“What you did took bravery and courage, and I’m really proud of you,” Peyton replied.
“Thanks, Dr. Sawyer. You’ve really been amazing,” Kendra said. “I would have never found the courage to leave Omar on my own.”
“Don’t give me props just yet. I want to get you the help you need.”
“You think I might be able to meet with Mr. Williams again?” Kendra asked, “I have those forms filled out.”
“Of course. Mr. Williams has an open-door policy,” Peyton replied. She felt strangely odd, being so formal about Malik. When the tea kettle whistled, Peyton poured steaming water into the two mugs. “I’m sure he’ll be very happy to see you. And if you’d like, I can come with you. I’m done with classes.”
Kendra smiled. “I would like that.”
After they finished their tea, they hopped a train to Harlem and walked to the center.
“Hey, Loretta,” Peyton said when they walked through the reception doors. “Is Malik in?”
Loretta smiled. “For you, he certainly is. Go on in.”
“C’mon, Kendra,” Peyton said, pushing through the double doors.
Malik’s door was open, as always. “Hey there!”
When he looked up from his computer and saw Peyton, Malik smiled. Peyton was just what he needed after Joe Johnson’s visit.
“Hey, gorgeous.” Malik rose from his desk and walked towards Peyton, but she halted him with her hand.
“I didn’t come alone,” she said, and Kendra peeked from the other side of the door.
“Kendra! I’m so glad you came. Come on in.” Malik winked at Peyton and waved them inside. “Please have a seat.”
“I filled out all those forms.” Kendra reached inside her knapsack and produced the folder Malik had given her.
“Great. We have a volunteer that can look it over for you and make sure there are no problems. Then she’ll file it for you. It typically takes as little as four but up to eight weeks to actually see funds.”
“But…”
“I know what you’re thinking. How are you going to get by in the interim? We get a lot of job postings here, and they are posted in our computer tech room if you’d like to peruse them.”
“I think I’ll do that,” Kendra said and abruptly left the room.
“Hmm, now that I have you all to myself…” Malik pulled Peyton out of her seat and onto his lap.
“Malik, the door is wide open.” Peyton glanced at the door. “What if someone sees?”
“Peyton, I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this—” Malik grinned “—but everyone already knows about us. This is a small office, you know.”
Peyton colored. “Are we that obvious?”
“Apparently so.”
“Are you okay?” she asked. Tension was etched across his face.
“It’s been a hellacious week here,” Malik said. He couldn’t tell her the real reason behind his unrest, which was that he’d come face-to-face with his past again, and it had made him see red.
“I understand,” Peyton said. “Why don’t you come over to my place and I can help you relax?”
Malik sighed. “That’s sounds great.”
“I’ll see you later.” Peyton leaned down and gave him a searing kiss before leaving his office. When he came by her apartment, Peyton intended to give him a night he’d never forget.
Peyton stood in front of the full-length mirror in a satin flyaway baby doll with matching bikini panties she’d purchased from Victoria’s Secret, staring at the sultry image reflecting back. She’d never worn any of their sexy ensembles before, even though she’d always wanted one. She’d been content to sleep in one of David’s old T-shirts. Malik would be surprised when she opened the door in this hot number, Peyton knew as she slipped on the matching satin robe.
Earlier, she’d sensed that something was bothering Malik, though he put on a good show when she stopped by the community center earlier. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was, so she’d determined to cure him of his funk with a little TLC.
Walking over to her entertainment center, she turned on some KEM and his jazzy music filled the air. Several strategically placed candles were lit for ambience. Now all she had to do was wait.
Peyton nearly jumped out of her skin when a loud knock sounded on the door. It was time. Let the seduction begin. Through the peephole she saw that it was her man, and threw open the door just as she undid the sash on her robe.
“Wow!” Malik gasped. “Is this for me?”
“Sure is.” Peyton pulled him inside and shut the door.
Malik fell back against it and got an eyeful of Peyton’s seductive figure in the sexy getup. He loved seeing her long legs and gorgeously taut thighs that would be wrapped around him before long. “Come here,” he growled.
Peyton rushed over and he claimed her lips, crushing her to him. His kiss, slow and thoughtful, sent spirals of ecstasy flowing right through Peyton. As his kisses deepened, Peyton relaxed and sunk into his cushioning embrace, and before she knew it they were sliding down the door. Malik’s hands gripped her body and brought her into full contact with his burgeoning erection. Peyton’s nipples grew taut beneath the thin fabric and she ground herself against him.
“We’d better take this to the bedroom,” Malik rasped and jumped to his feet. Otherwise he’d be taking her right there, in the middle of her hallway.
Peyton nodded and took his hand as he helped her off the floor. Blood was coursing through her veins like a river and she couldn’t deny the aching need. She wanted Malik inside her.
They walked to her bedroom, and once there Peyton helped relieve Malik of his clothing. He was wearing much too much. Once he was naked, they came together on top of the softness of her bed, but that was the only thing that was soft. Malik’s erection was hard and jutted out, waiting for her, and Peyton couldn’t wait to ride it. She blushed at the thought. She was freer and more liberated in the bedroom than she’d ever been.
She titled her head and he lowered his. Their lips met and they brushed them softly against each other. Her tongue slid across his lips and he opened his mouth allowing her entry. His hands roamed over her entire body, and everywhere he touched her, she burned. Peyton liked the feeling and she wanted more, more of Malik.
She eased down the straps of her flyaway baby doll and heard crackle from the candle’s flame seconds before Malik rolled her to the side and took one of her nipples firmly in his mouth. A jolt went straight through Peyton and she entwined her fingers in his dreads, holding him to her breast. Malik knew what she wanted and sucked harder and faster, and when he was done with one nipple he shifted to the other breast and feasted. Meanwhile he reached down and slid her bikini panties down her legs and flung them away as if they were nothing more than an inconvenience. Then he slid his finger inside the slick folds of her feminine center. Peyton was already wet and ready for him. As he slowly slid his finger in and out, Peyton’s pulse quickened and she gyrated, eager for release. But it wasn’t time yet. He was going to make her wait.
Then Malik proceeded to kiss and nibble every square inch of Peyton’s body, starting from the nape of her neck, down to her aching breasts and her taut stomach, before finally coming to the tender flesh of her inner thighs. As he hovered over the swollen lips of her sex, Peyton’s eyes were firmly shut and Malik could swear she was holding her breath when he dipped inside to taste her. He tongued her feverishly and she involuntarily jerked forward.
“Easy, love. Just enjoy it.” Malik spread her legs farther apart and flicked his tongue over that highly intimate part of her. At the same time, he sank a finger inside her and moved it slowly in and out.
“Oh, Malik!” Peyton moaned.
“Yes, baby.” Malik didn’t stop, but continued gliding his finger in and out while he tongued her until she shuddered. Then he quickly sat up and tore open a shiny foil package from her nightstand drawer and protected them both in a flurry of motion.
But Peyton refuse
d to let him take over. It was her turn. She pushed him down on the bed, straddled his lap and took him deep inside her body. So deep, she wasn’t sure where he ended and she began. He filled every part of her. It sounded like a cliché, she knew, but it was true. She loved feeling the tight sinew of his muscles as she gripped him, hearing the sounds of their lovemaking mixed with the music, and smelling the cologne on his sweaty, sculpted body. He felt so good and so right. This wasn’t just an act of passion for Peyton anymore, it was an act of love.
When Malik lifted her Peyton wanted to cry out and protest, but then he lowered her back over his shaft again and again, deeper and deeper, until pressure built deep within her and an onslaught of emotions assaulted her. “Oh, yes,” she hissed. Only Malik could build the tension, slow and rhythmic at first, to a fever pitch until she exploded in a million pieces. When Peyton wiggled her bottom one more time, she heard him cry out his own release.
Afterward a glow spread through Peyton’s entire body. Only Malik could make her feel that kind of passion, and as she lay on top of him and drifted off to sleep, Peyton admitted to herself that what she felt for Malik was love. In a short time she’d fallen head over heels with his kindness, with his strength and with his passion. She couldn’t believe it had happened so quickly. After David, she’d thought she would never find that kind of love again. She’d closed off her heart to the idea, but somehow Malik found his way inside.
Loving Malik didn’t mean that she didn’t love David or that he would somehow replace him. She would always love David. He was her childhood sweetheart and first love, but Malik was her future.
Malik too, had fallen asleep, but his dreams were far from blissful. He tossed and turned. Images of Joe using an extension cord to beat him because he didn’t take out the trash or because he got a C in school, or because he was just plain drunk, flashed through Malik’s dreams. He could see his mother, Vanessa, cowering in the corner, afraid to speak or move for fear he’d backhand her. Malik yelled out to her for help, but she wouldn’t help him. “Mommy, help me. Mommy, help me.”
In the distance, he could hear someone calling out to him. “Malik, Malik.” But all he could do was hold up his hands to try to fend off Joe’s blows. Remembering the sting as Joe hit him and the welts that formed afterwards caused Malik to finally awaken and sit straight up.
“Malik, honey.” Peyton was beside him, stroking back his dreads. “It’s okay. It was just a bad dream.”
Malik turned and swept Peyton in his arms. He held her so tightly, Peyton could hardly breathe.
“Malik, it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.”
He grasped her face in his hands and stared at her for several long seconds as if he didn’t recognize her. “I’m sorry.” Malik slowly released her. He’d gotten caught up in the past.
“That must have been some dream,” Peyton commented, “to cause you to break out in a cold sweat.” She’d never seen him like this. His back was bathed in sweat and his breathing was labored. “Let me get you a towel.” Peyton slipped out of bed and returned with a damp hand towel. She dabbed at his brow and his back. She didn’t know what the dream was about, but it had clearly shaken him.
“Thank you.”
Peyton smiled. “You’re welcome.” She’d do anything for him, because in a short time she’d fallen head over heels for him. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Malik shook his head.
“Are you sure? Talking about it helps. And I’m here to listen.” Peyton desperately wanted Malik to feel like he could confide in her and tell her anything. When he didn’t answer, she continued. “I think you may have called out for your mother.”
“I doubt that, but I’m fine, really.” Malik patted her knee, effectively dismissing her concerns. “Plus, I don’t remember it anyway.”
Peyton doubted that was true. He remembered. He just didn’t want to share it with her. She didn’t want to press, so she pulled him into her arms. Malik laid his head down between her breasts and Peyton held him there close to her heart for the rest of the night.
Chapter 12
On Monday, Peyton was in a foul mood. When she woke up on Saturday, she’d found Malik had gone. She didn’t even get a goodbye kiss. Nothing. He’d shown vulnerability and it must have scared him because he’d high-tailed it out of there as quick as he could and hadn’t called her for the rest of the weekend, either.
There was more to Malik’s past than he could say to her. In his nightmare, he’d called out to his mother and he’d had his arms up as if he were defending himself. Was it that bad growing up in the orphanage? Did he have to defend himself from bullies?
Peyton met Amber for lunch to ask her advice. When she arrived at the French bistro, Amber was already there. The hostess showed Peyton to the table and she leaned down to give Amber a quick hug.
“Hey, you,” Amber said. “When you called and said we had to meet, I knew something was up. Is it Malik? Kendra? Or both?”
“Why would you automatically assume it has something to do with either of them?” Peyton asked.
“Because you’ve been a tad preoccupied,” Amber replied. “Have you even had time to work on publishing any articles?”
“For your information, I have two articles in the works that I’m going to submit to several educational journals.”
Amber smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear you haven’t completely abandoned your career for a man or to play do-gooder.”
“Ouch.” Peyton frowned. “Should I get up and come back in? You’re not usually so sharp.”
“I’m sorry, girlfriend,” Amber apologized. “I just went on a horrible date with this cheapo last night, who wanted to split the bill fifty-fifty when he asked me out. Can you believe the nerve?”
“I can,” Peyton said. Which is why she was so happy that she’d found Malik. Dating was like gambling. Sometimes you win and sometimes you’d lose.
“So, why’d you want to meet?”
“It’s Malik.”
“I knew it.” Amber snickered.
Peyton rolled her eyes. “He had a terrible nightmare the other night and woke up in a cold sweat.”
“Is that all?”
Peyton shook her head. “That’s the problem. I think it was more than just a bad dream. He was calling out for his mother. And according to him, she died when he was young, which is why he ended up in an orphanage.”
“So, maybe he was having nightmares about losing her so early in life, or growing up in an orphanage. I can’t imagine that was easy.”
“Perhaps,” Peyton responded. “Or perhaps he’s keeping something from me. He was genuinely frightened and wouldn’t let me go the rest of the night. But when I woke up the next morning, he was gone. Poof!” She snapped her fingers. “And he hasn’t called me since.”
“Maybe he’s embarrassed. You know how men are. They don’t want us to see them as weak.”
“I know that’s part of it, but I’m just having a nagging feeling that something’s going on,” Peyton explained. “I just wish he’d let me in.”
At the concern and care in Peyton’s voice, Amber stared deeply into her eyes. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
Peyton inhaled. If she couldn’t admit it to her best friend, who could she admit it to? “I am.”
“Oh, Peyton,” Amber sighed, “don’t you think it’s too soon?”
“It’s been five years since I lost David,” Peyton replied. “No, I don’t think it’s too soon. Malik’s a wonderful man.”
“Who, as you said yourself, is clearly tortured. I hope he’s worth it.”
Peyton couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Of course he’s worth it. C’mon, Amber, it’s not like I haven’t been in love before. I’m not a novice, I mean, sure I was when it came to sex, but that was different I’d only had one lover. I know what love is because I’ve had true love before.”
“And because you have, maybe you’re desperate to have that feeling again,” Amber answered
cynically.
Peyton shook her head. “This is more than infatuation, Amber. But listen, I understand what you’re saying, okay? And I’m not rushing into this. I haven’t even told Malik how I feel. For the moment, I’m keeping it to myself until I’m sure the feelings are reciprocated.” Peyton didn’t want to put her feelings on the line yet because she wasn’t sure of Malik’s feelings for her.
“Good idea.”
“Now can we eat, please?”
“Sure can,” Amber replied and they ordered their lunch.
“Theresa, what’s all this?” Malik asked when he came into the office later that morning, after stopping by the Brooklyn center to check on a problem with the heating system, and found Theresa and Denise Burke in his office.
“The contractor dropped off some carpet, tile and paint samples and since they’ve already completed the demo on the conference room floor, I opened up your office. I hope you don’t mind?” Theresa replied.
Malik shook his head as he took off his leather bomber jacket and placed it on the hook behind his door. “Of course not. Is there any coffee?” he asked, rubbing his hands together. The weather was already changing and becoming cooler. It was definitely feeling like fall.
“Sure, there’s some in the kitchen.”
Malik left and returned several minutes later sipping a steaming cup.
“What do you think of this?” Denise held a paint swatch against a carpet sample.
Malik nodded. “Hmm, looks fine to me.” Malik went over to his desk and checked his voice mail. There was a message from Peyton.
Malik felt guilty for running out on her the way he did on the weekend, but he just wasn’t in the mood for more questions. Seeing Joe had rustled up some demons he thought were long since buried. He hadn’t been prepared for them to rise back to the surface. It didn’t help that he suspected Peyton knew that there was more than he was letting on. He couldn’t tell her about the abuse he’d suffered as a child. He liked the way she looked at him as though he were a hero. Malik didn’t want that to ever change.
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