Embracing Forever

by Sheryl Lister

  Chapter Six

  Bryson followed Raven home from the sports bar. He got out and walked over to her car. “You want to take a ride with me?”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Just to the beach.” The past couple of days had been warmer than usual, with temperatures near ninety. Now at eight, they’d cooled to the mid-seventies.

  Raven stared at him as if contemplating his offer. “Sure. Let me change real quick.”

  “I’ll wait for you in the car.“ If he went inside, they would not be leaving and he was trying to keep his promise to go slow.

  “Okay.”

  He sat in the car listening to the latest Bruno Mars song and tapping out the rhythm on his steering wheel. She came back in a flash wearing a pair of denim crop pants and a fitted tee. “That was fast.”

  “You know I don’t take forever to pick out clothes. I’m either wearing it or not.”

  Bryson chuckled and started the engine. He made the short five-minute drive and, with the late hour, easily found parking in the lot. The sun had just about gone down, but they had a few minutes to play a short game of volleyball. He popped the trunk, got out and retrieved the ball, and then came around to help her out.

  “Volleyball?”

  “Yep. We have enough light to play to ten. You in?”

  Raven looked at him as if he’d asked a silly question. “Of course.”

  He bowed. “After you, Your Majesty.”

  She snatched the ball, rolled her eyes and strutted off.

  Bryson chuckled and followed. They walked across the sand to the nearest net and removed their shoes.

  She tossed him the ball. “You can go first, since this will be your only chance to serve.”

  He gave her a kiss and ducked under the net. He served and she returned it with the quickness and power of a professional athlete. He loved her competitive spirit. They went back and forth fairly evenly until the score was tied at nine.

  “Looks like I’m about to be two for two tonight,” Raven bragged, slightly winded.

  She served it and Bryson ran up and slammed it slightly over the net on her side. She dove and just missed it. “Looks can be deceiving, baby.”

  Raven stood up and brushed the sand off her clothes. “Yeah, well next time.”

  He crossed the net. “I think I deserve a reward for winning. And I owe you for the pool game.” He brushed her hair off her face. “And I know the perfect prize,” he said as he lowered his head and pulled her closer. He’d been waiting all evening to hold her in his arms and kiss her this way. His hands journeyed up her spine and to her shoulders. He cradled her face between his hands and brushed his lips across her cheeks, her forehead and her closed eyelids before reclaiming her mouth. She came up on her tiptoes, slid her hands around his back under his shirt and pressed her body against his, eliciting a groan from his throat. He lifted his head.

  “What are you doing to me?” she whispered.

  “The same thing you’re doing to me.”

  She stepped out of his embrace and walked toward the water.

  Bryson gave her a minute then followed. He fit himself behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you still having trouble with this?”

  “Yes…no…I don’t know. You’ve always been in the friend zone and now that you’re out—”

  “Now that I’m out, I can’t see going back to that exclusively.”

  “And I don’t want that, either. I wasn’t sure how to act around Rome and Ken tonight at first with them knowing about us.”

  Bryson had picked up on her hesitancy when she first arrived, but as the evening progressed, she had relaxed. “Did either of them say anything to you?”

  “No. Did they say anything to you?”

  “Kendrick noticed how hard it was for me to take my eyes off you and he said he hoped it worked out.” He thought it best to skip the part about her being the one for now. “You seemed to be okay after a while.”

  “Yeah.” The breeze kicked up and she shivered.

  “We can leave if you’re cold.”

  Raven angled her head. “Can we sit for a few minutes?”

  He answered by lowering himself to the sand and pulling her down next to him. After a minute or two of silence, they talked about everything and nothing and Bryson marveled at the fact that after so many years of friendship, they never ran out of things to say. Their conversation had a natural flow and the relaxed camaraderie they shared was something he treasured. He grasped her hand and they listened to the waves crashing against the shore as the gentle breeze blew. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

  “I don’t have anything planned.”

  “I’d like to take you out to dinner. Is seven a good time?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, and no sweats, jeans, slacks or T-shirts. I want to see some leg, so put on one of those dresses stashed in the back of your closet.”

  She whipped her head around. “A dress? Bryse, come on,” she whined. “Can’t I just put on a pair of slacks with a nice blouse?”

  Bryson smiled. “Nope. This is a real date. Dinner at a fancy restaurant, wine, candles, you know that kind of stuff.” He tweaked her nose. “And stop pouting,” he added with a chuckle.

  Raven turned back to the water. “The last time I dressed up, it took longer to get ready than the actual date lasted.”

  He instinctively knew she was talking about her last date. “You don’t have to worry about our date ending like the other one. I promise I’ll make it worth your time.”

  “All right. But only because I like you.”

  Bryson threw his head back and laughed. “We’ll go with that then. For the record, I like you, too.” He came to his feet and extended his hand.

  Raven grasped his hand and he pulled her to her feet. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Bryse.”

  “For what?”

  “For giving me time to get used to us. You asked me what you could do to help me and I said nothing. But you’re doing it just by being you.” She laid her head on his chest. “Please don’t ever change.”

  His heart full, he whispered, “I won’t.” He promised himself from this moment on that he would do everything in his power to make her happy and that she would never regret taking a chance on him.

  * * *

  Raven dried off, smoothed lotion on and put on her bra and panties. She walked out of the bathroom and went into her closet to search for a dress. “And how did he know they were stuffed in the back?” she muttered while pulling out one after the other. The only reason she had so many was because Erika had dragged her shopping on more than one occasion, citing that Raven needed something to wear just in case she had a hot date. Her hand landed on the eggplant-colored dress she’d worn on her date with Darren and she immediately shoved it back in its place. She frowned. Just the memory of what happened tempted her to torch it. Maybe she’d donate it because she couldn’t ever see herself wearing it again. The sound of her doorbell interrupted her mental tirade. Raven peeked over at the clock. It was only five thirty. What was Bryson doing here so early? She started to put on her robe, but changed her mind. Just because they’d slept together didn’t mean she would start answering the door half dressed. She quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and a tee and rushed to the door.

  She stood stunned at the sight of her brother leaning against the wall. “Simeon! What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming back until next week sometime.”

  Simeon lifted a brow. “Hello to you too, sis. Are you going to let me in or keep me standing out here like a solicitor?”

  Raven backed up and let him in.

  He kissed her cheek and walked into the living room. “How are you?”

  “Good. You still didn’t answer my question.”

  He made himself comfortable in one of the chairs anchoring her sofa. “The date on one of my cases changed and I have to get back to work on Monday to prepare.”

  “How’re Mom and Da
d?” she asked, taking the other chair.

  “They’re doing well. Mom said she’ll call you next week. Dad’s talking about him and Mom going on one of those month-long cruises.”

  “Are you serious? That’s great. They’ve been talking about taking one for a long time.” She glanced over at the clock to see how much time she had before needing to get dressed.

  Simeon chuckled. “Yeah. I guess now that Dad has expanded his medical practice, he feels more comfortable leaving.”

  “Good for him.” Their dad had been the town’s physician since before she was born. “I know you saw the whole town.”

  “Just about.” He rattled off the names of relatives and friends they knew. “Ava told me to tell you hello. She and Owen seem to be doing well. Then of course, the question came up about my status.” He groaned, slid down in the chair and covered his eyes. “You would not believe the number of people who asked me whether I’m dating someone seriously, engaged or married. And Mom was the worst.”

  Raven laughed. When she’d gone home for Ava’s wedding, her mother had made a point of reminding her that Raven and Ava were the same age and asked when she could expect to have the same mother-of-the-bride privilege. Raven had circumvented the question the entire week, especially since she had broken up with her boyfriend a few weeks before after seeing him kissing another woman. She glanced over at the clock again.

  “She told me about every person around our age who’s gotten married in the last year, who had babies and who was expecting. In a way, I was glad to cut the visit short.” Simeon yawned and stretched.

  “You look tired. Maybe you should go home and take a nap.” Raven wanted him to be gone before Bryson arrived. Even though they knew each other, Simeon would be suspicious if she came out wearing a dress, knowing how much she hated wearing them.

  “I am a little tired.” He stood.

  Thank goodness! Her relief was short-lived as he kicked off his shoes and stretched his six-foot frame across her sofa. Now what? She checked the time again. Bryson would be there in less than an hour and she needed to change. It wouldn’t be a problem if she didn’t have to get all dressed up.

  “Do you have somewhere to be or something? That’s like the fourth or fifth time you’ve looked at the clock.”

  Raven didn’t realize he’d seen her. “Just hanging out with an old friend for a while,” she said nonchalantly, hoping he’d take the hint and leave. “I was about to change when you got here.”

  Simeon eyed her a long moment. “Don’t mind me. Go ahead and get dressed.”

  That was not what she wanted to hear, but she didn’t have a choice. She stalked to her bedroom, grumbling about nosy, annoying little brothers. She knew he only wanted to stay to find out who she was spending her time with. She took a deep breath. “Relax, Raven. He knows Bryson and I have been friends for forever and go out all the time,” she repeated under her breath. She took down the black dress that Erika had bought six months ago and still had the tag attached. It stopped mid-thigh, had a halter neckline and, aside from a four-inch wide strip of fabric with cutouts down the center, left her upper back bare. Raven thought the dress a little too risqué for her tastes. It had caused a minor argument in the store and, when Raven refused to purchase it, Erika did. As they left the store, her cousin shoved the bag at her and told her she expected her to wear it with authority. Sighing, she took it off the hanger and slipped it on. Raven walked over to the full-length mirror in the bathroom. Bryson said he wanted to see some leg. Wearing this, he’d see more than enough. She applied her makeup, buckled her four-inch black sandals that had one thin strap across the toe and one around her ankle and took a deep breath. She grabbed the small matching black purse and wrap then headed back to the living room.

  Simeon bolted upright on the sofa. “Damn, sis! Is that you?” Then a scowl covered his handsome face. “Old friend, my ass. Who is he?”

  Raven laughed. “Just Bryson, so you can stand down on your big, bad brother routine.”

  “I don’t ever recall you dressing like this to hang out with Bryson.”

  “That’s because I don’t tell you every time we hang out.” And because she’d never dressed like this for anyone. Ever. “Now that you know who it is, you can leave.”

  “Nah, I think I’ll stick around for this. I haven’t seen Bryse in a while. Are y’all meeting Jerome and Kendrick, too?”

  She tried to keep the irritation off her face. “No.”

  He stroked his goatee. “This is getting more interesting by the moment.”

  “Don’t you have a flavor-of-the-month you need to call?”

  “I don’t have a flavor-of-the-month. I’m happily single these days because most women have a problem with the long hours I have to put in at the firm.” Being three years out of law school, he worked hard to make a name for himself. “Since when did the two of you start hanging out alone?”

  “Since twelve years ago. And we all just were out last night. I’ve done the same thing with Ken and Rome, so it’s no big deal. Go home, Simeon. This is not a courtroom and I’m not on the witness stand.”

  A slow grin made its way across Simeon’s mouth. “I think you’re not telling me something.”

  Raven placed her hands on her hips. “You’re correct. I’m not telling you anything.” The doorbell rang. He made a move to stand and she leveled him with a glare that froze him in place. “This is not your house and you don’t open my door unless I ask you to.” She pivoted and went to let Bryson in. She stifled a moan when she saw him standing there wearing a charcoal gray suit that she knew had been tailored just for him. With his towering height, clean-shaven face and those sexy locs flowing over his shoulders, he was every woman’s fantasy come true. Raven finally found her voice. “Hey, Bryse.”

  He didn’t move or utter a word.

  “Bryse?”

  “You look good, girl.”

  “Thanks. Come in. My brother’s here.”

  “Yeah, I know. I recognized his car.” Simeon’s cobalt blue mustang was hard to miss.

  She turned and started back to the living room and heard Bryse curse. “What?”

  Bryse said for her ears only, “You’d better be glad your brother is here.”

  Raven read the meaning in his eyes, loud and clear.

  “Hey, Simeon,” Bryson said.

  “What’s up, Bryson.” They did a one-arm hug. “It’s been a minute. How’re things at the center?”

  “Going well. I’m sure Raven will fill you in on what we’ve got coming up. How’s life in the courtroom?”

  “Busy. That’s why I had to come back early from my vacation.”

  “I know how that goes.” Bryson turned his attention to Raven. “You ready?”

  “Yep.” She glared at her brother.

  Simeon chuckled, put on his shoes and pushed to his feet. “I can take a hint.”

  Raven snorted. “If you could take a hint, you’d be already gone.”

  He looked affronted. “See how she treats me, man?”

  Bryson laughed.

  Simeon planted a kiss on Raven’s temple and whispered, “We’re definitely going to talk about this.” He preceded them out of the door.

  Raven locked up and walked to Bryson’s car. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother observing them curiously, but she didn’t look his way. He backed out of the space and she threw up a wave as he passed.

  Bryson opened the door and waited for her to get in. Instead of closing it, he popped the trunk of his Audi by remote, came back with a dozen red roses and handed them to her. “I had planned to give them to you at the door, but I saw Simeon’s car and didn’t know if you wanted him to know, so I waited.”

  “They’re beautiful, Bryse, and thank you.” He smiled and closed the door. He was making it difficult to keep from falling for him. The fragrant flowers filled the car’s interior.

  He got in on his side and started the car, but didn’t immediately pull off. His gaze swept over her
with naked desire. “Raven, you look absolutely stunning. You make me want to cancel the plans I made and keep you home. I hope I don’t have to act a fool tonight.”

  Raven’s mouth dropped. “What does that mean?”

  “If a man so much as glances your way, there are going to be problems.”

  She smiled. “Just drive.” In the past when they’d gone out, he had displayed a level of possessiveness that reminded her of her brother. However, this time his tone and look indicated something else entirely. She didn’t bother to ask where they were going, just made herself comfortable and observed the passing scenery. Forty minutes later, he pulled up to the valet in front of Lawry’s The Prime Rib restaurant in Beverly Hills.

  Bryson turned the car over to the valet, escorted Raven in and gave his name to the hostess. They were seated in a booth and had their drink orders taken within five minutes.

  “This is nice. I like your style, Mr. Montgomery.” The booths lined the walls, tables for four were arranged in the middle of the floor, and expensive chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

  “Thanks.”

  They spent a few minutes poring over the menu and both decided on the signature prime rib. The server came back with their glasses of champagne and took their dinner order.

  Bryson raised his glass. “To the beginning of something beautiful.”

  Raven touched her glass to his, their eyes never leaving each other while they sipped.

  “So, tell me about this marriage pact you mentioned. We never got around to finishing the conversation that night.”

  Her face warmed with the remembrance. After all the screaming she’d done, it was a wonder none of her neighbors had come banging on the door. She took another gulp of her champagne. “It was something we did to get Quinn off our backs. She’s into romance and after Ava’s wedding, she was feeling all mushy and talked us into agreeing that we’d be married within a year.”

  “You said Mac and Ryleigh have already gotten married.”

  “Yeah, which surprised the heck out of us because neither of them had ever relationships that lasted past the moment. At least we were there for Mac’s wedding. Ryleigh eloped.”