Chapter 9
Nine
REESE
I’m simply out of control.
This was not how the evening was supposed to go. When I left Charleigh at home with Zoe to go work, I never once dreamed that I’d end the night in my car with Malaki, especially after spending the night dancing against him at the club.
The word “please” involuntarily slips from my mouth, and my entire body heats with embarrassment. Could I sound any more desperate? Why don’t I just stamp the word on my forehead for all to see?
I expect Malaki to hesitate. At the very least, I suspect him to question my desperation, but he does the exact opposite.
He grips the back of my head and pushes my face close to his.
The hint of Skittles lingers in between us, my tongue likely red from the way I sucked on the candy just a few minutes ago.
I close my eyes, and he kisses me again, this time deeper.
My back arches with his hands roaming, his tongue moving with finesse, like kissing is an art.
I’m in a daze as his rough calluses rub over my skin and send chills to the surface. My eyes flutter with pleasure as my head tilts to the side. His lips move to my throat where he peppers the delicate area with kisses and nips from his teeth.
“Gorgeous,” he whispers.
His fingers move with a deft speed as he pushes the button of my jeans through its hole before unzipping them. I place my hands on his chest and shift up to give him more access.
I make every effort to push away the quiet thoughts in the back of my head that this is wrong, because is it? How could something this good feel wrong?
There is nothing wrong about Malaki Young.
A fire brews in between my legs as Malaki sweeps his fingers against the top of my panties. It’s been so long that I’d forgotten how good it feels to be touched by a man.
“Lift up for me, babe.”
I waste no time. I push myself up by anchoring my palms to his shoulders. Malaki shimmies his hand farther into my unzipped jeans, and pleasure sweeps over me.
He curses under his breath, and I get a quick glimpse of his face. His pupils dilate, his jaw clenching. The moment his finger swipes against my clit, I cry out.
“When was the last time you were touched, Reese?”
God, even his voice is hot.
I can’t answer him.
My body is too riled up; my mouth refuses to form words.
I move against him, craving more. His fingers move faster, one pushing inside of me while he rubs against my clit with another. Each touch unravels a tightly woven bow that's been tied for far too long.
His hands are just as talented with a hockey stick as they are with my body. One grips my waist as the other works its magic in between my thighs. It feels so good. My fingernails dig into his shoulders as my body tenses, the orgasm swiftly peaking and taking me under.
It’s earth shattering.
I shake in his grip.
I’m still reeling when he grips the back of my neck and brings my face to his again. He presses his lips to mine, and I open up as if his mouth is a key to a lock. Hot strokes of his tongue lap against mine, and I match every single one.
A groan leaves him, echoing into my mouth.
I regret not taking him up on his offer–we should’ve gone upstairs to his apartment.
Being here with him like this puts a pause on all my responsibilities, and it’s the best escape I’ve ever had.
“Fuck.” He curses against my mouth and crushes me against his chest. “Don’t move.”
“Huh?” I blink several times and try to find my way back to planet Earth.
Malaki’s warm breath lingers against my ear, which does not help. “There is someone walking a little too slow past the window.”
I tense, my spine snapping into place. Oh my god, we’re in public.
“Relax,” he says. “I’ve got you.”
Panic races down my spine. What was I thinking?
What if Benedict walked past? This would give him plenty of ammunition to take Charleigh from me.
Instead of being at home with her, I’m in a car, getting fingered by some guy!
This is considered public indecency! A judge would do to me exactly what they did to my mother.
They shamed her, called her a bad mother, and listed every one of her mistakes for all to see, and in the end, they took us.
It wasn’t like she cared much, but I would.
As if fate can hear me, my phone starts to ring from the dash. I jerk away from Malaki and practically flip into the driver’s seat with my pants still unbuttoned. My long hair is a tangled mess from his fingers gripping the strands. I quickly brush it away and leap for my phone.
I answer quickly. “Zoe?”
Her voice comes over the car’s speakers instead of the phone. I snap my attention to Malaki.
Shit! I fumble with the device, attempting to take it off my car’s speakers.
“You need to come home.” Zoe’s tone is clipped.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, losing my battle with the Bluetooth button. “Is it Charleigh?”
Malaki stiffens, his hand forming a tight fist against his leg.
Zoe’s panicky voice pulls me right back to the phone call, and I ignore Malaki’s reaction.
“No.” She sounds concerned, which is never good.
I turn it off Bluetooth just in time.
“It’s that fuck face, Benedict.”
Shit.
“I’m on my way.” I hang up the phone, and silence fills the car.
I don’t even have to say the words for Malaki to catch the hint. The door opens, the unlock button causing me to jerk in the driver’s seat. Before he slips out to disappear into his apartment, he peers at me with one leg out of the car.
“I thought you said you were single.”
I open my mouth and close it again. What?
Malaki mumbles quietly to himself about me being a cheater. It does nothing but offend me.
“I am single,” I stress, defending myself.
He chuckles, but I’m pretty sure it’s sarcastic. “Then who is Charleigh?”
I blink a few times, my thoughts a tangled mess.
But then it hits me.
Charleigh is a gender-neutral name, and his brain automatically went in the direction that I should have expected.
I could take the time to explain myself, but what’s the point? This was a mistake.
I break our stare-off and gaze out the windshield. “I have to go.”
I don’t like the way my stomach aches from the loss of something that was never mine and never would be.
He makes a noise of sarcasm, huffing under his breath. “See you around, Reese.”
As soon as he shuts the door, I take off in the direction of my shitty apartment.