The Book of Joshua I - Trust (The Gems & Gents Series 2)

by Iris Bolling

  Pieces of light fluttered behind her closed eyelids as her body jerked.

  Joshua, eased her legs down, held her under the shower and placed light kisses over her shoulders. Her body still trembled as he held her against him.

  He smiled. “Now wasn’t that fun?”

  Akande couldn’t move. She held him around his waist. All she had the strength to do was nod.

  He carried her out the shower with a big terry cloth towel wrapped around her, laid her on the bed and proceeded to dry her off.

  “You are so beautiful.” His hands moved slowly over her body as he spoke. “I look at you and know there is a God in heaven. For only the creator would have such power to create you.”

  The sincerity in his eyes filled her with knowing. She knew she had fallen in love with Joshua. This man who could kill with his bare hands, yet touch her so gently. How did it happen? When? It was long before the cave. It must have happened when they were fighting and she sensed he was only toying with her. He could have easily beaten her. Yet, he allowed her to keep her pride intact. Joshua Lassiter was going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

  She looked up at him, as he moved the towel over her legs. “Come into me, Joshua. I need to feel you inside me.”

  Her words caught him off guard. They were innocent, pleading, wanton. This woman was slowly draining all his will power to keep her at a distance. Joshua reached over to the nightstand and pulled a condom from his wallet. He dropped the towel to the floor and covered himself, never taking his eyes from hers. Kneeling on the bed, he spread her legs at the knee, covered her body with his and slowly entered her. At the cave, they didn’t have protection.

  He wanted to go slow, he really did, but her heat, as he slid in and out of her was so intense, so moist, so tight. He had to take it--all of it, for this, this woman belonged to him. He raised his body above her, wrapped his hands around her waist and plunged in deep, branding her with every inch of him, sealing them together with each powerful thrust. The sweat from his brow dropped to his nose, as he soared bringing her first to completion and then, only then, did he release what he had stored up.

  They lay there, entwined, her hands roaming boldly over him. He, on his back, with one hand behind his head, leisurely twirling her hair in his fingers when she began talking.

  “My aunt did not raise me. A family outside the village did. One day I was in the field working with the woman I thought was my mother when I saw a shiny black vehicle. It stopped in front of our hut and three men stepped out. The woman ran and stood in front of me. I was curious so I looked around to see and that’s when I saw her. Sermyera. She was beautiful and so regal. One of the men pulled something from his coat jacket and shot. The woman in front of me fell to the ground. I was so shocked I just stood there. Sermyera looked down at me and said. ‘You look just like your mother. I am your Aunt Sermyera, your Queen. You will come live with me.’ I was eight years old.” She stopped talking as she continued to trail a finger down his chest. “I don’t remember the family I lived with anymore. I can’t see their faces. My aunt said I was to forget them for I had a mission in life. The first time I was whipped it was because I said I wanted to go home to my mother. She grew angry and then told me the story of my mother, my real mother. Then I was whipped.” She exhaled. “I had never felt such pain. Now, it has become a dullness. The story became my reality. The mission became my life. Convincing the man I know to be my father is the only chance I have to restore honor to my family. Not for my aunt, but for myself.”

  Joshua closed his eyes. He would not ask. If she is to tell him, it would be by her own choosing. It would be because she trusted him with the information. He knew they were coming to a crossroads where each would have to make a decision based on trust.

  “My father was Lieutenant General Royce C. Davenport. He is now Senator Davenport of Virginia.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Royce arrived precisely at seven with a knock at the door. Shelly opened the door and stepped aside. “Agent McNally.”

  “Ma’am,” he smiled as he and two other agents searched the premises.

  It seemed to go faster this time. “Night, ma’am.”

  “Good night, Agent McNally.”

  Royce walked in, closed the door and pulled her into his arms. “I have thought about holding you in my arms all day.” He kissed her deep, hard and ravenously.

  “Is that right, Senator?”

  “What happened to Royce?”

  “Oh.” She pushed him away. Reached behind her and unzipped her dress allowing it to fall to the floor. “Hello, Royce.”

  Royce stood there taking in every inch of her in nothing but a lilac lace bra and panties. They weren’t bikinis or thongs. They were the high cut lace panties ending in a v-shape at her junction. He could see her natural skin through the lace. As tempting as it was, his eyes roamed up to hers. “Make me forget the last thirty-six hours, Shelly Knight.”

  Shelly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as she eased his suit jacket from his shoulders. She then stepped back and turned towards the stairs. “Follow me,” she said as she folded the jacket and placed it over the banister.

  The sight of her from behind immobilized him. “Damn.” There was nothing sexier than a woman who was confident in her skin. Shelly didn’t have a child’s body. She wasn’t a size six, eight or ten. She had a woman’s body, a good size twelve with all the curves just where he liked them. Her behind moved up the stairs with a rhythm that had him moving his head from side to side watching the lilac lace. The heels she was wearing, made her calves more defined, but it was those thighs, those smooth thighs that had his mouth watering.

  She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. “You coming? I’ll be waiting for you in the bedroom.” She continued up the stairs.

  Royce pulled his tie loose and dropped it to the floor as he followed her up the stairs. “Oh, Ms. Knight, I do hope you have a sturdy bed.” He growled as he removed the cuff links from his shirt and placed them in his pocket. Taking the steps in sync with her, he began to unbutton his shirt. By the time they reached the bedroom, all that remained were his pants, which he was unbuckling when she turned around.

  “Oh, no,” She walked back to him. “Allow me to do that.” She held his eyes as she unbuttoned his pants, and slowly pulled the zipper down. She stopped mid-way and smiled. “I think you need a little attention down there.” She started to kneel, but he stopped her and took her lips with a vengeance. The heat from her hands, now against his chest seared through him like a drop of boiling lava. He deepened the kiss, then pulled away. “You may continue now.”

  Shelly grinned and allowed her hands to trail down his waist to the top of his pants. She continued with the zipper and was pleasantly surprised to find him flowing free. She looked up at him to find him smiling down at her. “Why Senator Davenport where are your drawers?” she asked as his pants fell to the floor.

  “They’ve been rather constricting for the last two days. I couldn’t breathe.”

  “Well.” She kissed him on the tip. “We certainly want you breathing.” She licked her tongue up his shaft and reveled in his response to her touch. Reaching in his pants pocket, she pulled out a gold package, tore it open with her teeth then covered him. She stood, took his hand and led him to the bed. “We can play later.” She lay on the bed, brought her legs up and spread them wide open. She touched herself through her panties. “I am so wet, Royce. I need you inside of me, like right now.”

  Royce reached up and pulled her legs down to the edge of the bed. He removed her panties, and threw them to the floor. He rubbed her thick smooth thighs, pulled them up and entered her with one fluid motion. He sank into her heat so deep, and completely he didn’t want to move. Her muscles contracted so tight around him he had to do it again. He pulled out slowly, then thrust right back in.

  Shelly moaned, “Again.”

  He placed his hands under her, and squeezed her buns as he pulled out aga
in. She was angled higher now. Royce wanted to hit another spot. He thrust in again and heard her gasp. “Ahh.” That was it. He hit it again, and again, and again until he felt her body rising to meet his. This woman, with no inhibitions, was drawing more than his seed, she was pulling at his heart. “Come get it, Shelly. Take what you want baby, just take what you want.” She screamed letting him know, she was doing just that.

  He wasn’t finished. Her powerful muscles contracting around him fueled his passion even more. He held her legs up, closed them, then proceeded to plunge into her wetness, as her juices ran down her behind. “Ahh, Shelly,” he moaned. She was so wet, so tight, so damn hot, he could feel himself still swelling inside of her. Her intake of breath, made him thrust harder, deeper, and deeper until he roared out his release. He didn’t drop her legs. Instead, he wrapped them around him and covered her with his body.

  Shelly started laughing first. Then Royce turned over bringing her body with him.

  “That was so intense. Oh, God!” she exhaled. “You got any more where that came from?”

  Royce unhooked her bra, lifted her on to the tip of him. “What do you think?”

  Shelly braced herself on his chest. “I guess you do,” she said as she eased down on him. She sat back, closed her eyes and licked her lips as she slowly moved against him. “There should be a law against this.”

  Royce had her breasts in his hands thumbing across her nipples. “I’m sure there is.” He sat up taking one nipple into his mouth. He twirled his tongue over it to the rhythm of her body. His hands dropped to her waist guiding her movements that were now bucking wildly. He could feel her losing control and he wanted to go right over the edge with her. He sucked harder, nipping the bud with his teeth. She exploded and he followed right behind her. Her head fell to his shoulder, as his hands pulled her closer bringing their bodies together as one.

  Hours later, they had showered, eaten, laughed and talked and were laying comfortably next to each other in bed, enjoying a quiet moment.

  “Spend the weekend at my place.”

  Shelly sat up on her elbow. “You want me to come to Washington? You know I am not a member of the pearl society.”

  Royce laughed. “What do pearls have to do with you coming to my home?”

  “It’s in Washington, right?”

  “Georgetown, but yes.”

  “That’s even worse, the snob capital of the world. I don’t have clothes to wear in an area like that.”

  “It is not that bad.” Royce pulled her down into his arms. “They will love you in D.C.”

  Shelly laughed. “Yeah, I can see me now sitting at a dinner table with the wives of other Senators wearing one of my necklaces made by Nikkea and them sitting in their thirty-seven hundred dollar strand of Akoya Pearls. I don’t quite see that working. You need a Washington insider on your arm.”

  Royce flipped her over and stared down into her eyes. “Spending time with you, during our uninterrupted moments,” he smiled, “Has been an eye opening experience. I found out I was still alive inside.” He became serious. “My life is filled with life and death and national security issues during the day and other than spending time with my family, I didn’t look forward to the next day.” He rubbed her brow with his thumb. “Since I met you, dealing with those issues has been a little easier to take. I’ve found someone I want to see when I come home. You bring laughter into my life and I want that. We talk about serious and crazy issues and I get the same exhilaration from every conversation. I don’t know what to expect from you, and I like that.”

  “We’ve never been out in public, Royce. You have no idea how I would react to things.”

  “Then it’s time we find out. I have no intentions on keeping you a secret. That’s not my way. I want you in my life, public and private.”

  “But I don’t have any pearls,” she pouted. “All the political wives and girlfriends have pearls. I don’t even know if I like pearls. You know what I mean.”

  “I’ll buy you pearls.”

  “I don’t want you to buy me pearls, Royce.” She sat up and leaned against the headboard. “It’s what the pearls symbolize.” She exhaled. “I’m a school teacher, by choice. I lived the high society life and I did not like it, one bit.” She ran a finger down his chest. “There is nothing I like more than the time we spend together. Believe me I am so enjoying spending time with you.” She kissed him on the lips. “If you haven’t picked up anything else about me, you should know I can’t do fake. Look at me, no fake hair, nails, booty or anything.” She laughed. “I am who I am and I like it. Washington is the backstabbing capitol of the world. We all know this. I call things like I see them. Your colleague’s wives are not going to want to deal with me, which will end up affecting you and your politicking. I don’t want to do that.”

  “You know what I don’t want to do? I don’t want to plan my personal life around what Washington insiders like or dislike. I don’t have to sleep with them and don’t want to.” He pulled her down under him. “You, on the other hand, I desperately want in my bed. Be it here or in D.C. My work is at a critical point, I have to be in D.C. I should be there now, but I had to see you. You have me hooked like crack cocaine and I can’t get enough of you. Come to D.C this weekend. Next weekend, we can stay here. Don’t make me stand on the steps of the capitol calling your name. Shelly!” he screamed out. She laughed. “Shelly!” he screamed again, then spoke almost in a whisper. “Come break me off a piece of your sweet, sweet love, Shelly.” He kissed her neck.

  “You are crazy,” she giggled as he kissed the other side of her neck. “Really crazy.” He crawled down and kissed her navel. She shook her head slowly back and forth against the pillow as he went lower still. “Oh, Senator,” she moaned. “You got me.” She felt his hand moving to the side of the bed. He looked up at her with a key in his hand. “You can let yourself in. I’m a little busy right now. He went back down on her and sealed the deal.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Monique walked into the hotel suite to find Joshua and Akande, sitting on the sofa, wrapped in each other’s arms. This was not the man Monique had come to know. He was not one to play the loving boyfriend role like he was now. This bothered her, not out of jealousy. His actions were putting his life in danger. He might not be aware of it, but she saw in living color. To make matters worse, she did not believe the woman was being truthful to Joshua. Every fiber in her body screamed with this woman around. If Joshua hadn’t taught her anything else, he taught her to follow her instincts. Her instincts were telling her Joshua needed her protection from the enemy. In her estimation of things, Akande was the enemy.

  "You will be safe with her," Joshua smiled into Akande’s eyes. "I trust her with my life. You’re a part of that now."

  "You will not forget I am here?"

  "Never," Joshua replied before he kissed her. He lingered a moment then pulled away.

  Monique was surprised at the parting. He stopped at the door where she stood. "Don't let anything happen to her."

  "We're a little touchy, feely today, aren't we?" She gave him a sideways look.

  "Don't."

  "I won't if you don't. This is business, right?"

  Joshua looked over her shoulder at Akande who was watching them. "Not anymore. It’s personal now."

  "That makes this easy for me. I will handle this as business. You are compromised."

  He held her glare, not wanting to, but knowing she was right. The days with Akande had him turned inside out. He wanted her touch to be real. It’s the thing Samuel, his brother had that he didn’t, a woman who touched him deep. So deep, he wasn’t thinking straight. There were too many unanswered questions. He ran his hand down his face. The dimples deepening as he thought. "Handle her as business."

  Monique tilted her head, "Will do." She closed the door behind him and turned to Akande, senses on alert.

  Akande seemed nice enough, but Monique learned long ago to trust her own instincts. Walking into the room, Moni
que moved the newspaper, and set it on the table as she sat in the chair. Being observant was a unique skill for her. For example, glancing at the article Akande was reading, just for a second or two, she read and would retain every word in the article pertaining to Senator Davenport. She had observed the shift in Akande’s eyes when Joshua mentioned going to locate the Senator. The last observation bothered her more than any of the others. Joshua used the door to leave.

  "Akande," she spoke standing behind the chair across from Monique. "I did not catch your name."

  "I didn't give it."

  Akande’s eyes narrowed at the snappy reply. Uncertain of the reason, she waited a moment to see if the woman would say more. Was this someone who was involved with Joshua? She had never met the woman therefore was certain she had not wronged her in anyway. "There appears to be a bit of hostility in your reply. Have I caused you ill will at some point?"

  There was an air of royalty in the way she spoke. And Monique could see where that may be a turn on for some. However, she was not one of them. Royalty or not, there was something off about the woman. "Not yet, but I am certain that you will. Take a seat, Akande. Let's talk."

  "I'm not accustomed to speaking with someone so...how would you say?"

  Monique spoke in her native tongue. "We may speak in any language you understand."

  Akande looked up with shock radiating through her eyes, but never showing on her face. Quickly masking the reaction, she walked around the chair and took a seat.

  "What shall we speak on?"

  "Absolute."

  She smirked. "So your hostility is about Joshua."

  "No, my hostility concerns you coming into my country under false pretenses. Since we are speaking so forthwith, Absolute is a friend and valued colleague. I take exception to him being used."

  "Joshua is a man quite capable of handling himself. This you can trust me on."

  "No need to drop hints, Absolute sleeps with just about every woman who crosses his path. And yes, he makes each of them feel as if she is the only one in the world."