Tiana

Don’t try my patience? Is he kidding? I’m a grown ass woman, if I want to walk home and risk my life, I damn sure will.

I mean, I don’t, but I need some peace and quiet when I get home tonight. That’s why I told Jayden I had a ride. I should have lied to Mr. Pushy, too.

When I exit the kitchen, I find Donna filling salt and pepper containers at the counter. I’m seething mad. I don’t say anything, I just start helping her. The mindless work is good for my hot head and she seems to sense that I need quiet. Donna likes to chatter on and on but she holds her tongue and watches me intently.

After about ten minutes she breaks the silence yanking me from my thoughts. “That Drake sure got you all cattywampus.”

“What?”

“Drake. You know that boy is handsome as hell, but he’s one of the only honest ta God players I’ve ever met. Don’t get attached, he’s a heartbreaker.”

“Oh, I’m not interested. We met a couple days ago. He’s our next-door neighbor. We ran into each other here last night and he bought me dinner, it’s nothing.”

She tips her head down and looks at me over her glasses with her brows lifted.

“I’m serious, we’re just friends.”

“It didn’t look like that when y’all were holdin’ hands and givin’ each other googly-eyes.”

I huff and pick up the tray of shakers. “We did not have googly-eyes.”

“Okay, honey, but be careful. I’ve seen a lot of women cryin’ in their soup in here because that boy won’t commit to anything other than sex. You’re a real nice girl, I don’t wanna see ya get hurt.”

Is that all he wants from me? A few nights of kinky sex and then onto the next women who’s blind to his game? I want to quiz her about the other women he’s slept with and how she knows he’s a player, but that would make me look interested.

How do I keep getting myself into these situations? So, this is why Jay didn’t want me hanging around with his best friend. He’s a man-whore. Great.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Donna. He’s too old for me anyway.”

“Mmhmm, when a man looks as good as he does it don’t matter much how old he is. How old are you, sweetheart? Bout twenty-seven or so?”

“Twenty-five.”

“That’s right, you graduated with Suzanne and Kimber, didn’t you?”

“Yes, do you know what happened to them? I didn’t keep up with anyone when I moved away.”

“Well, poor Suzanne married Willie Donovan and he died in a fishing accident. Kimber married a Marine named Caleb but they got divorced and now I think she’s engaged to another Marine out in Cali.”

“Wow, that’s terrible about Willie, I remember him, he was a nice enough guy.”

“He musta changed a lot then cuz he was a drunk when he died. Fell overboard in the swamps and drowned.”

Donna is a true Southern gossip, God, love her. I finish putting the shakers on the tables when a set of headlights flashes through the front window.

“That your ride, honey?”

“No, I’m walking home. Maybe it’s a customer?”

“Well, they better go on home and make a sandwich cuz we’re closed.”

“I’ll tell them…” The bell on the diner door rings hard when Drake flings it open. His face is set in a ferocious frown when he speaks through gritted teeth, “Hello, Donna. Tiana, it’s time to go home.”

Donna doesn’t respond, she’s too busy looking back and forth between Drake and I trying to figure out what’s going on.

“Drake, what are you doing here?”

“We’ll talk about it in the car.”

“We most certainly will not. I’m not going anywhere with you, I told you I’m walking home.” My words come out the way I want them to, stern and forceful but my body is drawn to him. I take a step toward him. I take hold of a chair when I realize what I’ve done but it’s too late. He recognizes my conflict.

“In the car, now.”

“No.” I cross my arms over my chest with defiance, but when he starts toward me my eyes widen and I step back.

He looks at Donna behind the counter while still walking toward me, “I’m sorry, Donna, but she’s done for today, she’ll be back at noon tomorrow.”

Before I can think, he’s wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me off my feet. “Put me down! You can’t do this, I’m working!” I yell and look back at a stunned Donna.

“Not anymore.”

He hauls me out the door kicking and yelling to a black SUV where he opens the back door where he tosses me in and slides in next to me. There’s a driver behind the wheel who doesn’t seem to notice that one of his passengers is kidnapping the other.

“Let me out! This is kidnapping you know. I could call the police and have you arrested.”

“To my house,” he tells the driver and turns to me, “You will do no such thing. You’re going to sit quietly and listen to me. Tiana, I took your computer and had a friend look at it today, that video you received came from an IP address somewhere close to Jewel Falls. You can’t be walking around alone at night and I could have told you this if you hadn’t hung up on me!”

His words crescendo until his voice is booming and I’ve scooted as far away from him as I can. This guy is crazy. Why didn’t I listen to Jayden?”

“How did you get my computer? That’s theft. You’re a thief. I’m probably safer out there walking around with some stalker than in here with you. You’re insane you know that? Certifiable. And you’re a man-whore. I don’t know how I could have been so idiotic.”

His nostrils flare when he inhales and closes his eyes as he tries to calm himself. When he opens them, I’m surprised at the pain I see there. “Do you honestly feel unsafe with me?”

“Honestly? Yes, I do. You just fucking kidnapped me from my where I work.”

“I’m angry with you for hanging up on me,” he says.

“Well, I was angry with you for bossing me around.”

“I was looking out for you not bossing, there’s a difference.”

“Well, you need to learn some people skills because yours suck!” I exclaim.

I glance over at him to see his reaction. I’ve been looking straight ahead while we argue because honestly seeing him in his uniform is too much. No matter how pissed I am, he’s a gorgeous man in the most respected military uniform on earth and he makes me weak.

“Tiana, look at me. Please,” he pleads.

I do and he reaches out and places his hand on my bare knee. His touch is like a lightning bolt deactivating my anger and waking my desire for him.

“Come here.”

I scoot across the soft leather like a zombie under his spell. His arm slides behind my back and he pulls me against his chest and strokes my hair.

“I care about you. If anything had happened to you walking home, I’d never forgive myself for not coming to take you home.”

“You don’t care about me, you’re only interested in one thing.”

“Oh really, and what’s that?”

“Getting into my pants.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“People like you don’t associate feelings with sex. You just wanted another notch on your belt and you got it. You don’t have to bullshit me with the feelings stuff.”

He holds me at arm's length and ducks down so he’s at my level looking me straight in the eyes. This is the first time he’s ever looked at me straight on. A shiver runs up my spine and I have the strangest sensation of disconnect. It feels like an electrical current has been interrupted and there is no longer communication happening between us.

“Where did you get an idea that? If I say I care about you, I care about you, Goddammit. Who are you to tell me I don’t?”

He’s right. Who am I to tell him anything?

“Let’s just say you have a reputation.”

“Oh yeah? Well, how about we talk about your reputation, I’ve seen some pretty racy videos of you with men in a bar but you don’t see me judging you now, do you?”

I lower my eyes to stare at the colorful bars and pins on the breast of his uniform. All the anger that’s been boiling in my blood since he dragged me out of the diner fizzles out. He’s right, again. I have no right to judge him. Maybe he is a playboy; that’s his prerogative but I don’t have to be a part of it.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to keep bringing that up, but somebody has been filling your head with shit about me that has nothing to do with us. People may think I’m an asshole for not committing to the women I sleep with but they don’t know me. They don’t know why I do what I do, and they don’t know how I feel about you.”

I cock my head and gaze at his perfect scowling face. “And how is that? How do you feel about me, Drake?”

“I have very strong feelings for you and honestly I don’t know how to deal with them. Your brother doesn’t want us being involved and I don’t want you sneaking around behind his back and lying to him about seeing me. He has his reasons and they are valid. I won’t lie. We should stay away from each other. I just don’t know if I can.”

“What are his reasons?”

“You’re better off not knowing. Trust me, please.”

“Sir, we’re almost there, would you like me to circle the block or do you want to go to the house?”

Sir? Who is this guy? I’ve never heard an Uber driver be so formal. And what the hell is going on with Drake? He cares for me, so he storms into the diner like a raving lunatic to escort me home, but there is something he doesn’t want me to know about him that is bad enough to keep us apart?

This can’t just be about Jayden, they’re friends. They could work it out; there’s got to be something else. He’s admitted to not committing to the women he sleeps with, so it’s not that either.

I felt something different with him last night and I know he felt it too. Maybe he’s scared? Maybe he thinks he’s too old for me? Jayden said he’s thirty-seven, that’s an eleven-year age gap, substantial for some people but not for me. I don’t have age hang-ups, I mean I’m not looking to date my grandpa or anything but eleven years isn’t a big deal. So, what could it be?

“Go to the house.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you have one of your men driving us around?” I meet the driver’s eyes in the rear-view mirror.

“No, Max is a retired Marine. I don’t drive at night.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t see well in the dark.”

“Like night blindness? You can wear special glasses for that. It might save you some money paying a driver.” I catch the driver’s eyes again, “No offense.”

“None taken, ma’am.”

“I do wear glasses and contacts, it doesn’t correct it.”

We pull into the driveway and Drake opens the door ending the conversation and offers me his hand.

“You’re incorrigible,” I tell him.

He cocks one eyebrow, “And your point is?”

I huff and let him help me out. My feet ache and I’m weary, I don’t think I can deal with much more today. I need my bed and I need it now.

Drake scoops me up into his arms. My feet never touch the ground.

“Put it in the garage. I’m taking her next door,” he says to Max.

“Aren’t you worried the neighbors are going to see you lugging me across the lawn?”

“Fuck the neighbors.”

“Have you forgotten we live in Gossipville?”

“No, I have not.”

Hmm, well okay then, fuck the neighbors. I hope he’s ready for the entire town of Jewel Falls to weave some crazy stories and spread them far and wide.

“You don’t have to carry me. I stink, and I know how to walk.”

He glances down at me in the dark with a will you just shut up look and I roll my eyes.

“Just sayin’.”

“You smell fine and you’re tired.”

“What if Jayden’s home?”

Drake says, “He’s not.”

“How do you know?” I persevere.

“Because he’s at Al’s drinking.”

“Weren’t you supposed to meet him there?” I ask.

“Yes,” he answers curtly.

“He might have been worried when you didn’t show up and come home.”

“His car isn’t here.”

“He could have put it in the garage,” I suggest.

“He washes the dust off his car before he puts it in the garage every night. The driveway is dry. What is your problem?”

“My problem? What’s yours?”

“Right now, you are my problem and I’m trying to put your question-asking ass to bed.”

“Nobody asked you to make me your problem,” I tell him, somewhat peeved.

“Nobody had to, that’s the nature of problems.”

He carries me up the steps onto the porch like I weigh nothing. He’s not even out of breath.

“Do you have your key?”

“As a matter of fact, I don’t. Someone ambushed me tonight and I didn’t have time to get my things.”

He shakes his head and sighs. “Reach up there and grab the key.” He nods toward the top of the doorframe. My brother must be a moron, how could he leave a key out here for anyone to use? And he thinks I’m not taking this seriously enough. I slide my hand along the wood until I find the key.

“Has this always been here?” I question.

For as long as I’ve known your brother, it has. I thought maybe he would have taken it in, though, with someone threatening you.”

“Exactly. How can he say I’m not being cautious when he’s practically inviting the stalker into his house?”

“He must have forgotten. I’ll talk to him about it.” He opens the screen door and unlocks the heavy oak door all while holding onto me. When we’re inside, he marches straight up to my bedroom and flicks on the light switch. He pauses so our eyes can adjust to the bright light of the room and then he carries me into the bathroom where he sits me on the vanity.

“What are you doing?”

“Drawing you a bath.”

“I’ll probably fall asleep and drown,” I warn.

Drake informs me, “I’m not leaving you alone.”

“Oh,” I say, nonplussed.

I watch him turn on the water and test the temperature. When he’s satisfied, he stands and opens a cupboard next to the tub for a towel as if he knows exactly where everything is. I consider mentioning it, but suddenly I’m too tired to talk.

When he turns to help me out of my clothes, my eyelids are drooping, the bathroom is warm and cozy and I’m exhausted. I wasn’t kidding about drowning.

“Arms up.” I raise my arms over my head and he slips my greasy smelly blouse over my head and tosses it into the hamper. Half dressed, I’m slouched forward gripping the granite countertop feeling about as unattractive as I ever have. He leans in and places his hands on either side of my face to press a soft kiss on my pouty lips.

“You’re so beautiful, I wish I could look at you forever.”

He looks at me for such a long time I feel like maybe he was being literal about looking at me forever. When the tub is full. he shakes himself from his eye-feast and turns to shut it off.

“Ready?”

I drop my chin to my chest and look at him through my lashes. “Like this?” I say referring to the fact that I’m still half dressed.

He smiles a sympathetic smile and squats down to unlace my shoes and remove my socks. To my horror, he rubs my sweaty tired feet but after a few seconds of that, I’m melting all over the vanity.

“Okay, up with you, beautiful girl.” He stands and pulls me to my feet. I start to unbutton my shorts but he moves my hands to do it himself. He pushes them over my hips along with my panties until they fall to the floor at my feet. He scoops me up again and gently lowers me into the water. It feels like heaven. I’ll admit I wanted to go straight to bed but this is a much better idea.

He kneels next to the bath and pours body wash on his hands.

“Close your eyes.”

I do as I’m told and I’m rewarded with his roaming hands on my skin. He washes me, sliding his hands over my tired muscles and massaging wherever he can reach. I’m about to slip under the water when his hand finds my sex. He slides the pad of his middle finger around my clit and cups my mound.

My spent libido wakes up with a jolt and I grab the sides of the tub. “Drake…” I gasp.

“Relax, baby, I’m going to make you come, dry you off and put you to bed.”

I’m in no position to argue, so I do my best to relax and let him take care of me.

My mind is a mess of desire, worries, and exhaustion. I can’t string two thoughts together and according to Drake, I’m not supposed to. His hands work my body into a frenzy until I’m on the edge of losing control and I hear the front door open.

My eyes snap open and Drake stops moving. He raises his eyebrows in an amused expression and reaches over to lock the door.

“Close your eyes.”

“But Jayden’s home, he’s going to catch you in here and flip his shit.”

“He doesn’t know I’m here and I’m not done with you yet. Eyes. Closed.”

My mouth pops open and my body tenses anticipating World War Three that’s sure to happen when Jay finds his best friend bathing me. I can’t relax and come now.

“Tiana, open your legs. You’re cutting off circulation to my arm.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I just… I can’t do this now.”

“Yes, you can and you will.”

I growl and sink back down into the water. There’s no sense arguing with him. I’ll just fake it so I can get the hell out of the tub and go to bed. I would never have imagined having to fake it with Drake after last night, but this is stressful.

“Don’t you dare try to fake it either, I’ll be able to tell.”

I groan. He’s onto me.

“Tiana,” Jayden yells up the stairs. “You home?”

“Tell him yes, and that you’re in the bath and then you're going to bed.”

“Yes,” I yell, “I’m in the tub.”

I can hear his boots on the stairs. “He’s coming up here, shit.”

“He won’t try to come into the bathroom. He’s your brother. Just tell him you’ll see him in the morning.”

“How was work? Did ya get an Uber to bring ya home?” Jayden says from my bedroom. Drake nudges my legs apart with his arm and presses his thumb on my clit while he slips two long fingers into my pussy and strokes my G-spot. Now I’m even more flustered. My brother wants to talk about my first day of work and this man wants to make me come at the same time.

“Answer him,” Drake whispers with a mischievous smile. He’s loving this and I want to kill him and kiss him at the same time.

“It was, uh, it was good and yeah.”

“You okay? Nothing weird happened, did it?”

Oh no, nothing weird at all. Your best friend is in here with his hand between my legs trying to get me off while I chat with you about my day, but other than that everything’s peachy.

Drake picks up the pace and starts sliding his thumb in circles around and around my clit rhythmically. A whimper escapes my lips and I hear Jayden come closer to the bathroom door.

“T? What’s going on in there?”

“Nothing, I’m just trying to relax in the bath. I worked my ass off today and I’m sore.”

Drake nods his head in approval and mouths the words good girl. I want to yell at him and tell him he’s out of his mind, but he has me on the verge of an orgasm again just like that.

His hands are magic and his commanding presence overrides the embarrassment of having my brother mere feet away on the other side of my bathroom door.

Somehow Drake knows he has me and there’s no turning back now. We’ve gone too far. I grip the sides of the tub and brace my feet on either side of the faucet and bite my lip so hard it draws blood to keep from calling out Drake’s name. I arch my back and clamp my legs together pulsing around his fingers. The water sloshes up over the edge at the exact moment another whimper slips from my lips, but Jayden says something at the same time so I don’t think he heard me.

“Okay, you hungry? I can make us some dinner if you want.”

I’m gasping for breath and Drake looks pleased with himself. Bastard.

“What?”

“I said are you hungry? You sure you’re okay in there? You sound kinda funny.”

Funny, sure right, I wonder if he will ever find out that he knows what I sound like when I climax. Ew.

“No, no. I ate at the diner and I’m going straight to bed. Would you mind closing my door on your way out? It’s kind of breezy up here.”

“Of course. We runnin’ in the mornin’?” He sounds like he’s hoping I’ll say no, so I grant him his wish.

“I think I’ll skip again. I stayed up too late last night. I’m going to sleep in tomorrow.”

“Cool. What time you work?”

“Noon to close.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow night then. Don’t walk anywhere, ya hear? Take an Uber or catch a ride with somebody. I don’t want you running around alone.”

I roll my eyes, “Yes, Daddy.”

He doesn’t comment and I hear him walk to the door and close it behind him.

I’m about to give Drake a piece of my mind via a hissing whisper but he’s one step ahead of me again covering my mouth with his.

His kiss is demanding and urgent making me forget what I was about to say. His hand slinks around the back of my neck. He winds his fingers in my hair and pulls my head back exposing my neck. He abandons my lips and licks a path down my wet neck to my chest and sucks firmly on my stiff nipple. I cry out and his free hand covers my mouth to quiet me while he kisses his way to my other breast, where he pays it the same attention.

His mouth finds its way back to mine and I wrap my arms around his neck when he reaches into the water and lifts me out, never breaking our kiss. The small bathroom is steamy and warm but goosebumps spread across my skin as I shiver in his arms. He turns me around to face the mirror and places my hands on the vanity spreading my legs apart with his foot.

He moves my hair over one shoulder and nuzzles into the curve of my neck. My heart is beating so loudly I can hardly hear him when he murmurs in my ear, “I need you before I leave.”

His hands slide up my slick wet skin over my hips across my ribs to cup my breasts. He kisses the back of my neck and my goosebumps have their own goosebumps. I feel him move away and his hands leaving my breasts. One slides around to the center of my back and gently pushes me down until I’m bent over with my face pressed against the granite counter of the vanity. I lick my dry lips and pant with want waiting for what’s next. I hear him rustling around, and although I try to see what he’s doing in the mirror, it’s too fogged over.

The sound of a condom wrapper being torn open tells me he was getting into his wallet for protection. I’m not sure I like that he carries a condom in his pocket, but right now I’m not going to complain.

He unzips his pants and rolls on the condom. His hot hands take hold of my slick hips and he bends over to kiss a trail down my spine to the beginning of my ass. Crouching down behind me, he spreads my ass cheeks and gives me one long lick from my clit to the pucker of my ass before standing and sliding his thick cock into my aching sex.

“Quick and dirty, baby, I need to get you to bed.”

He digs his fingers into the flesh of my hips and pumps in and out relentlessly. I hold onto the edges of the counter and lose myself in every single rough thrust until he crashes into me one last time and we come together silently.

He lies down covering me with his body, pressing his cold medals against my wet skin still breathing hard and says, “What am I doing?”

I’m unsure if he’s talking to himself or me. Sometimes people say things in the heat of the moment and don’t even realize they’ve said anything out loud. I could make a smart-ass comment about him not knowing what he’s doing, but a twinge in my chest says to keep it to myself.

He kisses the back of my neck and slides out of me; discards the condom in the trash and lifts my sated body off the vanity. He turns me to face him and I lean my ass on the counter while he reaches for the towel behind me.

I watch him dry my skin with a reverence I’ve never seen before. The way he looks at every inch of me while he works feels like he’s memorizing my body.

Kneeling in front of me, he finishes and leans in to press his cheek against my tummy. I run my hands over his freshly cut hair and hold him there. I get a feeling like there is something more going on here than I’m aware of.

He stands up and wraps the towel around me and unlocks the door. He’s about to open it when I reach out to stop him.

“Wait, let me go first and make sure he’s not in my room,” I whisper.

He narrows his eyes and cocks his head. “Is that something you think he would do?”

I pause to think. Normally I would say no, but lately, Jay’s been sort of nuts and I’m not sure of the lengths he would go to keep me safe. But hiding in my room when I’m taking a bath is creepy, even for him.

I shake my head and let go of his hand. He turns the knob and lifts me into his arms again like I’m a helpless, weak creature. Without so much as a glance around, he carries me to the bed and stands me up to pull back the quilt.

“What do you sleep in?”

I point at the bottom of the bed where my boxers and tank top are. He tugs the tank over my head and helps me step into the shorts.

“In.” He points at the bed and I crawl in and let him cover me.

“Goodnight, Firecracker.”

I stick out my lip and pout. “I like it when you call me ‘beautiful girl’ better.”

He taps my lip with his pointer finger, “Goodnight, Beautiful Girl.”

“Goodnight, Gorgeous Man.”

That mischievous smile appears again and for the hundredth time since I laid eyes on Drake, I wish my stupid brother would lose his attitude about his best friend.

Drake is irritating and stubborn as hell, but those are also the qualities that turn me on and challenge my spirited fiery side. He isn’t all bossy and dominant, though. There’s a soft vulnerable side to him that he doesn’t like to show but I’ve seen glimpses of it and it’s almost more attractive than his dominance, almost.

“How are you going to get out of here?” I ask him, worriedly.

“Through the front door,” he states unequivocally.

“Are you crazy? Wait don’t answer that, I already know you are.”

“Jayden and I have been walking in and out of each other’s houses for years, He won’t know I was up here.”

I reach up and cup his cheek in my hand. He closes his eyes and leans in for a moment.

“This is a bad idea, we should stop,” he says.

“Yes, I know.”

“I have to go, don’t go walking around by yourself tomorrow, ya hear?” he says mimicking Jayden’s tone from earlier. I snicker and snuggle down into my soft pillow.

“Okay, Daddy.”

“Mm, I kind of like the sound of that.”

“You’re incorrigible,” I tell him.

“And your point is?” he asks.

He places a chaste kiss on my nose and strolls out into the hall like he lives here, turning off the light on his way out. I’ve been ready to pass out for hours and now I can’t sleep, thanks to that beautiful man.