Drea

Laz stares down at me and bites his bottom lip then drags it slowly between his teeth. His eyes appraise me as if I’m a dessert he can’t wait to take a bite out of. My entire body shivers as the need to be closer to this delicious man overwhelms me.

Laz grabs the back of his shirt and drags it over his head in one swift motion, putting that sexy as sin torso on full display for me. I rake my eyes over his toned chest and down the ripples of his clearly defined six pack. If that wasn’t enough to get me going, the intricate web of tattoos etched into his chest and down both sexy arms has me nearly ready to combust.

Sweet Jesus.

He raises one eyebrow, clearly amused at my excitement as he stands on display. “You can touch if you’d like.”

Heat consumes my face, and I know my blush is out in full force.

He reaches down and grabs my hands. Pulling me to sit on the side of the bed, he places my palms against the naked flesh of his torso. “Don’t be embarrassed with me. Sex is a lot like dancing. Let loose and have fun. No one’s here but you and me.”

Even now, he’s teaching me.

He glides my hands down his body, allowing my fingertips to caress every well-defined line along the way. “If you want something, don’t be afraid to go after it.”

My pulse quickens beneath my skin as I lick my lips. He extends his arm and pinches my chin softly between his thumb and his index finger. Our eyes lock, and I’m lost in a trance.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Drea. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted you just like this.”

If I wasn’t sitting on this bed, my knees would’ve buckled, and I would’ve melted into a puddle on his nice hardwood floor.

I dip my head a bit as I’m flooded with desire and suck Laz’s thumb into my mouth.

He sucks in a sharp breath. “Drea …”

I like knowing I’m turning him on.

I like knowing he wants me just as much as I want him.

I swirl my tongue around his thumb, and a smile lights up his face. “I knew from the first time I saw you whistle at the bar that you’d be excellent with everything you blew. Maybe you should prove me right.”

His open invitation is one I’m happy to oblige as I pop the button of his jeans and then slowly unzip them. I shove the coarse material down around his hips along with his blue boxer briefs, and his cock springs free. If I ever doubted how attracted he is to me, I now have full confirmation as it stands proudly before me.

My fingertips glide down the base of his shaft, and he groans when I slide the tip of him into my mouth.

He threads his fingers into my hair and hisses. “Jesus.”

His breathing picks up as I take him in farther, working my way up and down on his cock.

“Slow down, baby, or I’m going to come. I’m nowhere near finished with you yet.” His words cause a shiver to race down my back. I pull back, and the tip of his index finger slides under my chin, raising my head so I can gaze up at him. “Tonight, we take our time. I want to savor every inch of that sexy little body of yours.”

He kicks his shoes off, followed by his pants and underwear. I admire the work of art that is his body that’s on full display before me, and fire erupts in the pit of my belly. I’ve never been so desperate for a man to touch me as I am right now. Every inch of my skin craves him.

He reaches down, finding the bottom hem of the spandex top I’m wearing, and snakes his fingers beneath it. His large hands skim up my sides, bringing my top up with them. There was no need for a bra with this costume, so I’m topless before him.

Air hits my naked flesh, and goose bumps pepper my flesh.

“So fucking beautiful.” Laz drops to his knees, pushing between my legs, and crushes his mouth to mine.

My lips part and he thrusts his tongue into my mouth. A low primal growl sounds in the back of his throat as my erect nipples rub against his chest.

My panties grow wet with need as his stomach presses against them.

Dear Lord, I want this man so much.

He dips his head and swirls his tongue around the pink taut flesh of my breast, taking his time to tease me a bit by lightly grazing his teeth against it. My head lolls back, and I run my fingers through his thick hair. “Laz.”

His name flowing from my mouth seems to excite him. His hand slides up my belly and then rests between my breasts before he pushes me back. “Lie down.”

I do as he commands, and he hooks his fingers around the waistband of my skirt and drags it down my thighs along with my black lacy panties. Lying there in nothing but my high heels, I should feel self-conscious, but I don’t. I’m so overcome with desire; the need to have him inside me is the only thing on my mind.

Laz kisses the inside of my thigh as he slips off my shoe and then repeats his actions when he removes the other. His thumbs runs along the inside of my thighs as he pushes my legs open wider. When his head dips low, and the tip of his tongue touches my clit, my hips buck at how good it feels.

Laz grins. “You like that?”

I lick my lips as I attempt to slow my breathing. “Mmm.”

This time, he goes in with no mercy and spreads my lips apart and tastes me. He throws my legs over his shoulders and yanks my ass to the very edge of the bed. A warm tingle builds throughout my body, and when he inserts a finger inside me and sucks my clit, I explode.

“Laz, oh, God. Yesss!” I cry out, trembling. I ride the wave of ecstasy, and my entire body relaxes as I come down.

“That was the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I nearly came just watching you,” he says as he climbs on top of me and kisses my lips.

I taste myself on him, and when the tip of his cock touches my folds, I can’t believe how much I still crave him.

My hands slide down his back until they land on that sexy ass of his. “I think it’s your turn.”

I wiggle my hips, and his lust coated eyes stare into mine. “Don’t tease me like that, baby, or I’ll be tempted to slide right inside you.”

Without saying another word, he reaches over into his nightstand, and I hear the foil crinkle between his fingers as he rips open the package. He rolls the condom down his shaft and then repositions himself between my legs and leans down. “You don’t know how many times I’ve dreamed of having you just like this.”

I bite my lip, and my fingers trail along his strong jawline as he thrusts his hips and enters me in one fluid motion.

He sucks in a quick breath between his teeth. “Damn. I’m almost afraid to move. I don’t want to come already. But you feel so fucking good.”

I kiss his lips. “Don’t hold back.”

He kisses me back and pulls back just a bit before plunging into me again. Soon, we’re both panting, and sweat slicks our skin. When he drives into me, he’s hitting just the right spot, and that familiar tingle begins to build again.

An involuntary moan escapes me, and Laz’s movements become more rigid. He cries out just as I come for the second time. “Oh, shit. I’m coming. You feel so good.”

He pumps into me a few more times before his body collapses on top of me. Both of us lie there in the still of the darkness, and the only sound in the room is us attempting to catch our breath.

This changes everything.

* * *

We lay there in the stillness of the dark, and my fingers trace the contours of his chiseled chest. I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed, and given what happened earlier this evening with Carlos, that’s really saying something because today wasn’t exactly peachy.

Some may say sleeping with Laz so quickly was a slutty move, but it felt right. I feel like I know Laz better than anyone else I've ever dated even though I've only known him a few weeks. We've connected on a deeper level, and he’s treated me better than Carlos did for the entire six months we were together.

The rings Laz wears on his necklace catch my attention, so I pick them up and twirl them between my fingers. “I noticed you always wear these. Who did they belong to? Your parents?”

“Actually ...” He trails off. “Each ring represents one of my mothers. Wearing them around my neck keeps them both close to my heart.” He picks up the necklace, and one wedding ring is encrusting several with diamonds all the way around. “This one belonged to my mother—the one who raised me. Pop put this on her finger the day they got married, and the day before she died, she took it off and gave it to me—told me to give it to the girl I wanted to marry. She said it brought good karma to her marriage and it would make her happy to know that one day my wife would wear it too.” He slides the band down the gold chain and picks up the plain gold band that rests on the chain. “This one belonged to my biological mother.”

“Was she married?” I wonder out loud.

“No. This ring was apparently the only thing she had of any value. When she left me behind with my parents, she left a note, and inside the note was this ring. It was her mother’s, and it was the only thing she owned of her biological mother’s, so it was her prized possession and she left it for me.”

I think about how sad that is, and it makes me wonder if my son will ever think of me the way Laz thinks of his mother. Will he think of me fondly, or will he feel nothing but hatred because he believes I abandoned him?

“Do you still keep in contact with your biological mother?”

He shakes his head. “She died when I turned nineteen, and then my adoptive mom died about five years ago.”

My heart breaks for him. “My God. That’s awful.”

I sigh. “I didn’t take it well. I didn’t know how to cope with so much loss, and unfortunately, I was surrounded by people in the music business who were all too willing to show me ways to self-medicate so I didn’t have to feel any pain.”

While I don’t condone taking drugs in any manner, I understand why he did what he did after listening to his explanation. Everyone deals with pain in their own way. Sometimes, the way we deal with it drags us further into darkness as it did with Laz. The key is finding a way back into the light like Laz did.

“What made you turn things around?”

“My father. He needed me, and I had to get my shit together in order to take care of him.”

When he mentions his father, something comes to mind. “Can I ask you something?”

“You can ask me anything. I don’t want any secrets between us.”

I prop my head up with my hand so I can see his face. “When Candace and I first arrived here, Robert told us that your father lives here, but I haven’t seen him. You just said you had to take care of your dad … What happened to him?”

He stares up at me and then tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “He got sick … really sick. He has ALS, and it’s incurable. At this point in his life, he needs constant care, so Robert and I take care of him. We have a nurse that comes in to work the night shift too.”

“So you stopped using cold turkey to be clearheaded for your father?”

“I didn’t do it on my own.” The corners of his mouth turn down in a slight frown. “I went to rehab and detoxed within the facility and was released with a prescription of Suboxone and an appointment for outpatient counseling. Eventually, I weaned off the medication with the help of my doctor, but I still go to counseling because I find it beneficial in my recovery.”

“How often do you go?”

“Three times a week. It’s always first thing in the morning.”

Things begin to click in my head. “That’s why you don’t eat breakfast with us.”

He nods. “Yes. I either go to a session, or I work out every morning. Having a routine really helps me stay focused.”

To know he’s turned his life around and has stepped up to the plate to care for someone he loves makes me admire him even more. Not many men in the prime of their lives would drop everything to care for a parent. He’s obviously a loving son. Lazarus Rawlings is definitely someone special, and to know he loves his adoptive father that much causes my mind to drift to my own son.

Laz turns onto his side and throws his arm around me, pulling me close so we are nearly nose to nose. “What’s on your mind?”

“Getting to know you and your background has really got me thinking …”

“About your son?” he questions. “You’re curious about him.” The last sentence isn’t a question, simply a statement because I’m sure he can read it all over my face.

“I am,” I admit. “But I’m not going to butt into his life. I’m sure his adoptive parents don’t want to have me poking my nose in their business.”

“Maybe they would be open to the idea of you having contact with your son.”

“I doubt that. I mean, would you want me around if you were in their shoes?”

“Yes,” he says matter-of-factly. “As long as your heart was in the right place, which yours clearly is, then I would welcome you with open arms. Have you ever had any contact with your son’s parents?”

I shake my head. “No. I haven’t been back to the agency since I gave birth.”

“Was your adoption a closed one?”

“It was an open one. Part of the deal was that I was to receive yearly updates on my son.”

“Have you ever gotten those?”

I shrug. “I’ve never checked with the agency. I figured I should leave the situation alone. Like I said before, it feels wrong to intrude. I just want my son to be happy.”

His fingers trace my face. “And you think he’s happier without you in his life?”

“I’m sure he is. I mean, come on, who needs the likes of me in their life?”

His blue eyes lock onto mine. “I do.” He leans up on one elbow and hovers over me so he can stroke my cheek. “As a matter of fact, I don’t think I can be without you ever again.”

I bite my bottom lip, doing my best to contain a smile, but I fail miserably. This beautiful man is stealing my heart. I’m afraid there’s no going back now.