by Y. L. Stokes
“Your brother has one strike against him,” Dorian declared giving her a quick kiss before he went to answer the door trying to get his body under control.
Cedrick took in the huge mansion, his senses reading the home and was satisfied when he didn’t sense anything evil. His attention was drawn to the tall white man who answered the door. He watched as the man hugged Stephanie quickly not lingering or holding her too tightly.
“It’s good seeing you again Stephanie,” he said releasing her.
Cedrick held out his hand staring him in the eyes and he noticed the man matched him in height.
“So you are the man who is connected to my sister,” Cedrick asked.
Dorian smiled, accepting the man’s hand. “Yes I am and it is a pleasure to meet you finally. Come on in I know Cerita’s feeling a little anxious.” Dorian stepped back to allow them entrance.
Cedrick took a look around and was extremely impressed by what he saw. It wasn’t overly done showing off money, but was subtle and tastefully done.
“So you own several restaurants and a marketing company” Cedrick stated as he followed Dorian through the foyer into the dining room on the way to the kitchen.
“Yes my cousin and I own them jointly with our parents being silent partners as such and a great number of our employees are family members.” Dorian showed them where they could wash up as he continued into the kitchen where he found Cerita nervously stirring his pots. “Honey I wish you’d stay out of my pots; you don’t let me stir yours when you’re cooking.”
Cerita replaced the lid before turning to face him. “Well maybe I’ll let you help me from now on.”
Dorian shook his head. “Oh no, don’t make promises because you are nervous. You don’t have to worry, no matter what I’ll get along with your brother because he is important to you and you are very important to me.”
His words and the promise in his eyes washed away her nervousness; cupping his face she brought his mouth to hers. “Thank you so much for being who you are,” she whispered against his lips.
“I believe a lot of people will thank you for making me the person that I am today,” he countered laughing pulling her into his arms.
Cedrick stood in the doorway watching the byplay between his baby sister and this man. He saw exactly what Stephanie had mentioned between them. He would go along with this man being in his sister’s life as long as he protected her and loved her he didn’t have a problem.
Dinner was a grand success and Cedrick really enjoyed Dorian’s affect on his baby sister. “I think you are having a positive effect on Cerita and I want to thank you,” Cedrick said as he and Dorian stood out on the patio drinking a bottled beer.
“You don’t have to thank me Cedrick I should be thanking you for protecting her all this time until fate brought us together.”
Cedrick smiled. “So you believe in fate also huh.” Cedrick stated laughing.
“Yes as a matter of fact I do,” Dorian responded.
“Our parents instilled in both of us that fate would bring our better half into our lives when we least expect it. That’s what happened with Stephanie and I and it appears it’s happened between you and Cerita.”
“What do you know about Cerita’s ex Ben?” Dorian asked before they returned to the women. Dorian explained to Cedrick the anger he’d felt radiating from the man at the restaurant and how he’d shielded Cerita.
“I don’t think he believed that she meant what she’d said when she’d ended their relationship. Stephanie told me he’d told her that it wasn’t over.”
Dorian frowned not liking what he was hearing. “Do you think he knows about her gifts? I’m sure she wouldn’t have ever allowed him a glimpse of what she is capable of, but I’m thinking that maybe he knew about her before he started dating her.”
Cedrick nodded. “I’ll have some friends of mine take a look into his background. I’m starting to wonder if he is who he says he is.”
“Is this a private party or are we able to join?” Stephanie asked.
Cedrick pulled her into his arms resting his hands on her rounding belly.
“I think I’d better get you guy’s home to get some rest.”
Stephanie laughed. “You only want to get me home and have your way with me. That’s why I’m in the predicament I’m in now,” she teased.
Cedrick pulled his baby sister into his arms, “I like him and I’ll continue to like him as long as he keeps you smiling. I haven’t seen you this happy in a very long time.”
Cerita watched as the man she was falling in love with and her brother embraced as brothers and she had to fight to keep the tears at bay.
“I like your brother. He is really cool and not stuck up as someone normally is with his kind of money.”
Cerita leaned back to stare up into his face. “How do you know how much money my brother has?” she asked crossing her arms over her chest.
Dorian rolled his eyes. “The same way he knows how much I have and don’t go getting all pissy.” he said seeing the storm clouds building. “We both care about you and wanted to know about each other as much as we could.”
She wanted to be angry but couldn’t find a reason why. She knew that Cedrick would check into Dorian’s background and she guess she figured Dorian would do the same thing besides it wasn’t worth getting into an argument over it.
Ben sat across the street from Cerita’s apartment complex wondering what time she would be coming home. He checked his watch again and saw that it was almost two o’clock in the morning and she wasn’t home. Feeling his anger rise he decided it would be better if he didn’t confront her until he was able to get his anger under control. If she thought he would give up and walk away, she had another thing coming. She belonged to him and no matter what the old man or the muscle bound white boy thought, she would be his until he said otherwise. He drove away from her complex and headed home. Hopefully the old man would be in bed and wouldn’t demand an update on his progress, but if he wasn’t he’d come up with something to tell him to keep him unaware of what the real plan was.
Dorian felt as if he was in the center of a furnace his body temperature seemed to be spiking. His cock throbbed painfully and he dreamed of Cerita running the tip of her tongue around the tip of his swollen cock. The loud growl he uttered brought him awake when his eyes opened to find Cerita doing what he’d been dreaming about. Her long silky hair brushed against his thighs as she worked his cock over with her mouth and hands. His hands tangled in her hair as his hips moved in time with her ministrations. She drove him to and over the edge until he exploded screaming her name his hips driving his come down her throat.
Cerita groaned at the taste of him and the power she had over his body as it was the same power he had over her. Smiling Cerita crawled up the length of him licking her lips. “Do you like your wake up call baby?” she purred.
“Oh hell yes, I loved it and now it’s my turn,” he said before flipping her beneath him and capturing her mouth. His tongue stroked and dueled with hers before he tore his mouth away raining kisses alongside her neck leading down to her full breasts. Dorian captured a puckered nipple sucking it gently drawing deep moans from her. He continued on his journey until he came to his treasure. She was wet and hungry for him and he was starving for a taste of her sweet pussy. No he corrected it was his pussy and his alone, they both groaned when his tongue parted her moist folds. He alternated between licking, feeding and sucking driving her to the point of no return. When she arched and screamed his name he lapped up every drop of her sweet juice. “I can never get enough of the taste of you or my sweet pussy,” Dorian declared.
“Oh so it’s your pussy huh?” Cerita asked laughing.
“Damn right and I’ll take out anyone that disputes my claim.” Dorian drove his cock into her halting any rebuttal she may have in response to his threat. He knew that otherwise she would have pitched a fit at his high handedness.
Cerita arched into him loving the feel of h
is thick cock stretching her and filling her completely. She met his forceful thrust head on drawing him deeper within her tight tunnel. He tilted her hips going deeper into her body tightening around him fitting like a tailor made glove. Dorian increased the force and speed of his thrusts driving them both to an explosive and powerful climax.
Dorian lay awake long after Cerita had drifted off to sleep his mind a riot of thoughts on what his true feelings for her were and hers for him. He knew he was falling in love with her hard and fast, but he feared she didn’t feel the same for him. He could read her mind and share some of her thoughts but he couldn’t' read her heart. He vowed that during the time she was here with him helping with the kids he would somehow work up the nerve to actually ask her how she felt.
Chapter Eight
Cerita leaned down over Dorian’s body and gently nipped at his bottom lip before taking it into her mouth to suck it. In a flash she found herself pinned beneath him with his mouth devouring hers. “I’m sorry baby, but you don’t have time for anything other than the kiss. Roland and Thelma will be here soon with the kids and I want to have breakfast started when they get here.”
Dorian dropped his forehead to hers groaning loudly. “What in the hell made me come up with this idea?”
She smiled pushing him up and toward the bathroom to shower.
She had just finished making the pancake mix and frying the bacon when the doorbell chimed. She made her way to the door to answer and she could tell by the look on the adults faces they hadn’t expected her to answer the door.
“Hi I’m Cerita, you must be Thelma and Roland, come on in, Dorian’s up in the shower and should be down in a few minutes.” she said to the adults using her best customer friendly persona. She then turned to the little ones, “You must be Roland Jr.; Darren and Antoinette, and it’s a pleasure to meet all three of you.”
Roland and Thelma waited for their little monsters to eat her alive and were totally surprised especially by their youngest Antoinette when she held her arms out for Cerita to pick her up.
“You are adorable, how would you guys like some pancakes for breakfast.”
The two adults watched as their normally rambunctious kids followed behind Cerita as if they’d known her for as long as they’d known Dorian and Anthony.
Dorian came down the stairs to find his best friend and his wife standing in the foyer staring towards the kitchen. “I take it the kids are with Cerita,” he stated matter of factly gaining their attention.
“I just want to know who she is and how much does she charge to move in?” Thelma asked.
Dorian embraced his best friend and his wife glad to have them there and overjoyed that they got a chance to meet Cerita. He didn’t look too closely at the reasons why he’d wanted them to meet her and like her mattered to him, but it did.
“Okay, spill it. How did you meet her and how long has this been going on?”
He smiled having known that Thelma would be the one to ask that question.
“Anthony’s latest girlfriend hired Cerita’s company to cater a surprise party for him and the party was held here. I woke up and found her in my kitchen setting up for the party.” He decided not to mention the instant attraction he’d felt upon laying eyes on her, but he had a feeling that neither Roland nor Thelma had missed it. “I’d asked to hire her company to come in and provide meals for the kids and I while you guys were gone and she finally agreed.”
Roland frowned, “Are you still paying her, cause bro, that’s like wrong.”
Dorian halted his friend’s words, “Bo man, not for her being here.” He explained to them that things had changed when Cerita’s company had been hired to cater the retirement party for his father’s friend.
Thelma smiled, “Good otherwise I’d have to kick your ass, for disrespecting her. I can tell Cerita is a good person just because of the way the kids took to her and you know how selective they are when it comes to meeting new people.”
Dorian’s smile spread wide lighting up his handsome face at hearing that.
“Have you bonded with her yet?” Roland asked Dorian.
“Not yet, we actually haven’t talked about that or what it entails.” He knew that Roland saw the uncertainty in his eyes and knew why it hadn’t been discussed. Dorian knew what was coming and luckily he was saved from further interrogation by the ringing of his phone.
He let out a sigh of relief as Roland and Thelma headed to the kitchen with the smell of bacon and pancakes calling to them.
“That was Anthony, he’s on his way here and said that you two couldn’t leave until he got here,” Dorian informed them upon entering the kitchen and without thought to his audience he walked over to where Cerita sat with Antoinette in her lap and gave both of them a kiss. He walked over to RJ and Darren grabbing both of them into a big bear hug. As they ate, he explained to Cerita how they all had met and became best friends.
Anthony let himself in using his key calling out to his niece and nephews, “Where are my Antoinette and my two favorite nephews?” he called out.
Antoinette scrambled down from Cerita’s lap and followed her two brothers out to greet Anthony. When he walked into the kitchen moments later he was carrying Antoinette in his arms with a boy wrapped around each leg as he slowly made his way.
“Oh man something smells good, I hope there is enough for me,” he said as he gave Antoinette another kiss before he sat her back on Cerita’s lap. Anthony quickly washed up before digging in. Anthony walked over and gave Cerita a quick kiss on the cheek ignoring the glare from his cousin. He then walked over to Thelma, “Have you come to your senses and decided to leave this nut and run away with me?”
“What about Larissa?” Roland asked pretending to be jealous.
“What about her? I’m not bonding with her so she doesn’t count,” he said missing the frown from Dorian.
Chapter Nine
The time they spent with the kids were magical and made Cerita wish for children of her own. It was a struggle to keep the tears at bay when Roland and Thelma returned to pick up the kids. They’d only been gone a little over two hours and she already missed them dearly.
“What are you doing up here all by yourself?” Dorian asked slipping his arm around her waist pulling her body back up against his.
“I was missing the kids, I had such a wonderful time spoiling them along with you and it just made me…” She stopped before she revealed her desire for kids of her own. “What is bonding?” she asked totally throwing him off guard.
“Ah bonding,” he hedged. “It’s sort of like marriage, a private ceremony between life mates,” he said before quickly changing the subject.
Cerita sat in her bed thinking about the way Dorian had brushed off her questions about bonding. She smiled at how he’d tried everything to help her get over missing the kids and he’d done a wonderful job at it too. She’d been pampered and loved all day and now she sat up in bed in her apartment missing him terribly. She’d made him promise to sleep the rejuvenating sleep she knew his body needed since he’d spent more time outside than usual with her and the kids for the three weeks that they were here. Not being able to sleep Cerita decided to see if Cedrick was awake also. She used the same mental path they’d always used as kids when they’d been sent to their rooms as punishment for one thing or another. “Hey big brother, are you sleeping?”
Cedrick immediately responded, “Not any longer runt, what’s bothering you.”
Cerita smiled, he’d always known when something was bothering her. “I wanted to know about bonding and before you ask, I did ask Dorian and he just told me it was like marriage and left it at that.”
“I can guess why he kind of brushed you off, because I did the same thing with Stephanie,” Cedrick confessed. He told her everything about bonding and what it meant.
“So when you realized you were in love with Stephanie, you did the same thing that Dorian is doing to me because you weren’t sure how Stephanie felt about you or if s
he loved you enough to want to bond with you.”
Cedrick could hear her surprise that he was afraid, “Believe it or not, I was afraid of losing her or if we had bonded and she didn’t love me as much as I loved her she would grow to hate me. See if people who aren’t fated to be bonded mates, bond things can turn dangerous. Once bonded the male can only have sexual relations with the woman that he’s bonded with, whereas the female can go about taking lovers upon lovers and within time the love that the male feels for her can quickly turn to hate and that makes it all the more dangerous. I know from my own experience that Dorian knows you would never take on another lover, his fear is you would grow to hate him and that is something he will refuse to chance.”
Cerita had a feeling there was something that he was holding back, “What happens if he doesn’t bond with his chosen mate?” she prompted.
“Then he will begin to lose his powers and once an immortal begins to lose his powers he has to make a choice of whether or not he will allow them to fade away, or if he will chose to become evil.”
Cerita’s heart pounded in her chest and she knew she couldn’t allow that to happen. “What do I need to do to prove to him that I love him and he and I belong together?” Cerita listened as her brother gave her all of the tips he could think of and suggested she speak with Stephanie to find out what she’d done to finally break down his defenses. After her talk with her brother Cerita felt confident that she would be able to do what was needed to prove to Dorian that she loved him and she was his chosen mate and he’d just have to accept it.
Dorian felt the restlessness growing stronger within him and he knew it was because his soul knew that Cerita was his mate, but his heart and mind refused to take the chance on her not feeling the same way. The restlessness left him whenever she was with him, especially at night. Unfortunately this week was a busy week for her and Stephanie and he’d only got a few chances to see and spend time with her between the parties they were handling, which seemed to be increasing the closer it got to the holidays.
