Chapter 1 #2
Silence filled the other side of the line. He didn’t know what to say. Rarely was Nathanial ever rendered speechless. He was always fucking talking.
“What, cat got your tongue? I said who the fuck is Darla?” My voice elevated as I momentarily forgot where the hell I was.
I remembered immediately though, a quick glance around the room had me briefly embarrassed.
The lobby of the hotel had three other humans in it besides me.
One of those being the man from the restaurant.
He was alone now. We briefly locked eyes before he stared at his phone.
I didn’t know where I knew him from, but something about him was familiar.
“Nobody. She’s a fucking no—”
“Nah, she’s somebody. She had a nice conversation with herself in my DMs. Not only that, she also sent pictures and I think two videos. I could be mistaken.”
“She didn’t mean shit, baby. It was one fucking time. One time that on my life I regre—”
“Don’t you dare lie to me. I know about the abortions and New Year's. While I was sick at home, you were clubbing with your pregnant baby mama, right?”
“Selah. Listen to me plea—”
“No. The time for me to listen has passed. Now I want you out of my life.” Those words flowed so easily from my lips. Did I really want that?
“You know I can’t do that.”
“You can and you will.” My voice elevated a little louder.
“I love you too fucking much to do that.”
“Oh well.” I pulled the phone from my ear and hung up. My heart hurt in a way it had never. I stared at the dimmed screen of my phone for a minute before it lit up again. He was calling back, but I had no intention of answering.
When I finally looked up from my lap and we locked eyes again. “I’m sorry for being so loud.” I didn’t know why I apologized.
He shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re apologizing for. It’s me in your business, sweetheart. Are you good?”
I held back a chuckle, taking him in. His face was so freaking familiar, but I still couldn’t place it. “I will be.”
“Good, ’cause you too beautiful to be letting some nigga throw you off.”
“What if I’m throwing him off?” I sassed, even though I didn’t need to.
He laughed. “I hope that’s not your definition, sweetheart.”
My mouth dropped open. His presence was so controlled, so serious, but he was outspoken. “W-what do you mean?”
“Ain’t none of my business, beautiful. You from around here?”
“Yes. Well no. Watertown. You?” I asked, not missing how dismissive he was.
“Somewhat. Chicago born and raised most of the time.” He smiled with that pride only a Chicagoan carried. I yawned and took a look at my watch, seeing how late it was. I needed to be taking it in because I needed to open the bakery in about ten hours.
I was on my feet in seconds, moving toward the elevators. “It was nice talking to you,” I said politely, walking past him.
I was passing the desk and the stranger when the desk attendant's voice carried across the lobby. “Mr. Jones, your suite is ready. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience.”
The stranger was on his feet, showing his height. Shit. He was fine and that type of tall that had me interested in tree climbing. He gave me one last look before going to the desk.
I continued toward the elevator. I didn’t know how long I stood there, but the doors had yet to open and once again my phone was ringing. I hated that Nathanial didn’t get the hint, but what did I expect? He wasn’t used to not getting his way.
I stood there for a minute, waiting for the doors to open, when I heard the voice of the familiar stranger once again.
“So we meet again.”
I looked up and he was grinning. Not creepy at all, but extremely alluring. “If that’s what you want to call it.”
“Indiri Jones.” He extended his hand to shake mine.
I shook his hand. “Selah Murray.”
The elevator opened soon after. I stepped on first, him after me.
I didn’t miss that he pressed the penthouse, just after I pressed the nineteenth floor. The elevator was dead silent besides the incessant buzzing of my phone. The unknown calls hadn’t stopped, even though I’d said my piece.
“Penthouse has a nice bar and I’d be down to listen if you're up for that.” Indiri’s voice interrupted my mental rampage about peace.
“If I’m up for that?” I repeated.
“Yeah, if you're up for that. But if not, it was nice meeting you, Selah.” His voice was heavy and thick, just like his presence.
I couldn’t believe I was even thinking about this. But I didn’t want to be alone and he was offering company. Even though lord knows I needed to be taking my ass to sleep for opening in the morning. “Just listening?” I asked.
“I mean, if that's what you want, shorty. I ain’t on nothing.” The elevator doors opened on my floor, damn near rushing me to decide.
I didn’t step off the elevator but instead pushed the button to close the doors. “Don’t try any funny shit.” I should have stepped off.
He chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. “Told you I ain’t on nothing, Selah.”
I shook my head, deciding not to respond because this was insane. I was going up to a complete stranger’s hotel suite, but then again, life was insane right now.
The elevator dinged, alerting us that we’d reached his floor. The doors opened less than a second later and he led the way off the elevator. Once we reached the door, he scanned the key at the door then pushed it open. He allowed me to enter first, stepping in after me.
This suite was massive and way too much for just one person. After taking in the open floorplan, my eyes landed on him.
“This is a lot of room for just you.”
He laughed, pulling his jacket off and tossing it on the couch. “Especially for just one night.”
I nodded. “Definitely.”
“The bar is over there. I’on know shit about making no drinks, shorty. You got that.”
I giggled. “Why did you invite me up here for drinks if you didn’t know anything about them?”
“Because you seemed like you needed one. And I also offered to listen.” He winked.
“Why do you care?” I moved in the direction of the bar near the floor-to-ceiling window.
He shrugged. “It didn’t sit well with me, seeing you sad like that.”
“But you don’t know me,” I countered.
“Knowing you ain’t required to give a fuck.”
I couldn’t bite back the smile that emerged. Why did I give a fuck that he gave a fuck?
The quickest silence filled the space, then I asked what he wanted to drink, to which he replied, “Whatever you’re drinking.”
“You might not wanna drink what I’m drinking, because what I’m drinking is soothing heartbreak.”
He chuckled. “So you're gonna punish yourself because a motherfucker did you wrong?”
“Who said I was punishing myself?” I asked, confused.
“Your intentions with the alcohol, sweetheart.”
“Maybe, but what else do you suggest?”
“I ain’t nobody to be giving advice. Told you I’m listening, Selah.”
I just looked at him. His existence was broody and weighted. He sat back against the massive sectional all god-like, as if he owned it. “I’m drinking to forget heartbreak, not to punish myself.”
“Still gonna remember it in the morning though, right? Except you’ll feel that shit too.”
“Thought you weren’t giving advice.”
He chuckled. “You right, but if you wanna get back at a nigga, crush his spirit.”
I sighed. He sounded like Siyah. Why did love require get back? “I just found I’ve been getting cheated on for god knows how long with a woman whose social media handle was hecums4me with an actual numeral four. To make matters worse…” My sentence trailed off.
He shook his head. “Believe it or not, you’re doing just that by being inaccessible, out of the way and not picking up that.” He then threw his head in the direction of my phone on the bar.
“But what about how I feel? Damn that. What about the stepping out? The out—”
“Then step out. Probably won’t make you feel good in the long run, but in that moment it’ll ease something.”
I paused, looking at him. His words sat in the air between him and me like a balloon.
“I ain’t telling you to fuck me. Hell nah, but go fuck somebody. Get your shit off. Just don’t do no amateur shit and fuck his friend or anything like that. Get that shit off for you.”
I licked my lips and grabbed the shot I’d poured.
His words made me hot. I already knew I was about to do something I’d regret tomorrow.
Be it the liquor or the man, I’d regret my actions in the morning.
Instead of overthinking my next actions, I poured another shot.
Then I put it to my lips and gulped it down.
I was too quiet for too long because his voice filled the space. “Are you good over there?”
“What if I want to fuck you? No strings or anything, just tonight.”
“I didn’t bring you up here for that.”
“Probably not, but I know what I want. I need to feel something that isn’t what I’m feeling right now. Can you help me with that?”
He was quiet, staring at me in deep thought. “You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” He didn’t get up and come to me thirstily but instead remained on the sofa.
I rounded the bar, moving toward him on the sofa. When I was a few feet from him, I pulled my shirt off and peeled my jeans down, unaware of where my newfound confidence had spawned from, but I knew what I wanted, and right now, that was him.
“Do you have a condom?” I asked, not too gone to not inquire about that.
He chuckled, momentarily taken aback. I could tell by the brief pause in his movement. “Yeah, I got a condom. Selah.”
I was drunk off the way he said my name…the way he seemed to pause after the first syllable, then let the second roll off his tongue.
My jeans pooled around my feet as I looked at him. He was a thinker, one of those niggas who did more thinking than speaking.
It felt like forever before he was finally on his feet, finally moving toward me. Shit, he was so tall.
“If you don’t want to d—” I started, flushed with embarrassment, because he had yet to speak.
“Nah, it ain’t that. I need to make sure this is what you want.”
I bit into my bottom lip before I responded. “Yes, it’s what I want.”
He then dropped my hand and cupped my chin, bringing my face up so I was looking directly at him.
His jaw tightened and anger flashed through his eyes briefly, then he dipped his head and pecked my lips, eyes wide open.
To my surprise, I didn’t clam up or step back, but instead I stepped into him. I wanted this.
He then crouched and picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist as he carried me toward the back. When we reached the bedroom, the only time our lips parted was when he dropped me onto the bed in the dimmed room. Those heavy eyes roamed my body, only clothed in a bra and panties at this point.
“Ol’ boy is stupid as fuck.” He pulled his shirt over his head, leaving just his bare tattooed chest and sweats on his body.
My whole body was on fire from the way he looked at me. I wanted him to ravish me and make me forget everything I was feeling.
I wanted him.
That want became desire when I watched him drop his sweats lower on his waist, exposing the thick length between his legs. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a condom, before putting it to his lips.
When he had the wrapper open, he covered his hardness. The entire time those serious eyes were locked on me.
“It’s about you, Selah. What you want, mama?” He stroked himself, sending flashes of lava through my soul.
I nodded, scooting my body toward the end of the bed. Then I opened wide, craving him between my legs.
He hovered over me seconds later looking like he was about to ask if I was sure again, so I reached between us, gripping him. Teasing myself a few times, I played in my wetness with the tip before I pulled him into me.
Gawd, it felt good.
He trapped my leg on his shoulder and started his own rhythm, winding his hips into me. It was that moment when I realized this nigga was different. He had to be a demon of some sort, because the way he thrust into me was fucking demonic.
“You good?” he asked mid-stroke.
I leaned forward, mashing my lips against his heavy, with a gluttony I had never experienced before.
That apparently egged him on because he began rolling his hips into me at a rougher pace.
“Fuck,” I groaned, bucking against him. I had never cum this fast in my life. With Knockout, it always felt like I had to find mine.
“Let that shit go,” he coached. His heavy voice now flowing through my ear as he buried his face into my neck.
I came so hard fire rested at the pit of my abdomen, like a freaking warning flare.
“Damn,” I said through labored breaths, feeling my thighs still shaking.
When I finally opened my eyes, Indiri was on his knees, looking at me. I didn’t give him the chance to ask if I was good again because I was nowhere near done.
I wanted to be ravaged… by him.
I shocked myself when my next motion was getting on my knees in front of this man. I had never been one for back shots, but tonight my motion was different.
I had my ass in the air, my back so perfectly arched I heard him mumble, “Damn.”
I felt him before his hands touched me. His presence was heavy and his dick was even heavier as his hands played with the wetness between my legs. Then I felt his lips at my spine before his thickness replaced his hands.
He pushed into me slowly, much thicker than anything I was used to. Lawd.
“Mhmm.” I bit into my bottom lip, feeling him fill me. He then pulled back methodically, making sure to hit everything.
“Shit,” I moaned, feeling like he was breaking me in two in the best fucking way. Shit, he was even bigger from the back. But he felt so fucking good. Tonight was about to be a long one and I was down for it.