The Game of Seduction (Arrington Family Series) (4 page)

“Taylor, I’ve told you, I work for the family’s private practice.”

“But do you like practicing just traditional medicine? If you work for me, you can also offer alternative approaches. I know that’s where your heart is.”

Bria sighed and placed her half-eaten dinner on the coffee table. Her parents and all of her siblings owned Arrington Family Specialists. Cannon was a pediatrician and his twin sister, Raven, an obstetrician and gynecologist. Sean, the middle child, was a psychiatrist. Their mother, Darla, was a general doctor and their father, Francis, was a cardiologist and surgeon.

Her father had designed the practice so there were different specialties present. He had even tried to recruit Taylor at one point because she was an endocrinologist specializing in reproduction and infertility, but she had dreams of opening her own practice and had done so a year ago. Francis was happy that Shelbi had decided to make that her concentration during her upcoming residency.

“It’s not that easy. My dad wouldn’t be pleased at all.” Bria grabbed the plate and headed to the kitchen. She raked the food out into the sink and turned on the garbage disposal.

“What are you doing for your vacation coming up after New Year’s?”

“Haven’t decided yet,” Bria answered, glad for the change of conversation. As much as she would love to be able to include a naturopathic approach for her patients, she felt obligated to her family’s practice and was hoping to convince her father to let her incorporate it there freely instead of behind his back like she’d been doing. “I was thinking about going somewhere warm like south Florida. It’s so cold here in Memphis.”

“Why don’t you come here and check out my wellness center? You’ve been promising me for almost a year.”

“That sounds like a great idea, but I’m not making you any promises about joining your team.” Bria opened the refrigerator to see if she had enough cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich. She frowned. She had enough cheese but no butter.

“I understand,” Taylor said with a laugh. “So, dating anyone special?”

“Ha! Girl, no. I haven’t even thought about dating lately.” Okay, not entirely true. She’d been thinking about dating ever since she met Rasheed, but it just wouldn’t work between them even though he did kiss better than anyone else before him.

“Well, the men here are hot, handsome, and rich. As pretty as you are, you’ll have men chasing you all over Atlanta.”

“Girl, you’re so crazy! But I may need to find someone and fast. I’m getting tired of the drought.” Bria walked back into the living room and plopped down on the couch.

“When was the last time you got you some?”

“Little over a year,” she sighed.

“Damn, that long? I can barely go two days. Why so long?”

“Well, after that jerk got some chick pregnant a few months before our wedding and had the audacity to still want to get married, I needed a break from sex or anything serious. Besides, I have a three-month rule.”

“I just thought by now you would’ve given some water to the drought. I thought you were at least dating.”

“I’ve been on dates, but no one has made it to three months. I’d rather be in a serious, monogamous relationship before giving up the goodies. Even though sometimes I wish I had a sex buddy, but I just laugh it off. It’s a crazy idea anyway, even though I’ve had sex buddies before.”

“What about that fine Rasheed Vincent? I still don’t see how you two are just friends. He looks like he can handle himself in the bedroom or wherever you wanted him to handle it. Brotha is fine!”

Rasheed?
He would be the last person she’d want to be sex buddies with. Just her luck she’d fall harder for him than she already had, and then he would bounce like he always does.
No … not him. Anybody but him.

“Yes, he is definitely a fine piece of chocolate, but he would be the last person I would even consider.”

“Uh huh. So in other words, you want him.”

“I didn’t say that. I just um …”

“Want him. You said when you first met, he was flirting with you, and you shut that way down. I’m not saying marry the guy; just get you some with no strings attached, unless you’re into that kind of thing.”

She pondered Taylor’s no strings attached advice, even though for some reason Bria could imagine Rasheed tying her up and intoxicating her with kisses all over until he drove her up a wall. Maybe Rasheed as a sex buddy wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. He was definitely a playboy who had no interests in settling down. Even though she wanted to get married eventually, her main concern at present was making a wise decision about her career.

Taylor was right. It was time to give some water to the drought, but was Rasheed the right man for the job? Wait, of course he was. She could only imagine how great he was in bed. The thought sent a quiver through her. She couldn’t believe she was actually pondering such a thing and with him of all people. She shook her ridiculous thoughts away.

“Taylor, right now my main concern is …” Bria stopped as a thunderous bang started on the door, followed by the doorbell ringing as if it were a fire alarm. Then she heard her name in a loud, deep voice that belonged to the last person she wanted to see.

“Bria Arrington, I know you’re in there,” Rasheed shouted.

Great!

The song “Funeral March” by Chopin played in her head. The dark piano chords reverberated with each beat of her heart.

“Taylor, I have to go,” she said, walking toward the door, as the song in her head got louder with each step. “I’ll call you when I know for sure I’m coming to Atlanta.”

Bria placed the cell phone on the foyer table and opened the door. There Rasheed stood tall, mad, and exquisite in an all-black-everything ensemble with a turtleneck sweater, slacks, and a double-breasted pea coat. The only non-black item was the beige-plaid Burberry scarf she’d given him for Christmas. His diamond earring sparkled in his left ear, and he smelled like he’d just stepped out of the shower—her favorite scent on a man. In his hand, he held a take-out bag from Lillian’s. On his face, he wore a scowl expression. Even though it was kind of sexy, she knew he was upset with her.

He walked in quietly and closed the door. He gave her a scathing look and handed her the bag.

“I thought you had an emergency at the hospital, Dr. Arrington.”

Rasheed’s sarcastic tone made her turn on her heel, whisper a quick, “oh no,” and walk toward the living room. She knew when he was angry but because she had never personally felt his anger before, she was at a loss for words and didn’t have an appetite for whatever tasty dish he brought her from Lillian’s. Usually, the always hungry and ready-to-eat Bria would’ve ripped open the bag and begun to devour the meal. She could sense his eyes on the back of her neck as he strolled behind her, each hard click of his shoes on the hardwood scared her, and she wasn’t sure why.

No, she knew why. She was vulnerable and horny, and he had the audacity to show up mad, fine as hell, and smelling good enough to eat. Of course, it wasn’t anything new. She’d been attracted to his charm and sexiness since day one, which was why she avoided her feelings for him. But his deep, provocative kiss still lingered on her lips and clouded her head. It had awakened in her a desire of wanting him so bad she was scared she would jump him any minute to extinguish the lust and yearning burning through her.

She set the bag on the coffee table and then resumed her position on the couch. He took off his jacket and flung it over a chair but left the scarf around his neck. He glanced at her before he wandered to the kitchen.

“Rasheed?” She looked over the back of the couch to see what he was doing.

“What?”

“I … um …” There was a short pause. “See, what had happened was …”

“Don’t try to lie.” He returned from the kitchen with a bottle of beer. She always kept his favorite beer stocked in the refrigerator. He sat down on the opposite end of the couch and settled his questioning eyes on her face. He glanced at her pink scrubs and gave a half-cocky smile. “I went by the hospital to bring you something to eat. I know with Shelbi gone and since you don’t cook, I thought you might be hungry, and I wanted to take you out tonight. I wanted to make sure my friend ate more than just cereal and sandwiches for dinner.”

“Rasheed …”

“But you know what, Bree, when I got to the hospital, you weren’t there. I ran into Raven who had just delivered a baby. She said you left the practice at your regular time.”

Bria sat silent for a moment trying to think of a good lie to tell him. She sighed. She didn’t know how to lie to Rasheed.

She answered in a soft tone, looking straight ahead out the window at the Arcade Restaurant sign across the street. “I was scared to go to dinner with you.”

“Why were you scared?” He stood, blocking her view of the window so that now she had to look at him. “We go to dinner all the time.”

“Rasheed …” she turned her head away from him and ran a nervous hand through her hair.

“You keep saying my name, but you aren’t explaining anything.”

What was there to explain? She couldn’t possibly tell the player of the year that his intoxicating kiss was keeping her up at night reliving every second of it. She’d tried to imagine how his lips would feel on other places while his hands traveled along her legs to her thighs and in between. How could she explain that she had lain in the bed last night pretending her hands were his hands roaming her body until they reached her panties? She gave herself an orgasm so powerful that she called out his name three times before falling asleep completely satisfied.

“We shouldn’t have kissed, Rasheed,” she said with a tremble in her voice.

“Are we on that again?” he asked in an annoyed toned. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me? I thought you said we were cool.”

“Well, I thought so, too. I just didn’t want any awkwardness between us so I figured we needed … no, I needed a few days or so, that’s all.”

He sat down in the chair where he’d tossed his coat and exhaled a deep sigh. An expression of discontent crossed his handsome face, and he ran his hands down it which washed the expression away and turned it into a serious one.

“Bria, you said you didn’t want to start anything between us when we were dancing at the reception, despite the fact that wasn’t a
friendly
kissed we shared.”

“But we’re friends and friends—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he said sarcastically. “Friends don’t get all hot and bothered for each other.” He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“I’m being serious.”

His chocolate eyes probed hers, and a gloomy expression crossed his features.

“Bria … I … never mind.” There was a look of sorrow on his face and his voice held regret.

He was silent for a moment, deep in thought, and then stood. She froze and held her breath as he walked toward her. She thought he was about to kiss her again. Instead, he sat down next to her on the couch. He reached over and caressed her hand, sending electric volts through her
.
He’d done something similar a million times before, but now the slightest touch from him was intoxicating.
Doesn’t he realize what he’s doing to mef?

“Okay, truce. I won’t mention the kiss again if you promise to come to me and discuss what’s on your mind, even if I’m the one that’s on your mind. Understand?”

She nodded quickly because if she said what she was really thinking, they’d be doing more than kissing, and she needed to get a grip.

“I see your scarf arrived.” She backed one cushion away from him on the couch. He was too close for comfort. His commanding presence and invigorating scent were causing warm sensations between her thighs just like last night.

A warm, sexy smile stretched across his face. “Yep, it arrived a few days before the wedding, but I didn’t open it until Christmas morning.” He looked down at it and smiled. “The first gift I opened. I tried calling you, but your cell was off.”

“The battery had died,” she lied, and by the way he raised his eyebrow with a questioning look, he knew she was.

“It would’ve been better to actually hear your voice on Christmas morning, but thank you for the scarf. I love it. It’s definitely me.”

“I’m glad you like it. It’s hard to shop for a man who has everything he needs and wants.”

“I don’t have everything I need or want, but it’s all good, you know?” His expression was solemn. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I have something for you as well. I wanted to bring it to you on Christmas, but you were incognito.”

He reached over to the coffee table and pulled out a small blue Tiffany’s bag from the Lillian’s bag and handed it to her.

She opened it and then proceeded to open the small blue box inside. To her astonishment, it was a heart-shaped key pendant necklace. She pulled it out and held it up, admiring the elegant necklace.

“This is simply beautiful, Rasheed. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. When I saw it, I immediately thought of you. Cute and classy. Now, don’t go telling any of my boys I said the words cute and classy, but that’s what I see when I look at you.”

Bria’s heart skipped a beat or five at his words. He had always paid compliments to her before, but that stupid kiss had changed things between them—or least it had for her. He was a man who wasn’t fazed by a simple kiss. He was acting as if it hadn’t happened, which was good in a way.

“Let me put it on you,” Rasheed whispered with a glimmer in his eye and slid closer to her on the couch.

She blinked, and her heart started beating faster. “What did you say?”

“I’ll put the necklace on for you.” Gone was the seductive tone from his voice. Maybe she’d imagined it. Her thoughts of having sex with Rasheed were clouding her head.

“Oh.”

She gave him the necklace and sat with her back towards him. He scooted up closer and she rested her arm on his knee and tried to concentrate on breathing, but the air was clogged with the stimulating scent of his cologne. She lifted her hair up as he slipped the necklace over her head to fasten it. She felt his fingers brush the back of her neck which sent more warm sensations through her. It seemed as if he lingered longer than necessary, but she knew she was imaging that only because she wanted him to.