Her Little Black Book

by Brenda Jackson

  She sighed deeply, deciding that she’d had enough. It was evident that he had only one thing on his mind, and she had a problem with men who thought any woman they dated was there for their personal pleasure.

  “You’re right, there are a number of things I can be doing, and none of them involves you, Solomon.” She stood and began walking out of the theater.

  He got up and followed her. When they reached the lobby, he said in a peeved tone, “Hey, what’s wrong with you? I thought we understood what tonight was about.”

  She turned around and glared at him. “I do, but evidently you don’t. All evening you’ve made your intentions for tonight clear, and all the while pushing aside the one single thing I expect from any man I date.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and glared back. “Which is?”

  “Respect.”

  “Respect?”

  “Yes, respect. Do I need to spell it for you?”

  “Oh, so now you want me to call you Aretha,” he said smartly.

  She shook her head sadly. Evidently, too many women had given him what he wanted, and too soon. Now he expected every other female to follow suit. The man was spoiled, conceited, and arrogant. She had had three dates in less than two weeks and had found all of them less than desirable. What a disappointment. “No, to be honest with you, Solomon, I don’t want you to call me anything. Our meeting tonight was a mistake. Sorry I wasted your time.”

  “Yeah, so am I. I had already seen that damn movie twice,” he said gruffly.

  “Then why did you suggest seeing it?”

  His mouth formed into a deep frown. “To impress. I know how you women are all into Denzel. I figured with him on the screen and me right beside you, it wouldn’t take long for you to realize the man had nothing on me. Why would you want to settle for fantasy when I was here in living color as your reality. I just can’t figure it.”

  Courtney pursed her lips, thinking that wasn’t all he couldn’t do; however, she had no intention of wasting her time explaining his shortcomings. He probably thought he didn’t have any. “Like I said, Solomon, tonight was a mistake. See you around.”

  She turned to leave and heard him say, “Hey, I want you to lose my number.”

  “Gladly,” she muttered, and didn’t bother to stop walking or turn around. Engaging in any further conversation with him wasn’t worth it. She couldn’t wait until she got home. The first thing she intended to do was trash her little black book. It had brought her nothing but trouble.

  Ron just didn’t know how to break the news to Ashira that he would be going away for a while—two weeks, in fact—and all because Barbara had convinced him they needed to go somewhere to help their marriage.

  Right now he didn’t want to think about it, wasn’t in the mood, especially after what he and Ashira had just shared. It had to have been the most amazing sex he’d ever had, and his body still felt like it was out in space, where it had been blasted just moments ago. He actually needed to wiggle his fingers and toes just to make sure he was still alive.

  “So, what did you have to tell me?”

  He forced his head to move on the pillow to glance over at her. He had forgotten he had mentioned that to her. Now he wished he hadn’t. But he might as well get it over with. “I’m leaving town for a couple of weeks.”

  She leaned up, leaned back, and exposed a pair of perky breasts. He watched, amazed at how their tips hardened before his eyes. “Where are you going?” she asked him.

  He flicked his gaze back to her face. “Hawaii. Barbara wants to go.” He saw the angry tilt to Ashira’s lips and decided he’d better soothe her. “You know I’m going to miss you,” he said quietly, reaching out and cupping her breasts, liking the feel of them and then leaning up to kiss them both.

  “Then take me with you.”

  He pulled back and dropped his hands and stared at her. She was dead serious. “Did you not hear what I said? I’m going to Hawaii with my wife,” he repeated, annoyed. It was bad enough that he had to go; he really didn’t need her giving him a hard time about it.

  “Damn it, I heard you,” she snapped, leaning down closer to his face, too close to suit him. “But why can’t you take both of us? People with kids take their nannies, so why can’t you take your other woman?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Damn, Ashira, it’s not the same, and you know it. Barbara expects me to spend time with her.”

  “Then spend time with her. I’ll have plenty to keep me busy while you’re doing so, since I’ve never been to Hawaii before. But at night, when your old lady is asleep, or if she manages to give you free time to do something that men enjoy doing, like playing golf, you can always visit my room.” She licked her lips. “I’ll be glad to give your balls a good workout.”

  He felt his pecker grow hard at the thought. But he would be stupid to try something like that. “Forget it. Something like that is too risky.”

  “I won’t forget it, and I want to go, Ronnie. Why should I let your wife have all the fun? Don’t I mean anything to you?”

  “Of course you do, but what you’re suggesting is crazy. If I went along with something like that and Barbara found out, she would kill me.”

  Ashira smiled. “Then we’ll make sure she doesn’t find out.” She then reached out and pulled the bedcovers back and took her hand and slowly began skimming her fingers over his body. “Just think about all the fun we’re going to have, Ronnie. You have to take me along. I promise to make the risk worth it.”

  He rubbed his hand down his face, knowing that was the problem. Of all the other women he’d had, there was something about this one that could set his balls aflame. If he wasn’t careful, he could become addicted. “I’ll think about it,” he said.

  “Oh,” she said, laughing lightly as she eased her body over his. “Then I truly need to give you something to think about, don’t I?”

  He opened his mouth to say something, and then got distracted by twin globes dangling down in his face. And when her mouth moved from his shoulder blades down toward his stomach, whatever he’d been about to say totally left his mind.

  “You can’t give up on that little black book,” Vickie implored. “It probably has plenty more names in it. There has to be someone in there who’s going to be worth your time and effort.”

  Courtney and Vickie met after work for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants at the Millennia Mall. Courtney took a sip of her margarita and gave Vickie’s comment some thought. But then Vickie hadn’t been the one who’d been humiliated with the three guys she’d gotten from the book so far. “Maybe, but I’m not about to take any more chances. Three was enough.”

  “So what did you do with it? You didn’t throw it away, did you?”

  Courtney shook her head. “I was tempted to but changed my mind; after all, it was a gift. And then there was that promise I made to Sonya. I threw it in the bottom drawer in my nightstand. Out of sight and out of mind. The next time I meet a guy, I’ll check him out for myself. I just don’t know where in the world Sonya got those men from. She must have met them during an off day. It’s not like her to pick out losers.”

  “I know,” Vickie said, completely baffled and still amazed at the thought of it. “Maybe she met them during that time she was in denial and wouldn’t admit she had the hots for Mike. I bet that was when her focus wasn’t good.”

  Courtney’s lips began to twitch when she remembered how hard Sonya had tried fighting the attraction. “You’re probably right. I would hate to think she’d lost her touch altogether.”

  “So when will the honeymooners be returning?” Vickie asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “This weekend. Carla is throwing together a party for their return. You want to go with me as my date?”

  Vickie chuckled into her piña colada. “Why not? I don’t have anything else to do that night, since Dan won’t be coming to town,” she said of the guy she’d been dating for the past year. Dan lived two hours away, in St. Augustine.
They had met when the two were teaching at the same high school, but a few months ago, Dan Robbins had accepted a job offer to be the principal of an elementary school in the nation’s oldest city and moved away.

  Courtney eased back in her chair and glanced over at her best friend. “And how are things going between you and Dan?”

  Vickie shrugged. “Okay, I guess, but being involved in a long-distance romance is the pits. I liked it better when he was able to drop in at any time, stay the night. Now it’s hard for him to get away for the weekend. I was the one who drove down to see him the last two times. Now it’s his turn and he doesn’t seem all that eager to come. I’m getting the feeling that he doesn’t care one way or the other whether we see each other or not. Sometimes, I just can’t figure men out.”

  Vickie wasn’t by herself, Courtney thought, taking another sip of her drink. But she thought Vickie had Dan figured wrong. Other than Mike and Sonya, she didn’t know of any other couple who was more in love than Dan and Vickie. When you saw them together, you knew they were in love, and she didn’t like hearing the sound of worry and frustration in Vickie’s voice. “Maybe that new school is keeping him busy?” she said in Dan’s defense.

  “Yeah. Whatever.” Then, as if Vickie needed to change the subject, she asked, “How did your mentoring session with Jetrica go last week?”

  Courtney frowned. “Challenging. She missed a couple of our sessions when she cut school.”

  “She’s still doing that?”

  “Yes. Worried her sister to death when she didn’t get home until after dark.”

  Vickie raised a brow. “You don’t think a boy is involved, do you?”

  “God, I hope not. The last thing I need to deal with is Jetrica with a boyfriend.”

  Vickie’s eyes glittered with amusement. “Hey, you had one when you were her age. Remember Matthew Banks?”

  Courtney shook her head. “How can I forget the jerk?”

  Vickie smiled. “Hmm, he’s a jerk now, uhh?”

  “He was a jerk then, but I was too stupid to realize it.”

  “Not stupid, just immature,” Vickie said with another smile.

  “I was stupid—trust me on that one. That was one of the few times my mother was right.”

  “That’s scary.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it.”

  “She and your dad are still trying to make their marriage work?” Vickie asked.

  “So they say. Mom mentioned today they’re planning a trip to Hawaii.”

  “Wow, that’s nice. He’s finally giving in and doing the things she wants to do for a change.”

  Courtney released a half laugh. “Don’t let Dad’s dedicated act fool you. He’s not stupid. Mom’s trust fund is what’s keeping him in line … if he’s really keeping himself in line.”

  “You don’t believe that he is?”

  “I wish I could say otherwise, but my answer is no. It would take a lot for me to believe he’s smartened up and has straightened up his act. But my father likes taking risks where Mom is concerned. They would have done better if they’d each gone their separate ways. Some people just aren’t meant to be together.”

  Courtney hated thinking that way about her parents and hated saying such a thing even more, but all she had to go by was their history, which wasn’t good. “Are you ready to go to Macy’s and hit that sale?” she asked, smiling. She wasn’t about to let her parents’ problems dampen her mood. The fact that she couldn’t land a boyfriend was depressing enough.

  Vickie’s mouth tilted in a grin. “Hey, I’m ready.”

  Barbara checked her watched as she placed the DVD into the player. Ron was attending a staff meeting at the university so she felt confident that he wouldn’t surprise her by coming home unexpectedly. She hadn’t told a soul about the video and didn’t intend to either. This was her secret.

  She took the loveseat in front of the television. This was her third time viewing the video. The first time she’d felt like she was watching an X-rated movie, but then she began feeling comfortable with what she was viewing. The purpose of the video, in her opinion, was not for entertainment purposes, although she was sure some people would use it as such. For Barbara it was educational.

  Ron was the first and only man Barbara had shared her body with. She had been a virgin until she was twenty, and had gotten pregnant that first time. Over the years she hadn’t been savvy enough to develop or try any sexual techniques other than those she was comfortable with, but now she was beginning to see things differently. It wasn’t just about her in the bedroom. It was about Ron and his wants, needs, and desires, as well.

  And as Barbara settled back into the leather cushions, she believed in her heart that what she was watching would one day help to place her marriage on solid ground. No marriage was based on sex alone but for most men it was a major part, and she loved Ron enough to try a few new things.

  She smiled thinking he would definitely be surprised when she did and she hoped that he would also be pleased.

  part two

  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

  —PROVERBS 4:23

  10

  “Welcome back to the States, Lake. Did you enjoy your time in Paris?”

  Lake looked at the beautiful woman standing by his brother’s side. Brandy Masters. He smiled, thinking how good they looked together. Brandy made Grey happy, and for that, Lake would be eternally grateful. “Yes, things went rather well, better than expected. We were able to close the deal without a hitch.”

  “That’s wonderful. Come by the hotel for brunch tomorrow so the three of us can celebrate,” Brandy said, smiling warmly.

  “I’ll make sure I do that.” Lake then glanced at his watch. The honorees had arrived more than an hour ago, so where was Sonya’s cousin? He hadn’t given much thought to the possibility that she would not attend. He was tempted to ask Brandy, since he knew she’d assisted Carla in getting out the invitations. However, he didn’t want to raise Brandy’s suspicions about anything. The last thing he needed was for one of his sisters-in-law to know that he was interested in any woman.

  “Needing to be somewhere else, Lake?”

  He glanced up and met his brother’s gaze. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because you keep looking at your watch.”

  Lake frowned. Leave it to Grey to notice every single thing. “No, I’m just trying to decide how soon I can leave,” he lied. “You know how I am about parties.” At least that much was the truth. In his line of business, he attended enough of them, but that didn’t mean he liked them. However, he had purposefully accepted the invitation to this one. He needed to see Courtney Andrews again to make sure he hadn’t gone off the deep end, and that he hadn’t imagined all those things about her. The woman had become too embedded in his thoughts, and he needed to remind himself why.

  “So I guess you’ve heard Shane and Faith’s good news.”

  Lake nodded to his brother. “Spoke to Mom this morning, and she told me. She’s excited about getting another grandchild.”

  Grey laughed. “Ecstatic is more like the word. Now if she can get you married off, I’m sure she would be overjoyed.”

  He was about to open his mouth and say something to that remark when Brandy said, “Oh, Courtney just arrived. Excuse me, guys, I need to speak with her for a second about something.”

  Both men watched her walk off, and it took a second for Lake to control the rush of sensations that were trying to overtake him. “Who’s Courtney?” he asked, just to see if Grey knew anything about her that Devin hadn’t shared.

  “Courtney Andrews is Sonya’s cousin,” Grey said before taking a sip of his wine.

  At that moment, Lake felt it was safe to turn around. His heart almost stopped beating when his gaze did an appreciative sweep of the woman.

  Her hair flowed in a silky wave around her shoulders, and she had a long, graceful neck. Beautiful. Especially her lips. They were full, inviting, the kind a ma
n would want to nibble, taste, and devour time and time again. He forced his eyes to move lower, and they paused at her chest, taking in the delectable curve of her breasts in the sundress she was wearing before moving downward to her small waist. His gaze moved lower still, and from the flare of the dress around her hips, one wouldn’t know that she possessed one spectacular-looking backside. But he had seen it before and had liked what he’d seen.

  His eyes then went to her legs. Nice. Long. Shapely. And the strappy, high-heeled sandals made them look sexy. Altogether, she was one hell of a gorgeous package, just as he remembered.

  “Like what you see, Lake?”

  For a minute he’d forgotten Grey was still standing there. It was too much to have hoped that his intense perusal of Courtney would go unnoticed. He turned back to Grey. “And what if I do?”

  He watched Grey’s brow arch. “If you do, then I’m sure Brandy would—”

  “No. I don’t want Brandy involved. Alexia or Faith either, for that matter.” He glanced back over his shoulder to Courtney before his gaze swiveled back to Grey. “I want to handle things my way without any interference.”

  Grey lowered his drink from his lips, studied his brother. “Sounds serious.”

  “Possibly, it is.”

  “Just from one look?”

  Lake shrugged. “This isn’t the first look. I saw her from a distance at Devin’s office, the day before I left the country.” And she’s been on my mind ever since. That part he decided not to share with Grey at the moment. He and his three brothers were close. They knew him. They understood him. They had long ago accepted that when it came to his personal business, he liked doing things his way. And if he wanted something bad enough, he got it.

  “So, you came here tonight with a plan,” Grey said, not really surprised.

  Lake shook his head. “I hate to disappoint you, but, no, there’s no plan.”