Risking It All
Page 14
“Yes. Thanks.” Julissa was glad for the help. Seeing Shanice’s smiling face calmed her down a little and her fingers stopped shaking.
What on earth had prompted Michael to invite Quinton to this party? When he first met Quinton, he hinted that he didn’t even like the guy. Sure, he had a few connections with the president, but…
“Are you okay, babe?” Shanice asked. “You look a little frazzled. Don’t worry. Everything is going good in the sitting room. The appetizers are great and people are really taking advantage of the fully stocked bar you guys have.”
“Oh, great. I was a little worried about that.”
“Food looks delicious!” Shanice exclaimed, as she lifted the lid on one the dishes.
“Would you mind helping me take the pies out of the oven.”
Shanice followed her into the kitchen. “I haven’t seen you since that night at the club now that I think about it. What have you been up to?”
“I’ve been kind of busy. You know the real estate market picks up in spring and summer months.”
“Well, that means extra cash for you. I’m sure you’re gonna need it with that wedding you and Michael are planning. Did you set a date yet?”
“No, not yet,” Julissa handed Shanice a few pies to set on the kitchen island next to the two strawberry shortcakes. “We’re looking for locations first.”
“Oh, good idea. You know, I haven’t heard anything from that heffa, Christina, yet. I can’t believe she withheld sex from him for a month before the wedding. Do you think she’s still alive?”
Julissa laughed at Shanice’s joke. “I think their flight is scheduled to land in Atlanta tonight. We should plan dinner or something so that we can catch up. After all, it’s been at least a month since we’ve seen her.”
“Let’s do that. And speaking of that night, I didn’t know that the Quinton would be here. He is too goddamn fine. I can’t believe he is still single in this big city. Any smart woman would snatch his sexy lookin’ ass up.”
“He knows Michael’s CEO, or something like that,” Julissa said, shrugging her shoulders, nonchalantly.
“Let’s go see what’s going on in the other room. You’re the hostess, but you will have some fun tonight if I have a say in it.” Shanice literally dragged her out of the kitchen.
**
Everything seemed to be going well. The guests were being fed and entertained, forming small circles and talking and laughing with each other. At all times, Julissa felt Quinton’s presence. Even when he was on the other side of the room. They hadn’t said a word to each other since the initial greeting. But there had been a few moments when their eyes met. They had kept their distance up until the very moment when Michael called her.
“Julissa, come here.” Michael was seated on the couch surrounded by some of his co-workers. Quinton and his guest, Taron, were among them.
“Yes?” She didn’t want it to seem uneasy and anti-social.
Michael wrapped his arm around her waist. “Joe was telling me that he and his wife had a destination wedding.”
“Oh, really? How nice.” Julissa didn’t want to talk about weddings.
“It was spectacular. Of course, we had to work with a wedding planner who was more than a thousand miles away through email and telephone. That was the only downside. Not being able to discuss with your planner face to face the details of your wedding,” Joe said, taking a swig of his Heineken.
“That would be a nice idea come to think of it. What about that, Julissa?” Michael turned to look at her. “Hawaii, maybe?”
“Hawaii…” Julissa said, uneasily. “We haven’t even set our date yet?”
“I was thinking September. What about it?” Michael was all smiles. But, she had no idea why he was discussing plans like this in front of a handful of people they barely knew.
“September is a beautiful month to be in Hawaii,” Joe commented.
“We’ll have to discuss that, baby.” This uncomfortable conversation with Quinton staring right at her was over. She slipped out of Michael’s grasp. “I’ll be putting out dessert. Will you let everyone know in about fifteen minutes?”
“Sure,” Michael agreed, and then he turned to everyone with a smug look on his face. “My fiancé makes delicious desserts. You don’t want to miss out. Key lime and strawberry shortcake are on the menu.”
“Mmmmm. Key lime is my favorite. I’ll be the first in line,” Quinton commented, licking his lips, watching her as she crossed the room to the kitchen.
Julissa blushed and increased her pace. When she got in the kitchen, she downed an entire glass of ice water. Suddenly, she felt hot from embarrassment. , J.H.C., she was still attracted to Quinton! He knew it, too.
She quickly transferred pieces of pie and cake onto small saucers, took them to the dining room, and placed them on the empty table held for desserts. Before long, several people came in to get them.
Julissa returned to the kitchen and picked up that last piece of pie that she’d saved for herself. She wished that she could disappear right now, but she would never be so rude in front of all of Michael’s guests. Maybe she could just chill out in the kitchen and no one would notice. Bending over the counter, she began to enjoy her pie.
She almost fainted when she felt a hard body press up against her backside.
“It appears that everyone enjoyed your key lime pie. There are no more slices left on the table.”
“Quinton,” she breathed. She turned around with the plate in her hand, trying desperately to put some room between Quinton and herself.
“Is that the last piece?” he asked.
“There’s more in the fridge.”
“Well, this must be some special piece of pie. With you enjoying it in here all by yourself. It must be really good.”
Julissa closed her eyes the moment he brought her hand up to his mouth.
He took her finger between his lips. “You got some on your finger.”
Julissa’s heart beat rapidly. She heard the voices in the background. She heard the laughter of her fiancé’, but she didn’t care. How could she not care? “Quinton, I…I’m so confused.”
“Sssh. Less talk.” Quinton held his own index finger to his lips.
They both heard heels clicking on the hardwoods, coming near them. The closer and closer they got, the further they backed away from each other.
“Julissa?” Martha peeped around the corner into the kitchen.
“Martha.”
“Did I interrupt something?” Martha looked from Julissa to Quinton.
Julissa shook her head. “No. I was just getting ready to bring out more pie.”
“Good, I was just coming to tell you that you ran out. Mr. Brennan, were you after a piece of that key lime pie yourself?”
“Yes, I was.” Quinton nodded. “But first, I was just coming to ask Julissa where the bathrooms were.”
Julissa pointed. “It’s just down the hall. Pass the sitting room.”
“This way?” Quinton began moving in the wrong direction.
Julissa pointed again. “No, that way.”
“Julissa.” Martha laughed. “Why don’t you show Quinton where the bathroom is and I’ll give you a hand with putting out more pie. They’re in the fridge, right?”
“Yes, thank you, Martha. I’ll be back to help.”
“No, probs. This is the only way that I can secure myself a piece.” Martha giggled.
Quinton followed Julissa quietly in the direction of the bathrooms.
“Right here.” Julissa motioned towards the door.
“I think someone’s in there,” Quinton said, knocking on the door.
“Be out in minute!” The person yelled from within.
Julissa looked down and noticed the lights coming out from under the door. “Well, will you be fine waiting here while I go help Martha? Or do you require assistance using it?” She meant that to come out as a joke, but she felt nervous and silly. And Quinton didn’t laugh.
&n
bsp; She took a step past Quinton in an effort to leave.
“No, I won’t be fine waiting here.” He had grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his chest.
“Quinton, what are you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?” Quinton brushed his lips against her neck. “Or better yet…what does it feel like I’m doing?” His tongue was soft and warm as it glided across her collarbone and up her neck.
“Quinton, this is not right.”
“It’s not? Then tell me, Lissa…what’s so wrong about it?” His hand cupped her ass, pressing her pelvis into his.
Their lips were so close to each other now. She only needed to move forward one inch and they would be kissing. Just as their lips met, they heard the toilet flushing.
“Oh, my God.” Julissa tried to pull away from him.
Quinton grabbed her hand and made a bold move. He opened the door to the closest room next to the bathroom and pulled her inside.
“Quinton! This is…this is…”
Quinton closed and locked the door, and then took her lips in an intense kiss. Her knees instantly gave way causing her to fall into his arms for support.
“Oh, Lissa, I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too, Q.”
His lips were all over her face, neck, and shoulders. He even used them to push down the straps to her dress. The moment he sucked her nipple into his mouth, she relinquished herself. His actions were quick, but it had been over a week since they were last together. And she understood his need because she was in need, too.
“Q, we can’t be doing this here.” She tried to push him away, but she was also pulling him at the same time.
“Why not? No one will know.” He took both breasts in his hands, squeezed them together, and flicked his tongue over the hardened buds.
Julissa bit her bottom lip. “Q, We’ve got to stop. This is Michael’s office.”
Suddenly, Quinton looked up, back, and around the room.
This was the one room that Julissa was never to enter and Quinton had brought her into it.
He looked back at her with a grin on his face. Before she knew it, he had her in his arms and was carrying her across the room.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked.
“You ask too many questions. Less talk.” He placed her on Michael’s leather chair, got on his knees and began kissing her bare legs and thighs.
Julissa couldn’t decipher between the dozens of feelings running through her body and her mind, from frightened about getting caught to completely turned on by the risks.
“Oh, my God. I can’t believe this is happening,” Julissa mumbled, throwing her head back as she felt his tongue against her skin.
“Let it happen.” He moaned into her warm center. Parting her legs, he gripped the string of her thong with his teeth and ripped the thin material in two. He stuffed the ripped panties in his front pockets and then buried his head between her legs, going straight for her clit. Spreading her pussy lips with his fingers, he tortured her until she was rocking back and forth, his mouth buried inside her wet lips.
She heard a condom wrapper being opened in the process, but he never missed a beat as he sucked on her clit. He pummeled her with his tongue like a guitarist playing his instrument. “Shit, baby, you taste just as good as that key lime pie.”
“I thought you said…that you…didn’t get a piece,” she moaned, on the verge of orgasm.
“I never said I didn’t get a piece.” He sucked hungrily on her clit. “I was actually…coming back for seconds. When it tastes this good, I can never lick it just once.”
Was he talking about the pie or her…?
She closed her eyes shut, feeling her tension build. Within the next second, she was coming. Hard and long. And all she could do was bite her lips to keep from making a sound. As she was still shuddering from her orgasm, he picked her up, sat her on the edge of Michael’s desk, and entered her with blunt force.
Julissa wrapped her legs around his torso and took him deep into her pussy.
“Damn, it’s good.” Quinton groaned into her neck. He lifted her yet again, and pushed her back up against a wall. “I came back for more because it’s so damn good. How dare you deny me this pussy? Don’t you know that I need this?”
“Then don’t ever stop fucking me, Q. I’m yours.” With her legs wrapped around his midsection, he repeatedly pounded into her pussy. She came again, gripping his back so hard that she could have drawn blood. Holding her tightly by the ass, his release followed.
He pinned her to the wall as he caught his breath, his dick still pulsing within her. Releasing her, he let her slide down until her feet touched the floor.
After they straightened themselves out, he escaped to the bathroom and she ran upstairs to go clean up and retrieve another pair of panties to put on. The rest of the night was just as difficult for her as the first half of the night. What had gotten into her to make her fuck another man in her fiancé’s house? She knew exactly what it was. No matter how hard she tried to deny Quinton, she always failed.
That night, Michael consumed too much alcohol and must have gotten too drunk to get up and he fell out on the couch. Julissa was kind of relieved that he hadn’t come to bed. It was a good thing. Even though she’d showered, Quinton’s intoxicating scent was still on her.
She fell asleep thinking about what kind of a woman she was, trying to hold down two men at once. This was bad; it couldn’t go on like this.
Chapter Eleven
“Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe this!” Christina shrieked, holding up Julissa’s hand and admiring her engagement ring. “I’m gone for a month and I feel like I’ve missed everything. Where did he propose?”
Julissa, Christina, and Shanice were seated at a small round table at a coffee house the next morning.
“At the deli where they first had lunch together. Isn’t that romantic?” Shanice answered for her.
“See? Michael can be just as romantic, too,” Christina commented.
“You should have been at that dinner party they hosted last night. It was nice and they looked so cute together,” Shanice told Christina.
“Oh, Richard and I could have stopped by on the way from the airport, but I’m afraid we wouldn’t have been much of any fun. We were both exhausted the moment we stepped on the plane in Miami.”
“How was honeymoon? Please don’t spare any details,” Shanice implored.
“Oh, my gosh. It was so refreshing. I mean…” As Christina went on and on about her month long honeymoon, the places they visited, the pictures they took, the souvenirs they bought, the new foods they tried, the wild sex they had….Julissa was only half listening.
Her mind kept going back to the last night. She couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but she was beginning to think that it was going to be much harder to let go of Quinton than she thought. She had every intention of halting their relationship, but her mind and body disobeyed her once again at the very moment she saw him. It was as if they were destined to feel an emotional bond with each other every time they were together.
“Lissa? Julissa?” Shanice’s voice snapped her back to reality and present.
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“No, you weren’t. I asked if you were looking forward to your honeymoon. It’s not too early to plan, you know,” Christina replied.
“Actually, I don’t know what I’m looking forward to anymore,” Julissa said, head hung. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t let her guard down now, but she needed advise from someone and she needed it fast.
“What do you mean? What? Are you having problems with Michael? If so, you can work through them. Michael is a good man. He’s successful. He has money. He’s good-looking. And you are a good woman to him. Everything will be okay,” Christina reassured her.
Julissa took a sip of her latte. “Everything will not be okay. Not this time, at least.”
“What do you mean?” Christina asked again.
“Oh, my God!” Christina shrieked.
“What!” Shanice screamed.
Julissa waited patiently until they had both finished their outbursts.
Christina shook her head. “Please tell me you didn’t just say that. It’s not true.”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“When did this happen? How did this happen?” Shanice asked, her tiny slanted eyes now widened to full circles.
“We were attracted to each other the first day we met,” Julissa said, and then looked at Christina. “At your rehearsal.”
“You mean you slept with him the first day you met him?” Christina gawked.
“No! It happened soon after that. When he got back from Florida.”
“You’ve been having sex with him for weeks now?” Christina gawked again.
“Does Michael know?” Shanice asked.
“No.”
Shanice breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re not going to tell him, are you?”
“No. I don’t know. Look, it’s not that easy.”
“I can’t believe Quinton would go for this. He knows better. He knew you were involved,” Christina said. She seemed disappointed.
“Yes, he did. We both talked about that, but at the time, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t his fault. Even after I accepted Michael’s proposal I went to Quinton and we still had sex.”
“Quinton is obviously a very attractive man. I would have a hard time resisting myself. But, you…Julissa?” Shanice looked at her in disbelief.
“Look, it’s not what you guys think it is. It’s not just sex. To me, it’s something more. I think…I think I’m falling in love with him.”
“What?” Christina snapped. “You barely know him!”
“I do know him.”
“Does Quinton know that you have feelings?” Shanice asked.
“No. But, he’s told me more than once that he wants me to himself. As if he wants Michael out of the picture for good.”