VIVID
Affluent and luxuriant, Vivid teemed with the evidence of finesse. Art hung from the walls, and art chattered and prattled within the space. A collection of souls, all beautiful, combed through the venue. One particular composition left me speechless and awestruck.
Stunning, Serenity was a work of fucking art. It mattered not the locale we positioned ourselves in. She elevated the value of the environment with her beauty. Her confidence. Her aura. Her radiance. It was contagious.
From a distant corner, I watched her work the room. The numero uno. Guests approached her first before anyone else. She was a fucking wonder, and she knew when and how to step into a variety of roles when necessary.
Head honcho, top dog, boss lady, she wore that shit well. I let her get her shine on, undisturbed. Only once her crowd of admirers and friends died down did I approach.
“Queen Bee,” I grinned, pulling her into my arms and kissing her lips.
“ Ahem —Hey, Duke.”
Dryly, she offered the greeting before supplying a foot of distance between us. Instantly, I sensed the discomfort claiming her energy. Near tangible and inescapable, it aggravated my mood.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
Her eyes scanned the room before returning to me.
“Nothing. It’s just been a busy day,” she lied, but I let it pass. I always knew when her ass was lying. It didn’t happen often, but my lie detector picked up on it. Nerves were rampant, and the gallery was packed. Settling on the crowded environment being the cause for her anxiety, I didn’t press the issue.
Small talk of our week carried us for most of the hour.
“Ahem. Good Lord ,” she mumbled.
Again, I watched as Serenity’s body language shifted with the growing crowd inside the gallery.
“You good, Bee?”
“My brother is here, I think .”
“You think?”
“He’s wearing a mask. The Scream mask,” she revealed.
“Which one?”
“Sincere.”
“That’s a problem?” I asked.
“Not for me. But I told his ex he wouldn’t be and— never mind . It’s not my drama to unfold.”
Smoothing over her dress, she took a gander at me. Eyed me the fuck down like she wanted me.
“You look good.”
“Don’t I always?” I teased, prompting a laugh from her throat. “You look amazing too. Stop shifting that dress before I find somewhere to shift it off of you.”
“That sounds promising. Don’t tempt me.”
“I’ll behave because I know you’re working,” I promised. “But don’t push it.”
Despite our light banter, the scent of stress seasoned the air around us. Something was still dampening her mood.
“You all set for the auction?”
“Yeah. All the participants are here save for one,” she rolled her eyes.
“Aw shit. You need me to take the stage, Bee?”
Delicate and easy, she laughed.
“It’s nothing, really. The problem is my brother. If he’d stop sticking his dick in everything, she would probably be here right now. That’s what’s holding up our start.”
“ She ?”
“Luna. His ex.”
“Not your laundry nor your load, Bee.”
Side-by-side, we stood for several moments in silence, watching the crowd. Then Serenity gasped. Her eyes widened at the entry of a thick, dark-skinned curvy woman with an ass to feed the needy. Dressed in a short red dress with hair styled in pin curls, I immediately assumed she was Betty Boop. Issuing a noncommittal wave at Serenity, she headed in the direction of a group of women nearby.
“She’s here! Thank God . I thought we might have to put you on the stage, Reni.” From behind, a woman I recognized as Saint’s wife, Tori, approached us.
“Serenity wouldn’t be getting on that stage regardless of the outcome,” I clipped with confidence. No man, woman, or child would be taking my woman on a date.
Mine .
“Well, excuse me , Mr. Stepford.”
“Your excusal isn’t necessary, Mrs. Miller. I’m simply stating facts.”
“Serenity is right here, and she doesn’t appreciate the two of you having a conversation like I don’t exist,” Bee fussed.
Arms crossed with her weight tossed to a single side of her frame, Tori issued a knowing smirk. “I guess it’s a good thing Luna brought her ass on then. Come on, Boo. Let’s get to the back to get ready.”
Along with a handful of other costumed women, Serenity disappeared to prep for the auction. As I took in the crowd, a familiar figure dressed as Jason Vorhees appeared by my side.
“You two seem to be doing pretty well.”
Immediately, I identified the sound of the voice behind the mask. Supreme.
“I’d be daft not to agree,” I returned, sipping my drink. “It’s been… fun .”
Supreme chuckled.
“You know, if you were anyone else, I’d be offended by that fun response. I’d ask about wedding bells and shit, but I already know my sister ain’t on that type of time.”
“Nigga, I said it’s fun because it has been since we’ve traveled together. Not to be disrespectful. What the fuck you doing here anyway, man?”
“Helping to drive up the numbers.”
“Isn’t that cheating?” I asked.
“Nope. Not if motherfuckers are paying to play.”
“Heard. Does Bee—Serenity know you’re here?”
“Nope. She doesn’t need to either.”
“Then you best vamoose, nigga,” I warned as Serenity headed in our direction.
As Vorhees trudged away, I watched the women take the stage. The lights were lowered in favor of the attention being placed on the stage. Serenity returned to my side, grabbing my hand and resting her head against my arm.
“I’m tired, baby.”
“I’ll rub you down once all this is over,” I promised.
“That sounds so good right now.”
“My place or yours tonight?” I asked.
“Doesn’t matter. Maybe yours. I don’t think I’ll feel like driving after this.”
The auction began, and as promised, Jason Vorhees drove the bids up for a night out with a beautiful woman. Gray Harrison carried one woman dressed as Velma off the stage. The antics continued with a ruckus as Betty Boop swayed onto the stage.
“That’s her. Luna . My brother’s ex.”
“I see.”
Serenity and I watched as the auction continued. By the end of the evening, she’d raised well over two hundred thousand dollars. The estimated amount didn’t include direct sales from the gallery art or my contribution.
“I’m proud of you, baby,” I praised her. “You did good.”
“Don’t gas me up,” she tittered, throwing her arms around me.
“If not me, then who?” I asked as Sincere approached from behind.
“ Serenity .”
As he drew near, Serenity’s demeanor shifted. Hastily, she dropped her arms and stepped away from me as she addressed her brother. Introduction be damned. I was ignored. It was almost as if she was understating my insignificance in her world.
Sincere’s eyes darted in my direction. He scowled and thumbed his nose. That nigga knew who I was. An introduction wasn’t required, but it would have been nice for her to let the nigga know who I was to her . Rooted in silence, I willed Bee to locate the confident woman I knew her to be. Willed her heart to shift. Willed her lips to part and tell Sincere we were dating. They didn’t. A near-tangible discomfort persisted, dissolving what I thought was a bulletproof mood.
She held an entire conversation with her brother and his ex as she, too, approached. Not once did she bother to acknowledge my existence. Peculiar, it was, knowing I’d obtained the stamp of approval from Ramsay and Supreme, yet here she was hiding.
Hiding us .
The sense of omission—of exclusion refused to settle in my bones. I heard their indistinct chatter, heard the blithe chatter around us. Alcohol and laughter. Despite the setting, the unshakeable sense that it was raining loomed. In my head, clouds had moved in, threatening to storm. I hadn’t felt like this in years. Not since… Mya .
To be fair, Bee hadn’t issued a fraction of the pain Mya had, but the semblance she’d left me feeling was distressing. Enough to motivate me to exit stage left.
Water to oil. Sincere and I never mixed. Supreme and I had been close in our former years. Much closer than he was with his younger brother. Viridescent, jealousy grabbed ahold of Sincere at that fact and never let that motherfucker go.
Slipping away, I allowed the group to continue their conversation. Allowed my thoughts to carry me deep into my head despite the surroundings. I never came to these shits. Bee was the only reason I was in attendance at fucking the auction. Though I hadn’t bid on a date for obvious reasons, I’d pledged a sizable write-off to contribute to the cause on behalf of Colonial Holdings . Already, the check was tucked away with the gallery manager, Misty.
A pulsing temple and bruised feelings led me out of the crowded space and into the backseat of the Cadillac SUV I’d arrived in without a word or a wave goodbye.
“ Gray Hotel , Mr. Stepford?” Reed asked as I entered.
“Yeah.”
“Will Ms. Miller be joining us?”
Accustomed to Serenity’s presence, Reed asked of her.
“Not tonight, Reed.”
Bare, cold limbs wrapped around my naked frame from behind, dragging my mind from the depths of a filthy dream that left me on brick. I shifted at the presence, and in response, the petite soul drew closer, revealing herself.
“You’re mad at me.”
I played sleep.
“I know you’re awake, Duke. Your breathing shifted the moment I touched you. Look at me.”
At my refusal, she climbed on top of me. Her thighs shifted my frame, forcing me onto my back. In the ideal position, she slid me inside her wetness.
Shit .
“Tell me what’s wrong, baby. Talk to me,” she moaned while rocking her hips and grinding slowly.
Downright despicable, our physical connection was, matching that of our tied souls. A shift in her energy alerted me like an internal alarm. Similarly, she wielded such a skillset over me.
“ Babyyy ,” she moaned, and I gave in to the embellished nipples calling my mouth. Gold hoop rings sporting the letter D replaced the subtler studs she often wore. The piercings intensified stimulation in the sensitive area. My thumb and lips were beyond happy to oblige, pinching, twirling, and licking.
Sitting up, I grabbed hold of her waist and rotated us so she was flat on her back.
“Hands to ankles.”
As the command was issued, Serenity’s legs stretched wide, as did her hands. Obediently, she grabbed ahold of each side, ready to fly.
The position granted deeper access to her portal of pleasure. In and out, I dug inside her cavern of warmth. In and out, she mewled and tightened her cave around me. In and out, I massaged her before switching gears to beat her pretty pussy up. She’d struck a nerve. And while it hadn’t been a big deal, she’d chosen sex to blanket the issue instead of a discussion. Steam freed from my ears about that, too.
“Please, Duke.”
“You want to talk, or you want to be fucked?” Lowly, I growled, keeping my rhythm.
“ Both !”
“Are you ashamed of me, Bee?” I pumped into her depths, feeling her end nearing. Deeper than surface level, the affront from this evening left me with a lingering soreness.
“ No, baby .”
“So, why the weird energy tonight?”
“Sincere…”
No man or God did I care for on her tongue when inside what belonged to me. Pumping harder, I rearranged the layout of internal organs and forced my name to cascade from her lips.
“ Dukeeeee .”
“That’s the only name that should be on your tongue right now.”
“Ohkayyyy.”
“Talk to me, Bee,” I begged, still sliding in and out of her hive of honey.
“My brother can be an asshole… Ooh .”
Freeing her hand from an ankle, she reached for the rigid pressure point between glossed pussy lips.
“No,” I grunted. “Hands to ankles.”
“Duke, please.”
“Hands to those motherfucking ankles, Bee.”
Reluctantly, she returned her hand to the outstretched ankle, permitting me to resume killing her softly.
Diving in toward the hilt, I stirred inside her honey, fighting the urge to close my eyes. One hand, then a second, groped exposed ass cheeks and lifted her bottom from the bed. With her rear cradled in hungry hands, I continued thrusting, this time swirling her lifted hips around me in a circular motion. She went wild in response, spewing vulgarities meant for my ears only.
“ I missed this dick .”
“ I love this dick .”
“ This pussy yours .”
As I lowered her bottom, Serenity rose, bringing her lips toward mine for a kiss. Hands fell from ankles and gripped my head instead, burying me between the valley of her breasts.
“Baby— Mmh —you don’t— ooh —understand.”
“Make it transparent for me, Bee.” I slowed my strokes to a halt.
“Why’d you stop?” She whined.
Annoyance colored my features, birthing frown lines across my face and justifying why I’d ceased giving her the pleasure she craved. I didn’t like using sex to blanket issues. I’d done that shit with Mya. I didn’t want to do that shit again with her.
“Okay. The truth ?” She asked, causing my expression to tighten.
“And nothing less.”
“I’m nervous about telling my family, Duke. You’re twelve years older than me, and Sincere has already been making smart remarks.”
“Yet that hasn’t stopped you from sliding onto my dick,” I clipped. “That hasn’t stopped you from laying up with me over the past few months. What is it, Serenity? Am I only good enough when we’re out of the country and between the sheets?”
I wasn’t asking her to broadcast our shit to the world. I just didn’t care to be her little secret. Wasn’t shit little about the big ass feelings I knew were growing between us.
“Time, Duke. Can you give me time?”
Palming the side of my face, she directed my eyes to connect with hers. A fucking sucker, I was. For her touch. For her eyes on me. The feel of her gentle fingers shattered my resolve.
“Please, baby.”
She extricated grace and compassion in a place I once thought dead. Her transparency was all I needed. Even if her truth brought discomfort, I craved it. Respected it. Repeating the past didn’t suit me. Progression in all things—love, life, and work was what fulfilled me.
“Aight.”
I sighed. She sighed. Our tension couldn’t be denied. The feel of gentle fingertips fractured it to bits. She brushed across my lower abs.
“We don’t have to keep going. We can stop if you want.”
Under lazy lids, she verbalized the lie. She started this shit. We for damn sure were gonna finish it.
“Is that what you want, Bee?”
While breathless and shaky, Serenity’s lowered gaze conveyed what she needed before her lips spoke, “No.”
In no time, my fingers covered her center. I pinched and rubbed her button while slowly massaging her inner walls with my dick. In no time, I felt her tighten around me. She sang my name in the sweetest, most sensual song as she came.
Undeniably, Serenity had a clutch on me. Shit was sickening. It was nothing like the love I had for Mya. Serenity’s grasp was swift and deepened with each passing day. Supreme called it the Miller effect . Whatever it was, it was authentic and intense.
In the few months we’d been together, the woman had me reconsidering marriage. Hell, I’d even reconsidered my vasectomy. If ever she changed her heart about the life we lived, I’d be ready and willing to grant her every wish. As long as it meant forever together. As long as it meant no secrets. As long as it meant that she’d share her entire world with me.
Depleted of concern for the outside world, I struggled to understand her need to keep our relationship a secret. A percentage wouldn’t suffice. I was all in. I wanted all from her, too.
Hunger hit me in the morning. Ravenous for something low-calorie but all-you-can-eat, my tastebuds made their request known. Swiftly, I located it between the legs of my sleeping beauty. Under the sheets, the harmony of peaches and the prior night’s lust danced on my nostrils. Her heat was undeniable. Even at rest, she was scorching with fire in the comfort I craved.
My famished tongue went to work, licking and lapping and sucking the fleshiest part of her petals. Her bare pussy, paired with her nectar, reminded me of peaches. Peaches and cream. So tangy and sweet. With her leg hiked over my shoulder, I held her in place. She rose from slumber, purring as my tongue livened her senses. Once alert and fully aware of my presence, she began grinding her center against the work of my tongue.
My hands worked in tandem, stirring her sweetness. Two fingers pressing against her g-spot, I summoned her end. Top and bottom, her lips sang a song featuring my name. She crooned with the tune of the birds perched on the windowsill.
Passion .
It never lacked between us. Whether in bed or fighting, the fire burned brightly. The open lines of communication and understanding carried us—shielding us from the flame of naysayers and haters. Though our age difference caused initial apprehension, it never surfaced to be a problem. At least not for me. Not until last night. My uneasiness at the fact was tucked away somewhere between my heart and head as I feasted on her buffet. It was the perfect distraction.
Time .
Time was the request.
Our whirlwind of fire could use that. Unforeseen and swift, the feelings between us were. It granted us little time to process them thoroughly. Time and emotional intelligence would wield that. Time would do us good.
Slowly, I rubbed my nose across her button of pleasure, listening to the sound of her assent to heaven. Tasting her texture and flavor. Feeling her clit jump against me. Sucking it and groaning as she erupted. She responded with trembling legs tightening around my head. A cascade of honey awarded my efforts, painting my beard and mustache. Squirting was a new level I’d unlocked.
“No more. No more. Please ,” she begged with a fresh set of tears streaming down her face. Post-orgasmic release for her came in the form of happy tears, I’d learned, as a response to overwhelming pleasure.
Lethargic but satisfied, she panted, dragging lengthy nails through my head. With her gratification fulfilled, I headed for the shower to conquer what remained of my day. Serenity was hot on my heels, seeking to return the fellatio favor.
Two video conferences and several emails later, we were on the G5 plane. Our destination Cappadocia. Our passion for connection, intense conversation, and each other’s bodies were rivaled by a desire for travel. At a moment’s notice, we’d be up and away toward the next wonder of the world. Travel was one of our many love languages.
I just hoped what we’d been building would be enough to sustain us.