by Candace Shaw
He slid down the couch and sat behind her on the floor, wrapping his arms around her waist and stretched out his long legs on either side of hers. He moved her long locks out the way and placed a tender kiss on the back of her neck. She rested her head on his chest, and he exhaled. He’d never felt so comfortable and content with a woman as he was with Bria. She was his best friend and his lover all wrapped into one. That was a first for him. He kissed her on her cheek, and she let out the cute giggle that always made his heart smile. He sighed. Mr. Self-proclaimed Player was doing something he promised he would never do again. Fall in love.
Chapter Nine
“Thank you so much, Dr. Bria and Dr. Raven, for seeing me today when your practice is closed,” Kelly Turner, Raven’s patient, said as she followed the doctors to Raven’s examination room. The doctors let Kelly walk in first.
“No problem,” Raven answered, handing Kelly a front-open exam gown from a drawer under the counter. “You’re ovulating this week, plus Dr. Bria is going out of town for the next month and needs to do your acupuncture treatment before she leaves.”
“That’s why I love coming here. Everyone goes the extra mile.”
“Thank you,” Raven said. “We appreciate that. Go ahead and get changed. I’ll be back in about ten minutes to go over your hormone level test and then Dr. Bria will go ahead and do your acupuncture procedure.”
“We’ll be right back.” Bria closed the door. “I need to go get the needles and the music from my office,” she said as they walked down the hall to the wing where all of the doctor’s offices were located.
“So, are you all packed for your trip?” Raven asked, speaking to Bria but making funny faces at Mr. Hamster once they were in Bria’s office.
“Yep, everything is in the SUV, and please, stop making faces at the hamster. You’re scaring him. I don’t know why you and your twin think he’s a baby. Cannon talks baby talk to him.”
“But, he’s so cute.”
“Yes, he is. Thank you for taking care of him while I’m gone,” Bria said, flipping through instrumental relaxation CD’s to play during Kelly’s thirty minute acupuncture session.
“What time are you leaving?
“I told Rasheed to be ready at six.”
“Really? So what’s up with that? You two ran out of the club after ya’ll were pretty much having sex on the dance floor.”
Bria widened her eyes and almost dropped the pack of acupuncture needles.
“Don’t look so surprised. I saw you out there grinding all over your best friend.”
“We were just having fun.” Bria ran her fingers through her hair. “We dance together all the time. I’m sure Kelly is ready by now. Just come get me when you’re done going over her test results.”
“Are you trying to avoid the subject? Fine. But when you’re done placing the needles in Kelly, meet me back in my office.”
Thirty minutes later, Bria sat on Raven’s couch waiting for the interrogation. She sometimes thought Raven was in the wrong profession at times and should’ve been a detective.
“Yes or no. Did you sleep him?”
“I wouldn’t really call it sleeping … well, I guess he eventually put me to sleep.” She tried to contain a huge smile but gave up.
“So you’re taking your relationship to the next level or is it just sex?”
“You sure are being a nosy rosy. We’re just having fun. That’s all.”
“Well, maybe for him.” Raven sipped her bottled water. “But I’ve seen the way you look at him and the way your face lights up if someone mentions his name or he calls or sends a text message. You weren’t like that with your ex, so I know it’s different. Can you handle it if he starts to see someone else next week, and he wants to tell you all about her like he always does and then the following day he brings some other chick to a party? He’s a nice guy and a good friend of the family now, but he’s also a well-known player, and I don’t mean in basketball. Can you handle this?”
Bria closed her eyes and exhaled. She had tossed and turned last night over those same questions. Deep down she knew the answer was no, she couldn’t handle it. There was something about Rasheed Vincent that simply unraveled her, and she couldn’t wind back up again. He was the best lover she’d ever had. He was confident with his lovemaking as if he knew he was the greatest and deserved a gold medal for it. But it was more than just the sex. It was his laughter, his concern for her over important decisions, his support and encouragement when it came to dealing with her father and the way he always puts her first, after Brooklyn, of course.
“Well?” Raven asked, taking off her white coat and hanging it in her closet. She pulled her naturally curly hair up in a ponytail on top of her head.
“I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I get it to it.”
“Yep. This will be next week if he sticks to his pattern. I’m just saying, be careful. It’s okay to have fun with no strings attached. We’ve all been there, but I’ve seen you with him over a dozen of times since you’ve met, and if I didn’t know either of you, I would think you’re a couple.”
Bria checked her watch. Kelly had about ten more minutes.
“I understand where you’re coming from, Rave, I really do. But I’ll be fine. Rasheed and I are friends who have crossed the line and had fantastic sex. Heck, we may never have sex again.”
“Chile, please. You’re staying with him in his mansion. Did you ever ask where you would be staying? The guest room or the master suite?”
Bria remained silent.
“Fine. Don’t answer. I have to go to the hospital, but first, I’ll drop Mr. Hamster off at my place. Lock up and have fun in Atlanta. Tell Megan and her fabu group of friends hello for me.”
After Bria finished with Kelly, locked up, and left, she sat in her SUV thinking about the month ahead. She would be spending her days with Taylor at the wellness center and her nights with Rasheed in his home, in his bed. And who wouldn’t want to spend a month with him. He was every woman’s fantasy. Tall, handsome, Hershey-kissed skin, a mouthwatering smile that was charming and dangerous. Plus, he had the best set of abs a woman could run her hands and lips over.
She smiled, turned the ignition, and headed toward Rasheed’s home. She was going to have fun and not worry her head over the fact that they had crossed the line.
*****
Bria sat with her feet in the passenger seat of her SUV reading a book on her Kindle Fire while Rasheed drove and bopped his head to John Coltrane. They had been riding in silence for the past hour. They had about three more hours until they were in Atlanta. Bria loved traveling at night because there weren’t many cars on the interstate.
“Whenever you want me to drive, just pull over,” she offered.
“Nope. I’m good. Just read your romance novel. You’re on vacation. Relax.”
“Cool.” She continued reading, but her mind was wandering. He hadn’t flirted or even acted as if they’d slept together, but that was the deal. He treated her like he always had—like she was one of his homeboys, except in bed. In bed, he treated her as if she was the only woman in the world to him, which would explain why women were always blowing up his phone. But it was bothering her.
She had the urge to hold his hand or lay her head on his broad shoulders. He’d been so tender with her the day before while they watched the football game. She was rather surprised when he sat behind her on the floor, placing light kisses on her cheek and neck. When she picked him up at his home earlier, she wanted to hug and kiss him. Instead, he’d given her a high five before putting his luggage in the trunk.
His cell phone ringing brought her out of her thoughts. It was plugged into the MP3 system of her SUV, and the ring sounded through the speakers cutting off Coltrane’s saxophone.
Rasheed pushed the hand’s free button.
“Hello?”
“Hey, handsome. Heard you were coming to Atlanta soon.” A sexy female’s voice crooned through the speakers like Marilyn Mon
roe when she sang “Happy Birthday” to JFK.
Bria’s heart sunk, and she held her breath waiting to see what the sexy voice was going to say.
“Umm …” He glanced at Bria. She pretended to read her book as she held her breath. It wasn’t the first time a woman had called and she was with him, but it was the first time since they’d slept together, and now she was livid but couldn’t let it show.
“Who’s this?”
Did that many women call him that he didn’t know their voices?
“It’s me, Candi from the Baller’s Club. I haven’t spoken to you since you flew me and some of my girls to Vegas to dance at your best friend’s bachelor party.”
“Oh … Candi. How are you?”
“I’m good, boo. Word on the street is that you’re coming to the ATL soon, and I wanted to make sure you and your boys are well taken care of when you get here.”
“Oh … well … thank you,” he glanced at Bria and then back on the road. “I’ll have my assistant call the club ahead of time and set something up if need be.”
“Boo, you know you have my direct number. There’s no need to call the club. In fact, my girls and I can do a private show for you at your condo in Buckhead like we did last summer. You made me promise in Vegas to do that special thing I do just for you when I see you again.”
“Candi …” he started as he glanced over at Bria.
“My bad, Rasheed. Do you have one of your lil’ freaks with you? Sorry. But if she’s down, you can bring her too, like last time. I know you enjoyed watching as I …”
Bria almost dropped her Kindle Fire to the floor and held in a gasp. If that chick thought she was going to join in on some wild orgy she was dead wrong.
“Candi, I really have to go. I’m driving, and I hate talking on the phone while I drive. I’ll have my assistant call you if I need to set anything up. Gotta go.”
He ended the call before Candi could say anything else.
“Wow, boo, I mean Rasheed. Looks like you’ll be having fun with Candi and her girls when you get to the ATL, but you can count this lil’ freak out.” Bria turned her body toward the window. What on earth had she gotten herself into?
He pulled the SUV over to the shoulder and shut it off, leaving the headlights on.
“Bria,” he said as his hand traced along her cheek. “I would never take you to a party like that. And who said I was going? Those girls are looking for money. That’s it. Trust me. She has plenty of baller’s numbers to dial. The only woman I want to be with in Atlanta is you.”
She shook her head and closed her eyes. She was afraid this would happen. She’d fallen for Rasheed, and now she was steaming mad but couldn’t lash out at him because he wasn’t her man. Just a friend with benefits. She wished she could go back in time and rethink her decision about sleeping with him. Then they would be two friends hanging out, and the call from the stripper wouldn’t have bothered her.
But then she wouldn’t know how his sensual lips felt across every inch of her skin or how his strong hands could massage her body, provoking all her known hot spots and now plenty more she didn’t know existed until he touched her. She loved the way he felt inside of her, thrusting in and out in perfect sync with her as he held her close to him. A shiver rushed through her as she remembered witnessing one of his orgasms. He roared like a lion and shook so hard she thought the bed had turned into one of those automatic vibrating beds in cheap motels.
“Bria, look at me.” His voice was above a whisper and sincere, which shocked her, but she continued to stare out the window at the night sky as she contemplated the best way to handle the situation without sounding off in a jealous rant.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. Something about his dark-brown gaze held her captive and wouldn’t let her turn away. It made her forget everything that had just happened and focus only on him.
“If this bothers you, we can go back to being just friends, nothing more. But I have to admit, that’s going to be very hard because I’ve wanted you every second of the day since the moment my lips touched your finger, maybe even before.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “Like right now. I want you.” He clicked her seat belt with his free hand and then his seatbelt. He traced his hand along her thigh until he got to the button of her jeans and popped it open.
Her emotions were running high. She knew she should reject him, but his smooth talking player words were winning her over, and the fire that had ignited in her needed to be put out.
He leaned in closer and kissed the side of her neck with such tenderness a tear came to her eye. She never imagined Rasheed would be a gentle lover. Yes, he was a feral one as well, but he still knew how to be passionate and gentle.
“Take them off,” he commanded, tugging at the waistband of her jeans.
And demanding all at the same time.
“But …” she started, looking around the roadway. There wasn’t a single headlight. It was pitch black except for the headlights on the SUV.
“But what, Bree? Didn’t you tell me to pull over when I wanted you to drive? Well, I want you to drive, or rather ride me.”
He reached his hand under the driver seat and pushed the button to make the seat go back as far as it would go. He turned Coltrane back up and pushed the fast forward button twice.
“Why are you still in those jeans?”
“I …” she stopped when one of her favorite songs came on.
“You know you’re wrong.” She slipped out her jeans and panties quickly. There was something about the way Coltrane played the sax in the song “My Little Brown Book” that put her in the mood, and she remembered saying it a few months ago when a jazz band was playing it at Lillian’s. Rasheed was standing behind her chair speaking to a customer. She didn’t realize he was listening because she was talking to Shelbi and Raven.
He leaned over and kissed her hard and pulled her on top of him as the sax sounded through the speakers.
“Well, if I’m wrong …” He stopped, nibbled on her neck, and then whispered. “Then punish me, baby.” He raked his hands through her hair and tortured her lips once more. She could feel the hardness of his erection through his slacks, and she wanted to get to it as soon as possible.
Bria let out a moan as she savored his lips and tongue penetrating her mouth. She ran her hand to his pants to unbuckle his belt.
“I’ll finish with the belt, baby. Reach over and grab a condom from the glove compartment.”
Moments later he was protected, and she slid down slowly on his long, hard rod until it was all engulfed inside of her. Rasheed’s hands gripped her butt, his fingers digging into her flesh as he guided her. Pleasure was radiating through her body and the buildup of her orgasm was about to crash down.
Being with him felt so right. She knew she was losing it as the intensity of their lovemaking grew stronger every time they made love. She grabbed on to his shoulders and found his lips in the star-lit SUV.
Her mouth closed over his, and he held her against him as if he was protecting her from the cold. Tears welled in her eyes as she opened her heart and mind to him. She shook against him, scared of the passion racing through her veins. She had never craved and wanted a man so bad before, like how she needed Rasheed.
She buried her head in his shoulder as the onset of her climax was near. She could no longer control her emotions or the foreign sounds rising from her throat.
“That’s right, baby.” Rasheed’s voice was hard and raw in her ear. “Come for me, baby. Come hard for me.”
“Don’t worry, I am.”
“Lift your head up and look at me,” he demanded.
She obeyed and looked into his eyes, cupping his head with her hands.
“I want to hear you, Bree. I want to know how good I’ve made you feel.”
She bounced up and down faster as he met her rhythm with hard thrusts until they both climaxed together.
He leaned his head back on the headrest trying to catch his breath while she p
anted and rested her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair in a tender manner, relaxing her even further.
“Now, aren’t you glad I pulled over to let you drive?” he asked.
She laughed. “Yes, I am.”
“Good. Now can you drive for real? You just wore a brother out!”
She laughed again.
*****
“This is absolutely beautiful,” Megan said as she twirled around the two-story foyer of Rasheed’s mansion in Alpharetta, a suburb right outside of Atlanta. “I can do wonders with this place. It’s simply amazing.”
Bria smiled at Megan. She was always so bubbly, upbeat, and carefree. She twirled again and her curly ponytail bounced in the process.
“I’m glad to hear it. Right now, he only has a mattress and box spring set sitting on top of the railings but no headboard. He really wants the master suite, one of the guestrooms, living area, dining room, and family room done for now.”
“Okay,” Megan said taking notes on her iPad. “I brought my measuring tape to measure space and windows. Can you show me to the dining room first?”
The ladies walked through the living area and into the dining room that had a double tray ceiling, a crystal chandelier, and wainscoting under the chair rail. The walls were already painted a deep red and the walnut hardwood floors covered the entire first floor of the mansion except the kitchen which had tile.
“Now I see why you didn’t want to stay with me, but then again, you’re staying with Rasheed, so I don’t blame you. So, will he be helping with this project?”
“Nope. He said whatever I thought was best. He already gave his input when he purchased the house, such as the media room and the outdoor kitchen.”
“Wow, this sounds serious. Men just don’t let women decorate their homes.”
“Like I told you before, we’re just friends who like to have fun.” She winked.