Her Man: An Interracial Romance (The Bentini Brothers Book 2) (7 page)

     After giving the pups a light snack and a
small saucer of milk, I bring them back to the bedroom and place them on the
bed.  As soon as Antonio hears the pups, he puts his foot down, “No, Ti.”

     “Please Antonio, they’re scared to be alone.”

     “No, Tiressa.  Besides, they’re not alone,
they have each other.”

     “Antonio—”

     “I’m not sleeping in a bed with dogs Ti.” 
He’s being unreasonable and unyielding.  “Tony.  I won’t be able to sleep with
them crying.”

     “Baby, you don’t want to get them used to
sleeping in the bed with you…with us.”

     “But they’re babies…and this is probably their
first night without their mother.  We can’t just let them be all alone.”  My
eyes are getting misty.  Rolling his eyes at my illogical thinking, Antonio
gets out of bed and goes into the living room.  I sit on the edge of the bed
holding one of the pups while the other wanders nearby.  But only for a couple
of seconds.  I set the pups on the floor.  I can’t have Antonio thinking I put
the pups before him.  Just as I get up to go apologize to Antonio, he reappears
carrying the puppies’ blanket and toys.  He lays the blanket on the floor in
the corner.  I place both pups on the blanket, turn the television on, and tune
in to the classical music channel, as Antonio turns out the lights.  I get back
in bed with him, but sleep on my side so that I can see the pups.

     Feeling Antonio’s arms come around me, I
snuggle in closer to him.  “Thank you Tony.”

     “I don’t want your thanks, I want your love.” 
I automatically stiffen in his arms at his whispered words.  “Antonio?”

     “Good night, Tiressa.”

     “Good night, Antonio.”  I whisper back.

~~~~

      “I want to make love to you.”      

     “Umm…umm”; hearing myself moan, I come fully
awake.

     “Baby.  I want to make love to you.”  Antonio
is behind me, kissing the back of my neck.  One of his arms is under me, with
his big hand on my bare breast softly caressing the rigid bud as he’s pressing
my body against the front of his body.  “Umm…”  I moan again, feeling his other
hand deep between my thighs.

     “Open up Baby.”  Antonio whispers, licking my
neck and then my ear before gently sucking the lobe into his warm wet mouth.  “Ummm…Tony…” 
His fingers continue gently circling, then rolling my throbbing tips, causing a
delicious shiver to run through my body as I clutch at the covers under my
hand. 

     “Baby I need to be inside you.  Now!  Can I
make love to you Tiressa?”  Antonio growls just before I feel the scrape of his
teeth across my nipple as he sucks the little brown berry into his warm mouth. 
My breath stops and tears blur my vision at this most exquisite sensation. 
“Yes!..Yes!..Please Tony!”  I don’t care about anything but Antonio’s hands on my
body as I ride this wave of ecstasy to completion.  Gripping the covers,
gripping Antonio, moaning deep in my throat as my entire body tense then spasms.
With Antonio still thrusting into me, I experience a lovely series of jerking,
twitching powerful glorious aftershocks.

     “I’m getting cold Antonio.”  Tiressa sounds
more sleepy than angry, and for that I’m very relieved.  Reaching behind me, I
pull the covers up over our quickly cooling bodies.  Snuggling tighter to
Tiressa, we both fall back into a sound sleep.

***

     “Are you by chance, looking for this?”  Turning
from my frantic search, to face Antonio holding up the very box I’m tearing
apart my bathroom medicine cabinet looking for.

     “Yes.  What are you doing with it?”  I ask
defensively.

     “What I would like to know is –why do you have
this?” Antonio’s voice is calm, but I can tell that he’s clenching his jaw;
which means he’s really upset.

     “You know why Antonio.  Can I have it back?” 
I ask holding out my hand for the tiny box.

     “How many times have you used these?”  His
voice is lower, quieter; which means that he’s trying to control his anger.

     “Once.”  As furious as he is, I have no intentions
of telling him the truth –that I’ve taken the morning after pill
twice
. 
Although I feel I didn’t really have a choice, I know that he won’t see it that
way.  “I bought it after the first time we made love and I realized that you
probably didn’t use a condom.  I was unprotected Antonio.  I’m still
unprotected.  Since you refuse to use a condom, I need some kind of
contraceptive until my birth control pills have time to work effectively.  Antonio,
give it to me, please.”  I ask again, holding out my hand.  

     “You want me to give you a drug that will get
rid of my baby.”  He demands outraged.  

     “It’s a morning after contraceptive, it
doesn’t get rid of a baby, it prevents a baby from being made.”

     “And that’s supposed to make me feel better,
Tiressa?  Because it doesn’t!  Inside your womb right now, one of my soldiers could
be fertilizing the egg that is our baby.  And you want me to stop it from
happening.  I won’t do it.  And neither will you!”

     “Be reasonable Antonio—”

     “No!  Not about this!  I won’t forgive you if
you take this pill, Tiressa.” He vows, placing the tiny box in the palm of my
hand.  “The choice is yours.”

Chapter 18

     “Antonio please.  Just let me out half a block
before we get to the club.”

     “What kind of a man do you think I am?  I’m
not letting you out anywhere but in the damn parking lot.”

     “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for us to
pull up at the club in the same car.  How will that look?”

     “I don’t give a damn how it looks.  I agreed
not to shout our relationship to the world.  But I didn’t agree to deny that we
are seeing each other.”  We’re in the parking lot now and I’m running out of
time.  Antonio can be so damn stubborn.

     “Okay, then let’s not walk in together…you go
in first and then I’ll go in five minutes after.”  Now that he has parked the
car, he’s giving me his full attention.  Turning to look directly at me, he barks
out through clenched teeth.  “Tiressa.  You are insulting me again, and I don’t
appreciate it.”

     “Antonio, you know I’m not trying to insult
you, so you can just calm down.  But we are already seen too much together at
the office.  I think people are starting to talk about us.  What if it became
known that you had my office redecorated, and  that all those roses came from
you?”  Glancing around the parking lot, I point out that his security team and
others from B&S are already here.  “If we walk in there together, especially
at this time of morning, they’ll know for sure that something is going on
between us.”

     “I wish that I could care, Tiressa…but I
don’t.  We are going to have to sit down with my mother soon because I’m not
willing to hide how I feel about you any longer…I’m done with sneaking around
to be with you.”

     “But you promised you would!”  I cry, really
upset.

     “I promised to give you some time, and that’s
exactly what I’ve done.  Your time is up.”  He says unyielding.

     Exhaling a wobbly frustrated breath, I hedge
for a little more time.  “This celebration is for Jason and Adam.  Let’s not do
anything to take the spotlight away from them.  The last thing I want is to be
part of anything that can potentially ruin their party.  Can we put some
distance between us until after tonight.”  When it looks like he isn’t going to
budge, my eyes water and I become desperate.  “Please, Tony!  Just until after
the party and then we can discuss how to go about telling your mom.”

     I sag with relief when he reluctantly relents
–but just a little.  “Okay, but only on one condition.  I want you and the pups
to come stay with me for a couple of days.”

     “Antonio—”

     “No, Tiressa.  Take it or leave it.  Besides,
your bed is an absolute nightmare…it’s too damn small.” 

     He leaves me no real choice.  “Fine.  I’m sure
me and the pups will enjoy spending time at your place.”  Now that he’s gotten
his way again, he visibly relaxes.  “That’s my girl.”  He’s all smiles.  “Now
give me a taste of those beautiful luscious lips.”  It’s difficult to resist
when he hits me with that sexy -
you know you want this-
look.  Leaning
towards each other, we share a passionate kiss.  “Umm.”  He groans.  “All your
lips are beautiful, luscious
and
delicious.” 

     “Antonio!”  Jerking back from him, I move to
get out of the SUV.  “You are so nasty.”   I toss the words at him as I close
the door and dash to the club’s entrance.  I make it into the club a little
winded, but most importantly, ahead of Antonio…so it doesn’t look like we came
together.  I smile at my cleverness as I make my way to the center of the club
where Kathy is standing.

     “I’m sorry Kathy, I woke up late and I’ve been
trying to catch up since.”  I put my purse and bags on the table next to her
stuff, then turn to give her a quick hug. 

     “That’s okay.  You don’t have to apologize to
me, you have my back and I have yours.”  She’s so sweet, I give her another
quick hug.  She’s fast becoming one of my very good friends…I wonder if she’ll
fit in with the girlz.  “Kathy are you sure you don’t mind giving me a ride to
the mansion and then home?  I don’t want to impose.” 

     “Are you kidding, of course not.”    

     “I know I didn’t give you a clear explanation…
 Antonio insisted that I ride here with him.  He wouldn’t take no for an
answer, and it was just easier to go along with it.”

     “Well, you know that some men just have to
have it their way… especially those with the last name Bentini.”  Kathy says
with a sly smile.  We are interrupted by the owner of the night club.  “Well-well-well,
aren’t you two just the finest looking things these eyes have seen all week? 
My name is Mike Brooks and I’m the owner of this club.”  He introduces himself,
kissing the back of first Kathy’s hand and then mine.

     “Forget about it Mike.”  Adam says, striding
up to us with his twin right beside him.  “We’re responsible for Kathy and
Tiressa and that means guarding them from your hazardous charms.”  Jason adds
as he comes to a halt next to me with Adam standing next to Kathy.  The brothers
couldn’t resist coming to the club and checking things out for themselves.

     “Are you really going to try to convince these
beautiful ladies that I’m a dangerous man?”  Mike complains, with a pretty-good
interpretation of having hurt feelings; which is quite charming.  Laughing, I
glance up to catch sight of this rather imposing man walking beside Antonio in
what looks to be a very serious conversation.  I can’t help making comparisons.
 Although the man has dark hair and looks to be at least six feet, he’s not as
buff as Antonio.  However, he is just as handsome, in that same rugged macho way. 
They walk over to our little group, sure footed and all business.  “Mr. Brooks
we need you.  My team has checked out the building and we are ready to go over
the security plans discussed at our last meeting.”  Antonio addresses Mike
Brooks, but both men are shooting him the same disapproving scowl.  “Sure thing
Mr. Bentini.”  Mr. Brooks easily switches to man of business, as he heads back
towards his office.  Antonio steps closer to me.  “You okay?”  He asks, giving
a little tug on the front of my shirt.  Causing me to react immediately by
taking a quick step back.  The others are paying close attention to us.  Antonio
surprises me by introducing the man at his side.  “Tiressa, I’d like you to
meet my best friend and chief security officer, Vitto Rossi.  Vitto, this is my
la—Tiressa Hawkins, my mother’s newest PA.” 

     “Ms. Hawkins, it’s a pleasure to finally meet
you.” 

     “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Rossi.”

     “Oh, no, please call me Vitto.”

     “Nice to meet you Vitto.”  I say smiling into
his friendly eyes. 

     “Down boy, she’s taken.”  Antonio growls.  Staring
at me for a few heated seconds, then he send me a roguish grin that clearly says,
“Checkmate.”  Winking at his younger brothers and Kathy, who are avidly
watching the scene play out, he and Vitto Rossi follow Mr. Brooks to his office. 

     Once the party planner and his crew show up, the
club becomes a giant glittering beehive of organized chaos.

***

     Leaving the finishing touches to the event
planner, Kathy and I drive to Bentini Mansion, to take care of some last minute
errands for Mrs. Bentini, before going back to our own apartments to dress for
the party.       

     “Would you like to come in?”  I offer.

     “No thanks.  We only have a few hours before
we have to return to the club and I’m going to need every minute.” 

     “Me too.  Okay, thanks for the ride…see ya at
the club.”  I wave her off.  I can’t wait to get inside and see my pups…it’s
been a long day and I’ve missed them terribly.  Entering my apartment, the
first thing I see is my babies cuddled up together asleep on their blanket, in
their playpen.  I left the television on, hoping they would be entertained
watching the shows on the animal channel.  I don’t want to wake them up, but I
can’t resist lying on the floor next to them and gently rousing them from their
nestled slumber.  I hold them and coo to them and cuddle with them and speak
baby talk to them until they are wide away, moving around and yapping.  Before
long, the pups are chasing and playing with each other all over the living room
and kitchen as three-month-old pups tend to do.