Pain, Pleasure, and Lies: An Urban Romance Thriller

by Qiana London

  “No, you go ahead and take your call. I need to prepare for work tomorrow.”

  “Call me later?”

  “I will.”

  We ended the call.

  “Hello?”

  “Dezzy, it’s me. I talked to Justine. She won’t be bothering you anymore.”

  “Is everything alright?”

  “Everything is fine. Don’t even worry about it,” he was nonchalant. “Would you like to come over?”

  “Over where?”

  “Here.”

  “Now?”

  “Uh, yeah. That’s what I had in mind when I asked you.”

  I shouldn’t have fired up a second time. I was a little paranoid. Diandre had never invited me to his house. I wasn’t bothered by that because I hadn’t allowed him to come to my house yet either. I was very careful about who I brought around my family.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. You’re overdue to come here anyway.”

  Diandre gave me directions to his house in Fremont. Judging by the fact it was already ten o’clock, this would be an overnight visit. I showered and combed my hair. I put on light makeup then put on a red bra and thong set. There was nothing wrong with providing my boo with a little eye candy. I sprayed Carolina Herrera perfume on all of my private places, behind both ears, my neck, wrists, cleavage, navel, and, of course, on my inner thighs. I prepared a quick overnight bag before putting on my four-inch, red Stilettos. I put on my black, three-quarter length leather jacket and tied the belt. The coat was all the clothes I needed to wear. I left a note for my brother and was on the Nimitz Freeway in no time.

  Diandre’s neighborhood was gorgeous and serene. His house was exquisite. His two-story home was gray and white with a three car garage. Pebblestone concrete led up to his front French doors. His manicured lawn was outlined with small lanterns. The mailbox stood alone in front of the house. I pulled next to his Mercedes sitting in the driveway, and a censor light came on. I popped my trunk, grabbed my bag, and walked to the front door. As I knocked, the door slowly swung open. I expected to find Diandre standing there. Instead, I found a pile of rose petals and a note on top of them.

  “Find Me!” It read.

  Tickled inside, I closed and locked the door behind me. I gently sat my bag on the floor then proceeded with the hunt. I took this opportunity to explore the home I had never visited. I questioned whether or not he had hired help to decorate because the place clearly had a woman’s touch. It was irrelevant now, but I would make it a point to ask him about it later. I went through several rooms with no luck before heading upstairs. As my foot touched the top step, “Between the Sheets” began to play through ceiling speakers. I tried to contain my excitement, but there was no denying the new found pep in my step. Three doorways stood before me, excluding the bathroom. To my left was a room decorated with Disney characters, obviously his son’s room. Diagonal and to my right was what I assumed to be the guest room. Straight ahead, was a closed door. I could see candlelight flickers coming from beneath the doorway. Diandre’s hiding place was exposed. I turned the knob slowly.

  He stood in front of his bed wearing only a pair black silk boxers, clutching a single red rose in his hand. His room was masculine and inviting, simple yet fancy, the perfect reflection of his personality. Candles outlined the room and rose petals were scattered generously across his bed. On his nightstand sat a bucket of ice with champagne chilling inside. Next to it was a pair crystal flutes. He picked up a remote control and lowered the music playing above our heads.

  “You found me.”

  “Indeed, I did.”

  “Make yourself at home.”

  “I intend to.”

  Diandre sat at the foot of his bed and waited while I removed my coat. A look of surprise and pleasure swept across his face as my coat fell to the floor.

  “Oh, I know you didn’t think you were the only person with tricks up your sleeve.”

  I stood before him with one hand on my hip. This time, I was the one holding the intense eye contact. I sauntered over to Diandre slowly and seductively, stopping once I was in front of him. He looked up at me with desire in his eyes. He licked his lips, grabbed me by my hips, and pulled me in-between his legs. He loosened his grip and began to slowly caress my ass and thighs. He placed his finger underneath the back of my thong and ran it along the band until he reached my waist. He began to pull my thong down, using his other hand to help it fall to the floor. Once it dropped around my ankles, I stepped out of one side and used my other foot to kick it across the room. Diandre smiled as he returned his roaming hands to my body. I held my breath in anticipation as he made his way to my heated center. His fingers found their way into my moist slit, and I moaned. He kept his hand in place and massaged my throbbing clit as he slowly licked and kissed his way up my stomach. I closed my eyes, threw my head back, and moaned. You have no idea what you’re to me. I opened my eyes and looked down at him to see what he was doing. He looked up at me and winked. Yes, he did. He bit my nipple through my bra as he put his fingers inside of me. Shit! He stood and planted his lips on mine, kissing me deeply. His fingers never stopped working. He broke the kiss and pulled his fingers from inside of me before placing them in his mouth.

  “Damn, baby. You taste so sweet!” he moaned.

  He unfastened my bra, pulled it off, and grabbed both breasts. He thumbed, flicked, and sucked my nipples like he had an insatiable appetite. He licked and kissed his way up my chest, onto my shoulder, and then my neck. He didn’t stop until he reached my lips. His tongue wrestled with mine. His kiss made me want to melt. As turned on as I was from everything he was doing to me, I was in the mood to play. I backed away to make him beg for it.

  “Nuh uh. Quit playing.”

  He reached out to pull me closer, and I took another step backward.

  “My turn,” I said. “Take those off.”

  I pointed to his boxers. He dropped them with no hesitation. My eyes immediately landed on the very hard dick looking back at me. I was going to suck and fuck the shit out of it.

  “Lay down,” I demanded.

  Diandre smiled, climbed onto his bed, and sprawled out on his back. I took my time walking over to him. Rather than join him on the bed, I walked over to the nightstand, reached in the bucket, and pulled out a piece of ice. I held it in my hand as I slowly climbed onto the bed. He kept his eyes on me as I ran the ice across his lips, over his chest, onto his nipples, and down his stomach to his navel. I dragged the ice along his inner thighs and traced his pelvic bone. With the ice still in my hand, I grabbed his shaft. He gasped as I began massaging it up and down. I lowered my head and licked the pre-cum from the tip before slowly taking him into my mouth. I relaxed my throat and took it all in. I moved my mouth up and down his shaft and massaged it with my hand at the same time. The sensation from the coolness of my hand and the warmth of my mouth was driving him crazy.

  “Shit, baby!”

  He began to thrust his hips up and down with each head bob. The playlist changed from “Between the Sheets” to “Freakin’ You”. That’s my shit. I began to moan as I sucked. I could feel myself becoming wetter. I gave his shaft one last lick before I sat up. I was about to take my Stilettos off so I could climb further onto the bed.

  “Nuh uh, keep those on. And come here.”

  He pulled me over to him. I was about to straddle him.

  “No, baby. Stand up.”

  He held my hand as I stood up on his bed. I towered over him as he lay on his back. He ran his fingers through my wetness again before he looked into my eyes and winked.

  “Now sit down, up here.”

  That’s what the fuck I’m talking about. I smiled and looked down at him. Not moving quickly enough, he grabbed me by the back of my knees, causing my legs to buckle. I let out a playful scream as I fell down on top of him. I positioned myself over his face. He gripped my ass with both hands and his tongue went to work. Damn, that feels good! He sucked and massaged my cli
t with his tongue like it was the best thing he had tasted in years. My legs began to tremble.

  “Diandre… baby. Oh… my... God!”

  I tried to raise myself up off of him to keep from cumming but he had me in a vise-grip.

  “Shit! Baby… I’m cumming!”

  He gripped me tighter, taking in every drop that was running down his throat. As my body relaxed, he loosened his grip. I scoot back and rested on his chest. I looked down at him and tried to catch my breath. I smiled and shook my head. The look he gave me let me know he was ready. A smirk formed on my face, and I nodded. I could definitely do that again. He reached under his pillow and pulled out a condom. He tore the wrapper open with his teeth, pulled it out, and reached around me to put it on. I bent down and kissed him deeply then I scoot back, lifted up, and lowered myself onto him. He held my hips as I began to ride him slow. He cupped my breasts and played with my nipples. I was soaking wet. I closed my eyes and began to quicken my pace when the phone started to ring. He didn’t bother to stop, and neither did I. We were deep in a zone. The entire mood was ruined when Justine began talking through the machine.

  “Diandre, I know you’re in there with her. She can’t love you like I can, baby.”

  “Fuck!” he yelled and tapped me on my thigh. “Raise up a minute, baby. Let me handle this.”

  “Handle what?”

  I started to grind harder, leaned down, and licked his lips.

  “Mmm…baby.”

  He rubbed my back. His hands traveled to my ass.

  “What do you see in her? She can’t do anything for you,” Justine continued.

  “Ugh! Stop, baby.”

  He lifted me up off of him and gently pushed me to the side.

  “She’s a child.”

  He rolled over to grab the call.

  “I love–”

  “Don’t call my motherfuckin’ house disrespecting people. Who do you think you are? You don’t run a damn thing over here. Then you wonder why I don’t fuck with you. You’re too damn immature. Don’t call my house anymore unless it has something to do with Kendrick.”

  He ended the call, rolled onto his back, and held the phone. I took it out of his hand and placed it back on the nightstand. My mood was ruined, and Diandre was pissed. For a woman who was attempting to get him back, she was only successful at pushing him away. He sat up on the bed and held his head in his hands. I rubbed his back as we sat in silence. Out of nowhere, he stood up, grabbed his robe and walked out of the bedroom. I didn’t take his actions personally because he wasn’t upset with me. I figured he wanted time to himself. I would grant him that right.

  I took advantage of the time I had alone. I decided to soak in Diandre’s oversized bathtub. I could hear him arguing with Justine on the phone again. I had no idea what they were arguing about this time around. I only hoped it would end soon. Diandre and I were supposed to be spending time together. I took my time preparing for bed. When I walked back into his bedroom, he was sitting in a chair near the window fully clothed.

  “Dezzy, I need to go and get my son. Do you mind hanging out here until I get back?”

  “No, I don’t mind. Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

  “No, I’m going to deal with this by myself. I know how to handle Justine. If you came with me, it would only make things more difficult. I mean you’re not a problem but–”

  “Don’t try to explain, Diandre. Go and get your baby.”

  Even though Diandre was trying to be kind, I knew I was the reason all the drama was happening. Justine was already putting a strain on our relationship. Diandre wanted to move forward with his life, but he also valued the relationship he had with his son, and that was understandable. What would it take to make her understand?

  While he was gone, I used his phone. I had to tell someone about all the drama that, once again, managed to find me. There was no answer at Camille’s, and Lee was sure to be dead to the world at this hour. I ended up calling my cousin, Katryna. She was very cut throat and would say whatever was on her mind. On most days, she didn’t give two shits what she said or who she said it to. I attributed it to her hard upbringing. She only cared about a select few. I was one of the chosen ones.

  Katryna and I weren’t blood-related, but our close-knit friendship stemmed from childhood. I considered her blood. I loved her to death, but her crazy ways were the very reasons why we didn’t spend more time together. I had to be careful because people often assumed birds of a feather flocked together. I knew deep down she was a good person, which was the only reason I continued to deal with her. It had been a while since we’d seen one another, so before we ended our conversation, we made arrangements to get together the next day. I was hanging up the phone as Diandre walked through the door. I expected to meet his son, but he was alone.

  “Where’s your son?”

  “After all the bullshit, she wouldn’t let me see him.”

  “That’s not right.”

  “She said some shit about me not being a good father.”

  “I know it’s easier said than done, Diandre, but don’t let this stress you out. I’m sure she’ll come around.”

  “Yeah, she better before I have to.”

  Chapter Five

  When Lee and I pulled in front of Katryna’s apartment building, she was standing on her balcony drinking Remy Martin directly from the bottle while holding a conversation with someone she knew across the street. I swallowed hard. From her slurred speech, I could tell she was loaded. I was concerned because I knew how she could get. If she hadn’t seen me already, I would have left. I was regretting the day, and it hadn’t really started yet. I pulled into her parking space in front of a spray painted sign which read: ‘No Parkin’ Any Tyme’. Katryna didn’t have a car, but she didn’t want anyone parking in her space. Lee waited in the car while I headed up the stairwell to Katryna’s door. “Baddest Bitch” was blasting from the stereo inside her apartment. The door was open for me to come inside, and I did. Katryna stumbled around as she grabbed her things and made sure everything was turned off. When she headed for the door, I followed suit.

  Once we got to the car, I noticed that Lee had moved from shotgun to the backseat. She didn’t know Katryna, but that was the type of woman she was. I introduced them, and Katryna failed to acknowledge her. I knew Lee wasn’t worried about Katryna’s lack of manners, but I was embarrassed. At that point, I could only hope Katryna would remove the stick up her ass before we got to Robyn’s house. I had told her ahead of time I would be meeting friends to help plan a wedding. She agreed to come along and behave.

  *****

  When we arrived at Robyn’s house, the meeting had already begun. Everyone was seated around the dining table fingering through bridal magazines. Lee, Katryna and I joined them. Judging by the stacks on the table, it seemed like Robyn purchased every bridal magazine in circulation. She insisted that everyone dissect each page of every magazine. After three hours, they all looked the same to me. Even though everyone was beginning to get tired, I was enjoying all of the preparation. It made me look forward to the day when I would tie the knot. But I was in no rush.

  We took a break to enjoy the lasagna, garlic bread, and salad Robyn had prepared for us. Katryna took that opportunity to step outside. A friend of Robyn’s commented on the choice of bridesmaids’’ gowns, accusing her of making sure she was the only one who’d look good in the wedding. We all laughed knowing it had been said in fun. The dresses were very nice and complimented our different figures. They were definitely dresses we would be able to wear again after the wedding. Katryna walked back inside as Lee teased Robyn about wearing a white dress. Everyone laughed and chimed in since she’d raised a valid point.

  “That shit ain’t funny,” Katryna said.

  “Katryna, what’s wrong with you?” I asked.

  I was pissed and embarrassed.

  Her eyes were bloodshot and heavy. I could smell the body spray she’d used to camouflage the smel
l, but I knew she was high. I wished I could crawl under a rock.

  “She’s the problem… your bitch ass god sister.”

  I didn’t understand where this was coming from. She didn’t even know Lee, who had been nothing but nice to her. Truthfully, Lee had every reason to go off on Katryna if she really wanted to.

  “Look, I didn’t do anything to you, and I ain’t gonna be too many more bitches.”

  “Fuck you!”

  This was not happening.

  “Excuse me?”

  Lee sat her plate on the coffee table, stood up, straightened her clothes, and planted herself directly in front of Katryna.

  “Dezzy, check your cousin before I have to.”

  “What are you going to do you sadiddy bi–”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but my words got caught in my throat. It happened so fast. I had seen it with my own eyes, but I didn’t want to believe that my god sister had socked Katryna in her jaw.

  “You bitch!” Katryna yelled as she hurled Lee backward into a bookcase.

  I couldn’t believe these two women were fighting in Robyn’s house. They were far too old, and the reason wasn’t worth the time. Camille and I rushed over and pulled them apart while everyone else sat in shock.

  “What the hell is wrong with you Katryna?” I asked in disbelief.

  I was trembling with anger. I couldn’t believe Katryna would embarrass me this way. It was obvious the opinions of the other guests didn’t matter to her. She had never met any of my friends, and this was not a good way to make a first impression. Lee apologized to Robyn for disrespecting her house then walked into the kitchen to get ice for her hand. Robyn wobbled over to Katryna and demanded she leave her house.

  “I don’t care! I’ll leave! Are you coming, Dezzy?”

  “Look, Katryna, I know you’re family, but you were way out of line. The whole time you’ve been here, you’ve been disrespectful. You are too grown to act like you don’t have good sense when you get around other people. I honestly thought you might have changed, but you just made it clear you haven’t. I will always have love for you, Katryna, but I’m done. You can see yourself home. When you learn how to act, call me.”