Take It

by Francesca Penn

Nick saw something flash in her eyes before Kalilah smirked. “I see you.”

  It was Nick’s turn to roll his eyes. “You know what I mean. Why are you single?”

  Kalilah’s ever bright eyes dimmed a little, and her demeanor lost some of its usual lax. She sat up and placed her feet on the ground. Nick knew a defensive pose when he saw one, and he’d quickly determined two things.

  Kalilah was going to give him a bullshit answer.

  He wasn’t going to accept it.

  “Because I’m too busy to date and get to know someone. Not to mention, I would have to find someone to date first. Then once that starts, the relationship itself is so much work.” She started ticking things off with her fingers. “Scheduling time to see each other. Remembering birthdays and anniversaries, worrying about forgetting plans, arguing over who makes more money, wondering if the other person is cheating…”

  Yikes. Nick thought he was jaded, but she was revealing way more than she thought. She must have been with some cheating asshole that made less money and wasn’t worth a damn. Things wouldn’t be that way with him. He’d treasure her and treat her like a queen. The next thing she said pulled him out of his thoughts.

  “And jealousy,” she continued. “I hate irrational jealousy. I’m very loyal, and I hate being questioned as if I’m not trustworthy!” she admitted vehemently.

  Nick clenched his jaw slightly. Guilty. Until Kalilah, Nick didn’t have a jealous bone in his body. It was something about her and his desire for her that made him hate any guy that came within a ten-foot radius. He knew it wasn’t fair to either of them.

  Nick agreed. “Jealousy is a bitch.”

  Now that they weren’t eating, Nick felt like they were too far from each other. Time to test the boundaries. He stood up and stretched by locking his hands together, raising his arms in the air and leaning back. The motion caused his shirt to ride an inch up his abdomen.

  He watched through half-lidded eyes as she stared at the exposed sliver of skin. Her breathing was shallower, and she was biting her lower lip like she always did when she was turned on. Good. She still wanted him. Her gaze moved lower and focused on his crotch. His dick twitched in response. Nick briefly wondered what she would do if he pulled it out. He realized that she’d never seen it or any other part of his body. That would change soon.

  Nick knew he looked damn good naked. He wasn’t concerned about her seeing him. He hadn’t taken off his shirt because it hadn’t been the right time. He knew she’d associated his shirt, or lack thereof as a sign that he was ready. And he was. Nick just wanted to do it at a good time. Not planned, but not as random as Lazy Friday.

  His birthday was fast approaching. On one side, losing his virginity was a cheesy gift, but he couldn’t think of anything else he’d rather have for his birthday. He would decide later; he knew the perfect moment would present itself.

  Right now, the goal was simple. He pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him kissing her with all the longing he’d felt for the past few weeks. She returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. They were still interlocked when he walked her back to her bed. The back of her thighs hit the side of her mattress, and he pushed her down.

  Kalilah’s heart tapped danced against her ribcage. Nick’s sudden shift in mood left her confused. One minute he was asking her questions about her love life and the next he’s kissing her senseless. She lifted herself up on her elbows to look up at the enigma that was Nick.

  He kneeled on the floor, positioning himself between her legs. His strong hands hooked behind her knees, pulling her flush against his waist. Nick moved her up into a sitting position bringing them eye to eye. He tucked a strand of hair that escaped from her ponytail behind her ear then placed his hand on the side of her face.

  His thumb stroked her cheek as he spoke.

  “Kalilah, I need to clear up a few things.” His eyes were dark like a thunderstorm and focused on her lips. He resumed eye contact when he continued to speak. “I do trust you. I would not have started any of this if I didn’t. In that moment, I didn’t see you. I’d let all the other bullshit from my past cloud my judgment. I hadn’t dealt with the bitterness I felt towards the women from my past, and I took it out on you and Dex.” Both of his hands were holding hers. “Please forgive me for my momentary lack of faith.”

  Kalilah nodded. She couldn’t speak. His proximity to her was dimming her intelligence. All her emotions seemed to be stuck in her throat. The ability to form sentences was lost. Nick searched her face and nodded when he found what he sought. The look in his eyes morphed from humble sincerity into steamy regard.

  Kalilah was afraid that her diamond-hard nipples would shred her bra trying to get some sort of contact with Nick. He had the power to make her wet with a look. The way he was studying her triggered a softcore porn montage in her head. Nick grinned and brought both of his dimples out to play. Damn. If he was a comic book hero, suggestive looks would be his superpower.

  “Good,” he said before grabbing her knees and sliding his hands up her thighs.

  Kalilah held her breath. If he tried to seduce her, she would be powerless to stop him; she didn’t think she wanted to stop him. He leaned in a little closer.

  “Now let me tell you what I intend to do. I fully intend to get inside of you soon. I intend to kiss every allowed inch of you.” He palmed her face with both hands.

  “Specifically, I will kiss you here.”

  He rubbed his thumbs over her lips.

  “Here.”

  His hands slid down the sides of her neck leaving goosebumps in their wake.

  “And here, of course.”

  He continued to slide his hands down. His thumbs slid between her cleavage and his palms over her breasts. Kalilah held her breath. She was scared to move lest she was dreaming. This was too good for her to wake up now. Nick hands continued their journey down her body; his thumbs traveled down the middle of her stomach and ghosted over her navel.

  Kalilah tried to speak. “Uh…”

  Nick shook his head. “I’m. Not. Finished.”

  He grabbed her knees and pushed her legs a little farther apart. His thumbs moved up her inner thighs. Holy shit! Kalilah bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning.

  “I’m going to kiss you here, on both sides.”

  He leaned in closer. She was surrounded by him and his scent. Definitely not dreaming. He hovered over the side of her neck, his breath was like a gentle touch before he whispered.

  “I’m going to spend most of my time kissing you…here.”

  She felt Nick’s thumb press against her through the thin material of her shorts and panties. He started at the bottom of her slit and slowly, achingly slow, moved upwards towards her clit. He emphasized his point by simultaneously rubbing against her clit and licking the ridge of her ear. Then he sucked the lobe between his teeth. Kalilah moaned and almost came instantly. Fuck!

  Nick placed both of his hands on the side of her and started to stand. Kalilah had no choice but to lie back on the bed. He hovered over her; his knees on both sides of her hips and his arms extended, their bodies not touching. He devoured her with his eyes.

  “And to thank you for your patience, I also fully intend to learn your body and make you cum hard and often.”

  Kalilah was useless. She couldn’t think or respond. All she could do was lie there and look at him.

  The room was silent. Only the sounds of their breathing filled the space. Nick was the picture of restraint. The muscles in his arms bunched with the effort to keep their bodies apart; his gray eyes were dark and intense, and his clenched jaw displayed his left dimple. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted any man in her life. She would tell him if she could speak.

  Nick studied her face for a moment before continuing. “But all I want is a kiss for now. I’ll follow your lead and wait until you’re ready.”

  Wait? When I’m ready? Kalilah’s foggy brain tried to decipher his
meaning. He noticed her confusion and plucked at her bra strap.

  “Subtle changes speak volumes.”

  Kalilah was suddenly mad that she’d put on the stupid fucking bra and panties. He was right. She’d did it to discourage Lazy Friday sex. What a fucking idiot. What the hell was cotton supposed to do? He’d just proved that he could get her hot and bothered while she was fully clothed. She would need a titanium chastity belt to survive the heat he created.

  Nick reclaimed her mouth before she could beat herself up too much. All her thoughts left her head. Kalilah was only capable of feeling. His mouth was the only thing touching her. It was one of the most erotic kisses she’d ever experienced.

  It would be the muse for her solo play. His tongue mimicked what he wanted to do to the rest of her body. His teeth and lips made their own promises. His kiss was a physical seal on his spoken promise. Kalilah was convinced that he had every intention to follow up on every single promise.

  Kalilah shifted when she felt her juices drip in her panties. She needed to change. Her nipples ached, and her clit throbbed. Her whole body was begging for Nick’s attention.

  Nick broke the kiss when she’d tried to wrap her body around him.

  “No, baby. None of that. Let’s take that nap you promised. Get comfortable. I’m going to take out my contacts. I’ll close the blinds and curtains when I come back.”

  Kalilah watched him as he moved. Semi-hard and unashamed, he strolled unhurriedly into the bathroom. Kalilah sighed when he was out of sight. How in the hell could she take a nap after that? It was going to be a long day. She glanced at the clock. Nine in the morning she was already changing into her second pair of panties.

  “A friend outing?”

  Dex’s laughter rang in his ears. Nick grunted and popped the cap off his cold beer. He took a gulp, the cold liquid slid down his throat cooling him from the inside out. It was fucking hot; between the late August humidity outside and his sexual frustration, he was about to explode.

  Kalilah had recovered from her initial shock after their nap and told him that they’d been focusing on sex too much and needed to strengthen their friendship. But, the weeks of being in the friendzone wasn’t what had his brother currently curled up on his couch in the fetal position holding his stomach because the body racking laughter was almost painful.

  Kalilah had invited him out to a movie, drinks, and dinner. He’d agreed before he’d realized she was altering girls’ night to include him. Nick insisted she didn’t need to include him and encouraged her to enjoy girls’ night, but all three of them called him and forced him to go.

  Later that night, he’d found himself sharing popcorn with three women while watching the biggest chick flick of the season. If he were being honest, the movie wasn’t that bad. He did laugh a few times. Not as hard as Dex was laughing, but he did get to be in a Kalilah and Natalia sandwich during the movie and hold Kalilah’s hand in the dark.

  On the down side, he’d received a few interested looks…from men, because he looked like the gay friend. Nick tried to look burlier, but it didn’t work. For all it mattered, he might as well have been wearing MAC and holding a Michael Kors clutch.

  He drew the line when the server put a round of cosmopolitans on the high-top table at the bar. He was not going to be seen drinking that shit. And he said as much. All three girls teetered when he said he wasn’t about to be the red-head from Sex in the City. They asked why he chose Miranda – like he cared what her name was. He looked at all three of the beautiful women in front of him, eyes all sparkling with amusement and answered them honestly.

  “Because Miranda is the only one that likes pussy,” he deadpanned.

  Kalilah looked a little surprised and smacked his arm, Cayla scoffed, and Natalia laughed. He’d paid for everything and volunteered to be the designated driver, encouraging them to drink as much as they wanted. It wasn’t easy since all three were independent women with their own money, but he’d gotten his way in the end.

  Overall, the night wasn’t too bad. He got to pretend to be Hugh Hefner, and the girls were funny. They tried to bait him into another “friend night” which brought him back to his loser brother smiling at him with tears of laughter shining in his eyes.

  “What’s so fucking funny?” Nick asked. He was not or irritated as he sounded. Honestly, he would have laughed at Dex as well.

  “You.” Dex chuckled. “How did you go from a sure thing for sex to painting toenails and girl chats?” Dex wiped the moisture from his eyes. “I mean you were so close. I bet your dick hates you and wants to run away.”

  Nick pushed Dex’s feet off his couch. He sat down and took another swig of his beer. His dick did hate him, but he was serious when he told her he’d follow her lead. She may not see it, but sex wasn’t his ultimate goal. It was a close second, he wasn’t going to lie. Nick was so sexually frustrated, he wanted to crawl out of his skin. However, his primary goal was to win her heart. If slow and steady did that, then he’d just have to freeze his balls.

  “Maybe she wants you to take the lead,” Dex supplied. Nick’s eyeballed Dex skeptically. “I’m serious,” Dex continued. “Look, you asked her to take it. She said okay. You chickened out several times; she got frustrated. Now you seem ready, but you haven’t shown her that you are ready.”

  Nick mulled over Dex’s words. “So, less talk, more action.”

  Dex grabbed Nick’s beer and finished it. “Exactly! Think about it. Do you think she would have stopped you last Friday?”

  Images of Kalilah, aroused and willing, flashed in his mind.

  “No.” It was all he could say.

  Dex patted Nick on the back like he was a sad child. Regret hummed through him. He could have taken them both to the next level but hesitated. He’d allowed her bra to dictate what they did that day. He jumped up and grabbed another beer and a bottle of water from the fridge. He handed Dex the beer.

  “So, you’re saying, pounce the next chance I get?”

  Dex clapped his hands together. “Now, we’re talking.”

  Chapter 16

  K alilah stifled a yawn as she stretched in the front seat and smiled. They’d just completed another successful girls’ trip. None of the girls felt like dealing with the airport, so they’d decided to stay local and go on a road trip. They’d also decided that they didn’t want to be in the car for longer than four hours so that automatically scratched New Orleans off their list.

  Instead, they’d opted for drunken good times in San Antonio. Once they’d factored in outlet shopping in San Marcos, themed goodness at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and some posh accommodations on the Riverwalk, they didn’t look any farther. As far as Kalilah was concerned, they had her at ‘margaritas.’ And boy did she margarita!

  Kalilah put her hand over her face and giggled a little. Nick may have gotten a few drunk texts. Cayla rolled her eyes from the driver’s seat.

  “Keep your panties on. I’m sure your boyfriend is waiting in front of your house by now. I should have dropped you off first.”

  Kalilah laughed and swatted at her sister. “First of all, you’re just mad that no one is waiting outside of your house. Second, he’s not my boyfriend.” Kalilah grinned. “Third, who said I was wearing panties.”

  Cayla let out her favorite snort. “You better have on panties. I have to turn this vehicle in. They don’t need your secretions all over their seats.”

  Kalilah returned the scoff. “They should consider themselves lucky.”

  “Whatever, Kalilah. You are wearing panties. I saw your panty lines earlier and even if I didn’t, we both know it’s too damn hot to be commando.” Cayla gave Kalilah a look that suggested that she was the smarter sister. “Plus, the only person interested in your secretions is Nick.”

  Kalilah twisted her face at Cayla as they pulled up to her house, and there was no sign of Nick. Kalilah knew he wouldn’t be there because she hadn’t told him she was back.

  “See, no Nick waiting.”

 
; “Please.” Cayla dismissed the statement. “He’s not here now, but I need you to hurry up and get out before that Escalade comes flying around the corner on two wheels. I don’t need any wrecks before turning in this SUV.”

  Kalilah’s laughter delayed the collection of her items. She kissed her sister on the cheek.

  “I love you, sister.”

  Cayla waved her off. “Yeah. Yeah. I love you, too. Now move before white boy comes barreling down the street and knocks my car onto the next street. Tomorrow is his birthday, and he is probably on a mission.” She waggled her eyebrows at Kalilah before she peeled off driving entirely too fast for a neighborhood.

  Kalilah shook her head before she opened the door. Who gave her a driver’s license? Honestly, she halfway hoped that Nick would somehow be waiting for her. It would have been borderline creepy because she’d never told him what time she was coming back. OK. It would have been all the way creepy, but a small, irrational part still wanted to see him waiting for her.

  They were gone for four days, and she’d missed him. They hadn’t spoken much while she was on the trip and there definitely weren’t any late-night FaceTime sessions. Not that it mattered anyway. She still hadn’t see any part of Nick naked except for his limbs. Anything from his shoulders to above his knee was still a mystery to her. A mystery she would love to explore. Thoroughly.

  Cayla and Natalia couldn’t wait to get her alone in the car and try to pull every detail out of her. They ganged up on her and told her enough was enough. In fact, they were so adamant that Kalilah should jump on Nick, that they’d forced her to buy lingerie as Nick’s “birthday gift.”

  Kalilah dropped her bags in the foyer and looked around. Everything looked normal, but it was extremely hot in her house. “Oh, no.” she groaned as she went to the thermostat. Ninety degrees! She flipped on the AC, but nothing happened.

  “Shit. Shit. Shit!”

  She pulled out her iPhone and dialed the only number stored. It rang once before he answered.