“Griffin,” Melanie greeted the poet, abruptly putting an end to their girl talk.
“So this is where all the superstars sit.”
“If it is, then you’d better come join us. Congratulations. You were amazing up there. You’ve got all these women in a tizzy,” Melanie said as she stood up to hug him.
“I aim to please. Girl, let me look at you,” he said, holding Melanie at arm’s length. “Still superfine as ever! It’s no wonder my boy’s nose is still wide open.”
“How is Will?” Mel asked with cool but undeniable curiosity. Despite her renewed resolve to stay apart, it pleased her that Will’s feelings were still intact.
“He’s making it. He was pretty bummed that he didn’t have the chance to see your family at the christening, but I think he respected your reason. Didn’t like it, but respected it.”
“It just would have been too uncomfortable…`for everybody,” Mel tried to explain while pushing the guilt away.
“You’ve got to know how tough this ‘no contact’ rule is on him. Can’t you bend the rules at all? I mean, I’m not trying to be his mouthpiece, but at this point, Melanie, if all you can give is friendship, he’ll take it,” Griff told her.
“Maybe in time. But speaking of friends, this is Candace,” she said smoothly, changing the subject.
“Hi there,” Griff drawled, giving no indication if he recalled their turbulent meeting at the infamous engagement party. Candace accepted Griffin’s European-style kiss on each cheek, while breathing in his sexy, musky scent. Gleefully noticing the resentful eyes of several women focused on them, she pressed a little closer, lightly brushing his muscular biceps with her fingertips. Pissed off at Frank for standing her up again and enjoying all the feathers ruffling around her, Candy decided that Griffin Bell was the perfect salve for her bruised ego.
“It’s good to see you too. I had no idea you were so talented,” Candy flirted.
“If I recall correctly, the last time we met you had absolutely no interest in finding out,” Griff challenged with a teasing twinkle in his dark eyes.
“Funny, I don’t remember being anything but thoroughly impressed,” Candace said completely straight-faced. The total inaccuracy of her statement caused them all to burst into laughter, their chortles hitting the atmosphere with a mixture of amusement, coquetry, and curiosity.
“So how long are you in town?” Melanie inquired.
“I’m not quite sure. I’m here to audition for Lexis Richards’s new movie. And my agent also set me up to read for an off-Broadway play.”
“How did you get hooked up with Lexis?” Candace asked, curious about his apparent networking capabilities.
“My agent, Lois Jourdan. She and Felicia Wilcot are partners and Lexis is her client—”
“And fiancé,” Candace interrupted, impressed with his connections. She’d read about the power couple in a spread about their New York penthouse in In Style magazine. Along with Russell and Kimora, Will and Jada, Denzel and Paulette, Lexis and Felicia were part of celebritydom’s glittering black gold set. Maybe he could introduce me to Lexis, she thought, smiling at Griff while visions of star-studded movie premieres flashed through her head.
“Six degrees of separation, baby,” Griffin remarked. “So, to answer your question, Mel, if I get both parts I’ll probably be here a good while.”
“Not if you get it. When you get it. Always think positive. Where your mind goes, your butt follows,” Melanie encouraged.
And what a fine ass butt it is, Candace thought, pursing her lips. Oh, snap the hell out of it. So what the boy has a body and voice that make you wanna drop your draws? So what every ho in this room wants to be sitting in my seat? And so damn what he has a chance to be in a major movie? Underneath it all, he’s ultimately a waste of time.
In her book, Griff was unsuitable, as evidenced by his Latrell Sprewell cornrows and unconventional dress. She could never bring him around her conservative legal partners and be taken seriously. He was talented, yes, connected, maybe, but without a steady income, how much of a catch could he be? Plus, he fancied himself an artist, and everyone knew how unreliable creative types could be. So, bottom line: Griffin Bell was fine, sexy, and talented, but a total UN-C.O.L.A—UN-CIVILIZED, UN-OCCUPIED by full-time employment, UNLIKELY to get his act together soon, and UNACCEPTABLE for anything more than a quick, curiosity fuck.
And there ain’t nothing wrong with a little hit and run, she decided, already fantasizing about the possibilities.
“So what do you want, Candace?” Melanie asked, gesturing toward the waiter.
“What?” Candace responded, forcing herself to snap back into the moment.
“What would you like to drink?” Griff asked.
“What are you having?”
“An Absolut martini, straight up with olives,” Griffin replied.
“Hmm…a sexy and bold choice. Just like the man, I presume?” Candace commented coyly.
“Don’t forget potent,” Griffin lightly tossed back, lusty interest shining in his eyes.
“I’ll have a Cosmopolitan,” Candace told the waiter.
“Sophisticated, sexy, and sweet. Just like the woman?” Griff echoed.
“Good God, you two, get a room,” Melanie teased.
Mel’s comment and the nervous laughter that followed temporarily broke through the sexual tension that had descended on their table. The three of them drank and made small talk while catching up on each other’s lives. Melanie shared the excitement of her professional progress but was careful not to reveal too much personal information, knowing it would go straight back to Will. She watched Candace with amusement as her professed disinterest in Griffin turned into one of the greatest seduction scenes since Scarlett O’Hara tried her Southern belle best to snag Rhett Butler. And although Griff was busy giving as well as he was getting, Melanie was sure that the poor boy had no idea what grief he was ultimately in for.
Mel checked her watch and quickly drained her glass of Merlot. It was already after eleven and she had an early morning appointment at Carlson and Tuck. Besides, all the lusty eye contact and barely concealed come-ons between Candace and Griff were making her feel like the fourth wheel on a tricycle. “Sorry, kids. I’ve got to call it a night. Big meeting tomorrow. Candace, you coming?”
After a quick inquiring glance over at Griffin, Candace declined to accompany her roommate home, opting instead to stay and have a nightcap. After making Griff promise to keep her abreast of his progress, Melanie said her good nights and then requested that Candace walk her out.
“Damn, that man is sexy,” Candy exclaimed as they strolled to the front door. “I think I’m going to give him some.”
“What happened to no romance without finance?”
“Please. This is no ‘ever after’ kind of thing.”
“You don’t even know Griffin and an hour ago his ‘broke ass’ was out of your league. If you’re not interested, why sleep with him?”
“Because I’m horny, Frank’s a fucking no-show, and Griffin is turning me the hell on.”
“And so you’re going to turn him out?”
“I’m gonna try my best, so don’t wait up.” Candace laughed.
“I may have to. I still have a ton of work to do before my meeting tomorrow.”
“You know what your problem is, Melo? You’re overworked and underlaid. You need to play as hard as you slave. Whoa! I guess Griff’s poetic side is rubbing off.”
Melanie opened the door, took one step out into the cool night, and turned to face her roommate. “And you know what your problem is, Candy? You don’t seem to understand that eventually, even the player gets played,” she said with the heartfelt honesty that only a true friend can impart.
It took all the self-control Candace could muster not to mount Griff right there in the taxicab. By the time they reached his hotel, his deep kisses and naughty whispers had fueled her imagination and were unmercifully teasing her body. As the two walked arm-in-arm
through the hotel lobby, Candy leaned into his muscular body, not only because her body demanded contact with his, but also because she felt too weak to stand on her own.
They stepped into the elevator and as soon as the doors closed, melted into each other. In the private space they explored each other’s bodies for as long and as much as their ride up to the fourteenth floor would allow. Griffin was totally turned on by her shapely curves and adventurous nature, and Candace by his well-built torso and tight buttocks.
“Easy access. I love it,” Griff observed as he popped the snaps on her leather dress down to her waist. By the time they exited the elevator, her bra and libido were in his capable hands.
The two quickly walked down the empty hallway until they reached room 1420. As Candace’s lips hungrily searched for his, Griff searched his trousers for the thin plastic card that would swing open the door to paradise. Abruptly he disengaged himself from her mouth and frantically rummaged in his pants pockets.
“Shit. I left my key in the room. Stay here while I run down to the front desk.”
“I don’t think so,” Candace said, feeling the familiar tug of a turned-on clitoris. “Follow me.” She was curious and horny—a combustible combination that left her unwilling to wait.
“Where are we going?”
“To fulfill a fantasy.” As Candace continued down the hall, Griff waited, grinning hard as he treated himself to the splendor of her voluptuous form in motion. Fully aware that she was being watched, Candace swayed enticingly until she reached the exit leading to the stairwell and turned toward him. “Are you coming?”
“Not yet, but I damn sure plan to,” he cracked, and jettisoned down the hall to meet her. “You don’t care if someone sees us?” he asked as they walked through the door and onto the landing.
“All the better.”
“Works for me, baby,” Griffin said as he locked his gaze onto hers. Candace Bennett had the unmistakable look of a woman who wanted to get fucked. Without another word. Griff introduced his hungry mouth to her silky skin, detailing every hollow and bend of her face and neck with his tongue as they fell back against the wall. “Ohh, girl, you are sexy as hell,” he whispered in her ear before unsnapping the rest of her dress and making a happy meal of her full and bubblelicious breasts.
Standing up against the wall with this man so expertly fondling and sucking her breasts, Candy could only moan in response. Griffin’s kisses were igniting fireworks that erupted beneath her skin and caused her entire body to shake and shiver in response.
She felt the faucets of her vagina open up and release her juices into her panties. Candace could smell the moist scent of her sex and wondered if it made Griffin as hot as it made her. His erect penis against her thigh told her what she wanted to know.
Candace drew his tongue in her mouth and sucked in a gentle pulsating manner, making Griffin groan and grind his pelvis into hers. She backed off slightly, for as much as she was enjoying this delicious appetizer, her body was ready to move on to the next, more filling course.
“I want to taste me some Candy,” Griffin moaned, as if reading her mind.
They moved away from the wall to the staircase and Griff sat down on the top riser. Candace positioned herself on the step below him and put her right foot on the tread above him, placing her pleasure zone directly in his face. With his index finger he pulled aside her thong panties to reveal a fresh Brazilian wax. Griff felt his penis jump and swell in response to this enticing visual.
Gently pulling the lips of her vagina open, he swiped at the creamy middle with his tongue. “Baby, your mama sure did name you right,” he said, slowly licking his lips as he gazed into her face. Candace smiled slightly and winked before gently pushing his face back between her legs. Griffin blasted her clitoris with a gentle but concentrated stream of warm breath before tickling it with first the tip and then the whole of his tongue.
Candace, feeling momentarily weak with pleasure, grabbed tightly on to the handrail. Griffin inserted two fingers inside her and she felt herself instinctively begin to pump his face as she clenched her inner muscles around his fingers. Several floors down, they could hear the faint squeak of an opening door and the slow heavy thud of feet ascending the stairs. The intruding sounds pushed Candace to the point of no return and she exploded in his mouth, climaxing in pleasurable and powerful rhythmic spasms. Her lusty wails echoed up and down the stairs, stopping the intruder, and causing Griffin and Candace to burst into muffled laughter. They stood still for several seconds and after hearing the steps disappear through another door, he pulled her to him. “I want to fuck you,” Griff declared.
“You do have a condom?” Candace inquired.
“In my room.”
“Not to worry, I was a Girl Scout way back when.” She reached for her purse and pulled out a rubber from her cosmetics bag.
Griffin stood in anticipation while Candace untied the drawstring on his pants and watched them fall over his meaty thighs and puddle around his feet. She slowly coaxed his boxers down to the floor to join them. Candace smiled and pursed her lips, pleased by her plentiful discovery. At that moment in time she wanted nothing more than to feel that beautiful, brown, rock-hard shaft inside her.
After wrapping him in latex, they moved in unison back onto the landing and against the wall. Candace raised her leg and placed it around his thigh as Griffin entered her. Both her mind and body sighed as he penetrated her and began gliding in and out. To keep his balance, Griff placed both his hands on the wall beside her head, and began to thrust and grind with mounting intensity.
“Oh, girl, you feel so good,” he sputtered, getting lost in the pool of pleasure that was spreading through his body and threatening to overcome his senses. With each thrust she could feel him grow longer and harder, massaging the walls of her aroused vagina and teasing her engorged bud. Candace began to moan, and each sound signaled another burst of gratification for Griff. His penis was begging to explode, but Griff concentrated hard on holding back, forcing himself to enjoy the agonizingly pleasurable ride for as long as he possibly could.
Candace felt herself climax again and the powerful contractions around his shaft signaled the end of his self-control. Griff thrust hard, releasing his fluid. His moans mingled with hers, covering them both in a cloud of euphoric eroticism.
“So, baby, do you think that will hold you until I can run downstairs and get my key?” Griffin asked as he pulled on his pants.
“I think so, but hurry,” she purred. “I’ve got a long list of fantasies to fulfill.”
“Girl, you are too much. Wait here and catch your breath, cuz I got a few of my own.”
With her curiosity piqued and her desire momentarily sated, Candace buttoned up her dress and leaned against the wall. Forget Jamaica. One night with Griffin Bell would have definitely given Stella her groove back, causing the girl not only to exhale, but also to scream out loud with primal gusto.
Griffin may be socially undesirable, but he was also erotically appealing. He was an uninhibited, unselfish lover whose moves were as lyrical as his poems. And with Frank acting like a total ass, Griff was exactly what Candy needed to get her through the long cold winter looming ahead. Candace Bennett had no long-range interest in Griffin Bell. He could give her nothing but a fuck and a smile, and that was plenty for her.
By the time Griff returned and the two hit the sheets, it was clear in Candace’s mind that for however long this UN-C.O.L.A. was in New York, she had every intention of obeying her thirst.
Chapter 7
“How’s the apartment coming?” Gwen asked before helping herself to generous forkful of amaretto cheesecake. “Have you found a decorator yet?”
“John hired someone. I have an appointment with him next week,” Sharon replied. “We’ve agreed to be in by June, so that gives me eight more months in Stamford, including the holidays. I know it’s months away, but you’re coming for Christmas Eve, aren’t you? After all, it will be the last at the house.”
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“Of course we’ll be there,” Gwendolyn confirmed before finishing her dessert, “After all these years, I don’t think the boys would know what to do if we broke with tradition.”
“So how are my handsome godsons?” Sharon asked.
“Terrific. They send their love and thanks for your latest extravagant care package. You spoil them terribly, Sharon.”
“It’s my job to spoil them.”
“If you had your own kids, you’d think otherwise,” Gwen commented.
Sharon let the remark slide down the prickles on her back without comment. No matter how long ago she thought she’d made peace with that touchy subject, Gwen’s comment made her cringe.
The gurgle of water cascading down the restaurant’s back wall filled the hushed gap created by the waiter’s appearance with the check. Gwen withheld any comment until Sharon signed the bill, took her copy, and sent him off to his next station.
“I’m sorry. That was really an asinine remark.”
“No need to apologize, so let’s just drop the subject,” Sharon replied, as they gathered their belongings and walked through the restaurant into brisk fall air.
“You know what you need right now?” Gwen asked, anxious to get their afternoon back on a happy track. “A chance to P.M.S.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Purchase. More. Shoes,” Gwen revealed, causing her friend to chuckle lightly.
“I can’t believe you get paid for coming up with this stuff. Card Craze really did hire the perfect part-time copywriter.”
“That one came to me this morning when I tried to take Bob’s head off with my slipper while eating a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels. I would’ve hit him if I wasn’t so damn bloated.”
“What did the poor man do to deserve a breakfast beheading?”
“Bob claims he said ‘Morning, sweetheart,’ but I swear it sounded like ‘Move it, old fart.’”
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