The Game of Seduction (Arrington Family Series) (3 page)

He was busy texting, as usual.
Probably his video vixen of the week.
Apparently, the kiss was meaningless to him just like whomever it was he was texting. He was back to his playboy ways only two hours after kissing her. That was why she could never take him seriously when it came to matters of the heart—especially her heart—which wasn’t in the mood to be broken by another player.

“I’m not trying to catch the bouquet either, but I know Shelbi will say something later if I don’t at least go try. You know she’s been a hopeless romantic since she met Justin.”

Bria headed toward the designated area in between the twins. She had been sticking to them and Raven like peanut butter and jelly to avoid having to talk or even look at Rasheed. He’d been glancing in her direction during the reception, but she assumed he was checking out the twins just like all the other men were.

“All right, single ladies, if you’re ready for your man to put a ring on it, get ready to catch my bouquet,” Shelbi announced from the stage. She traded the microphone for a replica of her bridal bouquet from Zaria and turned around. Shelbi was going to have the real bouquet preserved.

Bria stepped toward the rear of the eager group of single ladies which included teenagers to women older than her. She glanced to her right to see Rasheed raise a questioning eyebrow, followed by a laugh. She’d told him earlier that week she had no intention of catching the bouquet. However, his laugh was a friendly gesture, and she felt better. Maybe he realized what transpired earlier was the result of emotions and tensions brought on from the wedding. Now that it was over, they could go back to their normal way. But could she go back to normal when she could still feel his lips and his tongue penetrating her mouth and his strong hands ravishing her body?

“Here it comes,” Zaria announced when Shelbi tossed the bouquet over her right shoulder.

The women started jumping up and down in front of Bria reaching high for the white roses coming their way. She felt a rush of adrenaline as the bouquet aimed straight for her head. To avoid getting whopped on her forehead and having rose petals everywhere, she reached up to grab it.

“Woo hoo,” the bride shouted. “Now big sis, you have to dance with the gentleman who caught my garter.”

Bria realized she had no idea who had caught it because she hadn’t been present during Justin’s garter toss.

“Who caught it?” she asked, hoping it wasn’t the old sugar daddy on Justin’s side of the family who’d been winking at her.

“I did,” Rasheed whispered in a seductive tone behind her dangling the black lacy garter over her shoulder. Goose bumps crawled along her skin, and she ran her hand down her arm to stop the cold electricity his voice had created.

Her breath stumbled for a second. She glanced up to the stage to see the bride and groom wink at her. Taking a deep breath, she mouthed, “I’m going to get you back,” at the newlyweds before she turned around to face him.

*****

Bria eye-balled Rasheed’s hand like it was a foreign object as he held it out to her.

“You want my arm to fall off?” he said in a low, sexy voice stealing the famous line from the movie
Lady Sings the Blues
. He tried to remain composed, but all he wanted to do was pick her up and carry her somewhere—anywhere—to kiss her again and again until they were both satisfied.

“You’re no Billie Dee Williams.” She placed her hand in his as he led her to the center of the dance floor.

The DJ began to play Trey Songz’s “Love Faces,” and Rasheed pulled her tight against him. He wanted to unpin her hair, unzip her dress, and have her leave her stilettos on so he could do naughty things to her. The thought caused his penis to wake up and press against his pants.

“You got that right. I’m Rasheed Vincent, the man you’ve been trying to avoid all evening, but now here you are in my arms,
again.
Maybe it’s fate.”

“Or maybe Mr. and Mrs. Justin Richardson are trying to play matchmaker.”

“Would that be so bad, Bree?”

“Yes, it would. We’re friends. You’re my boy. I love hanging with you, but what happened earlier can’t happen again.”

“Are you sure? Because the way you responded to me with your hands massaging my head, made me think otherwise. If I didn’t have to go take pictures, you would’ve experienced more than just a kiss.” His lips turned upward in a grin. “I know you want all of this chocolate fineness. You can’t deny it. I felt your tongue pulsating in my mouth.”

“Rasheed, I’m being serious,” she said, playfully punching him on the arm. “We’re good friends. Let’s not ruin it. It must’ve been all of the romance, stress, and anxiety people feel before a wedding. We’ve both had a lot of responsibilities as the maid of honor and the best man. Now it’s over, and we can get back to normal.”

Rasheed looked at the seriousness on her face. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Bria to be upset with him. He ran a finger tenderly along her cheek and thought about his life at the present.

He loved his freedom of being able to do what and who he wanted, when he wanted, and definitely how he wanted. At age thirty-three, he ran his life. No woman to answer to and absolutely no commitment except his baby sister, Brooklyn. She was the one person he felt the need to protect and take care of after their parents died a year apart eight years ago. His mother had lost her battle with breast cancer, and his father had followed a year later from a heart attack. 

Rasheed could’ve sworn Bria liked him as more than a friend. He knew a woman’s facial expressions and body language like he knew his bank account. He’d dated all kinds of women before, during, and after his days in the NBA. Then again, he’d thought that about his ex-fiancée, Terri. Remembering that reality reminded him of why he would never settle down because he wouldn’t know if a woman loved him for him or for the millions he was worth.

“Rasheed, are you even listening to me?” Bria asked with questioning eyes.

“I’m listening to you. I apologize for upsetting you and making you feel uncomfortable around me. You are truly one of my genuine friends, and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize our friendship. However, I can’t apologize for kissing you, Bria. You tasted so damn good, girl. I’m having a hard time, no pun intended, not kissing you right now.” He shifted a step as he felt his erection harden a little more. What the hell was she doing to him?

She stopped dancing and tapped her finger on his chest.

“But you aren’t going to because you respect our friendship more than anything.”

He sighed and realized she wasn’t going to budge on her decision. "Yes, Bria. I respect you and our friendship.”

As the song ended, Rasheed gave her a hug and proceeded to walk her back to her seat.

“Going to get some champagne for us,” he said as he held out Bria’s chair and made sure she was settled. “Be right back.”

He wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth or not about respecting their friendship. Bria was the kind of woman he could fall in love with if he wanted to fall in love, but he didn’t. He felt comfortable and at ease with her, though. He could be himself around Bria and not have to worry about her wanting anything from him. But then again Terri had given the same impression when he first met her.

Upon his return, Rasheed’s gaze fell on Bria as she watched the bride and groom dance their last dance. He handed her the glass of champagne and stood by her chair.

“Thanks.”

She gave him a beautiful, sincere smile, and his heart stopped for a second. He blinked. What the hell was happening? He had become unraveled over a woman, and it was usually the other way around. But he couldn’t believe that he’d actually kissed Bria. His best friend. His homegirl. Sort of like a baby sister but that kiss wasn’t exactly brotherly nor were his newfound feelings for her that weren’t really new. He’d just suppressed them because he respected and valued their friendship too much. However, his thoughts still lingered on the kiss. He loved the ambrosia taste of her on his lips, her little, curvy body pressed against him and those soft moans that stilled echoed in his ear. He clenched his champagne glass and then downed all of the cool liquid. He placed the glass on the table and sat next to Bria and draped his arm across the back of her chair.

Bria yawned. “I’m so tired.”

“Well, find some more energy because we’re going to Lillian’s at nine tonight with the out-of-town guests, remember?”

“Rasheed, I don’t think I’m up to it. It’s been such a long and busy week. I um … want to go home.”

He was somewhat surprised by her decision considering it had been her idea to show the out-of-town guests a good time and listen to some blues and jazz. What better place than Lillian’s Dinner and Blues Club owned by Justin and himself? She had sent a text message that morning to confirm he’d reserved the VIP section for twenty people, and now?

“Bria, does this have anything to do with what happened before the ceremony?”

She hesitated for a moment and gave a weak smile.

“Of course not. I’m cool. I just need some rest.”

“Are we still on for dinner on Tuesday?”

“Sure, of course.” She stood abruptly and grabbed her clutch purse. “Look, I gotta go help Shelbi prepare to leave. It’s almost seven, and thanks to your wedding gift of a honeymoon, they have a plane to catch to Fiji tonight.”

“Are you sure you aren’t coming? How am I going to party without my best girl? Who’s going to keep the ugly groupies away from me and shake her head yes or no about the model-looking ones?”

“I’m sure you’ll be just fine,” she said with what he sensed was a slight attitude. He was afraid this would happen if they ever crossed the line. “Besides, my twin cousins will be there, and don’t you have a fantasy for twins, again?” And with that she and her attitude strutted away.

The thought of her twin cousins didn’t arouse him anymore. What did arouse him, however, was a fantasy of doing more than just kissing Bria. He wasn’t even surprised. He had realized that when they first met no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

Rasheed chuckled. Could Bria really blame him for kissing her? She was simply gorgeous. Her baby soft bronze skin and those killer legs he wouldn’t mind being wrapped tight around his waist. Oh and how could he resist those pouty kissable lips under her cute, pert nose that would wrinkle whenever she was playfully fed up with him, always had him mesmerized? Bria meant more to him than any woman he could think of outside of his family. Rasheed didn’t want to damage their friendship with a passionate moment, but it wasn’t as if she had refused him either. She’d kissed him back even more aggressively until she jerked away all hot and bothered and left him panting like a wolf in heat.

Moments later the wedding party and the guests waved good-bye to the newlyweds. He spotted Bria standing with her mother and Raven, their arms linked together. They were laughing and crying, with tears running down their cheeks.

It had been a long week, and he needed a moment of calmness. What better way than to kiss a beautiful woman? No. Bria was different. She wasn’t one of the typical gold diggers that blew up his cell phone.

Tonight he wouldn’t be able to lie in his bed and sleep without imagining her hands running over his head or hearing those exasperated moans as he kissed her neck. A lady he’d met last week had texted him earlier about coming over, but she simply wasn’t the one he wanted next to him. He laughed.
Apparently, I drank too much champagne.
Or at least he hoped that was the case.

Chapter Three

“So how was Shelbi’s wedding and Christmas?” Dr. Taylor Banneker asked. Taylor was a fertility specialist with her own medical practice in Atlanta. They’d been friends since their years at Spelman but attended different medical schools.

Bria readjusted the cell phone between her ear and shoulder while she carried a plate of leftover Christmas dinner brought from her parent’s home in one hand and a glass of iced green tea in the other. She lowered onto the couch before answering her friend’s question.

“It was beautiful and exhausting. I’ll e-mail you some pictures I took when I upload them to my iPad. I’m glad it’s all over with, though. Shelbi turned into a little bridezilla during the last week, if you can believe that.” 

It was Tuesday night, and she’d stood Rasheed up on their dinner outing. She’d texted him and said she had an emergency with a patient at Memphis Central Hospital and would be there all night. Instead, she was in her medical scrubs on the couch eating leftover Christmas dinner because she couldn’t cook and Shelbi, who used to live three apartments down before getting married, always cooked for the both of them. Luckily, Bria lived in downtown Memphis in the Central Station building that housed the Amtrak train station. She had easy access to restaurants by taking the trolley or walking. However, afraid she may run into Rasheed, she opted to stay in and eat leftovers.

“Girl, I can. That usually happens. And how are your fine big brothers?”

“Cannon is still the good one. He’s dating but nothing serious. I think he hasn’t gotten over his first love, even though that was over ten years ago. Sean, on the other hand, is still the bad boy playboy and doesn’t plan on stopping.”

Bria thought about Rasheed and his playboy ways. She knew why Sean was a playboy, but she wasn’t sure about Rasheed. He’d been in a long-term relationship when he played basketball, but then the engagement was called off. It had been all over the tabloids and gossip websites that his girlfriend had cheated on him with his basketball rival from college and the NBA. That rumor may have been true, considering she was dating him and pregnant just a few months after leaving Rasheed. It was something he hadn’t mentioned, and Bria refused to ask him.

“Well, I’m taken, but if I wasn’t, I would just flip a coin. It wouldn’t even matter which brother. Both of them are simply dreamy.”

“If you say so. So how is your practice doing? I’m so happy for you.”

“Doing well. You know, Bria, the offer still stands. I’ve interviewed a few allergists, but none of them have your expertise in alternative medicine or your pleasant and upbeat personality when dealing with the patients.”