The Rhyme of Love (Love in Rhythm & Blues Book 2)

by Love Belvin

  I was thankful when we pulled into the garage of the apartment building. Lil Bruh used a card to gain entry. As Raj got out, I opened my own door, remembering the moment my feet hit the ground how much I’d had to drink. Raj communicated something to his security then rounded the truck to walk me into the back entrance where we were met by a nod from one guard then let onto the elevator by another.

  Raj pulled out his pinging phone, switched the ringer off then began typing into it. I admired his countenance, easily making out his resting dick print through his sweats the way he leaned against the wall. At one point, feeling heat on my face, I glanced up and saw his eyes. He’d caught me ogling him. Sheepishly, my eyes fell, and I switched stances, feeling embarrassed. The door opened to the dim foyer. Feeling silly, I turned around to tell him goodbye, not quite decided on how, but wearing a goofy grin already.

  Before I could get a word out, he rushed me. Knocked his big body against mine, took me by the ass with his hands and lifted me from my feet. One of my heels flew off in the ruckus and my head swung back, affected by his impossibly delicious scent. His lips were on me, tongue in my mouth, and I cupped the back of his head to keep up. He pulled down my arms then yanked my blazer from around my shoulders. I helped him by shimmying out of it.

  Next were my jeans. His hands were impatiently at my waist, roughly undoing them. With his tongue roving down the front of my neck and my chest, he tugged them around my hips as I backed up to the large table in the center of the entryway of the apartment. I was out of breath, salivating. A few more rough hauls and my jeans were off.

  “Raj…” I swallowed hard, eyes half-mast, voice deeper than usual. “What’re you doing?”

  He lifted me onto the table by my bare thighs. Then my panties were torn from my hips.

  Raj placed his palm flat on my chest, applying gentle pressure to communicate his wishes. I lay back on the table, my thighs spread farther apart. In two quick maneuvers, his hoodie was on the floor, muscles flexing in a black tank t-shirt.

  He squatted, squaring with the apex of the V between my inner thighs. I could hardly see his eyes when he husked, “‘Bout to show ya pussy what I’ve been thinking about today.”

  In seconds, his warm mouth was on me. The slither of his tongue had my back arching over the wooden table.

  Maybe a little obsession isn’t bad after all…

  ~14~

  I was on 15 North, almost at the estate when my phone rang.

  Reign…

  I rolled my eyes and sent it straight to voice mail. Sheldon had tried calling earlier today about tomorrow’s party, only from an unknown number. Remembering the last time he called from Reign’s phone, I decided to not fall for it again. But then I was alerted of a voice message. When I hit play, I heard Reign asking me to call her about MaMa. Rolling my eyes again, I dialed her back.

  “Hey,” she answered.

  “Hi, Reign. What does MaMa want?”

  “It’s about your car again,” her tone was timid, something I’d grown used to since our distance.

  But I wondered what car? The first one coming to mind was the one I was driving. Then it dawned on me: my old Honda Civic.

  “What about it?”

  I’d just been over there yesterday and she didn’t mention anything to me.

  “She wants you to…move it.” It sounded difficult for her to deliver.

  “Why?”

  “Because of the party tomorrow. She said people’re gonna be over and she don’t want it clunking up the property.”

  I took a deep breath, shoulders dropping. This was unbelievable. I’d been over there, cleaning and stocking that nasty house without one complaint, and she wants to make a big deal about my car being parked in her driveway where three other clunkers that were out of commission were. She never had those removed. They were brought there by her late husband, years before his passing. He worked on cars and collected them incongruently. They were never restored, just taking up space.

  I shook my head, jaw stretched. “Tell her I’ll be there tomorrow and I’ll figure it out.”

  “Okay,” she emitted timorously. Just as I was about to end the call she called out to me. “Wynter…”

  “Yeah,” annoyance was laced in my tone, not at her but this frustrating situation.

  It was something I thought I learned to live with after so many years. But since being out of that world for almost eight months, I could now see how dysfunctional and unfair it was.

  “I…I… Ummmmm…” Reign was stalling as I just exited off the highway now in Sparta. “I really like your new place. It’s…nice. Ragee seems cool, too.”

  I was stunned into silence. What would I say to that? How should I respond? My first thought was it was simply an olive branch. I could deal with that. But the last time I viewed my sister as innocent, she betrayed me. I had to tell myself this was different. Raj was not Sheldon. He had no inappropriate age complex.

  But he did sleep with his friend’s mother, who was an older woman…

  I shook my head. That wasn’t a piece of his past I chose to dwell on. No way would I hold him to that. I was being foolish…insecure! I’d never been this way before. However, trauma could bring about paranoia to the strongest of us. This was supposed to be a good day for me. I was on my way to see one of my favorite people on the planet. Giving life to these thoughts would put a damper in my day. I didn’t want that.

  “Thanks, Reign.” I even forged a smile she couldn’t see. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” I caught the smile in her hushed tone. “Bye!”

  I disconnected the call and switched on the radio, needing to clear my head of that conversation. Daniel Caesar’s “Streetcar” was ending on Hot 97, and the deejay was introducing a new single by Ragee called “My Heart’s in the Sheets.” Turning up the volume with rapt interest, I approached the road to the estate. Once the guy finally shut up, I heard a Spanish guitar of sorts, strumming with urgency. Then a hard bass hit and a mid-tempo rhythm flowed. I swear, the moment he emitted a vocal run to embellish the melody before the first verse, my thighs clenched and pulse raced.

  “Never had your type before.

  You don’t knock…

  You beg me to bust down those doors.

  Body contoured perfectly.

  Hips curve around me.

  You don’t want soft, slow.

  You sink down on me…

  Tell me, ‘you already know.’”

  And damn, was this one filled with seductive and fluid melodies, many of which Raj created vocally. He didn’t allow the song to lead him, he led the notes—expanded them with his varied register. Fuck! His voice was thick, milky, and fluid. His pitch went from breathy to croaky; desperate to compose confidence.

  “Her love ain’t in my bed…

  She don’t need a mattress.

  Shy girls can’t give head.

  In the dining room…

  On the pool table.

  That’s not where we gotta meet.

  But baby, my heart’s in the sheets.”

  The pulsing extended to my sex.

  The fuck, Raj?

  Was he telling our sexual temperament? Is that all he saw in me was sex? It made me wonder if that separated me from Heather. She was a conservative, religious woman from what I gathered. Heather was still a topic untouched between Raj and me. What was the deal with her? They were close for sure, but he swore they hadn’t fucked since they were kids. Each time I pondered that since leaving his estate in March, it confused and angered me. What I was sure of was worldly men didn’t fall in love with women they didn’t fuck. That may work for inexperienced boys but could never be possible for a man with Raj’s world experience. Perhaps that was what LeRoy meant before he left me in Arizona.

  When I arrived and passed by the security booth, I made a quick decision not to park at the house. Apparently, the thought of that woman secretly discomposed me. I had no desire to share that with anyone because I didn’t
understand it myself.

  Instead, I found my way to the road leading to Arnie’s ranch. The ride back against the rows of trees brought back warm yet untrusting memories. There was something about his place that rang peaceful…tranquil.

  Before making it to the archway entrance, I saw the festive balloons tied to it. I had no idea what Arnie had planned but could tell he was earnest in his attempts. A few other cars and trucks were parked next to the barn. I wondered who else would be here. After parking, I stepped out hesitantly. I honestly didn’t know what to expect.

  “Wynter!” I heard a feminine cry of my name.

  Coming toward me was Mindy, whom I remembered distinctly.

  I waved, shocked by how enthusiastic the gesture was. “Hey, Mindy!”

  Mindy’s smile was just as friendly as I recalled it as she gestured the direction while carrying a serving bowl in both her hands. “They’re around front.”

  I nodded, thanking her before following. There was music playing overhead from speakers, but not too loudly. And then I stepped into a portion of the barn I wasn’t familiar with. It was an open room, now with a few long tables topped with food. There were chairs spread about and balloons. My eyes went all over as I took it all in.

  “Sister-in-love!” A masculine baritone screeched, and I knew it was him. When I turned to confirm, he was already taking lunges toward me. “You came!”

  Before I could reacquaint myself with his familiar handsome features, Arnie crushed me in his arms. Damn, he was strong. Not cut like his younger brother, but definitely bigger and solid.

  I could hardly breathe to speak. “Why wouldn’t I come, buddy?”

  As unrefined as his embrace was, it felt sincere and damn good. Arnie had the nerve to rock me back and forth before letting me go. When he did, we both grinned at one another.

  “It’s good to see you again, handsome.”

  If Arnie could blush, I’d have seen it in that moment. His smile was unabashed, and shit, did he not look so much like his brother, just with softer features. If Arnie’s mental development wasn’t delayed he’d give his brother serious work with the ladies. But it wasn’t with lustful eyes I received him. It was with a pure heart, similar to his.

  “I don’t like that job.” He pouted.

  My face fell. “Why?”

  “Because it takes you away from home for too long. It makes me and Gee-Gee sad. Grumpy, too.” His pout was adorable.

  “I’m sorry, Arnie. I’m trying to figure it all out now.”

  “Does that mean you’re home to stay?” His face lit up.

  As if planned, my phone pinged in my hand. A text from the younger Michaels-McKinnon.

  Raj: Where you at?

  My hands were conspicuously shaky as I typed back.

  Me: At the ranch with my favorite brother-in-love.

  A nervous giggle pushed through my lips and I glanced up at my favorite pastime since Miss Asia.

  “Did Gee-Gee tell you we’re going away in a couple of days?”

  “No. He’s coming today. He can tell me then.” He quickly took me at the wrist and pulled me. “Come on. I want to show you to everybody.”

  Before I could respond, we were crossing over into the stable where there were several bodies, more than I was used to seeing on the ranch. One turned to me with blank eyes and long locs.

  “Cut?” Raj’s father looked different in denim overalls and a cowboy hat. “You’re here?”

  Without a smile anywhere but in his eyes, he strolled over to me from the tallest horse in the barn. “You know it. I only got one son.” He threw a quick fake uppercut to Arnie, who giggled in response.

  I chuckled myself.

  “What’s so funny?” Cut asked faux-defensively.

  “That’s the same thing you said to Raj at our…wedding.” That word sobered me.

  It seemed so unctuous. But I recalled it. Had he said something different, I might not have been so surprised learning Raj had a brother in his back-back yard.

  Cut shot me a wink. “My magic trick. You gone learn soon howda finesse ya children.” That’s when his smiled appeared.

  “Hi!” a white woman damn near shouted with her proffered hand inches from my face. She wore two pigtails on either side of her head. “I’m Sarah. Sarah Peterson.” She blinked repetitively. Neurotically. “I’m Arnold Michaels’ girlfriend—”

  “No you’re not, Sarah Peterson!” Arnie stomped his foot hard on the grid mat flooring, testosterone booming with that statement. “You said you would stop saying that!”

  Sarah’s jubilant expression fell and so did her hand as she peered over to a fuming Arnie. “I thought we agreed,” her expression flummoxed.

  “No, Sarah Peterson! I said we could talk about it later!” Arnie’s tone made me uncomfortable.

  I’d never seen him upset. But apparently, Sarah Peterson had.

  She simply shrugged her shoulders and walked off. I watched her travel not so far away to the smallest horse in the stable, Mickey. I remembered him, too.

  Cut and I exchanged a gaze that he understood.

  He shook his head. “Poor Sarah’s been trying for years. Arnie don’t like cream in his Twinkie.”

  I swear, it couldn’t be helped. A harsh, spitting cackle burst through my lips. I hurled over and laughed my ass off. I laughed so damn hard I snorted like a pig. When I finally came up for air, Arnie was gone and Cut smirked himself. Then I caught him tossing his chin behind me in the manner of speaking to someone. Covering half my face with my fist, I turned without thinking and caught auburns between dark sockets and furrowed brows, one with a scar. That blemish on his nose usually gave him character, but this afternoon, made him appear intimidating.

  “Whaddup, god,” Cut greeted his son, his voice just as deep and raspy as Raj’s.

  “What it do, king?” Raj offered his hand in the air then bumped shoulders with his father. His eyes remained conspicuously on me.

  “You know. Coming up here to get my country on.” Cut took a deep breath. “Shit, Arnie woulda had my balls if I didn’t.”

  “That’s what’s up.” Raj bounced on his toes, refusing to remove his eyes from me.

  “I’mma go kick it with my youngin’s I brought up here. Good seeing you, young lady,” Cut offered before retreating.

  My response was a smile because my tongue was tied by his son’s daunting glare.

  “You couldn’t stop at the house and ride back with me?” he asked, though I trained my eyes elsewhere.

  “Didn’t see the need to. I was invited here.”

  He scoffed, “You ain’t been invited to the crib?”

  “Maybe I feel more welcome here.” I shrugged. “You know… Seeing I was never sent away.”

  I heard him take a deep breath and from my peripheral, caught him brushing his hand over his face.

  “We gone do this again?”

  With one hand crossed over my waist and the other at my chin, I murmured, “I don’t believe I’m doing anything. I was actually having a good time until you came in here all brolic and scowls and shit.” I finally peered up to him. Yeah, I was being childish, but between my anxiety about being here thanks to Heather, the song I’d just heard of his, and his disposition I just didn’t give a damn.

  What surprised me was how after a few seconds of silence, Raj stepped closer, reached down and took me at the side of my face with one hand. He brought his head down and kissed me sweetly on the cheek. The waft of his delicious scent and familiar heat caused my eyes to flutter and took my damn breath away. An innocent gesture in public had me reacting like the femme fatale he described on the track. I was not that. I was a dignified woman, who enjoyed family—healthy families. Being here this afternoon felt good.

  I could also feel him struggling with something. Something I may never know unless he trusted me enough to share. That was why I was averse to being involved with a man struggling with trauma. Their triggers could occur so randomly, and if they weren’t fluent communica
tors, you’d be useless in helping them cope, oftentimes becoming victim to their crisis.

  Cut called Raj over to meet the kids I later discovered were from his gym. It was nice of him to bring them to the country and to meet his celebrity son. Arnie was sure to take me around the place and introduce me to everyone. I noted he avoided Sarah Peterson, though she kept smiling—and blinking excessively his way.

  Arnie walked me to the open room where the food was and invited me to eat. I didn’t have the heart to tell him there was no way I could eat with the area reeking of livestock. Nonetheless, others did. At some point, Raj appeared at my side with a bottle of water.

  “Still dieting?” he asked.

  “I don’t want to embarrass my brother-in-love by vomiting at his party.”

  The moment I thought to ask more about today’s agenda, Mindy was calling for our attention in the center of the room. Arnie was next to her, ringing a triangular dinner bell with its metal beater.

  “Thanks for joining us today! Arnie has been looking forward to it for some time now.” She stepped back and placed a kind hand on his shoulder. “I’ll let him tell you just how much.”

  “Hi, everybody!” The crowd of about twenty or so, now, returned the greeting. “Thank you for coming to the”—He turned to Mindy, seemingly for assistance—“McKinnon-Michaels stable anniversary!” A few clapped. Belatedly, I joined in. “Well… It was supposed to be two weeks ago, but I had to wait for someone special in my family to come back from their stupid job, so it could be perfect.” I gasped and Raj, next to me, snickered as he shook his head. “So, now we can take a ride altogether around the ranch on the horsies!” He clapped his hands and leaped from his toes.

  I glanced around, noticing everyone was dressed in riding gear, except for me. I didn’t know that was the agenda.

  Arnie approached me. “Let’s go, sister-in-love!” He beamed with child-like excitement. “I have a special treat for you!”

  With a tug, I was trailing behind him and into the stable. We brushed past Cut, sidling up to a gargantuan black stallion, the largest in the barn. The three kids he brought with him were with stable aides, deciding on which one they’d take. And we stopped in front of a gorgeous white horse, nibbling on foliage I was sure had a name, but it escaped me.