The One He Craves

by A Marie Johnson

  “Why don’t we take one together to the hotel then? You can ride on me tonight.”

  Jesus, please stop him right now. I’m begging you. This is not fair.

  I know what Sexy really meant by what he said, but the sexual action his words implied sounded so much better. So much wetter.

  “That’s cool, right?”

  Once again, he didn’t even wait for me to answer, as if he just knew I wouldn’t say no to him. He focused his attention on the bartender, whistled to her, and asked her to fix him a Hennessy and Coke—ixnay the rocks. While I sat with my lips slightly parted, I was wondering if he was aware of the lustful torture he was putting me through by carrying on a simple conversation.

  Regaining some of my composure, I cleared my throat in fear it may sound as weak as his words made me feel if I didn’t, and asked, “So you’re really not going to make sure I’m OK with riding with you? What if for some reason I wanted to rent a car for the night?”

  I was completely bullshitting. I could’ve surely afforded to waste money on renting a car for a couple of hours before my flight took off in the morning, but I wouldn’t dare do it. I loved Ubering because it was inexpensive, and I didn’t have to worry about finding my way through a city I didn’t know much about.

  Sexy licked his lips and smiled.

  “Well, shit, let’s go cop one then. You like Bentleys?”

  Yea, he was definitely a hood nigga. Hood niggas with money loved Bentleys and coupes, period.

  “Nope. I’m actually more of a Maserati kind of girl.” I baited him, most likely already knowing his answer.

  He looked like the type to have a few expensive vehicles preciously tucked away somewhere. I didn’t need him to say he had money for me to recognize it.

  “Word?” His eyebrow lifted in question as he rubbed the sides of his chin. “I got one back home you would love. It’s a GranTurismo, candy red, and finer than yo’ finest cousin.” We both laughed at his corny joke. “Nah, but on a serious note, I could see you riding shotgun in it with the windows down so that silky, long hair of yours could blow in the wind and shit.”

  Butterflies swarmed in my stomach as I pictured his words, and I tried my best to bite back the smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

  “You lay the charm on thick, don’t you?”

  “Nah. No charm, baby. Just facts.” Sexy polished off his drink, and I began to work on my second one. “So what do you say about that Uber? Are you rolling with a nigga or what? ‘Cause I’m about ready to call it a night. I’ve been held up in this stuffy ass airport dealing with flight delays all day.”

  Halfway through my drink, I put it down and searched his eyes.

  “I don’t even know your name? You don’t even know mine. Don’t you think we should know that kind of information before we leave? If we do leave.”

  “I do know your name, beautiful. It’s Nim,” he said, surprising me. Noticing the look on my face he further explained, “I remember you saying it to the hotel clerk earlier. I’ve never met anyone with that name before either, so let’s just say it was memorable.”

  “Oh, yeah.” I giggled and shook my head. “How could I have forgotten about how you rudely interrupted my conversation mid-sentence,” I said it teasingly. “I can’t lie and say your voice didn’t catch me off guard, either.”

  Amongst other things… like cause my entire body to clam up.

  “True, true,” he agreed. “That’s my fault. I didn’t mean to be all up in your business, but I had already called two hotels looking for a room for the night and had no luck, and a nigga was not about to stay at the fucking Motel 6.”

  “Dang. They tried to hit you with that cheap Motel 6 voucher too?”

  “Hell yea!” His deep laugh made me laugh. “I politely told the woman handling my flight information that she had me fucked up. This ain’t the ’70s. The Motel 6 ain’t in style no more. I’d be roaming around that bitch shooting holes in the carpet every time I saw a roach run out of hiding. ‘Cause I know they got a whole family of them muthafuckas living there.”

  “Shut up!” I playfully pushed him in the chest. Not even realizing how comfortable I felt to reach out and touch him. “You’re a fool.”

  “I’m Andretti,” he announced it coolly. I totally missed the fact he hadn’t said it until now. “You’ve got my name and my money in a very short period of time, Nim. Something that doesn’t happen very often for most people.” Andretti grabbed ahold of my hand and looked me directly in the eyes. “So what do you say about that Uber, beautiful?”

  “I’m sorry, but it looks like they only booked you two for one room.”

  “What?” I asked and unmeaningly snatched the printed reservation from the hotel clerk’s hand. Sure enough, whoever booked the room for us reserved one room instead of two as we requested.

  Andretti gently took the paper from my hand and looked it over before handing it back to the woman assisting us at the reservation counter.

  “Damn. I’d been wondering why the total was so cheap too. I should’ve double-checked with the lady I spoke to before we got off the phone. That’s my fault.” He looked at me with apologetic eyes, and I gave him a reassuring smile.

  It wasn’t his fault the woman who reserved the room for us didn’t reserve it correctly.

  “No. This is on us,” the clerk admitted. “The person who made your reservation is new and isn’t quite done with training yet.” She sighed and tapped her knuckles on top of the counter. “I hate to tell you guys this, but we’ve already sold our last available room for the night, and the room you’re booked in unfortunately only has one bed.”

  The hotel clerk must’ve realized me and Andretti weren’t a couple because she stared at us with an uneasy look on her face.

  Andretti took his hat off and ran a hand over his curly hair before he turned to face me and asked, “What do you want me to do? I can try to find another hotel to stay at if you aren’t cool with me sleeping on the room’s couch. Shit, there is a couch in that muthafucka, right?”

  The woman and I both broke into a fit of laughter because his tone was serious as a heart attack, and he clearly didn’t give a hoot about watching his language.

  “Yes. There is a couch in the room.” She giggled. “If you two do decide to share it, I can refund you fifty percent of what you paid for it to compensate for our mistake.”

  Surprising my own self, I didn’t even need much convincing to decide on an answer. One might assume I was crazy for how comfortable I felt about sharing a room with a man I just met, but that’s how Andretti made me feel—unusually comfortable in his presence.

  Besides, during our Uber ride to the hotel, I learned enough about him to at least consider him a slight acquaintance. I discovered he was twenty-five years old and was actually from Omaha as well. It didn’t make sense to me, and I couldn’t figure out the reason we’d never run into each other until now, because Omaha was considered a small city compared to a place like Chicago. Andretti blamed the reason on him being a “low-key type of nigga” in his words, but a man as fine as he was shouldn’t have gone unnoticed no matter what. Especially since we were only a year apart, me being the youngest.

  Although he was pretty hush-hush on what he did for a living, he did tell me he was his own boss. And it didn’t take much for me to put two and two together after that. The statement may have been simple but it had illegal activities written all over it.

  For the remainder of our ride, he mainly focused on questions that centered around me in an attempt to keep the spotlight off of himself. I didn’t tell him too much more information than he had given me, though. Mostly because I didn’t want to get roped in a line of questioning that may lead to details about my shitty relationship. As far as he was concerned, we were both chilling when it came to the relationship department. In my defense, it technically was half true, because as far as I was concerned, I was done with Britton.

  I honestly appreciated how attentive Andretti was w
hen he listened to the little information I did give about myself. He was more attentive than Britton had ever been when it came to talking about my up and coming event planning business. Somehow, Andretti made me feel like he was proud of me for chasing my dreams, whereas Britton always made it seem like I was silly for going after them. He thought it was dope I was in Chicago over the weekend because of a bachelorette party I planned after being discovered by the bride-to-be on Instagram. Her husband was strapped with more cash than a person could ever ask for, so it was nothing for her to cover my flight and hotel stay just so I could come out and put together her special event.

  Placing everything about Andretti and I’s encounter with each other into perspective, it was weird yet safe to say he had a way of making me feel special. Special in a way I hadn’t felt before, and I barely even knew him.

  “So what’s it gon’ be, beautiful?” he asked in the sweet tone he used every time he'd spoken to me tonight.

  “We’ll share the room, it’s fine.” I gave an answer he and the clerk would both understand to kill two birds with one stone. I was beyond ready to lay down for the night. “Is it ready right now?”

  “Of course it is. You guys are all set. The keycard is ready for use.” She slid it across the counter, and Andretti grabbed it.

  “‘Preciate it.” The head nod he gave her matched his words, and he picked our duffel bags up from the floor. “Let’s roll, mami.”

  I tried my hardest not to blush at the endearing nickname. It was the second time he called me it tonight, and like the first time, a tingling sensation ran through my fingers before it eventually settled in my toes.

  For a split second—and I do mean a real split second—I started thinking that sharing a room with Andretti might be a mistake. He had powers over my body that a stranger-turned-slight-acquaintance shouldn’t have had.

  And as if his affectionate words weren’t already doing me in, Andretti placed his free hand on the small of my back and guided me to the elevator. I tried to ignore the tingles that were now roaming all over my body by starting small talk.

  “Sooo… do you have any big plans for when you get back home?”

  One of his eyebrows raised, and he flashed me a knowing smile. Like he was aware of something I wasn’t privy to.

  “Do I make you nervous, Nim?”

  My cheeks grew warm, and I was relieved only I could tell. It was bad enough the mere sight of him and the sound of his voice made me feel tingly inside and yearn to jump his bones. Why did he have to make me nervous too?

  Actually, he didn’t necessarily make me nervous. The way he was able to make my body react to him with simple gestures was the reason for my jitters.

  It was unfair.

  So unfair.

  To save some kind of face, I rolled my eyes and pretended not to know what he was talking about as we entered the elevator.

  “Why would you think you make me nervous, Andretti?”

  Backing me into the right corner of the elevator, he stared into my eyes so intensely that I would’ve closed them if he hadn’t spoken.

  “Because of this.” Andretti ran a single finger down the side of my cheek, and I jumped unintentionally. “You jumpin’ like a frog every time I touch your beautiful ass.” Closing the little space we had left between us, the tips of his shoes met mine, and he slowly ran his tongue across his lips. “So do I make you nervous, Nim?”

  A lump formed in my throat because I didn’t know what to say. He was so close I could smell the remnants of the Wrigley’s Winterfresh gum he spat from his mouth right before we walked into the hotel building.

  Thankfully, coming to my immediate rescue, the elevator chimed, and he backed away with a chuckle when the doors opened.

  “Come on, mami. A nigga is dead beat right now. We need to get some sleep.”

  My lust-clouded judgment almost allowed my mouth to slip up and ask, “Together?”

  Instead, I cleared my throat and nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I’m beat, too. And I’ll have a lot of catching up to do tomorrow, so I do need some sleep.”

  We walked in silence for the rest of our way down the long hallway, and it didn’t take much time to arrive at our room. Andretti inserted the keycard into the metal-plated door, dropped our bags on the side of it, and stripped himself of his shirt the minute we walked in. My eyes glazed over with an emotion I couldn’t quite pinpoint when I saw an array of different artwork covered the majority of his muscled chest.

  The emotion very well could’ve been more… lust? Or maybe it was… need?

  Need?

  Did I seriously just think that?

  Hell, I wasn’t too sure what was happening to my mind and emotions, but what I did know was my eyes couldn’t help but undress him.

  In my mind, each time I blinked, a new article of his clothing came up missing. His shirt was the first piece to go. Then the faded blue jeans. The boxers went soon after. And currently? The gift resting between his legs was on full display. My mouth moistened at the thought of it being as thick and long as I imagined.

  Hearing him chuckle quickly snapped me out of my sinful stare, and I asked, “Why are you laughing,” even though I knew I’d been caught red-handed. He wasn’t naive. He knew I’d been eye-fucking him.

  “I’m about to keep it straight one hundred with you, beautiful.” Andretti rubbed his jawline thoughtfully and shook his head. “You can’t keep giving me those come-hither eyes and expect me to keep being a gentleman. The freak in me is never far behind, and I don’t think you’re ready for the Dretti experience.”

  The alcohol we consumed at the airport was low-key still in effect, and I blamed it for the cause of my easily provoked emotions. I felt not only insulted by his words but also like I had something to prove. That coupled with the thought of Britton being cuddled up in Cassandra’s bed, giving her dick that should’ve been reserved for me only, was enough to push me to make a spontaneously bold move.

  Make him pay, screamed loudly over and over in my mind. What I was about to do was totally out of my character, but I felt the strong need to make Britton pay for every single time he looked me in the eyes and told me I was the only woman he loved and wanted. For every single time he told me not to worry about her and then went and laid in her bed. For every single time he made me feel like I wasn’t good enough for him to be faithful.

  What I was about to do danced between the line of crazy and downright insane, but as I stared at Andretti’s godly body, I felt like he was the only thing that would ever be able to right Britton’s wrongs.

  With slow, deliberate strides, I walked over to him and drew an imaginary line up and down his rock-hard chest using my index finger. Traveling dangerously lower, my finger almost made it to the aroused bulge in his jeans, but he grabbed my hand in the nick of time and looked at me skeptically.

  “Are you drunk, beautiful?” I swiftly shook my head no, being completely honest. I didn’t want him to think he could possibly be taking advantage of me on some she’s too drunk type of shit.

  Still holding onto my hand, Andretti placed a tender kiss to it and stared me right in the eyes. “Look, baby, this the kinda dick that’ll make you wanna stalk a nigga. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

  Well damn, since he put it that way…

  I tried to look down at the floor and mull over what Andretti said, but he tilted my chin back up with his finger.

  “Nah. Don’t do that shy shit. You were just looking at me like you were about that life. Tell me what you want from me?”

  As if that was the confidence boost I needed to stand my ground, I looked him right back in the eyes and said, “I want you to fuck me… until I can’t think straight. Until I’m ready to pull my own damn hair out. Until I—”

  My last sentence was cut short when Andretti lifted me up in the air and wrapped my legs around his waist. His tongue dipped in my mouth and danced with mine the entire time he walked us over to the bed. The plush comforter felt softer than
clouds looked when he laid us both down and began to remove every piece of our clothing.

  “Are you dead sure about this, Nim?” he asked between kisses.

  Ironically, I’d never been more sure about anything in my life. I wanted him. Even if it was just for the night. I wanted him, and I was almost certain I wouldn’t regret it one bit afterward.

  “I’m sure, Andretti. Please don’t ask me again. Just…”

  “Fuck you,” he finished for me. “You got it, baby.”

  Andretti nodded and swooped in for another kiss. It started out as a soft peck until he parted my lips with his tongue and twirled it inside of my mouth. I hadn’t enjoyed sucking on someone’s tongue until mine met his, and I was saddened when they finally parted ways.

  He placed the corner of a condom, a condom he must’ve retrieved from the wallet in his jeans, between his teeth and ripped it open. All of our clothing was already scattered across the floor when he slipped it onto his dick. And oouu wee. His dick was definitely as long and thick as I imagined it being. Placing the tip of it at my opening, he looked deep into my eyes again and smiled.

  “Who would’ve known your beautiful ass was a freak.”

  I covered my mouth in an attempt not to giggle loudly.

  Quickly putting my game face back on, I purred. “Please put it in, Andretti.”

  The words had barely fallen from my lips when he pushed his full erection inside of me. The first stroke literally stole the breath from my body and caused me to turn my head to the side. Looking away didn’t last more than two seconds because he quickly grabbed me by the chin and brought my eyes back to his.

  “Nah. There won’t be any looking away. Look me in my eyes while I feed you this dick and tell me how it feels. Do I need to speed it up?”

  Andretti’s strokes did exactly that. They sped up in a way I wasn’t expecting. They became faster and deeper than I thought they could go.