The Season of Sin (Peace In The Storm Publishing Presents) (16 page)

She slid the dress up higher. Her curves were more masterful than he’d dreamt. Turned out the tight clothing hadn’t revealed too much after all.

Desire leapt off her and slammed into him with an intense heat that soothed and burned.

He walked up the stairs and stopped in front of her.  They stared into each other’s eyes. He’d dreamt of fucking this woman since he met her. He even masturbated in bed when he thought of her.  He’d pretend her lovely body rested on top of him.

She pressed her firm breasts against him.

Her magnetism spread through him like a disease.

It had been easy to blame it on lust or an animalistic attraction.  That would get him off the hook and he wouldn’t have to feel guilty.  Wouldn’t have to think of how hurt Brianna might be if she knew how much he wanted Zoë.

She pulled her dress over her thighs and held it at her waist.

From that moment nothing else mattered.

She placed his feverish hand between her legs. Just being this close made his cock leak. 

She slipped his hand inside her panties.  His fingers skated down her soft bush. He slid his finger inside her. 

“You’re so wet.”

“Come on before someone comes inside.” She held onto his shoulders.

“I don’t have anything.”

“I’m on the pill.” She panted. “Come on shit.” She kissed him. “Don’t you wanna do this?”

He hoisted her up, sat her on the railing and tore her panties off.  “Did this answer your question?”

“Yes come on.” She wriggled. “Fuck me. I want you so bad.”

He pulled down his pants and underwear. He hooked her leg over his arm.

“Yes. Oh yes come on. Fuck me, Steven.” She closed her eyes.

“No, keep ‘em open.” He massaged his throbbing cock. “You’re so beautiful.” He licked the bridge of her nose.  “So goddamn beautiful.” He positioned her for his entrance. “I want you to watch me when I’m inside of you.”

“Mmm yes.” She licked her lips. “Come on. Now please. I’m about to come already.”

He slid in deep with one thrust.

“Ohhh!” She dug her fingernails into his shoulders.  “Yes…oh.”

“Uh! Uh! Uh! Uh!” He drilled as much of his cock as he could into her.  He wanted her to feel every inch. Feel it all the way up in her stomach. 

“Oh! Oh!” She chewed her lip.  “Oww!”

“Oh!  Oh!” Steven pumped with such force he almost knocked her off the railing. He put his hands on her buttocks and spread her wider to get inside her more.

“Ooh! Yes!” She held onto his waist.  “Deeper. Yes. Ohh!”

“Huh? You like that?” He squeezed her ass. “Ahh you feel so good. So wet I’m gonna bust.”

“Oww! Oooh! Fuck me!” Her head bobbed with his movements.  “Oh yeah…yeah…oh!”

Sweat burned his eyes. “God you feel so good. Didn’t think you’d fuckin’ feel this good.”

“Oh! Yes!” Her buttocks slapped against the railing.

“Ah. Oh god you’re so wet.”

“Oh!” She laid her head on his shoulder.  “Fuck me. Make me come all over you. Make me drown you.”

“Ah…ooh!” He raised her leg higher.

“Fuck yeah! Ahh!”  Zoë’s clit contracted around his dick.   “Oh…I’m coming!  I’m coming!”

“Oh!” He became woozy but kept pumping.  “Oh…Zoë .”

“Ooh…yes!  Oh I’m coming.” Her breasts slapped against him.

He delivered one final thrust. “Ahhh!” 

“Ohhhhh! Uhhh!” She grabbed his head.

“Oh…oh…Jesus.” He fell against her.

Thirty Minutes Later

“It’s weird how Nick’s there all the time huh?” Steven stopped at a red light and turned the radio to his favorite classic rock station.

“I don’t know.” Brianna laid her head back. “He seems nice enough. I mean he obviously cares about her.”

“She barely knows the guy and she acts like he’s her best friend. I mean what makes her think she can trust him? Dylan seems like someone with so much sense but she just welcomes Nick into her life?”

Brianna turned the station to her favorite R&B channel. “It’s not our concern.”

“Yeah but how can Dylan be so sure he doesn’t have something to do with the murders?”

“His alibi checked out for Nadia’s murder.” Brianna adjusted the volume.  “And he didn’t even know Shannon.”

“How do we
know
he didn’t know Shannon?”

“Jayce checked it out remember? There doesn’t seem to be a link.”

“Yeah well we still should keep an eye on him.” Steven made a right.

“Who did you call?”

He wiggled in the seat.  “What?”

“Who did you call at Jasmine’s?”

“Oh uh, nobody.”

“Sure was a long call for it to be nobody. You were gone a long time.”

He drove toward Jayson’s restaurant. “Wanna get something to eat?”

“No.  I wasn’t trying to pry but it just seemed like the call was very important.”

“It was just a call.” He fixed his seatbelt. “You look pretty. I like your blouse.”

“I’ve had this for five years.”

“I know.”

“Then how come you complimented me like you’ve never seen it before?”

“Look I was complimenting
you
. Jesus.” He crept over speed bumps. “What’s wrong with you, Bree?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me.” She flipped through his CDs.  “Nothing at all is wrong with me.”

“Oh here we go huh?  Here we go.”

“What?”

“You know what.” He made a left. “I heard that sarcastic tone. If you got something to say then say it.”

“Okay.” She set his CD’s on the dashboard.  “What happened between you and Zoë  back there?”

“Uh…uh me and Zoë?”

“Uh yes. Uh…uh…you and Zoë.”

“What about us?”

“Come on, Steven. I thought you respected me enough to not take me for a fool.”

“I don’t think you’re a fool. Fuck, I’m sick of this.” He skidded to the side of the street and turned the car off.  “What are you talking about, me and Zoë?”

“If you really care about me then you can at least be honest.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!”

“Oh please you know exactly what I’m talking about. Like I didn’t notice how you went into the house right after Zoë did.”

“I had to make a call.”

“Oh and is that why you came back all flushed, sweating and your hair sticking up?”

“Oh that’s...” He twisted in the seat. “That’s bullshit. I told you it was hot. I went into the restroom and put water on my face. I wasn’t sweating. Why would I be sweating?”

“Why don’t you tell
me
?” She crossed her arms and looked ahead.

“Whatever you think happened didn’t okay? I care about you more than I’ve cared about any other woman.  You know that.”

“Are you attracted to Zoë?”

“Why the hell do all our conversations end up about Zoë lately?”

“I already know you are. It’s more than obvious.”

“Don’t do this. This has nothing to do with Zoë.”

“What am I to think? She’s gorgeous and has a great body and you can’t seem to keep your eyes off of her for a minute.”

“Bree.”

“And she seems to be more than willing to help you when you need a hand if you know what I mean.”

“So because Zoë’s attractive I gotta want her? You act like a nice pair of tits, great legs and a tight ass is all I care about. If so I wouldn’t have been with you.”

“Excuse
me
?”

“No wait, wait. I didn’t mean it like that. You got a great body, ten times better than Zoë’s.”

“Yeah right. It doesn’t matter anyway. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s not my business.”

“No don’t do that. Come on.”

“I have no right to pry into your life.”

“You
are
my life but you drive me crazy. Nothing’s gonna change how I feel about you.” He took her hand.  “There is only one woman I love.  After all we’ve been through you question that?”

“I see how you look at her.”

“All right I am attracted to Zoë. But it doesn’t mean anything. What I feel for Zoë couldn’t compare to how much I love you.”

“Steven.”

“We belong together, Bree. I’m not gonna stop showing you that.” He kissed her hand.

“Let me prove it to you.”

“How?”

“Let me take you out.”

Her hand went limp in his. “Steven.”

“I won’t pressure you. I won’t make you commit to something you can’t.” He bounced against the leather seat.  “I just want us to spend time together like we used to.  I’ve missed it so much and we could both use some fun. We could go to the movies or dancing. How about that little salsa spot we used to hit?” He rocked in the seat. “I still got the moves.”

 “I don’t know if going out is a good idea. It might lead to confusion.”

“It’ll just be as friends.”

“Just as friends?”

“As buddies. How about Sunday night?” 

“Ooh night would be dangerous.” She took her hand away.  “Too much like a date-date.”

“Whatever time you want then.”

“You’re really serious aren’t you?”

“You know I am.”

“How about six then? We can go to that new Italian restaurant.”

Steven started the car. “It’s a date.”

“If things get heated and I pull back, will you be able to handle it?”

He steered the car into the lane. “Will you?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Dylan came back to the patio after walking Jayce to his car. Zoë and Jasmine stared Nick down. Jasmine asked a thousand questions about his personal life again. He looked like a newborn puppy scrambling underneath headlights.

Dylan trusted Nick more than she trusted most of her family.  Sure it didn’t make sense but the best things in life often did.  Shoot her and Bruce hadn’t made sense but she’d spent some of her happiest times with him.

Nick filled the void in Dylan that Bruce left behind.  Jasmine thought something romantic was going on. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Dylan and Nick had a special bond, sort of like a father and a child.  No matter whatever happened, she only had to look in his eyes and know he’d be there for her. 

Nick dismissed another question and stood from the table.

Dylan rushed from the side of the house.  “Everything okay?”

“Ask your aunt.” He pushed the chair underneath the table.  “She doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

“It’s not that I don’t like you, Nick.  I don’t know anything about you.”

“I’m sure Dylan’s told you things about me.”

“But you won’t share with anyone else.”

“He doesn’t have to share with you, Aunt Jas. Nick is my friend and it has nothing to do with you. As long as I trust him that’s what matters.”

“How many strangers off the street are you gonna bring around and expect us to accept without question? First Bruce and now Nick?”

“Jasmine I’ve been nothing but nice to you. I come over for dinners. I even helped you with your garden the other day.” Nick pointed to the bushes.  “I thought you liked me unless you’ve been faking it all this time.”

“I do like you. But I can’t understand how you popped up and now you and Dylan are inseparable.”

“So?” Dylan peered.

“It’s strange.”

“To be friends with someone, Aunt Jas? A person who saved me from harm?”

“Let’s be real here.” Jasmine hit Zoë’s shoulder. “Zoë you know what I’m talking about.”

Zoë shrugged.

“Okay, Jasmine.” Nick stood directly in front of her.  “Be real with what?”

“Come on. Now isn’t it a little strange for you two to be friends?”

“I don’t see it that way and Dylan doesn’t either.”

“You know what I mean.” Jasmine propped her hand on the chair.  “You’re way too old to be Dylan’s friend.”

“Aunt Jas you…”

“It is not normal for a twenty-seven year-old woman to be friends with a sixty-year old man.”

“I’m in my fifties if you must know.”

“Whatever! You’re too damn old to be hanging around my niece and it ends today.”

“Oh really? Well the last time I checked Dylan was a grown woman.”

“Not grown enough obviously. She’s still making childish decisions.”

“Shut up, Aunt Jas!  Just shut up and stop butting in!”

“Butting in? I’m trying to protect you because you still don’t know how to be smart. I understand Nick saved you. I understand he’s nice and charming and gives you attention but you’re not looking beyond that, Dylan. You always do this with people.”

“She has a point.”

“Zoë you’re supposed to be on my side.”

“So just because I’m older than Dylan there has to be something going on?” Nick pushed up his glasses.  “For your information Dylan invites me over when I come.”

“You can refuse,” Jasmine said.

“You’re right but she needs someone right now and I do like being around her. But you know what? I don’t need this. If our friendship is so much trouble maybe it shouldn’t be.”

“Don’t listen to her. Aunt Jas always does this. She’s as bad as Mom sometimes.”

“No maybe she has a point.”

“No. I need you, Nick.” She laid her head on his chest.

“I meant what I said.” He patted her back. “I will be there when you need me but I don’t know if I’ll be coming around here again anytime soon.” He looked at Jasmine.  “I don’t like being somewhere I’m not welcomed.”

“I never said you weren’t welcomed.”

“You never said I was either did you, Jasmine?” He left.

“Aunt Jas!”

“I don’t wanna hear it, Dylan.”

“Well you’re gonna hear it. I am not letting you push Nick out of my life like you did Bruce.”

“I didn’t push Bruce out of your life. He’s in jail.”

“Maybe if I’d listened to my heart instead of being afraid to then none of this would’ve happened.”

“This is about Nick.  Now you can’t see what others on the outside see but you guys being friends is ridiculous.”

“I don’t care what folks on the outside think and I don’t care what you think.”

“That doesn’t surprise me because I always think with sense and you wanna do things without having consequences. See this is why people can’t treat you like an adult, Dylan. You don’t make adult decisions.  Getting so attached to Nick is not sensible and you have to be careful. He could be involved in the murders.”

“Oh? I thought Bruce was the killer.”

“I don’t feel like fighting with you today.”