Smoke (10 page)

throbbing nub of flesh. Thrashing her head from side to side, she couldn’t catch a breath; his tongue was holding her hostage with pleasure. Her knees closed around his head and her hands threaded through his thick hair. At one point the sensations were too strong for her to take and forced his head away. Jonathan refused to comply and licked lower plunging his tongue deep inside her moist womanhood.

Her body sprung forward with a sharp intake of breath. He placed a hand on her chest holding her down. His fingers closed around her breasts to manipulate the swollen mounds; rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. Coupled with what he was doing with his tongue, the sensation sent her body into a hard quiver and uncontrollable shake. She closed her eyes grasping the comforter and arching her back when the first explosion erupted.

Gabrielle lay on the bed spent and whispering, “That was freaking amazing.”

Jonathan stood up watching her recover. A glow outlined her sweat-dripped face. “I’m not done yet.” He shoved his jeans down his slim hips to rest around his ankles.

She sat up to help him. She wanted to see him, feel and taste him. Pushing down his boxers she swallowed hard. His rigid length was more than she expected.

Stroking him with her hand, he was hot and extremely ready for the next phase. Her lips teased the head of his manhood, kissing lightly before letting her tongue trail underneath his shaft and back to the top. She wanted to pleasure him like he’d done her.

He watched Gabrielle open her mouth to accept him but couldn’t take more than a few inches. The image shot heat to the center of his toes. Jonathan moaned deeply from the feel of her soft tongue caressing his thick rigid manhood. He knew too much foreplay would not be good and would stop her after a few more minutes.

Pushing her in a flat position on the bed, he removed a condom from his wallet tearing an end from the wrapper. Expertly he slipped it on without taking his eyes off her. Hovering over her, he dipped his head to place feather-like kisses to her lips; letting his tongue stroked her lower lip. He whispered, “You’re beautiful.”

He lifted her legs over his broad shoulders prepping her for his entry by rubbing his member against her swollen opening. He lowered his head to suck in a stiff nipple.

Popping it from his mouth and alternating to the other nipple to do the same. “Are you ready for me?” He whispered tonguing the morsel. She nodded her head before hungrily taking him in a deep kiss.

“Oh God,” Gabrielle moaned loudly when Jonathan tried to push into her all at once. He eased off to let the natural stretch of her womanhood give him entry. She gyrated and rotated her hips until she was able to accept all nine inches of him. The feel of him buried deep inside her was indescribable.

He lowered his body on top of her, resting the majority of his weight on his forearms. The footboard of the bed acted as leverage for his feet as he thrust deeper inside her. “Oh baby,” he purred. “You feel so damn good.”

Her eyes rolled upward as he mercilessly drove into her soliciting sounds from her throat she didn’t know she could make. Gabrielle lowered and locked her legs around his hips drawing him in deeper. His body was smothering but Gabrielle didn’t care. She had never been made love to like this. She raised her arms over her head giving him better access to feast on her breasts. Feeling the rumblings of another orgasm she moved her hips faster.

Without warning Jonathan withdrew, flipping her over and drawing her to her knees. He placed her hands on the edge of the headboard kissing her neck and down her back. Spotting the tattoo of a small yellow rose, he kissed it first, then each of her plump cheeks before spreading her legs to enter her from behind. Gabrielle dropped her head biting her lip bracing for the first stroke to penetrate the very core of her.

Jonathan paced with precision and a steady rhythm. She felt his body stiffen and his hands move to hold onto her hips. Moving faster, he growled, grunted, and release deep inside of her. Leaning his weight against her, he carried her down to the bed wrapping his arms around her, kissing her cheeks, eyes and brows.

Gabrielle could feel his heart beating hard against her chest. Moments passed before either said a word. Jonathan released her and rolled on his back throwing an arm across his head. She pulled the afghan from the foot of the bed to cover her nakedness and cuddled against him.

His other arm circled around her shoulder. Wincing he said, “I was wrong.

When are you gonna say it?”

“I don’t need to say it. The proof is in the pudding.”

“You definitely proved me wrong. You whipped my ass, girl.”

“I think we should call it a tie.” Her hand caressed his bare chest and stomach.

She heard it growling. “Are you hungry again?”

“Did we even eat?”

She sat up on the side of the bed. “Let me take a quick shower and I’ll reheat the food for us.”

Jonathan groaned sitting up. “You should have warned me that getting physical with you would be painful.”

She looked over her shoulder. “All you had to do was say
‘no’
and you wouldn’t be in pain.”

“You didn’t make that an option.”

“You didn’t allow me to cover the minor details. I’ll make sure to save some hot water for you.”

*****

Jonathan settled in to watch a movie in the living room. Jonathan sat on the sofa not paying attention to the movie playing, but watching Gabrielle. She’d made sure to sit curled in a blanket on the overstuffed chair instead of on the sofa with him. Her eye contact had become lessen also.

Sitting up resting his arms on his knees, he leaned over to talk to her. “Gabrielle, talk to me.”

She took her eyes off the television to look at him saying, “What about?”

“About us and what happened. You haven’t had much to say to me since we ate.”

Midnight leaped into her lap. Stroking the cat’s small head, she said, “Jonathan, don’t read anything into me being quiet.”

“Okay, I get that you’re quiet, but where do we go from here? Do you regret what we did?”

“Yeah, I guess I do regret it a little. I don’t want to give the impression I jump into bed with a man so quickly.”

“First, I don’t have that impression about you and second, I could tell you don’t sleep around. But, I don’t regret it, Gabrielle. Anthony warned me about wearing my heart on my sleeve but I’m gonna do it anyway. I want us to explore the possibility of a relationship. I’m just asking you to be open.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean
be open
? Do you want to see other women during the process?”

“No, nothing like that. This is new for you. You’ve never dated outside of your race so you may need to get used to a few things. I don’t want you to be scared off by looks or comments people might make.”

“Jonathan, I haven’t had to share my privacy with a man for close to a year.”

Placing the cat on the floor she walked to the window. “The thought of opening myself to being hurt or disappointment again is not something I’m sure I want to do.”

Jonathan came up behind her placing his hands gently on her shoulders.

Smelling the scent of her hair, he spoke softly. “I won’t hurt you. I can’t promise every day will be good but it won’t be because I didn’t try. Gabrielle, please don’t shut me out.”

Gabrielle turned to free her shoulders of his hold. “What is the reason for you pushing so hard for a relationship with me, Jonathan? I hear you can have any woman you want and probably have. What is stopping you from saying ‘
okay she isn’t budging
let me move to the next one’
?”

Jonathan couldn’t help but stare into her wondering eyes. He was hearing what she was saying but the words weren’t striking any chords. All he wanted to do was kiss her full lips, and fold her into his arms again. Blinking he focused on her. “From the day I saw you, I knew you were special. The way you walk, your talk; the way you carried yourself period. Now that I’ve made love to you—”

She held her hand up. “No! We had sex, Jonathan. That is all it was. There is no love between us only a strong attraction that led to spontaneous sex. And, I will go far enough to say it was the best sex I’ve had.”

He scratched his head. “I’m a little confused by your statement. Should my ego be inflated or deflated?”

“You have to decide that. But, and this is big coming from me—I would take it as one hell of a compliment when a woman confesses that.”

“Well, I guess I should be flattered since I’m the only man that’s been able to lure you to have sex in almost a year! I get it loud and clear, Gabrielle; you aren’t interested and I’m wasting my time.”

“Oh my God, you are taking this in too many directions,” she said moving past him.

“Hold on a second! If the shoe was on the other foot, you would be blasting me for using you for my own pleasure! Gabrielle, you just used me!”

“No I did not!”

“Yeah, you did, sweetheart. But, I forgive you because we’re human and

humans need to relieve sexual tension any way they can get it. How lucky for you I was here.”

Gabrielle’s lips formed a thin slit as her anger rose. “Jonathan, you’re starting this argument in the wrong direction! Things were going fine until you inquired about a relationship. I asked that we be friends first!”

He threw his hands in the air. “Excuse me for wanting more! Okay, you want to be friends? Tell me, Gabrielle, how many of your friends do you have sex with because I don’t have sex with any of my friends; or was this just a one-time fantasy thing for you?”

She swallowed hard searching for an answer.

“What’s wrong, did Midnight take your tongue?” His eyes glared into hers.

“While you’re in there looking for answers, ask yourself if you think we would never have sex again? Can we seriously hang out as friends and not have urges or remember what we did in that bedroom and not foam at the mouth?”

Her face remained blank and void of words as he continued his rant. Clapping his hands together he said, “I applaud your willpower cuz mine sure as hell ain’t that strong.”

She closed her eyes shaking her head. “Why are you making this complicated?”

“I’m not making it complicated; you are by trying to find a way not to make shit happen between us. I will make it easier for you. I will call today a mistake. I won’t call or pursue you anymore.”

“Jonathan—“

“No, don’t say anything else about it. Just know I can’t be your friend with the way I feel about you. I don’t want to hear about your dates or the man you might hook up with in the future. I’m too much of a man to handle
girlfriend
crap.” He went to the hall to put on his boots.

“You don’t understand what I’ve been through and you’re not giving me the opportunity to explain.”

“Explain what? You haven’t said one damn thing that makes sense! So you’ve had a few failed relationships—big freaking deal….who hasn’t?”

“Lower your voice. I don’t need the neighbors hearing our argument and you being mean!” She said taking his coat from the closet shoving it at him.

“I’m not being mean—I’m pissed! I don’t play games or intentionally hurt people.”

Her eyes softened from his words. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You did, because I thought there would be more, Gabrielle. The fun we had at the party the other night, and then inviting me over today. If you wanted a booty call you should have just said so! Take care,” he said slamming the door behind him.

Gabrielle locked the door and turned off the lights in the room. Going into the bedroom, she looked at the rumpled bed reminiscing before stripping the bed. A rising heat filled her body as she balled the sheets together tossing them in a corner. He was on point with his rant; there would be no way they could be friends and dismiss what they did today.

Sitting on the bed she noticed a shiny object on the night table; Jonathan left his wristwatch. She sighed, “Great, now I have no choice but to see him again.”

Jonathan returned to work after completing a four week medical leave. His doctor restricted him to light duty to test his limits and if he felt comfortable, he could return to full duty without restrictions. Cleaning his equipment in the yard, Anthony came over to him. “Good to have you back, man. The place wasn’t the same without you.”

“I’m glad to be back,” he stated testing the pressure on his air tank. “My equipment hasn’t been cleaned or checked since I’ve been gone; glad you had my back, buddy.”

“I was gonna do it but you’re here. I know how much you like doing it.” He took a seat on the chair across from Jonathan. “So, you haven’t said how Gabrielle is doing; what’s going on?”

“That’s because I don’t know. I haven’t seen or talked to her in about two weeks.”

“What? Wait, what happened with the breakfast you were rushing to that day?”

“We ate, had a disagreement and that’s the last time I’ve seen or talked to her,”

he said continuing to clean the equipment.

Anthony moved the air tank from his grasp. “Jon, what the hell happened?

You’re just now telling me you two ain’t seeing each other, why?”

Jonathan scrubbed his hand over his face. “It didn’t work out, Anthony. She was in a different place and we couldn’t agree to meet in the middle.”

“Shocking news. Gwen knew you two would be together for a long time. Hell, she was pre-arranging the wedding,” he laughed.

“She can do it for you and Sandra. How is that going by the way?”

“Eh, we see each other on and off; nothing really serious yet. But, if you’re serious about not seeing Gabrielle anymore; do you mind if I give her a call?”

Jonathan rolled his eyes in an unfriendly manner then changed to shake his head. “I can’t tell you not to call her. Good luck if she does agree to go out with you.”

Anthony smoothed his goatee. “Um-hum; your mouth is saying that but your body language is saying something else. I’m about to get real personal because I think we have that type of relationship.”