Counterfeit Courtship, page 12
“How are you? I know you sense the emotions more than we do. You aight?”
Wes shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” His cell phone rang before Tyrone could say anything else. He glanced at his screen and smiled sheepishly. “It’s Cierra. I’ll be right back.”
Wes was up from the table and grinning into his phone in no time. Tyrone grunted and pulled out his phone. Nope, no missed calls. Not that he expected one. Kiera was his fake girlfriend. She wouldn’t check on him to make sure everything was okay after a weird investigation. Not after he’d kissed her when she’d shown concern before their investigation. She’d offered comfort and he’d responded with a kiss. Nah, she wouldn’t check in.
Still, he stared at his cell phone, willing it to ring. She was worried they’d end up like him and Sheri. A small part of him worried about that, too. He hadn’t gone into this wanting a real relationship, but being with Kiera made him consider having a longer-term relationship. To be like his brothers and do the couple thing. Though he kind of wanted that, he also didn’t want to mess up what he and Kiera had going by promising something he couldn’t deliver. He knew himself. He loved being single, and he couldn’t guarantee that one day he wouldn’t meet someone else who interested him.
Basically, he was indecisive as hell.
Dion came back to the table first. “I’m going to head back home.”
Tyrone frowned. “To Charlotte? I thought you were staying in Sunshine Beach tonight?”
“I was, but after talking to Vanessa I’m ready to get back. I don’t want her to worry.”
Tyrone sucked his teeth. “That goofy-ass grin on your face says something else. She ain’t worried. You’re ready to get home.”
Dion laughed. “So, what if I am? I thought you’d be happy I wasn’t in the way of you and Kiera.”
Wes walked up before Tyrone could reply. “Hey, fellas, I’m gonna make it a night.”
Tyrone’s eyes widened and he threw up a hand. “You, too? We’ve only had one beer.”
Wes shrugged. “Cierra knows how I get after an intense investigation. She’s right. I need to decompress.”
“Decompress?” Tyrone motioned to the table in front of him “Bruh, that’s what we were doing?”
Wes shook his head and laughed. “Man, this means you can get back home to Kiera. Why are you making a big deal? I can tell you’re just as anxious to see her.”
“What?” Tyrone asked, his voice going up. He wasn’t anxious to see her. Anxious to talk to her maybe. Was it that obvious?
“The way you keep checking your phone is proof she’ll be calling in a few, too.” Wes threw some money on the table. “Let’s get out of here and go home to our ladies.”
“I’m down for that,” Dion said with that silly grin.
Tyrone wanted to argue but kept his words to himself. Arguing about staying out would only alert his brothers. He still hadn’t told them the relationship was fake and doubted he ever would. They were happy for him. As if they couldn’t believe their playboy brother had finally settled down, but were happy he’d finally found someone. He didn’t want to see the disappointment in their eyes that was sure to come if he told them he’d made up the whole thing. He’d come through with the show after years of being the indecisive, flighty, screwup of the three. They were finally starting to look at him like a respectable adult. Admitting his lie now would only have them go back to viewing him as a screwup.
The brothers hugged before getting in their vehicles and driving their separate ways. He’d looked forward to hanging with Wes and Dion. He missed them. He saw them more because of filming, but that was work. When they did get a rare break in filming, like today, they were ready to go back to their homes. He didn’t blame them, since he liked Vanessa and Cierra, but he missed the days when it was just the three of them.
He laughed to himself. Two years ago, he would have scoffed if anyone said he would one day miss not having his brothers around constantly. After years of not wanting to be tied to Sunshine Beach and living in the shadows of his two older brothers, now he looked back with wistfulness. He had to laugh. He was really getting old.
Kiera’s car was in the yard of the family home, but the front lights weren’t on. He’d offered her the guest bedroom after filming so she wouldn’t have to drive all the way back to Atlanta, and thankfully she’d agreed. He hoped she hadn’t gone to bed yet. Now that his brothers bailed on him, he didn’t want to be alone. He wasn’t as sensitive to the entities they investigated, but he still hadn’t completely shaken off the unease of before. He understood why his brothers has been so eager to get back to their homes, though. Now that he was here and knew Kiera was inside, he wanted what his brothers would have when they got home. To go inside, have Kiera ask if things were okay, sit and talk with her, go to sleep with her body against his. To feel reassured and secure in something good and comforting.
Sighing and feeling foolish for wanting something from Kiera he couldn’t ask for, Tyrone went inside. The smell of freshly popped popcorn greeted him and his stomach growled. He followed the smell down the hall to where Kiera was sitting in the corner of the sectional in the family room. A large bowl of popcorn sat on the coffee table along with a two-liter bottle of cola, a bottle of rum and boxes of candy like they had at the movie theater. When he entered, she turned to look at him over her shoulder and smiled.
“Good, I timed it right,” she said.
He cocked his head to the side. “Timed what?”
“When you’d get here,” she said. “Vanessa and Cierra called me and let me know they’d broken up the boys’ party. I knew you’d be coming home... Well, I hoped you’d be coming home. You had a rough time with the investigation.” She pointed to the spread on the coffee table and then the television. “So, I planned for movie night.”
He looked from the popcorn to the streaming service cued up on screen to her uncertain brown eyes. A vise tightened around his chest, making it hard to breathe, and he had to bite his lower lip to stop himself from having the same goofy-ass grin he’d accused Dion of having.
“You did all this for me?”
She waved a hand. “It’s no big deal. I know you were looking forward to hanging out with your brothers. I can’t replace them, but I hope I’m a good enough substitute.”
He came around the couch and walked right up to her. He almost pulled her into his arms for a hug. The urge to do so was strong, he flexed his fingers. But he’d promised not to cross the line, and he’d already done that when he kissed her in their hotel room.
“You’re the perfect substitute,” he said instead of squeezing her tight against him, the way he wanted to.
Her smile was dazzling before she pointed to the spot on the couch next to her. “Then sit and let’s watch.”
Tyrone quickly sunk down into the cushions. “What are we looking at?”
“I figured a comedy was in order. I heard the superhero spoof that came out earlier this year was pretty good. That cool?”
He would watch a documentary on paint drying if she asked. He was just happy that she’d planned a date night for them. “That’s cool.”
For the first time since their talk about his past relationship, she didn’t sit far away from him on the couch. Instead, she stayed right next to him. Not touching, but close enough for the heat of her body to comfort him and the sweet smell of her to relax the tension lingering in his body. She was dressed casually in a gray tank top and matching lounging pants. The pants were loose, but the flimsy material clung to her thighs. When she pulled her legs beneath her and leaned sideways to rest her head on the back of the couch, the front of her tank top dipped enough to give him an enticing view of her décolletage.
The vice tightened. His desire stirred to life, and he licked his lips. One way he’d previously eased tension after a weird investigation was by finding someone willing to spend the night with him. He shifted on the sofa and tried to gather his thoughts. He could do this. He was an adult. He did not need to have sex just to relax.
She turned to him, and he jerked his eyes away from her and back to the television. “Um... I heard this was funny, too,” he said clearing his throat.
“Good. I hope it is.”
The movie was hilarious. They laughed until their stomachs hurt as they shared popcorn and candy, and mixed up the rum with the cola. The best part was how she eased closer to him until their sides touched as they watched. When the movie ended an hour and a half later, he didn’t want the night to end.
“One more? There’s a historical that I wanted to check out?”
She frowned at him. “Historical? You like historical movies?”
He shrugged. “It’s about the Negro leagues. I’ve always been interested. My dad said his great-grandfather used to play in them. Whenever a new movie comes out, I feel like I’m supporting my dad’s legacy. He didn’t get to tell me much about his great-grandfather before he died. Back then, I wasn’t as interested in family history. I thought I had all the time in the world to know more.”
He hadn’t mentioned that to anyone in years. If ever. His parents were always trying to tell them about their family history. Instill in them a sense of pride of where they’d come from and what his ancestors had accomplished. Tyrone hadn’t cared to listen to what he considered preaching. Now, he’d give anything to hear one more story.
Her eyes softened and she nodded. “Sure, let’s watch that.”
The second movie was good, but longer, and they’d both had two rum and colas. When she snored softly, and her head fell on his shoulder, he just smiled and adjusted his arm around her shoulder. Kiera snuggled in closer against his side. He planned to finish watching the movie, but when his head jerked up what felt like two minutes later, the credits were playing.
Kiera was still asleep in his arms, her body soft and warm against him. He hated to wake her. He’d rather sit there all night and hold her, but he didn’t want her to wake up and feel uncomfortable.
He brushed a hand across her cheek. “Kiera,” he said softly.
She wrinkled her nose and sighed before snuggling closer. The softness of her breasts, encased in a sports bra but still lush and tempting, pushed against his side. His penis stirred again. Shifting, Tyrone cleared his throat and shook her a little. “Kiera, wake up.”
Her eyes drifted open. She blinked up at him, then smiled. “I’m awake.”
He chuckled and ran his fingers over her cheek again because he just couldn’t help himself. “You were out,” he whispered.
She frowned and pursed her lips. “No, I wasn’t. I was resting my eyes.”
“Oh, that’s what you call that snoring.”
She grinned and lightly punched his chest. “I don’t snore.”
Tyrone wrapped his fingers around her wrist and rested her hand over his heart, which had started beating faster. “Okay, sure, we’ll go with that.”
She looked up at him, the smile still on her lips. Time seemed to stop, and Tyrone’s breathing quickened as the smile on her face drifted away and something hot and tempting replaced the humor in her eyes. He shouldn’t do it. He really should get up, walk up those stairs and go to bed alone. But when her fingers flexed against his chest and her tongue darted across her lower lip, instinct kicked down his defenses and he lowered his mouth to hers.
Chapter Sixteen
At first Kiera thought she was dreaming when she woke up in Tyrone’s arms, but his mouth on hers was very real. The scratch of his goatee against her skin. The sweet heat of his tongue as it brushed across the seam of her lip. The softness of his breath as it mingled with hers. All of those things were better than anything she’d dreamed about.
For a second, she thought about pulling away. She had been vehement about keeping her distance from Tyrone. That she didn’t want to be another broken heart in his wake. Then his hand slid up her side and cupped her breast, and she said to hell with her reservations and gave her body what it had craved since that first kiss that had ultimately landed them here.
Kiera relaxed into his strong embrace. His lips expertly traveled over hers, drawing her in and turning her body into mush with each sweet slide. He nipped and lightly sucked on her lower lip until she whimpered softly and pressed closer to him.
Tyrone shifted and pulled her into his lap. Kiera quickly rearranged her legs and straddled his hips. The warm heat of his skin as his hand slid up her shirt sent shivers through her body. His mouth trailed down the side of her neck to gently suck on the soft spot at the base of her throat. She gasped and clasped his shoulders when his tongue lapped across the same spot. His mouth stopped that sweet torture to trail light kisses across her chest to the tops of her breasts. Her nipples hardened and she pressed forward. She wanted his mouth on them.
His fingers skimmed her sides as he lifted her tank top. Cocooned in a sensual daze, she raised her arms so he could toss it over her head. Tyrone made quick work of the hooks of her sports bra. Her breasts spilled free, and Tyrone’s eyes lit up as if he’d just discovered chocolate diamonds. His warm hands cupped her breasts, pushing them together and lifting them so his eager lips could close over the hard tips.
Pleasure exploded as his mouth made slow, sexy pulls on one nipple before sliding over to the other. Kiera’s nails dug into his shoulders. She rotated her hips, pressing the heat of her sex against the hardness of his dick. The ensuing pleasure was delicious but not enough. Tyrone groaned and flicked his tongue lightly over one of her taut nipples. Kiera gasped and arched her back.
Tyrone looked up and met her eyes through lowered lids. “Tell me to stop now before I take you upstairs.” His voice was low, sexy and made her sex clench.
She answered with a sly smile. “What are you going to do if you take me upstairs?” Definitely not the smart answer, but based on the spark in his eye that was the right answer.
He pulled her forward until her breasts were pressed against his chest, then whispered in her ear. “I’m going to slowly remove every inch of clothing you’re wearing, kiss every part of your body until I stop to suck on your clit then slide all up in you and make love until we both pass out.”
The rush of need that crashed through her body almost had her on her knees in front of him begging for every single thing he mentioned. She barely managed not to weep from the imagined pleasure. “You better live up to these words, sir.”
The way his lips lifted in a cocky grin had her toes curling. “Oh, I’ll deliver.”
She squeezed her thighs against his. “Then prove it.”
Tyrone stood with her still in is arms. He slowly lowered her so that her curves slid down every hard inch of his body. After another quick but thorough kiss, he took her hand and they sprinted up the stairs.
Once they were behind closed doors, he proceeded to quickly lay her on the bed. He studied her body as if she was a work of art, drawing his lower lip between his teeth after spotting her red, satin panties. He peeled those off to reveal the neat triangle of short hair covering her sex and sucked in a breath. The look in his eyes, a mixture of desire, admiration and reverence, made Kiera feel more beautiful, more wanted, than she’d ever felt with another lover. He didn’t look like he simply wanted to possess her body—he looked like he wanted to savor and enjoy each moment. His lips trailed across her body, the soft whisper of his breath a tantalizing caress against her skin as he murmured compliments. He gently spread her legs so his lips and tongue could glide across her sex before he softly pulled the sensitive bud into the warm heat of his mouth. Her body bucked off the mattress. Her hands clenched his head as the sinfully slick caress of his actions took her body on a sensual ride.
Tyrone was turning out to be the lover she’d imagined and more. His moans nearly matched hers with each one of his carnal kisses. The pleasure grew, expanded and stretched, until she shattered in waves so intense, she almost forgot her name was Kiera Cox. Tyrone lay next to her, still fully dressed with a smug smirk on his face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, poking him in the chest.
“Because you’re beautiful after you come.”
She grinned but her eyes narrowed. “Oh, you think you did something?”
“I’m pretty sure I did.” He licked his lips.
Kiera’s stomach clenched. She lifted up on her elbow and pushed him onto his back. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, too.” She shimmied down his body and unbuttoned his pants.
“What you doing?” he asked in a thick voice while lifting his hips so she could pull down his pants.
“Wait and see.” She grinned up at him then pulled down his underwear.
He sprang free, long and thick, and Kiera licked her lips. Her mouth closed over him, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Kiera’s own desire flashed hot again as she brought him closer to the edge. Her mouth and tongue played up and down his erection until his fingers gripped the sheets and his feet pressed into the mattress. His breathing picked up and his hips bucked. Kiera pulled back before he climaxed.
Tyrone’s eyes widened as he looked at her. “What...? You stopping...why?”
She just grinned as she straddled his hips. “Because I want this.” She took his hard length in her hands. Grinning, he got a condom from the nightstand and quickly covered himself. Kiera slowly eased down on him.
Tyrone gripped her hips. “Damn, Kiera,” he groaned between clenched teeth.
Kiera worked slowly up and down. Enjoying every single inch of him. She was on the edge again and wanted to crash over. Her hands trailed down the front of her body to where they were joined. She caressed and rubbed in tandom with her movements. Her head was thrown back and her eyes closed as she reveled in the delicious feel of his body joined with hers. Tyrone’s big hands cupped her breasts. The blunt tips of his fingers caressed then pinched her nipples. The hint of pain on top of all that pleasure was her undoing. She shattered around him. His body flexed deep inside, and he cried out before she collapsed against his chest.
