The hole in her heart was growing bigger by the hour. By closing time, she was convinced that she’d been a fool to give up Deon. She missed him. She missed the intimacy that they’d shared.
Upstairs in her apartment, she wandered from room to room. She caught her reflection in the mirror in her bedroom; her eyes stared back, looking bleak and miserable.
She finally settled in the gloom of her living room, holding her face in her hands, so very unhappy. She couldn’t bear the loneliness for another second, and though she feared rejection, she felt like she should at least make an attempt to get Deon back.
I know this is childish, and it seems like I can’t make up my mind. But believe me, Deon…I miss you, she wrote in a text. Too distressed to try to come up with a mature and sophisticated way to convey how she felt, she gave it to him straight; telling him exactly how she felt.
She could scarcely believe it when the phone rang almost immediately after she hit SEND.
“Baby, baby, baby. I miss you, too!” The deep music of Deon’s voice touched her heart and soul.
“I was wrong, Deon. I was listening to my head, but my heart knows what it wants.”
“You can’t even begin to know how good that sounds. I’m happy just hearing your voice, yo.” She could tell that Deon was smiling. Tears were forming in her eyes but she was smiling, too.
“So, how you doing, Solay? How’s my baby?”
“Terrible; I’m so miserable, Deon,” she said, laughing a little, but getting choked up at the same time.
“We can change all that. You know what I’m saying? Do you want me to come through? Or we can go out somewhere if you want to. The Laff House is close by your spot…I could pick up some tickets. It’s on you, baby—whatever you wanna do.”
“No, I don’t want to go out. I don’t want to be around other people. All I need is you. I need to touch you, taste you, smell you. Oh, Deon, I’ve been craving you.”
“Oh, you tryna blow up my dome; got me smiling and shit.”
“I’m serious.”
“Believe me, I know what you’re saying. You ain’t the only one; I’ve been feening like an addict my damn self.”
She smiled faintly, somewhat satisfied that Deon had been yearning for her, too.
“Listen, I’ve been out riding my bike for hours, tryna clear my head. I have to take a shower and change, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Okay.” He really didn’t need to take a shower; she would have gladly given him a tongue bath, but she kept that thought to herself. I’ll show him how much I’ve missed him when he gets here.
“See you in a little bit.”
Though he could have chosen to let her squirm for a little while and suffer, Deon was too much of a man to play petty games. He was so easy to get along with. Low maintenance and drama-free. She must have been out of her freaking mind to let a fine-ass, good man like Deon get away. So what if he didn’t fit the mold of her so-called perfect mate. He was loving and kind, and made her happy. Nothing else mattered. To hell with what people might say.
The minute she saw Deon’s beautiful face, Solay started crying.
“What’s wrong now?”
“Nothing. I’m just so happy to see you; I can’t help it. Do you want a beer?” Solay asked, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, and walking toward the kitchen.
Deon followed her. In the kitchen, he pulled a napkin from the napkin holder. When Solay handed him the beer, he set it down on the counter. “Come here, baby,” he murmured and began to dab the tears that dampened her cheeks. “This is a happy occasion, so stop crying, okay?”
Sniffling, Solay nodded. Deon dried the last of her tears. Staring at her, he broke into a grin. “There goes my baby; look at that pretty face.”
He took her in his powerful arms, holding her so close, she could feel the bulge that was forming in his pants. “Damn,” Deon muttered, releasing his grip on Solay as he shifted the hardened length of his dick to a more comfortable position inside his pants.
Solay was particularly horny. Se didn’t need an orgasm tonight, but she did have an overwhelming desire to lick and suck Deon’s big and beautifully curved dick.
Her hand went for his zipper, which she unzipped swiftly. His bunched-up dick seemed to be bursting through the opening of his pants. She tugged his jeans down and then looped her fingers into the elastic waistband of his underwear, taking them down as well. His thickened dick stretched out and sprung into the air.
“I wasn’t expecting all this,” he said huskily as he braced himself against the kitchen table. Solay dropped down to her knees. Deon groaned uncontrollably; aware on some level, that he was about to get the hottest blowjob of his life.
She cupped his hard ass as she kissed the swollen head of his dick.
“Mmm, girl. You’re making me weak.” His eyes were half-closed. He licked and chewed his lips in anticipation. Then he let out a sudden gasp when Solay lightly scratched his balls. She stroked his dick with her cupped palm, as she licked the flesh of his nut sac. “Uhhhhh.” The utterance of sexual arousal vibrated from his throat. She kissed his thighs, caressing his steely muscles with the sides of her face. “Damn, that shit feels good,” he moaned.
Solay spread his legs wider apart, so that she could easily access his dick and balls. Now she alternated licking and kissing his inner thighs, making loud and erotic smacking sounds as she worked her way back to his dick.
His entire nut sac was inside her mouth. Deon’s breathing picked up. She used her tongue to gently move his balls around, and his fingers became tangled in her hair. The pulling and tugging he was doing to her hair was making her hot—causing her to want to do more to please him.
She released his balls and with the tip of her tongue, Solay made a slippery path from the base of his dick up the sensitive underside, all the way until she stopped right under the head. Teasingly, she licked the ridges beneath the crown of his dick, and then switched directions, slowly licking her way back down.
Back at the root of his dick, Solay went so far as to lather his pubic hairs. She’d told herself that she wanted to give him a tongue bath and that’s exactly what she intended to do.
Deon shuddered when she gripped his dick in her hand and puckered her mouth around the head, sucking on it like it was a lollipop. Fondling his balls, she took in the entire length of his organ and began to suck it in deeply. So deep, it touched the back of her throat. Quite suddenly, she stopped sucking and let his throbbing meat fall from her mouth.
“Why’d you stop? What’s wrong?” he said, panting.
“Nothing’s wrong. I want you to rub that dick that I’ve been feening for…rub it all over my face.”
Sexually charged up, Deon groaned as he used the head of his dick like an oddly shaped paint brush, stroking streaks of pre-cum and saliva all over Solay’s face.
When he brushed the head against her lips, she drew him back inside the warmth of her mouth. As she swirled her tongue wildly around the smooth dick head, Deon’s hips began to thrust his hips up and down. Swallowing so much thick dick had an almost strangling effect, making the blowjob wet and erotically messy as she continued to slurp and suck him off. The sounds she made were not only for his pleasure. Her pussy was completely drenched; she couldn’t help from joining Deon as he moaned in pleasure.
Sweating now and sliding his dick in and out of her mouth like he was fucking a pussy, Deon increased the momentum. “I’m about to nut, baby,” he warned.
Solay didn’t rear back to avoid the outburst of cum. She took his warning as a cue to tighten her grasp around his length, keeping his throbbing manhood secured inside the moist confinement between her lips while bobbing her head up and down.
Deon’s body jerked. His erection pulsed and flexed in her mouth. His pre-cum dripped like a leaking faucet, and Solay moaned with pleasure. Deon growled and cursed, struggling to hold back the intense rush of a built-up load.
He grabbed her shoulders, clenchi
ng them tightly as he involuntarily shot off a burst of hot lust. Savoring the experience, Solay captured every drop, smiling as she milked him dry.
Later in bed, Solay lay cuddled up in the curve of Deon’s arm. She couldn’t keep her hands off of his hard-as-granite body. Deon was still somewhat in a daze.
“So what was that?”
“What was what?” she asked, looking up at his face.
“What you just did to me—what was that—some type of voodoo blowjob.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked, laughing.
“Because, man. That shit was intense. Tears were welling up in my eyes. I was like…whoa, man, you better not start crying like a bitch.” He gave Solay a long look. “Lemme find out you working roots on me.”
Shaking her head, Solay burst into laughter.
Deon clenched her chin and turned her face so that he could look her in the eyes. “I’m serious, though. You mean the world to me, girl. We need to talk things through the next time you feel like kicking me out of your life.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“We’re not always going to see things eye-to-eye, Solay. I want you to always feel free to speak your mind. If you need your space—no problem, ma—you got it. I’ll fall back; no pressure from me.” His words sounded heartfelt.
She caressed his arm; loving the feeling of every sinewy muscle. “I was confused; blaming you because I was falling so hard…so fast.”
“We dig each other; since when is that a crime? I heard everything you said about me not being the marrying type, and I’m not going to argue with you about your beliefs.”
Solay lowered her eyes guiltily.
“All I can do is try to show you who I am. All sides of me. I can be strong when you’re feeling weak, but I’m only human. And I’m not always on top of my game. What I just exposed was a vulnerable part of me.” Deon’s voice broke. And it was Solay’s turn to comfort him.
She kissed his forehead, his eyelids, his cheekbones and then pressed her lips against his. She nudged him, urging him to turn onto his stomach.
“What are you tryna get into?” he asked, rising up and looking over his shoulder.
“Relax,” she cooed.
“I can’t. For all I know, you might be tryna do me with a strap-on or some kind of freaky shit like that.”
“No, baby. That’s not my style.” She kissed the back of his neck, urging him to relax. Her lips moved to his shoulder blades; licking and kissing his skin.
Moving along the line in the center of his back, she proceeded to give him a tongue bath; concentrating on an area so sensitive, she noticed that his toes were curled.
CHAPTER 29
Every call to Earl’s phone had been going to voicemail. Lincoln had been trying to get in touch with his brother since noon. He realized that Earl wasn’t a morning person, but it was two-fifteen in the afternoon. Any normal person would be up by now. Lincoln shook his head, reminding himself that his crazy-behind brother didn’t live his life abiding by society’s rules.
Lincoln had been on the edge of his seat all morning, waiting to hear about the visit Earl had paid to Raheem, the mechanic. The last time he and his brother had exchanged words, Earl told him that he and Crowbar were on their way to West Philly to holla at Raheem and leave him with a little memento. Lincoln had made it clear that the memento should not be life threatening; something minor like a knot on the head or bruised ribs.
Earl wasn’t a morning person, but when it came to money, he had a way of dragging himself out of bed. Lincoln wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised to find Earl and his partner in crime camped outside of his job when he arrived at work this morning.
There was something a little disconcerting about not hearing from Earl. I hope Earl didn’t do anything stupid last night. He ran an anxious hand over his face. Suppose the plan had backfired—suppose something had happened to his brother?
The sudden ring of his desk phone startled Lincoln. He wasn’t in the mood for work-related issues, but he reluctantly picked up.
“Hey, Lincoln,” Rachel said. “Your brother is on the other line—”
“Put him through!”
“It’s a collect call, but I went ahead and accepted.”
Collect! Lincoln’s heart dropped in his stomach. Did Earl get arrested last night? Is he calling from jail? “Rachel, I appreciate that you accepted; now would you please put the call through,” he said impatiently.
“You’re going to have to pay out of pocket when the charges show up on the company phone bill,” Rachel informed, using a formal, business-like tone.
“Okaaaay!” Lincoln was two seconds from flipping out on the receptionist.
“Yo, Bro’, that secretary that answered the phone is rude. She got issues. You need to get with her,” Earl said, sounding miffed.
Hearing Earl’s voice was a great relief. “Where are you, Earl? What happened? Please don’t tell me your ass is locked up.”
“Nah, ain’t nothing like that. I’m good.”
“Why’d you call collect on the work phone?” Lincoln was annoyed with his brother. Didn’t Earl have a couple of quarters to drop in a pay phone? This was beyond trifling—even for Earl.
“I lost my cell during the melee last night,” Earl said disgustedly. “All my contact information is in my damn cell. I had to call four-one-one to get the number to your job.”
“Okay, man. I’m glad to hear your voice; glad that you’re okay. So what’s up—how’d everything go?”
Earl didn’t answer. He was holding marijuana smoke in his lungs; that was always the case when he took a long time to respond. “Shit got fucked up, man,” Earl said and then loudly inhaled on the blunt that he was no doubt puffing.
“What went wrong?” Lincoln had a horrific image of Raheem tagged up and lying in a morgue. That mental picture wouldn’t be so bad if Lincoln wasn’t involved. In the eyes of the law, Raheem’s death would be considered a contract killing. Shit! He wiped sweat from his forehead. “What did you do, Earl?” Lincoln shouted. “What happened?” he said in a lower tone of voice when he noticed that his coworkers giving him curious glances.
“You didn’t tell us that your boy was strapped. That nigga in the Navigator was tryna take us out!”
Lincoln’s stomach began to churn. “Did anyone get hurt?” he whispered, eyes darting. He stood up to peer over at Rachel, to make sure she wasn’t listening in on the call. Thankfully, she was chatting with the dude that delivered bottled water.
“I can’t talk on this phone, Earl.” Lincoln was pacing nervously with the phone pressed to his ear.
“Before you go, take down this information. I need you to send me that money by Western Union. I’m stuck in Atlantic City.”
“What are you doing there?”
“Man, after we stepped to dude, that nigga started shooting. Bullets were flying everywhere. All over my head and shit. My whole life passed before my eyes. And my main mans, Crowbar—the bull that was with me—he’s lucky he only got grazed. I had to get the fuck out of Philly for a minute after that shit went down. Gambling is relaxing—it’s like a sedative. You know what I mean? I had to feel some dice in my hand to try to get my head together, calm down my nerves and whatnot.
“I’m broke, man, so I can use that paper you promised.”
“All right, Earl. Give me the information, and I’ll send you the money.” After jotting down the details, Lincoln had to sit down for a moment and say a prayer of thanks. After composing himself, he strode past the reception desk, on his way to wire Earl some bus fare.
“Lincoln!” Rachel called out excitedly. Groaning inside, Lincoln stopped mid-stride. Rachel crooked her finger, gesturing for him to come closer.
Quite reluctantly, he leaned in close, braced for Rachel to comment that she’d “accidentally” snooped on his private conversation with Earl.
“I think the boss and Amber have something going on.”
Relief washed over Linc
oln, and he broke out in a big grin. If Rachel hadn’t been gossiping with the water delivery guy, she wouldn’t have been able to resist listening in on the “collect” call.
“No, not Frank,” Lincoln protested. “He wouldn’t get involved with a young girl like Amber,” Lincoln said with a chuckle. The idea was ridiculous.
“I thought Frank was a straight-shooter, too. But I don’t know…” Rachel shook her head. “Frank and Amber are getting awfully close. Keep your eyes and ears open.” Rachel gave Lincoln a conspiratorial wink.
He nodded as if to say, “Sure thing.” He hurried down the stairs and out the door. A million thoughts raced through his mind, and he concluded that Raheem the mechanic was a dangerous dude. How could Chevonne get involved with a man that accessorized his work uniform with a pistol stuck in his waistband?
Lincoln should have known better than to get his brother involved. Earl was a piece of work, and loyalty had never been a quality he possessed. If someone had gotten hurt or killed last night, Earl would have been quick to snitch—he’d have no problem pointing a finger at his own brother in exchange for a lighter sentence.
It had been a harrowing morning and afternoon. But it was over now. Thankfully, Lincoln wouldn’t have to kiss his children, his wife, and his freedom goodbye. It was time for Lincoln to let shit go. His personal vendetta against the mechanic could have cost his brother’s life. Miserable life that it was, Earl was still his blood.
From now on, Lincoln was staying in his lane; criminal activity was not his forte.
He drove to the nearest Western Union location and filled out the form. He handed the lady behind the counter fifty dollars. He was only giving Earl enough for bus fare and a couple dollars to get something to eat. That clown was crazy if he thought Lincoln was paying the full amount for a botch job.
CHAPTER 30
It didn’t matter that his family rarely sat down to a home-cooked meal. What was important was that they were all together—Lincoln, Chevonne, and the kids—eating Chinese takeout.
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