“Raven, what have you gotten yourself into?” she whispered with tears in her eyes.
“I’ve been asking myself that question for a long time. Honestly, at the time I thought that it would only be temporary. He had me so wrapped up in him and his lies that I would have done anything he asked of me.”
Handing me a Kleenex, Sparrow asked the question I had been asking myself for the last two months, “And now?”
“Now I realize that he was just using me. Now that he doesn’t need me or my money, I’m just a trophy on his arm.” I paused to gather my thoughts. “I’m ready to leave my husband,” I sobbed, crumpling into a weeping pile of heartache in my baby sister’s arms.
Chapter 15
“You look tired, baby.”
Glancing up, I smiled at Pierre. Today was our first “date” and I was nervous. After leaving Sparrow’s house two weeks ago, I officially filed for divorce from Dean. I thought he would come to me and demand to work it out, but the joke was on me. I hadn’t heard from him at all.
In fact, the only person I heard from, besides my family, was Pierre. I didn’t tell him that I was divorcing Dean, but I did accept his invitation to share a meal. Pushing the thoughts of Dean from my mind, I focused on the man in front of me.
“It’s been a long couple of weeks.”
“Yeah, I heard.”
Raising a brow, I leaned across the small table towards him. “What exactly did you hear?”
“For starters, I heard about Sparrow. How is she?”
“She’s as well as can be expected.”
Three days after my emotional breakdown in her living room, Sparrow’s house was set on fire. The police and fire department were both investigating. Personally, I believed an angry ex-hoe of hers was to blame.
“If she needs anything let me know. I also heard about you and Dean.”
Scrutinizing the snowy scenery outside the Italian eatery’s window, I whispered, “I filed for divorce. I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
“Raven, look at me, I’m not going to sit here and say I’m sorry because I’m not. I always thought you could do better than him. You deserve more than to be a kingpin’s wife.”
“Really? So, what makes you so different than Dean? I mean, you’re hands aren’t exactly squeaky clean are they?”
Leaning back, he crossed his arms across his broad chest. Hazel eyes glittered in admiration. “I like this new you, it’s about time you started speaking your mind.”
“Answer the question.”
“We have more in common than you think. You probably assumed that I was some gangster who only wanted quick money and lots of power. You also probably assumed that I never had any type of ambitions or culture. Don’t try to deny it. I saw the way you looked at me at the gallery opening.”
“I won’t deny it.” I couldn’t deny it. The first thoughts to run through my mind were what was he doing here and did Dean send him.
“I grew up in the suburbs just like you, though not as affluent. My mom is a realtor and when the market dropped she lost her job. We went from an income of ninety thousand a year to twenty-five. My dad had left us a long time ago, so it was up to me to be the man of the house. I refused to let my mom lose what she had worked so hard to obtain and a job at McDonald’s wasn’t going to make up a seventy thousand dollar deficit.”
“So, you started dealing.”
“Yep, but I wasn’t cut out for it. Dean saw me one day at the local gym beating the hell out of a punching bag. You both had just gotten married and he was looking for someone to help protect you. At the time, the streets were crazy. Smitty had just died. Dudes were fighting over every single block and he didn’t want his new wife to become a target. So, he brought me on.
It’s always been temporary in my mind. I had dreams of going to college and making my mom proud. I’m not saying that I’m not grateful for Dean, because believe me, I am. Thanks to him, my mom’s house is paid off and I put all three of my younger brothers through college. But…I’ve given that man ten years of my life and I refuse to give him anymore.”
I stared at him in amazement. His story was similar to mine, although it felt like he was leaving out an integral part. Dean had done a lot for the both of us but he had also taken a lot. Now we both wanted out and to be in control of our lives and destinies. It was as if we were both freeing ourselves from the golden shackles and marble prison that Dean had provided us. I told him as much.
“Exactly. That’s why I’ve been taking online courses for the last four years to get my degree. I plan on going into business for myself in the IT sector. There isn’t anything I can’t do with a computer.” Pausing to take a sip of his soda, he smiled at me. “So Miss Raven, what do you think?”
His smile was infectious and I couldn’t help but return it. “I think that we do, indeed, have a lot in common.”
Chapter 16
Weeks had passed since my first date with Pierre and I wanted him in my bed so bad that I could taste it. Oddly, I didn’t feel bad about wanting to sleep with him so soon after we started dating. It was as if he had been courting me for the last ten years and we were now ready to consummate the relationship. Tonight, we were celebrating the turn in our relationship and the fact that he had finally graduated.
When I pulled up in front of his house in Sycamore, I was definitely surprised that Pierre lived in a beautiful single family home in the suburbs. I had always expected him to live in an apartment in the middle of city. I guess being involved in what he was involved in, it was easier to maintain your sanity away from the action during your down time.
I was in for more surprises once I stepped inside. Polished wood floors, toasted almond walls and original artwork gave the foyer the warmth that my home lacked. As I walked further into the house, my mouth continued to hang open. Most men who lived by themselves had homes that lacked sophistication and charm. Pierre’s didn’t have that issue.
Sitting in the dining room across from Pierre, it was obvious that I was in disbelief. As part owner of an interior design company, I was used to being in beautifully decorated homes but his surpassed all that I have seen. I told him as much.
“Thank you. That means a lot coming from you,” he said, blushing.
“I truly mean it. My home is nothing compared to yours.”
“Baby, I’ve been to both your homes and it is stunning. You have Italian marble covering almost every square inch, antique furniture and beautiful artwork.”
Spearing another shrimp, I savored the succulent flavor before stating what I thought was the obvious. “True, but your home was noticeably designed with comfort and family in mind. My home was created with one purpose, to show the world how much success Dean had achieved.” Swallowing hard, I looked at him. “Just like everything else in his life.”
Without saying a word, he crossed the table and lifted me out of my dining chair. He held my hand, drawing circles on my palm, as he led me to the sunken living room. Sitting down on the overstuffed sofa, he placed me in his lap so that I was straddling him, my leather skirt rising. I expected him to run his hands up my bare thighs, to make my blood boil with lust, to take my mouth in a heated kiss. I expected everything and anything but what he gave me.
“Let it out Raven.” The extreme tenderness in his voice, the gentle strokes on my back, and the feeling of contentment was all too much for me.
On a shaky sigh, I released all my anguish, insecurities and shame on to his sturdy chest. Heart wrenching sobs racked my body, but Pierre kept stroking me, holding me and encouraging me to let it out. And so I did. I cried for the years wasted on a marriage that was doomed from the beginning. I cried for the pain that I helped bring on myself by marrying the wrong man. I cried until I released ten years’ worth of pain from my heart. As my cries slowed to sniffles, I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I looked up at Pierre and was r
ewarded with a smile that illuminated the dark corners of my damaged soul.
I reached up and traced the outline of his full lips with trembling fingers. A strangled moan poured from my throat when my finger disappeared in his hot mouth. I had never thought of my fingers as an erogenous zone and I had never seen anything as erotic as my long, slender digit encased between his full lips, being bathed by his tongue. Until now, until Pierre. We stared at each other while he continued to suckle me.
Releasing me, he buried his face in my chest, whispering, “Take what you want, Raven. Tonight is your night to take back your control.”
I gently pushed his head back until he was resting against the back of the couch. Confidently, I rose up from his lap and took off my clothes. Silk and leather fluttered to the carpeted floor leaving me clad in a sheer purple bra and panty set, black stockings, garters and stilettos.
Pierre’s breathing changed, coming in short and shallow gasps. A shiver passed through him so quickly that if I had not been watching him intently I would have missed it. Knowing that I could make this powerful man tremble boosted my self-esteem and made me aware of my sensual potency. Turning on my heel, I heard his sharp intake of breath as I presented him with my perfectly heart shaped ass.
Without sparing him a glance, I made my way to his bedroom and sat on his mahogany dresser, crossing my long legs. Browns, reds and gold created a masculine environment which suited the situation. I wanted to be the only feminine element in his space tonight.
Pierre entered the room and stood before me, head bent and hands in his pockets. Light perspiration mingled with my tears, causing his shirt to cling to his muscular body. His submissive stance triggered a surge of dominance to flow from my pounding heart to my quaking pussy. The feeling was intoxicating, hypnotizing, and addicting.
“Look at me,” I whispered.
Lust filled hazel eyes collided with supremacy filled light brown ones.
“Undress.”
Without hesitation, he began unbuttoning his shirt. Glimpses of honeyed skin over granite like muscles came into view. Never taking his eyes from me, his hands moved to his belt buckle. My heavy breathing and the clanking of his belt followed by the rasp of his zipper were the only audible sounds in the room. The moment his erection was freed from its cotton restraints, my heart thudded in my chest and my mouth felt as dry as the desert.
Having a naked Pierre standing in front of me caused my brain to overheat and my new found confidence to plummet. Biting my lip, I was hit with a moment of indecision. What did a woman do when a beautiful man was waiting naked in front of her?
“Do whatever you want, sweetness,” he said as if he read my mind.
“Lay on the bed.”
An idea materialized out of nowhere. I disappeared momentarily into his closet before returning to stand next to his California king bed. Pierre’s eyes flickered to the items in my hand and a slow, appreciative smile played on his lips.
I straddled his middle, cradling his dick between my thighs, and tied each hand and foot to the bed post with four silk ties before blindfolding him with another. Only after he was securely bound and his vision blocked did I finally remove the rest of my clothing.
Kneeling over his calves, I moaned as his hot skin touched mine. Settling between his legs, I lightly ran my nails up and down his inner thighs causing him to flinch. Cool air rushed from my pursed lips as I blew lightly. Lust induced sweat dripped from my forehead, evaporating as soon as it touched his fevered body.
Flicking my tongue out, I trailed it from his knee to pelvis, relishing the flavor that was uniquely Pierre. I licked, sucked and bit my way up past his washboard abs, hair dusted chest and broad shoulders before arriving at his full lips.
Those lips! Those lips had brought me so much pleasure over the last couple of weeks but I had saved one for tonight. Placing each leg on either side of his head I knelt over his face. Pierre pulled on the ties as the heat from my overly aroused pussy fanned his face, the scent driving him insane. I waited patiently until he settled down. Slowly, I lowered myself inch by inch towards his face. My slick lips met his full ones and a groan of satisfaction bubbled from his throat into the walls of my pussy.
Gripping the headboard tightly, I rotated my hips in time with the strokes of his tongue. It flowed effortlessly from the base of my pussy to the top, diving deep, stroking my g-spot and suckling my clit hungrily. Lightning bolts of erotic pleasure shot up from the soles of my feet to the top of my head before settling deep in my sugar walls.
Animalistic howls teemed from my raspy throat as I came but I refused to let him taste my creamy goodness. Quickly, I removed myself from his face and slipped his beautifully curved dick into my awaiting mouth.
He tasted of heaven, decadence, strength, vulnerability, love and home. I became drunk from the taste and the feel. I felt every buck of his hips, every pulse of his veins and every pound of his heart in my soul. Tearing my swollen lips from Pierre’s swollen member I prepared myself for the ride of my life. Dean never let me ride. He always had to be in control. Pushing Dean and his negativity from my mind, I ran the head of Pierre’s dick against my swollen folds.
Shudders of anticipation ran through the both of us. As much as I enjoyed dominating him, I knew I had to get Pierre inside me now or I would incinerate. Rising above him, I slowly encased him in my tight body. Pierre screamed once he was fully embedded in me.
“Mmm, did you say something?” I asked cockily while I bounced on top of him. I was truly feeling myself.
“It’s so good. Baby, untie me please. I need to touch you.”
I refused to answer him. This was my night and I was going to do what I damned well pleased. Deciding to grant him a miniscule amount of mercy, I leaned over and took the tie off of his eyes.
Staring back at me were eyes filled with so much lust, desire and longing that I almost came on the spot. Up and down I rode, clenching my walls on the upstroke and relaxing on the downward, all the while maintaining eye contact.
That feeling was coming over me. I could feel the fire and ice rushing through my veins and my heart was racing to explosion. Pierre swelled inside me, almost to bursting. His face twisted in pleasurable pain. His hips bucked harder. My hips corkscrewed faster. Sweat covered his face. Sweat trickled down between my breasts. His breaths came in pants. My breaths came in gasps. My name flew from his lips and his from mine. Cum spurted from his dick into my waiting core. I squirted my passion for him, soaking the bed.
Limply, I freed his hands and feet from their bounds before collapsing on his chest. Still connected, he trailed his fingers over my spine until I fell asleep. It wasn’t until I woke up the next morning and looked directly at the nightstand that I realized that I had forgotten the condom.
Chapter 17
“Oh, so you’re on that Rihanna shit now?”
“Shut up Sparrow!” I laughed.
Two weeks after my romp with Pierre, my sisters and I had gathered at Sparrow’s home to help her get settled back into her house. The restoration company had finally gotten the house back into a livable condition just in time for Christmas. Unfortunately, the arsonist was still at large.
“I’m saying though, you had that man tied to the bed. It was like a verse out of her song S&M.”
“Real funny.” I glanced at Robin and waited for her to join in the conversation but she continued to go through a box of books as if it held all of life’s secrets. Glancing at Sparrow, I silently mouthed, “What’s wrong with her?” She shrugged.
“Um, Robin, how’s it going over there?” asked Sparrow.
“Fine,” she replied, still not looking at us.
Stopping in front of Robin, I knelt down to her level. It was then that I noticed the dark smudges under her eyes, unkempt nails, faded and stained clothing and barely combed hair. Robin, always the professional, was put together at all times. Even if she was going to the grocery store
she made sure that she looked like she had just stepped off the cover of Black Enterprise.
“What’s wrong Robin?"
“At what point in your life do you finally start playing by your own rules?”
Sparrow, of course, was the first to answer, “As soon as you start breathing. Shit, I’ve always played by my own rules.”
“That’s why we’re here Sparrow,” I said, waving my hand around the room. “Because you played by your own rules without any thought to other’s feelings. Maybe if you were more like me…”
“Bitch, please.”
“And actually considered the feelings of others before doing what you wanted, then you wouldn’t have some psycho running around town burning your house down. No, what Robin needs to do is live her own life but be respectful of others.”
“So, I guess you were being respectful of Dean, your husband, when you were sleeping with his best friend.”
“Fuck you, Sparrow!!”
“HEY!” screamed Robin. “This was about me, but since you want to make it about you let me tell you both what I think. Sparrow, you are in no position to tell anybody anything right now. You have somebody stalking you, trying to physically harm you and you have yet to tell your boyfriend about your past.
Now, Raven. You are a married woman. Yes, you filed for divorce but you are still married. Out of all the men in the world you could be fucking, you chose your soon-to-be ex-husband’s best friend and business partner. That’s foul as hell. Both of y’all are in no position to give anybody advice, that’s why I didn’t want to ask you. So, can we please get back to doing what we came here to do so I can go home?”
Silently, we all got back to the tasks at hand. My mind was racing a mile a minute. It wasn’t as if I didn’t know that my relationship with Pierre was foul, but it was different to hear it from Robin’s lips.
Maybe, subconsciously I was trying to hurt Dean but deep in my heart I didn’t think so. I was developing deep feelings for Pierre. If my sisters thought things were bad now, I could just imagine how they’d react if I told them that I thought I was pregnant.