Southern Love

by Synithia Williams

  Kenyatta leaned over and hugged her father. His fight to control his tears was almost her undoing. She hated seeing her parents so upset over her.

  “Has he called?” her mom asked.

  She shook her head. “No, I haven’t heard from him all day. I’m guessing he’s too upset about his actions. I don’t plan to see him again. If he wants to explain himself, it’ll have to be over the phone.”

  “I wouldn’t take his call. Just cut him completely out of your life,” her mom said.

  “Why did he do this?” her dad asked.

  Kenyatta cleared her throat and tried to think of a nice way to put it. At least Carol hadn’t told her parents the entire story. She looked at Malcolm standing across the room giving her and her parents space. He gave her a crooked smile that caused her heart to lurch. I think I love him.

  “I broke off our engagement, because I … I felt I should see other people.” Malcolm raised an eyebrow when she said that, and she smiled. “Another person actually.”

  Her parents followed her line of sight. From the glances they exchanged with each other, she knew they were wondering why he was there. Kenyatta watched her mom for signs of disapproval as she sized up Malcolm.

  “Mom, Dad, you both know Malcolm, my soon-to-be former boss.”

  Malcolm walked over and sat in the chair opposite the couch.

  “Malcolm,” her mom spoke first. “What are you doing here?” Her tone was inquisitive, but not rude.

  Her mother’s bluntness didn’t offend him. “Last night, something Carol said about Brad made me uncomfortable, so I came over to check on Kenyatta. When I got here, he was still here. I took care of him, then took Kenyatta to the hospital. I’ve been here ever since, just to make sure she’s safe.”

  Her parents looked at each other but neither said anything. Her dad looked approvingly at Malcolm, but her mom’s expression was unreadable.

  “Have you two eaten?” her mom asked.

  “No, I was asleep, and Malcolm was watching TV. Are you two hungry? I can cook.”

  “Cook, are you crazy?” Her mom shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Harold, talk some sense into your daughter.”

  “Calm down, Adele. Kenyatta, your Mom doesn’t expect you to cook. I’ll go pick up a pizza or something.” Her dad stood.

  Her mom smiled at Malcolm. “Malcolm, why don’t you go with Kenyatta’s father?”

  Malcolm looked at Kenyatta before answering. It was obvious her mom was urging him to leave, but he hesitated. “Will you be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Kenyatta lied, wishing he would stay so she could avoid the conversation with her mom.

  “Don’t answer the door while we’re gone unless you know it’s not him.” Malcolm hadn’t said Brad’s name all day.

  “I won’t. Besides, Mom is here with me.”

  “I don’t know if he’ll care.” Malcolm stood and came over to kiss her on the forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”

  He gently rubbed her jaw with his thumb and Kenyatta was surprised by the stirrings of desire in her belly. Her eyes met his and she saw her feelings mirrored there. Suddenly, she didn’t care about food; she just wanted to be alone with him … in her bed.

  “Hurry back.”

  He smiled. “I will.”

  Her parents exchanged another look before her father walked to the door, and Malcolm followed.

  “Well, I would ask about you and Malcolm, but it’s already pretty obvious what’s going on there,” her mom said as soon as the door closed.

  “Why would you say that?”

  “You almost started a fire with that look, and honey, I never saw you look at Brad like that.”

  Kenyatta sighed. “I know, Mom, and it scares me. I’ve let my heart and my body lead me into relationships that have only beaten me down. I tried having a relationship with Brad that I thought was based on logic and perceived compatibility and got beat up for it. I don’t know if I can trust my judgment in men. I don’t want to end up in a situation like yours — pregnant by a man who doesn’t want me. I know you said I couldn’t bring this up, but I can’t help it. It’s bothered me ever since you told me.”

  Her mom shook her head. “I never should have laid that burden at your door. You won’t end up like me.”

  “How do you know that? I’m sleeping with my boss. We’re both barely out of relationships. What happens when the shine wears off?”

  “Kenyatta, Leroy never looked at me the way Malcolm looks at you.”

  “With lust in his eyes? From the way you describe your relationship with Leroy, I doubt it.”

  “Yes, there was lust in Malcolm’s eyes, but there’s more.” A small smile spread across her mom’s face. “He looks at you the way your dad looks at me.”

  Kenyatta fell back on the couch. “It’s just so hard to trust this. He makes me feel so … so crazy. I can’t explain it.”

  Her mom laughed softly. “You sound like me when I first met your father. That man could make me want to strip naked with just a look.”

  She held up her hand. “Too much information, Mom.”

  Her mom laughed again before getting serious. “I always knew you were attracted to Malcolm, but I didn’t want you to get hurt, pining after your boss. That’s why I was so concerned after you broke your engagement with Brad, and I saw you and Malcolm together. I thought you were throwing away something good with Brad because of an infatuation with your boss. I told you what I told you because I almost did that with your father, and I still regret it to this day.”

  Her mom reached over and brushed the hair from her face. “I know you’ve been hurt before, and as messed up as those relationships were, you have to chalk them up to life experience. You can’t live your life carrying all that baggage.”

  “I don’t know if I can. Brad seemed so right.”

  “Did he feel right in here?” Her mom touched her heart.

  She shook her head. “No. I cared about Brad, but I didn’t love him.”

  “Then he wasn’t right. I’ll never forgive myself for pushing you to marry him, but you can’t let him control your happiness. Anyone with eyes can tell that Malcolm cares about you. I saw it when you danced last night. There was something about your father that drew me to him from the moment I saw him. I was helpless to resist it. I cheated on him because I was angry that he left, and it was stupid, but I never stopped loving him. You have that same pull toward Malcolm. And you have to see it through.”

  “You don’t think I’m being rash or stupid?” she asked.

  “Child, no. His actions show that he cares. Look how hesitant he was to leave you. I’m not telling you to go out and marry him tomorrow, but take your time to find out where this leads.”

  Kenyatta reached over and hugged her mom. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Her mother’s words eased her mind. She would have expected her mom to say she was being irrational. The fact that she understood meant so much.

  They sat and talked until Malcolm and her father came back with a pizza. Then they all ate while her parents grilled Malcolm about his family, life, and career plans. She would have been embarrassed any other day but considering her ex-fiancé just assaulted her, she couldn’t blame them.

  As her parents were leaving, her father hugged her and said, “We’ll check on you tomorrow, okay? Get some rest. That’s a good man in there.”

  She smiled and nodded. “I know.” She waved goodbye and closed the door.

  Malcolm was sitting on the couch waiting for her. She twisted her hands, unsure what to say. All day and the previous night, he’d focused on taking care of her. Now that the threat was over and she’d gotten her mother’s blessing, Kenyatta could only think about their time together on her desk. Sex is the last thing that should be on my mind, she tried to rationalize, but
it didn’t work. She wanted Malcolm … now.

  She touched her swollen face and eye. She was probably the least attractive woman in the world. She would have to wait until she healed before sleeping with Malcolm again.

  She stood at the bottom of the stairs and bit her lip. “I’m going to take a shower.” She pointed toward the top of the stairs.

  He stood up and turned off the TV. “Good, I’ll join you.”

  Chapter 30

  Malcolm’s gaze didn’t stray from her as she turned on the shower. She fidgeted with the shower curtain, straightened the bottles of body wash and checked the temperature of the water three times. She was stalling on purpose. The sex on her desk was a spontaneous eruption of three years of pent-up passion and frustration. Would this time be just as good?

  When she could think of no other preparations for the shower, she turned to ask if he wanted the front or back. The words died in her throat. He had taken off his shirt, and all she could do was admire his muscular form. Before, she’d appreciated the feel of his body without getting a good look at him. She’d only gotten a glimpse of him before he rushed downstairs this morning, but now she could look as long as she wanted. He was magnificent. Her eyes roamed from his chiseled chest and washboard stomach to the rope of muscle that disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants.

  He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and pulled. Her eyes flew back up to his. He smiled, and heat flooded her face. She imagined she looked like a sex-starved maniac. But damn, she thought, he looks sexy as hell.

  He dropped his pants, and her gaze devoured his naked body. His erection stood out large and proud. She wanted to lick it and find out if it tasted as good as it looked. His thighs, which she’d always daydreamed about, were sculpted and trim and she remembered their strength as he’d thrust in and out of her. Liquid desire began flowing between her legs.

  He grabbed the belt of her bathrobe and pulled her to him. He slowly untied it and pushed her robe back. His eyes slid over her body slowly. With each second he took to study her body, she could sense, feel, and see the desire in him growing.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said.

  “I must look awful.” She touched her face self-consciously.

  He kissed the side of her mouth then slowly trailed kisses to her ear. “You’re beautiful.”

  Malcolm kissed his way back to her mouth to rest his lips on hers. He softly sucked on her lower lip before taking it into his mouth. When she pressed against him for more, he pulled back slightly and nibbled on her lip again. Kenyatta took his head in her hand and pressed herself closer to him. Sensing her need, he put an arm around her waist and deepened the kiss. His erection pressed against her stomach and she reached between them to grasp it in her hand. The skin was soft over the hardness it enclosed. Squeezing him gently, she began to move her hand up and down slowly.

  He grabbed her wrist. “Not yet.” When she moaned, he chuckled and removed her robe.

  Malcolm picked her up and stepped into the shower. Kenyatta delighted in the feel of the warm water on her back. He turned her so that he took the brunt of the water, and she was against the back of the shower. He slid her body down his and Kenyatta shivered at the feel him against her.

  She tried to kiss him again, but he stopped her and reached for her body wash. He poured a generous amount into his hands and rubbed them together to form lather. He slowly massaged the soap into her skin as the scent of the lavender body wash filled the shower. He started with her shoulders and worked his way down her arms and back up. She leaned closer to him, inviting him to massage her breasts, which ached for his touch.

  Instead, Malcolm turned her around so that her back was to him. He massaged the back of her shoulders before working his way down to her hips. He put a hand on each hip and pulled her against him.

  “I’ve taken hundreds of showers and fantasized about what it would be like to have you with me,” he whispered in her ear. He moved his hands up to cup her breasts, making slow slippery circles over her hard nipples with his palms. “I imagined the feel of your breasts in my hands while your body was pressed against mine. I thought about squeezing your nipples.” He took the tips between his fingers and squeezed. “Do you know how many times they teased me from underneath your shirts?” He glided his hands over her nipples again. “They drove me crazy. But nothing compares to actually having them in my hands.”

  Kenyatta pressed against his erection that lay heavily at the base of her spine and moved slowly back and forth against it. He groaned and pushed against her. Kenyatta tried to take his hardness in her hands again, but he stopped her. He ran his right hand from her breast slowly down the front of her body until he reached the tight curls between her legs. She held her breath as he gently teased the hair covering her sensitive flesh. She pushed forward to urge him on, but he held back. When he cupped her in his hands and gently squeezed, she whimpered and opened her legs wider to give him better access.

  Malcolm ran his middle finger in the space where the lips of her sex met before spreading her open. Kenyatta’s hips bucked, and she pushed herself against his hand, no longer caring that she begged for his touch. He cupped her sweetness fully and rubbed back and forth across it, stroking the hardened gem at her core while his other fingers massaged the outer lips. His other hand continued to squeeze her breast and pinch her nipple in time with his caress between her legs. Kenyatta braced her hands against the back of the shower. She tried to fight her oncoming orgasm, but it was useless. When he slipped a finger into her, she exploded around him.

  He turned her and swallowed her moans with a passionate kiss. He rotated their position until her body received the spray from the shower as he continued to kiss and caress her as the water washed away the soap. Kenyatta’s legs felt like cooked spaghetti and although she’d come, she wasn’t satisfied. She reached down to touch his shaft and knew she wouldn’t be happy until it was inside her.

  Malcolm continued to kiss her as he lifted her against the shower wall. He entered her with one swift, hard stroke, and she gasped with pleasure. She squeezed her honeyed walls around him, indulging in the sensation of him filling her. He pulled back before sliding slowly inside her wet flesh and repeated the cycle over and over until Kenyatta once again felt the stirrings of another climax.

  She couldn’t believe Malcolm was going to lead her to multiple orgasms again. That had never happened with anyone else. She’d thought it happened the day before because she had gone so long without sex, but as Malcolm pushed in and out of her, she knew another orgasm was on the way.

  She squeezed him as hard as she could, trying to get more of him inside her. Malcolm groaned as she continued to squeeze. She’d never felt so hot, so wet and as full as she did at this moment. Unable to hold back, her climax exploded around him. Malcolm quickly pulled out and spilled himself against her stomach. She was disappointed she couldn’t feel his release inside her, but was thankful that he’d thought to consider the consequences this time.

  They stood there clinging to each other as the aftershocks of their orgasms ran through their bodies. Kenyatta slowly became aware of the coldness of the shower wall behind her and the uncomfortable position of her legs, yet she didn’t want to move. She wanted more of him.

  Malcolm released her and she stood on shaky legs. He kissed her again, softly and with less urgency. Kenyatta was surprised to once again feel a stirring in her stomach.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said.

  They washed quickly and then took turns drying each other. By the time they’d finished rubbing each other down, Malcolm’s erection had returned and Kenyatta’s thighs were moist with renewed desire.

  As he carried her to the bedroom, Kenyatta couldn’t help but giggle. Here she was, the person who once claimed passion had no place in a relationship, about to have sex for the second time in an hour. Suddenly, she couldn’t imagine
her life without it.

  “What are you laughing about?” he asked.

  She kissed his neck before answering. “I’m just happy to be here with you, that’s all.”

  “Well,” he laid her on the bed, “be prepared to be even happier by the end of the night.”

  “Why is that?” she teased.

  “Because,” he opened her legs and kneeled between them, “I haven’t had dessert yet.” She bit her lip as Malcolm softly kissed the inside of her thighs before using two fingers to part the folds of her sweetness. Kenyatta had not had a man go down on her since college. She felt exposed, but was too aroused to tell him to stop. When he kissed her clit, embarrassment disappeared as pleasure consumed her.

  Malcolm took his time. He kissed, licked, and sucked on her as if she were the sweetest dessert he’d ever had. When he took her pearl between his lips and sucked gently, Kenyatta cried out and grasped the comforter on the bed. She didn’t think it could get any better until he slid a finger inside her and moved it in and out as he sucked. She came and Malcolm continued to kiss her until the waves of pleasure died down.

  He kissed his way up her body, stopping at her mouth. Kenyatta gulped in air as she stared into his handsome face. It may be reckless and stupid to love him so easily, but she didn’t care. She’d rather enjoy being in love with Malcolm than fight it.

  “Is it finally my turn?” she asked.

  His brow furled. “Your turn for what?”

  She smiled and reached between his legs. He was stiff and ready for her. She ran her hand up and down his length before running her finger along the head. A bead of moisture appeared at the top and she spread it around his ridge. Malcolm sucked in a breath and she felt empowered to know she could affect him so much. She wanted to taste him, so much so that she licked her lips in anticipation.