Close Quarters: A Novel (Zane Presents) (25 page)

My cell phone started ringing. I leaned over and peeped at it. Ellis. I sent him to voicemail.

“Does he know where you are?”

“Nope.”

“Ellis isn’t one of my favorite people, but he’s probably going crazy wondering where you are right now.”

“Tough.”

“Mel.”

“I’m serious, Malik. That woman despises me and makes it clear that she doesn’t think I’m good enough for her son.”

No one had ever made me feel the way Bebe did. She never missed an opportunity to snub me or draw distinctions between our families, wealth or class. The fact that she felt she could drag
my parents into her nonsense was crossing the line. We didn’t have money like the Harlows, but we were hardworking, middle-class people that were proud of our accomplishments. I was running my own successful business. As a young African-American woman that was quite a feat. It meant nothing to Bebe. All she saw was a woman that didn’t meet her standards. I didn’t have the right breeding, upbringing, culture, financial resources or even friends.

I believed her when she said she could put a stop to our wedding. It seemed she could get Ellis to do anything that she wanted. It’s a hard pill to swallow when the man you’re marrying doesn’t put you first. It makes you doubt the relationship you’re supposed to have.

“Ellis doesn’t do enough to put his mother in her place. He lets her go unchecked at my expense. He needs to tell her how much I mean to him. Let her know what a special person I am.”

Malik leaned forward. “You are very special.” He poured us both another tequila shot. “Any man should be able to see that. You’re beautiful. Smart. Sexy . . . ”

I studied him through the dimness in the room, trying to read his expression. He rubbed his hand over the beginnings of a beard and smiled. I threw back my shot. The room seemed awfully warm. I leaned back against the sofa cushion and put my feet up on the coffee table, crossing my ankles. My robe parted, exposing my leg up to my thigh.

Malik kept his eyes on me as he swigged his shot. He placed his glass on the table and then slowly moved his hand near my feet. Malik never took his gaze off of me. He gently tugged on the tip of my sock, easing it from my foot. He dangled the sock between his fingers for a few seconds, then dropped it on the table. He poured another shot, downed half of it, and then handed me the
glass. I pressed the rim to my lips and watched him as he slipped off my other sock. Again, he let it dangle until I acknowledged that he was holding it. I finished his shot and he let the sock drop. He traced a finger along the instep of my foot. My breath caught in my throat. He took my foot in his hands and massaged his thumbs into the pressure point on the ball of my foot. I burrowed deeper into the sofa cushion. He worked his hands from my toes to my ankle and then gave my other foot the same attention.

Malik released my foot and slowly stood up. He didn’t move from where he was standing. He just stared at me and I stared back at him. Malik licked his lips. I took my legs down from the table. With measured steps he came around to my side of the table and unhurriedly sat down on it in front of me. He positioned his knees on the outside of mine. He took the shot glass out of my hand and rested it on the table. “You’re a special lady, Mel.”

I swallowed hard, then exhaled a shaky breath. Malik put his right hand on my knee and lingeringly slid my robe away from my leg. He placed his left hand on my other leg and exposed it as well. He simultaneously rubbed both hands from my knees up to my hips and back again, applying more pressure with each motion. I placed my hands on top of Malik’s as he massaged my inner thighs, smoothly parting my legs. He dropped to his knees between my legs. He reached for the sash on my robe and began to untie it little by little. I bit my bottom lip as his strong hands deftly loosened the knot.

Malik spread my robe, revealing my C’s cradled in crimson lace. “Damn.” A smile flitted across his lips before he leaned forward and kissed my stomach. Instinctively, my thighs tightened on his sides. He looked up at me with an intensity I had never seen before in his eyes. He traced his finger around my belly button, then bowed his head to kiss where he had just touched. His tongue
darted in and out of my navel. I lifted my hand and ran my fingers through his curls. His kisses intensified as he inched his way up to my breasts. Malik paused when he reached the bottom of my bra. He leaned back, grasped the sides of my robe and pulled me forward until his lips touched mine. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth. I pulled back. He tugged me forward again, pressing his mouth against mine, biting and sucking my lips. Malik grabbed me by the back of my head and pulled me into his kiss. His tongue entered my mouth, connecting with mine. They played a game of chase—where he led, I followed. He was hot, almost feverish. Malik kissed me like he was dying of thirst and I was his drink of water. I nibbled his lips and then licked them like a lollipop. He moaned and things stirred deep within me. He pulled away like he needed to catch his breath, his chest visibly rising and falling.

Malik pushed my robe away from my shoulders, caressing my arms along the way. He bowed his head forward and rubbed his face on the fleshy mounds of my breasts. I looked down at him as his cheek languidly stroked my softness, his eyes closed, head moving back and forth. Malik reached up and slipped his hand inside my bra, freeing my breast. His tongue circled my nipple. It instantly hardened. He flicked his tongue across it rapidly before sucking it into his mouth. I attempted to lean back, but he moved his hands behind me, keeping me in an upright position. He unhooked my bra, removing the obstacle that hindered him from having full access. “You are so beautiful,” he said, his voice sounding raspy.

He reached for his own tank and pulled it over his head. He smiled when he saw my eyes travel from his chest to his stomach. His abs were chiseled perfection. I tentatively touched my hand to his pecs. Malik quivered. He eased me back and began kissing my stomach again. His hands found their way to my hips and with
a nimble motion, Malik slipped his hands beneath my ass and slid my panties down to my knees.

My eyes went wide. “Malik—”

“Shhh,” he whispered, without so much as a glance up. He planted tiny kisses on my stomach, venturing lower with each kiss. He slid my panties down my calves and over my feet. Malik spread my legs wide, licked his lips and then buried his face in my sunshine. His full, soft mouth covered my nani, the tip of his tongue sampling my nectar. He moaned and my kitty reacted. “You’re so wet.”

“Malik, stop,” I said, my words breathy. “It feels too good.” I tried to wriggle away.

Malik grabbed hold of my hips and pulled me into his face. His firm grip held me still as he drilled his tongue deeper into my center. The sensation sent a surge of electricity up my spine. “Mmmm, Malik . . . ”

“You like that?” he asked. “Do you still want me to stop?”

“No.”

“Should I stop?”

“No, don’t stop.”

He darted his tongue across my clit. “Ask me not to stop.”

“Don’t stop.”

“Ask me not to stop, Mel,” he said, kissing my inner thigh.

“Malik, don’t stop.”

“Say please.”

“Please.”

“Please what?”

“Malik, please don’t stop.”

He jerked me toward him, raising my legs over his shoulders. I gazed down my naked body at Malik’s head between my legs. He feverishly licked around, up, down, inside and out like he was
eating an ice cream cone and didn’t want a single drop to drip. He sucked on my clit until my moans turned into one long, high-pitched note. Malik peered up at me. Our breathing was coming fast and heavy. He took my trembling legs off his shoulders. Still kneeling in front of me he pushed his basketball shorts down over his ass and thighs. I sat up on the couch, my feet on the floor, legs on either side of him. His penis was long, hard and standing straight up. Just like the rest of his body, it was smooth and beautiful. He looked down at it and then up at me. He leaned back into a sitting position, his ass on the heels of his feet. He wrapped one arm around my waist and slid me toward him. His other hand held his dick as he guided me onto his lap. I eased down onto his thickness and gasped. His hips jerked upward. We froze, his dick deep inside of me, and stared into each other’s eyes. Malik’s hands gripped the sofa cushion. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He thrust into me with a grunt. My arms tightened around him. He thrust again, harder and deeper. With the next thrust, I arched my back and rocked my hips down into him.

“Damn, Mel!”

I rolled my hips into his, my sunshine getting wetter with each gyration. Malik let go of the couch and wrapped his arms around my back, gripping my shoulders. He pushed until he filled me up, pulling me down onto his dick. I cried out.

“Let me hear you, Mel. Let go. How does it feel?”

I could hardly catch my breath and didn’t answer.

He pumped more vigorously. “How . . .does . . .it . . .feel?” he asked between thrusts.

“Feels good,” I barely managed to say.

He pumped faster. “Let . . .me . . .hear . . .you.”

“So good.”

In one quick maneuver Malik raised up, holding my body to
his, and laid me on my back. He planted his hands on the floor near my shoulders and held his body over me as if doing a push-up. He slowly pulled his penis from inside me and laid it heavily on top of my sunshine. It glistened from my juices. He moved his hips, sliding his dick back and forth, grinding on my clit.

“Talk to me, Mel. Let me hear you.”

My kitty throbbed, craving to have him back inside me. I purred his name. “
Malik
.”

“Do you want this?” He continued to stroke. “Look at it.”

“I want it,” I murmured.

“Tell me.”

“I want it,” I whined.

“Louder.”

“It feels so good, Malik. I want you inside of me.”

He rubbed his penis in my wetness. I wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him closer. He pulled back, only allowing his tip to enter me. I squeezed with my legs; he resisted. Inch by inch, he slid inside. I lifted my hips, trying to coax him along.

“Give it to me, Malik.”

“Yeah . . .talk to me.”

“Give it to me.” I propped up on my elbows, so my face was next to his. “I know you want it, too.”

“Mmm . . .yes.”

“Show me that you want it,” I teased.

“You know I want it.”

“Prove it,” I said, licking my lips.

He pushed deep inside until our bodies bumped. In and out, over and over again. Malik growled with each long, forceful thrust. I was on the precipice of orgasm and the sweet friction had me about to explode. Malik was biting on my neck, caressing my body and playing in my sunshine.

I was singing his name as he handled my body right. “Right there, Malik.”

“Oooo, you’re so wet. Are you about to come?”

“Yes,” I sang. “Yes.”

“I want to feel you come. Make it rain all over me.”

We moved together in sync, each movement intensifying the sensation. Malik grabbed my ass and raised it off the carpet. That was it. My pussy tightened around him and we both cried out. My juices poured all over him. He cried out again. “Mel! Damn!”

My sunshine contracted in waves. He pounded harder. “I’m coming!”

Malik pulled out and released his warm essence on my stomach. He collapsed next to me on the floor, panting loudly. “Damn, Mel.”

I
turned on my side and propped myself up on an elbow, taking in the length of Melina’s body. She lay on her back with one leg bent at the knee. There was a light sheen of sweat on her face, chest and between her breasts—she was glowing and simply gorgeous. I grabbed my tank and wiped my swimmers from her stomach.

“How much of that are we going to blame on the tequila?” I asked.

She brushed away the strands of hair that were clinging to her face. “Is that what you’re planning to do? Say you got carried away because of the tequila?”

“I think we both know it would be a lie if we tried to blame it on the alcohol. There’s been something brewing between us for a while now.”

“As much as I would like to disagree with you, I can’t. All I know is that I don’t want to think right now. I don’t want to question what happened between us or why. Because if I start thinking, I’ll start panicking and I’m not ready to panic yet.”

“I can respect that.” I lay down next to Melina and pulled her close to me, wrapping her in my arms. She rested her head on my chest and draped her arm across my stomach. “I meant it when I said you’re a special lady. And if you didn’t know how sexy I thought you were before, you definitely know now.”

“Malik, I know we have our differences, but I think you’re special, too. You’re handsome, intelligent, sexy—”

“Sounds like you’re quoting me,” I said with a laugh.

“Maybe I am, but I mean it.”

“You forgot to add that I’m a good lover.”

“Wow. You’re going to go there?” she said, lifting her head off my chest.

“Yeah, I’m going there. You can’t deny what just happened was amazing. It was intense. Hot. Sweaty. It was
nasty
 . . .and you liked it nasty.”

A sly smile spread across her lips. “Yes, I liked it.”

“Your hair’s a mess and you got loud. I liked
that
.”

“That’s what you like? That I look a mess?”

“Among other things, I liked that it was impulsive. I liked how you looked at my body with lust in your eyes. I liked how you kissed me like you meant it. I liked tasting you. I liked your hot pussy gripping my dick. I liked how you got so wet. I liked how you held onto me. I liked how you gave as good as you got. I like you laying in my arms right now.”

“You’re embarrassing me,” she said, hiding her face in the crook of my neck.

“Why? There’s something between us. You know it, and I know it.”

She touched her finger to my lips. “Don’t.”

I sighed. “All right. You’re right, but admit one thing, it felt natural.”

“Malik—”

“All right.”

Her phone vibrated on the coffee table. Melina sat up and grabbed it. She checked the display, then tossed it back on the table.