Unable to help myself any longer, I nipped at her jaw line, then trailed a line of kisses down her neck to her collarbone, enjoying her sharp intake of air. More blueberries tumbled to the floor. “We’re paying attention to our non-verbal cues,” I whispered as I kissed my way back up to her mouth. I stopped short of brushing my lips to hers because… Partly because I respected her. Mostly because I instinctively knew that if I kissed Demi…I won’t want to stop at her mouth.
Demi let out a strangled giggle. “You’re stupid for that.” The low rasp of her voice went straight to my dick.
I moistened my lips, tempted to close the distance between us, tempted to kiss the shit out of her.Everywhere. “I’m very serious.”
The air changed around us again and I leaned in even closer. So close I could feel her sweet breath on my mouth. We were at the point of no return. Whatever we decided would have a lasting effect on our relationship. This was the point I should pull back, apologize, and pretend this didn’t happen. But I wasn’t ready to walk away, and I wasn’t sorry. Even though, I’d perfected the art ofnotgiving a fuck, I knew that I’d never be able to act like I hadn’t been this close to her, this ready to kiss her.To do more than kiss her.
I kissed the corners of her lips before pressing my mouth to hers. And…Damn. I was right. I didn’t want to stop. Not when she tossed the container of blueberries on the floor, not when she groaned my name against my lips, and certainly not when she finally kissed me back.
Unfortunately, the doorbell rang signaling Bishop had arrived. Demi jerked back, dropping to her knees to pick up the blueberries. I took a deep breath and went to answer the door. Yet, while I made my way to the front of the house, I also made the decision to not let this be the end of this conversation—or the last time I felt her lips against mine.
ChapterTen
THE NEARNESS OF YOU
Duke
Ishould’ve just walked away. I’d let my lonely dick convince me that I could sleep with a random woman I’d met at my homeboy, Rashaad’s, rehearsal dinner. And because the wedding planner—who also happened to be a friend of Bliss’—asked me to seduce a bridesmaid for information. And because Demi had essentially ghosted my ass after that interlude with her last month, except for the businesslike texts about our pending property transactions. And because I was still salty as hell about it…That was my play!
The past couple of months had been the longest stretch of time without new pussy since I was twelve years old. I’d had several offers from beautiful women too. Maybe Granny was right when she told me my “dingaling” would betray me one day. At the time, I thought she was just high off that good weed she’d been smoking. But now…
Marley—aka Short Bridesmaid—leaned in, placed a wet kiss on my mouth and brushed her palm over my dick. I looked down and waited.Nothing. Truth was that things hadn’t been the same since Christmas. Hell, even before that. Sometime around Thanksgiving. I knew why, but I didn’t want to accept that Demi had unknowingly hijacked my sex life. Because damnit… every woman I’d met paled in comparison to her. No one had her sense of humor or her intellect. No one made me rethink my plans for life like she did. No one made me want to kiss them until they surrendered everything to me. Not even my mother.Crazy, right?
Marley cursed, pulling my attention back to her and away from the conundrum I’d found myself in concerning Demi. “This bitch,” she mumbled, dropping her phone onto the sofa. “I’m sick of her shit. I quit. I’m not standing up with her at that wedding” She folded her arms over her chests. “No. Meri is being ridiculous. She just texted me to tell me that I was forbidden from getting some tonight because she couldn’t get some. Who the fuck does that?”
By all accounts, the bride was a piece of work. Apparently, half of the wedding party quit because she was a Bridezilla from hell. And Rashaad’s entire family hated the thought of him marrying the lady. Normally, I’d stay away from this type of drama, but I welcomed the distraction.
Scooting closer to the frustrated bridesmaid, I wrapped my arm around her. “Maybe I can help.”
Marley smiled, then she frowned. “Shit,” she hissed, snatching her buzzing phone from the couch. A few seconds later, she let out a piercing scream.
“Calm yo’ ass down,” I said. “I’m not trying to be content for the next police brutality video.”
Marley’s shoulder slumped and tears spilled from her eyes. “I just… I hate her. I’m only in this wedding because my mother made me.” Then, she proceeded to spill her guts, telling me all the shit that could ruin this damn wedding. And when she was done, she jumped on my lap and kissed me. I immediately picked her up and deposited her back on the couch. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Don’t you want to?”
This situation had me fucked up. Because Ididn’twant her. It was a waste of time to pretend otherwise. “No, I don’t,” I admitted.
Her chin trembled. “Is it because I complained about Meri? I know you’re connected to Rashaad. I’m sorry that I—”
“It’s not that,” I told her. “This isn’t going to work.”
“Not even for one night?”
I shook my head. “Not even for a night.” I stood and made my way toward the door. “But you should come clean about Meri. Rashaad needs to know that she’s been cheating on him for months.”
Marley hugged her pillow and dashed fresh tears from her cheeks. “You’re right. He doesn’t deserve this.”
“I should probably get going.” I squeezed her shoulder. “Take care.”
On the way to my parents’house, I cursed my dick and my mind for not cooperating with my game. But I also decided it was time to think about what I wanted. Instead of making the turn down my parents’ driveway, I did a U-turn and headed in the opposite direction, toward Dex’s house.
Dex opened the door. “What’s up?” I followed him into the kitchen. “It’s late. I thought you were going home with Short Bridesmaid?”
“That didn’t end well,” I admitted.
He pulled two mugs out of the cabinet. “I put coffee on when you called. Figured you might need some.”
I glanced around the room, noting the wedding shit on the kitchen table and the moving boxes on the far side of the room. While Dex and Charlye would split their time between Michigan and Georgia, they’d both agreed that Michigan would be their home base and had recently closed on a new house with a big yard for their future kids.
