“No, wait,” Sterling stood, as well, and then his cell phone rang on his hip. “Don’t go.” The phone rang again. “Hold on, let me just take this call.”
Toni exhaled and sat back in her chair.
“Sterling here.” He held up a finger and moved away from the table, leaving her, once again, with Jonas.
Toni no longer pretended to be interested in the game and instead, kept glancing at her watch. Occasionally, her eyes would dart to Jonas to confirm he was still studying her.
She tried her best not to be turned on by his broodiness, but that was growing harder the longer she remained at the table. Where did Sterling go? Maybe she should take a cab, but then she doubted whether she had cash in her purse.
She looked around the sports bar again. Where in the hell is he?
“Do I make you nervous, Ms. Wright?” Jonas asked, mocking.
“You?” She laughed. “A man who’s afraid of fire? Hardly.”
His lips curved into a devastating smile and Toni was angered that her pulse quicken beneath his darkening gaze.
“You’re sooo sure you have me figured out.”
Settling back against her seat, Toni lazily crossed her arms. “I can read you like a book. My only mistake was that I initially thought you were at least an interesting book.”
Jonas’s dimples deepened at the jibe and a low laugh rumbled within his chest. “Well, I can’t say the same thing about you, Ms. Wright. You are indeed an interesting book.”
“Think you know me, do you?”
He shook his head, but his gaze remained steady. “I’m trying not to presume anything. After all, you told me very little of yourself that day in the airport.”
That was true, she realized. She walked away knowing about one of the most painful events in his life and she left him with nothing more than a business card.
“If you’d called, I would have been happy to fill in the blanks.”
“It always comes down to that,” he said, lowering his gaze to his beer bottle for a few seconds. “I did call once,” he admitted.
Toni blinked in surprise, but then grew cautious on whether to believe his claim. “It was the next day actually. I reached your office voicemail...and simply hung up.”
“Why didn’t you leave a message?”
He shrugged and fell silent for a long moment. “Long-distance relationships are not my thing.”
“You seem to be into very little.”
“I’m not into pilfering my brother’s girlfriend, if that’s what you mean.”
“I’m not his girlfriend.”
“What? This is a casual fling for you?”
Toni’s eyes narrowed. “What are you insinuating?”
“Nothing. I mean, I did come home and hear you two in the den. Sounded to me like you were really into each other.”
“The den?” she asked. “What the hell are you talking about?”
A cell phone chirped just when a waitress appeared and dropped off a basket of hot wings.
Jonas and Toni reached for their phones.
“It’s mine,” Jonas said, and then frowned when he recognize the number. “It’s Sterling.”
Toni closed her eyes and dropped her face into the palms of her hands. “He wouldn’t,” she whispered.
“Where are you, bro?” Jonas asked the moment he answered the phone.
“Sorry, man,” Sterling said. “Something’s come up. Can you do me a favor and make sure Toni gets home?”
“Well, I, uh, really don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll really owe you one.”
“But-”
“Plus, things were getting a little awkward since she dumped me tonight.”
“What?” Jonas’s gaze zeroed in on Toni’s bowed head.
“Yeah. She was really sweet about it. There are no hard feelings. Well, I have to go. Thanks for doing this. I owe you one.”
“Wait, Sterl-” There was a click and the sound of dead air.
“He wouldn’t. He didn’t,” Toni recited.
Jonas closed his phone and returned it to his hip. “He did. If I didn’t know any better I’d say that we were set up,” Jonas said, reaching into the basket of hot wings.
“Wow. I see why you’re so successful. No one can pull anything over your eyes.” She stood. “Good night. It’s been real...interesting.”
Jonas shot out a hand and caught her by the wrist before she could take a step. “Where are you going?”
“Limited intelligence, I see.” She smiled benignly and tried to pull her hand from his grasp. “I’m going home and, if it’s not too late, find better company for the evening.”
His grip tightened. “Like Brian Olson?”
She lifted an inquisitive brow. “He’s certainly a possibility.”
The hard glint in his eyes weakened Toni’s knees and made it damn hard for her to remind herself that she didn’t want any part of his drama.
“Stay here. I’ll be your date for the evening.”
“I said better company.” She challenged him head-on. “Someone who knows what they want and goes after it.”
They stood in what seemed like a stalemate before he finally released her hand and ordered her to, “Sit down.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said sit down.” He reached for his beer. “I’ll take you home tonight—after we eat.”
Toni couldn’t believe she was actually considering sitting back down, but there was something about his sudden take charge attitude that had piqued her curiosity.
Jonas pushed back the chair beside him with his foot. “Sit.”
She sat.
“Eat.”
Toni rolled her eyes. “Jonas-”
“I want you,” he said, successfully shutting her up. “I just don’t know whether I can have you and then walk away.” He leaned forward. “And I need to be able to walk away.”
As Toni held his stare, a million images raced through her mind. All of them involved naked bodies, sweat and a great deal of Gatorade. “In that case, I think that can be arranged.”
Grown folks business...
Chapter 14
Rapt in Toni’s versions of events, Alyssa wondered why the bride had stopped talking. Then she slowly became aware that all eyes were on her.
“What?” Did I do something wrong?”
Toni smiled and gathered up her dress so that she could glide over to her. “No, sweetheart. You haven’t done anything wrong.” She slid an arm around Alyssa’s thin shoulders. “It’s just that, uh, some of this story isn’t fit for young ears.”
The bridesmaids snickered softly behind them and Toni softened the blow by pinching Alyssa’s apple cheeks.
“You mean, that you want to talk about sex?” Alyssa asked.
“Well,” Toni looked around while her face darkened abruptly. “Something like that.”
Alyssa’s shoulders deflated as she dropped her head dramatically in hopes to convince everyone to let her stay. When no one said a word, but instead let her cross the room slower than a turtle, she decided to offer a suggestion.
“You could always skip over the sex part.”
“Not if she knows what’s good for her,” Ashley quipped.
“I know that’s right,” Maria agreed.
Brooklyn shook her head at her friends. “Behave.”
“I’m sorry,” Toni said again, this time poking out her bottom lip.
Defeated, Alyssa turned and walked out of the door. The minute she closed the door, peals of laughter erupted on the other side. “I can’t wait until I grow up.”
Another trickle of laughter slipped under the door, tempting Alyssa to press her ear against it to see if she could hear the rest of the story.
“Whatcha doing, Alice?”
Alyssa jumped and twirled away from the door. At the sight of her future husband strolling down the hallway, the muscles in her throat tightened and made it impossible for her speak.
&nbs
p; Stopping in front of her, Quentin laughed and shook his head. “You know, there’s no need for you to be shy around me. You’ve been living here at my parents’ home your whole life. We’re practically family.”
His words caused a world of butterflies to flutter madly in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to be a part of his family, all right-the part that would marry him and give him at least a dozen babies that looked just like him.
The women laughed again, their melodic sound caught Q’s ear. This time, he pressed his ear against the door but then winked down at her. A second later, he pulled away with a knowing smile.
“Oh, this isn’t fit for young ears,” he said, planting his hands on her shoulders and turning her away from the door. Alyssa sensed that if she wasn’t there, he would have been more tempted to hang around and listen.
“We better find you something else to do,” he said, laughing and directing her down the hallway. “If your father knew you were listening to that kind of stuff-”
“I wasn’t,” she said, finding her voice.
Q laughed. “Ah, so you do speak.”
They reached the staircase and Alyssa’s panic increased when she saw her father rushing around with the servers.
“Really,” she insisted. “I just wanted to hear how the bride and groom fell in love. I didn’t hear anything bad. Please don’t tell my dad.” She turned and glanced up at Quentin. “Please.”
“Alyssa?” Her father called.
She turned and smiled down at him. “Hey, Dad.”
“Is there a problem?” His suspicious gaze darted from her to Quentin.
“No, sir. I just finished helping the bride and the bridesmaids”
Alfred nodded, but his eyes remained locked on the youngest Hinton. “All right, then. You go on to your room and try to stay out of the way.”
“Yes, sir.” She started down the staircase, but relaxed when she heard Q’s soft whisper.
“Don’t worry. It will be our little secret.”
Meanwhile, back in the bride’s suite, Toni recaptured her friend’s attention by telling them when things shifted to another level between her and Jonas.
“Believe it or not, it happened the same night I decided to end things with Sterling...
Chapter 15
Toni never pictured Jonas as a motorcycle kind of guy. So when he escorted her to the red and black Harley-Davidson parked in the ESPN Zone’s parking deck, she literally had to do a double take. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said.
Jonas cocked a half grin and swung his leg over the sexy sleek bike. “You said you wanted a wild ride, didn’t you?”
She laughed and settled her hands on her hips. “I wasn’t talking about a bike and you know it.”
“Then consider it a warm-up.” He winked. “Climb on.”
“I don’t have a helmet.”
“Here. You can you use mine.”
Hesitating, she met his challenging gaze and then swung her leg around the steel and chrome and slid her head into the helmet. The moment the machine rumbled to life between her legs, a smile curved her lips and her arms wrapped around his waist.
“Damn. I have to get me one of these.”
“Hang on,” he shouted, kicked up the kickstand and roared off.
Toni discovered there was an inherit attitude when one was on the back of a Harley. One that was dangerous, sexy and rebellious. Within minutes, they were cruising down the highway, scenery whipping past while an incredible vibration hummed through her.
Hell, this was nothing more than a gigantic sex toy as far as she was concern. The fact that she was hanging on to one hell of a male specimen made the experience more...orgasmic.
The thirty-minute ride to her Alpharetta home flew by entirely too fast and then Jonas parked his bike behind her Black Benz on her circular driveway.
Toni’s body continued to throb and pulse like a wild heartbeat. Hell, the bike was all the foreplay she needed. After removing the helmet, she wondered whether her quaking legs could stand.
“How did you like your first ride?” Jonas asked.
“I loved it.” She sighed and took the risk in pushing herself up off the bike.
“Where are you going?” His strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her forward.
Her breasts perked at his continued possessiveness and there was no mistaking that his hidden bad boy had finally decided to come out and play.
Lifting one of her legs, though it was still trembling after their long ride, he placed her back onto the bike—but this time she faced him.
“I thought we were going inside?” she asked.
Jonas ignored the question and pulled her in close for an explosive kiss. His delicious mouth sent a shock of heat coursing through her body. When his tongue invaded, its erotic dance caused an ache between her legs.
She arched against his hard chest, her breasts transmitting tiny jolts of pleasure. Her brain tried to navigate through a thick fog of desire, but soon gave up the fight. She moaned when his strong hands slid beneath her top, roamed up her flat stomach and then cupped her full and sensitive breasts.
When he squeezed, Toni felt herself go wet. After another squeeze, she couldn’t believe that she was on the verge of an orgasm.
She still had her clothes on!
That was true for exactly another two seconds. She blinked and Jonas had managed to whip her shirt over her head and unhooked her bra like he was a descendant of Houdini.
You’re outside, a small voice shouted from the back of her head. Her house may have been a ways off from the main road, but she was sure her neighbors, at a good angle, would be able to get quite an eyeful.
Before she could give voice to her concern, Jonas leaned her back until she lay against the bike’s chromed frame and he tilted forward to graze on her quivering breasts. Each time his tongue lapped at her hardened nipples, it grew harder to control her breathing.
Teeth scraped against her tender flesh and she nearly leaped off the bike. However, Jonas kept her firmly in place and even dared to nip at her breasts again. The next couple of times, she sucked in a painful gasp, but thereafter, his gentle gnawing felt downright pleasurable and she couldn’t stop rocking her head and moaning into the heavens.
Emboldened by her response, Jonas’s hands descended and pulled at her jeans.
“J-Jonas...my...neighbors...”
“Shhh,” he said, his breath brushing against her skin. “This is what you wanted, right?”
Toni licked her lips and tried to speak again. “Yes...but-”
“Then we are going to do this my way,” he rasped, jerking her pants open. “I’m in control. You got that?”
She nodded, but that wasn’t what he wanted.
“Let me here you say it,” he commanded softly.
Toni blinked, momentarily confused. Did the man truly think she could concentrate on a word he was saying? However, when his mouth stopped performing its wonderful magic, her mind cleared and she was desperate to return to paradise. “You are in control,” she panted, and reached for him.
Jonas sat up, balanced the bike between his legs and lifted hers into the air.
Toni reached for the handlebars in fear that she was going to fall out and end the night with a trip to the emergency room. But once again, Jonas proved that he was quite skillful at getting to what he wanted.
Dressed now in only a pair of heels and a red thong, Toni felt eerily like one of those Budweiser models draped over a Harley. And if her neighbor, Mrs. Baker, looked out her kitchen window, that would be exactly what she’d see.
“God, you have an incredible body,” Jonas gasped before he returned to sucking and nibbling on her breasts.
Instantly, Toni’s eyes rolled to the back of her head while a stream of moans fell carelessly from her lips. Jonas’s hands also returned, but this time it slipped between the lacy thong and penetrated her with one and then two fingers.
She was melting. Toni was absolutely certain of it
and thought there was no better way to leave this world than melting in the rain.
Rain?
She opened her eyes and sure enough a light drizzle sprinkled across her skin. “J-Jonas?”
He looked up, his mouth still locked on a breast. However, the look he gave said that he was very much aware that it was raining, but that he was still in control and he had every intention of making love to her on his Harley.
“Never mind,” she whispered, and lowered her head back down and continued to submit to his every whim to see where they might take her. So far she couldn’t complain.
His thumb joined the party between her legs, working her hard clit until she inched higher on the bike. To add to her delight, Jonas’s lips abandoned her glistening nipples to descend down her body.
Before she knew it, her legs were back in the air, but this time he gave the command to, “Wrap them around my neck.”
She did as she was told and was rewarded when Jonas’s magnificently skilled tongue plunged into her and within a couple of strokes a powerful wave hit her and she cried out in abandonment.
Still he continued, sucking and lapping until she shuddered and gasped from a second orgasm.
The night’s drizzle morphed into a steady stream and Jonas finally lowered her bottom back onto the bike.
Feel The Fire (Unforgettable Series) Page 9
