by Peyton Banks
His hips moved in a steady rhythm. Yani’s arms tightened around him. She rotated her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust.
He groaned, loving the feeling of her surrounding him. It was as if she were made for him. They fit perfectly together.
Rashad captured Yani’s lips again. This kiss was frenzied as their bodies moved in synch with each other.
He gripped her hips and pounded harder into her slick heat. Their lovemaking was growing wild with Yani’s nails dragging along his back and his grunts and her cries growing louder. Rashad was sure there would be marks on his back come morning, but he didn’t care. He would proudly display his little hellcat’s marks.
The air in the shower was growing thicker, and it was harder for him to breathe. The warm water pounding on his back had steam clouding his vision.
His balls drew up close to him. Electricity rushed through his body, signaling his orgasm was coming for him. He refused to finish without her.
Rashad slid a hand in between them and parted Yani’s folds. His finger connected with her swollen nub.
“Yani,” he bit out her name, trying to concentrate. He needed something to distract him, to keep him from blowing. He was teetering on the edge of climaxing.
Not yet.
Yani buried her face against his shoulder. Her teeth sank into his skin, not enough to break it, but enough to send a jolt of desire pulsing through him and straight to his dick. His hips moved faster and harder.
“I need you to come, Yani,” he growled. “I want to feel you shatter on my dick.”
Her muscles grew taut. He flicked her clit and applied a gentle pressure, and she detonated.
Her legs clamped tight around his waist at the same time a scream erupted from her lips. A shudder of immense pleasure coursed through him as he felt himself fall over the edge. His orgasm slammed into him. He roared while he rode the waves of his release. Every muscle in his body grew taut as he poured all of himself into Yani.
His hips had a mind of their own, moving until there was no more of himself to give.
He dropped his head down to Yani’s shoulder, unable to move. The wall was practically holding both of them up.
“Rashad,” Yani murmured.
“Yeah, babe.” He didn’t want to raise his head. He was basking in the sweet floral scent of her skin. He was still buried inside her and didn’t want to withdraw from her warm cocoon.
“We should never have waited this long.” She giggled.
He lifted his head and met her gaze. His lips curled up into a crooked grin. He pressed a kiss to her lips.
The water was cooling. It was time to move this party to the bedroom.
“I agree.”
He withdrew from her and gently lowered her down to the floor. Her arms immediately wrapped around his waist. Her head rested on his chest. He returned the hug and kissed the top of her head.
It was a natural move. This was what he had been searching for all of this time.
Yani.
Deep down, he knew she was the one. He didn’t want to scare her away, so he promised himself he was going to take it slow and let whatever develop, happen.
He tilted her head back and gazed down into her big beautiful eyes.
“Rashad?”
“Yeah?”
“Isn’t the water cold now?” She chortled.
His body had been overheated, but now the temperature of the water was officially registered. With a curse, he let her go to reach for the shower handle. She yelped when the stream of icy water hit her before he could get it shut off.
Their laughter filled the air.
“Hey, that wasn’t funny!” she scolded him. Her hand connected with him as she shivered.
He wrapped his arms around her and pressed another kiss to her lips. He couldn’t resist them.
“Don’t worry, babe. I’ll warm you back up.”
6
Rashad stared down at the snoozing Yani. She had dozed off in his arms after their second round of lovemaking. The shower had only been the beginning.
A gentle snore erupted from her. His little sex kitten was worn out. Kitten was a more subtle name. More like a tiger. Her nails had clawed and dug into his back, leaving his skin tingling from the fresh marks. He grinned and rolled to his side and tucked her in closer to him.
Her eyes fluttered open and met his.
“Why are you smiling?” She swiped a hand along her face and blinked a few more times before focusing on him.
It was dark outside, and the lamp on his nightstand cast soft rays of light onto her, showcasing her beauty.
He ran a hand down the curve of her back. Her skin was supple and warm, calling to him. Her breasts were crushed between them, just where he wanted them. Her plump mounds had kept him entertained. They were the softest and most delectable breasts he’d ever had the pleasure to suckle.
“I was just thinking of how impatient you are,” he began. He leaned back against his pillow and stared at the ceiling. “I had explicit instructions to wine and dine a certain woman tonight, but she cast those plans aside and went straight for dessert.”
He chuckled and yelped when she pinched his side. He grabbed her hand and tussled with her. Her giggles filled the air, and it was a sound he loved to hear.
“Impatient? How about I’ve been waiting forever and just needed to give you a little push?” She shoved him back onto the bed and leaned on him with her forearm across his chest. Her chin came to rest on her arm as she stared down into his eyes.
“Good things come to those who wait.” He slid a hand along her side and reached her ass. He gave it a firm squeeze. “And my prize was well worth the wait.”
Rashad pulled her head to his and covered her lips with his. This kiss was soft, passionate and deep. He took his time teasing her tongue with his.
Someone’s stomach grumbled.
They broke apart, breathing hard, and stared at each other.
Rashad knew he was a lucky guy. Yani could have any other man, but she was here with him. Her brown eyes appeared golden in the soft light. Her lips were plump and swollen from his kisses. Her face was relaxed, with a satisfied glint in her eyes. Her hair was coming out of the plaits, but she was still beautiful. She had the appearance of someone who had been thoroughly fucked.
His chest swelled with the thought that he’d caused her current appearance. It looked damn good on her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.
“Me? Have you seen this hair?” she grumbled. Her hand tried to smooth down the runaway strands. “It’s a mess since it got wet in the shower.”
“You should have put something over it.” He shrugged. He may not have any sisters, but he knew from his mother how precious a black woman’s hair was.
“Put what over it?” She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you have shower caps.” She paused and gave him a side-eye. “Or do you?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, but you could have used one of the grocery store plastic bags. I have plenty of them.”
She froze and stared at him, then burst out laughing. She fell into his arms and shook her head.
“I didn’t think of that,” she muttered against his chest.
“You’ll be fine, girl.”
“And if I would have shown up naked with a King Soopers bag on my head, that would have been oh, so sexy.” She snickered.
Rashad imagined it and couldn’t help but laugh along with her. He would have thought it funny, but the moment his gaze would have dropped to her naked form, all laughter would have ceased.
With her body, Yani could have shown up with a burlap bag wrapped around her head for all he cared. She was still the most beautiful woman to him.
They drew quiet and lay together. It was a comfortable silence, but Rashad couldn’t help but think of what he’d done. Yani should have been hands-off. She was Nate’s fucking sister, but the second she’d walked into the bathroom with her voluptuous body on display, he had to hav
e her.
They had crossed the line, and he refused to go back. There had always been a special place in his heart for Yani. It was torture to ignore what he felt for her. He’d tried to block out the attraction, but he couldn’t when he was around her. So he thought he would distance himself from her or only go around her if Nate was with him.
He just couldn’t act on what he felt for her because it felt as if he would betray his friend. It wasn’t as if he and Nate had ever had a conversation about Yani, but it was almost an unspoken rule that the sister of your best friend was off-limits.
“We need to talk,” he blurted out.
Yani stiffened next to him. Her head popped up, and she shook it.
“Not now.” She held up her hand with a pout. “I don’t want to ruin the mood.”
“Okay.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “But we need to. Soon.”
She nodded and rested her head in the crook of his arm again.
Another stomach growl.
“Is that me?” Yani giggled.
“Well, since our plans changed, I can whip us up something to eat.” He kissed the top of her head and pushed up. “I promise to take you out another night. You choose when and where.”
“That sounds good, and I promise to let you take me out.”
Rashad chuckled and stood from the bed. He walked over to his closet and took out a pair of sweatpants and pulled them on.
“You do that.” He strolled back over to the bed. He got a kick out of seeing Yani buried beneath his covers.
He stumbled a second as if hit in the solar plexus with a two-by-four.
She belonged there. In his bed. Waiting for him.
She was a seductive siren, and he was falling for whatever spell she had woven over him.
“It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. Sandwiches would be good,” Yani murmured.
He leaned back over the bed, unable to keep his hands or lips off her.
“You relax here.” Rashad pressed a kiss to Yani’s mouth. “You will need it for round three.” He wagged his eyebrows playfully.
Another kiss.
He stepped away from her before he dove back in the bed with her.
“You need help?” she asked.
“Nope. Stay where you are, baby.” He spun on his heels and left the room. He walked into the kitchen and immediately went over to the fridge. He had just been grocery shopping and was fully stocked. Briefly, he contemplated taking the steaks out he’d bought but pushed that thought aside.
Nothing special. Yani’s voice echoed through his head.
Rashad began pulling out all the fixings for their sandwiches and took them to the counter. Cold cuts, lettuce, mayo, and cheese. He moved around the kitchen and grabbed the thick home-baked bread he had picked up from the local bakery.
The sound of the doorbell had him freezing in place.
“Who the hell is that?”
The microwave flashed nine o’clock.
Rashad brushed his hands on his pants and walked out of the kitchen. He arrived at the front door and opened it. He paused.
Nathan.
“Yo, man. What are you up to?” Nate brushed past him and stepped inside the house without waiting for an invitation.
“Nothing. What are you doing here?” Rashad asked. Nervousness filled his chest. He prayed Yani didn’t leave the bedroom.
Nate strode into the kitchen with Rashad behind him.
“I came by to see if you wanted to go out for a drink tonight. I called you earlier, but you didn’t pick up.” Nate walked over to the fridge and opened it. He searched through it until he found what he was looking for.
Rashad leaned against the doorframe and observed his friend opening a cold beer. Nate took a swig and turned his attention to him.
“Not tonight.” Rashad pushed off and ambled back over to where he had been preparing their sandwiches. He leaned back against the counter and folded his arms in front of him.
“What? Dude. Put on some clothes, grab your boots, and let’s go.” Nate waved to him. He had a wide grin on his face. “I hear it is Ladies’ Night down at the Red Lounge, and you know what type of women will be out tonight.”
Nate chuckled at his own inside joke before taking another hefty swig of the beer.
Normally, Rashad wouldn’t have thought twice about going out with his friend, but tonight, the woman for him was back in his bedroom.
The woman for him?
That sounded damn good to him.
“I’m staying in tonight.” Rashad shook his head.
“What’s up with you? You got someone over now?” Nate’s eyebrows rose sharply.
“Call the guys and head out without me.” Rashad smiled and tried to direct his friend away from that line of questioning. He wasn’t a liar and would not start now.
“Rashad.”
He froze at the husky voice calling his name. Nate’s gaze moved to his and narrowed on him.
“Rashad, baby. I don’t think we should tell my brother anything yet.” Yani appeared in the doorway and stopped in place. She had put on one of his plaid button-down shirts and nothing else. It was left open and barely covered anything.
She halted in place before fumbling to pull the edges of the shirt together.
“Nathan?” Her voice ended on a squeak. Her eyes grew wide and flicked back and forth between Rashad and Nate. “What are you doing here?”
The tension in the room thickened.
Fuck.
Nate faced Rashad with a murderous gaze. He slammed the beer can on the counter, and his jawline hardened.
“What the hell is going on here?” Nate exploded.
“I can explain.” Rashad held up his hands out in front of him as if he were trying to calm down a pissed-off stallion.
“How long have you been fucking my sister?” Nate demanded. His chest rose and fell rapidly.
Rashad had to defuse the situation. His friend had one hell of a temper, and at the moment, he had every right to be pissed off. It wasn’t every day one discovered his best friend was having relations with his little sister.
This was not how he wanted to break the news to Nate.
“Nathan, please don’t be mad.” Yani arrived at Rashad’s side and wrapped her arms around him. “This looks worse than it is.”
“Well, whatever is going on, apparently you weren’t going to tell me,” Nate snapped. He turned his angry gaze on Rashad. “That’s what we do? Keep secrets like this from each other?”
“Nathan.” Yani called her brother’s name, but he wasn’t listening to her. “That wasn’t what I meant. What I meant was until we knew what this was between us.”
“Nate, we don’t keep secrets. You know me,” Rashad began. He tightened his arm around Yani. What he’d said was the truth. They were brothers and shared everything with each other. Since they were kids, it had always been that way. Nate was someone he would trust with any secret and even his life.
“I can’t do this right now.” Nate shook his head. He stormed out of the kitchen.
“Nate.” Rashad released Yani and followed his friend. This wasn’t going to go down like this. Nate couldn’t leave mad. They needed to talk. The three of them. He had hoped he and Yani would have figured this out before they spoke with Nate.
“Nathan!” Yani yelled. Her footsteps sounded behind Rashad.
But his friend didn’t stop. He threw open the front door and raced down the stairs. Rashad stepped out onto the porch and watched his friend jump into his truck.
“Nathan. Come back!” Yani stood in the doorway with tears streaming down her face.
Rashad turned to see his friend backing out into the street before driving away.
7
“Next question. If you were stranded on an island and could only have sex with one, who would you pick? Chris Pratt? Chris Evans? Or Chris Hemsworth?” Tiny asked.
The salon exploded in laughter and chatter. Today everyone was happy, chipper, and in a joking mood.
Everyone, that was, but Yani.
She hadn’t seen Rashad for a few days since she’d left his place. They had spoken on the phone briefly, but it hadn’t been the same. Rashad, being the gentleman he was, called to check on her to make sure she was all right. She could tell he was still shaken by the blowup with her brother.
She was, too.
Yani had never seen Nathan so pissed off before. It sort of scared her. She had at first thought he was going to attack Rashad, but he was able to contain himself. That look in his eyes when he’d focused on Rashad haunted her dreams.
Never would she have wanted to come between Nathan and Rashad.
“You’re quiet today.” Jessie came over and plopped down in Yani’s chair.
“I’m okay,” she murmured. She was straightening up her station. Her recent client had just left, and she wanted to get her area together before her next one was due to arrive. Yani snagged the broom and began sweeping up the hair on the floor.
“You sure?” Jessie raised her legs so Yani could get under them.
Yani shrugged and sighed. She glanced around the salon and saw it was packed today. Every stylist had a person in their chair and was hard at work. One thing about working in the Pretty Parlor was that it was never boring. The conversations these women had would make a prostitute blush.
“I think I did something bad.” Yani turned back to Jessie. Doubts had filled her after she had left Rashad’s. Had she let her libido drive her into his bed? Was it wrong if she did like Nathan’s best friend?
The sex had been out of this world. Hell, if she had the chance, she’d jump right back into Rashad’s arms.
But then there was Nathan to consider.
Her brother was beyond pissed at finding her at Rashad’s. It didn’t help that her words were taken out of context by saying they shouldn’t tell him.
“What did you do?” Jessie sat forward with a concerned look.
“I don’t want to talk about it here.” Yani loved her coworkers, but they were some of the biggest gossips, and she did not want her business out there. What happened between her and Rashad was private.
