We’d reached that crucial moment where anything went. We were alone. We were attracted to each other and there was no saying how far things could go while going uninterrupted.
I allowed my hands to follow his example and go exploring. I managed to slip them under his shirt, allowing myself access to the hard contours below. Touching him, memorizing each and every bump, shape, every single ripple produced by either hard labor or daily exercise, only added to the allure of the moment.
While massaging his back, I’d gotten the opportunity to study it and what I’d felt under the tips of my fingers had been wonderful, but being able to explore his chest and abs was another experience altogether. He was definitely hard in all the right places.
I had to hand it to him though. The man could kiss like there was no tomorrow but when it came to touching—the man behaved like a complete gentleman. As much as I liked that about him, I wanted to feel his big hands on my skin. But he didn’t seem to think he was allowed to or something because he just kept his hands on my back and didn’t move from there.
I figured he needed further encouragement so I broke off the kiss, straightened myself up, and gazed down, satisfied with the glaze I detected in his eyes. His onyx orbs were clouded with the intensity of his lust. Without a doubt they matched what I felt. I removed my hands from within his shirt and took ahold of his wrists, pulling them in between our bodies.
“I’m sure you can find something better to do with these.”
Dakota understood perfectly and, having been given the okay, mimicked my actions by sliding his hands underneath my blouse. They wasted no time seeking my breasts, pushing my bra up in the process to release the mounds of flesh for his manual inspection.
“That’s better.” I sighed in relief when he finally found his way to that part of my anatomy, which had been neglected for far too long now. Then again, all of me had been neglected and the attention Dakota gave me was more than welcomed.
I was pleased even more when he kneaded them gently, carefully squeezing my size C-cups with a little more confidence. If at some point he doubted I would enjoy his warm hands on my flesh, he must have been convinced I was more than okay with it after a series of moans escaped my lips.
Wetness gathered and soaked through my panties as he rolled my nipples in between his fingers. I very nearly became undone as he pushed my blouse up and pulled me closer, taking one rosy bud into his mouth and nibbling on it with his teeth. An involuntary squeak squeezed past my lips and I instinctively framed his head with both my hands, my eyes rolling back into my head as he repeated the process with the other.
Oh, I had wanted him since I first laid eyes on him. I could admit that much, but fighting off the need now seemed like a big waste of my time. What was it about him that drove me to the brink of madness? Just one look and I wanted to rip his clothes off and just have my naughty way with him.
I wanted to believe the fact that I hadn’t engaged in a sexual act for weeks had to do with the rising tension I felt whenever I was anywhere near Dakota, but even I found that hard to believe. He drove me crazy with want. Plain and simple. Maybe it had nothing to do with what I had been lacking, but everything to do with who he was.
Not that the reasons mattered much when we were together. As he rolled his tongue around the rosy tips and then suckled, the only thing that mattered to me was him. The reasons—well, they lacked importance.
I rocked against him, feeling the hard-on he sported even through the layers of cloth that separated his member from my very core. His response was a growl-like groan that sent my blood pumping furiously throughout my body. Encouraged by his animalistic grunt, I repeated the process a second time, loving how the friction played havoc on my senses and brought me very close to shattering in his arms.
Not to be outdone, Dakota kept my nipple in his mouth but lost his grip on my breasts as he focused on my backside instead. With one hand splayed on each butt cheek, he gripped hard and rotated my hips over his erection. The pressure built up pretty quickly afterwards and I allowed him to carry me away. To manipulate my body in any way he saw fit as long as we both enjoyed it. And as we rubbed against each other I was more than enjoying the rising tension, I was so close to coming apart I could taste it.
Even though I thought it a little kinky to be acting like a horny teenager, it was more than satisfying to seduce and be seduced. The quicker he moved my bottom the faster I came to losing it and with his lips traveling from one breast to the other it was only a matter of time before I finally exploded.
And explode I did.
The friction caused by his expert manipulation sent me over the edge in less time than I was accustomed to. Usually it took me awhile to get worked up, but Dakota had no only managed to bring me to the point of climax in record time but pushed me beyond it while fully dressed still.
The force of the orgasm hit me like tsunami, washing over me like a giant wave I wanted nothing more than to soak in for hours and hours on end. I screamed with my release and buried my hands in his long black hair as I waited for the ripples to subside.
Talk about an experience. If he could manipulate my body into doing his bidding while clothed, I couldn’t wait to see what he could do while we were both naked.
“Oh, shit.” I let out a rush of air. “Dakota—”
The sound of voices coming from behind the front door alerted us to the fact that we were about to have company.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Damn.” I scrambled off Dakota and hastily straightened my bra and blouse as the doorknob turned. Dakota reached for a cushion and used it to cover his evident erection. I gave him a sympathetic look before turning my attention back to the door just as it swung open and Demarco and Delilah stepped in.
They froze as soon as they saw us. The look of surprise etched on Delilah’s face was unmistakable. Apparently, she wasn’t expecting me to be in Demarco’s place. And of course, I assumed they were still with the others, enjoying frozen yogurt somewhere downtown.
“Well, well. What a surprise to see you here.” Demarco elbowed the door shut. “Are we interrupting something?” Demarco glanced in Dakota’s direction and grinned.
Shit, with my flustered skin how could he not suspect what we had been up to before he showed up? Sometimes people had the worst timing ever. Why is it they happen to show up just as things are going from good to even better?
“Yes…no,” I blurted. “Why do you ask?” Way to go idiot. Now you’ve practically told him he should have come back at a more appropriate time. “We…were just…talking.” I winced at how stupid I sounded.
Dakota smiled and ducked his head to hide his reaction from the others.
“Sure…that’s what it looks like to me too.” Demarco took several steps closer. “Should we leave and come back in about,” he eyed his watch, “say fifteen minutes.”
“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
Demarco laughed. “We can always go to your place.” he draped one arm over Delilah’s shoulders and pulled her closer.
“Ew. I don’t want you in my house.” I gave him a look of horror.
Delilah elbowed Demarco’s ribcage. “Cut it out.” She then turned her attention to me. “Janessa. I…thought you were home.” Her voice sounded apologetic. As a matter of fact, I was pretty sure she was apologizing without having to say the actual words.
“I told you I was heading out with Dakota,” I replied.
“I know, but I thought you meant…” she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Demarco and you seemed to be good friends,” I commented, eying them both suspiciously. Hell, I had had a feeling there was more going on between them, but accepting it was kind of, well, hard. I hated Demarco with a passion and she knew it.
“So what if we are?” Demarco challenged. “Does it bother you?”
“I would be lying if I said I don’t give a shit. But I do.”
“Just because you don’t like
me that doesn’t mean Delilah can’t either. She’s a big girl.” He bit back, using words I was all too familiar with.
“Right. She is.” I hurried over to Delilah, grasped her wrist and pulled her along as I walked over to the door. “Can I talk to you in private, please?” I didn’t wait for a response as I towed her behind me and out of the apartment and to the balcony. I ignored the cool autumn wind that had picked up while I was inside with Dakota and turned to face her.
Delilah shut the door and squared her shoulders as she prepared to have a conversation with me she had been dreading—if the look of anxiety marking her features was any indication.
“So…there is something going on between Demarco and you?” I went straight to the point. With this new development and added concern for my friend, the magical moment I spent in Dakota’s arm was all but forgotten. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Delilah let out an exasperated sigh. “How could I? You hate Demarco and he hates you. You guys can’t be within ten feet of each other without busting each other’s balls.”
“I don’t have any balls.”
“You know what I mean.” She tossed an annoyed look in my direction.
“No. Not really.” I squeezed my eyes shut quickly before opening them again. “Are you two like…steady? Serious about each other?” I was afraid to hear the answer because as much as I detested the jerk, if he dated Delilah, there was a high chance I’d be seeing more of him.
Delilah ducked her head. “Yes.”
I bit back the need to cringe. “Okay. Well, I …” I had no idea what to say.
“I know I don’t need your approval and all, but Demarco is the first guy I’ve wanted a relationship with for a long time and I…hoped you’d two would work out your differences sooner rather than later so we could avoid these…uncomfortable moments.”
Delilah hadn’t been serious about a guy ever since she’d been dumped by her ex, Greg, two years ago. Ever since then she’d had a few one night stands and maybe a couple of dates in between but nothing full term. If she had been seeing Demarco behind my back for a while now, he had to be that important to her.
“Were you planning on telling me at some point?”
“Of course.” She fidgeted with the hem of her black blouse. “I was working up to it.”
“No wonder you knew so much about Dakota. Demarco didn’t tell you everything. You’d hang out with them from time to time, right?”
“I knew Margaret, yes. But I had no idea what she was doing behind Dakota’s back until Demarco told me the night you caught her in bed with Kirk, I swear.”
“How did Demarco know what happened that night?” I asked, suspicion taking ahold of me.
“I solicited his help in finding out who Kirk’s mystery girl was. Turns out, I didn’t need to go far. Demarco already knew about Margaret and he filled me in.”
I guess Demarco was probably worth keeping as an informant after all.
“He knew what?”
Delilah and I turned in the direction of the opened door and stared in horror at Dakota standing in the doorway, gazing at us with a blank expression. That expression soon turned to one of pure anger.
“Demarco knew Margaret was cheating on me?”
I blanched. Shit, Dakota had overheard us. I practically came out of my skin when he whirled around and marched right back into the apartment to confront Demarco. The sound of angered voices coming from within pretty much confirmed my suspicions.
I ran into the living room where Dakota and Demarco stood but three feet from each other. The tension between these two friends was almost unbearable. As much as I disliked Demarco, he was Dakota’s best friend and even I had to recognize he had tried to do something about the situation even if it hadn’t been exactly the best thing. Giving Margaret an ultimatum hadn’t been the best course of action since she had decided not to tell him.
“Dakota…I didn’t know how to tell you man. I knew how much you cared for this girl. I messed up. I’m sorry.” Demarco held his hands up in defeat. “I should have told you.”
“You’re my best friend. If there was one person in this house that should have told me, that should have been you,” Dakota shouted. “I trust you more than anyone else. How could you sit there and not tell me? She made me look like a fucking fool and you let her do it.”
Whoa! That was the first time I heard Dakota cuss and yes, it was shocking to me.
“I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to share a home with you every day and not know how to spring you the news. This isn’t like offering you a piece of pie. Come on, man. I told Margaret to tell you or I would. I gave her a week, but Janessa found out first and well, she took matters into her own hands.” He stopped talking just in time to make me look like the manipulator I actually was.
Was I just pushed under the bus? Really? Hold on a second, how did Demarco know what I had planned to do? I glared at Delilah and she practically shrank away. Damn it! How could she reveal my plans so carelessly like that? And to Demarco for God’s sake! That’s the last time I trust her with something.
“So I was set up? Is that it?” Dakota’s expression hardened as he gazed at me. “This whole bit with you and me wasn’t something you sporadically came up with? You had already planned it?” He shook his head angrily. “You had planned to use me all along?”
I wanted to crawl under a rock and go into hibernation.
“What is it with people thinking I’m a complete idiot?” Dakota ran one hand over his forehead and back to his long hair.
“Dakota, it’s nothing like that.” Demarco took a step forward.
“Right.”
I stepped in next to Dakota and took a hold of his wrist. “We’ve already had this conversation before.”
He pulled away. “No. We did not. At least you didn’t mention you’d plan to use me as bait from the beginning. I just thought it was something you came up with at that party.”
“Use you?” I bit back. “I believe you agreed to the same thing.”
He sighed heavily and took a step back.
“Besides, does it really matter if I planned it before or after?” I asked
“Yeah…no. Maybe,” he snapped. “I don’t know anymore.”
Dakota was visibly upset. I would be too, but it wasn’t like he didn’t know about it. I was forced to be honest—well, somewhat honest from the beginning so he knew what he was getting himself into.
“I thought you came to me just to tell me what was going on behind my back. Not because you had planned to—”
“Let’s get out of here so that we can talk.” I practically murdered Demarco and Delilah with just one look. “I guess it’s time we cleared some things up.” I slipped my hand in his, half expecting him to pull away again and send me packing but he didn’t. He allowed me to pull him along as I made my way toward the door.
“Dakota—”
“I don’t want to hear it.” Dakota cut Demarco off.
“Janessa?” Delilah called after me.
“We’ll talk later.” I tossed over my left shoulder.
We got in my car and I immediately drove off to the club since he had barely thirty minutes before his shift started. Once we were safely parked in the parking lot, I turned the engine off and shifted in my seat to look at him.
“Since you admire honesty more than anything else in me, I might as well tell you the truth,” I started. When he didn’t respond but sat there staring at me, I continued, “I didn’t know who you were when I was sitting in the food court. I was actually waiting for Delilah. She texted me saying she knew who Kirk’s mystery girl was and asked me to meet her at the mall you work at. So that’s why I was there.”
“The moment I found out about you, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. It didn’t take long for my deviant mind to come up with a plan in which I would use you to get back not only at Kirk but at that slut—I mean, Margaret. I figured since you probably wouldn’t believe the truth from me, that I should
show you instead.”
Dakota ran one hand down his face. “You showed me all right. You were the only one with enough courage to tell me—show me what I couldn’t see.”
“To be honest, I was only thinking about myself. I thought that if you knew, you’d be willing to be on board for this…stupid, immature game my mind somehow came up with.”
He stared at me for a long time without saying a word. After a few minutes, he finally said, “What if I wouldn’t have agreed?”
“Trust me, I would have come up with something.” I lifted my chin. “Your refusal wouldn’t have stopped me from hurting Kirk where I knew it would affect him the most.”
“It sounds to me like you got some issues.”
I laughed bitterly. “Now you notice?”
Dakota wasn’t amused. “So, you’re still getting a kick out of all this…” he gazed forward and frowned. “This is still some stupid game to you, isn’t it?”
“Stupid or not, you agreed to it.”
He stared out the windshield. “I’m even more of a dumbass for agreeing to this. I was just so…” he cut the sentence short but I knew what he meant to say.
“I know why you went along with me.” I reached over and cupped his chin in my right hand and forced him to look at me. “I don’t expect to know how you feel right now, but if there’s something I understand all too well, that’s the pain associated with a broken heart. I’ve been there. I know how much it hurts not only ones feelings but ego and well, everything else. When you love somebody so deeply, and that person betrays that love, it literally feels like your drowning, like you’ve been stabbed in the gut, like no matter what you try or do you just can’t escape from the constant buildup of emotions.” I released his chin and sat back in my seat.
“You went along with my teenage game—as you put it, because it was a way to find relief. It was a way for you to get back a little of what was taken from you. It was a way for you to piss Kirk off by hanging out with me, knowing he hated it as much as Margaret does.”
Payback is Sweet Page 21