Safire was looking at his artwork but Darien was looking at her—the way she touched the pieces and when she stooped down to see the ones below, the way she tipped her head to read the name tags and when she turned a piece to see it more fully. He loved the way she peered into his inside life, and he loved the way she looked. Her azure-covered curves topped anything that he had done. All differences aside, he was drawn to this woman—body and mind.
“I’m putting together an exhibit, so I’ve been working on pieces. The family trees are going to be lamps. I sell these, but some of these kinds of pieces will go in the exhibit, as well. African art is functional. I want to include that tradition. The larger pieces are in the middle of the room. They won’t fit on the shelves.”
Darien uncovered some of the pieces that were on the floor, life-size pieces or larger, leaving the Safire piece covered in the corner. Then he leaned back against the wall and just observed her taking in his art.
After about fifteen minutes of just watching her, Darien took Safire’s hand and led her to the bathroom—now a storage room. He flipped on the light, showing Safire his drawings, sketches and paintings.
“Wow. You’re good.”
“This isn’t my main thing, but the better I get at this, the better my woodwork is.”
“I see the African influence.”
“And Caribbean and African-American and Italian and...more.”
Safire flipped through some of the canvasses lining the walls and filling the bathtub. After a few minutes, Darien tapped her shoulder.
“There’s one more stash.”
Darien took Safire’s hand and led her to the huge, walk-in closet that made him pick this room for his art. Inside he had more woodwork, but he also had his ceramic work and clay pieces—tiles, mosaics, freestanding sculpture.
When Safire was finished there, she reclaimed Darien’s hand and went back to the woodwork in the bedroom.
“I can’t get over how beautiful these are.”
“We’ll see how my exhibit does,” Darien said. Still, he couldn’t help smiling.
Safire came to him and put her arms around his neck. She pressed her body to his and kissed him. Darien had been wanting to feel those soft curves all night, and despite wanting to take it slowly, he couldn’t help wrapping Safire in his arms and taking control of their kiss, moving his tongue into her warm mouth and pulling her more firmly against his chest. After some time, they broke the kiss.
“Show me your bedroom, Darien.”
“Uh, I hadn’t planned to go there tonight.”
“Please,” she whispered in his ear.
Darien’s manhood leaped, and he pressed Safire against him. She reached down between them and began to massage the taut mound at his center. Darien couldn’t help the way his body jerked under Safire’s touch. What was it about this woman that made him abandon all his rules?
Safire took his hand, led them to the living room, where she collected her purse, and then drew him to the only room in the apartment that she hadn’t been inside yet.
Darien stood watching Safire undress, wondering what about this woman moved him so much and why, given all that, he couldn’t slow down with her. When she got down to a black strapless bra, black lace panties and silver sandals, Safire pulled a condom out of her purse and looked at him where he stood, fully clothed.
“Dare,” she said. “No, double dare.”
They smiled as he stepped across the room, lifted her onto his bed and climbed in after her, positioning his body over hers. She moaned as he rubbed himself along her body. Then she started pulling at his clothes.
They made love into the night, and then Safire curled toward his body, settling in his arms.
“I’m sorry, Safire,” Darien said, thinking about what he had planned for that night.
“Sorry? That was wonderful.”
“I’m sorry for letting it turn sexual when we were supposed to be spending time getting to know each other.”
“Darien, it doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
“In principle, I agree. But in practice...” He didn’t know how to say that with them, given the way she lit up his body, given the way he was drawn to her, given the way their chemistry seemed to obliterate other forms of interaction, it might just be one or the other.
“How about this?” he said. “What if we cool it down a bit and get to know each other more outside the sheets, vertically, that is?”
“Hmm,” she murmured. She pressed her hand to his chest and snuggled against him. Before he knew it, she was asleep.
* * *
Darien had no idea how soon his suggestion would be tested, but two days later he found himself with a packed duffel bag sitting next to Safire on the Tri-Rail bound for the West Palm Beach station. He had gotten a call earlier that morning.
“Hey, Darien. I have a proposition for you. I missed my cruise last year because one of my bosses went into labor. So I started planning this trip to Palm Beach with a girlfriend of mine. She’s ditching. You up for it? Monday’s Labor Day. Palm Beach is less than two hours away. The hotel is booked. It’s just for the weekend. I’d love to spend the time with you. What do you think?”
“Slow down. What?”
“Come with me. We can leave whenever you get off work, and you can bring your schoolwork with you.”
“I’m not packed. I—”
“Throw some clothes in a bag and come on!”
Darien had laughed.
“Wait,” he’d said. “Let me think. I get out today at six. And Monday is a holiday. Are we driving or taking the train?”
“Either one. You’ll only need some clothes and your books. Oh, and don’t forget your swimsuit. I get to see your sexy body on the beach!” she’d said and laughed out loud.
The exuberance in her voice had swayed him.
“I can get some reading done on the train,” Darien had said. “What time are you done this evening?”
“I’m out at four, maybe earlier,” Safire had answered.
“Let me see if I can get someone to cover my class at the Heritage Center, and you check the train schedule?”
He’d made a call and she’d gotten online. When Darien had made arrangements for his class, he called Safire back.
“Hey, Darien. There’s a train just before five, six, seven—”
“Give me your new address. I’ll pick you up at five.”
“I’m in the same building, just a different apartment number. Call me when you’re almost there.”
“Will do.”
Darien had gotten through his classes that afternoon, situated his art class at the Heritage Center and left the kids in the care of one of the other teachers. He’d hurried home to pack, stopped at the bank to get some cash and picked up Safire just after five. She was ready and waiting.
They held hands on the train, and she looked over her application materials while he read for one of his classes. By sunset they were checking in to their hotel room at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach. It was a luxurious hotel right on the beach on South Ocean Boulevard, and they had a room with two full beds. They ate at the Ocean Bistro, collected brochures to decide what to do the next day and opted that night to take a romantic stroll along the Palm Beach Lake Trail. It was beautiful being next to the water and seeing the gorgeous homes, but for Darien, it was even better being next to Safire and having his arm around her.
At around midnight, they got back to their room. Darien decided to get a little more reading done while Safire looked at the brochures and planned their weekend. When she stopped and gave him that sexy-Safire look, the one with the Cheshire cat grin, he put up his palms.
“Hey, we agreed to get to know one another at another angle. Remember?”
Safire looked puzzled but seemed
to let it go. Then she changed for bed, and when Darien saw her in her little silky nightgown with one-inch slip-on sandals, he nearly went back on his word.
Darien read until his body had calmed down and until Safire had gone to sleep. Then he got on top of her covers and wrapped his arms around her to hold her as they slept without risking temptation. He was tempted anyway. But more, he wanted to know this woman, really know her. She had begun to lay claim to his heart.
Chapter 7
Safire woke up first. She found that Darien’s arms were still around her, as they had been all night. He was still dressed and was sleeping on top of the covers, his long braids fanning out behind his head. She had felt so peaceful, so safe, with those arms wrapped around her all night.
She was also a little randy. She hadn’t gotten any the night before, when Darien had stayed up reading, talking about them getting to know each other at another angle. That was Darien being a stick-in-the-mud, but Safire wouldn’t be having that for long. Not on her vacation.
She kissed him awake, feeling down his chest to his nether region. He smiled beneath her kiss, and when she squeezed him, his body reacted. That’s when he opened his eyes and sat up, still smiling. He leaned down and kissed her, but he didn’t let her capture his head. He slipped through the ring of her arms and stood, stretching.
“So what do you have planned for us today?” Darien asked.
Safire pouted and threw the covers off, feeling her breast with one hand and her thigh with the other. “Forget what I planned. Come to me.”
Darien’s jaw dropped, and a bashful smile played over his face. He stood looking at her for a long time. Then he finally sat down on the bed facing her. Next, however, he proceeded to tickle her until she squealed and sprang the other way, scooting off the bed.
“Aha,” he said. “You’re ticklish.”
“Yes, and I’m going to change before you make me pee myself.”
Darien laughed, and Safire, temporarily thwarted, went into the bathroom to shower. She came out with a towel around her to get dressed, and Darien went into the bathroom to shower. Safire put on a short, yellow sundress and yellow gladiator sandals with two-inch heels, and when Darien came out of the bathroom, he was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a long-sleeved, white T-shirt and a beige vest that had a block embroidery pattern in blue.
After breakfast in the hotel, they took a tour of Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. In two hours, they got off the bus in West Palm Beach and made their way to the Norton Museum of Art, which housed a huge collection with over seven thousand pieces of art. They didn’t take a tour, but they wandered the exhibit for almost three hours, talking about the art.
“Do you like stuff like this,” Darien asked, “or did you pick this for me?”
Safire smiled and squeezed his arm. They’d been linked hand in hand since the bus tour. “Both,” she answered. “And I knew that you’d be able to tell me all kinds of things about the art.”
“The collections they have here are awesome. The photographs—”
“Let’s go to the museum store before we leave.”
They did, and they both got postcards as keepsakes; they didn’t want to carry anything heavier because Safire had other plans for them. It was the middle of the afternoon by the time they were done, and they caught a cab to Clematis Street, where they had a late lunch and toured the shopping district. There were water fountains, and also a marketplace with kiosks. Arts-and-crafts vendors sold their wares, and as the sun began to set, the outdoor concerts started. Safire had a great time with Darien while they wandered the streets, stopping to window-shop, pausing to listen to music, lingering with ice cream near one of the fountains. Before they realized it, several hours has passed. They split a salad for dinner and went to a pub for dessert.
Then, following Safire’s plan for their day, they picked a club and went dancing. Safire could tell that Darien was a bit rusty at first, but the club was so crowded that it didn’t matter what you did, and soon they were both having a good time. Now this felt like a vacation.
The place was called the Grotto, and the music on the main dance floor was fast, but after an hour, the pair wandered upstairs and found another bar and another dance floor. Here the music was slower. Safire put her arms around Darien, and they held each other close and moved to the music. The heat began to rise between them as their bodies touched. Safire caressed Darien’s neck with her fingers until he was excited against her, and then she pressed herself to that place until she was wet and intoxicated with desire. Now, this was more like it.
After Safire finished her second drink, they took a cab back to the hotel. During the ride, Darien put his arm around her. Safire put her head on his shoulder and took hold of his other hand. She closed her eyes and felt at ease. Being with Darien made everything more special, more exciting. She couldn’t wait to make love to this man.
When they got to their room, Safire pulled out her sexiest nightgown and her slip-ons with the one-inch heels and took her toiletry bag into the bathroom to change. Her nightgown was a lilac baby-doll set made out of lace with satin panels. It was cut close to the bust and flared a bit at the hip. It barely covered her upper thigh and had a matching thong. Safire put that on, touched up her makeup, put up her hair and stepped into her slippers. She opened the door to the bathroom and stood there, looking at Darien and hoping he could read her desire.
Darien certainly noticed her. His eyes glazed over for a moment, but then he seemed to come back to himself. He was at the table in their room with one of his schoolbooks. He didn’t move.
“You look incredibly beautiful, Safire.”
She smiled and twirled for him, lifting up her gown as she did. “I was hoping you would notice.”
He shook his head. His eyes were glued to her, but he also seemed resigned. He sighed and then said, “I thought we agreed to get to know one another without the physical for a while.”
“No, you suggested it, and I disagreed. I don’t think it has to be one or the other.”
“Just for a little while. Just until I know more about you and know...”
Safire went to him, moved his book and sat on his lap. “Know what? What do you need to know?”
“I want to know that you’re serious about me.”
“I’ve never liked anyone like this,” Safire said. It felt like a confession because she meant it; she hadn’t felt like this for anyone. “I want to see where it goes. But while we’re seeing that, why can’t we be together?”
Before he could answer, Safire kissed his lips, and soon she had closed her eyes and was lost in the moment. Darien cupped her hips and put her from his lap.
“Slow down, Safire. It’s not going to happen. I have reading to do, and we need to spend some time outside the sheets getting to know one another.”
Safire had never been put off by a man before. It infuriated and embarrassed her. She turned on her heel and walked to her bed filled with righteous fury.
“Since when did you turn into a priest?”
“I’m not a—”
“Then who put you in charge? Who made you the sex police? Saying when we do and when we don’t and—”
“I thought we agreed to get to the platonic stage—working in the inverse.”
“I didn’t agree to that. That’s not me.”
“No, and you haven’t kept anyone you’ve caught. You’ve thrown them all back. Why is that? Maybe what happens between the sheets isn’t enough. Maybe I want more than that.”
Maybe, thought Safire, this isn’t meant to be. Mr. Rogers from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood did not make a suitable companion for her. She had already gotten under the covers and turned away, and she refused to listen further. She sure as hell didn’t need a Clark Kent when she could have a Superman. And she understood that he wanted to take things slowly.
That just wasn’t her way. She’d gotten a series of red signals on the first night they went to the sports bar, so she couldn’t claim to be surprised. He was a veggie-eating, nondrinking, nonpartying stick-in-the-mud. He hadn’t misrepresented himself. When it was all said and done, they were simply too different.
The more Safire thought about it, the more this seemed to be true. And it was better to face the fact now that they were not on the same channel and never would be. She was Sultry after Sunset, and he was Country Now or The Hallelujah Choir. And for him to push her away like that. She’d never had anyone make her feel like that just because she was in control of her sexuality and chose when to use it. Oh, hell, no. Safire didn’t go down like this.
That was it. She’d play it cool until Monday, when they got back to Miami, and then she would phase him out of her life altogether.
Angry as she was, this thought didn’t relieve her of tension. It just made Safire suddenly sad. She had felt differently about Darien. It had felt special. She wasn’t sure how or why, just that it did. Now that was gone. There was an empty space where there had been...something. Perhaps the promise of love.
Safire had spent so much energy trying to make it on her own that she hadn’t really factored in love. There was always the possibility that things might click with one of her beaus, but it was only that—a potentiality. She never needed it to become real. She was always focused on having a life, being independent, doing it on her own. She never had anyone who competed with that goal—not until Darien.
And it didn’t make sense, as different as they were. Why would he be the one to make her feel things she wasn’t used to feeling? Maybe she was just ready to have a relationship, and he was there at the right time. But with school coming up, that didn’t make sense either. No, it was something about him, something about the way he touched her chin...and touched her spirit.
Well, that hadn’t lasted long. The differences between them would always end up overshadowing the attraction between them. And Safire wasn’t going to be pushed away again. No. Hell, no. Darien was right about one thing; she was used to getting what she wanted when it came to dating a man. And she had no reason to put up with anyone who offered less.
Captivated Love Page 8