by Candace Shaw
“Of course not. I’m cool. I just need some rest.”
“Are we still on for dinner on Tuesday?”
“Sure, of course.” She stood abruptly and grabbed her clutch purse. “Look, I gotta go help Shelbi prepare to leave. It’s almost seven, and thanks to your wedding gift of a honeymoon, they have a plane to catch to Fiji tonight.”
“Are you sure you aren’t coming? How am I going to party without my best girl? Who’s going to keep the ugly groupies away from me and shake her head yes or no about the model-looking ones?”
“I’m sure you’ll be just fine,” she said with what he sensed was a slight attitude. He was afraid this would happen if they ever crossed the line. “Besides, my twin cousins will be there, and don’t you have a fantasy for twins, again?” And with that she and her attitude strutted away.
The thought of her twin cousins didn’t arouse him anymore. What did arouse him, however, was a fantasy of doing more than just kissing Bria. He wasn’t even surprised. He had realized that when they first met no matter how much he tried to ignore it.
Rasheed chuckled. Could Bria really blame him for kissing her? She was simply gorgeous. Her baby soft bronze skin and those killer legs he wouldn’t mind being wrapped tight around his waist. Oh and how could he resist those pouty kissable lips under her cute, pert nose that would wrinkle whenever she was playfully fed up with him, always had him mesmerized? Bria meant more to him than any woman he could think of outside of his family. Rasheed didn’t want to damage their friendship with a passionate moment, but it wasn’t as if she had refused him either. She’d kissed him back even more aggressively until she jerked away all hot and bothered and left him panting like a wolf in heat.
Moments later the wedding party and the guests waved good-bye to the newlyweds. He spotted Bria standing with her mother and Raven, their arms linked together. They were laughing and crying, with tears running down their cheeks.
It had been a long week, and he needed a moment of calmness. What better way than to kiss a beautiful woman? No. Bria was different. She wasn’t one of the typical gold diggers that blew up his cell phone.
Tonight he wouldn’t be able to lie in his bed and sleep without imagining her hands running over his head or hearing those exasperated moans as he kissed her neck. A lady he’d met last week had texted him earlier about coming over, but she simply wasn’t the one he wanted next to him. He laughed. Apparently, I drank too much champagne. Or at least he hoped that was the case.
Chapter Three
“So how was Shelbi’s wedding and Christmas?” Dr. Taylor Banneker asked. Taylor was a fertility specialist with her own medical practice in Atlanta. They’d been friends since their years at Spelman but attended different medical schools.
Bria readjusted the cell phone between her ear and shoulder while she carried a plate of leftover Christmas dinner brought from her parent’s home in one hand and a glass of iced green tea in the other. She lowered onto the couch before answering her friend’s question.
“It was beautiful and exhausting. I’ll e-mail you some pictures I took when I upload them to my iPad. I’m glad it’s all over with, though. Shelbi turned into a little bridezilla during the last week, if you can believe that.”
It was Tuesday night, and she’d stood Rasheed up on their dinner outing. She’d texted him and said she had an emergency with a patient at Memphis Central Hospital and would be there all night. Instead, she was in her medical scrubs on the couch eating leftover Christmas dinner because she couldn’t cook and Shelbi, who used to live three apartments down before getting married, always cooked for the both of them. Luckily, Bria lived in downtown Memphis in the Central Station building that housed the Amtrak train station. She had easy access to restaurants by taking the trolley or walking. However, afraid she may run into Rasheed, she opted to stay in and eat leftovers.
“Girl, I can. That usually happens. And how are your fine big brothers?”
“Cannon is still the good one. He’s dating but nothing serious. I think he hasn’t gotten over his first love, even though that was over ten years ago. Sean, on the other hand, is still the bad boy playboy and doesn’t plan on stopping.”
Bria thought about Rasheed and his playboy ways. She knew why Sean was a playboy, but she wasn’t sure about Rasheed. He’d been in a long-term relationship when he played basketball, but then the engagement was called off. It had been all over the tabloids and gossip websites that his girlfriend had cheated on him with his basketball rival from college and the NBA. That rumor may have been true, considering she was dating him and pregnant just a few months after leaving Rasheed. It was something he hadn’t mentioned, and Bria refused to ask him.
“Well, I’m taken, but if I wasn’t, I would just flip a coin. It wouldn’t even matter which brother. Both of them are simply dreamy.”
“If you say so. So how is your practice doing? I’m so happy for you.”
“Doing well. You know, Bria, the offer still stands. I’ve interviewed a few allergists, but none of them have your expertise in alternative medicine or your pleasant and upbeat personality when dealing with the patients.”
“Taylor, I’ve told you, I work for the family’s private practice.”
“But do you like practicing just traditional medicine? If you work for me, you can also offer alternative approaches. I know that’s where your heart is.”
Bria sighed and placed her half-eaten dinner on the coffee table. Her parents and all of her siblings owned Arrington Family Specialists. Cannon was a pediatrician and his twin sister, Raven, an obstetrician and gynecologist. Sean, the middle child, was a psychiatrist. Their mother, Darla, was a general doctor and their father, Francis, was a cardiologist and surgeon.
Her father had designed the practice so there were different specialties present. He had even tried to recruit Taylor at one point because she was an endocrinologist specializing in reproduction and infertility, but she had dreams of opening her own practice and had done so a year ago. Francis was happy that Shelbi had decided to make that her concentration during her upcoming residency.
“It’s not that easy. My dad wouldn’t be pleased at all.” Bria grabbed the plate and headed to the kitchen. She raked the food out into the sink and turned on the garbage disposal.
“What are you doing for your vacation coming up after New Year’s?”
“Haven’t decided yet,” Bria answered, glad for the change of conversation. As much as she would love to be able to include a naturopathic approach for her patients, she felt obligated to her family’s practice and was hoping to convince her father to let her incorporate it there freely instead of behind his back like she’d been doing. “I was thinking about going somewhere warm like south Florida. It’s so cold here in Memphis.”
“Why don’t you come here and check out my wellness center? You’ve been promising me for almost a year.”
“That sounds like a great idea, but I’m not making you any promises about joining your team.” Bria opened the refrigerator to see if she had enough cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich. She frowned. She had enough cheese but no butter.
“I understand,” Taylor said with a laugh. “So, dating anyone special?”
“Ha! Girl, no. I haven’t even thought about dating lately.” Okay, not entirely true. She’d been thinking about dating ever since she met Rasheed, but it just wouldn’t work between them even though he did kiss better than anyone else before him.
“Well, the men here are hot, handsome, and rich. As pretty as you are, you’ll have men chasing you all over Atlanta.”
“Girl, you’re so crazy! But I may need to find someone and fast. I’m getting tired of the drought.” Bria walked back into the living room and plopped down on the couch.
“When was the last time you got you some?”
“Little over a year,” she sighed.
“Damn, that long? I can barely go two days. Why so long?”
“Well, after that jerk got some chick pregnant a fe
w months before our wedding and had the audacity to still want to get married, I needed a break from sex or anything serious. Besides, I have a three-month rule.”
“I just thought by now you would’ve given some water to the drought. I thought you were at least dating.”
“I’ve been on dates, but no one has made it to three months. I’d rather be in a serious, monogamous relationship before giving up the goodies. Even though sometimes I wish I had a sex buddy, but I just laugh it off. It’s a crazy idea anyway, even though I’ve had sex buddies before.”
“What about that fine Rasheed Vincent? I still don’t see how you two are just friends. He looks like he can handle himself in the bedroom or wherever you wanted him to handle it. Brotha is fine!”
Rasheed? He would be the last person she’d want to be sex buddies with. Just her luck she’d fall harder for him than she already had, and then he would bounce like he always does. No … not him. Anybody but him.
“Yes, he is definitely a fine piece of chocolate, but he would be the last person I would even consider.”
“Uh huh. So in other words, you want him.”
“I didn’t say that. I just um …”
“Want him. You said when you first met, he was flirting with you, and you shut that way down. I’m not saying marry the guy; just get you some with no strings attached, unless you’re into that kind of thing.”
She pondered Taylor’s no strings attached advice, even though for some reason Bria could imagine Rasheed tying her up and intoxicating her with kisses all over until he drove her up a wall. Maybe Rasheed as a sex buddy wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. He was definitely a playboy who had no interests in settling down. Even though she wanted to get married eventually, her main concern at present was making a wise decision about her career.
Taylor was right. It was time to give some water to the drought, but was Rasheed the right man for the job? Wait, of course he was. She could only imagine how great he was in bed. The thought sent a quiver through her. She couldn’t believe she was actually pondering such a thing and with him of all people. She shook her ridiculous thoughts away.
“Taylor, right now my main concern is …” Bria stopped as a thunderous bang started on the door, followed by the doorbell ringing as if it were a fire alarm. Then she heard her name in a loud, deep voice that belonged to the last person she wanted to see.
“Bria Arrington, I know you’re in there,” Rasheed shouted.
Great!
The song “Funeral March” by Chopin played in her head. The dark piano chords reverberated with each beat of her heart.
“Taylor, I have to go,” she said, walking toward the door, as the song in her head got louder with each step. “I’ll call you when I know for sure I’m coming to Atlanta.”
Bria placed the cell phone on the foyer table and opened the door. There Rasheed stood tall, mad, and exquisite in an all-black-everything ensemble with a turtleneck sweater, slacks, and a double-breasted pea coat. The only non-black item was the beige-plaid Burberry scarf she’d given him for Christmas. His diamond earring sparkled in his left ear, and he smelled like he’d just stepped out of the shower—her favorite scent on a man. In his hand, he held a take-out bag from Lillian’s. On his face, he wore a scowl expression. Even though it was kind of sexy, she knew he was upset with her.
He walked in quietly and closed the door. He gave her a scathing look and handed her the bag.
“I thought you had an emergency at the hospital, Dr. Arrington.”
Rasheed’s sarcastic tone made her turn on her heel, whisper a quick, “oh no,” and walk toward the living room. She knew when he was angry but because she had never personally felt his anger before, she was at a loss for words and didn’t have an appetite for whatever tasty dish he brought her from Lillian’s. Usually, the always hungry and ready-to-eat Bria would’ve ripped open the bag and begun to devour the meal. She could sense his eyes on the back of her neck as he strolled behind her, each hard click of his shoes on the hardwood scared her, and she wasn’t sure why.
No, she knew why. She was vulnerable and horny, and he had the audacity to show up mad, fine as hell, and smelling good enough to eat. Of course, it wasn’t anything new. She’d been attracted to his charm and sexiness since day one, which was why she avoided her feelings for him. But his deep, provocative kiss still lingered on her lips and clouded her head. It had awakened in her a desire of wanting him so bad she was scared she would jump him any minute to extinguish the lust and yearning burning through her.
She set the bag on the coffee table and then resumed her position on the couch. He took off his jacket and flung it over a chair but left the scarf around his neck. He glanced at her before he wandered to the kitchen.
“Rasheed?” She looked over the back of the couch to see what he was doing.
“What?”
“I … um …” There was a short pause. “See, what had happened was …”
“Don’t try to lie.” He returned from the kitchen with a bottle of beer. She always kept his favorite beer stocked in the refrigerator. He sat down on the opposite end of the couch and settled his questioning eyes on her face. He glanced at her pink scrubs and gave a half-cocky smile. “I went by the hospital to bring you something to eat. I know with Shelbi gone and since you don’t cook, I thought you might be hungry, and I wanted to take you out tonight. I wanted to make sure my friend ate more than just cereal and sandwiches for dinner.”
“Rasheed …”
“But you know what, Bree, when I got to the hospital, you weren’t there. I ran into Raven who had just delivered a baby. She said you left the practice at your regular time.”
Bria sat silent for a moment trying to think of a good lie to tell him. She sighed. She didn’t know how to lie to Rasheed.
She answered in a soft tone, looking straight ahead out the window at the Arcade Restaurant sign across the street. “I was scared to go to dinner with you.”
“Why were you scared?” He stood, blocking her view of the window so that now she had to look at him. “We go to dinner all the time.”
“Rasheed …” she turned her head away from him and ran a nervous hand through her hair.
“You keep saying my name, but you aren’t explaining anything.”
What was there to explain? She couldn’t possibly tell the player of the year that his intoxicating kiss was keeping her up at night reliving every second of it. She’d tried to imagine how his lips would feel on other places while his hands traveled along her legs to her thighs and in between. How could she explain that she had lain in the bed last night pretending her hands were his hands roaming her body until they reached her panties? She gave herself an orgasm so powerful that she called out his name three times before falling asleep completely satisfied.
“We shouldn’t have kissed, Rasheed,” she said with a tremble in her voice.
“Are we on that again?” he asked in an annoyed toned. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me? I thought you said we were cool.”
“Well, I thought so, too. I just didn’t want any awkwardness between us so I figured we needed … no, I needed a few days or so, that’s all.”
He sat down in the chair where he’d tossed his coat and exhaled a deep sigh. An expression of discontent crossed his handsome face, and he ran his hands down it which washed the expression away and turned it into a serious one.
“Bria, you said you didn’t want to start anything between us when we were dancing at the reception, despite the fact that wasn’t a friendly kissed we shared.”
“But we’re friends and friends—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he said sarcastically. “Friends don’t get all hot and bothered for each other.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“I’m being serious.”
His chocolate eyes probed hers, and a gloomy expression crossed his features.
“Bria … I … never mind.” There was a look of sorrow on his face and his voice held regret
.
He was silent for a moment, deep in thought, and then stood. She froze and held her breath as he walked toward her. She thought he was about to kiss her again. Instead, he sat down next to her on the couch. He reached over and caressed her hand, sending electric volts through her. He’d done something similar a million times before, but now the slightest touch from him was intoxicating. Doesn’t he realize what he’s doing to mef?
“Okay, truce. I won’t mention the kiss again if you promise to come to me and discuss what’s on your mind, even if I’m the one that’s on your mind. Understand?”
She nodded quickly because if she said what she was really thinking, they’d be doing more than kissing, and she needed to get a grip.
“I see your scarf arrived.” She backed one cushion away from him on the couch. He was too close for comfort. His commanding presence and invigorating scent were causing warm sensations between her thighs just like last night.
A warm, sexy smile stretched across his face. “Yep, it arrived a few days before the wedding, but I didn’t open it until Christmas morning.” He looked down at it and smiled. “The first gift I opened. I tried calling you, but your cell was off.”
“The battery had died,” she lied, and by the way he raised his eyebrow with a questioning look, he knew she was.
“It would’ve been better to actually hear your voice on Christmas morning, but thank you for the scarf. I love it. It’s definitely me.”
“I’m glad you like it. It’s hard to shop for a man who has everything he needs and wants.”
“I don’t have everything I need or want, but it’s all good, you know?” His expression was solemn. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I have something for you as well. I wanted to bring it to you on Christmas, but you were incognito.”
He reached over to the coffee table and pulled out a small blue Tiffany’s bag from the Lillian’s bag and handed it to her.
She opened it and then proceeded to open the small blue box inside. To her astonishment, it was a heart-shaped key pendant necklace. She pulled it out and held it up, admiring the elegant necklace.
