Frenemies to Lovers

Chapter Six

THUNDERRATTLEDTHErafters of Tamara’s house. She pulled the blanket her grandmother had crocheted for her tighter around her shoulders, settled more comfortably on the couch and sipped the wine in her glass. A new romantic comedy played on the television. She’d looked forward to watching this movie all day. Had made mental plans to spend her evening believing in happy perfect love. Instead, she kept seeing the haunted look in Andre’s eyes from earlier.

Her intent hadn’t been to hurt his feelings. If she were being honest, she’d never thought of Andre as having feelings she could hurt. Stupid in hindsight, but he was always so stoic and impenetrable. When she’d seen him today, all she could think of was Thomas’s bruised face back in high school and Andre putting his mom in a home. It hadn’t helped that her parents made the fights he’d gotten into in high school one of the topics of the dinner discussion.

She’d been searching for a reason not to like Andre after he’d admitted he was never cold when it came to her, and the things with his mom and Thomas had given her a reason. But a call to a friend who worked at the assisted-living facility he mentioned revealed that Andre’s mom had insisted on moving there after she’d fallen weeks prior. A far cry from the coldheartedness she’d accused him of in the gas station.

There was still the issue of him and Thomas from high school. He hadn’t seemed ashamed about what happened, which made her wonder what the entire story was. He’d been an arrogant jerk in high school, but he hadn’t been a bully.

Now she was left with more questions than answers and no valid reason to dislike the man he was today. Which meant there was nothing to keep her from thinking about how hard and really damn good his body felt against hers in the rain. The way her body reacted with sizzling heat and yearning right before she stopped herself from kissing him.

She was attracted to Andre. A lot. She was also afraid to be attracted to him. She’d watched enough movies about fated and forbidden love to know falling for the “bad boy” was not a road to happily-ever-after. She’d broken up with Thomas because there hadn’t been enough sparks. Now she was afraid to admit her feelings for Andre because there may be too many sparks.

She was a mess.

Her doorbell rang, followed by three quick hard knocks. Tamara sat up and paused the movie. She wasn’t expecting anyone. In fact, no one ever just dropped in on her without calling first. She put the wine down and threw off the blanket before making her way to the front door.

She glanced through the side windows. Lightning flashed, illuminating Andre’s tall body. The loud clap of thunder that immediately resounded matched the pounding of her heart. She quickly unlocked the door and threw it open.

He was drenched. Did the man not own an umbrella? Not that a soaking wet Andre was ever hard to look at.

“Did he tell you why I broke his nose?” he shouted over the rain.

Tamara shook her head and tried to process. He’d shown up just to ask her that? “Are you serious?”

“Did Thomas tell you why I broke his nose?”

Tamara frowned and shook her head. “You came over here just to ask me that?” The intensity of the rain increased, making it harder to hear, much less think. “Come inside.”

He didn’t budge. “No. I want to know if he told you the entire story or just part of it.”

Tamara crossed her arms against the damp wind blowing their way. “No. He didn’t. He said it didn’t matter.”

Andre rolled his eyes. “It matters a hell of a lot if it means you’re going to look at me like I’m a villain. I broke Thomas’s nose because he doesn’t understand that no means no. He threatened my cousin Regine.”

Tamara sucked in a breath. She placed a hand to her throat. “He did what?” Thomas was a nice guy, but she’d always felt the underlying current of his being pushy and unwilling to accept her final answer on a lot of things. Hence her not being surprised when he’d shown up at her parents’ house even after they broke up. His stubborn refusal to accept her decisions was one of the reasons why she’d broken things off with him.

“Yes. One day, me and my mom went to my aunt’s place. My cousin was back in her room hiding and crying. She didn’t want to say anything at first, but she finally admitted that Thomas had tried to have sex with her. When she said no, he called her a tease and then said he would tell everyone that she’d given him head. He said everyone would believe him because she’d had sex with one of his friends. Regine was already upset about his friend telling everyone what happened, and she was even more upset after Thomas threatened her. We left, I found him, confronted him, and that asshole had the audacity to laugh and call my cousin a cocktease for inviting him over, then acting like she didn’t want it. I saw red and that’s how he ended up with a broken nose.”

“What happened after that?”

“He ran home. My cousin begged me not to tell anyone what happened. She thought other people would agree with what Thomas said. When we got back to school, Thomas kept away from me and Regine.”

She stepped out onto the porch and reached for him. Nothing in her doubted his story. Andre wasn’t a liar, and he wouldn’t use his cousin’s name that way. “Andre, I’m sorry.”

He slid out of her reach. “As far as my mom. She’d already signed up to move in to Haven’s Crossing, the assisted-living retirement community, after she fell a few weeks back. I took over her payments after she refused to move in with me. It’s something I’ve asked her to do every time I see her, by the way, including this afternoon when I visited. Now you and everyone else can stop looking at me like I’m the villain.”

He turned and stalked off her porch into the pouring rain. Tamara rushed after him. She was soaked in seconds, but she didn’t care. Maybe the rain could wash away the guilt surrounding her for accusing him without getting the entire story.

“Andre, wait.” She ran to him, grabbed his arm and slowed his steps. He was big enough, strong enough, to have brushed her off and kept going, but he hesitated enough for her to circle in front of him. “I’m sorry. He said all of those things and I needed a reason...”

“A reason to what?”

The pounding of the rain had her standing close to him in order to be heard. Close enough for her body to feel the sizzling heat generated whenever he was near. Close enough for her to recognize she wanted his arms around her, his body pressed against hers, his lips kissing every inch of her skin.

The flash of lightning illuminated his dark features. Thunder crashed. The residual hurt in his eyes mixed with heat.

He stepped even closer until the barest space separated his chest from hers. Her nipples hardened. Her joints turned to mush. “A reason to what?” He didn’t yell over the rain this time, yet the words drummed into her ears. She heard the challenge in them as sure as she felt the strike of the lightning in the earth.

“A reason not to want you.” Before she could think and remember the reasons why getting emotionally attached to Andre was a bad thing, Tamara lifted on her toes and pressed her lips against his. He’d told her to kiss him the next time she wanted to instead of pulling away. She wasn’t about to play chicken with him again.

For the longest second he didn’t move. Embarrassment and panic sparked in her brain. Maybe he didn’t want to kiss her. Then his body shook, and strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her even tighter against him.

His lips glided over hers. Firm and confident. She didn’t wait for him to deepen the kiss. Her tongue darted out and tasted the fullness of his lower lip. Andre’s body shook again, and his lips parted. Their tongues danced across each other. Flashes of heat ran through her body until she ached to get closer to him. To wrap her legs around his waist and feel the hard press of his erection against the growing heat between her thighs.

She gripped his shoulders, then ran one hand up the back of his neck into the drenched curls of his hair. His hands slid over her body. Caressing her back with an almost-urgent need. Everywhere he touched, her body tingled. Between the pounding of the rain and the thundering of her heart, there was no room for any other thoughts. Only the feel of his mouth on her. The need he created in her to let go and accept whatever he had to offer. The yearning to get naked right here in the rain and have him drive so hard and deep into her she forgot her own name.

Tamara jerked back quickly. Shocked by the force of the feelings one kiss stirred up in her. They both struggled to breathe. His bright eyes bored into hers, so intensely she believed he saw past the surface straight into her heart. Did he see how much she wanted him? How much he’d always pulled her to him?

Andre took her hand in his. Despite the wind and the coolness of the rain, his grip was warm and firm. He pressed her palm against his chest. The strong and rapid thud of his heart slapped against her palm and resonated deep in her core.

“What’s next?” he asked. His voice as deep and bone trembling as the thunder.

Tamara curled her fingers into a fist, clutching the front of his soaked shirt. “We take this inside.”

ANDREFOLLOWED TAMARAinto her house. He shivered in his wet clothes once inside. Tamara wore a white T-shirt advertising a 5k run and dark leggings. Completely drenched, the T-shirt was basically transparent. No bra straps visible as it clung to her luscious skin. His dick noticed that as well.

“I’ll get you a towel,” she said.

To hell with a towel. He wanted her to kiss him again. To have her breasts plastered against his chest and her tongue slide across his.

“A towel won’t do much,” he replied. There was already a puddle of water beneath the two of them. He’d been so determined to set the record straight with her that he hadn’t bothered with an umbrella or a raincoat. He just knew that if he sat in his house simmering in his own frustration because she thought the worst of him, he wouldn’t get any sleep.

She faced him. Damn if the sight of her dark nipples against the wet shirt didn’t punch him in the gut. He’d never been to a wet T-shirt contest and never been interested in attending one either, but looking at Tamara right now in front of him, he was ready to crown her as the woman with the most perfect breasts he’d ever seen in his life.

He jerked his eyes up. Shit, he wanted her, but he didn’t want to come across as if he couldn’t control himself. Even though his hands literally were clenched at his side to keep him from reaching out and touching her. He expected her to scowl, cross her arms over her breasts or give him the spill about why the kiss was a mistake. Instead, her fingers pulled on the edge of her shirt and she slowly peeled the material up and over her head.

Andre’s mouth went dry. His lips parted. He didn’t know whether to haul her into his arms, fall onto his knees and say he wasn’t worthy, or talk himself out of taking a step he knew he wouldn’t be able to come back from without feeling something.

“You’re right.” Her voice was a low, scratchy whisper that he felt on every inch of his skin. “That isn’t what I invited you in here for.”

He wasn’t about playing coy or hard to get. Andre stepped forward and slid the fingers of one hand into the thick, dripping strands of her hair. He tilted her head back and kissed her with all of the pent-up desire coursing through his system. Fuck, she tasted delicious. Like wine, desire and everything he’d always wanted. He was hooked on her flavor the second their lips touched.

Her hands weren’t shy or hesitant as they rushed beneath his shirt and played with the muscles along his stomach. That turned him on even more. He should take her to the bedroom. Do this nice and slow so they could savor every moment. But the way she rubbed against him and toyed with the waistband of his pants dashed away thoughts of slow and easy. She seemed just as desperate as he did to keep this going. To not slow down and let thoughts of what happened next get into the mix.

She pulled him into her living area and down onto the floor. Thank God a nice thick rug covered her hardwood. Andre took off his shirt and then her breasts were against his chest. He gave thanks to every angel in heaven she felt so good.

“Do you have a condom?” he asked. He prayed she did, but he was willing to walk in the rain to go buy some.

She nodded, her eyes dancing with excitement and desire. Her hair was a curly mess that clung to her cheeks and stuck out around her head like a beautiful halo. “In my bedroom. Don’t move.” She jumped up and ran to her bedroom.

Move? A horde of wild horses couldn’t get him out of here.

He quickly removed his soaked pants and underwear while she got the condom. When she returned, he sat ready and waiting for her. Legs spread, erection hard, eyes devouring every inch of her naked body. She smiled, so cute and sweet, before handing him the condom. Andre wrapped his hand around hers and gently pulled her down toward him. She straddled his waist, and he cupped the side of her face.

“You are so fucking sexy,” he told her.

Her eyes never wavered as she stared back. “Goody Two-shoes can be sexy, too?”

“You’re the worst kind of sexy. It makes me want to find the bad girl beneath.”

She shook her head. “No bad girl here. Just a woman who wants to have sex with you.”

Desire punched him in the gut. He got harder and his heart felt like she’d put it in a choke hold. If he wasn’t careful, Tamara would have him wrapped around her little finger and he’d like it.

He kissed her before flipping her over onto her back. With quick work he put on the condom and then was inside her and his world went from black-and-white to high-definition color. She felt so damn good. A part of him, the kid who’d once been embarrassed that she saw him cry, couldn’t believe he was here. That he was in her arms knowing she had the ability to tear him down to the basic parts of himself. He buried his face in her neck and then sucked on the spot. Not just because he wanted to taste her skin, but to hide the emotions churning inside him.

“Andre.” She panted his name.

Her nails dug into his back. Andre squeezed his eyes shut. His heart twisted as if she’d clenched it. For someone who’d protected his heart ever since he was fourteen, Andre realized he was in danger of losing it.