by S. K. Lessly
“Andrew, what the fuck!”
He didn’t feel her hand on his arm until she started applying pressure, until he felt her nails dig into his arm.
Andrew turned his attention from Nyla to Elese’s panicked gape.
“What?” he growled uncontrollably.
Elese, his best friend’s sister, shook her head and moved to stand in front of him. “Get control for shit’s sake. What’s wrong with you?”
Andrew’s frown deepened. “You don’t see what I see? Nobody touches what’s mine, Elese.”
Elese looked into Andrew’s eyes and saw something that she hadn’t seen in a very long time. She had known Andrew all her life. He had been her brother’s best friend since they were kids. In all the years that she’d known Andrew, he’d never sparked this out of control. They would always tease him, saying that he had OCD or something; he was that controlling. Nothing caused him to lose it, no matter how angry he got, he stayed in control. However, what she was witnessing right now scared the shit out of her.
She looked over at the booth, at the woman that was the reason for the lapse in his judgment, and gasped lightly. Andrew had told her a little bit about the feelings he had for her, which was why she was here, but she never expected to feel something too. Elese felt as if she had no other job here but to protect this woman from, shit who Andrew? No, what she sensed from him wasn’t threatening to Nyla. She took another sweep of the diner but couldn’t discern where the threat was coming from but she hadn’t mistaken the feeling, no the need to protect her.
The anger, the fury Andrew was giving off was getting stronger. It was clear that things were far worse than what he told her.
She could see the wrath deep in his eyes. What in the hell was she supposed to do? She hadn’t had very much experience dealing with Andrew and his temper. Her brother was the one, the only one that could calm Andrew.
Elese tried to say calmly. “Let me go over there and settle things.”
“There’s no need. I can handle it,” Andrew told her and started around her, but she moved to the left, blocking his departure.
“Bullshit, you can handle it. At the state you’re in, you can’t handle breathing. Just take a moment, Andrew, please?”
Andrew looked down at Elese. “The longer I stand here, the worse off everything will be. So if you don’t want that, I suggest you get there before I fucking do.” Andrew bit out forcefully right before he headed for Nyla.
“Shit,” she mumbled under her breath as she trailed after him.
Where the hell is my brother when I need him?
Nyla watched the interaction between the blonde woman and Andrew in amazement and shock. Andrew was standing tall in a dark gray suit, white crisp shirt, and gray and blue tie. The woman was dressed in a light gray suit and a soft pink blouse. Her slacks were slim in cut, which contoured her shapely legs. The jacket came in expertly, accentuating her slim waist. It wasn’t lost on her that this woman was a knockout.
What also wasn’t lost on her was her inability to calm the beast that was Andrew Pierce. She could see from where he stood how dark his blue eyes were, how his brows were wrinkled in vexation and his jaw was clenched so tight that he was turning red, literally.
His rage wasn’t intended for her, she noticed. No, it was aimed directly at the man sitting next to her. It was that moment that she realized the temperature in the room seemed to elevate ten thousand degrees.
Andrew Pierce was jealous!
She could feel Darrius tense as he met Andrew’s gaze with a little heat of his own. She quickly realized if she didn’t do something soon, World War III would break out in seconds.
“I’ll be right back,” she announced quickly, pulled herself away from Darrius while keeping her eyes solely on Andrew. “Keep Se’Nya with you, Dee Dee,” she added as she passed her.
Nyla wasn’t sure if she would be able to stop Andrew, but just in case she didn’t, she wanted to make sure her baby wasn’t caught in the middle of a testosterone induced massacre.
Andrew saw her coming toward him with trepidation in her eyes. He knew she didn’t understand what he was capable of, but from the look in her eyes, she had an idea. She was coming to calm him, but as she got closer, it only made things worse. It was a different kind of uncontrollable fury that his senses were succumbing to. It was dominance, it was lustful aggression, it was his burning desire for what he couldn’t fucking live without.
Just as Nyla got close and brought her hands up to ease his temper, Andrew snaked his arm around her waist, lifted her slightly and brought his hungry lips to hers.
He familiarized himself again with her taste, with her mouth and took what he’d been craving for since last night.
Nyla felt her body hover over the diner floor, but she thought it was just the result of Andrew taking her mouth in the most dominant way a man could ever claim a woman. Her panties had to have melted off her hips; there was no other way that they could’ve stayed covering her soaked core.
Nyla laced her fingers through the man’s hair moving her tongue rhythmically with his until he finally pulled back. When he released her lips, he didn’t move far from her. They both could feel their quickened breath teasing each other’s faces as they both fought to gain control.
Nyla took a few seconds to catch her breath, to will her heartbeat to slow down and her body from going into shock. “Fuck, that was amazing,” she said softly.
She felt his body shake before she opened her eyes. The smile that greeted her that very moment, a smile that reached his expressive, deep blue eyes, made her insides turn to jelly.
Elese couldn’t move a muscle in her body. She was mesmerized by what she’d just witnessed. She’d seen Andrew with other women before. Hell, his late wife was her best friend. She’d seen them together all the time. Observed the love he had for her, how he treated her, protected her, adored her. But as she watched Andrew look heavily into this woman’s eyes; how he held her tight against him as if he never wanted to let go, she knew she just witnessed something profound, something beautiful. She also knew she needed to call her brother. He needed to know what happened here. He needed to know about this woman, about Andrew’s woman, because she believed it finally happened.
He’d finally found her!
Elese smiled as she watched Nyla look into Andrew’s eyes with the same amount of intensity, passion, and possessiveness as Andrew had in his.
“I see someone has some jealousy issues,” Nyla breathed out.
Andrew grunted, still holding Nyla tight against him.
“No one touches what belongs to me, Nyla,” he told her as he slowly placed her feet on the diner floor.
“And I take it I belong to you?” she tested, biting her lip.
Andrew rested his hand at the base of her skull and gripped her head tight. “Baby, my face has been buried in your pussy. I’ve sucked, licked, and fondled parts of you that I know very few have seen or have been. I’m addicted to your taste, beautiful. You damn right you’re fucking mine!”
“Agh! Really, Pierce,” Nyla heard a voice say next to them but she ignored it.
She was too busy fighting the urge to claim Andrew’s sinful mouth again. Nyla ran her hand through his hair and rested it at the back of his neck while the other hand rested on his chest.
Her face then opened up to one of the warmest smiles Andrew had ever seen.
“Aww, that is the sexiest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she teased, but she meant every word.
“Oh yeah,” he began, “wait until I sink…” Andrew abruptly heard a sound of someone clearing their throat next to them as Elese threw up her hands saying, “Give us a break will you!”
Nyla and Andrew finally turned their attention away from each other and found Elese and Dee Dee standing next to them. Elese greeted them with a huge smile on her face while Dee Dee stood next to her with a fidgeting Se’Nya.
“Someone was getting a little antsy over there.” She replied sheepishly.
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Nyla smiled, let go of Andrew and went to grab her daughter, but Dee Dee pulled her back from Nyla.
“Nope, suga, it seems she has her eyes set on someone else.”
Nyla dropped her arms as she indeed witnessed her pride and joy practically fall out of Dee Dee’s arms and grabbed Andrew’s suit jacket.
Andrew’s eyes moved to the little girl with the most beautiful gray eyes he’d ever seen. Andrew stood stock still and looked at Nyla.
Nyla smiled. “You better take her. She’s a stubborn little girl, and if she doesn’t get her way, she raises holy hell.”
Andrew reached for Se’Nya and pulled her into him. It had been a long time since he’d held a baby, but he quickly supported her bottom with his arm and placed his hand along her back.
Nyla couldn’t help but blush at the sight of his large hands and long fingers as he held her daughter. Her body seemed to relive the luscious way he drove her mad with want by just using his fingers. Bringing her to some of the most intense orgasms she’d ever felt. She also couldn’t stop staring at Andrew as he and her daughter had a very long staring match of their own.
Dee Dee suddenly cleared her throat, again. “Um, can I get you guys anything? Coffee?”
“Yes,” Andrew answered without taking his eyes of the little girl that started babbling to him as if she was giving him a complete rundown of her life story.
Elese appeared next to Andrew smiling. Seeing as Andrew was uncharacteristically at a loss for words, she gave Dee Dee both hers and Andrew’s coffee order.
“Your daughter is beautiful,” Elese said to Nyla as she rubbed the little girl’s back.
“Thank you,” she replied still in awe of what was happening before her. Se’Nya was fickle when it came to strangers, especially men. So for her to go right to Andrew, without being prompted, told her a lot. Se’Nya evidently saw something in Andrew that she liked.
My baby has great taste, Nyla boasted silently.
Andrew smiled at Se’Nya but said to Nyla, “Nyla, this is a family friend of mine, Elese Michaels. Elese, this is Nyla Montgomery.”
Elese smiled, her flawless skin revealing nothing but openness in her body language and her piercing, strong, green eyes as she stretched her hand out in greeting. “It’s very nice to meet you, Nyla.”
Nyla returned her smile, accepting Elese’s hand, then recognized something she heard and asked, “Michaels? Why do I know…?”
Elese started nodding before Nyla could finish what she was saying. “Yes, John Michaels, Robert’s attorney is my ex-husband.”
Nyla’s eyes grew and she looked to Andrew. “What’s going on?”
Andrew shifted Se’Nya to his side so he could look at both Nyla and Elese.
“Elese practices family law, Nyla. She’s actually the best in the business, almost better than I used to be when I practiced in that field.”
Nyla looked up at him, eyebrows raised. “Really? I didn’t know that. I mean, when I googled you, it only said that you practiced corporate law.”
Andrew grinned. “You googled me?”
Nyla smiled and shook her head. “Yes, of course, I did. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, and I wanted to see if there was anything out there about you that I should know.”
“Did I check out okay?”
“Well, not exactly. You’re pegged as arrogant, cut-throat, and someone that would bring a poor elderly person down if it meant you would win your case.”
Andrew looked at Nyla with a bemused smile plastered on his Adonis-like face. “Umph… All sounds like compliments to me. What did they say negative?”
Elese shook her head and looked at Nyla just as Dee Dee came with to-go cups.
The trio sat down at the nearest table. Nyla looked over at Darrius and was met with dark, egregious brown/black eyes. She knew how pissed he was, but for the life of her, she didn’t understand why he stayed where he was. She just knew he would have stomped over to where they were, made his presence known, started shit with Andrew, and then left.
What Nyla didn’t know was how much Darrius wanted to do just that. He hated to see this strange white motherfucka taunt him like he was doing. He wanted to kill him right in this diner but he found all the self-control he could muster not to move. He kept his mind on the bigger picture. There was more at stake here than his twisted need to kill so he remained where he was. Oh he kept the façade going, but deep down he knew things would eventually go his way. Besides, he knew he would get another chance to kill that fucker, and he couldn’t wait.
“Ms. Montgomery… Can I call you Nyla?” Elese asked, giving Nyla a very assuring smile.
“Sure.”
“Awesome, thank you. Nyla, Andrew has been consulting with me since he first took your case. He wants to make sure we have a solid case to keep Robert’s grimy hands off this little girl.”
Nyla shook her head. “I don’t want him not to see Se’Nya. I just want to assure he won’t run off with her, you know?” she scoffed and shook her head. “The bastard didn’t even want me to have her. He tried to give me money to get rid of her. He said ‘the others just took the money, Nyla. Don’t be stupid.’ I told him that I was doing no such thing, and he got mad and left, telling me that I was on my own.”
Andrew’s disdain for the man grew even more. As he looked down at this heavenly creature, he couldn’t see how anyone would deny her.
“Yeah, that sounds like the little bastard. He can’t handle anyone taking the attention off his spoiled ass. He thinks this world revolves around him and it doesn’t,” Elese announced.
Andrew’s attention quickly moved from the three ladies at his table to Dee Dee and the dark-skinned man who had had his arm around Nyla. They were deep in conversation with the man throwing hostile looks at him.
“Who is the son of a bitch over there?” Andrew asked, making sure to raise his voice loud enough to be heard.
Nyla looked over at Darrius and knew things were going to be really bad once they spoke.
She sighed deeply. “Darrius is just a friend.”
Andrew grunted and switched his attention back to the little one on his lap. He stood her up and held her hands as she bounced on his legs.
“I see more than just a simple friendship in his eyes,” he added.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t say it was simple,” Nyla offered. “Darrius has been there for me, helping me with Se’Nya, giving me lifts every time my car breaks down. We’ve been friends for years.”
“And you two were never a couple?” Elese asked.
“Nope, I just didn’t think of him that way.” Nyla looked back at Darrius and found his eyes were steady on her. Dee Dee caught her eye and shrugged her apology. Nyla sighed again and looked at Andrew. “Do you want to meet him? This might help this situation.”
“That would not be a good idea,” Andrew replied in a scathing tone.
“Why? What harm would it do?”
Andrew shook his head and grunted. “Baby, if I go over there, he might end up going through the window next to him. But if he continues to have that staring problem of his, he will no doubt still end up going through the window next to him.”
Andrew looked over at Darrius, then smiled. “On second thought, maybe I should go and say hello.”
“Uh no, you will not,” Elese announced and stood. “Don’t you have court to get back to?”
Andrew took one last glance at Darrius, then looked at Nyla. “I’m sorry for springing Elese on you without talking to you about it. It’s just better for all parties if she took over the case.”
Mind churning, Nyla asked, “Why? You don’t want to help me anymore?”
“Sweetheart, that’s not the case at all,” Andrew told her, then looked to Elese.
Elese sat back down and touched Nyla’s arm. “I told him that he needed to step down. It’s a matter of conflict of interest.” Nyla still looked questioningly at Elese, so she added, “Okay, think about how this caveman reacted when we walked in
and he saw you with Darrius. Now times that by ten and that’s what would happen if he represented you.”
Andrew snorted. “It wouldn’t be that bad.”
“Ha, the hell it wouldn’t.”
Andrew grunted again and shifted his attention to Se’Nya.
Nyla studied him and realized what Elese said was undoubtedly true. She actually sensed it. She looked at Elese. “Okay, so what is your plan?”
“First, please know that you can trust me. Andrew and I have known each other since we were kids. Please have solace in knowing that if he trusts me with your case, then so can you.” Elese let that resonate in the air for a second before she went on. “I’m very good at what I do, Nyla. I know my ex-husband like the back of my hand. Me being on this case assures that John will play this by the book. I know his secrets, the skeletons in his closet, everything. If he doesn’t do this fair and by the book, he will pay dearly. Nyla, we are sending him a message; he can’t win.”
Nyla wanted to believe her; she really did. She just knew Robert wouldn’t let this go easily. He was like a dog chewing on his favorite toy, and a person would lose their hand if they tried to separate that dog from his toy.
Andrew, feeling Nyla’s hesitation, added, “Please don’t misunderstand the intent here. I’ll still be heavily involved in your case. The promise I made to you still stands. I’ll just be doing it from the sidelines. I’ll be the one keeping Robert honest; keeping him from playing dirty.”
Nyla didn’t hesitate. She nodded her head and told Elese. “Okay, I trust Andrew probably more than I should, but I do. So if he trusts you then so do I.”
Andrew kissed Se’Nya on her cheek and reluctantly handed her over to Nyla. “I have to go, sweetheart. I have court in two hours. You are in good hands with Elese, and if there is anything that you have questions about, you have my number.”
Andrew grabbed ahold of the back of Nyla’s head, something that he was beginning to enjoy, and brought her closer to him. He kissed her a few times, fighting the urge to stick his tongue down her throat. He said to her, just above her lips, “Call me later tonight, whenever you get settled. I don’t care how late it is. I just want to hear your voice.”
