“Why don’t we go into my office and talk for a moment?” he offered.
“I don’t…” She glanced around in need of a rescue.
“Don’t worry. I don’t bite—unless requested.” He smiled.
Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Despite the voice in the back of her head shouting as if the words echoed through a megaphone, Leigh nodded. Wait. Was he casting the same spell on her as that Q guy had just done to Ariel? Regardless of whether she was aware of what was happening, she still let him wrap his arm around her waist and lead her into his office.
Once there, she was instantly impressed by what could’ve easily doubled as a bachelor pad. Black leather couches, wet bar, huge plasma screen—a Ping-Pong table and an adjoining bathroom. There was another door. But it was closed and she had a sneaking suspicion that it was, in fact, a bedroom. “Nice office.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. I figured if you’re going to spend a lot of time at work then you might as well make yourself comfortable.” He flashed a smile and then closed the office door behind them. “Would you like to have a seat?”
Leigh glanced at the extremely comfortable-looking sofa. “Thanks. But I think I’ll stand.”
“Scared?” He locked the door. “What happened to the woman I met in Malibu with all that swagger? Don’t tell me that you’re afraid of little ol’ me?” He moved in close and invaded her personal space and sniffed her hair. “Surely you know I’m harmless.”
Leigh’s knees buckled as she inched away. “I’m not afraid, I just try to avoid traps.” She glanced around. “I don’t always succeed.” Her gaze was drawn to his wide chest as it shook from his rumbling laughter. She remembered vividly how it felt to lay her head against it and drag her nails across it.
“You know I should be bending you over my knee right now,” he said seriously.
“What?” Her eyes traveled up from his chest to his twinkling onyx gaze. “It wasn’t nice of you to leave me sleeping in a stranger’s house.” He cocked his head. “Thanks for getting me arrested.”
“Oh.” Leigh dropped her head as guilt rushed through her. “I’m sorry about that. There was a…communication glitch with a friend of mine.”
“Yeah, that glitch nearly broke my jaw.”
Leigh winced and forgot about the danger, moving closer to inspect his face for visible damage. Her recklessness led to her seduction by his devastating smile. “Glad to see that you’re concerned for a brother. Should I take this to mean that you care?” He closed another inch between them.
A warning siren went off in her head. Bells, whistles and bullhorns tried to snap her back to reality. But for some reason, she was unable to tear her eyes away from his mesmerizing gaze. “Now, why would I want to cause you any harm? I enjoyed…” She realized what she was about to confess, but had the presence of mind to realize that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to make out in a locked office in the back of a gentlemen’s club.
His lips spread wider as he erased the last inch, and bumped his chest up against hers. “You enjoyed what?” he whispered. “Or rather, which part?”
“I, uh…” She tried to get her legs to move, but instead she ended up leaning back until she fell against the door.
Her predator just smiled and planted his left hand on the side of her head and leaned in until his cool, minty breath caressed her face.
“Should I tell you what I enjoyed?”
The air thinned in Leigh’s lungs and she could have sworn her legs were slowly turning into Jell-O.
“I enjoyed all of it. From the moment I joined you on the dance floor…” he said, wrapping his right arm around the curve of her left hip. “Hell, even before then when I watched you move this incredible body—” he moved her hips forward so that they connected with his own “—all around the dance floor,” he continued. “I knew then that you were an exceptional woman.” He started moving their bodies to the music that just barely sounded through his office’s walls. His gaze lowered. “I knew by the way your breasts, your hips and your ass were talking to me that we would have wonderful—” his gaze roamed back to her face “—hot, sweaty—” he dipped and ground his hips and erection against her “—sex together.”
After another dip and grind, Leigh emitted a weak moan. Even through their clothes, his cock was rubbing her in all the right places.
“I especially liked when you pressed your finger up against my mouth and told me that you didn’t want to know my name or zodiac sign. You just wanted to go some place where I could just screw your brains out.”
“Ahhh.” She could feel her body’s honey dripping like fresh sap from a maple tree.
“You remember that, Baby Girl? Hmm?”
Dip. Grind.
Leigh nodded her head weakly.
“Did I do a good job?” He leaned his head against the side of hers and started nibbling on her ear. “Did I give you what you were looking for?”
Dip. Grind.
“Y-yes.”
He scraped his teeth against her lower earlobe before whispering, “Then how come you snuck out of there the way you did, Baby Girl? Hmm?”
Dip. Grind.
“I—I…” Heat rushed up her body as her clit started throbbing and tingling.
Dip. Grind.
“You know, I would’ve loved to taste you and feel myself deep inside your body one last time before you left.” He abandoned her earlobe to sweep kisses across her collarbone. “I still do.”
Dip. Grind.
“Oooh.”
His hands moved from her hips to slide over her ass so that he could squeeze and press her ever closer against his dips and grinds.
“I don’t know what you did to me that night,” he whispered. “But I loved it,” he confessed. “And I want you to do it again.”
Dip. Grind.
Leigh was on the verge of coming. She was now matching his dips and grinds with a growing desperation. She just wanted to reach that magical place. She thought of nothing and no one else. There was only this dangerously sexy man doing wonderful things to her.
“I’ve been dreaming about you since that night,” he confessed. “I keep thinking that I smell your scent and see your face everywhere I go. It’s been driving me crazy.” His small kisses led him to the long column of her neck. “And now you come in here and tell me that you’re about to marry another man?” He shook his head. “You really think that I’m going to let you do that?”
Dip. Grind.
“I don’t think so. Besides, if he could do to you what I’m doing to you right now, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
Dip. Grind.
“Ooooh. Please.” She was quickly turning into a ball of fire and she clung to him, preparing for what was just around the corner.
“Look at you,” he panted. “Begging me to let you come.” He chuckled and brushed the lightest, sweetest kiss against her lips. “You want to come, don’t you, Baby Girl?”
Dip. Grind.
“Hmm?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Y-Yes. I want to come. Pleeeeaaaase.”
“Then why didn’t you just say so, Baby Girl? You know I’ll give you exactly what you want.” He slanted his mouth against hers, sending her mind spinning through space while their bodies continued their frenzied bump and grind.
It wasn’t long before she reached a crescendo. But when she screamed out, he was there to swallow it. At long last she fell limp against him, and a smile crept up the corners of her lips.
“That’s my Baby Girl. Daddy knows how to take care of you.” He brushed kisses against her fevered brow.
But reality had this pesky way of seeping in and she realized what had happened. “Ohmigod.” She shoved him away. “What did you just do?”
“Me?” He laughed jovially. “The last time I checked, it takes two to tango—and, sweetheart, we are officially the reigning tango champs.”
Leigh slapped a hand across her mouth in horror. “I’ve g
ot to get out of here.”
“Now, wait a minute.” He stepped toward her as she threw her hands up like a stop sign. “You stay away from me!”
His hands gestured in surrender. “Okay. Calm down.”
“And stop talking,” she barked. “I can’t think when you talk or…touch me.” Leigh stretched one hand behind her back to unlock the door. “I didn’t come here for this.”
“No?” His brow jumped. “Are you sure?”
Leigh wasn’t sure, but she did manage to get the damn door unlocked. “Just—just stay away from me. I mean it.” She jerked open the door and raced out of the office.
“Yo, wait!” Jeremy gave chase. “I still don’t know your name.” After rushing out the door behind her, he was surprised to discover just how fast this chick could move. She bolted through the double set of doors and raced to find her friend.
Before he even got halfway to the club’s four bar stations, she had already grabbed her friend by the arm and snatched her off the cozy stool next to Quentin.
“Q, stop her,” he shouted. By the time his words sank in and Q turned his head, Baby Girl had dragged her friend halfway to the exit. “Damn!” Don’t let her go or you’ll never see her again. He redoubled his efforts to catch up. But threading through customers that were either shouting at him or grabbing his arm for attention slowed him down.
Finally he raced out of the front door shouting, “Wait!”
She jumped into a silver Mercedes. And when he neared the parking space, the reverse lights came on and Baby Girl’s maid of honor nearly mowed him down. “Wait!”
Tires screeched, and then the car took off.
“Wait,” he groaned, helplessly watching as they turned onto the main road. Two seconds later, the bouncer that was planted at the front door and Quentin reached his side, out of breath.
“Is there a problem, boss?” Roland asked.
“Yeah, did we get robbed or something?” Q huffed with his face twisted in confusion.
“Nah. Nah. Nothing like that.” He suddenly turned toward Q. “What was her name?”
“Uh, Ariel,” Q answered. “Not her, her friend. Did she mention her name?”
Q blinked and then struggle to recall. “I think she kept saying Leanne-Leah—or Princess Leia—I don’t know. It was loud.”
Jeremy huffed out a frustrated breath. “Damn.”
The Girl Is Mine
Chapter 11
Dr. Turner set her pen down. “So let me get this straight. Jeremy’s Baby Girl was actually his best friend Roy’s fiancée?” she asked.
“Yep.” Quentin shook his head. “What are the chances, right?”
“And they had never met each other—even though Jeremy and Roy had been best friends most of their lives?”
“Apparently. As I understand it, Roy met his girl in college when he went to Ohio State. Jeremy went to college in-state at Georgia. He only heard about her around the way—and since Roy is a playa after my own heart, he followed the golden rule of never ever carrying your girl’s picture in your wallet. Women love to go through a man’s stuff when they think you’re not looking.” Quentin glanced over his shoulder. “Except for you. I’m sure that you completely trust Reliable Reggie.”
Dr. Turner’s back stiffened. “As a matter of fact, I do. A relationship is doomed if it’s not built on a foundation of trust.”
He rolled onto his side and propped his head onto his hand. “And how long have you and Reggie been laying this foundation?”
She opened her mouth and then caught herself. “Nice try, Quentin. These sessions aren’t about me. And I’m beginning to feel uncomfortable about your interest in my private life. It’s not healthy.”
“What? We’re just two friends talking. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Except for the fact that we’re not friends,” she said gently. “We have a doctor-patient relationship, nothing more.”
Quentin’s sly smile vanished as he plopped back onto his back and rolled over. “All things being equal, Doc, that whole doctor-patient thing sort of makes me uncomfortable too.”
“But it is the truth.”
“You know, Doc, the one thing that I do know is that everyone has their own perspective on what the truth is. It’s all just a fragile belief system. Your truth today may not be true tomorrow. That’s why who you are today is not who you were ten years ago—or who you’ll be ten years from now. So why do we cling to something so malleable, so short-lived?”
“That’s actually very profound,” Julianne Turner said, cocking her head to the side and reassessing him.
“Don’t look so surprised, Julianne. I’m smarter than I look.” He glanced across the room where Alyssa sat, staring out of the window. “It’s just that sometimes I do stupid things.”
“If that’s the case, then you do them intentionally.”
He found his smile again but didn’t respond.
“All right. So what did Jeremy do when he found out that he was dating his best friend’s girl?”
“Whoa, slow down. There were a few things that happened before that blockbuster went down…”
Chapter 12
“Heads up!”
Jeremy belatedly emerged from his reverie and turned toward his right instead of his left, and was popped in the mouth by a basketball. “Damn!”
Roy laughed. “Why don’t you pull your head out of your ass and get in the game?” He pulled up the bottom of his wife beater and wiped the waterfall of sweat off his face. “What is it with you anyway, man? You’re out here half-ass paying attention and we’re losing.”
The Hoopstar laughed. “Not paying attention? Hell, I haven’t noticed. His game has always been suspect to me.”
“Ha. Ha.” Jeremy flashed him the bird. “Sit and rotate, my man.”
The boys cracked up as Jeremy rushed to the sidelines to grab the ball that had just assaulted him. It was one of those rare times that he and his boys got together for a game, since Roy, The Hoopstar and Drake Jennings were usually on the road playing professionally.
“Yo, time,” Roy shouted.
“Time?” The Hoopstar barked. “What, you girls need to powder your faces or something? What’s with this ‘time’ crap? We’re winning.”
“I know such a thing is rare for you two, but I need to check on my man here. Clearly, his mind ain’t in the game.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Drake waved Roy off. “The only reason you two want a time-out is so that you both can come up with a lie for why you had to take this beating we’re putting on you.”
“You know what?” Roy said, turning and flashing them two middle fingers. “My boy was right. Sit and spin, baby.”
Their two opponents cracked a smile but waved him off.
Roy turned his attention back to his boy. “Seriously man, whassup? I don’t think I’ve ever seen your game this weak before. You got to tell me something or I’m going to seriously consider getting my ass a new partner. What gives?”
Jeremy tossed him the ball. “Ah, man. It’s nothing. I just got a few things on my mind.”
“A few things like what? How much baby oil to stock down at the club or how much more you’re going to jack the price of those watered-down drinks y’all serve?”
“Ah, man. Get the hell off that.”
Roy laughed. “I’m just saying. It’s not like you have to make too many hard decisions at that place you call a job.”
“Oh, you want to talk about real jobs? I hardly think playing basketball qualifies as a job. It’s just a hobby that pays well.”
“Hey, don’t hate on me,” Roy said. “You should’ve stuck with it in college. Lord knows you had as good a shot if not better than me of getting in the NBA. You have skills—though you can’t tell by the way you’re playing out here today. So why don’t you break it down for me? What’s on your mind so we can get back in this game and shut these fake-ass ballers down?”
“I got your fake-ass baller right here,” Drake said,
grabbing and shaking his crotch.
Roy shook his head. “I swear, some of these young-bloods’ mommas ain’t raised them right.”
Jeremy’s lips hitched in a smile. “Nah, man. I’m good. I’m good.”
“Boy, you’re far from good. You just got popped in the mouth with a basketball and you haven’t even checked to see whether you were bleeding yet.”
“Uh? Oh.” Jeremy reached up and touched his lip. He was bleeding. “Damn.”
“Uh-huh. So now will you cut the crap and spit out what’s bothering you?” Jeremy hesitated.
“C’mon. It’s me, your boy.”
He had a point. Jeremy sucked in a deep breath. “Well it’s this one girl.”
“What?” The Hoopstar barked. “Female troubles? I guess that means unlike Jay-Z, your ass got a hundred problems.”
“Do you mind?” Roy barked. “I’m trying to have a private conversation with my man here.”
The Hoopstar’s hands shot up. “All right, Dear Abby. We’ll let you two have your Cosmo moment.”
“Chill out with all those chick references,” Roy warned. “You know me and my boy have wiped your rusty butt all up and down this court plenty of times. The mere fact that you two are up a couple points proves something is up. Now fall back before you get knocked back. Besides, it not like you and yours aren’t already having problems.”
Jeremy’s head popped up. “What? You and wife number three on the rocks already?”
Now that his business was on Front Street, The Hoopstar quickly backed down. “Whatever, man. Shoot me the ball. We’ll just play some one-on-one until y’all ready.”
“We appreciate that,” Roy said sarcastically, and then threw the ball over in his direction. “Here. Now take your freakishly tall ass on somewhere.”
The Hoopstar and Drake peeled off, laughing while Roy turned his attention back to Jeremy. “A’ight. Now you have my full attention. What’s up, Dr. J?”
“I think it’s time to retire that nickname.”
“Nah. You earned it. You must’ve played doctor with every girl in a ten-mile radius of our neighborhood when we were young.”
King's Pleasure Page 11
