More silence.
Jayla sighed, not wanting to ask her next question. But curiosity overrode logic. “Derrick, let me ask you something.” She readjusted her towel on the hot bench. The sauna already had her sweaty underneath the tied pieces of the swimsuit. “Have you ever cheated on a woman in your past relationships?”
If he was taken aback by the question, he didn’t show it. “No,” he answered without hesitation.
“You said that a little too fast,” she said, and then her lips turned up in a doubtful smirk.
“I can answer fast those questions I know the answers to,” he said. “Like if you ask me my name.”
“So, never cheated?”
“Never.”
Jayla glanced down to see his face and was surprised when she decided he was being completely truthful. “Okay, well, why did you break up with your last girlfriend?”
“Because she kept pressuring me about marriage. She was a few years older than me. So she probably was feeling that itch, and me, well, I wasn’t about to be given an ultimatum for that kind of decision.”
“So, do you want to get married one day?”
“Yes.”
Jayla chuckled. “Also, a fast answer.”
“Well, I know the answer,” he said, his eyes studying hers. The way he looked at her had her heart faltering. Interesting how a hundred-degree sauna could suddenly feel like a thousand degrees.
He held her gaze for a moment longer. Then his smile spread once more, and she could almost feel the sudden tension melt just as quickly as it had developed.
“Your turn,” he said.
“My turn?”
“Yeah. You get the interrogation.”
Jayla laughed. “That was hardly an interrogation.”
“True. Well, same questions, then. Have you ever cheated on a man in your past relationships? And do you want to get married one day?”
She frowned. More loaded questions. “No.” The practiced lie slipped naturally from her lips.
“No to which one?”
“No, I’ve never cheated.”
Derrick nodded. “Okay. And do you want to get married one day?”
Jayla paused. Years ago, she would’ve said, “Of course.” Now, she couldn’t be sure.
“You didn’t answer that one at all,” he said and had her shrugging.
“That’s because I really don’t know.” She felt him staring at her, and she glanced down and watched the sweat beading on her thighs. He was getting entirely too personal for her comfort.
“Why not?” he asked, pressing.
Jayla opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again. “Why are you asking so many questions?” she asked instead of answering him, her eyebrows creasing in a playful frown. She didn’t like the way Derrick continued to stare, as if he was searching for something.
“I’m trying to get to know you,” he said. “I thought that is what we agreed on.”
“Okay. Well, ask me my favorite color. Ask me if I have ever been to Paris. Ask me if I eat sushi.”
Derrick’s lips curved, and his eyes glinted.
“Fair enough,” he said. “What is your favorite color?”
Jayla narrowed her eyes. So now he was being a smart-ass. “Red,” she answered.
“Have you ever been to Paris?”
“Yes.”
“Do you like sushi?”
“No.”
“Are you happy now?” Derrick’s question was loaded, and Jayla’s eyes gleamed at the insinuation. She lowered her eyes to the subtle bulge against the swim trunks and eyed him with a sneaky smile. She relaxed when she saw his grin and the bulge tighten in welcoming response.
“Do you want to make me happy, Derrick?” she flirted.
This time, he laughed out loud. “You are funny,” he said as he rose. “Let’s go before you melt, sexy.” He extended a hand to help Jayla to her feet.
She smiled. At least she had deflected the personal questions. For the moment.
* * *
Jayla felt the brush of fingers on her hair, her neck, and her lips curved. She moaned, arched her back toward the touch, encouraging more.
“Jayla,” Derrick called. His voice seemed distant and hazy. He repeated her name, each repetition gaining volume and strength. She felt the pat on her leg, and her eyes flew open.
Shit, how many times was she going to doze off? That thirty-minute or so drive had her slumped in her seat after the busy spa day. She looked around, realized they were parked in the lot. Yawning, she leaned up to stretch and glanced over at Derrick.
“What were you dreaming about?”
His knowing smile had her narrowing her eyes. “You’re a little cocky over there, aren’t you?” She watched his eyes fall to his lap, then come back up to meet hers. Jayla yawned.
“A lot,” he said and winked,
She giggled. The man was a trip. She peered through the windshield and frowned when she recognized Spades.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, sitting up straighter, on alert now.
“I just thought we’d come here and have a drink.” He got out of the car, not bothering to wait for a response.
“I think I’m just ready to get home,” she said once he’d come around and opened her car door. It would be just her luck that they came across Joi tonight.
When he leaned in, she held her breath, braced for the expectant explosion. But this was different. He pressed his lips against her forehead first before using his finger to lift her chin and angle her face to meet his.
The kiss was gentle, coaxing. He didn’t bother with tongue. Just let his lips linger for a moment or two before he pulled away. The tease worked. When he broke contact, he had her mouth tingling from the brief touch and silently begging for more. Damn.
“Just one drink,” he promised, tugging her arm.
Still dizzy from the kiss and unable to formulate another excuse, Jayla allowed him to pull her from the car, and she placed her hand in his as they strolled up to the building. All the while, she held her breath, praying Joi was off work tonight.
The place was just as crowded as before. Sure enough, there was Joi, along with another bartender, juggling plates and mugs of beer in the U-shaped bar. Almost as if she’d been expecting her, Joi glanced up in their direction and smiled.
A lump formed in Jayla’s throat. How the hell was she going to explain this one?
Derrick propelled her through the crowd, and once they were at the bar, he motioned for her to take the one available stool while he stood behind her. “Be right back,” he said directly in her ear. He disappeared back into the crowd just as Joi moseyed up, a flirtatious smile already in place.
“Hey, Cherry Popper,” she greeted, licking her lips. “Back for more?”
“Listen, Joi,” Jayla said, raising her voice so she would be heard over the music. “Now is not a good time.”
Joi boldly reached forward and dipped her hand into the neckline of Jayla’s shirt.
Jayla snatched herself back before Joi’s fingers could grope her titties. “Joi, I’m serious,” she said, nearly pleading, her frown firm. She glanced behind her toward the restroom area but didn’t see Derrick. “Not tonight. I’m on a date.”
Joi shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “So? He can join if he’s down for that freaky shit.” She laughed and turned to tend to a customer who was calling.
Jayla let out a sigh and swiveled on the stool, just in time to see that Derrick was coming back.
“Hey, baby.” He kissed her cheek. “Everything okay?” He was frowning at Jayla’s worried expression.
“I think I’m getting a little sick,” Jayla admitted.
“Damn, I’m sorry. You need me to take you back to your car?”
Jayla heard someone sit a drink on the counter, and she looked up and met Joi’s eyes once more. Even without looking at the glass, she knew Joi had mixed up her signature Cherry Popper just for her.
Joi’s eyes slid to Derrick,
and to Jayla’s confusion, her face lit up in a surprised smile. “Hey, D. What are you doing here, love?”
Love? Oh shit! They know each other? Are they ex-lovers? Jayla thought.
Derrick leaned over the bar and hugged Joi and gave her a peck on her cheek. “I know it’s been a minute. Working. You know how it goes.”
“Yeah, I know how it goes.” Joi motioned toward the crowded bar before sitting her hand on one of her hips. Her eyes slid back to Jayla. “She with you?”
“Yeah. Joi, this is Jayla. Jayla, this is my sister, Joi.”
Jayla felt like she’d swallowed a brick. Sister? She remained quiet, her eyes wide, at the recent news. She made no move, and she wondered if Joi was about to lay all her shit bare.
Joi extended her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Jayla,” she said with a bright smile. Her eyes seemed to twinkle in amusement.
Jayla accepted the hand and glanced at the drink in front of her. Shit, she needed some shots after this one.
“I wanted to stop by and speak, but we’re probably about to bounce,” Derrick said. “Jayla’s not feeling well.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.” Joi’s voice carried exaggerated sympathy. She fixed her eyes on Jayla. “Feel better. I hope to see you again soon.”
Jayla nodded and quickly headed to the door, not caring to see if Derrick was following behind. She needed air. Shit was getting nauseating fast.
“So, your sister, huh?” she said as soon as they’d gotten back in the truck. “She’s nice.”
“Yeah, I need to keep my eye on her.” Derrick grinned as he started his truck. “She was all up your ass.”
The joke had Jayla’s heart quickening. “What are you talking about?”
“She’s gay,” he answered, clarifying matters, as he pulled out of the Spades parking lot. “Or bi. Hell, I don’t know, really. But you are most definitely her type.”
He didn’t know how right he was. And what the hell would he think if he knew she’d been riding his sister’s face like a bronco? “Are y’all pretty close?”
Derrick shrugged. “Not as close as we used to be. Joi’s sneaky. She’s tried to get at a few girlfriends of mine in the past. Then I caught her sucking my homeboy’s dick once. I really don’t know with her, honestly. I can’t trust her. And I can’t be around nobody I can’t trust. So we’re just cool.”
Jayla nodded and fell silent as they drove. By the time they had pulled back up to her truck, she had determined that she damn sure couldn’t be trusted, either, so she couldn’t fault Joi. The issue was, What the hell was she going to do about her now?
After kissing Derrick goodbye and thanking him for a wonderful day, she slammed the passenger door and solemnly walked to her vehicle. Not paying any attention to her surroundings, she climbed behind the wheel. Then she pulled out of the parking lot, breathing a sigh of relief for how the day had ended, as she knew it could have gone either way.
Just as she pulled in her driveway, she looked in her rearview to see Derrick had followed her home. He parked behind her and sprinted toward her truck.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said as he helped her out of the truck. “It’s not like I’ve been drinking or anything.” She held her hand in his as they walked to her door.
“I know. But you said you weren’t feeling good. I was a little worried.”
Jayla opened the door and stood back to let him in. “Well, I appreciate it,” she said, closing the door behind him.
“Feeling better now?”
“Yes.”
Derrick took a step closer. “Sure?”
“Um . . .” Jayla felt uneasy, as he was studying her like a textbook. Was it guilt he read on her face? “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Good.” He eased closer, pressed his cheek against hers, and his breath stroked her ear. “I want to make love to you, Jayla,” he whispered.
She was surprised she moistened at the comment. Make love? Hell, had she ever made love? Leave it to him to make her feel like a shy virgin with just a whisper and a touch.
She felt his large arms circle underneath her legs and around her neck as he hoisted her into his arms. She kept her eyes closed, felt herself being carried to her bed. Then she felt his knuckles gently grazing her skin as he pulled the jumper set down from her shoulders, over her breasts, down her stomach, her hips, her thighs, and the length of her legs. She hadn’t bothered to put on anything apart from the jumper, so she lay there, completely naked, feeling his eyes soaking her up.
The bed sank under his weight as he straddled her, and her breath caught when she felt the first dribble of the warm massage oil hit her stomach. Then his slick hands began to knead her skin in a gentle massage. First, her shoulders, then her breasts, his hands moving as gracefully as those of an experienced masseur. She had to admit, she was all the way turned on by the time he made his way back up to her head and tangled his fingers in her hair.
“Turn over,” he instructed, lifting slightly to allow her to do so.
She did, and her body began to ache when more oil hit the small of her back and he began massaging again, applying gentle pressure as he worked his way up first, then back down. Part of her wanted to open her eyes, but the other part was loving the element of surprise. She felt him shift again, heard him slipping from his shorts. Then he was on her again, and she felt his large dick rubbing against her leg. She braced herself, but he merely leaned forward and replaced his hands with his tongue. It was thick, wet, and gentle as he slowly caressed her skin. She felt the first pool of cream dampen her thighs, and she moaned, unable to control the pleasure coursing through her body. This entire sensation was so foreign, she didn’t know what to expect. But damn she was loving it.
“Derrick,” she whispered.
He nudged her shoulder for her to turn over so she was faceup once more. He then sucked each breast tenderly, his tongue tracing the outline of her nipple before he inserted it in his mouth. He didn’t move until he’d paid the same amount of attention to each breast, and then he slowly began working his way down. She felt his tongue flick over her clit, and the sudden burst of the first orgasm had her nearly screaming out loud. She felt his lips curve on her pussy, heard him take a deep whiff, as if he were savoring his favorite dessert. Then he took her clit in his mouth and began sucking on it as he’d just done her nipples.
She gasped and tried to catch her breath. Too much, too much. She felt like she would explode. She gripped his head as he used his tongue to trace each pussy lip, each neat pink fold, before inserting it in her hole to lick on her walls. Her thighs clenched his face, and the next orgasm left her shaking. When he continued to feast, she gripped the sheets, had a bunch of fabric balled in her fists. She bucked and arched her back against his lips.
“Please.” Her voice came out in a desperate whine, and she wasn’t sure what the hell she was begging for. Stop? Keep going? But she continued to moan, “Please, please, please,” as he sent her climbing again.
Then he pulled away, gave her just a second to catch her breath as he put on the condom. He slid in, gentle and deep. She gasped at the thickness, and her breath caught again as he slowly inched his way the entire length of her pussy. That was all it took. She felt her pussy muscles clenching to catch the orgasm, and she gripped his body and yanked him to her.
“Yes, babe,” he huffed in her ear as he quickened his pace.
She heard mumbling, didn’t realize it was her own voice. The orgasm left her feeling like she’d been strangled as she let his name fall from her lips and flood her heart with pure ecstasy.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jayla struggled to ignore the tug of guilt as she sank to her bed to begin applying lotion. It wasn’t like Derrick was her boyfriend. Well, hell, not really. Sure, they had been talking every day for the past few weeks and fucked like teenagers whenever they saw each other. Sure, she could admit she liked him . . . a lot. But she still had a job to do.
The LCD displaying the time showed she was alrea
dy running behind, so putting all thoughts of Derrick out of her mind, she got to her feet and headed for her closet.
When she came downstairs a few minutes later, she spotted Jocelyn on the couch, her swollen feet propped up on the ottoman, her hand shoved in a bag of sour cream and onion chips. She looked as if labor was a contraction away, that huge belly bulging from beneath a long T-shirt and maternity leggings.
She glanced over as Jayla entered the living room. “Going out again?”
Jayla sighed. “Joce, what have I told you about eating all over the house? Why couldn’t you stay in the kitchen?”
Jocelyn smacked her lips and, licking her fingers, crumpled the bag closed. “Well, excuse me,” she grumbled. “It’s just crumbs, damn. I’ll vacuum.”
Jayla ignored the smart remark and crossed into the kitchen. Those damn hormones had Jayla counting down the minutes until Jocelyn dropped the baby and went the hell on about her business.
The phone rang, and Jayla scooped up the cordless phone on the kitchen counter.
“How is our patient?” Jackie greeted and had Jayla nearly rolling her eyes. Of course, her ass would sound cheerful. She didn’t have to deal with the stank attitude.
“Fine,” she answered. “Grumpy as hell.”
“That’s to be expected,” Jackie assured her. “She’s walking around with a rough little boy tearing her up from the inside out. Plus, she’s as big as a house and peeing and eating all the damn time. That’s enough to make anyone grumpy.” Jayla’s doubtful grunt in response had Jackie adding, “No one expects you to understand. You’ve never been pregnant.”
That you know of. Jayla hesitated to pose the question on her mind, then finally asked, “How is Jasmine doing?”
“She’s fine,” Jackie answered. “Still staying out all times of the night, running in and out of my house. Plus, she’s gotten some tattoos or something. I don’t know what has gotten into her, but I’m starting not to give a damn. She’s grown.”
Jayla nodded. She hadn’t talked to Jasmine in weeks. Lord knows what, or who, she was doing.
They got off the phone, and Jayla headed toward the front door. “I’ll be back later,” she announced.
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