sighed. “Raven.”

  A jazzy tune soared through the air—Billie Holiday. Her soothing bluesy voice was accompanied with a delicious scent.

  It lured Naturi right into the kitchen. Her heart damn near stopped.

  He cooked! He’d made all of her favorites. Couscous mixed with broccoli and cauliflower. There was a large bowl sitting on the counter. Within it, was a fresh tossed salad, dressed with Caesar Dressing.

  “Aww maaan,” she groaned, peeking into the fridge.

  Laid out on a cutting board were two thick slabs of steak, already seasoned, ready to cook.

  “Shit.”

  He even baked. A pie sat on the last shelve in the fridge. Probably cherry. I love cherry pie!

  She hurried out of the kitchen and dashed into the living room. She found more candles scattered about, but no Raven. Her search continued. She ran throughout the large house, eager to see his face. All rooms were empty.

  Where did he go? All his bikes were accounted for, so he wasn’t out riding.

  “Where are you, Raven?” Then it hit her. She hadn’t checked the pool area. She rushed through the gym and made her way out to the back patio.

  The glow from the pool added to the romantic ambiance that was spread throughout the house.

  Raven was stretched out on a lounge chair, his hair pooled out to the sides of his head, with his iPad in his face. His finger moved steadily across the screen. “Finally made it home, I see,” he mumbled, still focused on the pad. “Didn’t think I would see you at all tonight.”

  Raven never missed out on a chance to seduce her with his gaze, so the fact he was talking to her without casting even the slightest glance her way spoke volumes.

  Dammit, how do I fix this? Pulling her gloves off, she hesitantly moved closer.

  A bottle of Jim Beam and an empty rock glass sat on the ground next to the chair. A little less than half was missing from the bottle, which meant he’d had more than a few shots. So now she had to deal with angry, intoxicated Raven.

  This night just keeps getting better. “I’m sorry,” she said, breaking the awkward silence hovering between them.

  He raked his fingers through his hair then finally cut those slanted eyes at her. “For what?”

  “For…” He wasn’t really looking for a reply. His question was a bitter tone of sarcasm. She knew this, but she answered anyway. “For missing our night.”

  His glare rested on her a few seconds more, then he turned back to his pad. “Wasn’t really our night, now was it?”

  “Stop it,” she breathed out, trying to hold back the need to scream. “I get it. I fucked up. And you’re pissed.” He most certainly had every right to be.

  For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. Then suddenly, he lurched upright and swung his long legs to the side of the chair to face her. “And how exactly did you fuck up, Naturi?” His pointed stare sent a violent shudder down her spine.

  She stood there, looking at him, unsure how to spin this. What to do…? She couldn’t say she was with Luca. That would be the icing on the shit cake. Didn’t matter that she met with him just to finalize their break up. She’d basically spent the whole night with him, which was a bad look in her case, no matter how she sliced it. Just suck it up and tell him the truth! It would no doubt taste bad coming out, but at least her conscience would be clear.

  Shaking his head, he briefly closed his eyes. “Seems like you’re struggling with this.” He pushed to his feet and walked past her. “So, let me spare you the pain.”

  “Raven…”

  He continued into the house without looking back.

  “I had to do this… this thing… this issue…” between me and Luca. Dammit, why couldn’t she just say it? “I couldn’t leave it hanging another day.”

  “Uh-huh—sure.” He quickly made his way through the house with her on his heels.

  “Can you just stop and talk to me for a sec?”

  “You see, I was ready to talk to you, but you weren’t here.” He made his way up the stairs, his gait unhurried. “Then I thought maybe she realized that she wasn’t ready to talk to me in person about what happened, even though she’s the one who insisted upon it, ‘cause ya know, I’m a bit intense up close, yeah…”

  “No, it wasn’t like that—”

  “So, I called thinking we would have the talk over the phone and I would somehow convince you to come home. Went straight to voice mail. I called again. Left several VMs and text messages. Still no reply. Then I realized your phone was off. Maybe this wasn’t the perfect night. Maybe you didn’t want—”

  “I didn’t turn my phone off! Luca did.”

  He paused mid-step and hung his head back. “Ahh, Luca did.”

  Shit, shit… shit! She groaned and covered her face. Why the hell did I just say that?

  Wearing a mischievous smirk, Raven glanced back at her. “Wouldn’t be the first he’s done that, now would it?” He continued up the treads, this time with an eagerness in his steps.

  “Raven, I—I didn’t want him to do it. He did on the sly—”

  “Stop, just stop.” He took long strides across the bridge, not once looking back at her.

  She jogged to keep in pace with him. “Please, just let me explain why—”

  “You’ve said enough!” he shouted, swinging around to face her. His eyes were misty, his cheeks red. “It’s always fucking Luca!”

  “Rave, listen—”

  “Why are you doing this? You come to me with excuses, like there’s a reason to do that. There isn’t! Yo
u’re not my fucking woman, and you never will be.”

  Damn, that hurt like a punch to the chest. She clenched her teeth, doing her best not to break down and sob like a baby.

  “And you know why?” He approached her.

  Scuttling backwards, she pulled back out of his reach.

  He took one lengthy step and caught her by the wrist. “Do you?” He pushed her against the pillar near the bridge, but not forcefully. She went with his motion, unable to fight, unable to do anything but gaze into his sad, tear-filled eyes. “Do you know why, Naturi?” He pressed his body against hers, pinning her to the column, his nose touching hers. “I disgust you.”

  “That’s ridiculous!”

  “Is it?” His voice lowered to a croon, so silkily confusing, it had her shaking. “Yes, I fuck men and women. Yes, I’ve fucked several since we’ve been friends. In the nastiest way possible.”

  “Stop…”

  “Random people. Wives, husbands, friends, coworkers. Yes, I have community dick.”

  “Raven…”

  His lips hovered over hers as he continued lashing her with words. “Is your stomach turning? Wanna puke yet?”

  The pinch in her heart worsened. “Fuckin’ stop!” she growled.

  “You don’t really want me to stop, do you?”

  “You don’t have to do this.” She palmed his cheek, her hand trembling. “Don’t be this guy.”

  “Why? Seems to be the only type of guy you respond to.”

  “Wow.” She blinked back the wetness forming behind her eyes. “Of all the fucked up things you could say to me…”

  “But am I wrong?” Slipping his finger beneath her chin, he pressed his lips to hers.

  She gasped as she realized she was breathing his air. This kiss… It was unexpected, gentle, but so passionately sweet to the taste, it shook her to the core. A welcoming cloud of ecstasy drifted across her mind, wiping all her thoughts away. Heat swarmed her body as desire claimed the moment. Since the day he kissed her, she could think of nothing else but kissing him again. This time she wouldn’t screw it up; this time she wouldn’t let go. She tried to wrap her arms around his neck and hold him against her.

  Raven caught her arms before she could lock him down. His soft lips pulled back from hers. “You didn’t deserve that, but I needed it.” He stepped back in an attempt to put some distance between them. “It’ll only get worse from here, sweetness.”

  Desperation consumed her. She latched onto his arm with both hands. In the most controlled voice she could conjure, she said, “Let’s go have a seat downstairs in the living room and talk this out. It’s not what you think.”

  “What I think?” he growled. “How could you possibly know what I think, Nat? Hell, if you knew what I was thinking you would’ve been here with me, instead of with him.”

  “Shit, Raven,” she hissed in frustration. “Just give me a moment to explain.”

  “This is the thing though. Every time I was with someone else, I was with you. Only you weren’t with me. That’s the difference, isn’t it? I don’t have a choice. I can not love you. I can not be with you. I can not feel you. I can not get you outta my fucking head.” Tears trickled down his cheeks. “Nice to know you don’t share my struggles.”

  “Struggles?” she strained out on a raspy shout. “Boy, you have no fuckin’ idea!”

  “Maybe I don’t.” He jerked away from her, snatching his arm from her grip. “I don’t have the energy to do this with you. I’m tired and emotionally whipped.” He slipped into his room and disappeared from her sight. “It’s best you leave me alone for the rest of the night, or the rest of the year just to be on the safe side.”

  As his slicing words cleaved into her heart, the door slammed in her face.

  “But I can’t,” she whispered, tears in her eyes. “‘Cause I love you.”

  Chapter 23

  Superficial Lovers

  Three weeks ago, after the argument…

  “Hol’up, hoe!” Zion harped, her face fixed in a state of shock. “You mean to tell me, he was standing in front of you, in nothing but his drawers, cock stiff and ready to go, and you still denied him the pussy? Where do you get that kinda strength?”

  Naturi paced back and forth across Zion’s living room, doing her best to fight back fresh tears. After saying such awful things to Raven, she left the hotel and stayed at Jonie’s place. She took a couple of hours to sleep off the alcohol, then woke up with an agonizing pain in her heart. She rushed back to the hotel to apologize, only to find that Raven had checked out. She blew up his phone a whole hour after that, hoping and praying he would pick up. He didn’t answer once. She cried the whole way to Zion’s house.

  “How can I fix this when he won’t even talk to me?” she whimpered.

  “It hasn’t even been a full day, sis.”

  “You don’t understand! Raven never fades me like this. Never!”

  Rolling her eyes, Zion lit her small dick-shaped pipe. “He may avoid you for a spell while he fucks the breaks off some poor victim as a way to soothe his manhood…”

  “Not helping!”

  “Buuut…” Zion took a hit from her pipe and blew a cloud of smoke from her nose. “His fine ass will strut right back into your life in no time, waving that PhD in pussyology in your face.”

  “Z… stop!” No longer restraining tears, she plopped down on the couch and cried. “I’m being serious.”

  “Bitch, me too! Those lips and that swagger of his…” Snickering, she kicked her feet out and relaxed back on the couch. “That nigga will fuck you into a-whole-nother dimension. Watch what I say. Bi-boys don’t be playin’ when it comes to the bedroom activities. They are the best lays. And he’s a Scorpio too… Bitch, armor up! Make sure you stretch real good and drink a lotta water. That’s all I’m sayin’. Stretching and hydrating is important.”

  Silly comments from her outlandish cousin would usually pull some form of laughter from her. Not this time. She couldn’t even crack a smile. “Z, look at me,” she sobbed.

  “I see you ugly crying in my living room, fuckin’ up the vibe in my house. You need to hit this pipe.”

  Naturi stretched out across the cushy seat and let her head fall into Zion’s lap. “You should’ve seen his face. That shit hurt his feelings to the core. Like, what the hell is wrong with me?” She covered her face and wept. “Why did I snap like that?”

  “Know what your problem is? You’re afraid of him.”

  “I’m not afra—”

  “Don’t forget, I know you better than I know myself. The reason you’re afraid to love him is ‘cause he’s the right dude. He’s unpredictable, he’s seductive, he’s sexy, he’s compassionate, and he’s yours. And that fucks you up, sis! You’re so used to the wrong guy, you freak out when the right one comes along. You’re looking for a reason to push him away ‘cause he’s too fuckin’ good to be true. But you know what, hoe? You’re stuck with his sexy ass. You’re in his system. And it’s the same with you. You’re just better at hiding it than he is.” Zion held the pipe down to her mouth so she could partake.

  Naturi tried to push it away. “I don’t wanna. Besides, I’m catching the contact smoke.

  “Bitch, take a hit! Gotta lift your spirits, ‘cause you’re blowing my high with all your crying and whining.”

  Sucking her tongue, Naturi sat up and snatched the pipe from her. “Fine.” The first puff when straight to her head. It was potent. Her shoulders relaxed, her eyes dried, but the pain remained.

  “I peeped how he looks at you, like you fell from heaven,” Zion said. “I peeped how he follows behind you, granting your every command, like he’s your personal genie…”

  Naturi snickered. Not because it was funny, but because she was half-baked.

  “…like—like he was born to serve you…” Zion continued, laughter in her voice. “Bitch, like you’re the queen of his universe. He’s in love with you, sis. Like hard love! That nigga is ride or die for you. I saw it. Shit, every
body saw it! He had women at the funeral green with envy, wishing they had a piece of that devotion. Even some niggas were looking at him like whuuut. Aye, Raven be having straight dudes confused as fuck.”

  Laughing, Naturi handed the pipe back to Zion. “It’s crazy, right!” Raven had that thing about him that made people question their sexuality. She’d seen it firsthand on many occasions.

  “This is a hitch, not a fuck up. He’ll still ride with you, so stop trippin’.”

  Clutching her phone, Naturi fell back onto the couch. She held her phone in the air and just stared at the lock screen image. It was a picture of she and Raven mounted on his bike, with her arms around him, clinging onto him for dear life. “I know it looks that way, like he’s all into me. But, I gotta be real; I gotta step into reality. I’m a boring accountant,” she drawled. “I’m kinda cute, yeah, but I’m nothing like the women I’ve seen him with, nor the men for that matter. They’re glamorous and crazy beautiful aliens, like models… and I’m… I’m me.”

  Suddenly, she fell a sharp slap upside her head.

  “Oww! No hitting, Zion!”

  “Don’t ever let me hear you say that dumbass bullshit again. You’re so much better than those THOTS! Why do you think he’s riding your ass so hard?” Zion passed the pipe back to her. “Wrap up shit here, then go back home to him. He’ll be waiting and he’ll be ready. Believe that.”

  *****

  Present Day

  In many ways, Zion was right. He was waiting. Then she went and messed it up. Again! Like, when will this shit end?

  After Raven shut himself into his room, Naturi waited there for minutes on end, wondering if she should knock and give it another go. She’d never seen him so mad and emotionally distraught before.

  Jazz music continued to waft throughout the house. This time she was serenaded by Ella Fitzgerald—another jazz queen.

  Naturi lumbered downstairs and blew out all the candles. She shuffled into the kitchen to put the food away. She cried the whole time.

  Dammit, I’m so tired of crying.