by Ml Mitchell
Madison decided that she didn’t want to hear Tyree’s conversation and would go take a cold shower. Grabbing a towel off of the shelf, she exited the gym, but not before she heard Tyree agreeing to go out with Monica. It was like a kick to the gut, but she’d be damned if she let him know it.
Tyree saw her leaving and knew that she wasn’t too happy about the interruption, but he was thankful. He had already stepped over the line, and he just wanted to keep them in the friend zone. He knew it was for the best. Monica was on the phone, talking nonstop about one thing or another, so he tried to wipe Mad from his mind and focus on what was being said. Not as easy as he’d thought.
Chapter Nine
It was Friday night, a week since their gym match and Madison was getting ready for a party. She had decided that the best way to move forward would be to get out of the house and mingle. So she agreed to go with Tyree and Monica to this party. Tonight she wore a royal blue pantsuit. The top had a low neckline that showed her generous cleavage, and the pants were tight-fitting, showing off her sleek curves. Her hair was pinned up with a few curls falling loosely around her face. She felt sexy and confident for a change and she planned on enjoying every minute of tonight’s bash.
Tyree was standing at the bottom of the stairs when she made her appearance. As she descended, he took in her figure. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her look so damn sensual. When she reached him, he grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips, “You look sexy as hell.”
Blushing at the compliment, she responded, “Thank you.” She gave him a looking over and found that her mouth was dry. He was dressed in a pair of cream colored slacks and a black short sleeve button up. He’d left the top two buttons undone, and it was a very provocative picture. Clearing her throat, she said, “You look sexy as hell yourself.”
Laughing, helped her into her wrap. “I’m gonna have to keep my eye on you tonight. There will be a lot of men trying to holla at you.”
She just laughed as she stepped out the front door and headed for the limo Tyree hired for the night. She knew they were going to pick Monica up on the way to the party, so she’d enjoy him until then. He climbed in and sat down beside her, but not close enough to touch. He smelled like heaven and she wanted to revel in it for as long as she could.
Once at the party, Tyree introduced Madison to many different celebrities, as Monica clung to his arm. She was clearly staking a claim on him, and that was fine with her. She could have him.
“Tyree, would you please dance with me?” Monica whined. “You brought me here to party,” she glanced as Madison, “not to babysit.”
Madison saw his jaw clench as he looked down at Monica. He opened his mouth to speak, but she intervened, “It’s okay, Ty. I can occupy myself.” Throwing a hard look at Monica, she added, “I don’t need a man to entertain me.”
Tyree coughed trying to cover his laugh. When Monica was about to speak, he dragged her off to the dance floor. As he looked at his dance partner, he realized that he didn’t know why he was still messing with her. She was a beautiful woman-child with a pecan-tan complexion, hazel eyes and a curvy figure. It was when she spoke that the outer shell starts dimming. He hadn’t really noticed it until Mad had moved in with him. The comparison was like night and day, with Monica being night. Dark.
Madison was standing by the doors leading out onto the terrace facing the beach enjoying the breeze. Newport Coast was a very beautiful place to live, if the property where the party was being held was anything to go by. The house was massive but it was the beach that made it breathtaking, at least to her. Taking a sip of the champagne she snagged from one of the trays floating around, she smiled to herself and turned to stare outside.
“Excuse me.” Madison turned around at the sound of Fabian Alexander’s voice. She had met him about half an hour ago when Tyree introduced them. She hadn’t really paid much attention to him before, but now she took her time looking him over.
He was an inch taller than Tyree with a slightly leaner build. He wore his curly black hair cut close to his scalp. His eyes were a dark concrete gray. The dark gray suit he sported was Italian and cut to fit him perfectly. At the age of twenty-eight, the whole package of Fabian Alexander was exceedingly appealing. Looking into his eyes, she replied, “Yes?”
“Can I have this dance?”
Throwing caution to the wind and determined to enjoy the night to the fullest, she placed her hand in his outstretched larger one. He led her onto the dancefloor and pulled her into his arms as Forever Mine started up. Madison wasn’t sure if it was a mistake or not to be dancing in his arms, but she could feel herself relaxing as they moved to the music.
Fabian drew her closer, liking the feel of her against his body. He had watched her closely after Tyree had introduced them, and knew he wanted to spend a little more time with her. For as long as he watched her, she had declined a number of dances, but he figured he’d try his luck anyway. Thankfully she accepted his offer. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he wanted her. She was a beautiful woman, but not his first.
He leaned in, bringing his lips close to her ear, and asked, “Are you enjoying yourself tonight?”
Leaning her head back so she could see into his eyes, she answered, “I am actually. How about you?”
“I am now,” he said as he pulled her tightly against him.
She didn’t know how she was supposed to take that, so kept her mouth shut. She just let the music wash over her as she rested her cheek on his chest.
Tyree was on the other side of the dancefloor watching Madison. How could she be all up on that nigga? It pissed him off even more to see Fabian rubbing his hands up and down her back, like she belonged to him.
Monica’s gaze followed Tyree’s as she moved in his arms to the music. When she spotted who he was staring at, she became furious. “Tyree, your attention is supposed to be on me and me alone.”
Tyree jerked his eyes back to her. “I’m sorry, Monica.” He glanced at Madison again before returning his gaze back to her. “I’m just worried about Mad.”
Not at all mollified, she pouted, “She’s a big girl.” Placing a kiss on his chin, she smirked at him. “Besides, she looks to be doing fine without your presence.”
Madison saw the exchange between Tyree and Monica out of the corner of her eye and felt a small pang in her chest. Turning her attention back to Fabian, she thought about how nice it felt to be held again. She and Tyree had avoided as much touching as possible, afraid it would lead to sex again after they had decided to just remain friends. Sighing, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind.
When the dance ended, Fabian was reluctant to release Madison. He just wanted more time with her and needed to find a way to hold on to her a little longer. “Would you like to step outside for some fresh air?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” she said apologetically.
“We’ll just be right outside the doors.” He grabbed her hand and started leading her out. “I promise to be on my best behavior. I just want to get to know more about you.”
Looking back to see if Tyree was watching, she saw him kissing Monica in the corner of the room. She quickly turned back around. “Okay, let’s step out.”
Once they were standing at the railing of the terrace, Fabian wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I forgot it could be a little chilly out here. Would you like my jacket?”
“No, thank you.”
Rubbing his hand up and down her arm to warm her up, he asked, “How long have you known Tyree?”
Relaxing against him, she replied, “I’ve known him for over fourteen years. We basically grew up together.”
“Lucky him,” he murmured. “So tell me, about yourself.” They spent the next hour talking and laughing, until Tyree stepped outside.
“Mad, it’s time to leave.” He ignored Fabian as he stepped closer to her.
“Ty, I’ll be there in a minute.” Looking from her to Fabian, he was torn between snatchin
g her away or just walking back inside. She saw his struggle, and tried to reassure him, “I promise I won’t be but a minute. Let say goodnight to Fabian.”
Fabian silently watched as Tyree retraced his steps. He wasn’t sure if it was brotherly love or jealousy he saw, but he was determined to get closer to Madison. Looking at her, he asked for her number, which she warily gave. Without saying anything more, she left him on the terrace. He watched her until the crowd inside swallowed her up. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, but he sure as hell wanted to see what would happen between them. With that thought uppermost in him mind, he returned to the party.
Chapter Ten
“Can I join you?” Madison looked up from her ice cream to see Fabian smiling at her. It had been a week since they had met, and within that time they had spoken on the phone every day. Their conversations had always been a pleasure for her, but she wasn’t sure if she was quite ready to go out with him.
“Of course you can join me,” she answered smilingly. Although she was sitting at the back of Baskin Robbins, she could feel every eye in the shop on them.
Fabian seated himself across from her, grinning. “I saw you enter a little while ago and thought I’d come say hey.”
Blushing, she returned her gaze to her treat. “It was nice of you.”
“I have been trying to get you to hang out with me, but you always decline.” He reached over and grabbed her chin, lifting her face up so he could see her eyes. “Could you spare a couple of hours now?”
She knew why she had been hesitant to go out with him and it had nothing to do with him, but with Tyree. He had lectured her when they returned home after the party, telling her that it wasn’t a good idea to have any dealings with Fabian. Like he was any better.
After she remained silent for a few minutes, Fabian figured she was trying to come with an excuse. Not wanting to give her the chance to escape, he took her free hand in his. “I promise not to keep you too long. I just want to spend some time with you.”
Before she could think better of it, she quickly agreed. “What do you have in mind?”
Giving her a charming smile, he stood and helped her do the same. “I’ll show you,” he said as he led her out of the store.
When Madison saw the he was leading her to his car, she stopped. “I can’t leave my car here.”
Thinking fast, he replied, “That’s cool. You can follow me.” He walked her to her car and made sure she was settled before he went to his own. They drove to a nearby marina and parked.
As Fabian helped her from her car, she looked around and asked, “What are we doing here?”
He smiled sheepishly. “I called from the car and made arrangements for lunch. I hope you don’t mind?”
She shook her head as he steered her down the dock to a hundred foot yacht. He took her on a tour once they had boarded, and she discovered that the vessel had five cabins, and many amenities.
Seated at the spacious dining table on the middle deck, she commented, “This is a big boat. Is it yours?”
Laughing at her amazement he responded, “It is. I’ve had it for about a year now. I don’t get to use it as much as I’d like,” he gave her a loaded look, “but it has its uses.”
“Uh, it’s a beautiful yacht.”
“Thank you,” he said as the crew started serving them a lavish lunch. He waved his hand indicating the feast laid out before them. “I wasn’t sure what you would like—so I improvised.”
“Thank you. Everything looks delicious.” She fell silent and began serving herself.
They ate in silence, which was fine with Fabian, since he enjoyed watching Madison eat. Every time she took a bite of food or a sip of punch, he wanted to lick the flavors from her lips. When she took a bite of her chocolate mousse cake, a small dab of cream sat at the corner of her mouth. As her tongue darted out to remove the sweet, he held back a groan. Damn, if he didn’t want to lick it for her.
Getting up from his seat across from her, he claimed the chair next to her. Grasping her face, he said, “You missed some.” And before she could do anything about it, he captured her lips. At first, he just licked at the seam of her mouth, but when she gasped, he invaded the moist heat of her mouth. Nipping at her lips, he persuaded her to participate fully in the kiss.
Madison was caught off guard by the sensually demanding kiss. Fabian was the third man she had ever kissed, and it was remarkable. She felt the small stirrings of desire, but nothing like what Tyree had made her feel. With him it was explosive and consuming, with Fabian it was arousing, but only mildly. Closing her eyes, she decided to forget about Tyree and his kisses and focus on Fabian.
Fabian knew when she had become completely involved in the kiss. Her body relaxed and moved slightly closer to his. If he wasn’t careful, he would have her stretched out on one of the beds on board. Slowly pulling back, he released her face. “I’m sorry, but I have been wanting to taste you since the first night we met.”
Her mind was sluggishly returning to reality. She opened her eyes and looked at Fabian. The desire glowing within his eyes was nothing new to her now that she had been with Tyree. But it was still a heady feeling of knowing that you are not as undesirable as Ron would have her believe. Feeling somewhat embarrassed about the kiss, she picked up her drink and took a sip. Without looking at him, she said, “It’s fine. I wasn’t expecting it, but I don’t regret it.”
Fabian was happy to hear that. “How about we finish our meal, so I can see you home?”
“That sounds good to me,” she agreed happily.
It was after seven when Madison entered the house. Tyree was in the kitchen fixing dinner when she found him. He turned away from the stove when he heard her walk in. “Was your shopping trip a success?”
She smiled at him. “Yeah. It was quite good.” I had a great lunch with Fabian, too, she thought. The less he knew about her and Fabian, the better. “Did you have a good day in the studio?” she asked trying to steer the conversation away from herself.
“It was very productive. I finished recording two songs today.” He went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of white wine. “Are you hungry?” he asked as he poured two glasses.
“Not really,” she looked away as she finished, “I had something earlier. But I can keep you company while you eat.”
Sitting at the breakfast bar, they made a toast to his accomplishments for the day. It had become a ritual they do to help encourage his progress. She was his personal cheerleader.
Swallowing a mouthful of food, he asked, “I’m going out tonight. Would you like to go?”
“You usually don’t ask.” Giving him a sideways glanced, she asked, “Why are you asking me tonight?”
He shrugged. “Because I realized that I always go out and leave you home alone.”
“Well, thanks for asking, but I am going to relax in a hot bath.” Belatedly she realized what she had said. When she looked at him, Tyree was staring back at her with a wicked smile. “You go ahead and have fun. I’m sure Monica will be happy to have you all to herself.” She had inserted Monica into the conversation in hopes of cool his thoughts. It didn’t help one bit.
“I could stay home with you.” He studied her figure through lowered lids. “I could use a hot soak too.”
Knowing it would be a mistake to go down that path again, she stated, “You can do what you want. But I am soaking by myself.” When he would have said something else, her cell phone rang. Answering it on the second ring, she smiled because it was Fabian on the other end.
“Mad—,” Tyree called as she exited the kitchen. She completely ignored him and kept walking away. Deciding to see who she was talking to, he followed her. When he heard her say Fabian’s name, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest. It was not a feeling he wanted or needed right now. With Monica hinting at becoming his wife and Madison kicking it with Fabian, he felt as if his world was spinning too fast.
“Thank you for a great time today—” Madiso
n was saying into the phone as Tyree came to stand in front of her bedroom door. She had tried to make it to her room before he cornered her, but she wasn’t fast enough. Holding her hand up to silence anything he would say, she told Fabian she’d call him back. Ending the call, she stared at Tyree in silent irritation. “Why are you spying on my phone call?”
Squaring his shoulders, Tyree ignored her question and demanded, “What are you doing talking to him? I thought you understood that he wasn’t good for you.”
“Look Ty, I’m not jumping into anything right now. I enjoy talking to Fabian and he seems to feel the same.”
“I know what he’s feeling and it ain’t about talking,” he chided.
“You would know because of our past encounters?” She didn’t wait for him to respond. “I’m going to take my bath and I want you to keep your nose out of my business.” She shoved him out of her way and entered her room.
Tyree stood there staring at her door for another minute. Softly swearing, he went to his room to think about what was happening around him.
Chapter Eleven
After sitting on his bed contemplating Mad and Fabian for an hour, he came to a decision. Storming out of his room he returned to Madison’s door. When he knocked and received no answer, he turned the knob and entered.
Immediately upon entering her room, Tyree noticed her standing at the window looking out at the back garden in nothing but a towel. Her skin was still slick with water from her bath, and her hair was up showing the delicate curve of her neck. His mouth dried out completely and his thought came to a screeching halt. In that moment, the only thing floating around in his head was mine. He advanced on her still form until he was a hairsbreadth from her.
