The next morning while we were twisted in each other’s arms and sheets, I heard a knock on my door. I sleepily reached for my cell in the purple peace-sign-shaped cabinet I designed that hung over my bed. It was almost nine in the morning.
Tre rested on his stomach, his muscled arm over my naked breasts. He spoke though his eyes were still closed. “You’re expecting company this early?”
“No.” I searched my brain to figure out who would stop by unannounced.
My cell rang in my hand, and I glanced down and almost dropped my phone. I silenced it and then a text came in from Wyatt.
Open the door.
I muttered, “Shit.”
“Everything okay?” Tre shifted and lifted his arm.
“Yeah. I need to answer the door. I’ll be right back.”
I scrambled to find something to cover my naked body. I didn’t have a robe since I lived alone and would often walk around nude. I rushed to my closet, pulled out a maxi dress with thin straps, donned it, and hurried to the bedroom door.
“You even wake up sexy,” he mumbled before turning over, the sheet falling off his taut body, I longed to return to bed.
I thought quickly of an excuse as I made it to the door. I opened it and thankfully it was only a delivery of a beautiful bouquet of yellow, white, orange, and red flowers. My FaceTime ring sounded. I backed up in my door and looked toward my closed bedroom door, hoping Tre didn’t choose anytime soon to leave my room.
I clicked the button and all I could see initially was Wyatt’s dimples.
“You look really good this morning,” he said.
Hurrying to the kitchen holding the vase, I turned down the volume to prevent his deep voice from traveling through my silent apartment.
“You still mad? I’m sorry how I left things the other night. Thought maybe we could grab a late breakfast and really talk. My first appointment is not until one.”
Being with Tre last night had been guilt free, until Wyatt reminded me that I already had a good man—one who’d been thoughtful enough to not only send flowers, he wanted to have breakfast after a fight that really wasn’t his fault. Damn. I hated to lie to him. I rubbed my stomach to settle the queasiness at my dishonesty, which I would continue at least for the moment.
“No, I’m not mad. I get it. You have every right to be frustrated with me. I unexpectedly got called in to work and need to finish getting ready. But thank you so much for the flowers, they’re really pretty and thoughtful.”
He said, “I figured you could paint them or something.”
“Yeah, these are beautiful, and I can come up with something. Thank you again, but I really need to get ready. I’m already late.”
“On your day off? They can’t be mad with you if you’re late. Do they need you that much?”
“I already agreed to come in. Rain check on breakfast?”
“Can we have dinner then? We really need to talk. I thought you might have called and when you didn’t, I was afraid maybe I went too far.”
“You said you needed a few days and I was respecting that. I had a busy day and made a couple of huge sales and hung out with a high school friend to celebrate. Can we meet up tomorrow after work? I need to stop by the French Market to follow up on sales later today.” Most of what I said wasn’t a lie, I’d planned to spend time at the French Market once Tre left.
Wyatt frowned. “Why didn’t you call me to celebrate?”
“You left pissed remember?” I tapped my foot impatiently, afraid somehow that I would slip and tell the truth. “We can celebrate tomorrow.”
“I already have a meeting at the church tomorrow, and then I’m out of town the rest of the week for that realtor conference I tried to get you to come to with me, remember?” He glared. “Look, I’ll call you later. We need to finish our conversation.”
I looked away from the screen, from his scrutinizing gaze. “I know. Yeah…we can talk later.”
He said quietly, “Have a good day.”
Wyatt’s now gentle tone made me look at him again and his eyes seemed sad. I sighed. “I’m sorry about the other night and everything.” I touched his cheek through the screen, feeling guilty and hating that I’d betrayed him and would probably do it again with the man waiting for me in my bed. Wyatt had been good to me and didn’t deserve my behavior. Our time together was over, I just didn’t want to tell him like this. “You have an even better day.”
His jaw tightened, flashing his dimples as he nodded.
“Wyatt, you really should smile more, it lights up your whole face.”
He gave a weak smile. “Yeah, I’ve heard that a time or two. Bye.”
“Bye.” I stood in my kitchen and wondered how in the hell I ended up cheating on my boyfriend after being a thirty-three-year-old virgin. I grabbed two bottles of apple juice and took them back in the bedroom, ready to explain Wyatt. Tre had propped himself up against the large abstract cushion I’d created and tacked into the wall below my peace sign bookshelf. Bare chested and his lower half covered by my sheet, he spoke with someone on the phone and clicked off his cell when I walked back in the room. I put the two bottles on my bookshelf above us.
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Look…I’m sorry…everything between us happened fast and… Something else I should have told you…I’m with someone else. That was him on the phone and he sent me flowers. He doesn’t deserve me cheating on him.”
Tre pulled me back in the bed. “I took the day off to be with you. Whoever he is, call him back and end it.”
I leaned against my headboard. “I can’t do that to him. He—”
“Yes, you can. Can you deny that what we have is powerful? I plan to date you openly and whoever you’re seeing ends now.”
I glowered, not liking his commanding tone, though I had every intention of breaking up with Wyatt, but in person and not at Tre’s request. “Hey…I’m not one of your minions you can order around. I see whoever I want when I want.”
He nodded and moved to the edge of the bed, grabbed his boxer briefs and pulled them up.
“Wait…you’re leaving?”
“Why would I take a day off as mayor of one of the most well-known cities in the world to spend time with a woman who wants to be with other men?”
I protested, “But we just had one night. You’re mad because I haven’t broken up with my boyfriend?”
He bent to retrieve his shirt that he’d tossed on the floor along with my clothes when we’d finally made it to the bedroom. “A night in which you gave yourself to me and only me. Even before I knew you were a virgin, I never pegged you as a one-night stand. I only wanted a date, and you upped the ante by seducing me.”
I kneeled on the bed. “Really? I met you at the coffee shop to talk. You whispered in my ear that I could have anything I wanted, and I simply gave you what you threw out to me.”
He pulled his shirt over his head. “Really? With all your lushness and innuendos. Let’s not forget you scratched my palm. Got me all hard and shit from hello.”
“And I said all I wanted to do is talk and next thing I know I have grape paint all over my body and we’re having sex.”
“You could have denied me at any time like you’re giving me a hard time now. Besides, I should be pissed the fuck off. You have a whole man that you neglected to tell me about. You asked me if we had sex would I still want to see you, as if you were already free to do so. Yes, I could be so pissed right now but I’m not because no matter who he is, he’s not me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He stood over me, his morning erection visible in his shorts, his delectable dick inches from my lips. “I’m the only man you want and need.”
Although my stomach clenched at the truth in his words, foolish pride wouldn’t let me do it. “How do you know? We just met. Maybe I was ready to give it up.”
“Which you would have given to your man and not me if you were so ready. You called me, not him to celebrate.” Tre held up his hand, stopping my expected rebuttal. “If you were mine, would you ever cheat on me?’
“No,” I responded promptly, secretly thrilled at his words.
“The man on the phone was your man, right?” He smirked. “For how long?”
“A few months.”
He smiled triumphantly. “Rain, you gave it up within two hours of being alone with me. Tell him it’s over.”
“I don’t like being told what to do,” I murmured as I ran my finger lightly down his taut abs to his waistband. And I really didn’t. I’ve always moved to my own tune ever since I lost my father when I was sixteen.
He placed his hand over mine. “I’m serious. Are you done with him? If not, consider what we had as a one-night stand and we both keep it moving.”
“Do you demand all your women stop seeing other men?”
“I don’t have other women, and if she’s mine, she’s mine only. I don’t share.”
I squinted my eyes in disbelief and used my other hand to graze his chest. He was too fine for me to refrain from touching him. “There’s no other woman in your life? I find that hard to believe. You’re Tre LaSalle, the most eligible bachelor in New Orleans.”
Tre bent to trap me within his muscled arms. “Women hit on me all the time, and I take some of them up on their offer.”
“Like you did with me last night?”
“Yes.” His eyes drifted to my lips. “I want more with you.”
I focused on his sexy downcast gaze. “I don’t share either.”
He quirked a brow. “You have a man. What was last night?’
“Unexpected.”
“Really? And that blue lace thong and not wearing a bra wasn’t planned or wishful thinking?”
“Check my top drawer. That’s my indulgence. I have nothing but sexy lingerie and I didn’t wear a bra because my dress is strapless.”
“And yet you were a virgin. That’s crazy.” I ducked my head and he promptly lifted my chin. “Don’t do that.”
“It’s hard to admit that I hadn’t had sex at my age, and it wasn’t for religious reasons.”
His hand cupped my cheek. “I’m still trying to reconcile how passionate and sensual you are and the fact that you’d never had sex until last night. You exude sexuality. That first day I saw you at the coffee house, your irritation intrigued me and the way your hips swayed, you had me standing at attention. It’s in your walk, your stance, your art, and the way you’re staring at me right now with those hypnotic light brown eyes. How did he manage to be with you for more than a day and not want to be all up in you? One taste of you and all I wanted to do is fuck you.”
I pursed my lips before responding, “What happened to ‘making love’?”
He nodded. “That was last night. I know you can handle me now. Today we need to stay locked up all day fucking without interruption…once you tell me you done with any other man.”
I lay down and wrapped my legs around him, enjoying the feel of his hard dick through his underwear against my center. He played with my nipples through the fabric of my dress.
Happy that he was here with me, I laughingly teased, “I think you would sex me right now, regardless of my answer.”
“Raini…” Tre warned as he grinded against me.
My body closed tighter around his, wanting him desperately. “Are you done with other women?” I lifted his shirt to lick his nipple.
“Yes,” Tre answered with a moan as he pulled down his shorts.
I said to him what I wanted to say when we kissed all those years ago. “Then the only man for me is you.”