Risking It All

by Ambrielle Kirk

  Quinton opened his eyes. “Oh, yeah.”

  “I want you to come.”

  “Lissa…I will come. You get yours, don’t worry about me. I will come.”

  Julissa pumped and rocked on him. She found the perfect position to keep her pelvis in to give maximum contact to her clit, and brought herself to climax. As if driven by her release, he came, gripping her ass checks, shuddering, and calling her name.

  Quinton had Kleenex in the backseat of his Rover, which they used that to clean up. After letting the windows down to clear them of the fog he pulled off, heading towards the hotel.

  When they were inside, Julissa had every intention to leave after she had changed back into the clothes she had left her house in, but Quinton was sitting down on his couch, in front of the television set, looking at the black screen.

  “Lissa, there is something that I need to tell you.”

  Julissa stopped in her tracks, clutching her handbag to her chest. “I’m listening.”

  “Sit down, please. You make me nervous when you look frightened like that.”

  Julissa sat down on the couch beside him.

  “When I first saw you walk in the ballroom downstairs, you triggered something that I have never felt before. I just couldn’t explain it, then, but now I know what it is. The fact that you are an extremely beautiful women and I can’t keep my eyes and hands off you is only the half of it. Your mind, body, soul…I can’t resist any of it.”

  “Okay.” Julissa didn’t know what to say. She had a feeling this conversation would come.

  “And then our agreement we made was that we would get to know each other better. We’ve gotten to know each other very well within the past weeks, so much so, that we cannot keep away from each other, even if it means breaking some hearts.”

  No, she didn’t want to break Michael’s heart. No matter what he’d done to her, he couldn’t ever let him find out about this.

  Quinton shifted on the couch. “Lissa, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to keep my promise to you about coming between you and Michael.”

  Julissa shook her head.

  “I can’t keep my promise, Lissa, because I want you to myself.”

  “Quinton, please…I’m engaged now. Things were different when we made those promises. I’m more than Michael’s girlfriend. I’m his fiancé. We’re going to be married.”

  “Is that what you want? Is he what you really want?” His voice quivered and he waited for her to answer. When she didn’t, he said, “Don’t live your life in vain. Do you think that you would be here with me if you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him?”

  “If I knew then…when we shared our first kiss…what I know now, I would have never involved myself with you. I thought I was living my life in vain until Michael proposed.”

  “Then, why then, are you here with me now?” He was agitated. “Why did you come to me after you became his fiancé?”

  The question was like an arrow through her heart, but Julissa knew precisely why. She lusted after Quinton, and wanted him in the naughtiest of ways. A relationship could not be based on just sheer sex. She’d been warned about this.

  “Do you want me to leave?” she asked. “Do you want to call it quits?”

  “Why would you ask me something like that? I meant what I said when I told you that I want you to myself.” Quinton got up and began pacing back and forth in front of her. “Do you love your fiancé?”

  “Yes,” Julissa whispered. Michael would always be her first and there was no changing that.

  “Are you in love with him?”

  She shook her head in confusion. “What’s the difference?”

  “Believe me, there’s a difference. What are your plans, Lissa?” He threw up his hands in exasperation. “Do you plan to marry him and we just keep fucking as if everything is all good?”

  “Do you want to know the honest truth?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought you’d fuck me one good time and then get tired of me. We were attracted to each other and I wanted to just fuck so we could get each other out of our systems. I never thought that we would end up like this.”

  “I never wanted you as a one night stand, Julissa. I’ve never once hinted for us to have something like that, and I think you know that.” He sat back down on the couch beside her. “Tell me your plans as it stands right now. Do you want to marry your fiancé and fuck me on the side, too?”

  “I don’t know. Look, we should stop if this is too much for you to handle.” Her frustration was evident in the tone of her voice. She was confused. How could she have let it gone this far?

  “I don’t want to stop, baby. I can’t stop now. You’ve become a part of my life and I fear losing you.”

  “Are you asking me to choose?” Julissa asked.

  “Yes. I mean, no…I don’t know. When I told you that I would be with you however I can, I meant that. If you must marry your fiancé’…” Quinton did not finish, which was proof enough that he was talking nonsense.

  A secret affair. She could never do that. It was selfish. What was Quinton asking her to do? Did he want her to himself or did he want to continue their affair?

  “Q, we all know that things can’t happen that way. I don’t want to hold you back any longer. You are too good of a man.”

  “Julissa, I need to tell you something else.” He lowered his head.

  “What?”

  “I have a girlfriend.”

  “Excuse me?” Did she hear him right? Did he just say that he had a girlfriend?

  “When I met you, at the rehearsal, I had a girlfriend. Of course, we are separated and have been for the past three months, but we never officially broke up with each other.”

  She frowned. “Are you serious?”

  “I’m serious. We’ve only been dating for about seven months. I called it off with her three months ago due to some problems we had been having and she convinced me that she would change, so we called it a separation. So, that’s why I say that we never officially broke up.”

  All Julissa heard was ‘I have a girlfriend’. That same statement rung in her ears over and over again. How could she be so stupid? He was using her. Using her to make up the time that he wasn’t with his girlfriend.

  “Julissa?” He reached out for her hand.

  “Don’t touch me!” She snatched her hand away.

  “I knew this wouldn’t be good.” He dropped his hands in his head.

  “When were you going to tell me?”

  “I didn’t think it was that important. That relationship is over to me. It was over three months ago, before I even met you. I just needed to get that off my chest. It’s been nagging me for a while. I want to keep nothing about me hidden from you.”

  “So, what are your plans, Quinton? You want to keep your girlfriend while still fucking me?” Her hands went to her hips. “Well, that’s not going to happen, buddy. It’s time to stop living lies. We won’t be seeing each other anymore, Quinton.” She walked towards the door and pulled it open.

  Quinton was at her heels. “You don’t really mean that.”

  “I do.” She walked out of the door towards the elevators.

  “Julissa, please…there is no one else, but you, and that is the only way that I will have it.”

  She pressed the down arrow button on the elevator.

  “Julissa, do you honestly think I would move all the way here to give up what I had only to mess things up with you? Why do you think I am here? Why do you think I moved here?”

  When he reached up to caress her cheek, she did not move away. And he leaned in to kiss her and she did not move away either.

  Quinton’s glare pleaded with her. “It was for you, Julissa.”

  The doors to the elevator opened, signaling to her that it was time to go. She broke the embrace and stepped in.

  Her throat burned from fussing with him, but she needed to put a stop to this. Right now. “Take your own advice…let’s not live our lives in
vain. We all know that the thing we have here cannot last. Goodbye, Quinton.”

  She pressed her lips together, and fought to see through the tears brimming in her eyes as the elevator took her down to the ground floor.

  Chapter Ten

  “Michael and I are having a get together this Friday at the house. He’s hosting a party for one of his colleagues. You can bring a date, if you want,” Julissa told Shanice while on the cell phone with her.

  “Sounds like fun. I’m bringing Brian. What time do the festivities start?”

  “Around seven.”

  When she hung up, she added their names to the guest list. So far, a firm twenty people had already RSVP’d.

  “You’ve got mail!” Her laptop spoke, informing her of the new mail in her inbox. She placed the guest list back in her planner and clicked to open the message.

  Lissa,

  It’s been four whole days since I last saw you. I had truly hoped by now that you would have had time to think things over and perhaps return my phone calls to discuss us.

  I was surprised on Saturday when you sent a Jenna Barnes to show me properties that we had mapped out and planned to see together. The excitement of searching for my new home is nonexistent without you, therefore, I refuse to sign any real estate contract or purchase any home without your help. Either you help me as I would like it or I will go it alone myself. But, do not ever send someone in your place to help me.

  When can I see you again? I’m missing the hell out of you.

  Love, Q.

  Julissa sighed, hit reply, and began responding to his message.

  Q,

  I have had time to think things over. And the reason that I have not returned any of your phone calls is because I stand firm about what I said last Wednesday night.

  I fear that when we are together, we will follow the road to a dead-end over again. Dead ends are something that I do not want in my life, especially since I will soon be married to Michael. I feel guilty as it is for having such adulterous secrets even before wedding vows are exchanged.

  And to your question, our relationship ended that night. I cannot promise you that we will ever see each other again.

  Julissa.

  Before she could think about changing what she wrote, she hit the send button. This should be the email to end it all. For she knew that if she saw Quinton’s face one more time that she would still give in to temptation. In fact, it was Michael who had asked her hand in marriage and no one else. Michael was the one that she had given her virginity to. She and Michael had been together for three long years and made it through thick and thin. Michael was the man for her. Sex wasn’t what bonded their relationship.

  Julissa suddenly thought about something and got up from behind her desk. She knocked on Martha’s office door before entering.

  “Good morning, Julissa. How are you doing, sweetheart?”

  “I’m fine, Martha. And you?” She stood at the doorway.

  “I’m just fine. Did you want to meet about something?”

  Julissa took the invitation and sat in the chair in front of Martha’s desk.

  “Martha? Remember when you covered for me about a week ago when Michael was looking for me?”

  Martha seemed to be in thought, and then she said, “I do. That was the day you worked at home. I knew that Mondays were your half day, so I couldn’t figure out why Michael was calling here at the office for you.” Martha rubbed her hands together. “Your calendar was also free, so I didn’t think you were out showing properties either.”

  “Martha, I admit that I told a little lie to Michael about where I’d been. But, the truth is, I just needed some time away from him. You know, to sort things out.” Well, at least it wasn’t a complete lie.

  Martha reached out and grabbed her hands over the desk. “I know. Are you having doubts about marrying Michael?” When Julissa didn’t answer, she continued, “You don’t have to answer that. I had doubts about my marriage as well. I had been scared that I might have been giving my heart to the wrong man.”

  “You did?” At least now Julissa could say that she wasn’t the only woman having doubts about marriage.

  “Yes, I did. You will get over it, Julissa. From what I can see, Michael is a very good man. You both have done so well for yourselves.”

  “Thank you, Martha.” Julissa got up. “I needed that talk.”

  “Anytime…”

  “Are you still gonna be at out dinner party on Friday?” Julissa smiled.

  “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  Julissa felt much better. The rest of the day, she went over the menu and guest list again for this coming Friday. She would show her fiancé just how much of a good wife that she would be to him. No, she didn’t have time to think about what had happened in the past. She had a party to plan.

  **

  When Friday evening came along, she and Michael had their hands full. People started arriving shortly before seven, the planned start time. They began seating guests in the sitting room as they arrived with appetizers and light drinks and waited in the foyer for others.

  They were both dressed in Versace outfits that Julissa had purchased a couple days ago for the occasion. Michael was dressed conservatively in formal sport coat and pant suit. Julissa thought that he looked very handsome. She was wearing a striking red summer dress and matching red stilettos. They had already gotten several compliments from the guests saying that their looks complimented each other. Several people also congratulated them on their new engagement.

  “Think we have enough wine and liquor to keep everyone happy?” Michael asked her.

  “Of course, baby. I have it all under control,” Julissa reassured Michael with a kiss on the cheek.

  The doorbell rang again and Michael opened it. It was Shanice and Brian.

  “Hi, girl.” Shanice smiled. “Oooo, you two look nice.” They hugged.

  “Thank you. Thanks for coming,” Michael said, shaking Brian’s hand.

  “Michael, this is Brian. Brian…Michael, Julissa’s fiancé’.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Brian greeted Michael.

  “There are some other guests waiting in the sitting room. Drinks and appetizers, too. We’re waiting on a couple more people to get here,” Julissa said.

  “Oh, great. Let’s go get a drink, Brian.” Shanice said, and they disappeared into the sitting room.

  Julissa looked at the guest list in her hand and checked off Shanice and Brian. “We’re waiting on two more couples and we’re good to go.”

  “Actually, I invited some other people that may not have gotten on your list in time,” Michael said, peeking out of the window.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. I had to include the president of the company. I just forgot to let you know. It looks like there are some people pulling up now.” Michael opened the door and waited in the doorway for the last guests to arrive.

  Julissa stood behind to check her reflection in the mirror on the wall in the foyer. She had worried a lot over the guests arriving and she needed to make sure that her hair wasn’t wild or her dress wasn’t out of place. Satisfied with her appearance, she joined Michael at the door. It looked like six people had just arrived and were now headed up the driveway. First, they greeted the president of Michael’s company and his neighbor. Next, they greeted Martha and her husband. Martha complimented them on their home and professionally manicured lawn. She also joked that she understood now why they never took vacations, living in such a lovely home.

  When Martha and her husband stepped aside, Julissa could have had a mini stroke when she confirmed who the next guest was. Standing in front of them, in the flesh, was Quinton and another unknown male. Her mouth fell open.

  “Hello. Michael. Julissa.” Julissa hadn’t heard his voice in a while, but it sounded like music to her ears.

  Julissa watched in shocked as Michael extended his hands to Quinton.

  “Glad you could come,” Michael said, shaking hands with Quinton.


  She knew Michael enough to tell he was putting on a front. The expression on his face told him that he didn’t care one way or the other if Quinton was there or not.

  Who had invited Quinton?

  “Julissa?” Michael nudged her.

  She was so frozen in place that she did not realize that Quinton had her hands extended to her.

  “Hi.” Julissa took his hand in greeting.

  He slipped his hands into hers and squeezed lightly.

  Julissa made eye contact with him, her eyes filled with questions. If she thought Michael was handsome tonight, then Quinton was fine and sexy as all get out. The two were like night and day standing before each other. But only one of them outshined the other.

  “This is Taron.” Quinton introduced his guest and Michael and Julissa shook hands with him as well.

  “We have drinks and refreshments in the sitting room,” Michael motioned towards the sitting room and Quinton and Taron headed that way, but not before Quinton turned and gave her a seductive glance. That one look caused nerves to shoot up between her thighs.

  When the two were out of earshot, Julissa looked at Michael. “Did you invite him?”

  “Yes,” Michael looked at her as if wanting to ask if she had a problem with that. “He and the president, Joe, went to college together. I didn’t know that until I was asked to attend a meeting this past Tuesday with Joe, some managers, and Quinton and his colleagues about designing some custom software for use by our firm.”

  “Oh.”

  “Anything else? I need to go make the speech for Ray, so we can get things started. Make yourself useful, please. Go and make the final touches to the food table.” Michael turned and walked away.

  Now, as nervous as she had ever been in her life, she headed toward the dining room. There was a small buffet area for the food set up along the wall that they had catered for the event. Thank God, the only thing Julissa had to worry about making was the dessert.

  “Julissa.”

  She jumped at the sound of Shanice’s voice.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Shanice came around the table as she was checking the dishes. “Michael said you may have needed a little help.”