by Zuri Day
He’d almost kissed her that night.
That was a month ago and since then, his desire to do so had only deepened, along with his feelings for her. Watching Sam with Trey made his heart sing. She was an incredible mom. She was an intelligent, business-savvy, beautiful woman. She was the best interior designer in the game. And she wanted him. He could feel it, could see it in her eyes. There was only one thing in the way of their reconnecting on a deeper, more intimate level. Her terms.
Tonight, Sam had invited him to what she’d termed a “small gathering” in her new home. She and Trey had moved in the week before. He’d been in the Seychelles finalizing the island purchase and couldn’t wait to get home. Tonight, he’d have two things to celebrate with Sam. His new island. Her new home. The invitation had listed dress as business casual. It had been an unusually cold winter. As Nick walked into his dressing room, he was definitely feeling the fresh newness of spring. He walked past rows of signature black and stopped at a group of clothing recently sent over by A-list fashion designer Ace Montgomery, items tailored for him from his spring collection. His hands caressed the expensive fabric as he checked out each piece, bypassing a baby blue suit of finely spun wool and a deep gold number that gave a nod to the seventies leisure suit. He paused at a pair of ivory-colored slightly baggy trousers, a sophisticated mix of sporty elegance with a fitted waist, flared pant leg and 18-karat-gold threads running throughout. Since it was still a bit cool in the evenings, a light gold turtleneck was the perfect complement to the slacks. Nick finished the look with his new favorite timepiece—appropriately called the Billionaire—and his signature three-carat diamond stud. A splash of cologne, a cigar to enjoy later and he was out the door. On the way over, he ruminated on his decision for a housewarming present. To think what he’d chosen was a good idea may prove to have been presumptive. Time would tell.
Pulling up curbside, Nick couldn’t help but feel proud of Sam’s handiwork. He’d purchased the house but she’d made it a home. The landscaping was impeccable, lush and commanding without being showy. Carefully placed outdoor lighting highlighted the slate siding, the redbrick walkway and the front door’s stained glass. He tried the knob. The door opened. Softly playing neo-soul greeted him amid a din of cheery-sounding voices. He glimpsed himself as he passed a mirror in the foyer and noted how the five-foot floral arrangement anchored the hall just as he thought it would.
He reached the living room and stopped to look around. The first person he recognized was Sam’s cousin Danielle, who spotted him at the same time, waved and walked over.
“Hey, Nick!” They exchanged a light hug. “Well, don’t you look like a breath of spring!”
“Thanks, Danielle.”
“Call me Danni. The other is only used if I’m in trouble or in court.”
Nick chuckled. “Got it.”
As they briefly exchanged chitchat his eyes scanned the room. He wasn’t surprised to see faces he didn’t recognize. Noah was there with Adam and Ryan, along with Larry and his girlfriend. Their eyes met, followed by a head nod as Larry held up a drink in greeting. His perusal continued beyond the L-shaped living room into the dining room, where Sam, looking like the queen that she was, sat chatting animatedly with a handsome older man.
“That’s her father,” Danielle offered, having followed his eyes.
“Really? He came down from LA, huh. Nice.”
“Sam was very excited to show this place off.” Danielle leaned in. “She may never tell you but she has never treasured anything more than she does this home. She always corrects me when I say her house—” she used air quotes “—by telling me that you bought it for Trey. That may be true legally. But a part of me says you bought it for the both of them. Am I right?”
Nick missed the last of what Danielle was saying and didn’t hear her question at all. In the middle of it, Sam had looked up and seen him. Her eyes widened slightly. She said something to her father, who looked over, before rising to come toward him. She looked like an ebony goddess, draped in an ivory jumpsuit that made Nick jealous because it hugged her body the way his arms longed to do. The simple elegance of the one-piece, one-shoulder design was complemented by gold jewelry. As she grew closer, he noticed thin strands of gold beading wrapped around an errant loc. No adjective was strong or accurate enough to describe the perfection before him. His body reacted on its own. Arms reached out and pulled her into a light yet firm embrace.
“You look incredible,” Nick murmured huskily into Sam’s ear before releasing her. “I see you got the ivory dress code memo.”
Sam smiled. Nick’s penis pulsated. If his hormones continued raging, this was going to be a long night.
* * *
Sam appreciated Nick’s hug and teasing comment. It gave her time to catch her breath, gather her composure and recover from seeing the man she had fallen head over heels in love with walk into the room and outshine everyone present.
She couldn’t deny it now if she tried. Not after seeing this six-foot-two-inch bundle of GQ-sexy stroll confidently into the room. She. Was. In. Love. With a capital L.
“You look good, too. I can’t believe you’re not wearing black!”
“It’s springtime, according to the calendar at least. Thought I’d switch it up a little bit. It seems that great minds think alike.”
“Indeed.”
Danielle loudly cleared her throat. “Um, clearly I’ve been dismissed.”
“My apologies, Danni,” Nick began, a hand to his chest.
“Save it. I’m just teasing.” Danielle reached into her purse. “You guys belong on a magazine cover. Let me take your picture. By the fireplace.” She adjusted her screen. “All right, here we go.”
All eyes turned and conversation stilled as Nick and Sam struck a pose.
“Give me a couple more.”
They offered another angle, then Nick surprised Sam by twirling her around and dipping her down.
Danielle squealed. “Perfect!”
The room broke out in applause. Sam was completely embarrassed. But damn, that man smelled good.
Nick looked around. “The place looks incredible, babe. Perfect for entertaining.”
“It’s exactly what I wanted. There’s not one thing I would change. Come with me. There’re a few people I want you to meet, starting with my dad. And while he’s probably not as...curious...as your mother, there may be more than one question from him that you won’t want to, nor are obligated to answer.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“Ha! Anytime.”
Sam was surprised at how nervous she was for her dad to meet Nick, and how much she wanted him to be impressed by the man walking confidently beside her.
“Dad, I’d like you to meet my former business partner and Trey’s dad, Nick. Nick, this is my dad, Marcus Price.”
“A pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Sam watched her father measuring Nick up. “Likewise.”
“Considering we just met I might be speaking prematurely,” Nick said. “But would you by any chance like a good cigar?”
“Why? Do you have one?”
Nick nodded. “Have you heard of the Cubano Rare?”
Marcus looked from Nick to his daughter and back. “You have one of those?”
Sam couldn’t guarantee it but was pretty sure she heard reverence in her dad’s voice.
“In my car. It’ll blow your mind.”
Marcus slapped Nick on the back and gleamed at Sam. “I like this guy already.”
Sam’s smile reflected how happy and relieved she was that Nick and her dad seemed like they’d get along. Because the truth of the matter was not only was she in love with her child’s father, but she really liked him, too. The next time the opportunity presented itself, she intended to let him know how much.
Twenty-Five
A month after Sam’
s housewarming, she was on a CANN private plane headed to the Bahamas. Nick was beside her, but the trip wasn’t about work. It was about their burgeoning ongoing attraction. And what they were going to do about it.
During the flight over they kept the conversation light, mostly about Trey, now truly a Breedlove, having had Nick’s name added to the birth certificate and his last name officially changed. They talked about the home on a small island not far from Nassau that because of legal and other logistics had only recently been completed, and even flirted a bit. The plane’s landing was smooth and once outside, they were welcomed with hugs from the balmy Bahamian wind. After a short helicopter ride from the capitol of Nassau to CANN Isle-Bahamas—the home that would be their private paradise for the next several days—the couple were minutes from their final destination. With everything about Sam having driven him wild for the past few hours, Nick couldn’t get there soon enough. He and Sam hadn’t yet moved out of the friendship zone back into that of lovers, but he hoped this trip would change that.
They reached the home that in luxury and originality rivaled the New York villa that was Sam’s first assignment. They were met by the house staff, conferred with the chef, and went to change for an agreed-upon swim before dinner. Nick went to one of two matching master suites. He donned swim trunks, grabbed a towel and slipped into a pair of sandals. Stepping into a living room shared between the two suites, he encountered a sight that stopped him in his tracks. Sam’s juicy booty, a work of perfection that was just right for squeezing, swayed rhythmically from side to side as she walked toward a patio on the other side of the room. She wore a gold-colored wrap over a bikini bottom almost powerless to fully encase her lusciousness. Its luster made her ebony skin appear all the more radiant, wrapped in a way that highlighted curves deadlier than those found in Tail of the Dragon, one of the most scenic roads in Tennessee. He’d gripped the handlebars of a rented Harley while navigating its 318 curves in eleven miles, but it didn’t compare to the ride he experienced whenever he journeyed to paradise with Sam in his arms.
Sam turned, her brow arching when she discovered Nick in the room, watching her. “You coming?”
Nick’s long strides quickly ate up the distance between them. “I’ll come later,” he whispered once beside her.
“One-track mind.”
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “The best kind.”
The two accepted refreshing adult drinks from Colin, their thoughtful chef, then made their way to a stretch of soft, white sand, miles away from eyes that might be attempted to pry. After a brief splash in the water, they settled into a sturdy hammock erected under a tree by the shore.
“Hold my drink, please?” Sam handed her drink to Nick and then shifted her body to remove the wrap and settle into a comfortable position beside him. “There, that’s better.”
“If we’re to keep this relationship platonic, I don’t know about that.”
He handed Sam back her drink.
“To us and a lifetime of adventures with our son.”
“Eighteen years, anyway.” Sam lifted her glass to clink it against the one Nick held.
“What, after Trey graduates from high school you’re running away?”
“One never knows what the future holds.”
Nick took a long sip of his beverage and pondered Sam’s comment. He had plans for this vacation, felt fairly sure of how they’d go. But Sam was right. In life, nothing was guaranteed.
“How’s your drink?”
“Delicious. I can’t believe that here where they have the best rum in the world, you chose to drink beer.”
Nick shrugged. “Obviously Colin got the memo. He knows what I like.” He placed his arms more securely around Sam’s shoulders. “When I find something I like, I usually stick with it.”
“Hmm.”
Sam said nothing more but the way she moved her butt so that it brushed his manhood made Nick believe his double entendre had been received.
“I like your stick.”
“Now who’s bringing it up?” He lifted his head to look her in the eye.
“Must be the rum.”
“Hmm.” His hands began a lazy journey up and down Sam’s thigh. Goose bumps sprang up almost immediately, as did his python. He kissed her temple, shoulder, cheek. “I’m glad we did this.”
“Me, too. So much has happened.”
“I know.”
They slipped into a companionable silence. Nick placed his foot in the sand to push the hammock into a gentle rocking.
“Did you ever think we’d get here?”
“I didn’t even know there was a here here,” he replied. “If someone had told me a year ago that I had a son and was about to be...”
“About to be what?”
“...in a serious relationship, I would have thought them way off. I thought life was perfect. Business going great. All the girls I wanted. I didn’t know my life was empty until you came back into it. And brought Trey.”
“Life is crazy.”
“Right.”
“Want to know something?”
“Hmm.”
“I almost didn’t go to that party.”
“What party?”
“The costume party where we met. I’m not big on those types of functions.”
“Then who do I owe the million dollars to for talking you into coming? Danni?”
“It was Danni, but I’d say you owe her at least two million.”
“Naw, probably more like five or ten.”
Sam shifted, turned up her face. “Kiss me.”
He did. Leisurely. Lovingly. Sam gave as good as she got, even outlined his mouth with her tongue when they finished the sultry exchange.
“Damn.”
“Uh-huh,” Sam murmured, again grazing his dick with her behind in the way that he loved.
“Okay, baby, after that and on second thought, I’ll just give your cousin a blank check.”
They finished their drinks and swam in the ocean. The sun began to set, splashing vibrant colors along the sand and cooling the air. They went inside.
“The next time over, we’ll have to bring Trey.”
“He’d love that.”
“Know what I’d love?”
“Another beer?”
“Another kiss.” Nick pulled Sam to the couch and plundered her mouth. She had other plans, shimmied out from beneath him and turned her body so that her mouth faced his crotch. Without fanfare or permission she slid her tongue down the length of his penis, while softly fondling the family jewels. Nick had always appreciated a take-charge woman, especially one whose treasure hovered just beneath his nose. He placed a hand on each cheek, brought her heat to his mouth and slid his tongue between the fleshy folds.
Yum.
They took their time. Sam lavished Nick’s dick from base to tip, using her fingers and tongue to make his slack member steel. Nick nibbled her pearl, sampled her star, feasted on her dewy kitty until she fairly meowed. Until the dew became a fountain of ecstasy, and she screamed his name. Nick could have easily joined her in going over the edge.
But this dance wasn’t over. It was just getting started. He led them into the bedroom.
He removed their clothes. They lay down, flesh against flesh from head to toe. He eased his hand between her thighs, slid his fingers into her sweet spot and began to play. They kissed, the essence of love on their tongues—swirling, dancing, flicking across the cavernous warmth until he reached such depth of passion Nick thought he might drown.
“Who does this belong to?” His breath was hot, branding, as he whispered into her ear.
“Me.”
“After all that good loving?” Nick said. “Wrong answer.”
Sam chuckled, her hand lazily running over six-pack abs. “Oh, really?”
Nick slid off
the bed. “Get on your knees.”
Sam traced a finger along his jaw. “What if I don’t want to?”
Nick smiled. “Oh, you’ll want to.”
She chuckled and rose to her knees as instructed.
“Turn around.”
She complied, her round, plump booty in the air and fully exposed. Just right and ripe for...plucking.
With a hand on each hip he eased her body to the edge of the mattress. The king-size four-poster was the perfect height for the takeover he had in mind. He watched Sam wiggle her backside. Impatient. Anticipating. But Nick wasn’t in a hurry. They had all night.
Nick reached over for the glass of water on the nightstand. He took a drink, held a cube in his mouth, then quietly dropped to his knees. Instead of the warm, hard shaft she was expecting, a cold sword of delectation slid into her womanly folds.
A harsh intake of breath followed. Goose bumps appeared. She pulled her body away. But not far enough. With Nick’s hands still securely on her hips, he held her body in place and continued his relentless assault. Sam swirled her hips against his tongue. He bathed every inch of intimate areas, kissed and massaged her smooth, dark skin. After she’d cried out for the second time he stood, placed his dick at her core, then slowly, oh...so...slowly, eased himself inside her. His manhood pulsed with pleasure at her tightness, even after having a kid. He pulled out to the tip, then slid in again. In. Out. Thrust. Sway. He went at this pace for as long as he could, then settled into a rhythm he could have danced to all night. On the bed. Against the wall. Out on their private balcony, where the breeze was as hot as the sex. Back in the room on a chaise, he covered her and entered her completely.
“Whose is this?” His voice was harsh, labored, as his body rumbled. He scorched her insides with passion, pressed himself deeply into her core. Over and over he loved her. Their bodies shone with the evidence of the hearty endeavor.
“Who. Does. This. Belong to?” A thrust punctuated each word that was growled.
