Richmond-Banks Brothers 1: A Hopeless Place (BWWM Interracial Romance)

by Coco Jordan

  Amara’s eyes lit up and she flashed me a thankful smile.

  “Amara, you make me so happy. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone in this world. I can’t even begin to describe the ways you’ve changed my life.” I could feel my eyes turning glassy. “I promise to be good to you, Amara, for all of my days.”

  “Bennett,” she replied, “you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever known. Inside and out. Every day with you is special, and I promise to love you and be good to you all of my days.”

  “With the power vested in me by the great state of Kansas, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,” the judge said.

  I leaned in to kiss her mouth, lingering and kissing her again and again. The judge cleared his throat and Cherish stifled a laugh.

  We emerged from the courtroom, ready to begin our lives and create our destiny, just as I’d promised her that night in bed.

  “So, where are you spending your honeymoon?” Cherish asked as we walked to the car.

  Amara shrugged as she turned to me, her skirt swaying as she walked. “Where do you want to go?”

  “Anywhere you want,” I told her.

  “We don’t have a lot of money,” she said innocently. “I doubt your mom will pay me for last week. It doesn’t seem right to go somewhere crazy expensive.”

  “Money’s not an object,” I assured her. If she only knew…

  “When are you going to tell your parents about your marriage?” Cherish pried, changing the subject.

  “Oh, yeah,” Amara said, nibbling her nails. “I guess we sort of forgot about them, huh?”

  “Should I have asked you for your father’s permission?” I asked, envisioning being chased by an angry man with a shotgun.

  She shrugged and shook her head. “We should probably go introduce you, though.”

  AMARA

  “Please don’t have any expectations about my house,” I said to Bennett as we pulled into my driveway. We’d been married all of two hours and I was about to officially introduce him to my family. “It’s probably the size of your great room.”

  “Amara,” he said, “I didn’t marry you because of where you came from. Don’t be ridiculous. That’s insulting, actually.”

  He took my hand as we strolled up the walk to the front door, squeezing me for a little added reassurance.

  “Hello?” I called out as we stepped inside. “Anyone home?”

  “Amara? Is that you?” my mother’s voice called out. I instantly remembered how angry I’d been when I stormed out of there Saturday morning. “You’re back.”

  She stopped in her tracks the second she saw that I wasn’t alone.

  My father poked his head out from the kitchen. “Who’ve we got here?”

  “Mom, Dad,” I said. “This is my husband, Bennett.”

  My mother clutched her chest and my father stared down at Bennett through his wire-rimmed glasses. It was never a good thing when Theo Robinson was speechless.

  Bennett stuck his hand out and shook their hands. “Very nice to meet you. I’ve heard such great things. You’ve certainly raised an amazing and beautiful young woman.”

  My mother’s face warmed a little as she stared at him, almost mesmerized. “Thank you. We knew Amara was quite fond of you, but we had no idea you two were going to move this fast. Please forgive us for being taken a little off guard, here.”

  My father remained mum.

  “It was a bit unexpected for us, as well,” Bennett said. “Believe me.”

  “His mom tried to pay me seventy-five thousand dollars never to speak to him again,” I blurted. “She took his cell phone and tricked me into thinking he was texting me so I’d go meet him. Once I was there, she cornered me in the garden. I ran away, and that’s when I found Bennett waiting by the back door for me.”

  “That’s, uh, quite a story there, kid,” my father said, breaking his silence.

  “We had to be together, no matter what,” I said, staring at Bennett. He looked so stoic and regal, standing there like a proud husband. “If he hadn’t come down when he did, who knows when I would’ve seen him again? We were completely cut off.”

  “That’s actually really sweet,” my mom said, warming up even more. She walked over to Bennett and wrapped her arms around him. “Welcome to the family, Bennett.”

  He hugged her back, and I smiled as he looked slightly uncomfortable but said nothing.

  “I wish we could’ve been there,” my mother said with bittersweet regret.

  “I know,” I sighed. “I’m so sorry, Mom. Everything just sort of happened so fast. Forgive us?”

  “What’s going on?” Alexis traipsed down the hall.

  “Meet your new brother-in-law,” my father said.

  “You’re freaking married, Amara?” Alexis said, her mouth gaping. “Since when?”

  “This morning,” I said, pulling Bennett in closer to me. Alexis couldn’t keep her eyes off of him, as if he was a sight for sore eyes.

  “So, where are you guys going to live?” she asked.

  “We’re staying with Amara’s good friend, Cherish,” Bennett said. “But tomorrow, we’re going house hunting.”

  “We are?” I asked, turning to him. I had no idea.

  “I told you,” he said with a wink. “I’m going to take care of you. I’m a man of my word.”

  “Stay for dinner?” my mom offered.

  “Maybe some other time, Mom,” I said, looking at Bennett. “I kind of just want to be with my husband right now.”

  “Amara, can I speak to you in the other room for a moment?” my mom asked with an innocent smile on her face. She placed one arm around me and led me aside. “You know, this may seem silly, but I’ve lived in this town all of my life. Your grandparents, too.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Your point?”

  “Have you met his entire family?” she asked.

  “His mom and dad, yes,” I said. “I haven’t met aunts or uncles or cousins, or anything. I don’t see where you’re going with this.”

  She pursed her lips, choosing her words carefully. “I think he has siblings.”

  I scrunched my nose. “He would’ve said something.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “I’m pretty sure.”

  “Well, I doubt it, but I’ll ask him later,” I said, thinking very little of her claims. Bennett would’ve told me, or at the very least, I would’ve seen pictures around the mansion.

  “I just think you should really try to know the family you’re marrying into,” she said, her eyes concerned. “You rushed this, Amara, and I don’t think you know what you’re getting into.”

  “I’d know if he had siblings, Mom,” I said. “I think you’re just confused.”

  She opened her lips as if to add something and then stopped, throwing her hands in the air as if she knew it wouldn’t matter anyway. I stepped away, heading back out to Bennett who was waiting by the door, ready to go. I could only imagine the things my father and sister were saying to him in my absence.

  We left my parents’ house and drove around town, looking at houses for sale and trying to get a feel for our options. We drove by an old Arts and Crafts bungalow on the south part of town, painted in oddly harmonious shades of olive green and deep eggplant with cedar wood accents.

  “Bennett, look at that one,” I said, bringing my car to a screeching halt. I pulled into the driveway to get a closer look. Judging by the slightly overgrown shrubs that surrounded the front porch, the place was unoccupied. I jumped out of the car before Bennett could say anything and ran up to the window, cupping my hands around the glass to peek in. “This is it. This is our fixer-upper.”

  Bennett caught up and peeked inside alongside me. “Ha. How about that.”

  “Call the agent,” I told him, handing him my phone. “Why not check it out right now?”

  He stepped down toward the “for sale” sign and entered the number, and within minutes an older, well-dressed woman in a wh
ite Lincoln pulled up. She sauntered up the driveway with a clipboard under her arm and a smile wider than the Hoover Dam. With legs a mile long, a white, toothy grin, and a very expensive-looking haircut, she extended her right hand and began immediately rambling about the listing.

  We entered the front door and were greeted by a beaten wooden staircase that was surely grand at one point in time. Then we headed left to an open living room. On the right was a dining room with original stained glass windows. Behind the dining room was a galley kitchen, and opposite the kitchen was the master bedroom.

  “There’s no master bath or walk-in closet,” the agent said. “Of course, they didn’t have those things back in the twenties when this house was built.”

  “Understandable,” Bennett said. “You okay with that, Amara?”

  “Of course,” I said, beaming as I took in the surroundings. I didn’t see scuffed wood and dated carpet—I saw potential.

  “This place needs a lot of work,” the agent said while casually checking for dust on the bottom of her white pants. “But the sellers are very motivated.”

  “I think it’d be kind of fun to fix it up together,” I said.

  “We still need to see the upstairs,” Bennett said, his eyes traveling the rickety staircase.

  The three of us tromped up the stairs to see two simple, sunlight-filled bedrooms and one basic bathroom. I walked up behind Bennett, slipping my hands around his narrow waist.

  “This feels like home,” I mumbled into the back of his shirt. I could feel his heart beating and the warmth of his body made me glow from the inside out. I hadn’t had that inner-glow feeling in years, not since Spencer, and even now, I wasn’t sure that feeling with Spencer was real. “This feels right.”

  “I think so, too,” he said, turning to face me. “We’ll take it.”

  “Great,” the realtor said, clapping her hands and smiling. “Shall we head to my office to write up an offer?”

  “Just tell me how much it is,” Bennett said, his eyes locked into mine the entire time. “I’ll pay cash. We need a place to stay as soon as possible.”

  “Oh,” she said, nearly rendered speechless and trying to contain her excitement.

  “Can we close in twenty-four hours?” he asked, turning to her. “If you can make that happen, you’ve got the sale.”

  I loved bossy Bennett. Bossy Bennett, who moved mountains for me, turned me on like nothing else.

  “Um,” the agent said. “Well, I will say this is highly uncommon for Halverford, but I think we can work something out.”

  We headed to the agent’s office after Bennett first stopped at the bank for a $147,500 withdrawal. We signed the papers hours later, and the owners gave us permission to move in that night, even though finalizing the sale wouldn’t officially happen for another day or two.

  “Do you want me to carry you over the threshold?” Bennett asked as we pulled up to our new home that night.

  “Oh, God, no,” I laughed, swatting at him. “But you can do whatever you want to me once we get inside…”

  His face twisted into a devilish smirk as he hurried out of the car, walking around to open my door. “I guess we should probably consummate this marriage of ours, huh?”

  “Very true, husband,” I replied, taking his hand as he led me to the front door.

  “I love that you’re my wife,” he said, leaning in for a kiss. “It’s sexy.”

  “What are we waiting for?” I said.

  He pulled the keys from his pocket and slipped them in the door. The lock stuck for a bit before the door finally flew open. “Put that on the list.”

  “We’re home!” I shouted out into the empty, echoing house as I ran from room to room. “This is ours, Bennett. This is where our life begins.”

  Bennett stood back, arms crossed and reserved smile on his face as he watched me flit about like a kid in a candy store. I ran over and wrapped my arms around him, standing on my toes to give him a kiss.

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” I whispered.

  “I told you I’d take care of you,” he said. “I just want you to be happy.”

  “As long as I’ve got you, that’s all I really need. But thanks for buying us a house.” I winked at him. “You didn’t have to do that, you know. A cardboard box would’ve sufficed. Or, you know, a little apartment.”

  He smiled, but said nothing.

  “Everything okay?” I asked. He didn’t seem half as excited as I was.

  “Yeah,” he said.

  Despite that, something just didn’t seem right. “You feeling okay?” I asked him.

  “Of course,” he insisted.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Okay,” I said slowly. “You need to tell me if you’re ever not feeling well. I may be your wife, but I’m still your nurse.”

  “Amara, I’m fine,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Promise.”

  “What are you thinking about right now?”

  “A lot of things,” he replied, his champagne eyes fixed on mine. “So much has happened in the last twenty-four hours. I’m just trying to take it all in.”

  “I’m surprised your mom hasn’t called you in missing,” I huffed.

  “Nah, she’s not like that,” he said. “Once you leave, you may as well be dead to her.”

  “But you’re her son,” I scoffed. “Why don’t you just call her and tell her you’re safe, you’re happy, you’re healthy, and if she wants to be a part of your life, she can? The choice is hers.”

  Bennett shrugged. “That’s not how she operates.”

  “Call her,” I insisted, handing him my phone.

  He hesitated at first, and then punched in the numbers, pursing his lips. “Yes, Juanita, it’s Bennett. Is my mother there?”

  He waited as the maid placed him on hold, then returned to tell him she was indisposed at the moment and couldn’t take his call. Bennett hung up and handed the phone back to me.

  “That takes care of that,” he said.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, rubbing his arm. “Thanks for trying. You did the right thing. Now, where were we?”

  I pressed close to him, switching gears and slipping one hand around his waist as the other traced his collar bone. I leaned up on my toes again, kissing his neck.

  Bennett shuddered.

  I stopped. “What is it?”

  “You gave me chills. Keep going. I like it.”

  I smiled as I continued padding his neck with soft kisses and breathing in his intoxicating scent of soap and aftershave. I wanted to breathe in every part of him. As I unbuttoned his shirt, ours eyes met for a split second. He was holding back, I could tell, ready to pounce at any moment. His chest rose and fell quickly with each undone button as the cool air met his skin.

  Bennett reached over and with steady, determined hands gently pulled my top over my head. All I could hear was his breathing and my heart pounding in my ears. I stuck one finger in the waistband of his jeans and began to work the button as he slipped his hands behind my back, unhooking my bra while he kissed my shoulder.

  I reached behind him and flipped the light switch on the wall. Darkness consumed the space around us as our hands fumbled over one another’s bodies. We stumbled toward the living room, working off the rest of our clothes, desperate to be close again.

  Under the pale moonlight that shone through the wide open windows, I saw him staring at me, his eyes taking in every curve of my body and his hands cupping the flesh of my breasts.

  “You’re taking your time,” I whispered.

  “I want to enjoy this,” he said with a half-smile. “I want to remember this forever.”

  He gently pressed me back against the wall, pinning me and pressing his mouth against mine. His hands ran the length of my side before cupping my ass and then hoisting me up against his hips. With my back braced against the wall, Bennett grabbed his throbbing cock and pressed it into me, sending electric waves throughout my entire being.

  He let out a sigh of relief as he felt me and
threw his head back as he lowered me onto him. Bennett was strong now, and he was all man. He wanted me so badly, he was willing to take me right there, pinned against the wall in our new house.

  His golden eyes shimmered in the night and his carnal urges took him over. Something had awoken deep inside of him, I could feel it.

  I sighed as my hands held onto his strong shoulders. “Bennett, I love you,” I sighed breathlessly.

  “I love you too,” he said, leaning in to kiss me as he continued thrusting, his hands digging into my ass. He groaned and grunted and then released himself inside me before slowly helped me down.

  My hips ached from being pinned against the wall, but none of it mattered. I watched my husband gather his clothes from a heap on the floor and then look around at our new digs. I threw my arms around him. “I want more of you.”

  He turned toward me and kissed the top of my head. “You can have all of me, Amara. Anytime you want.”

  “Where are we going to sleep tonight?” I asked, staring at our completely empty living room. “Wait. Hold on.”

  I slipped my clothes back on and ran out to the car to grab a plaid blanket I always kept in my trunk for emergencies.

  “I don’t have any pillows,” I said, returning with the folded blanket under my arm. “But this’ll keep us warm tonight.”

  We spread it out on the floor next to the unlit, wood-burning fireplace. Bennett laid down and I followed, curling myself up in the crook of his arm as my bones dug into the wood below. He leaned over, kissing my forehead, and took a deep, raspy breath before turning his face to the side.

  “Hey, everything okay?” I asked, gently poking his shoulder. “Why’d you turn away?”

  “Is this our first fight as husband and wife?” he laughed. “Nothing’s wrong. Just trying to get comfortable on this floor.”

  He rolled back, facing me, and wiggled his hips into a different position.

  “We’re getting a bed first thing tomorrow,” he huffed. “A big, fluffy, soft bed with huge, downy pillows and warm, fuzzy blankets.”

  “Here,” I said, pulling him closer and patting my chest. “Use me as your pillow. It’s okay. I’m not used to fancy beds, anyway.”