Emerging Temptation: A BWWM Romance Limited Edition Collection

by Peyton Banks

  “My bad,” I said. “How long ago did you two break up?”

  A dark shadow passed over his face, but it came and went so quickly, I was almost certain I’d imagined it.

  “We…didn’t.”

  I blinked rapidly in surprise. I know this man wasn’t about to sit here and tell me he was in a whole relationship. In the event that he did, I was sure Jerome would be down to help me jump his ass.

  My voice came out strained as I said, “I’m confused. What does that mean?”

  Adryen studiously avoided making eye contact, looking any and everywhere but at me.

  “It, uh, means that we never technically broke up.”

  Again he’d answered my question without actually answering it. Which could only mean the worse.

  My head spun. Almost a month of dating, or whatever we were doing, only to find out that he was a douchebag. I mean, sure I’d only been playing the dating game to get what I was sure was some grade A penis, but still. I couldn’t believe I’d been bamboozled by Adryen while trying to bamboozle my way into his pants.

  “Karmena?” His voice broke through, pulling me out of my head.

  I’d be damned if I would give him the satisfaction of seeing me react. So I played it cool.

  “What’s up?”

  He shifted in his chair so that he was facing me.

  “What I mean is, we never broke up because she…she died.”

  I couldn’t help it, my whole damn mouth hit the floor. I so hadn’t been expecting that kind of explanation.

  When Adryen looked at me like I was crazy, I quickly fixed my face, which took some effort.

  “Adryen, I’m so sorry for your loss. I…” My words trailed off because I just didn’t know what else to say.

  “I appreciate that, Karmena I do, but Shaniqua was a fighter. She didn’t go out like a punk. She fought it until the end.”

  “Cancer?”

  Adryen nodded solemnly.

  “Lung cancer, to be exact.”

  I grimaced, patting his hand sympathetically.

  “I don’t know how you’re able to just...go on. Losing someone is so hard.” My mother and father’s faces floated into my mind.

  A small, sad smile appeared on Adryen’s face.

  “Niqua was great. Really great. But she’s gone and I know she would want me to jump on something great when it crossed my path.”

  Seizing the chance to lighten the mood, I quipped, “Something great or something spectacular?”

  This time, a genuine smile stretched across his handsome face.

  “Spectacular indeed.” He exhaled. “So, since we talked about my most recent relationship, tell me about yours. Hopefully it didn’t end as badly. ” He fixed me with those blue eyes of his and waited patiently for a reply.

  Suddenly, I felt like I was under a microscope. I didn’t talk about my ex—yes ex singular—like, ever.

  I hoped the fire alarm would go off and I’d have to suit up and go fight a fire, but there was no such luck. It looked like I had no choice but to talk. The only plus was that my last situation was nowhere near as tragic as Adryen’s.

  “Well,” I began, sighing deeply in resignation. “I’ve only been in one relationship.”

  His thick brows drew together.

  “What, like, one official relationship?”

  I shook my head. “Like one relationship, period.”

  If my revelation shocked him, he didn’t let it show.

  “Okay,” he said slowly.

  With one last deep, bracing breath, I rehashed the story of my relationship with Jared Alton. Telling Adryen how Jared and I had met my first week at the fire academy, and despite Jared being one of the instructors, we started dating. I wrapped up my story with the grand finale, the great revelation: when I walked in on Jared in bed with not one, but two of his students—one of them a male. Turns out he’d been a sex addict who was secretly bisexual. That last part I didn’t care about, but the fact that he’d been sleeping around on me the entire time we were together and not using protection was the blow to end all blows.

  Luckily I didn’t contract anything other than a broken heart and spirit. They didn’t make antibiotics strong enough to cure that.

  “Wow,” Adryen said, letting out a low whistle. “That guy was a fucking dick.”

  My eyes snapped up to meet his, surprised to see rage glimmering in them. He was kind of scary when he was mad, but also very sexy.

  “Understatement of the century,” I muttered.

  “What would you do if you ever ran into him on the street?”

  I tossed him a strange look.

  “Uh, I’d turn and walk—no run—the other way. I can’t ever face that piece of scum again.”

  Adryen shook his head in what appeared to be disappointment.

  “What?” I asked defensively.

  “You wouldn’t want to…I don’t know, get even with the person who broke your heart? I know I sure as hell would.”

  For a moment he stared at me with an intensity that was off-putting. Then, he cracked a smile and laughed.

  “I really had you going for a moment, there, didn’t I?”

  I chuckled. “Yes, you really did. I wouldn’t have taken you for a comedian, Mr. I-was-probably-born-brooding.”

  His laughter deepened.

  “Seriously, though,” he said, sobering. “I’m so sorry you went through that. I promise not to ever hurt you.”

  I scooted to the edge of my chair so that our knees were touching.

  “You can’t possibly promise me that. Just promise that you’ll never lie to me. I can’t do any more lies in my lifetime. Not after Jared.”

  Instead of replying, he leaned in and kissed me, tenderly at first, then the kiss inevitably turned hot and heavy.

  “Aw, man. I think I’m gonna lose my lunch!” a loud, annoying ass voice suddenly interrupted.

  “Ignore him,” I murmured, pulling Adryen in closer and deepening the kiss.

  His reply came out muffled.

  “I was planning on it.”

  12

  Karmena

  “Baby girl! How does this tie look?”

  I pulled my eyes away from the article I was reading in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Uncle Leeland had me out helping him shop for a tuxedo to wear to the Senior Citizen Social. And yes, that was the actual name of the event.

  The tie, simply put, was ugly. It was an amalgam of colors, and a busy design.

  “Um...what happened to going with a classic tuxedo and a cummerbund?” I asked, in lieu of replying to his actual question.

  He peered down at the tie.

  “I don’t know, baby girl. I really like this. It’s snazzy.”

  My eyes went wide and I had to use all my energy to keep from bursting into laughter.

  “Well, what color is your date wearing?”

  Uncle Leeland all but turned red right here on the spot.

  He shuffled away from me, muttering, “She is not my date.”

  I giggled. Miss Sugar and Uncle Lee were strictly platonic friends. They’d known each other through a lifetime of memories; wars, marriages, divorces, deaths of spouses. Their friendship was rock-solid, which was why I’d trusted Miss Sugar to look after my Uncle for so long, until the task had become too much for her in her old age. I hoped to one day have somebody so solid in my corner.

  My mind drifted to Adryen. He was a new friend, yes, but already I was coming to look forward to his good morning and good night texts. I also liked how he reminded to eat something during the course of my long work shifts, because I was always forgetting.

  Wait.

  I liked?

  Damn. I guess it was time to admit to myself that I was really feeling Adryen Spence and that he had the potential to be more than just a friend-with-benefits. The realization winded me to the point that I had to get up and leave the store to get some fresh air.

  My lifestyle, where my only two concerns were my uncle and being a firef
ighter, just wasn’t conducive to a relationship. At least not a serious one, where the guy would have expectations of me that included more than making his toes curl. I didn’t do well with this kind of pressure. The kind of pressure that came from running into a burning structure with only five minutes to spare before it collapsed, I could do with no problem. This was a different ballgame.

  My first inclination was to ghost Adryen. Just cold turkey stop answering his texts and calls. But I didn’t want to do that, especially because I’d yet to “sample the goods.” What if I was walking away from some life-changing D? Couldn’t risk that.

  I chuckled at that thought.

  No, I wouldn’t run away. I would just let things unfold as they may.

  Sighing, I put on my game-face and headed back inside to convince Uncle Leeland to go with a classic tux and not a grandpa-esque suit and tie combo.

  13

  Karmena

  In a rare occurrence, I had a Saturday off, which was also the day of Uncle Leeland’s Senior Citizen Social.

  Since I would have the house to myself from four to eleven, I’d invited Adryen over for dinner. He’d hosted our last ‘in the house’ date and now it was my turn. And, since I was planning on telling him that I liked him and saw him as more than a piece of meat, I figured I’d feel better being on my home turf.

  “What’s all this?” Uncle Leeland asked, walking into the kitchen.

  I waved dismissively at the items lined up on the counter.

  “Oh, I’m just making dinner for a friend later.”

  I deliberately avoided his gaze, though I could feel his eyes boring a hole in my face.

  “Humph,” he remarked, walking over to the back door and peering out into the yard. “Well, did you tell him not to expect too much, seeing as you never were the best cook?”

  An outraged scoff slipped out and I finally met my uncle’s eyes.

  “Hey, I can cook, okay!”

  Uncle Leeland chuckled and shook his head.

  “And I used to be married to Oprah’s fine self.”

  I tried and failed to hold back a snort. My Uncle’s forever #WCW was none other than the one, the only, Oprah Winfrey. He was forever letting it be known that he would “drank her bathwater.”

  Rolling my eyes playfully, I said, “Well if I cook so horribly, you should probably help me with this.”

  He nodded and rolled his sleeves up before going to the sink and washing his hands thoroughly.

  “Let’s see,” he muttered, assessing the random ingredients I’d lined up on the counter. “From what we have here, we can whip up some meatloaf. Does your little friend eat that?’

  I shrugged, unsure. I chose to ignore how he’d referred to Adryen. He could never bring himself to call a man I was dealing with anything other than my “little friend.”

  “Well, he’s going to tonight,” Uncle Leeland said in a no-nonsense tone.

  I shook my head and washed my hands.

  “Let’s do this.”

  He walked me through step-by-step of the meatloaf making process, which until today, I’d never made. Who knew that much went into making what I’d previously thought was a simple, but tasty meal?

  One the meatloaf was in the oven, I asked, “What should we make to go with it?”

  Uncle Leeland’s watery eyes met mine for a second, then he glanced at the watch on his risk.

  “Baby girl, you’re on your own for that. I’ve got to get ready for the social. Miss Sugar will be here in less than an hour.”

  I pretended to pout as I watched him walk spryly out of the kitchen. It was clear how excited he was for a night out on the town with his geriatric gang, as I liked to call them.

  Ultimately, I ended up making homemade mashed potatoes, bacon wrapped asparagus, and my specialty, blueberry cornbread to go with the meatloaf.

  With the house to myself, I did some light tidying up before jumping in the shower. Adryen would be arriving at a quarter past seven.

  Since we’d be staying in, I decided to dress cute but casual. I paired a light wash denim skirt with a pink, V-neck Polo sweater. My hair had accidentally gotten wet in the shower, so I’d washed and conditioned it and was rocking my curls. I did a light beat, filling in my brows, applying some liquid eyeliner, a few coats of mascara and lip gloss. Finished, I headed down stairs and chilled in the living room.

  At five after seven, the doorbell rang, waking the sleeping horde of butterflies in my stomach. I slowly walked toward the door, trying to remember the last time I’d been this nervous. My hand hovered in front of the knob for a few seconds before I felt up to opening the door.

  Adryen stood in the doorway, so big and tall that he almost didn’t fit. Again, he was dressed in all black, rocking his signature MC leather jacket. The only difference was tonight, his hair, which was usually in a ponytail, was down.

  “Hi,” I said shyly.

  “Hey you,” he replied, simultaneously leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on the patch of skin just beside my mouth. I’m sure he’d meant the gesture to be sweet and nonsexual, but I didn’t take it that way. Every muscle south of my navel clenched when his lips met my skin. Every. Single. One.

  “Ahem,” I cleared my throat and backed up. “Come in, let me take your jacket.”

  We settled in the dining room.

  “Damn. It smells amazing in here,” Adryen commented.

  I smiled, making a mental note to rub the compliment in Uncle Leeland’s face tomorrow.

  “Thanks. I hope you brought your appetite.”

  I made his plate, then mine and we dug right in.

  The conversation, as always, flowed effortlessly. Adryen was fascinated with the work I did as a firefighter and I was fascinated with the whole world of motorcycle clubs, so there was never a shortage of things to talk about.

  “So,” I said, taking a sip of my pinot, “do you and your people find it offensive to be referred to as a ‘biker gang?’”

  Ducking his head, his shoulders shook as he chuckled.

  “What kind of question is that?” he asked, amusement lightening his deep voice. “That’s like asking if you and your co-workers find it offensive to be referred to as firefighters.”

  I giggled. He had a point.

  After dinner, we decided to chill in the living room and watch a movie. I barely paid attention to the action-packed film. My thoughts were too focused on how I was going to tell Adryen that I liked him, liked him.

  I kept sneaking and looking at his side profile as he intently watched the film. That chiseled jaw, that beard, those wispy, long eyelashes. I really did like everything about him.

  But how to tell him?

  14

  Adryen

  There’s always that moment, the one that seemingly comes out of nowhere. The one where you lock eyes with her and you see her desire for you glimmering there, plain as day. I recognized it right away in Karmena’s gorgeous eyes, and I knew she saw the same in mine because I wanted her.

  I didn’t think. Not about Niqua and our past. Not about the fact that we’d only been kind of sort of seeing each other for a month and some change. In this moment, all I could think about was how much I wanted this woman. So I decided to simplify things and have her.

  Leaning in, I closed the short distance between us on the couch and placed a whisper-soft kiss on the corner of her mouth, my way of testing the waters. When she didn’t pull away or tell me to stop, I grazed my lips over hers then full on kissed her. Instantly her lips parted and I eagerly slid my tongue inside her mouth. She moaned softly and I shit you not, a shiver ran down my dick. God damn. This woman just…did something to me.

  Karmena’s arms came up and locked around my neck as she mashed her body against mine. Her breasts pushed against my chest and I wondered if she could feel my wildly beating heart.

  “Wait,” she said, but never stopped kissing me in the process. “We should take this upstairs, in case my uncle comes home early.”

  The imag
e of the large, stern-looking man in all the pictures coming in the house and seeing my lily white ass as I drilled into his niece on his couch didn’t sit well with me. It was enough to make me reluctantly pull away.

  I stood up, adjusting my hard dick in my pants as best I could.

  Karmena followed suit. Without some sort of heels on, I towered over her. She peered up at me from beneath thick lashes and bit her bottom lip.

  I swallowed before saying, “Don’t do that again.”

  Amusement lit her grey eyes. “And why not?”

  “Do it again, and I promise I won’t be able to stop myself from stripping you naked and fucking you right here and now.”

  She blinked in shock, then took my hand.

  “Come on. I need you to make good on that upstairs in my bedroom.”

  She all but dragged me to the staircase. As we walked, my eyes drifted down to her ass. If there was ever a time to do what I’d been dying to do for weeks, this was it.

  I reached out and squeezed it as she ascended the steps. She glanced back and bit her lip extra hard—on purpose.

  “What did I say was going to happen if you did that again?”

  Releasing my hand, she took off running. At the top of the stairs, she made a sharp right turn down a dark hallway, then darted inside an open door.

  She giggled as I caught up with her and entered the room.

  I didn’t stop to take in the décor. Instead, I strutted over to her and grabbed the hem of her shirt, gently lifting it over her head. She didn’t say a word and neither did I, because there was no need. I’d told her this was going to happen if she bit that bottom lip again.

  Her full breasts were covered by a sheer red bra. Dark areolas the size of quarter dollars had my mouth watering. I couldn’t wait to suck on them. But first, I needed her fully naked.

  Reaching behind her, I unzipped her skirt. It was so tight that it didn’t automatically slide off, I had to help her shimmy out of it. It fell to the floor with a muted thud, but I was too busy staring at the scrap of material between Karmena’s legs to actually notice. The cut of the panty was high, so if I was guessing correctly, she was completely bald under there.