I grabbed onto my blouse to fan myself. “I feel warm all over. Man, someone open the door…it’s hot in here,” I said drowsily.
Mr. Chocolate looked amused. “Let’s step outside to get some air,” he said, moving closer to me, and I got lost in his big brown eyes.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
He grabbed my hand, but before I could slide down from the barstool, another set of arms swooped around my waist and stopped me from moving.
“There you are, baby. I’ve been looking all over for you,” he said, and I was confused as I stared up into Jeb’s ocean blue eyes.
“Huh? What are you doing here?” I asked.
Mr. Chocolate started stammering over his own words. “Uh…I um, I’m sorry, man. I—uh—I didn’t know she was here with you,” he said in a cowering tone.
What’s wrong with this guy? I wondered.
“Damn right, you didn’t know,” Jeb said with an unmistakable ire in his tone. “Get lost, don’t come back in here, and I’ll pretend it never happened.”
Jeb stood an imposing two to three inches taller than the chocolate dessert I’d considered changing all my rules for moments ago. That fantasy was dashed when the nameless, handsome man scurried away, holding both of his hands in the air in surrender to Jeb.
I shook Jeb’s arm from mine, and I asked, “What the hell are you doing? I was talking to him.” I scanned the room for Mr. Chocolate, but he was long gone. “You have no right to do that. I mean, you had no—” my words slurred and slowed down.
“What I’m doing is saving you from a pig. You can thank me later,” he said as he smirked.
“Thank you?” I scowled. “I was handling him perfectly fine, thank you very much. You just ruined what could have been a great moment in my life.”
Jeb chuckled. “Tameka, what are you even doing here?”
“No, I should be asking you that, Jeb. Do you always come to this place? Are you following me? Seems too coincidental that we would see each other two times in a month after going an entire year without crossing paths. Explain yourself!” In so many words, I accused him of stalking me.
“Explain myself?” His jaw dropped, and he started laughing hysterically. “How do I know you’re not following me? After all, you did walk into my club tonight,” he said.
I frowned. “Your club?” I was a bit drunk, okay, maybe a lot drunk, but I heard him correctly. Club Elite was his club, and I had no idea what I walked into. “This is your club?” I crossed my arms in front of me. “I think I need to see proof. Show me that in writing. Otherwise, I’ll stand by my claim that you are following me.”
Jeb shook his head, pulled out his wallet, and retrieved a business card. He slid it across the bar until it rested in front of me. The card proved he, indeed, owned this club.
“Happy?” he asked.
“Oh, well,” I mumbled. “Doesn’t change the fact that you have no right to stop me from leaving with any guy. I’m perfectly capable of making up my mind about who I want to spend time with.”
“Maybe so,” he said, grabbing a beer the bartender passed him and taking a drink from it. “But you are my cousin’s sister-in-law. I doubt he would appreciate if I watched you walk out of here with a guy that’s known as Fast Hands, and it isn’t because he plays cards.”
“I’m a big girl, Jeb. I don’t need you or anyone else to save me.” I started to stand up, but dizziness caused me to steady myself using Jeb’s leg.
Jeb grabbed ahold of me and cocked his head. “You were saying?”
“I will go home and sleep it off. Can I have my arm back please?”
Instead of letting me go, Jeb wrapped an arm around me protectively. “I’ll walk you out.”
“No, I can walk myself,” I said, stumbling over my feet.
“You’re not driving, Tameka. I’ll take you home,” he insisted.
“I live five minutes away. Don’t be ridiculous,” I argued.
“I’ll carry you out of here over my shoulder, kicking and screaming if I have to,” he threatened as he led me towards the door. We reached the sidewalk, and Jeb was still holding me.
“Jeb…you’re doing too much. I don’t want you to walk me to my car. I don’t want you to take me home. I’ll call a cab first.”
“Why can’t I just help you, Tameka?”
“Because it’s just not necessary for you to drive me home. I drove here, so I can drive back.” I reached inside my pocket and pulled out my keys. “Besides, I’m not that drunk. I’m perfectly fine to get home.”
I took a step away from him, and a wave of dizziness hit me at once. I was going down again. Before I reached the pavement, two strong arms enveloped me from behind.
Jeb lifted me up and carried me to his car. He put me in the front seat. I took a deep breath and held it as he leaned over to buckle me in. Our eyes met briefly, and he smiled then went to the driver’s side.
“I—” I wanted to protest, but I couldn’t find the words to say anymore.
“Alright, where do you live?” he asked after he started his car.
Leaning my head against the seat, I thought about his question. My head was throbbing, and my thoughts were hazy. Where did I live?
“Um… It’s not that far.” That much I knew, but I couldn’t think of my home address or how to get there.
“Yeah right, you could’ve gotten yourself home,” he said with a huff and backed out of the parking lot.
My head started to spin with the movement of the car. I closed my eyes and sank into the headrest. The last thing I remembered was hearing a soft melody on the radio before all the lights and sounds dimmed and then went out like a light.
Chapter 4
Jeb
The smell of the vape calmed me as I took a long puff from the end. I sat in a chair, staring at the sleeping beauty in my bed for about two hours, wondering when she would wake up. I took another puff from the vape, placed it down on the table, and stood up. I had arrived at my club just in time. If Fast Hands had his way, he would have taken her to the back of his SUV because the prick was too cheap to buy a motel.
I had heard stories of the way he treated women, and it wasn’t pretty. Fast Hands was rude and disrespectful, but we couldn’t prove he’d done anything criminal. We were suspicious that he was slipping drugs into women’s drinks, but when I scanned the videos, I was never able to find evidence of it. That’s why I called him Fast Hands.
I banned him from Club Elite. My bouncer and friend, Bruiser, looked out for him, but that didn’t stop him from sneaking in, especially when he knew Bruiser was off duty. Fast Hands was a trickster, and Tameka needed a man to treat her right. I brought her to my condo to protect her from him; at least, that’s how I spun it in my mind.
Light groans from across the room brought my attention to the bed. She shifted a little then sat up, grabbing the back of her head. “Sweet baby Jesus. What’s the name of the transfer truck driver that hit me?” she asked.
I chuckled lightly and waited for her to wake up completely so that I wouldn’t startle her by speaking. Tameka rubbed her eyes and looked around the room until she spotted me. Then, she leaped from the bed still clinging onto the covers.
“Jeb? What the hell? Why are you in here with me?” she tossed out the line of questioning with contempt.
I wasn’t surprised that she was shocked to be in my bed.
“Tameka, don’t panic.”
“Saying don’t panic is not a good way to stop a person from panicking,” she responded.
“You got drunk at the club tonight and couldn’t remember where you lived, so I brought you back to my place because it was better than the alternative,” I began to explain the events of the night, and her eyebrows furrowed as she glared at me.
“Did you try something?” she asked, running her fingers through her disheveled hair until most of the brown strands were lying down once again.
Panic etched her delicate face when she sat back down and peeked under the
covers. She sighed in relief when she noticed she was fully dressed and that the only thing bare was her feet. “Thank you, God. I’m still wearing panties,” she whispered.
“Tameka, baby, I wouldn’t fuck you while you’re drunk if that’s what you’re thinking. When I make love to you, you’ll be fully aware,” I explained.
“Fat chance of that ever happening,” she said and tossed me an irritated look.
“Well, I brought you here because it was safer than you going home with some loser at the club,” I quipped.
“So, instead, I went home with this loser,” she mumbled. “Good job, Tameka.”
“I can hear you, you know?”
She covered her mouth. “I didn’t mean to say that aloud. I—”
“It’s cool, Tameka. I know how you feel about me, but this isn’t about me. How do you feel physically? Do you still have a headache or anything?”
She looked at me, and her eyes softened. “Yes, I do, but I’ll live.” Tameka tossed the covers aside and sat on the edge of the bed. “This may be the first time a man didn’t try to take advantage of me while I was drunk. Unless you did and I don’t know it yet,” she stated accusingly.
“Trust me, if I had taken advantage of you, you’d still feel me all over your body.”
Her only reply was a long gasp that made her mouth snap shut quickly.
“But I didn’t do anything inappropriate. I wouldn’t. Ever,” I said. “The only thing I exposed was your pretty feet when I took your shoes off. You are untouched, unkissed, and definitely unfucked. If I had, Miss Tameka, you would know it.”
Her eyes drifted away from mine. “Well, thanks for keeping it rated G, Playboy Jeb.”
“I don’t know where that’s coming from, but I’m going to let the playboy line slide,” I said, realizing I didn’t know a lot about Tameka except that she was divorced, her ex was an asshole, and someone had fed her some bullshit lines about me.
“Aren’t you one?” she asked, tossing an accusatory glare at me.
“I had my day, and I won’t deny that, but those were the old days,” I said as she scanned the room.
“Where are my shoes?” she asked.
I ignored her question and asked one of my own. “Are your kids with their father this weekend?”
“Yeah, the asshole decided to show up, so they’re with him,” she said and then quickly covered her mouth. “Don’t get me started on my ex. We will be here until next year.”
“A real Prince Charming, huh?”
She laughed, and the beautiful sound echoed off my bedroom walls like music in my ears. This house could use more of her laughter.
“If Prince Charming deep down is a SOB, I’d say yes. Rodney is everything a woman should avoid in a man. I’ve spent most of my time regretting allowing him in my life yet knowing my kids wouldn’t be here without him.”
“Where did you meet him? At a club?” I said and chuckled at the thought of him being a jerk she met just like she’d met Fast Hands tonight.
“No. I met him right out of high school at a football game. He was older, and that was the attraction back then, but he abused me physically and mentally. He has taken advantage of the fact that I wouldn’t take him to court and sue him for full custody, has treated my kids like they are a business transaction, and he doesn’t even do good business.” Her eyes were filled with pain as she rambled on about her ex-husband. When she was done, she looked up at me and shook her head. “I’m not really sure why I just blabbed all that out to you,” she said.
“Because I asked,” I stated.
“No, it’s not like me to talk about my ex to people like that. It’s just that lately he’s really been testing my patience, and I feel like I’m about to break,” she said and stood up, steadying herself on her feet.
I smiled and took a few steps toward her. She looked like an angel as she stood beside my bed.
“You just need someone to talk to, that’s all,” I said.
“Yeah, the drinks at your club are like truth serum. They’re worth the money but too potent for a novice like me,” she said jokingly. “I assume my car is still at the club?”
Maybe Fast Hands did slip something into her drink, I thought, making a mental note to tell every bodyguard on my payroll that I didn’t want him near my club.
“Yes, your car is at Club Elite, but you’re more than welcome to hang out here until later this morning. Right now, it’s after one in the morning, and I’d feel better if you stayed,” I told her. “I’ll sleep in the living room,” I added.
“Hmm… Not so sure it’s a good idea that I stay here tonight. I should call a cab to take me back to my car,” she said as she looked around my bedroom, either admiring the place or planning her getaway.
I took a chance and moved closer to her. The closer I got, the more I could feel the heat radiating from her. I fought the urge to reach out and caress her cheek. “Okay, I’ll take you back to your car if that’s what you want,” I said.
When her oval brown eyes locked with mine, she nodded slowly. “It’s what’s best,” her words said one thing, yet her eyes said the complete opposite. Lustful desire hid behind her glare, and I didn’t know if it was the alcohol or pure desire.
I had to know if she was feeling this connection between us, so I asked, “Is that what you really want?”
“Yes.” Her voice was breathy, and her perfect-sized breasts rose and fell in sync with her mouth gaping open for air. “Why wouldn’t I want that?” she asked.
“That’s a question only you can answer, but your eyes seem to tell a different story than your lips,” I said.
She arched a brow. “Is that what you think?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, what are my eyes saying to you?” she asked as her orbs dipped down to my lips and latched onto them. She made love to me with a simple stare, and my insides leaped to attention.
Throwing caution to the wind, I went for the kiss I had wanted for over a year. Knowing full well she would probably resist me, I took her face in my hands, leaned down, and pulled her in for a kiss. But Tameka didn’t resist.
The moment our lips met, she massaged the nape of my neck with her soft hands. Her mouth opened fully, allowing my tongue access to the deliciousness inside. Her lips felt like heaven on mine, and Tameka had no clue she was a heartbeat away from being mine. This was the start of something I was sure I would never want to let go.
Chapter 5
Tameka
I shivered with fear when Jeb lifted me into his arms and placed me in the center of his bed. I broke away from his searing kiss and looked at him ambivalently before casting those feelings aside. I grabbed my shirt’s bottom, looked into his passionate eyes, lifted the shirt above my head, and tossed it to the side. His eyes perused me from navel to breasts, and his gaze was heated in a way I’d longed for a man to look at me. That look made me want to ravish him. Little did I know, this was what I needed. All of it.
I unzipped my skirt and slid it over my hips. Jeb grabbed it and finished pulling it down my legs. He yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it across the room. Sliding his tongue across his lips, he stared at me as his hand went to his pants slowly. I beat him to his belt buckle and helped rid him of his jeans.
Jeb crooked his neck and sucked my lips to his, pulling me into an otherworldly kiss. I was in another universe, drinking from his lips as he drank from mine. My breasts brushed against his chest as if they were jealous of the affection my mouth was receiving, and my body came alive to his touch.
Jeb read me like a book. He dipped down further and kissed the fabric over each breast. My pebbled nipples hardened to perfect buds under his tutelage. A soft moan escaped the depths of my throat as I lay under the weight of his muscular body, ready to connect with him completely.
“You are so beautiful, Tameka,” he said after unclasping my bra. It fell down my shoulders and onto the bed.
Don’t get caught up, Tameka, I internally chanted, trying to
prepare myself mentally for what appeared to be an inevitable fall. I grabbed onto his boxers and yanked them down. I couldn’t take the slow lovemaking any longer. In order to keep my head together, this could only be a quick screw.
I pulled my panties down and kicked out of them. Jeb’s manhood rested against my entrance. His hands explored every inch of my body. Passionate, all-consuming kisses rained over every tender part of me. His tongue weaved in and out of my mouth. Our hands groped one another unrelentingly.
I’d never had a man kiss me completely. Yet that’s what Jeb was doing to me. The sensation wrapped me up in an embrace. After several minutes of exchanging soul-stirring kisses, Jeb pulled his lips away from mine, and I missed him like crazy.
“I want you so bad,” he growled against my ear.
“I want you too,” I murmured, conquered by his heart-melting kisses. I didn’t want to imagine the devastation he would do once he slid inside of me.
Feeling wanted was a foreign feeling, and I wanted more of it. I touched the sides of his face and hauled him closer to me. I wanted him near me, all over me, inside of me.
My hand brushed against his erection. Electricity sparked through me, zinging my already soaked womanhood to full readiness. I needed to release as much as I needed my next breath.
“Holy fuck,” Jeb moaned as his manhood throbbed in my hand. His lips came crashing down on mine with a loud groan. When his lips left mine, he kissed his way down to my chin. Trailing my neck to my chest, he explored the heated pathway to my nipples. They were two engorged peaks desperately waiting to be devoured. He took each one into his mouth with loving enthusiasm.
Juices seeped from my womanhood like a faucet, anticipating the moment he would plunge into me and take me to heights I’d only dreamed of. He fine-tuned my body with his lips, so I knew he was the man who could take me there.
Safe Place Series Page 5
