by Candace Shaw
Bria jerked away from him with a gasp and a wide, bewildered gaze. She placed her hand over her mouth as if it were burning.
They stared at each other for a moment before she broke the silence. “We need to go,” she said in a stern voice he wasn’t used to hearing. Usually it was a sweet musical sound, but now it was laced with disapproval and regret.
Coming down from cloud nine, he straightened his tux and looked down at her. Her eyes were wild, lipstick smeared on her full lips, and her breasts rose up and down tempting him to grab her again. He continued to be mesmerized by her hard breathing because one, he caused it, and two, her breasts had never looked so damn perky before. He cocked his head to the side when he realized her nipples poked through the material as if they wanted to break free. How could he have forgotten to touch, kiss, lick, pull, and nibble on her two luscious peaches? Damn. I’m slipping.
He stepped forward. “Bria, are you all right?” He reached for her to offer comfort.
She turned from him and headed towards the vanity area. He placed his hands back in his pockets where they should have stayed in the first place. That’s when he realized the monster in his boxers was hard as a rock. He pulled down his tux jacket, but that still didn’t hide it.
“I’m fine, but that can’t happen again.” She blotted the red lipstick with a Kleenex. “We’re friends, and friends don’t get all hot and bothered for each other.”
“So, you’re all hot and bothered over me?” he teased, trying to make her smile, but the sternness on her face hadn’t cracked.
“Rasheed, this isn’t a joking matter!”
“You’re right, Bree. I don’t know what came over me.” And the truth was he honestly didn’t know what had come over him. He couldn’t believe the aggressive way he had acted with her.
She headed toward the door avoiding eye contact with him. “Let’s just forget this happened. The photographer is ready for the men in the wedding party. You’re going to be late, and I don’t want Shelbi upset. It’s her day today.” She opened the door and closed it, leaving him in the room alone.
As much as he loved a passionate kiss with a sexy woman, Rasheed never thought kissing Bria would set his mind into overdrive. Sure, he’d been attracted to her since they’d met. He’d been drawn to her kissable dimples which displayed when she flashed her inviting smile, and he’d had the urge to place kisses in their deep crevices. He loved her funny little laugh, her thoughtfulness, and her nonchalant attitude. She was an all around cool woman. She was his best friend, his girl. He could depend on her to keep him in check and stay focused. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. She was visibly shaken when she left, but of course his kisses always did that to any woman. No surprise there.
Rasheed checked himself in the mirror one more time, wiped Bria’s lipstick from his lips with his handkerchief, and stuffed it neatly back into his pocket. As he opened the door, he realized he was shaken as well, but he wasn’t going to let it show. After all, he was Rasheed Vincent, player extraordinaire on and off the court. Sure, Bria was beautiful, intelligent, and sexy, but he wasn’t going to let a woman steal his heart again.
Chapter Two
Bria stood next to her baby sister while she exchanged vows with her soul mate. She hoped the anxiety rushing through her veins didn’t show. Instead, she tried to stay focused on what the preacher was saying about the sanctity of marriage. If her eyes wavered even one iota to the left, they would be on the best man, who had kissed her senseless and exposed a truth she had tried to suppress since they’d met. She glanced his way, and their eyes locked.
Her moist hands gripped her bouquet, and she prayed that the wedding band on her finger wouldn’t be wet when she handed it to Shelbi.
But that wasn’t the real reason of her discontent at the moment. It was Rasheed Vincent, whose intoxicating eyes were burning a hole through her skull. He wore a charismatic, cocky smile surrounded by his perfectly trimmed mustache and goatee. He stood bold and commanding in his tuxedo which fit his athletic build in a downright sexy manner. Women lusted after the six-foot-six, chocolate Adonis as if he were a real piece of Godiva chocolate. She had never swooned before, but the intense way he ran his eyes over her as if she was naked, would be the first time if she didn’t get a grip.
They’d been friends for the past few months, but for some reason she felt—no, knew—their relationship had changed. The second he placed his tongue on her fingertips and then her lips, sent her to a place of oblivion. She had secretly wondered what it would be like to be kissed, held, and caressed by Rasheed and now she knew. Now she wanted his lips to explore her entire body, leaving no spot untouched. The thought sent a warm sensation through her veins, and she tried to turn off her thoughts of him by glancing at her parents in the front row. Her dad was patting her mother’s hand as happy tears flowed down her cheeks. Bria wanted a long-lasting relationship like her parents, but after her ex broke her heart two years ago, it seemed almost unattainable. And now she was somewhat infatuated with Rasheed, but he would be the last person she would even consider being in a long-term relationship with because he didn’t want one. He was a self-proclaimed playboy and bachelor and wanted to keep it that way.
Bria had followed him throughout his successful basketball career until the day it ended. She had read about him on gossip blogs with supermodels, wannabe models, video vixens, actresses, socialites, and heiresses and had seen him on numerous commercials. Meeting him in person had been the icing on the cake, but she would never tell him that. It would go straight to his arrogant, bald head.
During the past few months it had been difficult to resist the desire that swept her body like a windstorm whenever he was near. The urge to straddle him when he sat comfortably on her couch watching the game, chugging beers and getting mad when his team didn’t score, kept her up at night. Watching the intensity in him when he was frustrated with his team made her wonder how his face would look if they made love.
When he had kissed her earlier, she’d fought off the desire to jump up on him and wrap her legs around his waist. One thing that stopped her was that her dress would wrinkle, and Shelbi would have a fit. Second, Rasheed was the president of the playa players association. He wasn’t interested in ever settling down or even being in a monogamous relationship ever again.
Their friendship meant a lot to her, and she didn’t want to ruin it with passionate French kisses before her sister’s wedding. No. She and Rasheed would just have to look pass their mistake and make believe it never happened.
The wedding had gone off without a hitch, and they were an hour and a half into the reception. Bria cleared her fuzzy head with a cool glass of refreshing champagne as she sat at a round table with Raven and their twin cousins who had been bridesmaids. Megan and Sydney Chase were stunning identical twins which had the groomsmen drooling over themselves.
Bria had just returned from the lobby area returning a few phone calls to patients and to a few guests who couldn’t make the wedding and were running late to the reception. She had missed about thirty minutes of the reception including the cutting of the cake and the garter toss. However, she was trying to avoid being in the same room with Rasheed until she could get her thoughts together.
Zaria Richardson, the wedding coordinator and cousin to the groom, announced the bride would toss the bouquet in a few moments.
Bria stood and patted Raven’s shoulder. The twins stood and waited.
“Come on, girl. All the single ladies need to report to the dance floor like Zaria said.”
Raven looked taken aback. Right away, Bria regretted the words. Raven had been a widow for a little over a year. Her deceased husband had been a police officer who’d been killed in the line of duty three months after they’d been married, and she still grieved his death.
Bria took a deep breath and placed a hand on her sister’s shoulders.
“I’m so sorry, big sis. I wasn’t thinking.”
Raven smiled her usual it’s
-ok-smile that she’d used since her husband had passed.
“No problem.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m single, I suppose. How about I catch the bouquet at your wedding? Besides, you know Shelbi is going to aim it at you.”
“Chile, please. Getting married is the last thing on my mind.”
Bria couldn’t help but glance at Rasheed as he leaned against the bar not noticing all of the female attention directed his way. But he was immune to it because it was a natural part of his everyday life.
He was busy texting, as usual. Probably his video vixen of the week. Apparently, the kiss was meaningless to him just like whomever it was he was texting. He was back to his playboy ways only two hours after kissing her. That was why she could never take him seriously when it came to matters of the heart—especially her heart—which wasn’t in the mood to be broken by another player.
“I’m not trying to catch the bouquet either, but I know Shelbi will say something later if I don’t at least go try. You know she’s been a hopeless romantic since she met Justin.”
Bria headed toward the designated area in between the twins. She had been sticking to them and Raven like peanut butter and jelly to avoid having to talk or even look at Rasheed. He’d been glancing in her direction during the reception, but she assumed he was checking out the twins just like all the other men were.
“All right, single ladies, if you’re ready for your man to put a ring on it, get ready to catch my bouquet,” Shelbi announced from the stage. She traded the microphone for a replica of her bridal bouquet from Zaria and turned around. Shelbi was going to have the real bouquet preserved.
Bria stepped toward the rear of the eager group of single ladies which included teenagers to women older than her. She glanced to her right to see Rasheed raise a questioning eyebrow, followed by a laugh. She’d told him earlier that week she had no intention of catching the bouquet. However, his laugh was a friendly gesture, and she felt better. Maybe he realized what transpired earlier was the result of emotions and tensions brought on from the wedding. Now that it was over, they could go back to their normal way. But could she go back to normal when she could still feel his lips and his tongue penetrating her mouth and his strong hands ravishing her body?
“Here it comes,” Zaria announced when Shelbi tossed the bouquet over her right shoulder.
The women started jumping up and down in front of Bria reaching high for the white roses coming their way. She felt a rush of adrenaline as the bouquet aimed straight for her head. To avoid getting whopped on her forehead and having rose petals everywhere, she reached up to grab it.
“Woo hoo,” the bride shouted. “Now big sis, you have to dance with the gentleman who caught my garter.”
Bria realized she had no idea who had caught it because she hadn’t been present during Justin’s garter toss.
“Who caught it?” she asked, hoping it wasn’t the old sugar daddy on Justin’s side of the family who’d been winking at her.
“I did,” Rasheed whispered in a seductive tone behind her dangling the black lacy garter over her shoulder. Goose bumps crawled along her skin, and she ran her hand down her arm to stop the cold electricity his voice had created.
Her breath stumbled for a second. She glanced up to the stage to see the bride and groom wink at her. Taking a deep breath, she mouthed, “I’m going to get you back,” at the newlyweds before she turned around to face him.
*****
Bria eye-balled Rasheed’s hand like it was a foreign object as he held it out to her.
“You want my arm to fall off?” he said in a low, sexy voice stealing the famous line from the movie Lady Sings the Blues. He tried to remain composed, but all he wanted to do was pick her up and carry her somewhere—anywhere—to kiss her again and again until they were both satisfied.
“You’re no Billie Dee Williams.” She placed her hand in his as he led her to the center of the dance floor.
The DJ began to play Trey Songz’s “Love Faces,” and Rasheed pulled her tight against him. He wanted to unpin her hair, unzip her dress, and have her leave her stilettos on so he could do naughty things to her. The thought caused his penis to wake up and press against his pants.
“You got that right. I’m Rasheed Vincent, the man you’ve been trying to avoid all evening, but now here you are in my arms, again. Maybe it’s fate.”
“Or maybe Mr. and Mrs. Justin Richardson are trying to play matchmaker.”
“Would that be so bad, Bree?”
“Yes, it would. We’re friends. You’re my boy. I love hanging with you, but what happened earlier can’t happen again.”
“Are you sure? Because the way you responded to me with your hands massaging my head, made me think otherwise. If I didn’t have to go take pictures, you would’ve experienced more than just a kiss.” His lips turned upward in a grin. “I know you want all of this chocolate fineness. You can’t deny it. I felt your tongue pulsating in my mouth.”
“Rasheed, I’m being serious,” she said, playfully punching him on the arm. “We’re good friends. Let’s not ruin it. It must’ve been all of the romance, stress, and anxiety people feel before a wedding. We’ve both had a lot of responsibilities as the maid of honor and the best man. Now it’s over, and we can get back to normal.”
Rasheed looked at the seriousness on her face. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Bria to be upset with him. He ran a finger tenderly along her cheek and thought about his life at the present.
He loved his freedom of being able to do what and who he wanted, when he wanted, and definitely how he wanted. At age thirty-three, he ran his life. No woman to answer to and absolutely no commitment except his baby sister, Brooklyn. She was the one person he felt the need to protect and take care of after their parents died a year apart eight years ago. His mother had lost her battle with breast cancer, and his father had followed a year later from a heart attack.
Rasheed could’ve sworn Bria liked him as more than a friend. He knew a woman’s facial expressions and body language like he knew his bank account. He’d dated all kinds of women before, during, and after his days in the NBA. Then again, he’d thought that about his ex-fiancée, Terri. Remembering that reality reminded him of why he would never settle down because he wouldn’t know if a woman loved him for him or for the millions he was worth.
“Rasheed, are you even listening to me?” Bria asked with questioning eyes.
“I’m listening to you. I apologize for upsetting you and making you feel uncomfortable around me. You are truly one of my genuine friends, and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize our friendship. However, I can’t apologize for kissing you, Bria. You tasted so damn good, girl. I’m having a hard time, no pun intended, not kissing you right now.” He shifted a step as he felt his erection harden a little more. What the hell was she doing to him?
She stopped dancing and tapped her finger on his chest.
“But you aren’t going to because you respect our friendship more than anything.”
He sighed and realized she wasn’t going to budge on her decision. "Yes, Bria. I respect you and our friendship.”
As the song ended, Rasheed gave her a hug and proceeded to walk her back to her seat.
“Going to get some champagne for us,” he said as he held out Bria’s chair and made sure she was settled. “Be right back.”
He wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not about respecting their friendship. Bria was the kind of woman he could fall in love with if he wanted to fall in love, but he didn’t. He felt comfortable and at ease with her, though. He could be himself around Bria and not have to worry about her wanting anything from him. But then again Terri had given the same impression when he first met her.
Upon his return, Rasheed’s gaze fell on Bria as she watched the bride and groom dance their last dance. He handed her the glass of champagne and stood by her chair.
“Thanks.”
She gave him a beautiful, sincere smile, and his heart stopped for a secon
d. He blinked. What the hell was happening? He had become unraveled over a woman, and it was usually the other way around. But he couldn’t believe that he’d actually kissed Bria. His best friend. His homegirl. Sort of like a baby sister but that kiss wasn’t exactly brotherly nor were his newfound feelings for her that weren’t really new. He’d just suppressed them because he respected and valued their friendship too much. However, his thoughts still lingered on the kiss. He loved the ambrosia taste of her on his lips, her little, curvy body pressed against him and those soft moans that stilled echoed in his ear. He clenched his champagne glass and then downed all of the cool liquid. He placed the glass on the table and sat next to Bria and draped his arm across the back of her chair.
Bria yawned. “I’m so tired.”
“Well, find some more energy because we’re going to Lillian’s at nine tonight with the out-of-town guests, remember?”
“Rasheed, I don’t think I’m up to it. It’s been such a long and busy week. I um … want to go home.”
He was somewhat surprised by her decision considering it had been her idea to show the out-of-town guests a good time and listen to some blues and jazz. What better place than Lillian’s Dinner and Blues Club owned by Justin and himself? She had sent a text message that morning to confirm he’d reserved the VIP section for twenty people, and now?
“Bria, does this have anything to do with what happened before the ceremony?”
She hesitated for a moment and gave a weak smile.
