by Eden Fortae
INTIMACY
ROSE SERIES PART THREE
Copyright © 2020 by Eden Fortae
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written consent of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to all the victims of sexual assault and/or abuse. No matter what happened, how, or what could have been done differently, it never was and never will be your fault. You are a survivor.
Trigger Warning: This book touches on sexual, mental, and verbal abuse, child neglect, suicide, and involves mental health issues. The topics may be sensitive at times.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
PROLOGUE
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
PART II
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY-ONE
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
PART III
THIRTY-FOUR
THIRTY-FIVE
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
THIRTY-EIGHT
THIRTY-NINE
FORTY
FORTY-ONE
EPILOGUE
PART I
PROLOGUE
Why am I here?
Perched against the wall by the door, Eden took a healthy swallow of White Zinfandel. The color, far too light to stain her obnoxious canary yellow bridesmaid dress, the dry to sweet taste just barely numbing the need to curse the room of familiar strangers.
Despite their false smiles and offering kind words, they still managed to shun her. Five years later and in front of virtual strangers, they made it clear that still, she was not welcome.
Eve’s pleas for her to set her feelings aside for just one weekend were in the back of her mind. It took Eden mere minutes to realize she was the only one to receive that speech and her invitation wasn’t public knowledge. The moment she arrived, there were upturned noses, whispers, and distance from everyone but the person she needed to avoid.
And, of course, not a single birthday wish.
“Is that her?”
The older women sitting at the table off to the left had been pretending not to stare since Eden claimed the wall in the back of the venue. Tempted to look in their direction, the question prickling her skin. The slight buzz from a quick bathroom session with her favorite toy was the only reason she cared a little less.
“I think so. Then again, she’s wearing more clothes than usual, so I can’t be completely sure.”
“I’m surprised Evie was comfortable enough to put her in the wedding.”
“Eve’s always been a sweet child. She wants everyone together.”
“Naive is more like it. Jealousy doesn’t just go away. Any skank that wants her sister’s man will try yours, too. A real sister would never. Fine way to repay them for taking her in. The pastor must be ashamed.”
“Well, you know Mary told me that she overheard Deaconess Brown and Sister Talley saying that the pastor cut ties long ago.”
“What?!”
“And I heard it was Sandy’s idea. That’s why she skipped town.”
Eden closed her eyes, breathing slowly and deeply. Absently her hand tightened around the stem of her glass. She relished the idea of pain. As long as it took away the darkness trying to overshadow her post-orgasmic hangover.
The women continued to talk, one mentioning a rumor she heard while the other followed up with a nasty remark, ending with laughter.
Glaring down at her glass, Eden tossed back what remained. At the bottom was peace, strength, and carelessness, but not nearly enough.
Her only solace came with knowing she could leave soon. In less than twenty-four hours Joyful Mission Baptist and its people could kiss her ass. That alone was a reason to celebrate yet, it sparked guilt as her mind turned to the friend she desperately wanted to see but couldn’t face.
“Mind if I join you?”
Eden stilled. The depth of the voice behind her created shivers along her spine and tingles between her legs. So easily, could hear her name whispered in the dark and had to remember where she was.
“What if I said that I do?”
He laughed. A deep, attractive chuckle, “You’d be shit out of luck. This is the only spot in the building with reception. I only asked and brought you this gift to be nice.”
At that, a hand was extended into view. In it, a full glass of wine perfectly chilled and calling her name.
“A gift for me,” she teased, tempted to look over her shoulder to see the rest of him, “would be the whole bottle. I appreciate the thought, though. Welcome to the cat lady corner. Enjoy your phone call.”
“I see,” he paused for a second then lightly nudged her arm with the hand still clasping the cool glass. “You take this and I’ll be right back.”
Her need for another drink accepted the offering before she had the chance to think about it. Rather than taking a sip, Eden watched her unwanted companion head for the bar. The ladies he passed were all smiles, blushing, and giggling like little girls and as soon as he began the short trip back to where she stood, she realized why.
The best man.
She’d noticed him immediately and was painfully aware of him during rehearsal and the ceremony. Undressing him with her eyes was what got her through the tedious exchange of vows. Imagining the look in his brown eyes as she rode him to the brink with her hands nestled in his short curls, the reason for a quick end to her bathroom trip. Daydreams were all she meant for those mental images to be, but with him holding a confident smile and an entire bottle of Dom Perignon, she couldn’t think of a better way to spend her birthday.
“Now, about that request to have your company...”
Biting the inside of her cheek was all she could do to keep from smiling. “I thought you just wanted cell service?"
"I lied to get your attention."
"All these women openly drooling over you and you want to impress me? You must not know who I am.”
His smile widened, producing more overwhelming tingles. “I’ll admit that I’ve spent the greater part of this reception trying to get information before I figured you’d be the best person to ask.”
Reading between the lines caused unexpected pain. Knowing that he inquired about her and no one was willing to speak her name hurt more than it should. Feeling anything at all when it came to those people meant the alcohol was failing to hold up the walls she worked hard to erect.
Eden leaned forward just enough to place her glass on the nearest table, cutting her eyes at the two older women openly watching them.
Straightening her back, she dropped the prior inhibitions seeing a way to turn the night around.
“You’re right. And as you h
ave seen, my name is of no importance. What matters is if you want to enjoy my company elsewhere.”
He laughed again, just as sexy, but effectively took her confidence down a notch.
“Moments ago, I couldn’t even get you to look at me.”
“Well, it should say a lot that not only did you achieve that, but I’m presenting you with an opportunity that you won’t regret.”
His smile shifted. Gone was the amusement, in its place, desire that called to the vixen lying in wait.
“I’m Donovan.”
“And I’m staying at The Comfort Inn & Suites by the airport. Room 104. The choice is yours.”
She made it a point to brush against him as she walked by and threw on a smile, bidding the newlyweds farewell.
Back at the hotel, she waited for him. In nothing more than red panties beneath the sheer lace robe she designed to match, she waited, smiling from ear to ear the moment he came knocking.
Completely taken by the richness of his light brown skin, and tone of his body, Eden was more aroused than ever. She wanted him like no other. Like a fiend aching for their next fix or a scorned woman needing revenge.
Holding his gaze, she slid back and forth, bounced up and down, then slid back and forth until his eyelids pressed together and a ragged breath pushed through his nose.
“Damn, baby...”
Although spoken in a husky whisper she could tell his teeth were clenched when his head fell back into the pillows. The sight alone filled her with pride. Words were all she needed, but the hands clasping her hips proved she was on the right path for what she intended.
He had to remember everything. From the way her hair was pulled up and out the way to the placement of her tattoos, and how much attention was dedicated to his needs.
If he were any other man she would’ve brought him to an Earth-shattering end by now, but looking down at the fine contours of his inked chest and well-defined stomach, she drew it out as long as possible to embed that image into her mind.
In her teens, a man like him would have made her melt with just a smile. As the woman she grew up to be, all that mattered was that he was naked beneath her, taking all she was giving.
Masculine, beautiful, essentially her bitch.
Fueled by the tips of his fingers pressing into her skin, she quickened her pace, rocking her hips to the song of mattress springs.
“Shit,” he groaned once more, meeting each of her movements with his own.
With the jerking of his right leg, she could tell he was close. That was it, the best part of sex for Eden and undoubtedly him, too.
Throwing her head back, she bounced harder and faster than ever before, reeling in the pleasure of knowing it was her that brought him to the point of ecstasy. That it was her he was giving a piece of himself to.
The high he put her on was better than her own climax. It was a buzz that started once he came and she left him.
Knowing that he was almost there, Eden put an extra twist in her hips. When his breath caught in his throat, Donovan shot up, holding her much tighter, and before she knew it, she was sandwiched between his hard body and the damp sheets. Just as quickly as their roles changed, so did her mood.
The feeling of him retreating from her body left Eden with the same emptiness she felt before he approached her and the crippling need to be wanted.
There was only a flash of a smile before he slid back in, his hips slamming into hers taking away all the unspoken words of disappointment and protest. Donovan leaned into her, kissing his way to her ear.
“My turn.” His voice was so deep and thick with lust, her inner walls clenched.
Without waiting for a response he pushed forward with so much force that her stomach cramped. Pain preceded the pleasure in each thrust.
“Oh my God!” Eden heard herself screaming but was so out of her mind that she couldn’t think.
Biting her lip was all she could do to keep from voicing her pleasure any further. It was all she had left to maintain the control slipping the more he pounded into the spot that no one else had ever reached.
Deep vibrations started at her core working its way out like a spider crack. As if he, too, could feel the pressure building, he steadied himself on his knees and tilted her hips upward before ramming her with several long, deep, strokes that ended in stars shooting behind her eyes and speechlessness.
It felt too good to move. Her body was so sensitive that the labored breaths against her skin were too much. Shielded by the lack of light, she smiled. He put her to shame. She had always been aware of what it took to please herself and it had never felt anything close to that.
With his head resting on her shoulder she followed his quest to right his breathing. Suddenly he shifted and her eyes flew open, gazing upon the dark ceiling but were still too dazed to focus.
Then it happened. The worse thing he could have done.
He kissed her.
Unlike the others that would just roll over and go to sleep, he wedged his hands between her back and the mattress, molding their bodies. He slowly dragged the tip of his nose along the sweat-coated column of her neck and she felt it again. The warm heat of his lips pressed against her pulse.
Kisses were prohibited. It was a rule Eden set in place to protect herself. Never before had one of her conquests done that. Donovan was creating far too many firsts.
She stilled once more as he continued to move above her with skills that did wonders for her sensitive body. His hands traveled over her hips, squeezing them as he gave her yet another kiss, igniting another fire. It wasn’t until his fingers gripped her chin and his lips pressed against hers that she realized she was holding her breath. So sensually he started with a peck, then gently nipped her lower lip, and soothed the pleasant stinging with his tongue. She knew what he wanted but just couldn’t relent.
Despite her efforts to avoid it, Eden’s heart fell into erratic beats, her mind roaring with panic. Part of her wanted to experience it, yet the other was screaming to do something--lay there and pray he stopped or tell him she loved him in hopes that it would freak him out.
Whatever the solution, something needed to happen before he set her back five years.
Another peck, this time at the left corner of her mouth was it. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him away, choosing an ill-formed plan C.
Carelessly naked, she retreated to the bathroom. Locked inside, she leaned against the door touching everywhere his lips had been. Realizing that this was the best she’d ever felt, she cursed him.
A man like that was like a hurricane over a glasshouse. He had all the power to ruin her if she didn’t pack her shit and headed for the hills. Once he fell asleep, that was exactly what she did.
ONE
“Name?”
Shit! Neither Chace nor the website mentioned a list. Now that she was thinking about it, no one in their right mind would have an event open to the public without extra security.
Eden scanned the crowd with a quick glance, turning back to the lady guarding the room she needed entry to.
“It’s not on the list. I actually didn’t know there was a list–”
“No name, no entry, ma’am.” As if she were worth nothing more than a floating speck of dust, the woman waved her off, tucking the tablet under her left arm before returning to her position against the wall.
The thought of causing a scene crossed her mind. The probability of being thrown out held her back. As discreetly as possible, she searched for another possible way in and quickly realized it was all protected. Waiting for the night to end was an option, but her nerves made it impossible to be that patient.
Several steps away from the rope, a light shone down from the heavens. Smiling internally, Eden fluffed her hair and approached the man she passed on the way in.
“Excuse me?” The moment the bulky man faced her, the game was on. She hadn’t missed the way he looked her over nor the slightest hint of a smile. He was nothing like the previ
ous lady. Her condescending tone and refusal to hear Eden out made the trip seem like a lost cause. This one, though, was already showing signs of weakness.
Slowly Eden moved the curls over her eyes, training her features to play the part of the irresistible damsel.
“Can you help me? I came all the way from Atlanta to surprise one of my good friends, not knowing I needed to be VIP to see her.”
“Who’s your friend?” His eyes traveled from her breasts to her lips. Noticing that, Eden lowered her tone, turning up the seduction.
“Kya Rich. We grew up together but lost contact years ago. I just–it would mean a lot to me if I could see her. I’d give anything,” purposely, she touched her left breast, “just to see her for myself.”
The guard took his time returning eye contact. When he did, there was apparent interest to see how far she’d go for that favor.
“Let’s see what I can do.”
Her smile spread slowly through a bitten lip. Placing his finger to his ear, he winked, speaking into the mic attached to his jacket.
“Post Eleven, this is Cohen. Please inform the boss that we have a young lady at Post Four requesting to see Ms. Rich.”
He paused and winked again.
“Yes, Sir. I’m aware, but I believe Ms. Rich will want to see her.”
His curt nod was a good sign. The perverted smile served as reassurance.
“What’s your name, baby?”
“Eden Parks.”
As he mouthed the word “beautiful” Eden fake blushed, whispering her gratitude. Shortly after he spoke her name, released his hold on his jacket, and stepped closer to her, Kya appeared on the other side of the velvet rope.
Joy was immediate, displaying itself through a smile, laughter, and tears as they rushed into each other’s arms. Guilt aside, it felt like coming home after being away longer than expected. For a long time, Kya and Tamara Rich provided the only home she really had. What was once her only source of peace had become a place of sorrow, hardships, and shame.