Risking It All

by Ambrielle Kirk

  “Have you made amends with your girlfriend, yet?” Julissa was straightening up her blouse.

  He leaned against the kitchen sink and peered over the glass of water in his hand. “You’re my girlfriend, right?”

  “Let’s be real, Q.”

  “I am being real. Really, I broke up with my girlfriend way before I moved here. We agreed to be friends. She wanted me back, but I closed that chapter in my life the moment she betrayed me. And when I met you, I knew that it was completely over between she and I. Besides you, Lissa, there is no other woman for me.”

  “How did she betray you?” Julissa had never bothered to ask what happened between he and his last girlfriend.

  Quinton turned his back, rinsed the glass and placed it inside the sink. It was moments before he spoke again. “She was cheating on me.”

  “What?” Julissa gasped.

  Wasn’t she just as unworthy as a girlfriend than his last girlfriend was? Why was he allowing himself to be cheated on all over again? Julissa placed her hand on his back and he turned around. His eyes looked sad, but that didn’t stop him from taking her by the waist and moving her body into his.

  “Q, tell me why you want this. Why would you want to deal with this again?”

  “Because I love you.”

  Julissa squeezed her eyes shut. She loved him too, but she didn’t want to hurt him. “Don’t say that!” How could they have both let their feelings and emotions take over?

  “I’m sorry. I can’t control my feelings, no more than you can control yours. Do you want me? Do you want this?”

  “I want to be with you, yes.”

  “Are you afraid?” Quinton lifted her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. “Look at me.” He kissed her on the chin. “Are you afraid to leave your fiancé for me?”

  She nodded.

  “Why?”

  “Q, this thing started out as sexual between you and I. I didn’t know that I’d be standing here with you right now, still cheating on my fiancé.”

  “I didn’t know either. I want to tell you the truth. Okay? And please don’t be mad at me.”

  She nodded her head and gave Quinton her undivided attention.

  “That first day I saw you walk into the hotel, I was willing to do anything to get to know you. Those few minutes that we talked to each other I knew that fate had brought us together for a reason. Not only were you an attractive woman who made my heart beat faster when I looked at you, I also found out you were a very successful realtor. Me…a real estate investor. You…a realtor. The possibilities were endless. I just knew we’d be good tonight. So, I thought, maybe I could have you to myself and expand my real estate investment business in the process. I’m a motivated professional, and I love seeing my business grow.”

  “It was a win-win, wasn’t it?” Julissa agreed.

  He nodded. “I found out you had a boyfriend. He looked like a pretty good guy. Appeared that he had lots of money and it looked like he’d been doing a good job of taking care of you. I knew the competition was tough. One part of me wanted to leave you alone right then and another part of me just couldn’t let you go. I didn’t have anything to lose because I was a single man in a new city. I thought…if she would…then I would, too. So, I made the move. One kiss was all it took and I knew from that moment that it would not be the last.”

  “Our first kiss…at the night club.” It was a moment she could reminisce on forever and still get butterflies in her stomach just from thinking about it.

  He smiled. “I still remember that night. The way you kissed me so passionately. I was so mad at myself for falling for you. I thought, if this woman would cheat on her fiancé, then she would do it to me. Just like Melanie—my last girlfriend. But, I didn’t want to stop seeing you, I couldn’t stop. I won’t stop. See the difference between this relationship and my previous one, is that I love you. Every part of me loves you. I don’t know what’s going on between you and him. I sense that there is something wrong…something so wrong…that you come to me and we do this week after week. So if I have to wait my turn to have you, I will, Lissa. But, I ask you one thing…please don’t make me wait too long.”

  Julissa hugged him, burying her head in his chest. It was all she could do, because no words would come. This man had just poured out his heart to her and she had absolutely nothing to say. Although, there was something she needed to get off her chest.

  “I love you, too, Quinton.”

  He sighed. One of relief. And they stayed in each other’s arms until Julissa said that it was time for her to go.

  **

  Michael went to play golf Saturday morning with some of his friends from the office, so before making her routine trip to the grocery store, she went to Quinton’s house first. As she pulled up in the gates, she was surprised to see him and Ed with boxes in their hands heading into the house. She had thoughts of turning around, but it was too late, because they both looked up and saw her car from the main road.

  Ed looked surprised to see her. Quinton was all smiles. She got out of the car, grabbed her bags, and made her way up the walkway, her stilettos clicking against the pebbles, her dress moving up her thighs from the strong winds.

  “Surprise!” Julissa smiled. “Hello, Ed.”

  “Hi, Lissa,” they both said at the same time.

  “We were just getting through here. Ed’s helping me move some of my stuff from the storage across town.” Quinton peered at her from around the box.

  “Oh, did I catch you at a bad time? Should I come back?”

  “No, no. We’re finished,” Quinton said, quickly.

  “I made key lime pie this morning. I bought this one for you.” Julissa gestured to the bag in her hand.

  “Mmmmm. I can use a taste of that right now.”

  Ed cleared his throat. “Q, why don’t you put that box on top of this one? I’ll take these in while you guys…ah…um…whatever.”

  Quinton placed his box on top of the one Ed already had in his arms. Ed turned around and walked away.

  He took the bag from her hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. “You look nice today. Have any plans?”

  “I have a list of things to do today. I wanted to stop by on my way to the grocery store.”

  They headed inside the house.

  “I’m glad you did.” Quinton placed the bags on the kitchen counter, reached in the bag, and pulled out the pie. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Do you know any designers? I thought you would since you’re in the industry.”

  “I do, actually. Plenty. Most of them do home staging. Some are full-time interior decorators. So, you want to trust someone to design your whole house?”

  “Better someone else than me. I’m not much into coordinating colors. I tend to stick to codes, numbers, and computer language.”

  “I’ll send an email to Martha Monday morning. She knows a few designers who have experience with a house like this one.”

  “Or…why don’t you come over here and decorate it for me?”

  “I’m a realtor, Q, not a decorator.”

  He smiled. “I know that, Lissa. I’m just trying to create a reason to see you more.”

  “Don’t you see me enough, already? I was only here just yesterday.” Julissa taunted.

  Quinton grabbed the front of her jeans and pulled her against his chest. “If I had it my way, I would see you more often. As in, morning, mid-morning, noon, mid-day, evening, and night.”

  “I like to give myself sparingly. Or else, you might get tired of seeing me.” Julissa pressed her lips against his in a kiss.

  “I will never get tired of you. So, is that how it is now? You want to purposely keep us apart. Seeing you is not the only thing I miss when you’re away. I miss having my dick in your tight juicy pussy,” he whispered in her ear. “I miss the way you wrap those long legs around my back and the way you work it when you’re hot and ready to climax. I’m hard right now just thinking ab
out you.”

  “Well, let’s not think about it,” Julissa pressed her pelvis up against his, feeling his hardness. “Let’s do it.”

  The sound of Ed clearing his throat brought them back to reality and they separated.

  Ed stepped in the kitchen. “Don’t mind me. I just came to tell Quinton that I should be heading out, so I can leave you two to yourselves.”

  “Oh, no. We were just talking,” Julissa said.

  “Uh-huh?” Ed had a skeptical look on his face.

  “Would you like some pie before you leave? I’m sure Quinton wouldn’t mind sharing.”

  Ed and Quinton exchanged a look with each other. After thinking about what she just said about Quinton and his willingness to share, Julissa felt stupid. And bad. And guilty.

  “The pie. I don’t mind sharing the pie,” Quinton corrected her. He turned around and took some small plates out of a box.

  She cut and plated a piece of pie for both Quinton and Ed. “Do you have something to drink?” Julissa asked.

  “Bottled water in the fridge,” Quinton replied. “Thanks, baby,” he said, when she returned with the water.

  “No problem.” Julissa stood on her tip toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  The kiss made him stop in mid-speech and stutter. Quinton smiled at her and then continued his conversation with Ed. Something about construction material.

  Julissa pretended to be reviewing her day planner while they were talking over the kitchen island. The very same island they’d fucked on just twenty four hours before. She wasn’t really interested in what was in her day planner. She found herself, looking up, and glancing at Quinton. The way he spoke and discussed his business with such authority. The way he ran his hand over his head and licked his lips when he was deep in thought. He was sexy just standing there and Julissa wondered if he even realized it. Had he any idea just how badly she wanted him?

  “Julissa?” Quinton called. “Come over here. What are you doing way over there?”

  “I didn’t want to interrupt what you two were talking about,” Julissa said.

  “Come here.”

  “This is your thing anyway, Lissa,” Ed said. “Real estate and what not. You listen to him yap, not me.”

  Quinton laughed.

  “Baby, you didn’t eat any of your pie,” Julissa said, looking up from his untouched pie to him.

  “See, he’s busy yappin’. That was Quinton when we were little and that’s something that never changed about Quinton,” Ed joked.

  “I only have two hands.” Quinton held a copy of floor plans in one hand and a pencil in the other.

  “Well, let me help you…” Julissa scooped a forkful of pie and lifted it to his mouth. She watched as the pie disappeared between his lips.

  “Mmmm, baby, feed me some more.”

  “You know what? It’s past time for me to leave.” Ed took his empty plate over to the sink.

  “No, Ed. Stay. We promise we won’t do that again,” Julissa begged.

  “No, we won’t promise anything,” Quinton corrected her. He lifted her fingers and licked each one.

  “See you, man.” Ed started for the door. “Thanks for the pie, Lissa. It was good.”

  When the door closed, Quinton picked her up in both his arms.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Carrying you.” Quinton began walking.

  “Where?”

  Quinton walked in the direction of the spiral staircase. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “I like surprises,” Julissa smiled. She giggled as he tickled her neck with the tip of his nose.

  Quinton opened the door to what Julissa knew was the master bedroom. In the middle of the room, was an oversized plush bed.

  “When did you get this?”

  “They delivered it this morning.” Quinton set her down on the bed.

  Julissa automatically fell back and sighed as the plush mattress and down comforter enveloped her. “Feels fabulous.”

  “I was thinking maybe you can help me break it in.” Quinton pulled his shirt over his head.

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Julissa kicked her shoes off, which landed on the floor.

  Quinton walked over to a stereo system and placed a CD in the player. “Remember this song?”

  When the song began, Julissa smiled. “The song we first danced to.”

  “Yeah.” Quinton walked over to the bed, leaving his jeans in a heap on the floor at the same time.

  Julissa closed her eyes when he pressed his lips into her calves. His hands traveled up her dress to her hips, and over her ass.

  “Surprise,” she said. There were no panties for him to take off.

  He smiled and kissed the insides of her thighs. “I had a feeling what you had on your mind when you drove over to my house in this little red freakum dress and fuck me stilettos.”

  Julissa giggled. “Then you figured me right out. Do you like?”

  “Mmmm-hmmm.” Quinton pressed kisses against her pelvis. “You still love me?”

  “I love you, baby.”

  “And I love you.”

  This time the lovemaking was slow, sensual, and sweet. They didn’t part from each other’s arms until hours later. Julissa didn’t want to leave his embrace, but she knew he would be here tomorrow. And the next day, and the next day after that, and then the next. How long would he accept sharing her with her fiancé? How long would it be before he finally realized that there were other woman in the city of Atlanta who would accept him at the drop of a nickel without the excess baggage?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Michael surprised her that night. They had not had dinner together at the same time in their own dining room in a long time. After she cooked that night, he came home and suggested that they eat in the dining room together. To add to the surprise, he set the table as she made the finishing touches to the food.

  Michael leaned over, tipped the wine bottle, and carefully filled her glass, and then filled his. “This is the same wine we had at the dinner party Christina and Richard invited us to just before they got married, remember?”

  “Uh-huh,” Julissa pretended to remember, but the truth was she really couldn’t recall what type of wine they’d ordered that night. “It was good, wasn’t it?”

  “Sure was. I remember that night so vividly. Remember how late we were?” Michael chuckled. “I should have apologized for that, telling you how to wear your hair and everything. But, I must admit that you were the sexiest woman there. I take pride in that, more than you, I think. And you know that.”

  “I know. There’s nothing wrong with that. I know you always like me to look my best when we go out.” Why were they were talking about that night? A night that shouldn’t have mattered to him one way or the other.

  “The disadvantage of that is that other men seem to notice.” Michael made eye contact with her as he pushed a forkful of veggie lasagna in his mouth.

  “Other men would seem to notice if I were wearing jeans and a sweatshirt with a bad hair day. All men like to look at woman,” Julissa joked.

  “Looking is expected, but lusting and pursuing is something different all together.”

  Julissa could tell that he was taking this conversation on a serious note. “Isn’t that how you got me, Michael? Lust and pursuit?”

  “You weren’t an easy catch either…back then. It took me two weeks to convince you to go out with me.”

  “I’m sorry but sometimes I like to play hard to get.” Julissa smiled, twirling her fork around in her salad.

  “You do?”

  “How are things at the office? How many new clients have you obtained?” she asked. There needed to be a change of subject to something lighter.

  “Plenty.”

  “Any business trips planned for the near future?”

  “A few.” He looked off in the distance.

  “What about that trip overseas? Is that still in the works?”

  “Uh-huh.”


  Michael didn’t seem interested in talking about himself. Although, whenever she tried to talk to him in the past about his work, he gave the same one word answers.

  “What about you? Have you obtained any new clients?”

  “Michael, you know that I obtain at least one new client every week.”

  “What about that guy…Quinton? Did you ever help him find a property?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, he must be quite the businessman. I heard through the grapevine that he’s made Atlanta his permanent home.”

  “Yes. I think so.”

  “When was the last time you saw him by the way?”

  Julissa pushed the wine glass up to her lips and drank before responding. “Oh…that time you invited him to the party. Can you pour me some more wine, please?”

  Michael lifted the wine bottled and filled her glass. Julissa was so nervous, her heart beat rapidly, but she tried her best not to show any sign of panic on her face. Why was he asking so many questions that were in every way connected to Quinton? Surely, he didn’t suspect something. She thought she had done a very good job of covering her tracks and having an alibi when she needed one. There was no way. Surely, if he knew something, he would have already told her.

  “The lasagna is really good, Julissa. You’ve gotten to be a pretty good cook over the past three years.”

  “I had to. Cooking for you all those years…I learned quite a lot. With the help of the Food Network Channel of course.”

  “Uh-huh. Well, I would hate to lose you. Not only are you a good cook, you keep me looking good, as well.”

  Now, instead of feeling panicked, she was now feeling guilty. How did it ever come down to this? She felt like a complete hypocrite.

  For the rest of dinner, they made small talk back and forth about absolutely nothing. She tried to pay attention, but her mind was elsewhere. Her mind was on how she could erase this situation from her life. What choices would she be forced to make? Perhaps, they could make it easier on her and make the choice for her. Perhaps, Quinton would get tired of sharing and break everything off with her. Then she could go back to her normal, routine life with Michael.