Love After War

by Cheris Hodges

  But if she asked him about it again, the mood would be killed, and she needed to be with Adrian in the worst way. She stroked her left thigh, eyes closed, imagining Adrian’s hand there. Moving closer to her wet center, she moaned, shivering and whispering his name.

  “Starting without me?” Adrian asked from the doorway. Dana opened her eyes and saw him, naked, sheathed, and ready.

  “How long have you been there?” Her face was red with desire and a twinge of embarrassment.

  “Long enough to get a view of what I’ve missed for so long.” He stalked over to the bed. “The way you called my name made me harder than a diamond.” He took her hand in his and kissed her fingertips, tasting the sweetness of her nectar. “I’ve never been so jealous of a hand before.”

  She spread her legs. “Need you.”

  Adrian entered her wet and awaiting valley with a thrust that made Dana groan. She was so hot, wet, and tighter than he expected. Part of him was happy to feel her tightness. Happy that she still fit him like a glove.

  Another thrust.

  Her moans punctuated the air like the perfect note from John Coltrane’s immortal sax.

  Another thrust.

  Her desire poured down on him like rain. Adrian joined her chorus, crying out her name as Dana clenched her thighs around him and ground against him with the beat of a Latin groove. He fell deeper inside her, she felt so good. She thrashed against him, giving him everything and Adrian returned the favor, giving as good as he got. But when she flipped him over, mounted him, and gyrated her hips against his, he felt as if she were milking everything out of him—his heat, his desire, his love. Adrian tried to hold back his explosion, tried to save his climax. Dana wasn’t going to allow that to happen as she tightened her grip around his penis and then she leaned forward and sucked his bottom lip as if he were the sweetest chocolate known to man.

  Adrian was done.

  Dana fell against his sweat-covered chest, nibbling on his earlobe.

  “Oh, woman, don’t touch me,” Adrian groaned as she darted her tongue in and out of his ear.

  “Umm, make me,” she said as she tightened her thighs around him. Adrian palmed her round bottom and brushed his lips against her neck, then gave her a wonton lick across her collarbone. “Now you’re cheating.”

  “And what do you call that sucking of my earlobe ?”

  “Tasty.”

  He circled her nipple with his index finger, making her shiver from the inside out.

  “Stop,” she moaned, feeling herself melt against him.

  “You sure about that?” he asked, then replaced his finger with his tongue. He remembered how she would purr when he licked and sucked her nipples. Ah, there it was—soft and low like a happy kitten. Just as he felt his erection grow inside her, his cell phone rang.

  “You’d better get that,” Dana said.

  “I can ignore it.”

  He thrust forward, and Dana answered with a thrust of her own. “What if it’s important? About your club?”

  She thrust again and Adrian gripped her hips. “I’m holding everything that matters.” Grinding like gears, they ignored the ringing of Adrian’s cell phone.

  After making love again, Dana and Adrian fell asleep in each other’s arms. When she snuggled against him and he wrapped his arms around her, Dana felt a warm feeling of peace envelop her. As much as she tried to deny it, as much as she tried to fight it, being in Adrian’s arms was where she wanted to be. Tonight she’d enjoy the moment and live inside the maleness of Adrian, then deal with reality tomorrow. Was this the closure that she needed with him or had she opened the door to more heartache?

  Adrian woke up thinking he was dreaming again. Nope. Dana was in his arms. Her warm breath was heating his chest.

  And that damned phone was ringing again. Glancing at the clock above the thirty-two-inch flat-screen TV, he saw it was 5:45 a.m. Who was stupid enough to call him at this hour? The last thing he wanted was to move. Not when he knew, come first light, that Dana would call last night anything but a reunion. He peered at her sleeping frame. Beautiful. Angelic. Peaceful. Her lips were swollen from the attention he’d given them hours ago. Tempting. As he leaned in to wake his beauty with a kiss, his phone rang again.

  Somebody was asking for trouble. Tearing himself away from Dana, Adrian crept from the bed and angrily grabbed his phone.

  “What?” he grumbled.

  “Is this Adrian Bryant?” a male voice asked.

  “You’ve got about two seconds to state your name and your business.”

  The man chuckled. Adrian didn’t get the joke. “My apologies, I’m still on East Coast time. This is Elliot Crawford.”

  Adrian’s heart stopped for a split second; his mouth felt as if it had been stuffed with sand and cotton. Something made his words gather in his gut and fail to reach his lips.

  “Again,” Elliot said, sounding wide awake and in control. “Sorry about the hour. You’ve been in contact with my sons about putting a nightclub in Crawford Towers.”

  “We’ve talked about it, but nothing’s written in stone.”

  “I have to say that I’m impressed with what I’ve heard about your business acumen and the establishments that you run in the greater Los Angeles area.”

  You son of a bitch. If you’ve checked me out, then you know exactly who I am. Adrian seethed as he listened to his father drone on about how he wanted to meet with him and get the details about the club in the hotel.

  “I don’t have my calendar on me. Why don’t you adjust your time and get back to me so that we can make an appointment.”

  “I’ll do that,” Elliot said. Before he could say good-bye or when he would call him back, Adrian hung up the phone. He returned to the bed as Dana sat up and yawned. The white sheet fell from her body, exposing her supple breasts, and before his conversation with his father, he would’ve inched closer to her and taken her breasts into his hands, palming them and tweaking her nipples with his thumbs.

  Then he would’ve licked and sucked her breasts until her body caught fire. But the only thing on fire right now was his anger. Well, if this would be the way he met his father, then so be it.

  “She finally got you, huh?”

  Adrian’s eyebrow shot up and he scowled for a moment before his face softened. “That was some unpleasant business. You know how New Yorkers are—you all think when the sun rises on the east, the whole world is supposed to be awake.”

  Dana frowned. She used to love this game, their version of the East Coast–West Coast rivalry, but there was something in his eyes that told her he was really upset. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, just an unexpected meeting, and you know how I feel about getting my sleep interrupted.”

  Dana wrapped her arms around Adrian’s waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. “You know, I’ve slept through the night. I wasn’t born last night. What’s going on, Adrian?”

  He turned to her and kissed her cheek. “You’re the only person I know who’s ever been able to read me like a book. Remember that mess I was telling you about?”

  She nodded. “Adrian, why don’t you tell me what this is all about?”

  “It doesn’t concern you and this is what I wanted to avoid.” He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Hey, let’s get some breakfast.”

  “Breakfast?” she asked as she glanced at the clock. “It’s barely six a.m.”

  Adrian smiled, then ripped the sheet from her body. “Well, then, let’s start with me having you for my breakfast.”

  He spread her thighs, kissing her hot wetness with a fervor that rendered her speechless. What about that phone call? Well, her mind clicked as his hot tongue lashed her throbbing bud, that could wait. Lusty feelings invaded her body, sapped her rational thoughts out of her head and her body, and made her give in to the desire. The passion and the skill of Adrian’s tongue. Her legs shivered and her thighs quivered as Adrian deepened his kiss, pressed his tongue against her clitoris, and released a
hot breath that made her love come down like rain.

  Dana screamed his name as her thighs turned to jelly and she reached an explosive climax. Adrian pulled back and smiled at the sated expression on Dana’s face. If he could cocoon himself in the room with her forever, he’d be happy. He wouldn’t need to seek revenge on the father who never wanted him. Wouldn’t need to avenge his mother, who died with that man on her mind. Her last breath whispered Elliot Crawford’s name.

  The soft stroke of Dana’s hand against his cheek brought him back to this moment.

  “Where did you go?” she asked.

  “I’m right here.”

  She held his face with both hands, staring deep into his eyes. Adrian’s body shifted. “I know you and I know that look. You’re either going to tell me what’s going on or tell me good-bye—again.”

  “Can we just have today? Let it be about me and you?”

  “And if I want tomorrow?” Dana shook her head. “Your mess returns then, right?”

  “Dana, if I could give you all of my tomorrows, I would. This—”

  “Are you married?” she bellowed, then leaped from the bed. “Get the hell out of my room.”

  Adrian chuckled at her. Naked. Angry. So damned sexy. He didn’t move a muscle, simply watched her heave.

  “Think what you want about me, but I’m not a cheater and I ain’t married.”

  Dana paused as if she realized she looked absolutely ridiculous. She wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead and reached for the short white robe on the back of the desk chair. Slipping it on, she asked, “What is it, Adrian? What was that call about—and don’t try to change the subject again.”

  He crossed over to her, leaving a sliver of space between them. While he wanted to wrap his arms around her and inhale her fragrance, he decided to be honest . . . sort of.

  “All right, there are some issues with my clubs. I’ve been pretty hands-off and the wrong element has gotten involved. I’m trying to keep it quiet working with the LAPD to get things cleaned up without publicity.”

  “How long has this been going on?”

  Hearing the concern and the tortured look in her eyes made his lies burn on his tongue like acid. But telling the truth would compromise his second chance. “I don’t want you worrying about this. I have to take care of my problems on my own.”

  “Adrian, I . . .” Dana’s voice trailed off as she looked into his eyes. Did she see through the lie? “Where do we go from here? I thought I needed one last night with you to get you out of my system, to get closure. But now I feel . . .”

  “Dana,” he whispered. “I need you back in my life, but this isn’t how I want it. I love you and I don’t want any of this nastiness to touch you. But I can’t push you away again. I will not make the same mistake twice.”

  A cell phone rang again. This time it was Dana’s.

  “Do you need to get that?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Should I wait for you? Am I supposed to sit back, constantly worrying about you and these shadows you’re fighting until the time is right for you to bring me back into your world?”

  “Dana.” He inched closer to her. “Just tell me I’m not going to lose you to Hollywood Ken.”

  Pushing him forcefully, Dana glared at Adrian, feeling foolish and angry all at once. “You asshole! Is that what last night was all about? You see me with someone else and I become a temporary priority ? Get out and this time I mean it.”

  “Dana—”

  “Don’t. Just don’t. Go clean up your mess and I’ll see if Hollywood Ken wants to have breakfast.” She stalked over to the door as Adrian slipped his pants on. Maybe this was the blowup he needed to move Dana aside while he worked on his plan. But what if he lost her forever this time? Was revenge worth the anger he saw written all over her beautiful face ?

  “Can you move a little faster?” she snapped when she caught his glance.

  “Dana . . .”

  “Please, save it.”

  Adrian slipped his shirt over his head and crossed to the door. He stopped and stroked her cheek. “It will all make sense one day,” he said.

  Dana snatched away from him and slammed the door in his face so he wouldn’t see the hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Chapter 6

  Adrian drove aimlessly around downtown LA, trying to get the image of Dana’s hurt face off his mind. He’d meant what he said about losing her, not just to Ian, but to any man. Dana was his. Then why do you keep hurting her? You’re more like him than you want to admit. Is revenge really worth this ? Adrian slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of him and to shake his thoughts clear. His mother was slick, naming him Adrian Elliot Bryant. Did she think giving him that bastard’s name would mean something to him? Give him a piece of the father who wanted nothing to do with him?

  The sound of a blaring horn alerted Adrian that he was holding up traffic. He sped through the intersection and headed back to his club. In his office he could think, plot, and plan for the meeting with his father. And, he hoped, forget that he’d hurt Dana again.

  When he arrived at Allure, he smiled at what had become LA’s newest hot spot overnight because Imani and Ian showed up at his place the day before their red carpet premiere. Sure he’d helped it happen since he had photographers staking out the place because he’d planned to embarrass Richmond. He’d been so consumed with Dana that he hadn’t checked to see what kind of waves the pictures of Richmond and the hooker made. Maybe that was why Elliot called him this morning.

  Unlocking the door and picking up the LA Times and a discarded copy of the LA Weekly, Adrian entered the empty building ready to see if his plan worked at all. Instead of heading to the office, he took a seat at one of the tables and opened up the papers, searching for Richmond’s picture. When he found it, Adrian smirked, glad to see that the Times gossip columnist used the photo where Richmond looked as if he were about to eat the call girl’s breasts as if they were orbs of chocolate cake. Adrian began reading the column.

  Crawford Hotel executive Richmond Crawford was caught with a well-known Los Angeles call girl last night, and it looks as if he paid for the whole package. As he and the call girl got close, they headed to the city’s newest hot spot, Allure. However, when Crawford arrived at the club, he must have handled his business already because he arrived alone. On the flip side, Crawford’s car mate, identified as LaTrell McClain, was arrested and charged with solicitation. There’s no word if LAPD will charge the married Crawford. This is unusual behavior for the older brother of former tabloid star Solomon Crawford, the ex of Heather Williams. Solomon Crawford has been quiet since his marriage and the murder of his former partner. Then again, if my wife had taken her out, I’d be faithful too.

  The other Mrs. Crawford, Vivian, couldn’t be reached in New York for comment. Another interesting fact about the Crawford family—there’s a rumored family business book in the works. I wonder if these pictures will make it into the book about one of New York’s richest families.

  This was a good start, Adrian decided as he folded the newspaper, but he wanted more. He considered getting Heather involved, but that wouldn’t be enough. Two cheating sons could be brushed off by a forgiving public; however, if the call girl was arrested and Richmond was still free, then he was sure there had to be some angry feminists who’d mobilize and protest the at the construction site. Dashing up the stairs to his office, Adrian was about to add more fuel to the fire.

  Dana pulled herself together after a long hot shower and a fifteen-minute sob. She couldn’t understand why she’d allowed herself to think things would be different with Adrian just because he gave her an orgasm—well, multiple orgasms. Dana wasn’t going to wallow in self-pity over Adrian again. She had work to do, and worrying about Adrian Bryant wasn’t going to get in the way. Dressing in a pair of leggings, a tank top, and black sneakers, Dana decided to walk over to the studio and take some shots of the people who made Hollywood tick—the stage hands
, the set designers, and the like. Then she had her final set of publicity photos to shoot for the film. With Ian.

  Dana had to admit that she had fun with him before getting sucked back into Adrian’s orbit. Was she wrong not to give him a chance? As she headed out the door, her cell phone rang. She half hoped that it was Adrian but was surprised to see that it was Ian.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Good morning, sounds like you’re up and out.”

  “I’m about to go shoot some pictures before we have our session and get some breakfast.”

  “That’s what I was calling you about, breakfast. If you’d like some company, I can come and get you on my Harley.”

  “Now that is an offer I can’t refuse.” Dana smiled despite herself and the tumult of emotions tearing at her heart. “I’m ready when you are.”

  “I can be there in twenty minutes. You’re in Culver City, right?”

  “Yes. I’m staying at the Culver Hotel, but you can pick me up outside of the studio,” she said.

  “Will do. See you soon.”

  “Bye,” she said, then ended the call.

  Dana wondered if Ian would be game to take their photo shoot on location. She wanted to make a trip to Orange County for two reasons: to take pictures of Ian on his Harley and to get one of her own. Forget leasing—it was time for her to own a cycle. Was part of her getting the motorcycle because she knew it would piss Adrian off? Yes. But she told herself that she was simply getting her swagger back. And nothing said swag like a motorcycle, new helmet, and a hot pair of motorcycle boots. Dana couldn’t wait. She was going to get her own Harley.

  As she crossed the street, her cell phone rang again. Looking down at the phone, she saw that it was Imani. “I really hate LA,” Imani groaned. “Raymond is still on East Coast time and he’s already up as if we’re supposed to be out and about.”

  “Good morning to you too,” Dana quipped.

  “Anyway, how did everything go last night? Isn’t Ian just the sweetest? I bet he pushed all thoughts of Mr. Slick right out the window.”