by Royal Blue
I suck him clean, lifting my head to lick my lips. Beau drags me to him and crushes his lips to mine. My hand goes into his hair as he deepens the kiss.
I’m thoroughly dazed when he starts a trail of kisses from my jaw to my neck. My skin is on fire. His hands kneading my back only intensifies the feel of his lips’ and tongue’s exploration.
“My turn,” he breathes in my ear.
Beau
I push back some and gesture with the crook of my finger for him to get out of the pool. He deserves a reward for giving me the best blow job of my life. There’s still a tingle at the base of my spine.
I watch as he leaps out of the pool, water cascading from his body. He stands to his full height, pushing his boxers from his hips. They hit the ground with a wet plop.
He’s in front of me with his hard cock aiming right for my face. I place a hand on his thigh to guide him to straddle me. I’m going to take my time and make this last.
I lick his inner thigh and nip the soft brown skin. “Widen your legs, baby,” I command.
He steps wider, and I dip in to tease the other side, slow kisses and licks up his thigh. His cock bobs and twitches, begging for my attention. I don’t give in. I go back to the other leg for a repeat.
“Beau,” he says tightly.
“Patience,” I breathe against his balls and flick them with my tongue.
“You’re killing me.”
“Not yet.” I chuckle darkly.
Giving him a small reprieve, I lick the underside of his shaft, kissing his tip when I get to it. His jaw tightens as I watch him through my lashes. I tease him with another lick, and he groans.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” I say as I wrap my hand around him.
It’s the truth. Everything about him is gorgeous. His strong thighs, his thick, long cock, that dark hair, his eyes, those lashes, and for the love of all that’s holy, those dimples—all of it marks perfection.
“Beau,” he strains out as I move to his thigh and freeze there, allowing my facial hair and breath to tease him.
“I’ve got you, darlin’,” I murmur just before pulling him into my mouth.
And just like that, he goes from gorgeous to stunning. His head falls back and a vein pops in his neck. The sight alone spurs me on. My own groans mix with his as I suck and pump him.
“Damn, Papi. Fuck yeah,” he croons. “Fuck yeah.”
My fingers dig into his hip. My hand pumping him moves to cup his balls. I massage them while guiding him in and out of my mouth. Angel cups the back of my head and starts to take over.
It’s that power play again. I relish watching how much that excites him. I only resist a bit to watch the light that comes to his eyes when we fight for dominance. If not for that, I’d yield simply because his cock has my mouth watering for more.
I smile around him when he releases a loud curse as I swirl my tongue around him. I have him. It won’t be much longer before he releases into my waiting mouth. He swells against my tongue.
“I’m so close,” he says tightly.
I grab his ass harder and guide him into my face, taking the control back. His legs start to shake and buckle, but I hold him up.
“Shit, Beau, fuck,” he roars when he finally lets go.
I cradle his waist as his knees give. Gently I bring him into my lap. I kiss the side of his neck and face. I’m already growing hard again. He palms my face, and we lock lips.
We kiss lazily until we both find our legs again. I lead him inside to my bed, but I can sense that something has shifted between us. The urgency has burned out.
I pull the sheets back and slip into bed. When Angel follows me in, I cup his face and kiss him softly. I think we’ve made a big enough step forward for tonight.
Neither of us is going anywhere. Once I’m in, I’m in. When it comes to Angel, I’m all in.
Chapter 16
Small Steps
Beau
“Where are we going?” Angel asks as we walk a few blocks from my apartment.
“New York is filled with these hidden gems all over the city. Private nooks of paradise. You’d be surprised what you’ll walk right by and never know it’s there,” I say.
“This is true. A lot of hidden restaurants too. Places passed down by generations with some banging-ass food. We should head out to Brooklyn one of these days,” he says. “Wait, you didn’t answer my question.”
I bump his shoulder. “Because I was trying to distract you.” I laugh. “Be patient.”
“Man, you got me around all these white people looking at me like I’m about to snatch their purse and shit. I have a right to know where we’re going,” he teases.
I’ve been trying to ignore that. I’ve noticed a few white women change direction or put more distance between themselves and us. It’s something I’ll never get used to. It used to happen all the time when Kyle and I would hang out as teenagers, growing into men.
Kyle tells me to get over it. It’s his life as a black man. I think that’s bullshit. My daddy never tolerated that shit, and neither will I. I call that shit out when I see it. However, I’ve been trying to enjoy this night and make it special.
“Funny part is, I’m the one dressed in black construction boots, a black hoodie with a big-ass black bookbag on my back,” I grumble.
“It was a joke,” Angel says, touching my arm.
Angel is still dressed in a suit from working Club Refuge tonight. He looks like he could be coming from a hard day in the office. Another woman with a dog looks at him and crosses the street. I grit my teeth and shake my head.
“Wrapped in truth.”
“So is life, B. I can’t peel my skin back and pretend to be someone I’m not. So I live my life knowing other people’s opinions don’t make me or break me,” he says and shrugs.
“That’s bullshit and you know it. You served this country like any other red-blooded American hero. Yet we could walk to the end of this corner and the police will throw your ass up against a wall and cuff you for walking while being brown. Meanwhile I could have an eight ball in my pocket, strip butt-ass naked, and spit at them, and it will take damn near twice as long for them to put me in cuffs,” I say bitterly.
“You say that like you have experience,” he says.
“Kyle’s my brother, remember? Most my friends are from other ethnicities. I’ve seen a lot more than I’d like to admit. I don’t live in a bubble pretending it’s not a reality.”
“Okay, I hear you. But what you know about eight balls?” he says with mirth.
“Man, I have stories. I watched some great fighters fall to drugs.”
“Yeah, some good soldiers got hooked on all types of shit just to get by. When you start to see and do too much, it can fuck with your head,” he says. “Some need the escape just to cope day to day.”
“Man, I don’t even want to imagine,” I reply and wave for him to follow me into the small alleyway. “Come on.”
I grin when he gives me a strange look. I head through the small passageway. With the key to the gate, I unlock it and push the fence open. Angel follows me in.
“I’m locking the gate. We have the only key to get in. Which I’m giving to you. If you need to leave, you do what you need to do. I just wanted to try this. I don’t know if it will work,” I say and hand him the key.
We walk farther in, and I turn to see his reaction. His brows are drawn, but I can see the tension that started the moment we entered the alley ease. I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“A garden?”
The small alleyway opens to a huge open garden between two of the smaller buildings in the city that allow for the sun to spill in and a third structure. The third building is the largest and highest at the back of the garden.
The center of the space has a bed of green grass big enough to toss around a football with a few friends. Around the perimeters are beds of roses, lilacs, and sunflowers that bloom in season. Murals cover the walls of the two s
maller buildings, adding to the rustic city charm.
“Not just any garden. Just wait,” I say with a huge smile. My excitement returns. I can’t wait for him to see this. I almost forgot about this place. Angel is actually what reminded me of it. “It’s good to have friends in hidden places,” I say as I spread a blanket in the center of the grass.
I reach into my backpack for the snacks I packed and spread them out. I glance up at Angel as he looks around us, an amused expression on his face. Next I pull the device from my bag that will make this all clear for him.
“Oh, shit,” Angel breathes as everything falls into place.
On the back wall of the garden, the opening credits to Purple Rain appear. He once told me it’s his favorite movie. The black paint on the back of the building serves as the perfect screen.
“Want to watch a movie with me?” I say, holding my hand out for him to join me on the blanket.
Angel looks down at me in awe. He nods and takes my hand to sit beside me. I toss him the pack of M&M’S and grab the Sour Patch Kids for myself.
“Beau?”
“Yeah.” I turn from the movie to look at him. His eyes are misty. He swallows hard.
“So I don’t forget to tell you. This shit…. Thanks,” he chokes out.
“Anytime.” I nod. “If there’s ever something you want to see, no matter what it is, I have a guy that knows a guy. We can get anything you want. That is until you’re ready to go back to the theater.”
“I think I like this better,” he says.
I’d do this every night for the smile he’s giving me now. I tug off my hoodie to get settled in. Angel loosens his tie and shrugs out of his jacket.
“Come here,” I say.
He eyes the space between my thighs with a wicked smile on his full lips. We haven’t gotten physical beyond kissing here and there since that night at the pool. I think we both subconsciously decided to tone things down.
The desire that builds between us can be all-consuming. I may have given into wanting to try this relationship, but I don’t want to burn things out before they can start properly. I reach for the front of his shirt and tug him forward.
With a laugh, he comes to me and settles with his back to my front. I relish the warmth of his body against mine. We both settle in to watch the movie for the next hour and fifty-one minutes.
Angel
“That movie will always be my shit,” I say as I stretch.
Beau hit this on the head. Even in the confines of this hidden getaway, I’m able to relax and watch the movie as the open night air kisses my skin. The city noise is somehow canceled out by the surround sound system built into the garden’s walls or wherever they’re mounted. This place is an amazing sanctuary.
“I’m not going to lie. It is a classic,” Beau says.
I look over my shoulder. “Did you ever doubt me?”
He gives me a sexy smile as his eyes roll over me. “Never.”
I go to turn to face him, but Beau has other ideas. He reaches for my shoulders and starts to massage. I don’t protest. It’s been a long day.
This surprise date was so unexpected. I thought we were going to order in and chill. When I arrived to find Beau with the backpack in his hands, I was curious, but I followed along.
Our relationship is built on a huge amount of trust. I knew whatever he had planned would consider my needs, but I really hadn’t thought it would be such a thoughtful gesture. Shit like this has me falling for him faster than I thought possible.
“How are things at the club?”
“Pretty good. I’m not going to take the traveling gig Javi offered me. I don’t think I’m ready for something like that. It would’ve been good money, but I’m not there yet,” I reply.
“I can understand that. Javi’s schedule can get crazy. I don’t know how he does it.”
“I was thinking the same thing. That guy is always on. Even when he hasn’t been at the club for days, he knows everything that’s going on with everyone,” I say and shake my head. “He has my respect for real.”
I’ve learned that my other boss likes to keep tabs on everything. He knows everything about everyone. One of the guys at the club just had a baby. Within the hour Javi had flowers, balloons, and gifts at the hospital. It was one of those times when he wasn’t even in town to know something like that.
It’s stuff like that that makes the guys working for him loyal. Everyone has so much respect for him at the club. It makes for a cool vibe.
“You sound like you like it there,” Beau says.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Good. Javi will look out for you in other ways if you don’t want that promotion. It’s just who he is,” he says.
“I appreciate it. I’m trying to figure out my next moves, though. You know. What I want to do with my life once I can get a handle on it,” I think out loud.
“What did you want to do before you enlisted?”
I take a moment to think about that. It seems like a lifetime ago. I was certainly a different person, driven by much different things. I laugh as I’m honest with myself. “You want to know the truth?”
“Always.”
“Andres and I always talked about being fighters. MMA was his thing, but Papi had his eye on a boxing championship belt for me. I could’ve done it too.” I smile at the thought now, in retrospect.
Back then I ran as fast as I could from the idea. I wonder what my life would be like if I would’ve followed that path instead. I might have met Beau in the ring.
“You were a boxer?” Beau pauses, his voice sounding haunted, causing me to turn to face him. His eyes search mine. My brows furrow.
“I boxed for a bit. I was in the Golden Gloves back in the day,” I say cautiously. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I just didn’t know you were a fighter.”
I study him for a minute, and it clicks into place. I turn my body fully to face him. Placing my fingers beneath his chin, I lift his head until he meets my gaze.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get back in the ring. Being a soldier took a toll on my body. I don’t think I could move around the ring the same. I’ve thought of coaching, but not fighting,” I say.
He nods. Still that haunted look remains. He’s either fearing for my life in the ring or haunted by dating another fighter. I’m not sure which, but I get the feeling it’s one or the other.
I’m good at reading him, which is the reason I won’t ask to see if I’m right and figure out which of my assumptions is the truth. After reaching for his palms, I bring them into my lap. With my pointer finger, I start to trace the lines in his hands.
“Everything about us lies in the palm of our hands. These lines tell so many stories. These hands have a great story to tell. The question is… will you tell it?” I say.
Beau clamps his hands shut and turns to busy himself with placing things back in his backpack. I don’t want the date to end like this. We were having a great time.
“Beau.”
He turns to me and I kiss him.
He’s stiff at first, but as I push my way into his mouth with my tongue, he comes to life. I go to push him back against the blanket, but he switches it up on me. My back hits the ground as he hovers over me.
I don’t mind now that I have his attention. I savor the taste of candy and Beau. My hands slide beneath his T-shirt.
“Shit,” Beau grumbles as his phone starts to ring. “I have to answer that.”
“No worries,” I pant.
Beau rolls his eyes as he listens and grunts at the caller on the other end. It must be Emma with more wedding drama. He’s been getting a lot of calls like this the last few days.
“Fine, fine, I’m coming.” He sighs.
It was still the best date ever. I’ll never forget you did this for me, Beau.
Chapter 17
Perfect Dress
Angel
“That’s the one,” Beau and I say in unison as Billy steps out of the dressing room. Sh
e looks like a little princess in the little blue dress. It’s perfect for an eight-year-old little girl. Not too grown, like a few of the dresses the woman tried to show us in the other store.
The puffy skirts soften everything about Billy. The smile on her face says a million words. It’s brightening the dressing room all around her.
It’s important to me that she gets what makes her happy. I’ve only ever seen her in jeans and T-shirts. Neither Beau nor I wanted to bring her here and force her into a dress that wouldn’t be comfortable for her.
Yet, the look on her face. This is it. It’s Billy.
“I love that one,” Aryanna says. “You should wear your hair down.”
I’ve never seen Billy’s hair not in that top knot braid style. It’s always up and out of her way. She reaches up to touch her hair as she sways in the mirror, looking at her reflection.
“It’s pretty,” she says with that beaming smile.
“So is this the one?” I ask.
“Yeah, I like it.” She turns to look at me. “I just don’t know if it’s right for the wedding. I’ve never been to one.”
“You’ll be the prettiest one there,” Beau says gently. “It’s perfect, darlin’. I think you should get it.”
“Really?” she says with big wide eyes.
“I wouldn’t lie to you,” Beau says.
Billy’s face shifts as she takes in Beau’s words. She moves to us cautiously, looking up between us both. The decision made, she wraps an arm around each of our waists and hugs us at the same time.
When she releases us, the blush on her little brown cheeks makes her face glow. I smooth a hand over her hair and smile at her. This kid has been building her own home in my heart.
“Thank you,” she whispers and turns back for the dressing room.
I wipe at the corners of my eyes and clear my throat. Beau’s eyes are misted over as well. I guess I’m not the only one she’s getting to. I wave over the clerk.