Comfort of a Man (Arabesque)

by Byrd, Adrianne

  Once rested, they talked and shared intimate details about their lives.

  “I don’t believe it,” she said. “She actually left you for your uncle?” She was propped up at his side.

  He shrugged. “Who can understand love?”

  She studied him as if trying to discern whether his expression would belie his words. Then, she shrugged as well. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

  He smiled and reached out to push a lock of hair behind her ears. “Simply beautiful.”

  She flushed and drew the number eight on his chest with her finger. “You know, while you were telling me about Cadence, I don’t remember you ever mentioning the word love.” She met his gaze. “Did you love her?”

  He frowned while he contemplated the question. “I loved her, but I was never in love with her.” He shrugged again. “I never understood why that was. Cadence is a lovely woman and she deserved more than I could give. I don’t fault her for leaving.”

  “But with your uncle?” Brooklyn shook her head as she studied him. “Doesn’t it feel like some type of betrayal for her to choose him? I mean, of all the men she could have chosen—why him?”

  “Yes and no.” He shifted to lie on his side and Brooklyn lay down so that she looked up at him. “Look, I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that it’s easy whenever I see them together. But I understand why it happened. Maybe one day we all can be in the same room and there’ll be no animosity.”

  Brooklyn released a long sigh while her thoughts traveled to her own situation. “I have to bow my head to you because you’re a better person than I. I don’t think I can ever forgive Evan and Macy.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. When he withdrew, his gaze bore into her. “I know it may seem as though you can’t, but there will come a day when you’ll have to let go of your anger. Either that or it’ll rot and fester inside of you.”

  “Experience?”

  He nodded. “Take my word. Figure out a way to forgive and move on.”

  She considered his words and snuggled closer.

  Isaiah eased one arm beneath her head, and then draped the other over the curve of her hip. “Let’s talk about happier things—like us.” His comment successfully won a soft laugh from her, which in turn won a small smile from him.

  “What about us?” She looked up at him. “Aren’t you having a good time?”

  He laughed and rolled her onto her back; his growing erection was a mere wisp away from her dewy entry. “What do you think?”

  “I think you’re insatiable.”

  “Only when it comes to you.” His lips pressed lightly against hers. When her mouth parted and her warm tongue invaded his mouth, the kiss turned hungry.

  Brooklyn couldn’t believe she was ready for another round. She also couldn’t believe Isaiah had no trouble meeting and satisfying her every need. In fact, that was exactly what he did for the rest of the evening…and into the night.

  Chapter 18

  Isaiah returned to his mother’s home bright and early on Monday morning—and was totally surprised to see Yasmine’s radiant face greet him at the door.

  “It lives,” she exclaimed as she bounced with excitement. Then, her gaze took in his rumpled suit. “What on earth happened to you?”

  “Only the best thing that could ever happen,” he said, and whistled as he passed her.

  Her squeal of delight followed him up the stairs as she followed him to his bedroom. “Spill it, spill it, spill it. I want to hear everything,” she demanded.

  Isaiah shook his head, but couldn’t stop smiling. “You know I never kiss and tell.”

  “You are today.” She glanced at her watch. “You just came home after a thirty-six-hour date. If you think you’re going to hold out on the details then you’re sadly mistaken.”

  At the soft knock at the bedroom door, Yasmine and Isaiah turned to see a smiling Georgia.

  “Good morning, Mom.”

  Georgia’s eyes twinkled. “Is it?” She entered the room, pressing most of her weight down on her cane. “I take it you had a nice time on your date.”

  Isaiah flushed and averted his gaze. “I guess you could say that.”

  “My, my. Dating has certainly changed since my day.” Her eyes twinkled. “I’m going downstairs and fix you a nice breakfast. You hurry down.”

  “That’s not necessary, Mom. I’ll do it.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. I’m quite capable. Thank you.”

  When his mother vanished from the doorway, Yasmine looked to him and crossed her arms. “I want details. Heck, I might want to take a few notes.”

  Isaiah rolled his eyes. “I need to change. Don’t you two have something else you need to do?”

  “No.”

  “Well, I do.” He laughed, and then tried to direct her toward the door.

  She wouldn’t budge.

  “I don’t believe this.” He started unbuttoning his shirt as he headed to the adjoining bathroom.

  However, in an impressive move, Yasmine cut him off. “You’re not leaving this room until you tell me something—anything. Don’t forget, I played I Spy for you.”

  “And I’m eternally grateful. Now, get out.” This time he placed a hand under her elbow and dragged her toward the door.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll go if you answer one question for me.”

  He released her and folded his arms. “It depends on the question.”

  “All right.” She, too, folded her arms while her features struggled to appear serious. “Was your date worse, equal to, or better than your time in New York?”

  His lips twitched into an easy smile. “It was definitely better.”

  Brooklyn was having the best Monday she’d had in years. Not only did she wake up in a great mood, she also had three houses placed under contract before noon.

  “I’m mad at you,” Toni announced when they finally settled in their booth at Mick’s for lunch.

  Brooklyn looked up, startled. “Me? What did I do?”

  “I called you like a hundred times yesterday. What did you do—take your phone off the hook?”

  A wave of embarrassment washed over Brooklyn. “Oh, that.”

  “Yeah, that,” Toni huffed. “You came crawling to me for help. I loan you my best dress and then nothing.”

  “Well, I did plan to call you as soon as the date ended, but there wasn’t time.”

  “What do you mean there wasn’t any time?”

  “Well, actually—”

  “Can I get you ladies something to drink?” a bright-eyed waiter asked, appearing from out of nowhere.

  Brooklyn’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Yes—”

  “Could you please give us a few more minutes?” Toni flashed a look of warning in Brooklyn’s direction.

  The waiter frowned, and then recovered. “Of course, ma’am.”

  Brooklyn waited until he was out of earshot. “Don’t you think you were a little rude?”

  “I’ll leave a big tip. Now, spill it. Why didn’t you call me at the end of your date?” Toni perked at her friend’s broad smile.

  “I didn’t call because…” Brooklyn looked around and then leaned forward to whisper, “because when Isaiah left my house, it was time for me to go to work this morning.”

  Toni’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Smug, Brooklyn leaned back against the booth. “Nope.”

  “Wow. That dress must have worked wonders.”

  Unable to stop herself from bragging, she met Toni’s gaze. “It did—for the short time that I had it on.”

  Toni squealed, and then clamped a hand over her mouth when she remembered where she was.

  Brooklyn glanced around. “Keep it down,” she hissed when her heartbeat returned to normal.

  Toni retrieved her cell phone.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m calling the girls. They’re never going to believe this.”

  Brooklyn reached over and snatched the ph
one away from her. “You will do no such thing. What I tell you doesn’t leave this table. Is that clear?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me, right? Maria, Ashley, and Noel are waiting on pins and needles to find out how your date went.”

  “You told them?”

  “Damn right. This date falls under current events and late-breaking news. Hell, now it sounds like it should go under sports as well.”

  Despite herself, Brooklyn laughed.

  “I have to call them. It’s under the Girlfriend Rule Book section one. All Juicy Sexual Encounters Must Be Reported. Check your handbook.”

  “You didn’t tell me about what’s-his-name the other night. I had to drag that out of you.”

  Toni rolled her eyes. “The key word is juicy. Pay attention.”

  “Whatever. I’ll decide who I want to know what and when.”

  For a while Toni leaned back and stared at her. “How long am I supposed to be quiet about this?”

  Brooklyn shrugged. “I don’t know. A couple of weeks—months. I’ll play it by ear.”

  Toni’s features remained a mask of disbelief. “I’ll never be able to figure you out. If I were you I’d scream at the top of my lungs—I got laid, I got laid.”

  Embarrassment blazed up Brooklyn’s face. “Will you behave yourself?”

  “I certainly will not. I’m ecstatic for you. You should be, too.” A twinkle appeared in Toni’s eyes and she inched closer to the edge of her seat. “Was he as good as you remember?”

  “Better,” Brooklyn said, already forgetting to weigh just how much she wanted to tell her friend.

  “And you stayed in bed for two days?”

  She giggled like a schoolgirl. “I wouldn’t say that we only stayed in the bed.”

  Toni bounced in her seat and clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent her squeal from filling the restaurant.

  Brooklyn shook her head and despite the smile on her face, her thoughts turned troubled.

  “What is it?”

  She shrugged and tried to play it off. “Nothing. I’m fine. I’m happy.”

  Toni’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh. Then how come you don’t look too happy?”

  “I am,” she insisted with a bright smile. “It’s just…”

  “What?”

  Her smile dimmed as she studied her friend. “I’m just worried about where this is going. A part of me is expecting the bottom to drop out at any moment, you know? Like this man is too good to be true and I’m afraid that I’m going to get caught up in the moment.”

  “Its just sex, right?” Toni shrugged. “You made it clear that you weren’t looking for a relationship, didn’t you?”

  Brooklyn folded her arms and leaned onto the table. “Well, we didn’t really discuss it, but I told him before that a relationship wasn’t possible.”

  “Then don’t worry about it. Just relax and enjoy the ride.”

  “Are you sure this woman isn’t a ‘ho’?” Yasmine asked, leaning back on Isaiah’s bed when he stepped out of the bathroom.

  “What? What are you doing back in here?’

  “I left and now I came back.” Yasmine shrugged. “I think it’s a good question.”

  “No, it’s not.” Isaiah failed to keep the irritation out of his voice. “By the way, what time is your flight today?”

  “Why? Are you tired of me already?” Yasmine placed a hand over her heart and slid on a wounded expression.

  “No, never, of course not—when do you leave?”

  “Fine. Tonight, if you must know.”

  Isaiah put on his jeans beneath his robe, and then removed his robe altogether.

  Georgia gasped as she entered her son’s room. “There are ladies in the room.”

  He frowned. “You’re my mother.”

  Her color deepened considerably. “I know, but I was referring to Yasmine.”

  Isaiah and Yasmine laughed.

  “Trust me, Mom. The lady is not interested.”

  “Yeah and besides, I’ve seen him in a lot less.” At the realization of what she’d said, her eyes rounded as she slapped a hand across her mouth.

  Isaiah shook his head.

  “I don’t think I want to hear any more.” Georgia frowned with disapproval.

  Downstairs at breakfast, it was Georgia’s turn to interrogate Isaiah about his date. He went down the checklist of saying how wonderful and warm he believed Brooklyn to be. And yes, he was sure that Georgia would like her. He told her everything she needed to know, which didn’t include details. When he was finished, he looked at his mother and found that she was studying him.

  “What?”

  She shrugged and took another sip of her coffee. “I guess I was hoping that this woman would mean more to you than just a new bed partner.”

  His heart squeezed and he knew better than to be surprised that his mother could see straight through him. “She does.”

  She met his gaze again. “How can you tell? Life exists outside the bedroom. Love isn’t something that’s just found between the sheets.” She smiled and patted his hand. “Anyone want some more coffee?” She stood from the table.

  “Sure, I’d like some,” Yasmine said with a flickering smile.

  Isaiah shook his head.

  When his mother left the table, Yasmine leaned over to him and whispered, “She’s right. If Brooklyn does mean more to you than just a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am, then you’ve sort of put the cart before the horse.”

  Isaiah nodded. “Maybe.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Brooklyn isn’t looking for a horse. The last one sort of trampled over her, if you know what I mean.”

  They fell silent for a long moment before Yasmine asked, “Are you looking for a horse—metaphorically speaking?”

  “I wasn’t before I met her.”

  “But now?”

  “More than anything.”

  Later that evening, Isaiah appeared at Brooklyn’s door with flowers and the intention of taking her out for dinner. However, she had other plans and a few hours later, the lovers lay spent in each other’s arms.

  “What are you thinking about?” Brooklyn asked as she rolled onto her side and stared down at him.

  Isaiah debated telling the truth. “I was thinking about us.” He waited through the ensuing silence.

  “What about us?”

  He reached up and slid his hand softly along the side of her face. “Don’t tell me that you’ve never thought about us.” When she didn’t answer, he experienced a rush of panic. Did she still believe there was no chance of a relationship for them?

  “I assumed what we have was enough for you,” she said in a thick voice.

  He had a hard time deciphering whether she was angry, but he decided to forge ahead. “I never agreed to that.”

  Expelling a long sigh, Brooklyn flopped back among the pillows.

  Tension quickly filled the space between them, to the point where he half expected her to kick him out of the house. But when the seconds ticked into minutes, he became concerned.

  “Brooklyn?”

  “I don’t know if I’m ready to have this conversation,” she answered in a tone he’d never heard from her.

  This time he rolled over to gaze at her. She was more beautiful than ever with her hair splayed across the pillow and her lips swollen from their kisses. “I like you a lot, Brooklyn. I just want the opportunity to get to know you better outside of the bedroom. Surely, that isn’t too much to ask.”

  The corners of her mouth curved slightly. “No. It’s not too much to ask.”

  This time he recognized what he heard in her voice because it also reflected in her eyes: fear. He reached up and traced the lining of her chin. “We’ve both been hurt before.”

  She swallowed but her gaze never wavered from his. “It’s a big step for me.”

  “For me, too. But let’s just take this a day at a time, one date at a time.”

  Her smile broadened as she snuggled closer. “I th
ink I can handle that.”

  Chapter 19

  Three weeks later

  To celebrate the Fourth of July, Isaiah and Brooklyn planned a large picnic at Callaway Gardens with family and friends. Brooklyn contacted Jaleel despite believing the introductions would be awkward. However, Jaleel declined her offer.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Toni reassured her as she plopped down on the edge of Brooklyn’s bed. “I’m sure Evan is just showing him a good time.”

  “Maybe too good.” Brooklyn massaged her temples. “Do you know Jaleel has only called me twice this summer? Twice.” She held her fingers up for emphasis.

  “Don’t let it get to you. He’s enjoying his summer and so are you.”

  Brooklyn drew in a deep breath and exhaled in a long steady stream. “Now, let’s hope Isaiah’s mom likes me.”

  “Will you calm down?” Toni said, rolling her eyes. “His mother will love you.” She shook her head when Brooklyn held up yet another sundress. “Orange is not your color.”

  “But what if she doesn’t? The way Isaiah dotes on her, it’s essential that she more than just likes me. I need her to love me.”

  Toni chuckled at her frantic ramblings. “What’s this? Three weeks of dating and you’re dying to impress the mother? Have you guys taken a turn toward the serious side?”

  Brooklyn ignored the question. She’d spent the last few weeks refusing to analyze her growing affection toward Isaiah.

  “Fine. Don’t answer my question.” Toni jumped up from the bed and crossed over to the walk-in closet. “I know what’s happening despite your protests and denials. I am a lawyer, after all. I know what’s going on—no matter how much B.S. you shovel my way.”

  Brooklyn’s lips curled. “Think all you want. I just want his mom to like me.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Speaking of shoveling it, I thought you didn’t like this Brian guy. So why is he going with us to Callaway?”

  “I never said I didn’t like him. I just said he was lousy in bed—but he’s getting better.”

  Brooklyn gaped, and then smacked her girlfriend a high five. “You go, girl.”