Black Demands (A Kelly Black Affair Book 2)

by CJ Thomas

  He cocked one brow.

  “Or work a plea deal.”

  He laughed.

  I shared a quick glance at Giselle.

  “I guess you haven’t heard,” Mario sneered.

  “I’ve heard that you have refused Mr. Cobbs’s counsel. I’ve heard nothing else since you failed to show the other day.” I brought my elbows to the table and leaned forward. “Do you think this is a game?”

  He shook his head and chuckled. “Too late, Mr. Black.”

  My brow furrowed as I held my breath to listen.

  “I’ve already cut a deal with the DA.”

  “I knew this was a waste of our time.” Colin pushed his chair back from the table and stood.

  “Is that right?” I asked.

  Mario nodded. “Earlier today. After he visited me.”

  Giselle glanced at me as she asked, “You visited with the DA?”

  “It’s over.” He licked his lips and had the look of a man who had already accepted his fate. “I’m a dead man, Kelly. Either in prison or on the outside. I’m dead.”

  The room fell silent.

  “Nothing I can say now will change that.”

  When the large metal door buzzed opened, I glanced at the clock and knew our time was up. I watched the guard motion me with his hands before moving to pull Mario up to his feet. Reaching across the table I grabbed Mario by the arm. “Who got to you?”

  The guard pulled on his opposite arm and I pulled back, refusing to let him go. “Did Stone threaten you?”

  He jerked his arm free and kept his eyes fixed on me without saying a word as he slowly walked away.

  The room spun as I followed him with my eyes, watching him until he disappeared completely. Shoving a hand through my hair, I slammed my hand down on the table and cursed.

  “What the hell just happened?” Cobbs asked, stunned.

  “I don’t know but, I’m going to find out.”

  39

  Kendra

  I gaped at her.

  She was stunning.

  The way her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back in thick waves had me backing away. Her fair skin was covered in silver jewelry that reflected perfectly against her white plunging drape dress with a surplice front that opened at the midriff, perfectly highlighting her lean legs.

  Without having seen her before, I knew who she was. But what had me most surprised was her intelligent eyes.

  “Is Kelly home?” she asked.

  A flash of jealous anger zipped up my spine. Taking a quick glance behind at the suitcase I was pulling, I reluctantly said, “No.”

  She cast her gaze to Alex and then back to me. “And you are?”

  “Kendra.” Then I debated whether or not I should also add, Kelly’s girlfriend, but decided to leave that part out because I didn’t know if I was or not.

  “Ah, yes.” She smiled. “I’ve heard lots about you.”

  My lips parted with disbelief.

  “Can I come inside?”

  Alex leaned against my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “She’s the one I saw Kelly with.”

  The woman heard Alex and countered, “It’s not what you think.”

  I wanted to believe her. To hear her out. But with all the ups and downs of my day, my shield was still up and my defenses were ready to strike. I openly stared at her with my muscles bunching. Finally, curiosity got the best of me and I nodded and stepped aside. “I don’t know where Kelly is but you’re free to come inside.”

  She glanced at Alex, then to my suitcase.

  “We were just on our way out.”

  She reached out and fingered my hand. “If you have a minute, I’d like to speak with you.”

  I glanced over my shoulder to Alex. Without a word, I knew exactly what Alex thought I should do. But despite her silent pleas for us to leave, I couldn’t run. Not when I could finally get some answers to my many questions—learning why Kelly had been secretly meeting with this woman when he should have been with me.

  “Preferably alone.” She nodded to Alex.

  I twisted around and smoothed my hand down Alex’s upper arm, nodding.

  “I’ll be in the hallway if you need me.” Alex leaned in and kissed my cheek.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said. But we both knew that wasn’t completely true. There was no telling what would happen.

  Waving her inside, I couldn’t deny how emotionally wrecked I was tonight. And to top it off, I now had to face off with this beautiful woman whose original intention in visiting was to see Kelly. Before reaching the kitchen, I turned around and said, “What’s your name?”

  Over my shoulder I saw Alex pause before stepping into the hall, wanting to learn her name as well.

  “Kaycee.” She smiled.

  “Can I make you some tea or something?” I asked when I found my empty mug in the sink.

  She kindly declined my offer. “Look, I know how awkward this all must seem to you.”

  Refusing to look at her, I kept my back turned and washed my mug. She had no idea how awkward this was. With the little bit I knew about her, I couldn’t deny the thought that both of Kelly’s lovers might now be standing in the same room. “You said you’ve heard lots about me?”

  Slowly, I turned to find her resting her tailbone against the stool behind the island counter. “I have,” she said in a friendly tone. “Once I got Kelly to open up, I couldn’t get him to shut up about you.”

  That didn’t seem like the Kelly I knew. Naturally, I remained skeptical. “Why would he do that?”

  She brushed her hair away from her face as her lips tugged upward to reveal her pearly whites. “He likes you Kendra.”

  Dropping my gaze to the floor I thought about her words, then fixed my eyes back on her. “But aren’t you two…”

  She snickered, shaking her head. “Oh, no.”

  My brows drew together. “Then who are you?”

  Her eyes lit up. “I’m his sister-in-law.”

  I wanted to laugh but I just felt like crying.

  “Nora was my sister. Kelly was married to her,” she added when I showed no understanding.

  “Kelly was married?” My voice was weak, cracking with insecurity.

  “I know, I can’t believe it either.” She laughed. “I’m in town because, well…” she cleared her throat and looked away, “it’s the fifth anniversary of her death.”

  My neck craned toward her and that same ache in the back of my throat from earlier came back. This time it was much more intense and I felt my eyes begin to swell with tears.

  Silence filled the room as neither one of us knew what to say next. I couldn’t believe my ears. First, Kelly was married. Then I learned that his wife had died. “I’m sorry,” I held a hand over my mouth, “he never mentioned any of it to me.”

  Her hand flew to her chest. “I thought you knew.”

  Shaking my head, I fought back the tears that threatened to spill. “We haven’t been seeing each other that long.”

  Kaycee pushed away from the counter and moved to the living room with crossed arms. I watched her casually browse the walls, stopping to stare at photographs of Kelly, paintings and art placed throughout the room.

  “He’s happy, Kendra.” She turned her head to meet my gaze. “And I’m certain it’s because of you.”

  Warmth filled my insides when hearing her words but I also wondered if it was coming a little too late. I moved to stand to the side of the island counter, balancing myself with one hand on top. “Then why hasn’t he mentioned any of this to me?”

  She pivoted and squared her shoulders with mine. “Have you ever lost someone you loved?”

  Dropping my gaze, I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I’d lost my entire family but not to death. I shook my head.

  “God willing,” she cleared her throat to get her voice back, “I hope you never do. But if you do, then you’ll know just how hard it is.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” My words float
ed through the air like clouds on a calm day.

  Suddenly, the front door opened and we both turned, expecting to see Alex.

  Kelly stood there with disbelieving eyes. Doing a double take, I smiled and he blinked back.

  Kaycee strode over to me and gave me a hug. “It was nice meeting you, Kendra.”

  “You too.”

  Then she turned her head and whispered in my ear, “Don’t let him go. He’s a good one. And I’m sure you are, too.”

  I nodded. “Thank you.”

  I watched Kaycee make her way over to Kelly. She hugged him like she did me, and I heard her tell him that she just wanted to say goodbye before leaving town. Kelly thanked her for visiting, saying how great it was to see her. Then she was gone.

  When the door behind her closed, Kelly turned to me with a glimmer of danger in his eye and I knew then that this was our chance to make our break it.

  There was no turning back.

  If he truly wanted me, it was now or never.

  40

  Kelly

  I knew the moment that I saw them together that Kaycee had done the hard talking for me.

  Sauntering over to Kendra, I could see the nerves ticking in her neck. “Kelly, I had nowhere to go.”

  I closed the gap that kept me separated from her one step at a time. The way she was looking at me led me to believe that Kaycee had told her about Nora. I didn’t mind. It was only a matter of time before I would have to confess my past marriage. But what she didn’t know was that Nora was the reason I’d come back to her tonight.

  “I was just leaving.” She pointed to the suitcase propped by the door. “Alex is somewhere in the building. She can help me gather my things.” When her eyes met mine, she gulped down a large breath of air. “I know you don’t want to see me and I can just stay with her.”

  Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, I quickly pulled back, hesitant to touch any more of her. My brows pinched with a painful expression as I held my hand close to her face, willing myself to not take it any further out of fear of being the one to set off another trigger.

  Kendra turned her head and looked at my hand, her pupils dilated. She was as nervous as I was. And though I knew she couldn’t see or hear my pounding heart, I was terrified, not knowing how best to deal with this.

  I wanted to touch her. Comfort her, let her know that she was here to save me.

  Everything slowed down.

  The room spun.

  And soon it was just us, together, breathing as one.

  Finally she lifted her hand, stealing mine somewhere along the way, and brought it to her cheek.

  Her face was warm in my hand, soft against the touch. Closing her eyes, she pushed more of her face into my palm. Slowly, her lips tugged into a smile and as bad as I wanted to lift my other hand and smooth it down her opposite arm, I didn’t have it in me to do so.

  We continued on like this for what felt like forever, suspended in time. My eyes raked over all her delicate features I loved so much. And she continued to nuzzle into my hand like a cat seeking attention.

  My entire body tingled for her. I knew that whatever Kaycee had said made Kendra think twice about the man I truly was—the man I wanted to become. She knew what I knew. That she was here to take me out of the darkness and guide me into the light.

  I held my breath when Kendra’s eyes fluttered open. Standing on her toes, she curled her fingers over my shoulders and pulled herself up against my chest. Then she pressed her lips against mine.

  My muscles were stiff as I stood there frozen, unsure if I could kiss her back.

  “Kiss me, Kelly.”

  I was dizzy as I let my eyes dance with hers.

  “It’s okay, Kelly. I want you to kiss me.”

  She pressed her lips against mine again and without thinking, my mouth parted wide enough to allow her tongue to slide into my mouth. What started off slow and cautious quickly intensified into desperate flicks and thrusts.

  My fingers clamped around her waist and she whimpered into my mouth, buckling at the knees. Hanging on for dear life, I caught her weight and pulled her tighter against my hard body.

  I would never let her fall. “Kendra, baby, I needed to be alone. What I didn’t need was for you to disappear forever.”

  She laughed and kissed me deeper. “Kaycee told me, Kelly.”

  My lips rounded and I blew out a heavy breath.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice was sincere, filled with compassion.

  I snaked my hand around her waist, raking my fingers up and down her spine as I brought my gaze above her head. “Her name was Nora. She was the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  Kendra kept her head tipped back, staring at my face as I talked. Her eyelids hooded over with immense pain for my loss. I could appreciate it but I didn’t need her sympathy.

  “She was my world.” The memories that still haunted me swelled behind my eyes. “And then one day,” I swallowed down the stone in my throat, “she killed herself.”

  Kendra’s head snapped up as she gasped. Then her eyes closed just before she rested her head against my dead heart. “Oh, God, Kelly.”

  I closed my eyes and just wrapped her up into my arms, needing to hold onto something good. The room was silent, lifeless as we just stood there, holding each other into eternity. Then I said in a low voice, “I loved her. More than anything. God, I still do.”

  Kendra clasped her hands behind my back and squeezed my torso as hard as she could.

  My vision blurred as my eyes watered with remorse. “And there is nothing I can do to bring her back.”

  Kendra lifted her head, tipped her chin back, and brought her hands around front and placed each of them on both sides of my face. Then she kissed me.

  Then she kissed me again.

  And again.

  “You’re loved, Kelly.”

  I nodded.

  “I’m here if you need me.”

  Her lips pressed against mine again.

  “We all go through tough times. And I’m here.” She smiled.

  Thanking her, I said, “I want to be here for you, too.”

  Her eyes fluttered.

  “I know we can make this work.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded.

  “But I don’t want to be the reason you’re reminded of what your uncle did to you.”

  She wrapped me up in her arms and clung to me as if her life depended on it—which in a sense, it did.

  “What he did was wrong and I will do anything to make sure he gets the justice you deserve.”

  She sniffled and I knew that she was crying. Then, after a silent minute, she collected her emotions and said, “I want to help you heal the hole left in your heart.”

  My eyes closed as relief washed over me.

  Kendra flattened her hands on my chest and took one step back.

  I watched her cross her arms and pinch the hem of her shirt before lifting it over her head. My heart slammed against my chest as I watched her toss it to the floor. My gaze lowered to her breasts and my cock twitched. Before I knew it, she had stepped out of her pants and was standing there in nothing but her underwear.

  God, she was beautiful.

  I was hard but hesitant.

  And too afraid to tell her that I didn’t know how to love her any other way than what she already knew. Our sex was fun and I still held onto the desire to make her submit fully to my demands. But I couldn’t risk losing her along the way.

  Stepping forward, she must have seen the struggle I was waging with myself, because before I knew it, she was ridding me of my clothes for me. My fingers flexed as I bit my lip, holding back the dark desires of what I wanted to be doing to her.

  I wanted to spank her.

  Flip her around and taste her.

  Shove her to the floor and tell her to wrap her plump lips around the tip of my cock.

  I wanted to tie her up and test her limits. I wanted to do all these thing
s to her. Instead I murmured, “You tell me what you want—what you need—and we’ll play by your rules.”

  Her eyes sparkled with a renewed hope. “Is that a demand, Counselor?”

  Nodding, I smiled and crashed my lips over hers.

  41

  Kendra

  He knew he was strong.

  A powerful masculinity that I’d seen from day one.

  But past his strong jaw and his broad shoulders and towering height, it was what he didn’t do that showed me what he was really capable of.

  I raked him over, taking all his powerful beauty in with my eyes as I reached behind my back to unclasp my bra. His dark stormy eyes watched me with a hidden courage flickering inside them. Stepping out of my panties I took two steps forward, meeting him where he stood. The heat from his body radiated off his skin and though we weren’t touching, my body responded as if we were.

  My stomach fluttered.

  His eyes locked with mine.

  Feeling my nipples perk in response to the heated gaze in his eyes, I cast my eyes down and let myself admire the planes and valleys that made up his torso. His arms were down by his sides, his hands balled into tight fists. It must have been hard for him to not reach up and touch me. I knew how passionate he was, the way he liked to tangle his fingers in my hair, dig his nails into my soft flesh, greedily marking his claim.

  Slowly, I lifted my hand to his bare chest and gently rested my hand over his galloping heart. It raced as fast as mine, and he widened his stance like a Titan when I worked to remove his shirt, then his pants.

  His muscles jumped against my touch and I could feel the trepidation—knowing he was the reason for my own terror—playing with his nerves. But despite his apprehension, his cock was stiff and neatly tucked away inside his briefs that stretched tightly over his thick thighs.

  My body tingled with each accidental touch and his restraint was what had me wet and totally turned on. His gesture to hand over complete control was hot. I appreciated his ability to recognize that I needed this relationship to be mutually respectful. It was about trust, and I knew where we needed to go. Without saying it, I knew he knew what needed to be done as well.