Comfort of a Man (Arabesque)

by Byrd, Adrianne

  She smiled. “See anything you like?”

  Was she kidding? “On you, I like everything I see.”

  She eased closer, enchanting him further with her fragrance. “That makes two of us.”

  This woman was something else. “Where did you say you were from?”

  She cocked her head with a slight frown. “Why?”

  “Because they don’t make women like you where I’m from.”

  She laughed, infecting him with its melodious sound. “I’m a Georgia peach.” She placed a hand against his chest. “I hope you’re hungry.” Her gaze lowered to her hand and then traveled back up to his eyes. “Your heart is beating awfully fast.”

  He smirked. “Yeah? I’ll give you one guess as to why.”

  An elevator arrived and both of their faces exploded with smiles.

  “After you,” he said.

  “Bringing up the rear again?”

  “Do you mind?”

  She shook her head. “Not at all.”

  “Then the evening is already off to a good start.”

  Brooklyn laughed and turned to step onto the elevator.

  Isaiah moved in behind her. He pushed the button for the forty-sixth floor and then turned toward her.

  She gave him a come-hither look while her smile turned wicked as it slid into place.

  Isaiah obeyed and backed her into a corner, fully aware that they could be seen in the glass compartment.

  “Wait. Hold the elevator,” a woman’s voice boomed toward them a second before an arm bolted in between the closing doors.

  Brooklyn and Isaiah sprang apart.

  “Thank goodness we made it,” a smiling woman said as she struggled inside with her arms loaded with shopping bags. “You girls come on,” she called out into the hall.

  Isaiah struggled to hide his annoyance.

  There was a loud shuffling of feet and more rumbling of bags and then the small space was suddenly filled with six more women, all carrying bags by the armload.

  “Are we all in here?” the director of the small group asked her companions.

  The women bobbed their heads and released weary sighs.

  “I’m on twenty-seven,” one woman said.

  “I’m thirty.”

  “Seventeen.”

  Isaiah moaned. It was going to take forever for them to reach his floor. He stiffened at the feel of a hand placed against his lower back. He glanced over at Brooklyn and she shared a look with him that made him forget about the women in front of them.

  He inched closer and slid his arm around Brooklyn’s waist. He smiled, loving the way she felt in his arms.

  “Oh, look at them.”

  Isaiah and Brooklyn’s attention jerked back to the other women in the elevator.

  “Are you two newlyweds?” a perky blonde asked with a wistful expression.

  Laughing, Isaiah opened his mouth to respond, but Brooklyn cut him off.

  “Is it that obvious?” she asked, batting her lashes dramatically.

  Isaiah’s eyes widened as his gaze riveted back to the woman in his arms.

  Brooklyn’s hand roamed boldly down Isaiah’s backside. “We can’t seem to keep our hands off of each other.”

  The women took in a collective gasp and smiled warmly at the couple.

  “Well, you do make an attractive couple.”

  “Thank you,” Brooklyn said, without missing a beat. “A lot of our friends say the same thing.” Her hand slipped down the waistband of Isaiah’s slacks.

  It took everything he had not to react to her playful antics, plus he wasn’t at all sure he wasn’t blushing in front of the crowd of gushing busybodies while they all smiled at them.

  The elevator slowed to a gentle stop and when the doors slid open, two women stepped out while the other women waved and said their good-nights.

  Brooklyn’s hand traveled farther south.

  Isaiah decided it was time to even the playing field. When the doors closed again and the women returned to their idle chatter, he slipped his hand beneath the back of her blouse and glided along the line of her spinal cord.

  She stiffened and her playful smile grew wider.

  He found the clasp of her bra and skillfully unhooked it.

  Brooklyn’s smile vanished and astonishment dominated her features.

  Chuckling, he leaned over and whispered, “Gotcha.” He kissed her earlobe.

  “Oh, just look at them,” the one whom he’d overheard called Stephanie said. “I bet you two can’t wait to make it up to your room.”

  The other women turned and smiled.

  “How can you tell?” Isaiah said, grinning.

  “Women can always spot an anxious man, honey,” Stephanie said with a wave of her hand. “Trust me.”

  “Is that right?” He refused to hide his amusement.

  The elevator stopped again and another woman stepped out and made sure that she gave the “newlyweds” an encouraging wink.

  “Have fun, you two.”

  Isaiah nodded while his hand teased against Brooklyn’s back. God, she has soft skin.

  “Okay, you can stop,” Brooklyn hissed and removed her hand from his pants.

  “What’s the matter?” he whispered back. “Can’t stand the heat?” His hands skimmed the side of her breast.

  Brooklyn’s sharp inhalation only broadened his smile and caused his erection to throb.

  Another woman exited the elevator and everyone went through the routine of well-wishes. Now, the occupants were Isaiah, Brooklyn and Stephanie.

  Isaiah couldn’t be 100 percent sure, but he was certain the temperature escalated in the small compartment while he continued to exchange plastic smiles with the gawking woman. Wasn’t this supposed to be New York City…a place where everyone made it their business to mind their own business?

  “I remember my honeymoon,” Stephanie finally said, her smile still hanging firmly in place. “We, too, chose New York. Mainly because, at that time, neither of us had ever been outside of Carson City.”

  Isaiah bobbed his head as though entertained by her ministory.

  The elevator slowed.

  “Well, I guess this is it. You two enjoy the rest of your honeymoon.” The doors slid open and Stephanie departed, managing an enthusiastic wave despite her armload of bags.

  Isaiah patiently waited for the doors to close and when they did, he pivoted toward Brooklyn just as she grabbed the front of his shirt and jerked him toward her.

  The crashing of their lips was like an explosion of passion, hunger, and desire. Their bodies rocked back against the elevator’s glass wall.

  Brooklyn couldn’t believe what she was doing or what she was going to do. But when she experienced a prickle of doubt, her raging hormones came riding to the rescue. She had no time for a relationship in her life, but a night of hot, passionate, no-strings-attached sex, she could definitely make time for. Baby steps.

  Neither realized they’d made it to Isaiah’s floor, but a woman’s loud gasp did jar them back to reality.

  Isaiah and Brooklyn jerked apart. Embarrassed, they made their apologies to a startled elderly couple. He grabbed Brooklyn’s hand and rushed out of the elevator.

  Brooklyn couldn’t stop giggling. She should be ashamed of her behavior, acting more like those blushing teenage girls her son dated than a mature adult, but damn if she couldn’t help it. Meanwhile, a swarm of butterflies were attacking her from within. Could she really go through with this?

  While the question echoed in her head, Isaiah stopped in front of a door and pivoted toward her—the moment of truth.

  When he smiled, in his eyes held a hint of caution fringed with a dash of hope. “I think I should ask you again. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

  Speech failed her while parts of her were suddenly at war with one another.

  Isaiah tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and then gently caressed her face. “I’ll understand if you want to change your mind.”

&nbs
p; His touch was like magic and when her gaze met his, she was lured into their hypnotic spell. A slow smile curled her lips and with her hand she stopped his gentle stroking to tell him, “I’m sure.”

  Chapter 4

  Isaiah and Brooklyn tumbled into his suite, clawing at each other’s clothing as though their lives depended on it. Brooklyn couldn’t get enough of him as she gave in to a glorious and dangerous fire that nearly consumed her.

  His shirt fell to the floor and her blouse soon joined it. Two quick kicks to the side freed Brooklyn of her black shoes, while Isaiah had to press against each heel with his big toe before being able to kick his shoes to the side.

  He nuzzled her neck, which activated a switch in the core of her being; she couldn’t turn back now.

  Her bra slid off next and a wicked sense of pleasure coursed through her at his sudden gasp of amazement. Suddenly, his hands and mouth were everywhere.

  Together, they fell back onto the bed, a mess of prying arms and seeking lips.

  The man’s touch was unlike anything she could remember; his lips were the answer to an unspoken prayer. Was the fact she hadn’t been with a man for so long the reason he had such a profound effect on her, or was it possible this man alone had the power to awaken her body this way?

  When his tongue taunted her nipples, her sudden gasp for air wasn’t unlike a drowning victim surfacing for the first time. She ran her hands down the sinewy curves of his back, impressed by the strength they represented. Everything about Isaiah felt and tasted good.

  His hard shaft pressed against her inner thigh and she had to rein in her raging emotions to ask one important question. “Do you have a condom?”

  “Yes, I have some in my…” He stopped. “My bags.” The same bags the airline lost. Isaiah felt sick.

  He rolled off of her and dropped his head into his hands.

  Brooklyn frowned and sat up. “Is there a problem?”

  “Just a slight hiccup,” he said. His mind scrambled for the nearest place he could purchase condoms. He slid a quick glance in her direction. “The airline lost my bags. You wouldn’t happen to, uh, have any, would you?”

  “Afraid not.” Brooklyn struggled not to laugh at his childlike expression as he stared at her half-naked body as though his favorite toy had been taken away. “What about the convenience store downstairs? They must sell condoms. This is a hotel after all.”

  Isaiah jumped to his feet, conceding to her logic. He swiped his shirt from off the floor and, before rushing out of the room, returned his attention to her. “You’ll still be here when I return, right?”

  “After what I sampled, wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

  He rushed back over to the bed and extracted a long kiss. When he squeezed her breasts, she smacked his hand for his trouble.

  “Go buy the condoms,” she directed with a pointed finger. “While you’re gone, I’m going to jump in the shower.” She stood from the bed, but had to cover her breasts with her hands in order to recapture Isaiah’s full attention.

  He blinked and stared blankly at her before his brain finally kicked into gear. “Right. I’m going right now,” he said, backing up. He started to button his shirt but discovered there were only three usable buttons left. He glanced back at Brooklyn.

  She shrugged. “Sorry.”

  Laughing, he stole another kiss and rushed toward the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” she promised and watched as the door closed behind him. Once alone, she expelled a long breath and fell back across the bed. “That man is incredible.” She smiled and stretched along the rumpled sheets. She could still feel his hot hands and mouth roaming over her body—God, that mouth.

  She laughed at the wicked memory, and then drew herself up to take her shower. The thought of leaving did cross her mind, a sort of no-harm, no-foul kind of a thing, but the truth was she was enjoying this side of herself. It was a side she’d long forgotten, but could embellish just this once.

  Isaiah drew his fair share of stares as he made his way down to the first floor. And if he hadn’t been in such a hurry, he would’ve had the mind to be more embarrassed about being barefoot, and wearing a shirt that looked like it had barely survived a battle with Godzilla. But as it was, when he rushed into the store and blurted out what he needed to the woman behind the counter, he heard a loud gasp and a few chuckles from behind him.

  He turned and once again saw the elderly couple from the elevator.

  “Lubricated or nonlubricated?”

  “What?” Isaiah pivoted back toward the counter with his hackles at attention.

  “The condoms?” the young and perky brunette asked, smiling up at him.

  “Uh, lubricated,” he answered in a low whisper and jabbed his hands into his pocket for money.

  “Ribbed or extra sensitive?”

  Was she kidding? “Just give me those.” He pointed to a purple package and waited patiently for her to ring it up. Seconds later, he paid, waved off his change and rushed out of the small store, but not without hearing a few more chuckles being made on his behalf.

  Now, Isaiah focused on getting back upstairs where he hoped to find his midnight angel with the baby-soft skin and delicious body.

  When he entered his suite, he smiled at the sound of the shower running. His luck was still holding up. In a flash he tore out of his shirt and hurried over to the bed. Suddenly he didn’t know how he wanted to do this. Should he go ahead and strip naked or should he wait and let her help him get undressed?

  He thought about it for a full minute, and then laughed. When was the last time he’d been this anxious over a woman?

  The shower stopped and Isaiah tossed the purple package onto the nightstand and dove onto the bed with the decision to just wing it. However, the seconds inched along at an incredibly slow pace, giving him enough time for get another wave of anxiety. He rethought his positioning on the bed and draped himself across the pillows, but decided the pose made him appear too eager. Moving the pillows, he leaned back against the headboard, and then hated that pose as well.

  The shower curtain slid over the rail. He needed to hurry and make a decision. Jumping to his feet, he warmed to the idea that he should be standing when she joined him. Standing and doing what? He looked around. A surge of inspiration hit when his eyes landed on the bar. Make the woman a drink. A sly smile slid across his face as he crossed the room.

  This level of anxiety was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. He wanted to impress this woman—badly. The bathroom door swung open just as he reached the bar. Isaiah turned in its direction and was rendered speechless at the vision in front of him.

  She had pinned her thick mane up in the back, but a few wet tendrils hung on the sides of her oval face. Her eyes appeared rounder, clearer, and they drew him toward her.

  His eyes slid down her shoulders, hypnotized by the way they glistened beneath the bathroom lighting. The plush bath towel wrapped around her curvaceous figure fit like a custom-made designer dress.

  “Were you about to make me a drink?” she asked in a husky whisper.

  Isaiah caught the slight tremor in her voice and became concerned. “Do you need one?”

  She drew in a deep breath and flashed him a fluttering smile. “Maybe just a small one.”

  He turned back to the bar and made two drinks. While he poured, he searched for other ways he could try to relax her. “The only thing we’re missing now is some music,” he joked.

  “There’s a radio clock on the nightstand,” she suggested, stepping into the bedroom.

  He grabbed their glasses and walked over to her.

  Brooklyn accepted the glass. “Thank you.”

  Her hand brushed against his and currents of electricity surged between them. Isaiah couldn’t explain the strange stirring in his blood—he was afraid to. “Are you nervous?”

  She smiled. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Actually, no.” He chuckled before taking
a sip of his drink. “I’m starting to have second thoughts about this being your first time for this sort of thing.”

  She shared a nervous laugh. “Trust me. It’s a miracle my trembling legs are still holding me up.” She, too, took a sip of her drink and immediately welcomed the warmth that rushed through her body.

  “You know there’s still time for you to back out of this,” he informed her in a low whisper.

  She met his intense gaze with a renewed determination. “Not on your life.”

  Isaiah reclaimed her glass and sat their drinks down on the nearby desk table, and then allowed his gaze to drink in her beauty. He noted absently that at each angle he discovered something new or fascinating about her features. How did he miss the small mole above her upper lip or the slight dimple in the center of her chin?

  He reached up and trailed a finger along the side of her face. “Simply beautiful,” he whispered.

  Brooklyn watched his head’s slow descent as he leaned in for a kiss. Every nerve in her body jittered and jumped with anticipation and at the feel of his soft lips pressed against her own, they ignited and exploded with emotion.

  The towel fell to the floor and her body shivered from the room’s cool temperature or perhaps it was just a reaction from his feathery touch. Their kiss ended and his lips deserted her mouth to burn a trail down the column of her neck. Weak-kneed, Brooklyn’s insides were all aflutter. This slow seduction just might be her undoing.

  She liked the way her head swam in a pool of euphoria and loved the feel of her breasts pressed against his muscled chest. Tilting her head back, she gave his exploring lips better access, while his magical fingers toured every curve of her body.

  A glitch occurred in her memory; she couldn’t recall when or how he’d placed her onto the bed, but there she was—submissive beneath him and ready to take the chance of a lifetime.

  His smiling face hovered above her. “Last chance, but I swear, if you get up, you’ll see a grown man cry.”

  Brooklyn continued to be impressed by his kindness. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?”

  He laughed and dipped his head low to extract a kiss. The man was as addictive as any illegal drug. Everything about him overwhelmed her. In what seemed like forever, his lips and hands paid homage to every inch of her. She squirmed beneath his gentle suckling, drifting aimlessly on lofty clouds of heaven.