by D. A. Young
“Feel like dancing?’ Noelle asked Jack over her shoulder seductively. He was at her side in an instant, hands gripping her hips possessively and pulling her back to him
“That’s not all I feel like doing, sugar,” he growled in her ear and she shivered as goosebumps broke out across her skin.
“Why do I have the feeling that someone’s gonna lose tonight?” Darby groaned, causing Sidra to laugh uproariously as they stepped on to the dance floor; David Guetta and Nicki Minaj’s bass thumping “Hey Mama” shaking the club walls.
***
Jack pulled Noelle into his arms, and she pressed herself as close to him as possible. They stared into each other’s eyes and moved in perfect precision to the beat. Noelle crooned the lyrics in his ear as she seduced him with her moves. He wasn’t surprised that his girl had rhythm. Not because she was black, but because she was always so graceful in her movements, despite the killer heels she was wearing.
Jack made a promise to himself that the next time they made love, she’d only be wearing those and a satisfied smile. He admired the way her hips twisted and dipped to the beat, her hair swinging like sharp black blades around her shoulders as he spun her around and pulled her back in, close enough that she could feel his arousal pressed between them.
“Nice moves, Sullivan,” she said admiringly, wrapping her arms around his neck and grinding into him. Jack groaned internally; Noelle was so fucking hot, and he was so hard. All he really wanted to do was back her into a dark corner and slide into her silky heat.
“I aim to please, ma’am,” he said, watching as Noelle’s eyes moved to a point beyond his and widened in recognition. Jack felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around. A tall, black man, dressed in all white with a thick gold chain around his neck stood behind him. His bald head was covered in tattoos; and when he smiled, a big diamond gleamed in his front top tooth. On either side of him were two huge men dressed in all black.
“What it do, Sully? I thought that was you with this fine young thang.” The man gave Noelle a lecherous once-over that made Jack grit his teeth. Normally, he didn’t mind Raymond Sway’s, otherwise known as “Big Thang” in the hip hop industry, behavior, but this time it was directed at his woman; and Jack didn’t play that shit.
“What’s up, Raymond?” Jack asked shaking the other man’s hand while pulling Noelle closer to his side with the other as Raymond continued to look her up and down.
“Nothing. I was just chillin’ in the booth passing time before the studio was available. You know I do my best work at night, homie,” Raymond smiled again and the gleaming diamond flashed. “Well, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”
“Noelle, I’d like you to meet Raymond Sway. Raymond, my fiancée Noelle.” He put heavy emphasis on fiancée as his hand slid down to rest on her stomach. He could feel her gaze on him and wished he knew what she was thinking. Not tonight motherfucker, Jack thought as his grip tightened even more around her waist, listening as they exchanged greetings and taking note of how the jackass was eating Noelle up with his eyes.
“Hey Jack, do you mind if I steal Noelle away for a dance?” Raymond asked licking the lips that made all the girls swoon. Jack opened his mouth to say yes he fucking minded, but Noelle, laying her hand on his chest, said to Raymond, “Actually, we were just going to have a seat. Please excuse us.”
She grabbed Jack’s hand to lead him away and Jack gave Raymond a curt nod as he walked past. Behind him he heard Raymond mutter, “Stuck up bitch”.
Jack clenched his jaw but kept moving forward. It looked like Darby’s premonition would be coming true.
***
Avery finished her dance with Casey and excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. She was glad that she decided to go out despite the argument with Pierce earlier. He’d fussed over her dress and refused to be seen in public with her.
“Don’t you think you should cover all that up?” he asked and for a brief moment, Avery considered it. Then she thought fuck it. Standing proudly, she addressed Pierce.
“Why are you so offended by my body, Pierce? We have sex in the dark with me covered up and in one position all the time! Also, you look positively green during foreplay,” she stated angrily. “I’m sorry that I’m not a size two with a stick figure, but there are other men out there who appreciate women with curves. So why don’t you find yourself a child-size bride, and I’ll find myself a real man. We’re done here.”
Soon after Avery left, Pierce was blowing up her phone with calls and apologetic texts, all of which she ignored before deciding to turn her phone off. As she studied herself in the mirror, she gave a sad smile. Oh sure she knew she was attractive; but it was times like this that she wished her body wasn’t so voluptuous, and that the man she was with could look passed it. With a sigh, she reapplied her lip gloss and left the bathroom only to collide with a hard body.
“Excuse me! Are you okay?” she cautiously asked the man who was staring at her like she was a pork chop as he eyed her up and down.
“Oh no, mama. Excuse me. Damn girl, you’re really wearing that dress!” he smirked, his eyes meeting hers. She recognized him as rapper Big Thang, and while he had a large female following that loved him, he did nothing for her personally except give her the creeps as he stepped into her personal space. Avery continued to meet his gaze but took a step back and brushed against the wall.
“You know who I am right?” he asked smoothly, and she nodded her head in acknowledgement. “How about you and me get out of here and talk business? I’m shooting my new video, and I could really use a girl with your…assets in it,” he finished, looking her up and down, licking his lips lewdly.
Avery curled her top lip in disgust and shook her head. “I don’t think so. Excuse me,” she said firmly and started to push past him, when she felt his hand brush her bottom and give it a squeeze. Furious at the violation, she whirled around and slapped him upside his head with her clutch. “Asshole!”
He lunged at her, but ran into a brick wall as Darby Sullivan quickly got between them and gently slid Avery behind him. “I believe you owe the lady an apology,” he said in that southern drawl of his that was normally friendly; but this time Avery could hear dark rumbling undertones.
“Ayyy man, back the fuck off me! You know who the fuck I am? I’m Big Thang, you overgrown country mouse!” the rapper shouted, trying to push at Darby; but it was like pushing against a brick wall that wouldn’t budge. Avery coughed to cover her laugh; and Darby, being the charming rascal that he was, looked over his shoulder to give her a wink, causing her to smile at him. A pleasant warmth spread slowly through her stomach. She couldn’t help but think that if she was with Pierce, he would have been upset with her for drawing attention to herself. Immediately she felt guilty for having that thought.
“Listen here, lil’ man. I may be just a country mouse to you, but where I come from, nobody disrespects a lady. Now you’re either going to apologize or-”
“What’s going on here?” Jack’s voice boomed down the hallway, interrupting Darby and causing all three of them to turn and look at him as he strode towards them. Avery could see from his expression that he was pissed. Looking at him, she really couldn’t blame her friend for falling for him. Jack oozed boss swag and was extremely good looking to boot. He gave her a concerned look before turning to the two men.
“Nothing; Just a country mouse trying to teach a city mouse some manners. This one here was bothering the lovely Ms. Avery. Called himself having the right to touch her bottom,” Darby said with a growl, his tone downright deadly now.
“Yo, Jack; you know this freak show? I was trying to talk with ol’ girl, and this giant ass hillbilly got all up in my face! I want him thrown outta here!” Raymond shouted, wiping the sweat from his bald head as he warily took in the size and muscle that was Darby Sullivan.
Jack coolly assessed him. “This young lady you assaulted is a dear friend of mine, and I’m sure my brother was doing nothing but de
fending her. You’re extremely lucky he didn’t crack your fucking skull open, Raymond. I recommend that you don’t try to step to him.”
Raymond gulped and took four steps back from Darby, warily keeping an eye on him. Darby grinned at him again. “Apologize, sweetheart.”
Avery tried very hard not to laugh when the supposedly hardcore rapper quickly turned to her and mumbled an apology; she acknowledged it with a curt nod.
Jack stepped forward smoothly. “One more thing, Raymond; a woman has the right to say no, and her choices should always be respected whether you like them or not.”
With lightning fast reflexes, he sucker-punched the other man in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and leaving him gasping on the floor, struggling not to vomit. Avery grimaced, and Darby laughed that big, booming laugh that echoed down the hallway as Raymond lost the battle and tossed up all the alcohol he’d consumed tonight, soiling his all white outfit.
“Client or not, if I ever hear you refer to my woman as a stuck up bitch or any name other than Mrs. Sullivan, I will END you and your career. I’m releasing you from your contract with R.R. & S., and I trust there will be no back blow behind my decision, correct?” Jack stared down at him dispassionately as he straightened his jacket. The ill-feeling rapper was too busy wallowing in his self-created misery to answer him.
“Have a good night.”
Chapter Thirteen
They were married, and she wanted to shout it from the rooftops — that she, Noelle Kramer, was now Noelle Sullivan. She couldn’t stop staring at the hammered gold band with the huge diamond in the center. It had tiny diamonds sprinkled on either side, and the inside was inscribed with today’s date. It was created by an up-and- coming jewelry designer named Vixen, and Jack had surprised her with it this morning by placing it on her left ring finger during the brief ceremony witnessed by Avery, Sidra, Casey, and Darby in jack’s good friend, Judge Marcus Harold’s private chamber. When the girls saw the ring, they shrieked with joy, much to the amusement of the Sullivan brothers. Noelle explained to them that that they each had several pieces of Vixen’s jewelry, and that her pieces were wildly popular and highly-coveted. They rolled their eyes when the brothers seemed even more amused by that statement.
Although it was supposed to be a simple business arrangement, Noelle couldn’t help but to get caught up in the moment. She’d worn a spaghetti strap, white eyelet dress with a sweetheart neckline. The dress was knee-length with a full skirt. Her feet were encased in SJP white, high-heeled sandals, and the outfit complimented her bronze complexion perfectly. Her curly hair was left free, with a simple rhinestone barrette pinning the curls off of her forehead. She’d kept her makeup limited to bronzer and coral lip gloss. The short denim jacket she’d slipped on after the ceremony was over. Jack, scruff free, was handsome in a light-colored suit that he filled out to perfection.
After the ceremony, they celebrated with lunch at the River Café in Brooklyn. The gorgeous restaurant sat right on the water, and it was where the trio of women celebrated all special occasions. They gorged themselves on foie gras, mushroom wellington, branzino, and strip steak. For dessert, they had the two cakes that Noelle had made from scratch. The first was a small champagne wedding cake with strawberry filling; the second, a decadent chocolate Guinness cake with Bailey’s Irish cream frosting, was for Jack’s birthday, much to his surprise. It was a wonderful meal, and they felt blessed to be sharing it with friends and family.
Now the married couple, along with Casey and Darby, were flying on a private jet to Whiskey Row, but making a pit stop in D.C. first to drop off Casey and Darby. Jack also needed to do a brief touch base with his other partner Vivienne. Noelle sneaked a glance at him to find him staring at his gold band, a satisfied smile on his lips as he rolled it around on his finger. She looked across the aisle to find Darby and Casey grinning at them and blushed before turning to look out the window with a small satisfied smile of her own.
The plane ride was short and smooth, and they arrived in the nation’s capital in no time. It was a perfect afternoon in D.C., weather-wise, and as they drove through the city. Noelle was delighted to see that the famous cherry blossoms were in full bloom, coloring the streets in gorgeous shades of pink, red, and white. They pulled up to a distinguished-looking six story building in Georgetown and took the elevator up to the top floor, occupied by R. R. & S. Public Relations and the law offices of Sullivan and Associates.
Casey leaned over to give Noelle a quick kiss on the cheek, leaping out of the way before Jack could punch him while chuckling at his brother’s thunderous expression. “This is my stop, sis. Feel free to stop by if you get bored over there or if Viv scares you, and you need a place to hide; whichever comes first. Congratulations again, bro. Coming, Darby?”
“Nah, go ahead. I’m gonna chop it up with the “Dragon Lady” for a while. I’ll catch up with you this evening,” Darby said as he held the door open for Jack and Noelle.
“Bye, Casey. Thank you for everything,” Noelle said as Jack clasped her hand in his when she would have given his little brother a hug. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he gave her a bland smile, motioning her through the door before him. As she passed through the open door, Noelle heard Darby say to her new husband under his breath, “Fucking relax, man.”
***
Inside the office was full of women in all sizes and ethnicities, wearing brisk expressions as they bustled about; but Noelle could hear one voice in particular barking orders over everyone. The atmosphere soon changed as the women noticed the good-looking brothers. Tense expressions relaxed into flirtatious ones. The pretty, dark-haired receptionist whose nameplate read Marcella gave them a frazzled smile as she hurriedly answered and connected calls.
As busy as she was though, she did pause long enough to give Darby a sultry gaze and a private smile when he lingered at the desk. Jack just shook his head and placed his arm around Noelle’s waist, guiding her down the hallway to where the barking voice was getting louder and louder. Noelle braced herself as they turned the corner expecting to see an ogre.
Instead, Noelle saw a petite, black woman with a dark honey complexion. Her shoulder-length, black hair was thick and styled in big curls. She wore a well-cut, short sleeve, hot pink sheath that molded to her slender curves and pair of paler pink high heels. Her delicate, arched brows, eyes the color of molasses, short straight nose, and full mouth epitomized pretty, despite the tongue-lashing she was administering into her Bluetooth. Vivienne Romankov was absolutely gorgeous, and from what Noelle was hearing, hell on wheels.
“Go on in,” Jack urged softly. “I’m going to grab us some coffee.” He placed a brief kiss on the back of her neck, before walking towards the coffee station located at the end of the hall. Noelle turned back to the fireball of energy frantically pacing up and down the length of the huge, modern office decorated in shades of white. She took in the large, framed pictures of the Sullivan brothers at varying stages in their lives along with photos of a stunning girl of mixed heritage.
“Well, what the hell are we paying you for if the press junkets are a no-go? You’re either going to move forward with them or give us back our damn money plus interest, as you obviously didn’t read the contract. Don’t screw with me, Marvin,” she warned in a softer tone; it was almost seductive, and Noelle found herself leaning forward, captivated as she imagined Marvin on the other end doing the same thing. “Or I will sue your ass for everything you’ve got!” And with that, Vivienne disconnected the call.
She caught sight of Noelle in the doorway and raised an eyebrow as she looked her up and down. “Okay… a couple of questions: One, do you always eavesdrop on peoples’ conversations? Two, how did you get back here? And three, who the hell are you??? If you’re the new receptionist, you obviously didn’t get the dress code memo, sweetie.”
Noelle stiffened her spine at the woman’s blunt approach and decided to meet it head on. “One, I wasn’t eavesdropping. I could hear you as soon as I enter
ed the offices. Two, I walked back here with my husband, Jack Sullivan. And three, my name is Noelle, not ‘sweetie’.”
Vivienne’s eyes went wide, and then she went off. “You’re married to Jack?? Oh no he didn’t have a wedding and not invite me! That little shit! I helped to raise that boy, and this is the thanks I get?! Wait a minute. Noelle? As in Kramer? You’re Harvey’s niece, which makes you Ian’s goddaughter! And Alicia, your mother?” The last was asked with a sour expression, before a thought occurred to her. “Wait. Does Ian know you and Jack got married?”
“Ummmm…well no. The thing is…well ...” Noelle fumbled over her words, and judging by the sparkle in Vivienne’s eyes, she was enjoying her discomfort. A lot. The tiny dynamo, with her quick wit and ‘don’t fuck with me’ personality, made her think of Cookie from that hit show Empire.