Redemption (Iris Series) (41 page)

He kissed the top of her head, rubbing at her hair.  “I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too.  I need to make some phone calls, like to Ryann and Catherine.  Ryann can update the gang for me, but I should really let Catherine know what’s going on.”  She looked up at him.  “You don’t have to stay if you have stuff to do.” 

But God, did she want him to stay.  She was feeling weepy and whiny and needed to lose herself in him, even though she knew she wouldn’t be much fun to be around.

He furrowed his brow and stroked her cheek.

“Even if I had stuff to do, I wouldn’t leave, Yan.  You’re more important to me than anything I might have to do.”  He stroked her cheek again.  “I’m not leaving you.”

Her breath hitched.  “Thank you,” she whispered.  Then she shook her head.  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  Normally I would say fuck it, but that whole self-reflection thing really screwed with my brain and has turned me into a sniveling mess.”

“Not a sniveling mess.  A woman who has a heart and feels bad for a man who felt there was no other way to deal with his problems.  I think it’s appropriate to be sad about this, Yan.  And no one expects you to be the Rock of Gibraltar all of the time, okay?”

They looked at each other for another moment, and she finally closed her eyes and leaned into him again, resting her head on his chest.

“Come on.  I’m taking you up to my place.  I have a nice big bathtub, so grab a couple of things, make your calls, and I’ll get a bath ready for you.  Let me take care of you tonight, baby.”

He started to walk her toward her bedroom to get her things, but she stopped him by holding onto his hand.  He looked back questioningly.

“I’ve never had a man take care of me like this before,” she whispered.  “It’s such a foreign feeling that I almost don’t know how to react.  But,” she swallowed, “you should know that I have never loved you more than I do right now.  You are truly the best man I know, Jon,” she finished, tears gathering in her eyes.

He walked back to her, swung her up in his arms and settled them on the sofa so he could hold her. 

“And
you
should know,” he began as he nuzzled at her neck, his arms wrapped tightly around her, “that there is no other woman in the world I would rather love or take care of more than you.”

Ayanna sat in his lap with his arms securely around her.  She touched and nuzzled, finding solace in his comforting embrace.  They stayed like that for several minutes, while Ayanna tried to process the mixture of emotions she felt of sadness, but safety now that Robert posed no threat.  Eventually, they got up and Jonathan took her home to his place.

The busyness of the next two days helped to distract Ayanna from the reality of the tragic weekend.  She and Janie had a two day event they needed to prep for on Monday then run on Tuesday.  Jonathan had multiple client appointments and was
also preparing for the school year to resume in two weeks.

While prepping the food for the enormous bridal shower luncheon they were cooking for the next day, Ayanna and Janie talked about Robert, and Ayanna’s feelings about the tragedy.

“You have nothing to feel guilty about, Yan.”

“Jon says the same thing.”

“Well, he’s right.  I can imagine it wasn’t easy to hear though.  But still, you did everything right in that situation.”

“Thanks for saying that.  So speaking of Robert, you know how I told you my friend Catherine bought him out?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, the soft opening of
Chez Catherine’s
is next Wednesday.  Do you wanna go?” Ayanna asked.

“Absolutely!  We don’t have anything on the schedule next week.  Nice!  That’ll be fun.  And we have the art show at the Institute the Friday right after that.”  She sighed.  “It’ll be nice to have the weekend off, won’t it?”  She waited a moment then said, “I’m thinking I’ll ask Detective Fernandez to come to the art showing.  Whattaya think?”

“Well, well, well.  What’s going on there?”  Ayanna wiggled her eyebrows.

“We haven’t gone out yet.  Both of our schedules have been crazy.  When I have time off he’s working.  We’ve talked a couple of times on the phone, though.”

“And?”

Janie sighed.  “And what, Yan?  Spit it out?”

“Any chemistry there?”

“Yeah,” Janie said, but she sounded like she wasn’t sure.

“Have you given up on Mr. Daniels?”

She put her knife down and stopped chopping vegetables.  “To tell you the truth, I don’t know if I’ll
ever
be able to give up on Mr. Daniels.”  She muttered, “It’s so pathetic.”

“Well, just for the record, I absolutely 100% believe that he has the hots for you.”

“Yeah, yeah.  You said that last week.  First of all, I don’t believe you, and second of all, it doesn’t matter one
shit
if he doesn’t
do
anything about it.  The idiot,” she grumbled.

“Girl, you totally had him all flustered that night.  You should’ve seen him when you were in the bathroom, asking how often you were having sex.  It was priceless.  I promise you.  I can read men.  He has the hots for you and doesn’t know what the hell to do about it.”

Janie was biting on her lip, her eyes lit up with what could only be described as hope.

“You know what I think you should do?  I think you should ask Fernandez if he wants to go to the art showing.  If he says yes, then great.  You can make
Lucasito
jealous and flaunt your stuff.  Something tells me Fernandez won’t mind.  He strikes me as someone just looking for a good time anyway.  And if Fernandez can’t attend, then you just use that opportunity to make another move on Luke.  It’s a win-win.”

“I am woefully no match for you, Yan.  You just know how to work men.”

“Oh, puhleeze.  You know how to work men, too.  Don’t play that game with me.  You had Luke running in circles that night, and you knew exactly what you were doing,” Ayanna chuckled.

Janie’s eyes twinkled.

“Ryann on the other hand can’t flirt for shit,” she muttered with a shake of the head.  “She was hopeless before Jeremy.  I’m so glad he snagged her.”

“He snagged her alright.  There is no way that girl is getting away from him.”

“I’m pretty sure she’s fine with that,” she laughed. 

They finished up their prep and Ayanna headed home around dinner time.  When she got to the apartment and walked in, there were candles lit on the end tables and dining table, with a nice blues
y mix of music playing on the iPod.

Ayanna let the door close quietly behind her, and leaned back against it with a smile on her face.

“Hello?” she said in a sing songy voice.

Jonathan peeked his head around the corner of the kitchen and said, “You’re so quiet.  I didn’t even hear you come in.”  He walked up to her, a towel over his shoulder.

She looked at it with an eyebrow raised.  “Whatchya doin’, JBG?”

“Cookin’ for my woman,” he said pounding his chest.

“So fuckin’ cute,” she chuckled, then leaned up on her toes to kiss him.  She loved this man.  “What did you make me, Mr. White?”

“Comfort food.  After yesterday, I thought you could use some.”

She smiled poignantly at him and touched his face.  “Perfect.  What’s on the menu?”

“Well, keeping in mind my lack of culinary prowess, I went with a simple childhood favorite.  My mom’s homemade baked mac and cheese with some kielbasa.  Not the healthiest dish, but definitely comforting which is the goal tonight.  All gotten from the market you like that supports the local farms.”

She cocked her head.  “Nicely done, Mr. White.  I might even share my private stash of Oreos with you for dessert.” 

She smiled and began to toss her purse to the floor, but not before he stopped her by putting his hand on the door next to her face.  She looked at him with a question in her eyes, knowing she had him just where she wanted him. 

“You have Oreos?”

“Oh, I have Oreos, baby.  And they are crunchy on the outside, and sweet and creamy on the inside.”  She licked her lips.  “Just the way you like ’em.”

“I might need one to tide me over ‘til dinner.”

“You sure, JBG?” she asked, patting his cheek.

“Where are they?”

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” she said smartly.

“What are you, eleven?”

“Ooh, I wouldn’t be so snarky if you want me to get you one, buddy.”

Before the words finished leaving her mouth, he grabbed her ribcage and began tickling her.

“Jon!” she yelped.  “You’re gonna give Mrs. Holland a heart attack,” she said with bouts of laughter.  “I’m serious!” she whispered dramatically, “because if I scream…”

“Then you better be quiet, sweetheart,” he smiled, his fingers relentless.  She giggled uncontrollably trying to fight off his hands and tickle him back, batting his hands away but he was too strong.  

“Jonathan, I swear.  You’re not getting one fucking Oreo if you don’t stop,” she sputtered in hysterics.

“All you have to do is tell me where they are, baby,” he chuckled.

“Okay, okay!”

He stopped immediately.  The gleam in his eye told her he wanted to fuck her, which was fine by her because their little tickling war made her primed and ready.  Trying to catch her breath, she gave him a saucy look and ran her finger over the snap of his jeans allowing her fingers to dip into the waistband.

“How badly do you want that Oreo, Mr. White?”

Before answering, he walked her back into the wall.  “I have another cookie in mind at the moment.”

“I bet you do, big boy,” she said, laughing. “Don’t burn that mac and cheese, champ.  I want it.”  She undid his jeans and put her hand in his boxer briefs, reaching for that glorious cock of his that was standing at attention.

He moaned when she found it.

She gripped it and squeezed.  He leaned forward to kiss her, this time on her neck, scraping his teeth and sucking at her skin.  He plunged his hand down her yoga pants, finding her wet and hot for him.

“We have five minutes,” he said with a groan. 

“So the Oreo was only gonna tide you over for five minutes?” she whimpered, rotating her hips into his fingers.

“Yup.”

“Just so you know, I won’t need the whole five minutes,” she gasped, already close to the edge.

“Just so you know, I can make you come in less than one,” he moaned in her mouth.  “Oh yeah, baby.  Creamy and sweet,” he murmured.  He played with her, rubbing his fingers over her clit. 

She moaned, pumping him with her hand and frantically grinding into his other one while nipping at his chin.

He curled the two fingers inside her forming a ‘come here’ motion, and slid them over her G-spot. 

“Ah!”  She bowed up, then her heart rate kicking up another notch.  “Fuck 60 seconds!  I’m there in 10,” she gasped. 

She heard him chuckle just as her hand on his cock stopped moving.  It couldn’t seem to remember what it was supposed to be doing to him as her own pleasure took over.  She was a selfish bitch.  She knew it.  Her head thrashed against the wall, sounds escaping from the back of her throat of their own volition.

“Come, baby.  Give it to me,” he encouraged, his thumb pressing into her clit.

She did, gasping and whimpering his name while coming all around his fingers.  He captured her mouth with his, swallowing the sounds of her climax and gripping her hair with his other hand.

She let the feelings take her as she fell over the edge.  A moment later, slumberous and spent, she finally remembered that he hadn’t had any relief.  Taking him in her hand with
renewed purpose, she said with promise, “Your gentlemanlike behavior in making me always come first deserves a reward, JBG.”

He hissed.  His fingers were still inside of her, but she disengaged herself from him and moved away, turning him so he was now against the wall.  Then she got on her knees.  Her mouth watered as she licked her lips then made brief eye contact with him before swallowing him whole.

He groaned through his teeth.

She didn’t wait.  She didn’t tease.  She just went at him, determined to bring him release in record time.  With vigor, she undulated her tongue along his shaft and sucked, swallowing over and over.

He grabbed tufts of her hair and pumped lightly into her mouth.

“
Yan-na
,” his voice stuttered on the syllables.  “I’m close, baby.  I’m
close
,” he groaned. 

She didn’t let up and reached her hand around to pump him while her mouth was latched onto him.

He was moaning in earnest now, straining his hips into her.  “Baby, I’m gonna come,” he warned with a growl.  “
Yan
!”

Then he exploded into her mouth. 

Ah, she thought.  Success.

She swallowed down every drop that came out of him, sucking him until he was finally done, his cock jumping slightly in her mouth.  Sucking the tip one last time, she smiled up at him like the cat who swallowed the proverbial canary.

His breathing was still a bit erratic, but with a contented smile on his lips, he reached his hand around to cup her face and pulled her up his body.  She landed on him with a kiss, working his lower lip into her mouth and biting down on it.

Before either of them could speak, they heard the oven timer beeping.

They both smiled.

“Dinner’s ready,” he said.

……

“I can’t wait to meet your mom just so I can thank her for teaching you how to make this,” Ayanna groaned, savoring the creamy and delicious baked macaroni and cheese.  “And kudos for the addition of the green salad.  It’s a nice touch for those of us who don’t want to harden our arteries completely,” she
said dryly.

“The kielbasa is great, isn’t it?  That Farmer’s Market had a really nice selection.”

“It’s perfect, champ.  Thank you for making it.  It was nice to have a meal ready for me after chopping vegetables all day,” she said, taking another bite.

“You know one of the things I love about you?”

She smiled at the question.  “What’s that?”

“You’re not afraid to eat,” he said around his own food in his mouth.

“Nope.  I’m definitely not,” she giggled.  “Ryann and I always say the only reason why we exercise is so we can eat whatever we want.  Plus, being a chef gives me the freedom to truly enjoy food.  I love the entire sensual experience.  The presentation on the plate, the aroma, the flavors mixed together with the different textures.  I love everything about it.”

“It shows,” he murmured, a smile touching his eyes.  “When you eat something you like, it looks like you’re about to get off.”

The corner of her mouth tipped up.  “Doesn’t everyone look orgasmic,” she paused and zeroed in on him thinking of their moment at the door, “when they’re
eating
something delicious?”

“I know I look like that when I’m eating my favorite cookie...I bet I look like that eating Oreos, too.  Ba dum bump.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.  “Oh, brother.”

He
smiled, and she talked about the catering event planned for the next day, and he talked about getting ready for school.

Eventually they started talking about their trip to Boston.

“Are you still nervous?”

“A little,” she shrugged.  “Emily gave me props yesterday, so I’m trying not to let my insecurities get in the way.”