Smoldering

by Tiffany Aleman

  “I… need… you… Rileeeyyyy.” I groan.

  “I know, baby. I know,” he whispers between kisses as his nose skims up and over my stomach. He leans back, grabs my hands, and helps me to sit. As he lifts my shirt over my head, he unhooks my bra, and I’m left completely bare. I reach out with nimble fingers and repeat the same process. I strip him of his shirt, jeans, and boxers. As he begins to crawl onto the bed, I scoot back, making room for him. Riley leans over me as I lay back, the coolness of the sheets hitting my heated skin. He cages me in with his arms as he rests the majority of his weight on his forearms.

  “I love you.” It’s a whisper, but the power of those words could have been shouted out to the world. “You’re my sanctuary. You make me feel safe and secure.” I place one hand on his heart as he slowly pushes into me. “In here, you hold my happiness and heart.”

  No space is left between our bodies as we show each other just how much love we have for one another. My legs wrap around his waist as he peppers sweet kisses along my throat and jaw until his lips find mine. And this right here is what love is. It’s not hurried and rushed, not lies and deceit. It’s tender and giving, honest and trusting. It’s the value of actions speaking louder than words.

  I may have given him my heart with blind faith, but it’s a choice I’ll never regret making, because in the end, no matter what happens between the two of us, Riley will be the best decision I’ve ever made. I can only hope that I’m his.

  “Tell me about your family?” I whisper.

  Snuggling in closer to his side, my head rests on his chest and I draw mindless shapes with the tips of my fingers onto his stomach. Riley has one hand tucked under his head and the other tracing patterns on my hip. After our love making session, the duvet wound up on the floor, so Riley wrapped the both of us up in his sheet.

  “My mom is one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. She’s very loyal to her family and will do anything to protect us. She’s quite the philanthropist, always involved in different charities. My family is pretty popular where I’m from. My mom, Lana, works closely with some of the politicians’ wives from my state in different communities. She’s the type of woman that enjoys giving back the good in her life. After I was born, she had complications that led to her having to have a hysterectomy. So we’ve always been really close.

  “When I was a kid, never once did my mother miss reading me a bedtime story. If I fell and got hurt, she always kissed my injury and made it better. Sometimes we’d go on vacations, just the two of us if my dad couldn’t get off work, or we’d take road trips and spend the day at a new and different zoo or the batting cages. I’ve always thought she hung the moon,” he whispers. “When I joined the Army, she had a really hard time coming to terms with my decision. Especially knowing that there’s always the possibility that I could deploy and may not make it back. But she respected my choice and let me do what I thought I needed to do for me.”

  I smile at the picture he’s creating of him and his mother. I’m happy for him. Happy that he had such a wonderful childhood. Happy he and his mother share such an amazing bond. Happy that his mother knows what a wonderful son she has and revels in it.

  “And your dad?” I ask softly.

  “My dad… my dad is my Hero. He always made it a point to play catch with me even if he was dead tired. When it was time for me to learn how to ride my bike, he was the one who taught me, and my mom stood on the sidelines as my cheerleader. Not once did he miss a football game, and when I needed to practice, he was right there with me, supporting and coaching me. When I decided I didn’t want to go into the family business, he supported my decision wholeheartedly. All he’d said was when or if I wanted, there would always be a job waiting for me.”

  “How did he take it when you joined the military?”

  “Not as bad as my mom did, that’s for sure.” I can feel him shrug beneath me. “He understood and thought it was a noble thing for me to do. I’m sure, like my mom, he had his own reservations and fears, but none that he’ll announce to me, at least.”

  A soft chuckle escapes him. “I grew up on a plantation in a small town just outside of Talladega, Alabama. My mom was in the kitchen making an apple pie. Little did she know, I snuck around the island and hid. When she turned her back to stir the sauce, I snatched the plate of apples and ran. You know how they say parents have eyes in the back of their heads. I think it’s true. There’s not a damn thing I did that my folks didn’t know about.”

  “Sounds like you got into a lot of trouble.” I lift up on my elbows and look at him with a smile on my face.

  “Not really. No more than the average kid, I guess.” He shakes his head. “I was raised with respect. Family is everything where I come from. When all is said and done, and at the end of the day, they will be the only ones to have your back through thick and thin.”

  “Not all families are like that,” I whisper, diverting my eyes from his. What I wouldn’t give to have a family that supported all of my decisions and loved me unconditionally. But that shit only exists in some people’s worlds, and mine is not one of them.

  “What do you mean?” Riley asks confused.

  My eyes find his and I know I can trust him with my past. I just don’t want to taint him with it.

  “My parents were not the kind of people who would have had my back, no matter what. They have always been all about themselves and their pristine lives and their image.”

  “What do you mean, pristine lives?” he asks, his brows scrunched in confusion.

  I take a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “I haven’t seen or spoken to my parents in two years. When I didn’t follow through with their plans of how my life should have turned out, they turned their backs on me.”

  “What happened?” He brings a hand up and cups my cheek, his thumb stroking my cheek.

  I shake my head. “I really don’t want to talk about it. It’s in the past,” I whisper as I fight back the tears welling up in my eyes.

  “Okay.” He nods. “But know this, I’m here for you in more ways than one. I’m not just your lover. I’m also your friend, your confidant, and I’ll be here to listen whenever you need me. We’re partners. ”

  I lean forward, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. “I love you.”

  Floating.

  That is the only word to describe how I feel right now. Ever since Riley and I declared our love for one another a few weeks ago, I feel like I’ve been walking on air. I’m always smiling. My soul feels light. The heavy burdens of my past no longer exist. I’m in a constant state of euphoria and not even a hurricane could dampen my mood.

  “Holy. Shit,” Jen says from behind me as I make a cup of coffee.

  “Huh?” I look at her over my shoulder with a permanent smile etched on my face.

  “You told him you love him, didn’t you?” she asks. Her eyes are wide and her jaw is agape as she just stares at me stunned.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I shake my head, laughing at her expression.

  She comes further into the kitchen to stand beside me. “Yes, you did,” she laughs out. “I knew it. These past few times that we’ve seen each other in passing, you’ve looked different, acted different. Hell, you might as well have tattooed ‘I love Riley Jackson, God of all Pilots’ on your forehead.”

  “So.” I look at her over the rim of my coffee cup, taking a sip as I shrug.

  “Do you plan on giving me any details or am I going to have to force it out of you?” Jen crosses her arms over her chest and shoots me a pointed glare. I’m not really into giving out details of my life, but I also know Jen doesn’t issue threats and not follow through with them. I can see the wheels turning in her head as she plans how to make me spill the details of my relationship with Riley.

  “Jen, he’s amazing.” I sigh dreamily. “He’s so sweet and thoughtful and always says the right things. And you should see him in his flight suit.” My eyes roll back in my head as I groan. “
Think Iceman from Top Gun.”

  “No shit,” she gasps.

  I nod. “Yep, but so much hotter because his face is a little thinner, which makes his cheekbones more prominent.” I smile like the cat who’s eaten the canary. That’s right. My man’s that hot and all mine. “Also, he took me on a date to his work.” I take a seat in a chair at the dining room table and turn it to face her.

  “To his work?” she shrieks.

  “You don’t understand. He packed a picnic and we ate in one of the helicopters he flies.” I shake my head.

  “Did you have sex in this helicopter?” she asks with a smirk as she hops up on the counter.

  “Mayyybeee,” I draw out, laughing. “But we talked and got to know each other a little better.”

  “Enough about the lame shit. How’s the sex?” Her legs swing back and forth, the back of her heels softly hitting the cabinet door. “You have had sex with him, right? Tell me you’ve not been making that man wai—”

  “Yes, we’ve had sex,” I interject, cutting off her rambling.

  “Annnddd?” she draws out, waiting for me to go into detail.

  “The. Best. I’ve. Ever. Had,” I answer as I stand and make my way to my room, coffee in hand. I leave her in the kitchen to think about what makes him the best I’ve ever had, and knowing Jen, she’s probably imaging some Cirque Du Soleil moves.

  “Babe? You almost ready?” Riley peeks into my bathroom door. He looks handsome in his two-toned jeans and white shirt hidden beneath his fitted, brown leather jacket.

  After one final sweep of lip-gloss, I rub my lips together spreading the gloss evenly around. I look at Riley’s reflection in the mirror. “Yep. Just let me grab my purse and we can go.” I spin around and pull him to me by the collar of his jacket. “You look amazing tonight,” I say in a husky whisper.

  His eyes slowly rake over my body as he wraps his arms around my waist. “I don’t know about that. But I am damn certain you look downright sinful.” His hands drop from my waist to squeeze my ass. “These tight, black leather pants leave little to the imagination.” One of his hands leaves my ass only to run two fingers through the cleavage of my white halter-top embellished with black lace. “And this top makes me want to go all caveman on your ass and tell you to change.” Riley’s eyes drop from where his fingers trace the swells of my breasts to my feet. “And those fucking heels?” He shakes his head. “I hope you don’t plan on taking them off when we get home tonight.” He groans as he bends to place a kiss just beneath my chin. I lean into him as his nose skims slowly up my neck to my ear. He blows out a harsh breath before he whispers, “Because I plan on fucking you with those on tonight.”

  “Will you quit getting my girl all hot so we can leave?” Jen shouts from behind us with a smirk on her face.

  At first, I wasn’t sure she and Riley would get along, but now I don’t have any qualms about it. If anything, they joke and argue more like a brother and sister than anything, which couldn’t make me happier. It would have been really difficult if the two most important people in my life did not get along.

  My head drops to Riley’s shoulder in embarrassment. His hands smooth up and down my back. “Don’t worry about it, babe. Jen’s just jealous she doesn’t have a man whispering sweet nothings in her ear.”

  “Yeah. That’s it.” She laughs evilly. “The stuff you whisper in Kels’ ears is child’s play compared to what I like.”

  Both of our heads swing in her direction with shocked expressions on our faces.

  “Chew on that, assholes,” she jokes.

  I burst out in laughter, not because I think she’s joking, but because she’s speaking the truth. We’ve lived together for a little over two years now, and our walls don’t hold the best of secrets. No, I’m laughing because, for once, Riley doesn’t have a comeback.

  “Okay, you two.” I look at Riley. “Where are we supposed to meet your friends?”

  “Downtown at a hole in the wall karaoke bar, Rock Stars.”

  Inwardly I groan because I hate karaoke, but Jen loves it and thought it would be an awesome place to go. Riley agreed. There’s only one way I sing karaoke and that’s if I’m drunk. Then it isn’t actually singing. It’s more like a slow, slurred, butchered version of someone else’s song that I’m sure to the sober ear is worse than nails on a chalkboard.

  I walk out of the bathroom to retrieve my purse off my dresser. Riley and Jen bypass me as they file out into the living room. With his phone in his hand, Riley texts something before slipping it in his pocket. “Brad just said he and Candace will meet us there in twenty minutes.”

  As soon as we’re in the cab, Jen looks at me with a mischievous smile. “You ready to sing some karaoke with me?” She jabs me in the ribs with her elbow as she laughs.

  “You know better than to ask me that.” I shoot her pointed look.

  “Why’s that babe?” Riley drapes his arm over my shoulder, pulling me into him.

  “Oh, you don’t know?” Jen asks with a raised brow. “This one here hates karaoke.”

  “You get stage fright?” Riley whispers in my ear.

  “No. I just don’t enjoy making a fool of myself.” I shake my head.

  “It’s okay though, Riley. As long as we keep feeding her drinks, eventually she’ll get up there. She always does,” Jen states with confidence.

  When the cab pulls up next to Rock Stars, Riley pays the fare and we all clamber out of the taxi. He laces his fingers with mine as we wait outside in the short line to get in.

  “I’m half tempted to make you put my jacket on so all these horny ass men will stop staring at you,” Riley whispers in my ear.

  Jen rolls her eyes and sticks a finger down her throat. I laugh at them both and turn to look at him.

  “Yeah.” I nod. “You might want to do that, but you won’t.”

  “And why’s that?” he asks.

  I shrug. “Because then you can’t look at me. And I happen to think I look nice tonight and you wouldn’t cover up all my hard work.” I smile sweetly at him as I tap his clean-shaven cheek.

  “IDs please?” the bouncer asks, breaking up our conversation. All three of us fish out our identification, the bouncer straps on our wristbands, and we walk inside to the throbbing base of eighties music.

  Not big by any standards, Rock Stars is quaint and obviously a popular place for the locals. Booths cover one side of the building, a small stage just large enough for three people sits tucked in the opposite corner, and a crowded, busy bar butts up to the stage. In the center, stray tables and chairs are already overflowing with patrons. On the stage stands a mid-thirty-something woman with bleach blonde hair and clothes so tight the distressed seams all but scream to break free. Pulsing green, red, and yellow lights shine down on her, making her appear to be the rock star that she believes she is as she belts out Like A Virgin by Madonna. I roll my eyes at her choice of song. How cliché.

  “Brad,” Riley says, pulling my attention back to him. “This is Kelsey.”

  Brad reaches his hand out to me and I almost laugh as I return the gesture because he and Riley look so alike that most people could assume they’re related. Brad stands a couple inches shorter than Riley with fuller cheeks, a leaner build, and his eyes a deeper shade of blue. Other than that, everything else is the same.

  “And this is his wife, Candace,” Riley continues.

  I go to shake Candace’s hand, but she bats it away.

  “Oh, please.” She laughs as she wraps me in a hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she states as she pulls back to look at me.

  Her red hair is pulled into a braid that wraps around the side of her head until it lies against her shoulder. She has green eyes so vibrant and a smile so genuine you can’t help but stare at her.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” I turn to Jen. “And this is my best friend Jen.”

  “Why don’t we all have a seat?” Brad asks as he sweeps a hand towards an empty table.

  My hand slaps
the table, causing the dozen or so empty shot glasses to rattle from the force. “He did not do that?” I laugh out.

  “Oh, you have no idea,” Candace says, leaning into Jen and me like what we’re talking about is some big secret.

  “You should have seen it. He and Brad looked more like women than we do right now.” Candace laughs out.

  “What?” Riley and Brad ask with nonchalance at the same time.

  “We lost a bet with our Commander. Brad and I were rooting for the Giants and the Commander was going for the Packers. The bet was if our team lost, we had to show up to morning formation dressed like women,” Riley explains with a grimace.

  “And if he lost?” Jen asks with a grin so wide I’m sure her cheeks hurt.

  “He had to show up in Giants gear.”

  “You so got the shit end of the stick.” Tears well up in my eyes from laughing so hard. “Is that why you like my shoes so much, babe?”

  “No. And keep toying with me and you’ll find out sooner than you think why I like those shoes.” Riley’s eyebrows shoot up.

  “What did y’all wear?” Jen asks completely fascinated.

  Brad and Riley look at each other and shake their heads.

  “Here, babe,” Riley hands me a shot of my favorite poison, tequila. “Drink up.” He winks as he clinks his glass with mine. The burn wore off a while ago, leaving my face and teeth numb.

  Since Brad and my hot date seem not to want to answer the previous question, Candace does it for them. “Brad dressed in a miniskirt, red sleeveless top, and a jet black wig cut in a bob.”

  “Damn, babe, you don’t have to sound jealous when you say it,” Brad jokes as he leans in to kiss his wife.

  “Riley,” she shakes her head, “he wore a coral color, flowing skirt, you know, the ones that stop at the knees, a white, strapless shirt that tied in the back with a pair of white, lacy flats and a long, blonde wig.”

  Jen throws her head back, uncontrollable laughter erupting from her.