North Star

by Angeline M. Bishop

  Caresse started to feel a little relief from the headache when Graham kneeled beside her and placed a cold compress over her eyes. “This will make you feel better. Relax, hon. I’ll take care of everything.”

  Before she could reply, the soft sounds of Miles Davis filled the air, and she settled into the comfort of his couch.

  Graham gently caressed her ankles as he took off her high-heeled sandals and swung her legs onto the couch. Before leaving her side, his lips tenderly captured hers as he placed a light blanket over her legs. Caresse was delighted by his protective touch and missed him the moment he stepped away.

  As she listened to his retreat, sleep overcame her.

  When she reopened her eyes, the smell of southern cooking filled her nostrils. She removed the now warm compress from her eyes and focused on her surroundings. “Graham?”

  A cheerful face peered from the kitchen. “Hey, beautiful, are you hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  “Good. Your dinner awaits.” Graham walked toward Caresse wearing a white tank and black Nike shorts. His muscles, rippling under his shirt, quickened her pulse. Everything about his body captivated her as his broad chest and athletic physique reminded her of the intense passion he’d stirred in her last night.

  She strolled toward the kitchen slowly, her hips gently swaying as she took in the abundance of food. “You did all this?”

  “No, but I ordered it. I’m not known for cooking, so I leave it to the professionals. If you take your seat, you’ll see we have some southern favorites: smothered chicken and gravy, mashed potatoes, cornbread, collard greens, and some peach cobbler à la mode for dessert.”

  “Wow, you outdid it with your dialing finger.”

  “I know, I know,” he said as he poured her a glass of white wine. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better than before. Thanks for letting me rest. I really needed that.”

  “Don’t mention it. Let’s pray, so we can dig in.” Graham extended his hand to Caresse, and she took it as they bowed their heads. Graham blessed the food and asked for God’s protection and comfort for the Masons and Caresse.

  When he finished, Caresse’s eyes were moist. “That was a nice prayer.”

  “Thanks. You can blame my mother for that. She said she wouldn’t forgive herself if her children didn’t know how to talk to God respectfully. But I must confess, I still talk to him like he’s right in the room with me.”

  Caresse said quietly, “Me, too. He’s more personal that way.”

  They enjoyed the food and talked about Graham’s plans for the Mason Center article. “The Mason Ball will be the focus, but in light of current events, an extra page should feature a tribute to Yvette and the Mason legacy.”

  “I’m not sure the Masons will be thinking about the Mason Ball right now. What if it’s cancelled?” she asked before tasting the greens.

  “I doubt the center’s major fundraiser will be canceled, but it may be delayed. I’ll make sure Mr. Mason approves the final copy a few days before we go to press.”

  They talked and finished their meal as they tried their best to avoid any additional conversation about Yvette’s accident. When the leftovers were placed in the refrigerator and the dirty dishes placed in the dishwasher, Graham took Caresse into his arms.

  “If you want, we can watch a DVD or listen to some music while this food digests,” Graham said and brushed a tendril behind her ear.

  “I’m enjoying the music, so let’s relax in the living room.”

  Graham took her hand and led her back onto the couch. When they sat down, he placed his arms around her shoulders and let her snuggle closer to his chest. Caresse couldn’t think of another place she wanted to be. Graham smelled of sandalwood, and she loved the feel of his powerful arms encircling her.

  As Paul Taylor’s music CD filled the air, Graham kissed the top of her head. Her thoughts seemed to race with memories of Yvette. She didn’t know how she would explain her accident to her daughters. Nyla and Messina considered her their favorite aunt. And the hospital visit. How will I make them understand why she was hurt instead of me? She bit her bottom lip.

  As if sensing her thoughts, Graham whispered, “All you have to do is take it one day at a time.”

  She raised her head and peered into his eyes. Every time she met his gaze, her heart quickened. She didn’t want to think about the magnetic attraction pulsating between them, but it began to captivate her and consume her every thought. His touch seemed to fill her body with want. Being so close to him reminded her of the sensual release he was capable of giving. She knew worrying was heightening her need to be held and comforted, but she didn’t want to be logical and restrained. For one night, she wanted to forget her loss, setting an example for her daughters, or being scarred by false loves.

  She wanted to make love with complete abandonment, and her gaze lowered to Graham’s firm and sensual lips. Images of the passion he’d stirred in her last night made his nearness overwhelming. She wasn’t sure when he made her heart start beating erratically, but she had to kiss him. Hell, she needed it. She needed him.

  Like an answered prayer, Graham lowered his head, letting his mouth cover hers hungrily. She gave herself freely to the passion of his kiss, letting its intensity send currents of desire through her body as his hands moved gently down the length of her back.

  Lifting his head, he broke the kiss, and murmured, “If you don’t want this go any further, tell me. I don’t know if I can hold back.”

  Caresse lifted her chin seductively and met his gaze. “I don’t want you to hold back. Make love to me, Graham.”

  There was a lustful fire radiating through her body, and she was hell bent on enticing Graham to quench her desires. The warmth of their bodies had heightened her desire for him. She gently caressed his neck and shoulders and a lustful moan softly escaped her lips.

  All evening, Yvette’s accident had reminded her of her mortality, so she decided right at that moment to live her life to the fullest. She wanted Graham, and after his unrelenting pursuit, the romantic dates, and the passionate foreplay, her body craved him, whether his love for her was on the horizon or not. At this moment, she had enough love for both of them.

  Before she had time to speak another word, Graham gathered her into his arms and carefully headed upstairs toward his bedroom. As they neared his bedroom door, he paused and asked, “Are you sure, Caresse?”

  “Yes,” she breathed as she kissed him gently. With that, he strode over the bedroom’s threshold and gently eased her down onto the bed.

  He removed her blouse and denim skirt, revealing her lacy, flesh-colored bra and thong. He kissed and stroked her body, causing her breath to quicken and soft sighs to escape her lips. The stroking of his fingers sent pleasant jolts through her as he kissed her lips, throat, and stomach. Instinctively, she arched her body toward him as he caressed her body.

  She fought the desire to analyze what this step meant for their relationship. For her, it was erotic, liberating, and utterly beautiful. For the rest of her life, she wouldn’t forget how she craved him at this moment.

  He growled against her stomach and stroked her hips in primal possession. Caresse felt a rush of warmth moisten her feminine folds. She explored his muscular back through his thin tank, causing the ache to make love to nearly overwhelm her. It had been years since she’d had been intimate with a man, and at that time, Keith had let her know his satisfaction supersede her own. The few times Graham had caressed and kissed her, he’d put her needs first. And her needs were as powerful and all-consuming as any man’s. She made sure her movements, sounds, and caresses let Graham know she had no intentions of denying her sexual wants.

  She pulled him up to her lips and kissed him passionately, needing his mouth to ravish hers once more. She gyrated her hips into his hardness as his tongue plundered her mouth. He captured each of her sighs and moans as he matched the rhythm of her hips with thrusts his own.

  The foreplay was
driving her crazy as he fondled her body, causing her nipples to harden under his ministrations. When he ended their kiss in the dimly lit bedroom, Caresse could see that his eyes mirrored the lust in her own. He groaned as he watched her. She tempted him brazenly by stroking her stomach and thighs. She began moving her legs seductively, parting her legs for his viewing pleasure. He inhaled her scent deeply, picking up on her belief that their mating had moved beyond words.

  He raised his body from the bed and stood before her. Her eyes froze on his tempting, powerful body, that exuded masculinity with each movement. He quickly pulled his T-shirt off his body and tugged down his shorts, along with his underwear. He stood before her, naked, and let her take in the powerful man she desired. She marveled at the perfection of his body and enjoyed how he boldly disrobed in front of her. His body was power and strength personified. His eyes darkened in passion at her roaming gaze. He extended his hand, beckoning her forward.

  Caresse slowly crawled toward the end of the bed and took his hand. He motioned for her to stand on the bed so that her full breasts were near his lips. His hands gently eased her bra from her body, and a shiver of need raced through her as she felt his breath licking her skin. Placing a nipple between his lips, he began licking, sucking, and tugging, making her gasp in sweet agony. When she felt his hands stroke her calves and work their way up to the juncture of her thighs, her mind reeled.

  “I need you now,” she moaned as she cupped his face.

  Graham ripped her drenched thong from her body as his lips continued to make her nipples harden and darken. In a swift movement, he gathered her into his arms and laid her down on the bed. As Caresse stretched her body, enjoying the lustful desire they’d stirred in each other, Graham retrieved a condom from his nightstand.

  When he prepared himself, he groaned, “You have no idea how much I want you.” His dark penetrating gaze captivated her as he moved his body over hers. Before she could proclaim her lack of sexual relations in the past couple of years, he parted her legs and sank deep into her. Inch by inch his aroused flesh sought the heat of her and drove her delirious with desire. He held her hips firmly as he probed deeper, and she widened her legs to accommodate his girth.

  A quick flash of pain shot through her as the tightness of her body adjusted to the length of him. She caught her breath quickly and prepared for the sexual journey.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered against her temple before he kissed her forehead.

  “I will be. You?”

  He began moving slowly, thrusting in and out of her. The slowness made her feverish and ultra-damp as her muscles relaxed and welcomed him. Soon she began meeting his rhythm and encouraging him to take her faster, harder. When Graham quickened his long, rhythmic strokes, rough groans began to escape his throat.

  He gently lifted her legs to his shoulders and braced his hands on either side of her. With a furious rhythm, he continued thrusting in and out of her. She started to pant and moan. She dug her nails into his back as bare flesh slapped bare flesh. She knew she would never forget this night with him.

  Caresse felt her body tremble as Graham clenched his teeth and rocked her repeatedly. As the feverish pitch heightened, waves and waves of ecstasy throbbed through her.

  Convulsions started racing through her as a primal release overtook them both. Her inner muscles pulsated and tightened around him as they climaxed uncontrollably.

  Chapter 13

  Graham woke first and glanced at the beauty sleeping next to him. She’d astounded him last night. Caresse laid against his chest peacefully, with one of her legs draped possessively over his. He cast his gaze at the ceiling as he replayed the events of last night over in his mind. Never in his life had a woman captivated him like she had. The way she looked, smelled, and felt intoxicated him, and the passion of their lovemaking blew his mind.

  They’d made love twice last night, and this morning he basked in the thought of knowing the raw sexual femininity of her. When she let go, something primitive in him snapped, and he had to quench the fire of wanting her. It was a sexual want he’d tried to contain due to the situation with Yvette, but Caresse had made it obvious she didn’t want that. Graham remembered how she’d taunted him to take her naked, aroused body. She had no shame in her desire, and her playfulness in bed had sealed his belief that she was made for him.

  A sudden stirring next to him caught his attention as Caresse shifted herself closer to his body. When he searched her face, she returned his gaze with warmth and a hug.

  He kissed her forehead, then her soft lips as she shifted her body on top of his.

  “Are you trying to drive me crazy?” Graham groaned as she rocked her hips and caused his body to react eagerly to hers.

  “No,” Caresse purred as she nuzzled his neck. “I had no idea it we could be like that.”

  “Me neither, sweetheart, but there one thing I do know.”

  “What?”

  “You’re meant to be in my bed, Caresse. And no one else’s.”

  Caresse sat up and straddled his body. “Is that right?”

  Graham reached up and traced her nipples with his fingers, causing her to inhale deeply. “Yes, baby. See how our bodies respond quickly to each other. Everything that’s in you, wants me, and I have no problem complying.”

  Graham reached for another condom and placed it in her hand.

  Caresse tossed it onto his chest. “Sorry, but I happen to enjoying walking normally. My body may want to go another round, but my head thinks a break is needed.”

  “Nonsense, let me change your mind.” Graham tore the condom from its wrapper and moved her upward so he could cover his manhood. Once properly sheathed, he lowered her wet, slick body onto his hardness. As her body filled with him, he sat up and widened his legs allowing her body to rock back and her thighs to lift on the sides of his chest.

  When Caresse locked her fingers around his neck and looked up at him, Graham placed his hands on her hips and moved her gently up and down. The motion caused her desire to increase, and the smell of lust and lovemaking made his body harder. The sway of her breasts and the soft moans from her lips made it difficult for him to keep the slow, methodical pace. And when she began to meet his thrust with her own, he came undone.

  Graham clenched his teeth and cursed when Caresse leaned forward and pushed him back onto the feather pillows behind him. She grabbed the headboard above his head and rode him, causing him to surrender, again and again, with deep, long strokes, Graham marveled at the power of her.

  “Graham!” she panted as her body began to convulse around him, triggering a climax of his own. Seconds later, he basked in the knowledge that what they shared was only the beginning. He knew without a doubt that Caresse was definitely a woman he could love.

  A few hours later, Graham was standing before an emergency meeting with his Psyche editors. Yvette’s accident made the marketing of the upcoming Mason Ball even more pressing. Since he’d personally promised Yvette and her father that the article would be finished soon, he needed his best staff members on the project.

  “Okay, people. I know the August issue is complete, but a special Mason Center insert is needed for the New York tri-state bound copies. The Masons are special friends of mine, and since their CEO is in the hospital, I need this completed this weekend. I want to go to press next week.”

  The editorial staff groaned at the thought of working on a Saturday. Gray Ryley, the marketing editor for Psyche inquired, “Are we starting from scratch, or is there a preliminary insert draft?”

  “The photographers have already captured all the photos you’ll need, and Kathy is handling out the feature article on Mason Community Center and the Mason Ball, but I need a commitment from at least two of you to spearhead this getting done right. Any volunteers?”

  Suddenly the boardroom door swung open and an impeccably dressed and stylishly coiffed Laila strolled in.

  “Count me in, Graham.” She beamed as she found her seat between Graham a
nd Gray. “Forgive my tardiness everyone. I had to drop my brother at the airport.”

  Graham nodded. “Anyone else available to assist Laila with this rush project?”

  Gray glanced at the playful warmth in Laila’s eyes and smiled. “Hell, boss, I guess I’m in, too. Someone needs to make sure the ads remind the readers about volunteering and not only shopping for the Mason Ball.”

  Everyone laughed as Laila elbowed Gray. Graham knew their resident fashion editor had a reputation of being a little over-concerned with fashion advertisement placement.

  “Fine, fine, I want everyone to give these two your suggestions and see Kathy in regards to RSVPing your attendance for Mason Ball. I’ve reserved four tables, so you and your guest will be able to attend. That’s all, people. I need to speak to Laila and Gray alone.”

  As the staff filed out, Graham thanked them for their time and closed the door behind them. When he reclaimed his seat, he stared intensely at Laila. “So what did you do to Latrell to drive him back to the ranch without a goodbye to me?”

  Laila smirked and leaned back in her seat. “He called you three times last night, but that silly grin on your face must mean you were too busy with a certain someone to think about talking to family. Am I right?”

  “Don’t deflect. Why are you here, Laila? I thought we agreed you would take some time away from the office.”

  Laila sighed. “I’m fine, Graham, and work is the best thing for me right now. When you call Latrell, he’ll tell you the same. I need to focus on something other than my love life.”

  Gray gripped Laila’s hand to show support. “The Mason insert is a great project to focus on, if you ask me.”

  Graham nodded and took in Laila’s appearance. She seemed better than he had seen her in weeks. The bags under her eyes had disappeared, so he had no physical reason to be concerned about her, but her return to Psyche still worried him.

  “Okay, you two get to work. I need that insert on my desk first thing Monday morning.