Never Again, No More

by Untamed

  Suddenly, I felt a draft and tilted my head forward to see that he reached into the ice bucket and placed a piece of ice in his mouth. When I lay back, I felt the coolness slide down the center of my chest, around my breasts, and then into my navel. The mixture of cold from the ice and hot from our body temperatures sent my skin blazing as the ice melted on my body. His foreplay was off the chain. No foreplay Ryan and I had ever engaged in could compare to what Lincoln was doing to me. Once he pushed my legs apart, he blew softly on my throbbing bud.

  “Mmm, Lincoln!” I hollered, gripping the bed.

  “Yes, Ma,” he moaned as he teased my clit with the tip of his tongue.

  “I can’t . . . fucking . . . take it . . . anymore! I need you!” I wailed, literally delirious with anticipation. “Do you have protection?” Fine time to ask, I thought, but better late than never.

  He nodded as he bent down and retrieved a condom from his slacks, then waved it. “I never leave home without one.”

  I took no offense, and giggling, I leaned forward, opened the nightstand drawer, and pointed inside. “I never leave home without a box. Just in case,” I said, and we shared a brief laugh.

  Though I was still a small ball of nerves, I waited with high anticipation as he slipped the condom over his massive erection. He hovered over my body and held me close. Tenderly, he pushed against me.

  “You are so tight, baby,” he said, gliding in and out of me. “Damn. It feels so good.”

  This was heaven. I was sure of it. I was thankful that Lincoln was taking his time. It felt good as hell, like nothing I’d ever experienced, but the pressure hurt a bit from his girth due to my long bout of abstinence. But did it ever hurt so good!

  He was giving it to me so good that I wanted to give him some pleasure in return. I attempted to roll over on top of him, but he stopped me.

  “No, Ma. Tonight is about you. I want you to enjoy this. You deserve this. I want you to feel and receive all the pleasure. I’ll give you as much as you want, just how you want it. Let me please you,” he whispered in my ear, continuing his erotic lovemaking.

  With a smile on my face, I decided not to argue that point at all. For once, I felt like the receiver of special attention instead of the giver. Armed with plenty of condoms, we made love all night, until sleep consumed us.

  The next morning I woke up with a huge Kool-Aid smile on my face. I looked over, and Lincoln was still sleeping peacefully. He was still nude, so I admired his fine self. Last night was the most incredible night of passion I’d ever experienced in my life. He had taken his time and adored my body. For him, it wasn’t about getting off. It was about my pleasure and ultimate satisfaction. And, boy, was I pleasured, and did I ever get off, again and again and again!

  After I got up and showered, I threw on a T-shirt and boy shorts. Then I pulled out the guest toiletries for Lincoln and made some coffee. Ten minutes later, he stirred and awoke when I reentered the bedroom.

  “Good morning,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

  “Good morning. I didn’t mean to disturb you. You were sleeping so peacefully.”

  He sat up and flashed that award-winning smile at me. “You didn’t bother me. I only wish you’d stayed beside me. I would’ve loved to wake up with you in my arms.”

  The blush that washed over my face could not be stopped. Geesh, he had a way with words. Avoidance was the key, so I tap-danced all the way around that comment. “I made some coffee, and there are some toiletries in the bathroom, if you need them.”

  “Thanks, Charice,” he said as he stood up. He walked into the bathroom. After several minutes, he came out and found me sitting on the bed, watching the television. “The shower felt good, and I’m all minty.” He bent down to kiss me.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck. “You sure know how to make a girl feel special.”

  He furrowed his brow. I was positive it was because of what I’d said and the way I’d said it. “You are special,” he told me.

  I couldn’t help but let out a groan of uncertainty. My insecurities had begun to set in. I know what we said the night before, but now that a much clearer head prevailed, I realized that this was Lincoln Harper, a six-year veteran of the NFL. He played and lived in Texas, and more importantly, he was Ryan’s best friend. “You don’t have to say that.”

  Lincoln lifted my chin. “Where is this coming from?”

  I sat up and turned to the side of the bed, and Lincoln sat down in the chair beside the bed and faced me. I clicked off the TV and took a deep breath. “Let’s be serious, Linc. We know some things about one another, but we don’t really know each other. In two days I’ll be back in Atlanta, and we won’t see each other again until I return to Dallas or if you all come to Atlanta to play the Falcons. We both know that last night was a one-time deal.”

  “No, we both don’t,” he argued, fanning his hand between us. “So, what? We don’t have the time? Then we’ll make time. Last night was amazing, Charice. Not just the sex, but the entire night. I’ve never experienced such realness or had a genuinely good time with a wonderful woman. And let’s just stop pretending that we haven’t been feeling each other and wanting each other since the moment we met.” He leaned forward and grasped my hands while gazing into my eyes. “I told you I didn’t want it to end there, and I wasn’t lying,” Lincoln asserted.

  No lies were told there, but this was new for me. There was so much against us. We barely knew each other, we would be long distance, and we faced the obvious, which I wouldn’t even think about out of fear of the repercussions. Yet it felt so right. Like for no rhyme or reason, this, whatever it was brewing between us, felt good and felt right. Still, I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I’d done that with Ryan. A sister ain’t about to be the same fool twice.

  I sighed, looking away. “Okay, but just promise me you’ll be truthful with me. Let me know where I stand, and I’m cool with that.”

  He gave me a confused look. “What do you mean?”

  I rolled my eyes and huffed. “Come on, Linc. I understand that our distance is going to be a factor, so let’s just put it out there. It’s okay with me if you have a woman on the side. Just be honest and tell me, and I won’t interfere. I just would like to know up front.”

  Lincoln’s mouth formed an O shape and he sat back, as if I’d knocked the wind out of him. He stood and cupped my face, forcing me to look at him. “Charice, what do you want from me? Tell me. Do you want me to be faithful to you and treat you with the respect by your being the only woman for me?”

  I nodded. “Yes, but—”

  “Then say that,” he said, interrupting me. “Don’t give me permission to go out there and hurt you. Haven’t you been hurt enough? If you don’t want me to play the field, then don’t put the ball in my hands. Tell me what you want and need. Put your requirements out there, because a real man like me will respect that. We know how to handle that. If I’m not ready for that, then I’ll tell you. I want you to be my lady. I don’t want to be out there playing the field. I’m twenty-seven years old, Charice. I’m not with the games. I’ve been there and done that.”

  He went on. “Just because Ryan didn’t know how to be a man to you, don’t expect or accept anything less from another one. So when I tell you that I want to be with you, that shouldn’t come with exceptions and stipulations. We’ll make it work. Me and you. It’s hard enough knowing that I am breaking every rule in the book by doing this, but for you, I’m willing to take that chance at what we could be. This is our inner circle, and we are the ones who dictate our circle. When I made love to you last night, I didn’t make it as your jump off. I made love to you with an offer to be your man.” He paused. “So, you tell me right now. Which one do you want me to be?” Lincoln asked sternly.

  I’m sure my face reflected the shock coursing through my body. I was absolutely floored. I’d never had any of this in Ryan. It was a welcome change, and I was ready to welcome new beginnings with this man. “I want you to be my man.”
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  He stood up, and pulling me up into his arms, he said, “Then, baby, that’s what I am, because that’s what I want to be.” With that, he planted a kiss on me.

  Talk about a whirlwind. Was this what grown folks’ relationships were really like? I’d wasted so much time on Ryan, and who knew that there was a man out there who was ready to find someone he thought he could be with, without the games? Men like that existed. The thought brought tears to my eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Lincoln. It’s just that I’ve never been with another man other than Ryan. You’re the first man that I’ve let into my head and into my bedroom outside of him. And this opens me up to allow you in my heart. I guess I don’t want to experience the same fate. I don’t want to give all of myself to you and end up with nothing again,” I said softly as tears fell from my eyes.

  Lincoln walked me over to the chair, sat down, sat me in his lap, and hugged me. “I hate it when a woman is so afraid that she thinks every man is out to get her. I’m not Ryan. We won’t always get along or see things eye to eye, but I will never intentionally hurt you. If this relationship is not what we want, then we will part amicably. If you ever have questions, doubts, or concerns, allow me the opportunity to ease your mind. Can you promise me that?”

  I gave a nod. “Yes, I can.”

  “Good. Now, I do have a question.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Are you serious that you’ve never been with another man other than Ryan?” he asked with disbelief.

  I laughed. “Yes, that’s true. I’m very loyal.”

  Lincoln laughed and shook his head. “Well, damn, I must really have done something right. I told you he fucked up. The type of women who are attracted to men like me and Ryan are loyal until they walk out the front door,” he joked.

  “Not me,” I said confidently.

  “That’s why you’re Lincoln Harper’s lady,” he said, then kissed me on my forehead.

  “I like that. No, scratch that. I love that.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about, Ma.”

  “Next question,” I said, then paused a moment. “When are we going to tell Ryan?”

  Lincoln sighed from exasperation as he leaned his head back.

  “Obviously, he has to know,” I said. “He’s my children’s father, your teammate, and your best friend. It’s not going to go over well either way. I just don’t know how to tell him. I mean, I don’t owe him anything, but you’re his best friend. For that reason alone, I feel . . . I don’t know . . . bad.”

  Lincoln looked away, and I could see the turmoil on his face. Lincoln truly valued Ryan’s friendship, just as Ryan valued Lincoln’s. They were as close as brothers, and that was a fact that everyone knew. Lincoln was sacrificing a lot by pursuing a relationship with me.

  “I can’t lie,” he said. “I do dread the conversation, but we don’t have to tell him anything until we’re ready. Let’s just see where our relationship will go. Then if we need to tell him, we will.”

  “We can do that, but I’m telling you, you might as well tell him now, because you will not be able to let me go, Linc.” I stood up and struck a sexy pose.

  “The student is the teacher now?” He rubbed his hands together and licked his lips.

  “Oh yes. In more ways than one,” I said, lifting my T-shirt over my head and revealing my nude breasts. “Last night was about me, and this morning is all about you.”

  Lincoln’s eyes danced with anticipation. “Show me what you got.”

  “Oh, I will, especially for my man,” I said seductively as I did a striptease dance.

  “And I am only your man too,” he said, breathing heavily.

  LaMeka

  After the last incident with Tony, I knew I had to change my routine. I couldn’t stand to be in the apartment with him any longer than necessary. I wasn’t prepared to kick him out, nor was I prepared to leave, so I resorted to the next best thing, complete avoidance. I accepted a day care job at an in-home day-care center. This way LaMichael received free day care, and I was able to be away from Tony. It was rewarding, and I made my own money. True, I provided a service to the parents; however, they didn’t know that they also provided something for me—survival.

  More and more, I hated entering that apartment. It was like poison, waiting to suck the life out of any and everyone inside it. Moreover, I hated Tony and the ground he walked on. I wanted to tell somebody about the hell I was going through, but I didn’t know whom to talk to. If I told Trinity, she’d tell Pooch, and then I’d have to be worried about Tony kicking my ass. If I told his parents and they didn’t believe me, he’d kick my ass, and if I did tell them and they did believe me, he’d still kick my ass. All roads led to my beaten ass, and I couldn’t see myself going through it again.

  There was one person I could tell who could possibly help me out, my best friend Charice. We hadn’t hung out lately, because of Tony’s violent mood swings and Charice’s frequent trips back and forth to Dallas. We needed to catch up in a major way, and I needed to see if she could get Ryan to talk some sense into his former best friend on my behalf. I gave her a call, and luckily, she was in town and had time to meet up later that day.

  “Hey, hon! Sorry I am running late,” Charice said as she entered the playland area of McDonald’s. In her hands was a tray with a red box of French fries and a large drink.

  I hugged her. “That’s okay. It’s been only about ten minutes.” I turned to the triplets. “Hey, babies!” I said, hugging them.

  “Hey, Auntie Meka!” they all said in unison, their voices laced with excitement.

  “Okay. You guys go and play,” Charice ordered as she sat down at the table across from me. “I swear, these kids get bigger every day,” she said, giving LaMichael a French fry from the box on her tray. “Soon he’ll be out there with them.”

  “Yes, he will.” I laughed. “So, Miss Lady, look at you looking like new money. Are those designer jeans and shoes you’re wearing?”

  She giggled. “Yes, they are. Having a baby daddy who’s rich has its perks.”

  “I see, I see,” I said. “And might one of those perks be getting back with said baby daddy?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Girl, no. He wants me to, but it’s definitely a wrap for that.”

  Talk about being shocked. I’d never met a woman who loved a man as much as Charice loved Ryan. Although he had hurt her with the whole Iris thing, I knew that he had changed and had put in work to get her back. So I was extremely surprised at the amount of conviction in her voice when she stated that she wasn’t going back to him. Besides, this was what she had wanted for years, so to know she could have it and didn’t want it totally blew my mind.

  “Damn. He really must’ve pissed you off.”

  “I’m over that. I just can’t be with Ryan anymore,” she said before taking a sip of her drink.

  I’d known this girl all my life. Who in the hell did she think she was fooling? I had the “Really, bitch?” expression on my face when I said, “Something else must’ve happened. It can’t be just about what Ryan did. I know you, Charice. You could eat his day-old shit. What’s going on?”

  With a scoff, she cocked her head to the side. “I’ve grown up and moved on with my life,” she stated confidently.

  Just then, her cell phone rang. What got me was the ring tone . . . “If It’s Love,” by Kem and Chrisette Michele. What the hell? I thought. The song spoke about two people who had gone through relationship failures and were ready to be with each other. But if the song shocked me, then what happened next damn near took me out.

  “Excuse me a second,” Charice said, then turned away from me and answered her cell. “Hey, you. I’m just hanging with my girl, LaMeka. I haven’t been able to hang out much lately because of someone I know.” She giggled. “You know I’m not complaining. I would never do that. Um, how about next weekend? I don’t have a sitter this weekend. Green Bay? Damn. During the week? I’d love it! Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thurs
day? Damn! I’m definitely going to love it. Listen, let me call you back in a bit. Okay? Me too, bye.”

  My mouth dropped open as she turned and faced me. “And what man is that?” I asked, smiling devilishly.

  “Why does it have to be a man?”

  So now I was Boo Boo the Fool. I rolled my eyes. “Last I checked, you weren’t grinning from ear to ear on the phone with me, and you certainly never answered any of my calls with ‘Hey, you.’ The only time I’ve ever heard that little schoolhouse voice is when Ryan called you. Spill it.”

  She bit her lip and sighed. “Okay, there is someone in my life—”

  “I knew you and Ryan—” I interrupted her.

  She quickly threw up her hand, which stopped my rant. “It’s not Ryan. I meant what I said about him. I’m done, Meka. However, there is someone who is becoming a very special person in my life, and I’m taking it slow and seeing where it could go.”

  “So I guess this explains the weird behavior lately. Okay, I get that you have this new dude in your life, but why can’t you tell your BFF who he is?”

  “For now, it’s better this way. I wish I could tell you, Meka, but right now, it’s just not a good time.”

  “Is he in prison? An illegal alien or some shit?” I asked, prying.

  She rolled with laughter. “Girl, he ain’t neither, and there is nothing wrong with him. We’re just keeping it to ourselves for now. Is that fair enough?”

  “I guess so. Although, I am highly pissed that I am not privy to your secret.”

  Suddenly her laughter paused, and I looked up at her, thinking something had caught her attention. But I found her staring back at me with a serious expression on her face. “Just like you were forthcoming in telling me Tony was whipping your ass?”

  “I could kill Trinity,” I mumbled.

  “Don’t blame Trinity. She just wanted to look out for you. How come you didn’t tell me what was going on?” Charice said, plowing into me.