CHAPTER FOUR
BEEF
BIANCA
C atch jumped off the porch, then stalked toward the man. “You want to know who the fuck I am?”
My heart felt like it was in my throat as I ran toward Catch and Lendel.
They stood a few feet apart. Their chests rose and fell as they snarled at each other.
Noisy neighbors peeked out of their windows across the street. Luckily, my mother watched T.V. in her bedroom today, so she couldn’t hear the commotion. Didn’t mean the neighbors wouldn’t be quick to tell her.
Lendel was my neighbor from down the street. He had a crush on me since we were kids. I had always let him down easily. I told him I wasn’t interested in dating him. That never deterred him from buying spontaneous meals or Valentine’s Day candy for me. Lendel might’ve been a corner boy and a killer, but he was nice. Well, to me anyway.
My fingers curled around Catch’s tanned, muscled forearm. Tingles slipped over every inch of my body. I had no right being turned on by a man who was a stranger. But his seductive words felt real. Bianca, he’s probably a total asshole with a woman in every state.
If so, why did he have to be so sweet toward my mother?
Oh my God, Mom invited him to Sunday dinner, and he accepted. Why didn’t I shut the dinner conversation down? Catch wanted to meet my father. Oh, shit! Was Catch serious about us? No, no, no...
Get a grip woman and focus.
If they killed each other in front of my house over me, I’d never forgive myself. Catch’s large hands rested on his torso. I peeked between them. Lendel’s palm wrapped around the handle of his sidearm. And the handle of Catch’s Glock was visible. Who was this man? And why did he carry a gun?
Lendel’s dark brown eyes moved from Catch’s gun to where my hands were positioned on his arm.
“Who the fuck is this guy, Bianca?” Lendel huffed.
His raven cornrows dangled over the nape of his neck. His white t-shirt hung past the butt of his knee length khaki shorts. Lendel was attractive. Lanky but strong. I’d seen him fight in the streets with guys. He always held his own. Lendel had full lips, and his nose widened at the base. His nose fit his face. My lips parted as my gaze moved over Lendel’s five ten frame to Catch who was around six two.
“Lendel, you and I are friends. Nothing more. We’ve discussed this so many times over the years.”
Maybe this was the clean break I needed from Lendel. “I’m dating...”
“She’s my woman.” Catch flashed a cocky grin.
My lips parted. This man was dead ass serious. What the fuck was on Catch’s mind?
Lendel chuckled. “I know you’re not dating this wanna be blond curly haired Ken doll?” he spat with all the insult he could.
Catch threw his head back, laughing. “I might look like a Ken doll, but I promise I don’t behave like pussy ass Ken. I’m a fucking war hero who could blow your head off from three blocks away. There are kids in the neighborhood, so I won’t pull my weapon. We can fight like men. Right here.”
“Ok, guys, that’s enough.” I smirked as goosebumps prickled my skin.
This man. I didn’t know where to begin. Catch affected me in so many ways in such a short time.
“Lendel, my boyfriend,” I stated through bared teeth.
I hated to use Catch like this, but something told me he didn’t mind.
“His PTSD gets triggered. And he has flashbacks. I believe this is one of those times.” A nervous snicker rattled in my throat.
Catch’s gaze never left Lendel. It was like he zoned out for real.
“He seems like a loose cannon, B,” Lendel noted.
I raised my hand. “Thank you for your concern.” My fingers intertwined with Catch’s. He squeezed them hard.
My touch seemed to calm him.
“I’ll see you later, Bianca.” Lendel shook his head as he ambled down the street.
“Catch, I’m sorry I lied to Lendel about us.”
Chest heaving, he turned, staring down at me. I couldn’t determine what I had witnessed in his gray eyes. Was it a storm? He gripped my face and crushed my lips. His tongue pried my mouth open, and he snaked it around mine. There was so much in that kiss I couldn’t unpack.
My fingers swept along his abs. Fuck, they were rock hard.
Bianca, just yesterday you wanted to kill him.
I pressed my hands against his chest, breaking our kiss. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath, then exhaled.
“Catch, this isn’t real. We aren’t in a relationship.”
“Where would you like me to cook for you? I can rent an Airbnb for tonight?” he asked in the calmest tone.
My brows lifted. “No, that’s unnecessary. Meet me at the playhouse.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven sharp.” His lips pressed against mine again before he stalked toward his truck.
That wasn’t supposed to happen. I took the two steps leading to my front door and plopped into the blue lawn chair.
I should probably start from the beginning. The second I hit puberty and my ass and breasts blossomed, boys and men whistled at me. They’d say stuff like, ‘look at that ass.’ It wasn’t big. Just noticeable.As I got older, I hated when men objectified me.
The other day, as I turned the doorknob and came face to face with Catch, time seemed to come to a standstill. In that moment, our gazes locked, and my connection with reality momentarily faltered. The man standing before me exuded an intoxicating allure that bordered on discomfort.
He was a pretty boy, but it was clear there was a roughness about him.
His chiseled jawline, sharp and angular, had an almost magnetic pull. It had an irresistible quality, making me yearn to trace it with my fingertips. And his nose, yeah, it was fucking lickable. I knew that was an odd thing to admit. I found myself caught in a trance, unable to look away, as if his face held secrets waiting to be unveiled.
For hours, I could have lost myself in the captivating sight of him. There was a certain pain in his beauty, a stunning quality that seemed to evoke a mixture of awe and envy. And he was acutely aware of the effect he had on others. His lips curled into a cocky grin, oozing with confidence and a touch of arrogance.
I couldn't help but feel a surge of conflicting emotions coursing through me. On the one hand, I despised my own weakness, as if I were reduced to a primal instinct. The desire to claim him, to possess him, washed over me like a tidal wave. I loathed the intensity of this animalistic attraction, an impulse that threatened to consume my rationality. It was as if I were a dog, driven by an insatiable longing, ready to hump his leg.
And yet, as I stood there, torn between my unwelcome desires and the desire to push him away, I found myself compelled to play the part of a complete ass. It was a defense mechanism, a feeble attempt to regain control over the whirlwind of emotions he had stirred within me. I wished he would’ve left, knowing deep down that I secretly craved his presence, even as I tried to push him away.
IT WAS UNFATHOMABLE to comprehend why this man desired me. A self-proclaimed nerd girl, I never expected to capture the attention of a man like him. Turned out he only desired me because I treated him like shit.
My mind swirled with confusion as I tried to decipher his intentions. I overheard my mother conversing with a man, his voice resonating through the walls. What was he thinking, coming to my home?
I knew it was him. Catch had a distinctive voice that I’d know if I were buried underground. It was deep, rich, and commanding.
I did what any woman would do. In a flurry of anxiety and uncertainty, I raced to the bathroom and applied layer upon layer of makeup. I hoped to conceal the vulnerability etched on my face.
Of course, I wasn’t on the toilet. But again, I told him that hoping to push him away, but he didn’t seem to be affected by my antics.
I remembered Tori said Cliff was in town for a month. Catch would probably leave with his cousin. For now, I’d let him pleasure me. Yup, I said it. I’d let him eat my pussy until he couldn’t get enough. So far, I’d been the only person to bring myself to orgasm.
My daydream the other day was so vivid. My fingers twisted around Catch’s golden curly locks as he devoured my pussy, bringing me to total bliss. Tonight, I’d let him feast on my pussy like the starved man he was.
“Am I disturbing you, B?” A deep voice brought me back from my thoughts.
My eyelids fluttered open. “What’s up, GT?”
His icy white sneaker was poised on the second step. He ran a large hand over his inky black gruff beard as he rested an arm on his knee. “Who was that white dude?”
“A friend of mine.” The lie felt foreign on my tongue. However, GT might’ve controlled the block, but he didn’t control who came to my house.
Catch and I weren’t friends. Clearly, he was trying to be something more.
I sat up, meeting GT’s gaze, letting him know I wasn’t afraid of him.
My heart lurched in my chest, telling a different story. GT was tall and built like a linebacker. He could crush me if he wanted. There wouldn’t be anything I could do about it. Not here on the porch, anyway. My Glocks were in the house.
“Bianca, he was here roughly thirty minutes and stirred up trouble. He drew attention to the block. And you know we can’t have that,” GT snarled.
“Lendel instigated what was happening on my property. Catch faced off with Lendel. He isn’t a bitch, if that was what you thought.”
I stood. “Am I reporting to Man-Man we have a problem?”
“Don’t pull that card with me over some white man.”
“He’ll be back tonight to pick me up for our date. No one will stop him from pulling into my driveway.”
I gave GT my back as I approached the screen door.
“Are you going to bat for that sorry motherfucker?” he huffed.
Baring my teeth, I glanced at him again. “Yes. Goodbye, GT.”
Storming into the house, I didn’t wait for him to say another word. It seemed I just put a target on my back for Catch. Shit.