Hook'd

by Taisha S. Ryan

  She just hoped tonight wasn't a disaster. Although, she could bet a million bucks that it would be.

  She tried to look her best. A black cocktail dress enclothed her physique, accentuating every portion of her shapely curves. Her breasts appeared more plump through her V neckline, revealing just enough cleavage but not too much. The hem of her dress draped right below her knee, drew attention to her mahogany toned legs and the red heels that hugged her feet. The ensemble of her outfit complimented well with her gold drop earrings and neckless, as her neatly styled pixie cut, enriched her classy look.

  When she entered the restaurant, she approached the front desk at the entrance as her gaze instantly drifted to her surroundings. The restaurant was...gorgeous. The dimly lit room was built with high gold ceilings, well-furnished floors, each red and gold clothed table adorned with candles and occupied with formally dressed patrons enjoying dinner. Across the room was a bar, as well as an organist playing music on a baby grand piano.

  Wow.

  "Welcome to De Palma's, table for one?"

  Reese shifted her focus to the black haired, Italian man at the desk.

  "Uh, no. Actually two, I'm supposed to be meeting somebody here."

  He looked down at his tablet. "Your name, ma'am?"

  "Sherese Wilson."

  He nodded. "Oh, welcome Ms. Wilson. Right this way."

  Reese was taken aback by the gorgeous view of the glowing lights of the city from the rooftop. She followed the hostess to the red table, adorned with candle lights and a bottle wine. He pulled out a chair and she thanked him, taking a seat.

  "Sir Lewis will be right on this way, ma'am," he told her.

  Reese sat there, blown away. She had heard about this place, but she never expected it to be like this. And on a private rooftop, overlooking the beautiful view of Manhattan? Jesus.

  Would she be a fool to be so easily impressed?

  Yes.

  She had to remember who she was dealing with. Cameron was a famous athlete with loads of money. He probably took all of his women to places like these, wining and dining them. She would be foolish to think she was special. She just hoped that he didn't think that she was sleeping with him after this. She didn't care how great this date went.

  "Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

  The sudden baritone startled her. She turned her head, to see none other than Cameron himself, approaching the table. Her heart hiked to her throat at the sight of him. A black sleeveless vest was buttoned over his burgundy button up top with a patterned matching tie to complement the attire. The black dress pants he wore and sleek loafers that adorned his feet, only enhanced his appearance. She noticed he had gotten rid of his beard. Instead, he now sported a trimmed goatee, with traces of his shaven five o’ clock shadow surfacing across his jawline and he looked beyond tantalizing.

  Shit!

  He approached her with an extended hand. Out of curtesy, she placed her hand in his and stood up. His arms enveloped her waist as he pulled her close and without thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck. The sudden whiff of his cologne assailed her senses and she nearly toppled over. His cologne had a certain masculine scent that she loved on men. Nothing too strong and off putting, nor nothing too sweet. Just enough to draw her in like a hunting lioness to the scent of food, stirring heat in lower regions the more she inhaled his intoxicating scent.

  "It's good to see you," he whispered in ear, his silky baritone arousing her with goosebumps. "You look beautiful."

  She pulled away, suddenly aware of her body's reaction. "Thanks."

  He walked around to this chair, as she sat down in hers.

  The waiter, a slender, dark haired man approached their table.

  "Welcome to De Palma's, it's a pleasure to be at your service this evening. Can I do the honor of serving you some of our precious Lois Jadot wine?" He gestured to the bottle of wine in his hand.

  "Please," She nodded.

  She suddenly realized she would need some tonight.

  He poured some into her glass, before filling Cameron's as well. The waiter then handed them both menus, offering them an appetizer of seared scallop, in which they accepted.

  "Have you ever eaten here before?" he asked, when the waiter left the table.

  "No, I haven't." She blinked at the high prices on the menu. "And I could see why. These prices are...ridiculous."

  $75 for some damn steak?

  He snickered. "Yeah, I know. But don't even worry about it. Order whatever you want, I got it."

  She paused, her rebuttal at the tip of her tongue. But she held back, deciding not to go there tonight. Well, he was taking her out. Of course he was paying. He better!

  In that case, she might as well order the steak then.

  When the waiter returned for their order, she decided on the grilled steak with diced corn and lettuce while Cameron ordered the grilled lobster with baked potatoes. The waiter then grabbed their menus and left the table.

  "So, how do you like the place?"

  She took a sip of her wine. "It's fine, I guess. Typical. But fine."

  "Typical?" He raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

  "I'm sure you do this with all your women. Eh, a bit cliché but..." She shrugged, placing her glass down.

  "Cliché? Wow." He nodded, taking a piece of the scallop.

  "I mean there's nothing wrong with it. I'm sure some women would actually love this, but I'm just not impressed."

  He smirked. "So what'd you expect, then? A nice yacht on the river? A private jet to the islands?"

  "I didn't expect anything."

  "Nothing, huh?"

  "Nope. You could save all that for the rest of your women who actually fall for this type of stuff."

  "What stuff?"

  "Your game."

  He lifted a brow. "My game?"

  "Yes."

  "So, that's what you think I'm doing? Running game?"

  "Oh, don't act clueless. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You take women out to these fancy places, you wine and dine them, treat them like they’re oh so special, then you sleep with them."

  "Wow."

  And that was all he could say, because he knew it was the truth.

  "So, who are all these women you speak of? Just curious."

  "Do I need to pull up TMZ?" She raised her phone and he smirked, licking his lips.

  "So, you think that's what I'm tryna do with you? Wine and dine you, so I could sleep with you?"

  "We already know the answer to that."

  "And why would you think that?"

  "Because you're an athlete."

  He laughed softly.

  The waiter approached the table with their food and she salivated as the rich aroma teased her senses. She had to admit, she was starving. Before arriving, she could barely conjure up the appetite to eat due to her nervousness, but now that she was here, her stomach bellowed like a growling bear ready to consume whatever that was in its way.

  When the waiter walked away, they picked up their utensils to eat.

  "So, what does me being an athlete have to do with anything?"

  "Oh please, it's in your DNA to sleep around."

  He smirked, looking out at the view, giving her the perfect view of his profile. Through the illumination of the candle light, his smooth dark skin glowed like a refined diamond, his skin appearing delicious to touch. That brawny jaw line of his framed perfectly for his facial structure, a specific feature she found herself drawn to. Then there were those lips—

  He met her gaze and she blinked away, taking a long sip of her wine.

  "You can't believe everything you read," he spoke and licked his lips. "I mean, do I like to enjoy my life? Yeah I'm young, I'm single, why not? But that doesn't mean I'm out here messing with every woman I see. I use my discretion, believe it or not."

  "Discretion. Right." She placed her glass down. "So, what about the rape charge?"

  He choked on his food.

  She
scooped the tasty corn in her mouth, watching him as he gathered himself together.

  "How many times are you gonna bring that up?" He furrowed his dark brows.

  "Until I get the truth."

  "I already told you the truth."

  "And I'm supposed to believe it?"

  "I don't give a fuck what you believe. I already told you what it is."

  His response didn't surprise her at all. In fact, she expected it. She kept calm as she continued to eat her food, unmoved by his brewing anger.

  "Why're you even on this date with me, then? If I'm a so called, rapist?"

  "Because, I'm holding up my end of the deal."

  "Then fuck it, we might as well just cut the deal off."

  She froze.

  "Aye," He raised his hand for the waiter, who stood at the corner.

  "Alright fine, fine," she gave in, gritting her teeth. "I won't bring it up."

  He gave her a wary stare, before waving off the waiter.

  "Look, I didn't bring you here to talk about that. I just wanted us to vibe and have a good time without all that other bullshit. So, how about we just start over," he suggested with a sigh.

  "Fine. Fair enough."

  "So, tell me about you."

  She rolled her eyes at his response.

  She really hated this part.

  "Look, I'm not good with this whole...dating thing. To be honest, I hate it. So, how about we just skip this whole awkward part with us getting to know each other and just finish our dinner."

  The sooner they could end this, the better.

  "Wow, you really are bad at this,” he said bluntly.

  "I just had some bad experiences in the past," she lowly admitted, cutting pieces of her steak.

  "How so?"

  "Just years of dealing with men who were a waste of time. I'm at a point in my life where I'm just through with men as a whole."

  "Holdup, don't tell me you're going Ellen DeGeneres now."

  She stifled a smile, rolling her eyes. "No, I'm not a lesbian."

  "I'm just saying...that ain't really a bad look, come to think of it." He rubbed his chin, licking his lips.

  "Shut up."

  He chortled, chewing his food. "Maybe, you just haven't found the right man yet.

  "As if he exists."

  "He just might."

  "Oh please, finding a man—no, a good, successful black man is damn near impossible. 75% of them either have a bunch of baby mamas and kids running around that they don't take care of, 24% of them are either in jail or gay. And the 1% that actually are successful, are with white women."

  "Wow."

  "It's the truth."

  "So, where do I fit in that equation?"

  "You?" She chuckled bitterly. "Is that even a question? Of course you fit into the 1%. You don't even date black women."

  His head jerked. "Says who?"

  "Oh please, you know you don't."

  "I like all kinds of women."

  "So, when's the last time you've been with a black woman? And don't say that Victoria Secrets model you were with, because she doesn't count."

  "Who, Farah? She was black."

  She rolled her eyes. "Barely. I wouldn't count 25% black, as being black."

  He grew quiet with a subtle smile.

  "Didn't know you kept up with my love life."

  She scoffed. "Please. Don't flatter yourself."

  He leaned back, linking his hands behind his head. "Contrary to popular belief, I like all kinds of women. Doesn't matter the race."

  "If you say so."

  "So, why do you think I pursued you if I'm not into black women?"

  "I don't know, you tell me." She placed the steak into her mouth.

  "Because, I'm interested."

  "You're interested."

  "Yeah, I am."

  "Interested in me...or what you want from me," she probed.

  "What I want from you?"

  "Don't play dumb. You know what I mean, sex."

  He licked his lips. "I'm interested in whatever you're willing to give."

  "Meaning...?"

  "I mean, if you wanna have sex, we'll have sex. I'm always down for that."

  Was he actually serious?

  She frowned. "Are you always this way with women?"

  "What? Honest?"

  "No, rude."

  "If you count honesty as being rude then..." He shrugged.

  "No, there's a way to speak to women without being so crass. Like the way you spoke to me back at the bar? Very repulsive."

  "I didn't mean no harm by it."

  "Well, you deserved a slap in the face for that," she snapped. "And just so you know, this date isn’t going any further than tonight. Just wanted to make that clear. "

  "You already did back at the gym."

  "Good."

  The air fell silent as they ate their food. After a while, she placed her utensils down.

  "Anyway, it's getting late so I'm gonna go."

  He looked at her plate. "You haven't even finished your food."

  "Well, I'm full. And, plus I have an early meeting tomorrow, so I can't stay out all night."

  He glanced at his watch. "It's only 10:30."

  "And by the time I get home, it'll be past 12."

  "Didn't you say you live in New Rochelle?"

  "And?"

  "That's only 30 minutes from here."

  "Without traffic."

  He stared at her for a moment. "Sounds like bullshit. But do as you wish, sweetheart."

  Her brows drew together. "Excuse me?"

  "I mean, if you wanna run away then do it. But don't give me a bullshit excuse to do so. I'm a grown ass man, I could take rejection."

  "For your information, I'm not running away. I'm leaving, there's a difference. Sorry, if I have more important things to do."

  "Like what?"

  "Like none of your concern."

  He chewed his food. "Like I said...bullshit."

  "Whatever." She grabbed her purse.

  "Shit, deep down you probably really want me which is why your ass is running away."

  She stopped. "What?"

  "You heard me."

  "You actually think I want you?" She burst into laughter. "Wow, the size of your ego is...insurmountable."

  "So, I'm lying." He tilted his head.

  "Very much so."

  "Then prove it."

  "What?"

  He stood up and walked around the table. She gave him a hesitant stare as he approached her, wondering what he was doing. He shifted her chair to face him. Gripping both arms of her chair, he leaned forward and she moved back with a frown. He leaned closer until his lips were inches away from hers and her breath quickened. His desire smoldered eyes pierced hers, and a sudden nervousness radiated her insides at their closeness. His gaze fell to her lips, as his tongue slid across his own. Heat surged through her veins in seconds as her body remained stuck to her chair. Her heart pounded her chest, and she swallowed the dryness in her throat.

  "W-what are you doing?" she whispered.

  "Kiss me."

  "What?"

  "Kiss me."

  "No, I'm not kissing—"

  His lips collided with hers. She froze, taken aback by the sudden bold move. Her better judgement was to slap him. But her thoughts clouded into a fog as his moist lips slowly brushed against her own.

  Shit...

  She didn't expect them to be so soft. Damnit! What was she doing? Why was she kissing this man? After she told herself that she would never in a million years—

  His tongue slipped into her mouth, and a moan hiked to her throat. Her body melted as she welcomed it with dire need. Without mercy, his warm silky tongue caressed her own and she weakened. Her hands caressed his stubby muscular jaw, they kissed with more forceful passion. Their lust emitted fiery waves with each stroke of their tongues and dance of their lips. And her heart pounded the base of her throat, as the pulse between her thighs heightened with intens
ity.

  He pulled away, snapping her out of her trance. She met his lustful gaze with quickened breaths.

  He stood up with a nod. "Just what I thought."

  Suddenly embarrassed, she broke her gaze. She stood up, nearly toppling over her heels. He snickered. With a huff, she regained her balance and shot him a glare.

  "I bet you think what you did there was cute, but it wasn't. In fact, it gives me more of a reason to end this date." She quickly gathered her things.

  He watched her with a grin.

  "So, I'll have my people get in touch with your people, and we'll discuss our deal regarding your sponsorship. Excuse me." She brushed passed him and stormed out.

  Chapter 12

  "You what?!?"

  Reese sighed, expecting Yasmine's outburst. Thankfully, her phone had been on speaker or the bells in her ears wouldn't have stopped ringing.

  "Please tell me you're joking, Reese."

  She wished she was. In fact, she wanted to forget it ever happened.

  "Why in the hell would you let his ass bribe you into a date?"

  "I didn't let him bribe me. I mean, I knew what I was getting myself into. I just...I don't know," she stammered, unable to even explain herself.

  It was stupid of her. She knew it. And at this point, she would probably never forgive herself for going along with it. And on top of that...she kissed him. Why?!? What the hell had she been thinking? She couldn't count the number of times she beat herself up for allowing him to do that. And more so, for actually being so damn turned on. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been kissed like that. In fact, she had never been kissed like that. The way he had her body craving with such insatiable desire, just at the mere touch of his soft...intoxicating lips, she had no choice but to leave that night. She needed to think. Get her mind together.

  This was Cameron Lewis, for Christ sakes.

  The disgusting rapist with poor morals and a horrible reputation. The worst form of human existence.

  How could she just be so damn stupid?!?

  "Reese, you there!"

  She snapped out of it. "Huh?"

  "You didn't answer my question. Did you sleep with him or not?"

  "No! Of course not."