“I don’t want to hear all this,” Cullen snapped. “I just need you to follow through. I’d hate for her to find out what happened to some of the grant money she got for the center. She probably won’t like to know how much you skimmed off the top to finance that move to Miami. I wonder if she knows that’s what they’re calling the motherland these days. And some of those grants were federal grants. Mmm…I’m sure you don’t want that leaking out.” Cullen made a threat he was more than willing to carry out if only for the way he knew that particular truth would break the little bitch.
He chuckled. Sometimes people were just entirely too trusting.
There was a long pause, and Cullen wondered if the line had gone dead. “Hello, cat got your tongue?”
“I said I’d get you what you needed, man. There’s no need to keep on with these threats. Karen and D-Roc are about to be history before they even get a chance to begin. I have the papers you need me to get her to sign, and I’ll have them to you by tonight. And trust me when I say this is the last thing you’ll get from me. The next time, I’m going to disappear so deep that you’ll never be able to find me. I’ll stick around to make sure the deed is done and maybe hit that a couple more times after he dumps her ass…but I’m out of here after this, and you can just forget you know me!”
The next thing Cullen heard was the dial tone.
That was fine with him. He had a couple more phone calls to make to put things in place for good.
They wouldn’t know what hit them by the time he was done with them.
Karen was finishing up her lecture notes for the big talk she planned to give at the “Planning for College Fair” she would be having at the center in a few weeks. She knew it was the middle of summer, but she liked to have her college fair before the fall started. She found that some disadvantaged families needed the extra time to really start planning and getting ready for making that transition. The applications and financial-aid forms alone were enough to turn a lot of people around and discourage them from trying. That’s why she brought in folks from the local universities’ financial aid and admissions offices to give how-to workshops all day at the fair and to offer help with those kinds of forms all year long. She found that the people who attended the fair in the summer were more successful at doing the things they needed to do to get their kids into college.
Since she tried to switch it up so that she wasn’t saying the same thing every year, she was usually finishing up her speech right up until the very last minute. She stretched and stood up from her chair, moving her neck from side to side.
Saul came into her office with his usual perfect smile in place. “I have some documents for your signature. I even found a few grants online that you hadn’t found yet. I told you I was the money getter.” He placed a stack of papers in front of her. “The only thing is some of them have quick deadlines. A few have to be postmarked today. So, I’m gonna need you to sign them quickly so I can catch the post office, Queen.”
“You are a godsend. I’m so glad you’re back, Saul.” She pulled out her pen and signed the grant applications. It was just like having her right-hand man back. She was glad that he’d gotten a chance to travel to the motherland and live out one of his dreams. But she really meant it when she said things hadn’t been the same without him. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll probably just lock up once Darius gets here. Maybe we can grab lunch on Friday and you can tell me all about the motherland.”
Saul took the papers up from the desk.
“Oh, yeah, wait a minute. You’re gonna need some postage for those. Darius used all our postage the other day. Let me get some money out of the slush fund for you.” She grabbed a twenty out of the lock box that held the petty cash she kept on-site for quick small purchases. “Be sure to bring back a receipt. We have to show where every penny goes around here.”
“Sure thing, Queen. I’ll see you.” Saul walked out, and she went back to her speech.
“Now, I never would have guessed this in a million years.” Karen walked hand in hand with Darius down the crowded boardwalk. “Coney Island? You just didn’t strike me as a Coney Island kind of a guy.”
They had ridden several of the rides, including the world-famous Cyclone, and now they were strolling on the boardwalk eating cotton candy and enjoying the lights. Darius had worn his New York Yankees fitted baseball cap low and a pair of shades. He looked like any other average brother, and no one seemed to recognize him at all. She still felt honored that he would risk being recognized and mobbed to give her an evening at Coney Island. It meant a lot.
“I figured this is something you probably wouldn’t take the time to do yourself. And it is something I remember doing a few times when I was a kid, but I haven’t done it in a while. My aunt Janice and I used to bring my little cousin Frankie here when he was a little kid, and truth be told, I think we used to have more fun than him.”
“You’re right, I probably wouldn’t do something like this on my own. Things are always so hectic. We usually send a busload of kids from the center here at least once during the season. But I usually stay behind. Or if I go, I’m usually too busy making sure the kids and staff are all doing what they’re supposed to do and not having much fun myself. So thank you. This is nice.”
Darius polished off the last of his cotton candy and wrapped his arms around her. “Do you know what would be even nicer?”
“What?’
“A walk on the beach and a Nathan’s hot dog.”
She laughed and finished off her cotton candy. She would probably regret eating all the junk food later, but she wasn’t going to think about it. “Okay, but I want extra onions and sauerkraut on mine.”
He shook his head. “You’re lucky I’d kiss you with onion breath or not. A little bit of onions won’t stop me from devouring you later on tonight.” He winked at her, and a shiver went down her spine.
She giggled. “Promises. Promises.”
“Oh, you can take that to the bank, baby. I plan on tasting every inch of you tonight.”
They purchased their hot dogs and walked along the beach. Karen had to admit that she’d never had such a fun and relaxing time. And even though she hadn’t known him that long, Darius really was good for her. With him, she felt balanced for the first time in ages.
“One day, I’m going to take you to an exotic beach—one that you can walk barefoot on. I wanna see those pretty toes sinking into the sand.”
“This is absolutely perfect. I never realized how good it would feel to just relax for a minute. And I can’t believe you have me this laid-back in such a short time. I would usually still be in my office applying for grants and trying to bring money into the center. It’s a good thing Saul is back. He’ll be able to pick up some of the slack now that I’m turning into this social butterfly.”
She laughed, and she noticed that Darius was silent. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just don’t like Saul. I don’t trust him.”
“Okay, but do you trust me?” She really hoped that Darius didn’t start that testosterone stuff tonight. If he ruined a perfectly nice evening and didn’t follow through on his promise to kiss every inch of her body, then she was going to throw a fit. She really needed him to follow through on that promise! All of those intensely erotic dreams from the past, or their past lives, or whatever they were, had made her perpetually horny. She needed him again and again and again if possible.
“I trust you. It’s just I can tell he wants you, and I swear that when he touched you I just about lost it this morning. I know you think I’m being an alpha jerk, but you’re mine. And then he had the nerve to try and test me? Hinting around about what y’all might have had in the past. Somebody needs to tell dude…” He huffed and kicked the sand.
She sighed. “The past I had with Saul has nothing on the past I had with you. I know we said we weren’t going to talk about it, but not talking about it isn’t going to make the fact that we both had weird dreams and we both feel lik
e we’ve known each other before go away. And then there is that freaky mess about Divine, Ms. Dicey or whatever her name was…telling me that you are my soul mate and then up and disappearing when I finally decide to give you a chance. My little FWB fling with Saul had nothing on our lifetimes of connections. Shoot. It has nothing on the way you made me feel in one night. So stop tripping.”
She realized that he had stopped walking beside her, and she turned around. “What? What’s wrong?”
His face wore an intense frown when he caught up to her. “First of all, too much damn information, Karen! Damn, you could have let a brother speculate and wonder about that shit. I didn’t need to know that you and Saul were fuck buddies.”
“Friends with benefits! And that was only a few times when we weren’t with other people. What’s the big deal? You knew I wasn’t a virgin, right? I have had other lovers in this lifetime. Maybe you found me early in the past lives. But you were a little slow showing up this time, and a woman has needs.” She chuckled and put her arms around his waist. “Oh, come on. That was funny. You know you want to laugh.”
He shook his head. “You’re lucky I can’t stay mad at you.” He laughed. “And you’re lucky I know I put it on you so good that there ain’t no way another man could ever compete.”
“Modest, aren’t you? Your humility is awe-inspiring!”
And you ain’t neva lied, she thought as she tilted her head sassily. She wasn’t about to tell him how right he was when she could clearly see he didn’t need any help in the ego department. She had to admit he talked like that because he could back it up!
“You know it’s the truth, but you don’t want to admit it because you think it might feed my ego. But just knowing that you know it is good enough for me.”
She frowned. The man must be a mind reader. She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I just want you to be able to follow through on all those promises you made earlier. I’m ready for you to kiss every inch of my body.”
“And I can’t read minds. That just shows how connected I am to you. I know you even though I just met you.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
His lips caressed hers with a slowly building passion—one that threatened to grow so large that it would consume them both where they stood. The initial press of his lips against hers pushed until she yielded and then pushed some more. The kiss became a mixture of tongues and teeth and hands, and soon she didn’t know where he stopped and she began. Her tongue became his. He owned it and made it follow his lead. When her tongue dared to go off on its own or tried to move back into her mouth, he gently nipped her bottom lip and sufficiently scolded so she followed his lead again.
Their mouths performed this dance for several minutes, even though it felt like forever. When he finally pulled away, she felt drunk with him. The scent of nutmeg, summer rain and desire mixed in with the sand and salt water of the Atlantic Ocean.
“We should head back to my place. I have a feeling if we stay here they may arrest us for public indecency.”
“Ya think?” she asked sarcastically.
He kissed her again and gave her a playful smack on the behind. “I know. So come on. I have promises to keep.” He winked.
When they finally got to his loft, she could barely contain herself. She’d never felt so much need, ever.
They started taking off their clothing as soon as the door shut behind them, and they landed on the sectional sofa before reaching the bedroom. Darius set her on the sectional sofa and kneeled in front of her. He spread her legs and then gently stroked her with his long, sure fingers while he leaned forward and took her nipple in his mouth. He sucked on her nipples, one after the other, making a feast of her breasts. He stroked his fingers in and out of her, teasing her slick folds until she was almost at the peak of orgasm, and then he removed his fingers and her breast fell out of his mouth with a pop.
He then began to lick and nip and tease and caress her belly and neck and legs and thighs—every inch of her body—just like he’d promised. He explored her body at his leisure, and then he began to suck her nipples and stroke her sex with his fingers again until she was just on the edge. Then he stopped.
She tried to clutch his hands with her thighs. She tried to clasp his head to her breasts with her hands. She tried everything she could to keep him working long enough for her to finally have release. But he always stopped just shy of her having a screaming orgasm.
She thought she was going to go mad with need and called him everything but a child of God in her mind. But she didn’t dare voice a word of it for fear that he would never finish what he started. She needed him to bring the fire he was building in her to its full, brilliant blaze.
But he seemed to need something from her, too.
What? What does he need?
She thought about their conversation on the Coney Island beach, and a lightbulb went off.
“I need you, Darius. Please. I need you.” She clutched the back of his head. “No one has ever made me feel like this. Ever. And no one ever will. You’ve marked me, Darius, and I’m yours forever.”
She could have sworn she heard a growl escape from his mouth, and his sucking intensified to an almost painful degree. His fingers worked her faster and faster. His thumb pressed against her clitoris, and the most mind-blowing orgasm she had ever experienced ripped through her and sent her into shuddering convulsions. Her eyes went halfway shut, and she barely noticed when he pulled her off the sofa, positioned her in front of it and grabbed a condom out of his pocket. She did notice the sound of ripping plastic and the way it felt when he entered her all the way to the hilt.
She let out a sharp cry and moved her hips back toward him. She felt impossibly full from this position, and as impossible as it seemed, she still wanted more. She pushed back farther and farther, meeting him thrust for thrust.
He held on to her hips with one hand while he used his other hand to trail her body. His hand moved across her backside with a feather-soft touch, and then he smacked her bottom. The sting of the smack jolted her, and it was followed by another feather-soft caress. Each thrust of his hips seemed to be punctuated with a caress and a smack.
In. Out. Caress. Smack. In. Out. Caress. Smack. It was over and over until she felt herself shaking with another incredible orgasm.
“Darius.”
“That’s right, Karen. Say my name, baby. Tell me, baby. You know what I want to hear.”
“Oh. Shit.”
He gave her bottom another smack. “That’s not what I want to hear, baby.”
Another miniature orgasm ripped through her, and she marveled that she’d had no idea she was multiorgasmic. No one had ever brought this out of her before. No one had ever known her this deeply, this completely. And no one had ever controlled, hell, owned her body in such an intimate and powerful way.
“It’s yours!” She didn’t care who knew it. She would have screamed it from the rooftop if it meant he would continue to love her like this. “It’s yours, Darius! Yours.”
His stroke became faster and more deliberate. “That’s what I wanted to hear, baby. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”
I think I love you, she whispered in her own head, afraid to say the words out loud and wondering how long she’d be able to hold back from making the declaration aloud.
He leaned forward and nibbled on her neck, all the while stroking in and out of her like a well-oiled piston. He let out a stuttered breath. “And I know you love me, Karen, even if you don’t want to say it. I know it because I love you, too.” He nipped her earlobe and continued stroking her until she came yet again and he came with her.
He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
She sighed and pressed her head to his muscular chest. “One of these days I’m going to figure out how you do that. How do you always seem to know exactly what I’m thinking?”
Cullen stared at the documents on his desk. He had Karen’s signature exactly where he needed it. When Darius saw t
hese documents, their little romance would be over. He only had a few more pieces of the puzzle to put in place before it all fell down around the two lovebirds. There would be no happy ending this time around. He had lots of plans for Darius, and he wasn’t about to let that little bitch ruin them.
He picked up his phone and dialed another pretty much useless bitch to see if she had held up her end of the bargain.
“Hello.”
“Hello? Who is this?”
“This is Cullen. I need to know if we’re all set. Did you make sure that special delivery is going to be made to Darius’s place tonight? You gave them his keys, didn’t you?”
“Damn it, Cullen! I told you I’d do it. You just better make sure it doesn’t come back to me, or I will tell that it was you who put me up to this.”
“Don’t threaten me! Do you really want Darius to know that his own family member is the reason behind him having to come home and bury his cousin? You really need to be more careful whom you end up owing money to. One would think that a gambling pro such as you would have learned that lesson by now. I bailed you out and paid your debts. I expect results.”
The other end of the line was silent for a minute. “I said it’s handled. Don’t worry. I want him focused on his career again, too. And I want him to get the hell out of Brooklyn. I haven’t been able to do anything with him lurking around, so don’t worry. It’s handled, and I’ll pay you your damn money back as soon as I can get him out of town and hit big.” She hung up the phone.
Cullen thought about calling her back, but he knew she would come through because frankly she had no other choice.
Chapter 15
Roaming hands woke him up from his sleep, and he smiled at the thought that Karen clearly was up for some more loving. They had made love once again before they dropped off to sleep fully sated and satisfied. He rolled over and pulled her close, letting his hands caress her body. When his hands touched her breasts, he knew something was wrong. Karen’s breasts were soft and had a texture and feel to them that he could only describe as real. These breasts were hard and felt like silicone.
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