Chapter 12
It was one o’clock, and I didn’t know what to wear. Brian would be here in an hour. I hadn’t done my hair and make-up yet. The only thing I’d done was shower.
“Yasmine!”
“Oh no, who died?” She rushed across the hall and took one glance at the clothes strewn across my bed. Her hands went to her hips. “Fashion emergency?”
I nodded, biting my lip.
“Is this a date?”
“Yes.”
Her eyebrows went up in surprise. “Okay, hmm, what kind? First date? Meeting for drinks?”
My eyebrows furrowed. “Not exactly. I’m meeting band members, and then we’re going on a date.”
“Hold up, band members? Are you seeing the guitar player, Javan’s roommate?”
I could feel my cheeks heating. “I guess I am.”
“Holy shit! And you haven’t said anything? I thought we were friends.” She feigned disappointment.
“Yaz, you know you’re my girl. I didn’t say anything because it just sort of happened.” I plopped down on the piles of clothes on my bed. “I met him Sunday, and we had fun. And by the end of the evening, we kissed.”
Yasmine stood wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open.
“And it was…” I didn’t know how to describe it. Warm and sweet sounded like kissing a childhood boyfriend. Hot and passionate didn’t cut it either, though I’m sure if we’d kissed long enough, we’d have ended up there. “Perfect,” I decided.
Yasmine laughed while she sorted through my mountain of clothes. “Different is what you mean. Not saying white men can’t kiss, it’s just with a brother, there’s more lips to suck on, you know?”
“Yasmine!”
“What? You know I’m right. But it’s all about technique. I’ve kissed some guys whose lips were the size of tires. I felt like I was being licked by a dog.” Yasmine shivered in mock disgust.
I cracked up. “That is so wrong.”
“I’ve also kissed guys whose lips were smaller than mine, but man, did they have technique.” Her eyes closed as if having a flashback. “David could suck the hell out of─”
“Enough!” I laughed, throwing my hands up. “I get the point. Besides, I like Brian’s…technique and plan to explore it some more tonight. First, I need the perfect outfit.”
“You called the right one. So, what does he like?”
“Huh?”
She sighed. “What does he like? You know, what has he commented on? What has his roving eye looked at when he’s not staring at you?”
“Um, his attention is always on me. Plus, he says I look good in anything, even my work clothes.”
“What the hell?” She rubbed her eyes. “Okay, he’s one of those.”
“One of what?”
“A man who’s always giving compliments to suck up.”
I loved Brian’s compliments. He never gave the impression of trying to get something in return. His facial expressions made it obvious that what he said came from the heart.
“Alright, what has he seen you in?” She eyed the clothes pile. “Jeans?”
“Not exactly, Capri’s, yes.”
“Dress?”
“That skin tight number the night we met.”
“Told you it would work.” She gave me a smug smile. “Shorts?”
“Yes, on Sunday, the day we kissed.”
“Hmm, how about this?”
I turned to see what she held. “Perfect.”
“Now for hair and make-up.”
At exactly two o’clock, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Yasmine yelled from downstairs.
I finished tying the strings of my wedge heels around my legs and made sure I sprayed perfume in all the right places. I took a deep breath and stood in front of the mirror. Yasmine had a hidden talent for dressing people.
“Well hello, Brian, right? I’m Yasmine It’s nice to meet you.”
I could hear Yasmine’s voice floating up the steps.
“Hi, Yasmine. I’m here to pick up Ebony,” he replied.
God, I loved to hear him say my name.
“Sure, come in. She’ll be down in a minute.” The door closed. “Take care of my girl.”
“I will.”
When I heard her coming up the steps, I counted to ten and composed myself.
She stopped at my doorway and winked. “He’s a keeper. Nice lips.” She laughed and disappeared into her room.
Brian’s back was to me when I walked down the stairs. He appeared relaxed with his thumbs hooked in the pockets of his jeans. He had the same black sneakers and a deep blue shirt that was the same shade as his eyes. Blue was fast becoming my favorite color. His blond curls with dark undertones were shorter than when I last saw him.
“Hi,” I said upon reaching the bottom step.
He turned around and his eyes traveled over my outfit. “Damn.”
I wore a floral print halter-top accented with red lace trim that molded to my waist and breasts perfectly. The tan background complimented my skin and the floor-length skirt fit like a glove. A long, sexy slit ran from the hem to the middle of my thigh and gave him an eyeful every time I moved my leg.
“You look,” he cleared his throat, “amazing.”
So did he. Besides cutting his hair, he’d grown a sexy five o’clock shadow. I couldn’t decide whether to stare at his mouth or his eyes.
I closed the distance between us without saying a word. My heels didn’t bring us eye-to-eye, but I was close enough. I took his face between my hands, slid my fingertips into his hair, and drew his head down until his lips met mine. After talking about the kiss we’d shared, I was anxious to do it again.
Without hesitation, Brian’s mouth opened. Enjoying the firmness of his lips, I slipped my tongue in-between. His hands came out of his pockets, around my waist, and pulled me close.
My breath caught. I pressed against him, willing myself to mold to the shape of his body. There was no denying the attraction either of us felt. After days of not seeing each other, we definitely had the same thing in mind.
“Um, excuse me. I kinda need to get through here. It’s the only way to the kitchen.”
We stopped kissing, but neither of us released our hold. I couldn’t believe I was in the living room with Brian, damn near ready to make out. I slipped my hands out of his hair and satisfied my need to touch him by running a hand over his chest. “Sorry,” I told Kaitlyn. “Brian, this is my other roommate, Kaitlyn.”
She glanced from me and over at Brian. Her arms were loaded down with grocery bags.
“Hi. I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve been standin’ here for forever waitin’ for ya’ll lovebirds to come up for air. This stuff is heavy.”
“Let me help you,” Brian let go of me and reached for the bags.
“No, I’ve got this. Do ya mind grabbin’ the box out of the trunk?”
“Sure.”
We watched him disappear out the front door.
“Holy crap!” she whispered. “That’s the guy from the club?”
I grinned, slipped a few bags from her hands, and headed for the kitchen.
“He’s hot! Does he have a brother?”
I laughed. “Kaity, didn’t you just find a man?”
“Yeah, so?” She put the remaining bags down before punching my shoulder. “And you’ve been holdin’ out.”
“I know, I know. Yasmine already fussed. I’ll fill you guys in with the details when I get home.”
“After a kiss like that you’re plannin’ on comin’ home?” She shook her head. “You show up tonight, and I’m calling the crazy police to turn you in.”