Red Velvet Kisses

by Sherelle Green

  When his palms met her flesh, she opened her eyes just in time to catch the inquisitive look in his eyes. He lifted her dress even more and glanced over her shoulder to her butt.

  “You must not want us to eat dinner,” he said upon realizing she wasn’t wearing any panties.

  “You weren’t supposed to figure that part out yet,” she said, gently pulling the back of her dress down. “Come on. I’ll give you a tour.”

  She led him through her condo and informed him that she wasn’t showing him her bedroom until after dinner. Luckily, he didn’t put up much of a fuss.

  “What’s for dinner?” he asked when they’d arrived at the dining room table.

  “I’m so glad you asked,” she said as she motioned for him to take a seat. “As you can see, we have a fresh salad and dinner rolls.”

  “Both look great.”

  “Thank you! And for the main entrée, we have green beans that I personally picked from my dad’s garden and...” Her voice trailed off as she rounded the table to lift the cover that was concealing the main dish. “We have filet mignon and lobster tail with my special butter, garlic and herb sauce.”

  “Damn, girl,” Micah exclaimed, looking over the entire spread. “I didn’t know you were throwing down dinner like this.”

  “Told ya I’m good,” she said with a laugh. “I also have a red wine that goes great with the filet mignon.”

  “I must admit,” he said, shaking his head, “I was all set to take you to your bedroom first and eat dinner after, but this looks too good to ignore right now.”

  “Then let’s eat,” she said, pouring him a glass of wine and taking a seat across from him. “Besides, you’ll need to keep up your strength for what I have planned later.”

  He didn’t say anything, but the intense way he watched her told her all she needed to know. He was ready for whatever she had in store.

  An hour and a half later, they’d finished dinner and washed the dishes. Micah was placing the packaged leftovers in the refrigerator and Lex knew this was her time to set the mood.

  “Micah, when you finish, can you meet me in the living room?”

  “Sure,” he said, glancing at her with excitement in his eyes.

  After he agreed, Lex went into the living room and dimmed the lighting before turning on her electric fireplace. All the candles that were burning in the living room and bedroom were a jasmine and lavender mix—scents that were proven to heighten a man’s desires.

  She glanced around the room making sure nothing would get in the way of what she had planned next. She didn’t hear Micah come into the room, but her nipples hardened the minute the stimulating scent of musk and man oozed into her nostrils, taking over her senses. She found comfort in knowing she didn’t have to see him to know he was in close proximity to her.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said, discreetly grabbing the remote to the iPod docking station. She pointed to the couch, indicating for him to sit before leaving the room. Once she was in the confines of her bedroom with the door locked, she walked over to her iPhone and popped in her headphones before scrolling through her audiobooks and pressing play.

  “Congratulations on completing your journey to self-discovery,” the voice said through her headphones. “Now that you have realized your self-worth, you can conquer anything you want in life. Maybe take a chance on a new relationship with that special person you’ve had your eye on.”

  As the voice spoke to her, Lex stepped out of her dress and dabbed some jasmine and lavender body oil on the intimate parts of her body before changing into something she was sure would bring Micah to his knees.

  “Show that person that you can take charge and be the aggressor.”

  Lex added silver glitter pumps to her sexy outfit before running her fingers through her hair and throwing some gloss on her lips.

  “Okay,” she said, standing in front of her full-length mirror before she resumed listening to her audiobook. “The time is now! Don’t keep your future waiting.”

  Lex cut off the audiobook and tossed her phone in a drawer before retuning to the mirror. “Tonight, you aren’t Lex Turner, the woman who plays it safe,” she said firmly. “Tonight, you’re a woman whose ultimate goal is to seduce the man you fell in love with and prove that you’re not the shy girl he met months ago.” She really didn’t need a pep talk, but she gave herself one anyway. She’d already stepped outside her comfort zone with Micah and she felt like she was gaining back the confidence that she’d lost after her relationship with Evan.

  She stepped out into the hallway and angled her hand so that she could click on the music without Micah seeing her. The minute she heard Beyoncé’s latest hit, she had immediately made a mental note to keep the song in the back of her mind. She’d been practicing her striptease all day, and now she was ready for Micah to see what loving him was doing to her.

  * * *

  Micah glanced around when the music suddenly came through the speakers. He didn’t see Lex, but the hairs on the back of his neck stood on alert. He removed his jacket, too overcome with heat to sit on the couch fully clothed.

  As soon as Beyoncé’s voice started singing, Lex’s leg appeared from the side of the wall. Long. Sexy. Enclosed in a sexy silver heel. Micah leaned up in his seat, anticipating what would happen next.

  When she turned the corner, his breath caught when he realized she was wearing the pleated lilac babydoll and silky lace boyshort that she’d purchased at Bare Sophistication lingerie boutique. Oh, my damn, he thought when he realized the scene that was unfolding in front of him. A striptease...in my outfit no less. He knew it wasn’t really his outfit, but it felt like it was. Since the moment he’d rung it up for her, he’d wished he could see it on her.

  Deciding he needed to enjoy this moment, he leaned back on the sofa and linked his hands behind his head. When she finally stood completely in front of him, he realized she was singing along to the song and her voice was amazing. She even harmonized, going low when Beyoncé sang high and vice versa.

  She danced in front of him dipping her butt just to bring it back again and tossing her legs around as if she danced professionally every day. When she walked to the wall and did a quick in and out hip movement, he almost lost it finding it hard to enjoy the dance in it’s entirety when he was hung up on the way her fingers slid down the wall and her back curved to make her butt pop out more.

  After a couple minutes, she began making her way to the sofa. Oh, shit, he thought when she stopped within inches of his grasp, turned her back to him and eased all the way down to the floor before bringing herself back up. When she bent over, giving him an exposed view of her behind covered in the racy lace material, he lost it. His hands gripped her before she had a chance to turn around.

  “Micah,” she said with a giggle as she glanced over her shoulder. “I’m not finished yet.”

  “Oh, you’re done,” he said, standing up and throwing her over his shoulders. She yelped at the sudden overtaking.

  He scanned the rooms until he located her bedroom and tossed her on the bed. “You couldn’t honestly think I could make it through that entire dance without touching you, did you?”

  Instead of answering him, she flashed him a look of innocence, but there was nothing innocent about that dance she’d just given him. He could hear another slow song starting to play and although the sound was faint, he decided to leave the bedroom door open so that they could make love to the music.

  “I’ve been thinking about seeing you in this lingerie outfit since you bought it,” he said as he watched her play with the edges of the babydoll. He took a mental picture, wanting to always remember how free and uninhibited she looked in this moment. Unable to hold back any longer, he quickly removed all his clothes and covered himself before joining her on the bed kissing every part of her body that wasn’t hidden undern
eath material.

  “Aren’t you going to take off my heels and clothes?” she asked.

  “Hell, no,” he said loudly. “I’m making love to you in this babydoll with those sexy shoes on. And,” he said as his fingers went in between her thighs, “since these panties have a slit in the center, we’re definitely keeping these on.”

  He began massaging her clit with his fingers, gradually dipping in two fingers when he felt her getting hotter and wetter.

  “Micah,” she breathed as she began rotating her hips to the movement of his hand. When he felt her on the edge, he increased the pace of his fingers until his hand was soaking wet from her juices.

  Her eyes grew dark and her breathing became labored...signs of a strong orgasm. He opened her legs and eased himself inside of her, loving the fact that he could make love to her at the same time he admired her in her underwear.

  Her sweet moans filled the room and were quickly joined by his intense groans. She felt so good. Too good. He wanted to make this last for as long as he could, but sexing her in lingerie was becoming a new fetish of his and the fact that she looked so damn sexy was making it harder for him to refrain from coming.

  “I want to flip on all fours,” she said between pumps. All fours? Ah, hell... There was no way he could last long if she wanted him to hit it from the back.

  He obliged her request and re-entered her from the back, the lacy material floating about her body with each thrust of his hips. She met him pump for pump, rotating her hips as she did so. Through pure miracle, he managed to push aside his growing need to release his juices and was able to add two additional sexual positions to their sensual rendezvous.

  “I’m coming,” she said in the sexiest voice he’d ever heard from her. Her words were music to his ears, since he was once again on the brink of exploding. With two more thrusts, they both released orgasms so powerful that they succumbed to fatigue.

  “Wow,” Micah said, heaving on the bed with Lex right by his side.

  “Tell me about it,” she said, leaning up to lightly kiss him. They locked eyes and kissed once more with more hunger and potency than their prior kiss.

  “I want to tell you something,” he said after a few moments of silence. Lex gazed up to him, waiting to hear what he had to say.

  “I love you,” he stated as he watched her eyes fill with emotion.

  “I love you, too,” she said with a smile as she scooted closer to him.

  She loves me, he thought as he smiled back and kissed her hard.

  * * *

  He loves me, she thought as she sat near her bay window drinking a much-needed cup of coffee. After their admission last night, they’d made love several more times before falling asleep. Micah had awakened her after only three hours of sleep for a quickie, and to let her know he had to run home to change for a meeting, promising to be back soon.

  She already couldn’t wait for him to hurry back. She was in her prime and was finally living her life, not dwelling on bad decisions she’d made in the past that had led to her biggest failed relationship. Maybe I had to go through that to find and appreciate a man like Micah.

  When she heard the knock on her door, she secured her robe, although she briefly considered answering the door for Micah naked. She couldn’t wait to tell him about all her revelations since they hadn’t gotten a chance to talk last night after her striptease.

  She swung open the door. “Hello, sweetheart,” said a repulsive voice that had only appeared in her nightmares. Please tell me I’m still sleeping.

  She’d often heard people say that you can’t outrun your past. As she stood there staring at the person on the other side of her door, it seemed the past she’d been running from and trying to forget had just popped up on her doorstep.

  Chapter 19

  “What are you doing here and how did you get past security?” she asked the man, demanding an answer. “And you’re supposed to be in New York.”

  “I can’t come visit my hometown and see my wife,” Evan Gilmore said with a devious smile.

  “Ex-wife,” she replied quickly.

  “Details, details,” he said, trying to push his way through the door. “Security was busy so I decided to let myself up.”

  “I didn’t invite you in,” she said, pushing him back through the door. “And I’m calling security to escort you back out.”

  “Speaking of security, you may want to hear what I have to say before you kick me out,” Evan said firmly.

  “I’m not interested in anything you have to say.”

  “Even if it’s about your little boy toy, Micah Madden?” Evan said, succeeding in getting her interest.

  “He’s none of your concern.”

  “He is when he puts the woman I used to love in danger.”

  “Love? Is that what you tell yourself every night?” Lex said, her voice getting higher.

  “I did love you,” Evan argued. “Besides, I may have been a lot of things, but I never forced myself on another woman.”

  “Excuse me,” Lex said in irritation. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about and I need you to leave.” She started to close the door on him.

  “At least look at this file,” Evan said, stopping the door with his arm. “Micah isn’t the man you think he is. I don’t have to come in, but at least meet with me before I go back to New York. After being together for so long you at least owe me that.”

  Lex opened the door back up. “Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t owe you one damn second of my time, nor do I care what you’re up to. Once I shut this door on you, I plan to forget that your sorry ass ever existed, and I suggest you stay away from me unless you want me to get a restraining order.”

  Evan laughed maliciously and started clapping his hands together. “Bravo, Lex, bravo. Seems you gave up that stupid no-cursing rule.”

  “I only curse when I need to, and when it comes to scum like you, I have to stoop to your level to get my point across.”

  “Oh, I see,” Evan said, leaning against the doorjamb. “You must think this guy Micah actually loves you and wants to be with you. I heard about him and trust me, you aren’t the type of woman he’s into. You’re the girl next door...the nice girl...the basic girl. When he’s done playing it safe with you he’ll go back to the type of women he prefers dating. The kind of independent and feisty woman you’ll never be.”

  “Go to hell,” she said, balling her hand in a fist to refrain from slapping him.

  “Already headed there,” he said, holding the file out again. “And it seems your boy will be joining me there.” He tossed the file through the door onto the floor.

  “Read the file,” Evan said. “Because if I have my way, I’ll tell the press who the true Micah Madden is and dash any hopes of him really getting that stupid security company off the ground. And what’s the name of their biggest recent investor? Grant & Parker Inc. is it? Did I forget to mention that I’m the financial advisor for Ben Grant and Liam Parker? Oh, yeah, I have clients all over the United States, not just Chicago and New York. Imagine my surprise when I was on a conference call with them and they mentioned having a great dinner with a new company they are investing in. What a shame that Shawn Miles will go down because he partnered with a shady guy like Madden.”

  “I’ve heard enough,” Lex said as she shut the door again. “Don’t ever come here again.”

  “I won’t have to,” he said behind the slammed door. “After you read what’s in the file you’ll be calling me.”

  She looked through her peephole to make sure he was gone. Usually she always checked the peephole before answering the door, but her mind had been elsewhere.

  “He’s gone,” she said to herself as she tried to slow her heartbeat. She hadn’t seen him in over six years and she’d hoped she went the rest of he
r life without seeing him again. As she got up from the door, she glanced at the file before picking it up off the floor and going to her desk.

  Once she was seated, she opened the file and began reading the contents inside. She didn’t really know what she was looking for until she got to a document from Fisk University. Micah’s freshman year transcript was included. He is smart, she thought, taking note of all the A’s and B’s. During his first year, he’d even joined a business fraternity on campus that was really hard for freshman students to enter.

  Lex was still wearing a smile when she got to one of two police reports, one from the campus police and one from the Nashville, Tennessee, police. Her smile dropped instantly.

  “What the...” She scanned both documents, reading a detailed account about Micah’s arrest in college. One of the statements in the report momentarily stopped her breathing.

  “Micah Madden and Neil Timmons took turns sexually assaulting me against my will,” Lex read aloud, quoted from a woman named Ashley Anderson. Lex sat there and read both police reports from top to bottom before looking at the final document that was a picture of Ashley after the attack. The image made Lex drop the entire file out of her hands.

  One hand flew to her mouth and she leaned back in her desk chair. She couldn’t believe what she was reading, and as she recalled all the details of her conversations with Micah, she remembered that he never told her what he had been arrested for.

  The case was dropped based off of false evidence...His words swirled around in her mind. As she sat there, recounting everything that Micah had ever told her, she knew what was in the file couldn’t be true. But still, there was a little voice inside her head that wondered how big of a role he actually played. She was aggravated that he hadn’t come right out and told her what had happened.

  She ran and got her work cell phone, which would allow her number to appear unknown to whomever she called, and dialed Evan’s number. He answered on the second ring.