Tag: urban

Love At Last Sample Chapter: Trey

Love At Last Sample Chapter: Trey

Chapter 23

Trey

Trey couldn’t wait to get Danielle back to his place. He was anxious to see what her “surprise” was. But when he made the stop at her mom’s house, and all she came out with was her duffle bag, he was even more curious. The suspense made him incredibly horny. He was little disappointed that he didn’t meet her mom right then, but she wasn’t there. He was excited that she wanted him to meet her family so soon. He had originally planned on taking her out somewhere tonight but she was adamant about spending time alone at his place, which was fine with him. She said she wanted to cook for him which was a plus. He had food at the house, but she wanted to stop at the grocery store so that she wouldn’t use the food he bought for himself and Amir. Trey found himself ready to say the “L” word, but he figured now wasn’t the time.

She cooked him baked salmon, with roasted red potatoes and gravy with a Caesar salad. She even bought red wine to go with it. He helped her set up the ambiance: he lit candles, dimmed the lights and turned on Usher’s latest single, Climax to set the mood. Once the table was set, she ordered him to take a shower and get comfortable. He did as he was told. He put on some sweats and a t-shirt and sat on the couch waiting to see what she would do next. She took her duffle bag and hurried into his bathroom to shower herself, and thirty minutes later she came out looking like a breath of fresh air…and then some. She wore a blood red teddy with the matching panties and red pumps. Trey all of a sudden didn’t want to eat, at least not dinner. Those long legs of hers had him completely incoherent, and just the sight of her behind had him in a frenzy. She sashayed past him, smelling like night roses and sat at the dinner table. She had taken her hair down and had even applied some dark eye liner, giving her a sultry look. “Aren’t you going to join me?” She asked seductively. All Trey could do was nod and got up to join her at the table, not even trying to hide his arousal. She got up and served him his plate and then sat on his lap to feed him with her hands. “I hope your hands are clean, ma’” He joked. She laughed. “Of course they are…” she said. This was possibly the most sensual experience he has ever had with a woman. She said he was going to cause her to explode, shit, she didn’t know he was about to explode any minute. He finished his plate. “Ay, you haven’t touched yours,” he said. “You can feed it to me later.” She cooed. That was it. The gauntlet had been fucking dropped. He couldn’t take any more. With a quick sweeping motion Trey scooped her up in his arms and kissed her hard and passionately. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back…gently biting and sucking his mouth. He almost tripped carrying her to the room.

He couldn’t get her on the bed fast enough. He laid her down, not once breaking the kiss. She was so soft and warm, her moans were like music to his ears. He took his shirt off and draped her with his body. Tonight, every question was going to be fucking answered. What she wanted he was going to deliver. Off came her teddy. Her size 36B breasts bounced free and he planted his mouth on one, latching on like a newborn baby. His hands, well let’s just say, went to work in other places. She cried out in pleasure. He took her mouth. He ripped her matching panties set clean off. Fuck it, he would buy her a million more. She opened her legs wider for him to nestle in between. Yes, tonight he was going to tattoo his name all over her body until she begged him to stop. Even if it took all night he was going to take her to the heavens and back. He was going to make her go blind with pleasure. She cried out again. Yes, goddamn it she was going to get it. He kissed her starting from her neck all the way down to her sweet spot. Damn she tasted good, he couldn’t get enough. She was going to hit a new note tonight-better yet she was going to acquire a higher octave. “OH GOD!” she cried out. Her hands gripping the sheets until they were knuckle white. “YESSSS TREEEEEEEY!” He was going to make her come so much that she was going to lose all feeling in her legs. Her cries of pleasure was his motivation. “TREY!” she screamed. Orgasm one down. Many more to go. Since he was the only one who can take her to new heights sexually, he was taking her on a trip through the universe. He was going to imprint this night in her mental rolodex, she was never going to forget it. Shit, neither was he. Her legs started to tremble. “DAMN IT TREY!” Orgasm number 2, and he still wasn’t finished. He got up and went to his Chester drawer nearest the bed to grab a gold pack, Magnum condom. She was writhing in the bed, watching him, biting her bottom lip. “Don’t worry ma’ I got you.” He said. He took of his sweats and climbed back on the bed to finish what he started. He went back to work on her sweet spot. A few minutes later, orgasm number 3. She was glistening with sweat, her lip bloodied from biting it so hard. He rolled on the condom. “You ready ma’?” She could barely speak. “Yeesssss”. He opened her legs wide and gently pushed himself inside. Good lord she was tight…almost virginal tight but she was wet as hell. As hard as it was, he remained careful but once he knew she was used to his size, he went to work. She wanted this, she needed this…said she was going to explode, well fuck it, now was the time to do so. He pushed in deeper. Again she cried out, and Trey felt her walls tighten and release as orgasm number 5 rolled through her. He kissed her neck and sped up the pace. She was everything and then some. Sensuality personified. Sexual heat magnified, and she was his. “Oh shit ma’,” he moaned as he continued to thrust. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing him in deeper. Shit, take her to through the universe and back? She took him with her. They both cried out as probably the best orgasm Trey ever experienced in his life stopped his heart then restarted it, an engulfing energy of heat and pleasure wrapped around him and poured into her, trapping them both and releasing them. Trey couldn’t move an inch. He could barely breathe. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t need to. Her cries told him everything he needed to know. After what seemed like hours, he managed to pull himself from on top of her, and gather her into his arms. They remained nestled in each other’s warmth, surrounded to total darkness. He could feel her heart beating his against his chest; its rhythm slowly returning to its normal beat. “Trey?” she said weakly. “Yeah ma’?” “I can’t feel my legs…” Mission accomplished. He smiled. “Is that a good thing ma’?” he asked. “Hell ya that’s a good thing.” She sat up to face him. “That was a real good thing…” he kissed her shoulder. “Are you hungry? I didn’t give you a chance to eat your food.” She laughed. “It’s ok. I don’t think I can get out the bed without falling on the floor.” He chuckled. “I was supposed to be the one giving you your surprise,” she added with a sly smile. “Oh yeah? I thought when you came out the bathroom lookin’ all sexy and shit was the surprise.” He mused. “That was part of it but not the whole thing.” “Oh yeah? Well what was it?” Trey sat up. “Now, that I think of it, I am kind of glad that we skipped it.” He raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “Because you would have laughed.” She giggled. ‘Well aren’t you going to tell me what it is?” She sighed. “For the last two weeks, after my class paralegal studies class, I have been going to a pole dancing class not far from my mom’s house…I wanted to show you what I had learned so far…” Trey laughed, not at her but the idea of her actually sliding down a pole. “See? I knew you would laugh…” she had to laugh herself. “I’m not laughing at you ma’, I think that is kinda cute that you was willing to work a pole for a nigga…” “Well see, the instructor does give pole dancing lessons, but it focuses more on strip teasing…” Trey chuckled at her embarrassment. It didn’t take much for her to get embarrassed; that was her most endearing quality. “You didn’t need a class to get me off ma’. You just being you is more than enough.” He kissed the top of her head. “So how do you feel about what we just did?” he asked. He was more than alright with it. He had no plans of going anywhere. In his mind she was the one; she was everything he dreamed about and then some…everything he dreamed about. He suddenly remembered where he had seen her from. He had a dream a few weeks ago about a woman that looked just like her. All he could recall was them meeting out in the city somewhere and sharing a kiss. He remembered waking up hard as hell and having to relieve himself twice before he could even get out of the bed. “If you are wondering if I regret anything, the answer is no.” She turned and lightly kissed his cheek. “I have never felt pleasure like that in my life,” she gushed. Trey smiled…a big ass nacho cheesy grin. He knew he broke her off something proper. All of that waiting and near misses and almosts really paid off. And as long as she would let him, she could have as much as she wanted. “I think I am going to feed you now,” he said getting out the bed. She could see the outline of his toned and hard body in the darkness as he put his sweats back on. “Trey, you don’t-“He turned to face her. “Ma’, I want you to stop it. Right now.” She sat still, shocked. He approached her, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You are so used to having to be the one doing the pleasing, but you don’t have to do that with me. I am into you, so into you that I don’t know what to do with myself. You know my history with women, especially Shyann. I never thought another woman would ever be the one for me and then I found you. If I like a woman, I do what most men will do to impress her. But, the way that you make me feel goes beyond like, and I am finding myself wanting to do more than just buy you roses and take you out to eat. Do you understand?” She nodded. “So just sit back, relax and for once let someone else do the pleasing. You fed me, right?” She nodded. “So it is only fair that I feed you. If it wasn’t for the fact that I just met you two months ago, I would have moved you in here so quick it would have made your head spin. I don’t know w;hat this is between us, but the shit is strong. Six months from now, I want us to be planning our future. A year from now, I want you wearing my ring, and if everything goes right, I want you carrying my next son or daughter. If it makes you comfortable, we can slow things down but I just want you to know where I stand.” Trey stated. So far, his relationship with Danielle had been perfect. They had their moments where they would disagree but she would always come back or he would always come back and the issue would get solved. In all actuality, what they mostly had disagreements about was who was going to pay or Danielle’s independent streak taking over. He didn’t mind an independent woman, but he also wanted an independent woman to feel secure enough to let him be the man. She was pretty good with that, but she still had her moments. He knew her past was still haunting her. Hell, his was too. He hadn’t heard from Shyann since that night she dropped Amir off. And he hadn’t bothered to look for her. He knew where she was at: with that ass-wipe King. But he did need to know if she was alright. He had already asked a few of his cousins to get the scoop on what was going on with that. But with all of this going on and more he wasn’t prepared for what was going to happen next.

Danielle’s expression had softened so he almost forgot about her food and was about to take them both on a ride to Pleasureville and back. He wondered what she was thinking, until she spoke. “I think I love you Trey…” she blurted out. Trey wasn’t sure her heard her right. “What?” he asked. “I said, I love you Trey.” Damn. He knew he had made her lose her mind, but shit…”Look ma’”…”No you look Trey,” she said. “It has nothing to do with what just happened. I know how I feel about you. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing that is on my mind when I close my eyes to sleep at night. When you leave, even if it’s just for five minutes, I miss you like you have been gone for twenty years. I have never felt this way even for King. Ever. We had our moments when things were going right where I felt something for him, but never on this level. I love everything about you. Your smile, the way you look when you are thinking; how you care for Amir; the way that you walk; how you carry yourself…I am anxious to meet your mom and your sisters just because I know that they love you. I love the sound of your voice when you wake up in the morning. I love the fact that you are willing to go out of your way for me…I just love you Trey, and I mean that. You have been such a gentleman with me since the moment we met it kinda scared me. Any other guy would have tried to jump my bones the first night I came here, and you didn’t. Any other guy would have seen how vulnerable I was and still am and took advantage of that, and you haven’t. So don’t even think to question how I could be in love with you when you have given me so many reasons why I am. I love you Trey.” She looked down like she always did when she was worried about his reaction. She had no idea what she just did. Trey had been wanting to drop the “L” bomb for a minute now but didn’t, thinking that she might run off. But she said it first, and she said it with so much emotion that he was devoid of any thought or reason. A few minutes passed between them before she got up and went into the bathroom. He followed behind her and listened after the door shut. Was she crying? He heard soft sniffling and the shuffling of clothes from her duffle bag. He opened the door. She was wrapped in one of his towels, her nose red and her face damp. He didn’t mean to make her cry, lord knows he didn’t. He was madly in love with her; was willing to risk his freedom for her if he had to. “Come here ma’.” He said softly. Her eyes were puffy and red which broke his heart. “Come here ma’” he pleaded. She didn’t go to him. She just looked at him. He stepped inside and took her palms in gently pulled her out into an embrace. He made her look at him. “Danielle, you didn’t give me a chance to respond. Baby, I am so in love with you it hurts. I was just in shock that you were so honest and I didn’t know that you felt that way. If you don’t believe me when I say that I am in love with you, then let me prove it to you.” He went in the bathroom and cut the shower water on. She was still standing in the hall where had left her, wrapped in the towel, holding herself. When the water was just right, he stripped down and beckoned for her to come in with him and she did. She took off the towel and he helped her into the shower. It was a bit of a tight squeeze but he was able to maneuver himself around her. He held her gaze as he took the washcloth and the squeezed out the body wash onto it. He stole glances of her body, of course and what a sight it was to see. Her sun kissed brown skin was absolutely radiant under the spray. He carefully took the towel and massaged it onto her skin and made sure to wash every inch of body. Her hair went from straight to now curly which gave her a more erotic appeal. After washing each section of her body he lightly plant a kiss and by the time he was done he had literally covered her with kisses. She returned the favor, not only showering him with the soap but also with her affection and when they were done, he did what he always did and scooped her up, taking her not to the bedroom but to the kitchen. They were both wrapped in towels. He sat her down at the table, took her plate and warmed it up, then brought it back to her, only for him to return the favor and feed her with his bare hands. All of this done in silence, She didn’t need to speak and neither did he. It wasn’t until she said she was full, is when he spoke. “Now, do you believe me?” She smiled. Of course she did. “Now I want you to remember this whenever you start doubting how I feel.” “I feel like I’m in a dream.” “So do I,” Trey said. “Where I’m from what I just did would look like some sucka shit. But I told you ma’ that I would be your prince if you let me. So, are we good?” “We are more than good, Trey…until my heart stops beating there is no way I see myself ever being without you. You know how I feel.” “Until your heart stops beating?” He repeated. “Until my heart stops beating.” Trey had to smile at that. Until her heart stops beating? Shit, that wasn’t going to be until they were old and grey. But somewhere in the back of his mind, someone was going to try to change that, and that someone had made a deal with the devil.

Love At Last… Sample Chapter

Love At Last

Chapter 14

Trey

Damn she looks good, Trey thought to himself when he saw Danielle walk out from behind the elevator doors. It was as if she had stepped out of Heaven and this was one shot of meeting an angel. That skirt she wore, hugged her slender curves tight, cupping a nice handful of a perfect behind. He cocoa brown skinned glowed from underneath the fluorescent lights and this time, she wore her hair down, framing her oval face. He could have kissed her right then. She looked much taller in her heels and those long legs of hers were something to die for. Pain still shown from the depths of her eyes but only a person who knew pain could see it. But her smile is what made his heart beat fast and pray that when he hugged her, she didn’t notice his hard-on.

He had a surprise for her. As corny as it was he it would be nice for them to take a trip to Disneyland. First date at the happiest place on earth, go figure. He wanted to show her a good time but also be at ease with her and he figured a theme park was the way to do it. The tickets were ridiculous but he had not done anything like this for a woman in long time so it was worth it. He took her hand and led her to his car which was parked out front. Her eyes widened with excitement when she saw his ride. “You have a nice car.” She said. He opened the door for her to get in. “Thanks ma’. What? You thought I drove a bucket?” she smirked. “No, well? I don’t know. At the end of the day it really doesn’t matter. You thought I didn’t have a car.” Tray barked out a laugh. “Ok you got me, but you did ride three trains ma’…I’m just saying.” “Whatever.” She laughed. “You look beautiful,” Trey told her. He had already given her a dozen compliments but it just didn’t seem like it was enough, especially since each time he did it he could tell that it made her blush. “Thank you Trey. And I must say you look very nice yourself.” She said. “Good enough to eat.” Well that did it. Trey needed to get them moving lest he ruined the date before it even began by making a move on her. “Don’t talk like that ma’,” he said. “You make a nigga wanna do things and this is only our first date.” She chuckled. “I’m sorry.” “Naw, don’t be,” Trey started the engine. And with that, they were on their way.

The drive from Downtown Los Angeles to Anaheim was a breeze, despite the traffic. Fortunately, the theme park was closing late which even though they didn’t make in the gate and into the park until almost four, Trey was happy as hell that he had decided to take her. She nearly jumped out the car with excitement when she realized where they were. “Oh my God Trey!” She said. “You brought me to Disneyland? I haven’t been here in ages.” Trey had tried to play it off like it was no big deal but inside…he couldn’t explain it. Once inside the park, they held hands and what Trey was assuming was out of pure joy she surprised him with a kiss on the lips. It wasn’t a quick peck either, she lingered just long enough for him to ease his tongue into her mouth. She pulled away embarrassed at being so forward but Trey just pulled her in again and kissed her the way that he had been wanting to from the moment he saw her. Her lips were soft and full and light to the touch. Trey didn’t kiss her with too much passion or force, but just enough to where he pulled her so close to him, he could feel her heart beating through her chest. It told him she was just as nervous and scared as he was but she wanted him. A few cheers were heard in the background, and one of the theme park’s photographers had snapped a few shots of them. The moment was magical. He pulled away from her and gently slid her from his embrace and realized that they had been locked in a kiss for more than a few minutes. She looked like she was in a daze and quite frankly he was too. He still had her by the waist and when she tried to gently pull away, Trey said, “Uh ma’? Could you give me a minute to get it together? You blew a nigga’s mind so that I can’t think straight.” She looked like she didn’t know what the it was for a second but then once she caught on she hugged him so more and kissed his cheek.

Her closeness didn’t make his situation better, but after some adjusting he managed to get himself at least halfway together so that they could enjoy the park. They rode as many rides as they could; Space Mountain, the Manahorn, and Indiana Jones (twice), she even convinced him to get on Rodger Rabbits Wild Ride just for the hell of it. Trey couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun. After two hours however, they had to stop at a gift store to buy her a pair of sandals because she had forgotten hers in the car. He was almost outraged at having to pay $22.50 for a pair of paper thin sandals-not that he couldn’t afford to, but on principles. But the annoyance quickly dissipated when he saw how relieved she looked taking off her wedged shoes and slipping her feet into something much more comfortable. Damn, even her feet was pretty. Perfectly pedicured toes, painted with a turquoise blue… “Hey ma’ let me help you with that,” Trey said stooping low to take off her left shoe and slipping on her sandal. “Dang Trey, you make me feel like Cinderella.” She gushed. Trey smiled, which was something he had been doing the whole day. “I could be your prince any day if you let me…” Trey stood up and gathered her into another embrace. She leaned in and whispered into his ear something that damn near broke his heart. “I’m scared Trey…each second that I am with you I am falling for you and I shouldn’t. I don’t want to feel this way because, I think that once I truly fall, I am going to hit the ground hard.” He pulled away and stared into her eyes which had begun to water. “I don’t know if I deserve this Trey…I have been abused, and scarred and I am still hurting. I just want you to understand that I can’t go through another round of heartache again. So if this is a game or a ruse, be honest with me now.” She wiped her face. “Aww shit I have ruined everything huh?” Trey didn’t know how to respond or what to say. He knew there was pain lying just beneath her skin and all of it having to do with King. But what moved him the most was the fact that she felt she didn’t deserve to be happy. Trey was no sucker for a woman; he had been with many and most of them had attempted to run all types of game on him but to no avail. Yet, he could not deny the fact that she wasn’t the only one who was falling. Hell, if he could he would make her his girl right now, but he figured that they needed a little more time. She looked so vulnerable and even though she was pretty tall, in her fragile state she was small. He took her hands in his and kissed them. “I’m not playing a game with you Danielle. Even if I wanted to, I can’t. There is something about you that makes me want to be there for you as your friend and hopefully one day soon, as your man. I can’t change what King did to you and what he put you through but I can tell you that I won’t hurt you. I’d leave you before I do that. Just know that I got you and…”He leaned in and whispered,” I will catch you, so feel free to fall.” Her smile slowly crept into a full grin. “You know you this is the first time you said my name since we met?” she asked. He laughed. “I do call you ma’ a lot don’t I? Well, what do you prefer?” She looked at him sheepishly. That shy smile of hers a beacon for all the wrongs that went on in his life again reappeared. She didn’t say anything, but he knew the answer. “Ma’ it is then. So what ride you want to get on next?” “I’m hungry actually,” came her reply. “Good me too. Let’s go find us some ribs or something’”, Trey said taking her hand. “Ribs?” she laughed. “Hell yeah. I aint have none in a minute. Let’s go, I think there is a restaurant over by that Dumbo ride.” She laughed some more. “Ribs it is then.”

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Last-Delizhia-Denise-Jenkins/dp/1505376092/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419997217&sr=8-1&keywords=love+at+last+by+delizhia+jenkins

Blind Salvation: Kennedy

Kennedy

Kennedy was not sure what to think. It was common for Marisol to do a drop in but this was a really inconvenient time. She had two vampires in the house and she definitely did not need any more complications. But then, she could not hide the excitement of her best friend being able to meet the man-well vampire- that had pretty much stolen her heart and saved her life in less than a week. Hubert barked in excitement as she opened the door and she could see the shadowy outline of her curvy friend. Marisol wore her hair “big” today: it was a wild, giant mass of dark tightly coiled curls that sat proudly on top of her head and surrounded an oval face, tanned skin, thin lips and a single dimple. Marisol leaned in for a hug and then stooped down to pet and rub the all too eager Hubert who panted and wagged his tail so hard that Kennedy was scarred he was going to tilt over.

“I tried to call you girlie,” Marisol chirped. “But you-who the hell is that you have hiding in your house?” Marisol all but swooned as she took in the full visual magnificence that made Damien, Damien. Kennedy turned to see him standing a few feet behind her, right at the entry of what was the living room. Of course what she saw was a shadowy outline but then, for just a second, she could see in color the most handsomely chiseled face grinning at her. And then there was those midnight blue eyes that stared straight into her, piercing more than just her heart, but the very fabric of her soul. And then it was back to shadows and outlines. She blinked twice.  “Well aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend Kennedy,” came that smooth velvety voice of his interrupting her thoughts. “Oh yes! I’m sorry,” Kennedy chuckled awkwardly. For a second, she could see clearly. She saw his face and lord he was beautiful and he wanted…her. She beckoned for him to come closer and he took her into a full embrace. “Marisol, this is-“ “Her mate” Damien replied before realizing that he used the wrong terminology. What did humans call each other? Marisol chuckled. ”Mate?” “He means uh, boyfriend,” Kennedy said trying to laugh it off. She would definitely have to school him on some common human vernacular and terms.

Marisol offered her hand for a shake, one in which Kennedy could tell Damien was reluctant to accept. “I was just stopping by to invite Kennedy over to my family’s place for dinner. Alejandro-“ Damien frowned and held Kennedy possessively at the mention of another man’s name. “Who is this Alejandro?” He heard himself say. Kennedy laughed. Marisol glanced at Kennedy awkwardly, giving her a puzzled expression. Kennedy simply shrugged. She had no idea why Marisol would bother to mention Alejandro’s name. She had no interest and never had any interest in dating her brother. He was a nice guy but… there was no chemistry there, well at least on her part. “Alejandro is my brother and he had asked me to stop by and see if Kennedy would come by,” Marisol said carefully. “My dad is cooking this time and he said he needs an unbiased connoisseur of his cooking to judge his ‘culinary mastery’-his words. Alejandro thought-“ “Well, she isn’t coming,” Damien said firmly. Kennedy gently released herself from Damien and softly placed her hand on his cheek, a gesture he welcomed wholeheartedly. “It’s ok Damien. I got this.” She turned to her friend who was glaring at Damien as if she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. “You know what Marisol? I can’t tonight. Damien and I were about to take off for the night-“ “Are you ok?” Marisol said, returning her heat seeking glare to Damien who offered her one back and she backed away to the door. “You know what mija? Just call me. I will tell my dad and Alejandro,” she said with more emphasis on the ‘dro,”that you had to do a rain check. I will save you a plate.” Marisol was out of the door before either Damien or Kennedy could reply. “That’s your best friend?” He said skeptically. “Hey, you did come off a little strong…” Kennedy said calmly. “And why would Alejandro-“ “Look, there is and will never be anything between me and Marisol’s brother. The man has always had a soft spot for me but I see him as nothing more than family.” Shaking her head and feeling a mixture of emotions that she was ill prepared to deal with. She needed to go back to why Damien had been in her room packing her things.

She inched her way past Damien and journeyed to her parent’s room to find the shadowy figure of Lucinda resting comfortably on her parent’s bed. “Has dinner left yet?” She said sarcastically. Kennedy just brushed her off. There was no way she was going to deal with that right now. Suddenly she felt overwhelmed and trapped. She could feel Damien’s presence behind her and even though she was annoyed with him, she could not stay upset with him. Spoiled prince. “Please don’t be angry with me,” he said apologetically. “I just don’t like the idea of another man being with you and enjoying your company.” She smiled. ‘It’s ok Damien. But try to chill. I don’t want her thinking that I am in a controlling relationship where I am being abused.” “I would never hurt you!” Damien exclaimed, outraged. “Well in a lot of human relationships, women sometimes find themselves in the presence of men who beat them, control them and just do horrific things to them.” “Damien would hurt himself before he hurts you,” Lucinda interjected. “And now that we have that established, Damien please take note that the sun will be setting soon and Rothbart has been parked outside of this house for God knows how long. We have to go.” “Who is Rothbart?” Kennedy asked. “Kennedy, before your friend rudely interrupted us I was about to inform you that a man, a threat to my kind has been spying on us.” Damien tried to explain. “Why?” “Because he is a Slayer and that is what he does,” Lucinda added, sounding as bored as ever. “I will take care of you. I promise.” Damien swore as he closed her suitcase. “So how do you plan on transporting her out of here?” Lucinda asked getting out of the bed. Damien frowned at Lucinda whom like always, smiled at him pleased with his response. “Damn it Lucinda! Can’t you at least be of some assistance?” Damien spat. “Call father. Have him send an escort. You can’t dematerialize you, her, the dog, or her things… and neither can I .”  Kennedy could feel Damien’s gaze and the subtle realization flooded her senses: Once she left this house, her life would never be the same. “Hubert! Leash!” she called to the retriever. She slipped on a pair of flip flops and Hubert hurried over to her with his leash. “Call whomever you have to call. We are ready to go.”

Spoiler: Love At Last….#Him

Chapter 6

Him

It had been two weeks since me and King’s fall out. I only went back to the apartment once and that was when I knew for sure he was not there. My brother had come with me to collect the rest of my things: my clothes, personal paper work such as my car insurance policy, and that was basically it. He could have it ALL. I am just so ready to move on with my life and to start anew. I mean, don’t get me wrong, in the two weeks that King and I have been apart, I did miss him-terribly. The night that I left, King called me so much that I had to turn my phone off just to get some peace. The first twenty voicemail messages he left were basically him begging for me to come home. “Baby I’m sorry”, “So when are you going to come home”, and “I miss you”, you know the usual. The same thing went with the fifty plus text messages he sent and all of them went ignored. I did not speak to him until three days later, after I had cried and vented to my mom and my brother so much that I was beyond exhausted. I even called out of work for a couple of days because I just could not pull it together. Kendra had even called, and like King’s her calls went unanswered. I will deal with her in due time. My mom did tell me that Kendra did come by, but since I was finally sleeping so peacefully, she did not want to disturb me. But, like I said, I will deal with her in due time. Patience has always been my virtue.

So here I am back at work and trying to get back into the full swing of things; but as a single woman. I no longer feel like I have to work for two people. I do not have to come in super early to squeeze in some overtime. I can sleep at night, peacefully without having to deal with King and his insomnia issues. I do not have to deal with King at all…Sitting in front of my computer screen struggling to concentrate on imputing the client’s information into the system, it is hard to digest the fact that I am…free. Free from King and all of his drama. Free from tears and burrowed resentment. Free to be who I am. Free to…just then my line rings. “Lender’s Disability, this is Danielle speaking. How may I help you?” I say clearly and confident into the receiver. Damn, even my confidence has went up. “Danielle, this is King”. My heart drops. Of course King would call me at work. “What is it?” I say. God this man just refuses to leave me alone. “So you are just not coming home, huh?” That was not really a question. It was more of a demand. “And why should I King?” “Look I was wrong. We can work this out. We have been together for five years, Danni” (now he is using my nickname…typical but not going to work). I roll my eyes wishing that I could be somewhere else doing something else-anything but being in this moment, having this conversation. “And what does that mean?” I ask. “There is nothing to work out.” “So what after one little fight you’re just willing to throw everything away?” King replied. By the way he sounded, he seemed a little…hurt. “You threw everything away every time you lied to me…every time you” (I whispered into the receiver so that no one could hear what I had to say next) “slept with other bitches and especially when you put your hands on me King. You blamed me for everything that went wrong in your selfish little world and-““Baby I’m sorry…” He croaked. “Yes King you are sorry. And I bet the only reason why you are even putting this much effort into bringing me back is because you have no idea how you are going to pay the rent on your own this month.” There was a pause. “Man fuck you then Danielle. I don’t need your stupid ass anyways-“There was something in those words fuck you that made me see pure red. This was the last time he was going to utter those words to me ever again. “Good. Because after tomorrow I am removing my name from the cable, the lights, the gas AND that lease. Have a nice life King.” And, with that I disconnected the call.  Suddenly, I felt a massive headache coming on so I reach into my bottom drawer and pull out a bottle of Advil that I keep on hand for moments like these. I get up and walk a few steps over to the communal water cooler, grab one those itsy-bitsy Dixie cups and fill the cup with water. Just as I pop my pill and take a seat, Martha, the firm’s receptionist who was also a charmingly vibrant older woman with an infectious Colgate smile, tanned skin and blue eyes approaches my desk. She had to be in her fifties but had such a youthful spirit, her age was the last thing anyone ever thought about. She wore her hair cut short in one of those Bob type styles and she recently died her hair this reddish brown color. Today she wore a yellow cardigan with matching wedge shoes and grey slacks. She wore a look of deep concern on her face. I force myself to smile. “Hey Martha. How are you?” She smiles back. “I’m ok Danielle, but the question is are you?” I raise an eyebrow, please don’t tell me King called and is harassing everyone in the building. “I’m fine. What’s going on?” She clears her throat before speaking. “There is a young man who keeps calling here looking for you. He told me his name was King. I think you should get back to him as soon as possible.” All I could do was shake my head. “Either that or file a restraining order against him.” “Thank you Martha, will do.” I turn and face the computer screen and pretend to be preoccupied with something of importance so that I won’t have to respond to the probing questions she has written all over her face. “Seriously Danielle, you should get a restraining order or at least tell that young man of yours to leave you the hell alone.” With that, Martha turned to go back to her desk. All I could do is rub my temples and pray that the day went on without any more King issues. But, like most things that have happened to me in my life, the thought alone was too good to be true.

The day went on without a hitch. King did not call me at all since and that was great. I just want to be done with the situation. After I punched out for the day and slipped my favorite bubble gum pink flip flops on, I begin my walk to the train station. I pull out my phone and my headphones so I would not have to be entertained by my thoughts that could easily turn depressing, and I guess I wasn’t paying much attention because I accidentally walk right into a young man who was exiting a tattoo shop. I dropped my phone while my headphones went flying in another direction. He and I both bend down at the same time to pick up my phone only to make a clumsy situation even clumsier. We bumped heads. “I am so sorry!” I shout, immediately straightening myself out. He hands me my phone. “It’s all good ma’. Are you alright?” I accept my phone and nod, “I’m ok. How about yourself?” Just then, our eyes meet and I do not want to sound cliché but there was a very strong connection. It was as if I knew him from somewhere, but where? I immediately brush off the feeling and scold myself for being so silly. Clearly we are not two star-crossed lovers. What I am is an emotional wreck and incredibly vulnerable and…those eyes, those slanted almond shaped eyes…”I’m good ma’. Hey you look real familiar do I know you from somewhere?” He asked. Couldn’t be…or could it? Stuff like this only happens to white people in movies. Maybe I’m trippin’…”No, don’t think so,” I say. I put my phone in my bag. I gotta get out of here, I think to myself. I think I am going crazy. “You seem like a nice person,” Mr. Slanted eyes says. “I am, or at least I try to be,” I reply. I check my watch. “Are you in a hurry? Where are you coming from?” “I uh, ummm I am coming from work…” “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be in your biz or nothing it’s just-“No, no it’s fine. You’re good.” I hate myself. I’m such a lame. “Oh ok cool.” My mind is telling me to leave and that I have enough issues (namely King) but my feet refuse to listen. “So, you were getting a tattoo?” I ask, wishing that I could think of something else more charming or witty to say just to keep us trapped in this moment for just a few minutes longer. “Oh no ma’ I was here earlier with one of my homeboys while he was getting tatted up and I lost my brand new IPhone 5 so I came all the way back here to see if anyone found it. I’m pissed off man.” He looked around and then back at me. “That sucks. Those phones are super expensive…you had insurance on it though, right?” “Yeah, but they was like, it’s gonna take 7-14 business days, so I am basically without a phone until then. Plus all of my contacts and pictures of my son…” In the dimming light I could see his frustration. “Well, again I am sorry about your phone. But, I really have to get going now. I still have a train to catch.” “Oh you’re catching the Redline?” he asked. “Uh yes…” “Oh, well would you mind if I walked you?” I was not sure what to do at that moment other than say, “I don’t mind”.  And there it was. We walked a steady, even pace and during the first few minutes of silence I snuck peeks at him. He wasn’t very tall. As a matter of fact he was shorter than King. He was maybe 2 inches taller than me and I am 5’7”. He had a slim build and a medium brown complexion. His lips weren’t full, but they were nice, he was clean shaven even though his moustache and beard looked more like peach fuzz. But I just couldn’t get over his eyes. He must have caught me looking at him because then he said,” You look good too ma’”. I never blushed before, and black people (unless they are very light) do not blush, but I felt the blood rush to my face. I couldn’t help but respond with a cheeky grin. “I forgot to ask,” he goes on, “but do you have a man? I got so caught up in not letting you get away that I-““NO!” I did not mean for it to come out that way but it did. “I mean, no, no I don’t”. Then he and I just burst out laughing for seemingly no reason at all. We continue on with our walk. “So what’s your name?” I ask. Good Lord, I am actually nervous. I thought all sense of shame went out the window with King, but I guess not. “Trey,” he says. “And yours ma’?” “Danielle.” I don’t really understand the whole “ma’” thing, but whatever. He could call me “ma’” all he wants. “Danielle…” he breathes, “so what do you do Miss Danielle. You look real professional,” his eyes gloss over me as if he taking me in and storing me away in a mental rolodex…and then he sees my feet. Mind you I keep my feet pedicured so there is never any crust I need to be ashamed of but my bubble gum colored flip flops did look out of place with my grey slacks and black my black blazer with white tank. “Please don’t judge me,” I giggle, “But my shoes were killing me and I keep a pair of flip flops on me for after work.” He cracks a smile. “It’s all good. I get it. I have five sisters so I know how it is.”  In that instance, the walls came tumbling down on both parts. We both opened up about our lives and what we had to deal with and what we wanted in the future. I briefly talked about King and I informed him that our relationship was over for good. He talked a little about his sons mother and what she was putting him through, and to me, she sounded like a piece of work. Of course, you can’t believe everything a person tells you because folks lie and because you typically hear only one side of the story. But, the woman did sound like she had a couple of screws loose. By the time we made it to the platform, I felt like I had known him forever. “So where do you get off at?” he asked. I told him the name of the stop and that I also have to transfer trains. “Damn ma’ you live that far?” I nod. It was strange. I didn’t want him to leave. I could have stayed on that platform all night just to be in his presence for a while longer. He must have read my mind because he says, “I will ride with you, and don’t worry about me being a stalker it’s just that it is late and a woman such as yourself has no business riding a train alone.” I thought I had died and went to Heaven. I have a hard enough time trying to get a man to open a door for me let alone ride a couple of trains with me just to see me safe. I didn’t know what to do or how to even react. “Thank you but you don’t have to do that. I’m a big girl, I do this daily.” “You need a car ma’.” He said. If it was not for the fact that he had already earned 1000 points in my book, I might have been offended. “I have a car. It’s parked at my last stop in the parking lot. I just hate driving the freeway.” If his jaws could have fallen to the floor, I am quite sure they would have. He seemed stunned. It was obvious he wasn’t expecting that. “Well I’ll be damned. Alright then,” he said. “But I am still going to ride with you and I will even walk you to your car.” Would it have been too much if I had kissed him right then and there? I feel like I am in a dream. “Sounds good…I could use the company”, was my reply.

The train ride, well to be specific, all three train rides had me in a bliss. On each train he sat on the seat nearest the edge, like he was protecting me from everything and everyone-and I never felt safer. He wore a black hooded sweater over some khakis, and black and white Nikes. The day had finally gave way for night and the air was borderline freezing. The evening rush was near its end and I found myself wishing that I had a time machine just so I could start the day over again and relive this magical encounter. Our conversation never ceased, even when we changed trains, it was like we were in our own world…truly an enchanted moment. By the time we had exited my last train and he escorted me to my car, I felt bad that he had traveled so far with me. I started to ask him if he needed a ride but as soon as my mouth moved to say a word he says,” Don’t worry about me ma’. My car is parked right over there at that tattoo shop.” “But I feel so bad that you traveled all this way with me and now you have go all the way back.” He shook his head. “It was worth it, believe that.” “At least let me drive you…” “I thought you hate driving the freeway?” He smirked “I do but-““No buts,” he said. “Unlock your car.” I hesitated for a moment. Fear began to creep in. Was this a set up? I do so against my better judgment and he walks along to the driver side and opens the door. “Get in.” I do as instructed and once I am inside, I say, “You forgot to ask for my number.” His smile is big…and beautiful. “I surely did. Damn ma’, you got a nigga all discombobulated. You got a pen and some paper? You know what happened to my phone”. I reach over into my glove compartment and find a pen and a pad. I write my number down. “Don’t lose this.” I tell him. Then I scold myself for sounding desperate. He laughs. “Trust me I won’t. Now, start your car. I’m not leaving until I see you drive off.” This man unknowingly scoured another two million points in my book. King who? I fasten my seatbelt and start my car. “I feel like I am saying goodbye to my best friend or something,” he chuckles. “Me too,” I say a little sad. “But look ma’ I’m going to call you. I never met a woman like you before…let alone ride three trains with her to her car. Be safe ma’.” “Goodnight Trey. I look forward to that call.” And with that I rolled up my window, reversed, and honked my horn as a final goodnight and I pulled away. And as I drove off I felt like I   had just left that missing piece of me right there in the parking lot.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/465611

Spoiler: Love At Last…Meet Danielle.

Chapter One

Danielle

Monday Is a Bitch

I hate early mornings, but I especially hate MONDAY mornings. But hey, I know that I am not alone in my hatred for the first day of the work week. You see, Monday mornings are incredibly hectic in my household; they are constant reminders as to why I should be single. My boyfriend of five years live together in a small one bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, and before I go any further, rent ain’t cheap ok? Which means that we BOTH have to work. Unfortunately, I am the only one who does (and has been since the first of last year when he lost his job as an account manager for a mid-sized security company) and I will most assuredly get to that later. So, for over a year I have found myself having to go in TWO hours early just to squeeze in some overtime. As a matter of fact last week I had to beg, plead and borrow just to scrape up the money to turn our lights back on AND buy some food for the house. Any who, back to the reason why Mondays are a bitch: I have to get up at four, attempt to do some housekeeping before I leave (even though I will have to do it again when I come home) and then beat feet out the door before “his majesty” wakes up and asks me a million questions which when dealing with him has the potential to make me late. And God forbid he rolls over and decides that he wants some early morning “cookie”. But thankfully, today is the day that period has decided to grace me with its presence, so just as I am grabbing my bag and my jacket, I hear nothing but loud snoring coming from the bedroom.

I hate driving, especially downtown Los Angeles so I usually just park my car (a 2000 all white Honda Accord) in the Green-line parking structure and ride the train to work and today is no exception. I park my car between a beat up forest green Sudan and a 1995 funny colored BMW, slip on my flip-flops (yes I wear them on my way to work. You try walking in five inch heels all day riding public transportation and walking to and fro and you will quickly find out that before the end of the day, your feet will hate you.), load my “work shoes” and my lunch in my favorite tote bag, do a once over in my mirror to make sure I at least do not have any food stuck in my teeth and make my way to the train. I say a little prayer that even at 5:15 in the morning, my ride to work is uneventful and that instead of laying in the bed all day and eating us out of house and home, the man with the title “boyfriend” is in front of the computer screen and making use of the resume I put together for him. I hate Mondays. I really do.

I work for a small law firm on 5th and Wilshire as a legal assistant. The pay is ok, all things considered but being the go-getter that I am I am working on my paralegal certification. And before you say anything Paralegals make good money, at least in my case good enough for me to move on from my living situation. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure somewhere in the pit of my stomach I do love King (again don’t. say. Anything. I am not the one who named him) BUUUUUUUUUUT he has done quite a bit of damage not only to me but to our relationship and as I have gotten older and much more mature I have realized that I don’t have to take that shit. Excuse the ghetto that just came out of me but it is the truth.

Moving on, I already have my Bachelors of Arts in Liberal Studies from Cal-State Dominguez but what the hell am I going to do with that? Now that the job market is messed up I need to do something that is practical and that I will not have to worry about the field coming to an end. And it is painstakingly clear that people with legal problems are never going to go away and there is such a wide range of law to work around in, I figured why not? I did at one time want to be a lawyer, which is still a dream that I may pursue, and I already work at a law firm so again, why not?

So, where was I? Oh yes, so I work as a legal assistant at a Disability law firm. I have been there for a little over two years and I feel that it is time for some advancement. Between being the sole provider for my household AND paying off my student loans, I most definitely need to upgrade. It is unfortunate that I am the only African American, black person, Negro, whatever the politically correct term for a person of African descent is that works at the firm. Everyone else is either Mexican, or white and there is that lone Asian that ironically works in accounting. I have good report with everyone, or in laymen’s terms, it is pretty chill. I actually enjoy working in a professional environment. My pay is salary based and not hourly; I know that everyone here has some formal degree of education or training and my benefits package is nothing to complain about: full medical and dental coverage, 401K, a free gym membership to 24 Hour Fitness (which I have yet to use) and access to a company owned time share in Lake Tahoe.

Stepping off of my last train, it is now almost six in the morning and my REAL shift does not begin until 9, but I have to do what I have to do so I guess I should not complain. The walk is a long 15 minutes and I say long because each block is a stretch. The sun has yet to fully peek over the horizon; the early shades of blue are barely breaking through the still darkened sky. The air is crisp, clean and ridiculously chilly. Granted, it is still in the middle of winter (early January) and I do prefer the cold but as I expressed earlier, it is Monday and I would have still loved to lay in the bed for an extra hour. My toes have lost all feeling due to the freezing temperature, but once I am inside the building and can relax and enjoy the warmth and comfort of the heater, my toes will be just fine.

Throughout the course of my walk, I realized nothing has changed in this area. I see the same old abandoned buildings that squatters have taken control of; the streets are littered with trash and last night’s festivities; I see the same drunkard passed out on his favorite bus bench snoring peacefully; and the same homeless woman who has been on the streets for so long she has forgotten who she is. She reeks of a combination of smells; smells that are from her lack of care in her personal hygiene and just from living in the streets. She holds what appears to be meaningful conversations with herself as there is no one who is physically there to entertain her. There have been days where it was quite clear that whoever she was talking to had pissed her all the way off and as I am a couple of blocks away from her I could still hear her voice ranting and shouting at the top of her lungs at this invisible manifestation of her outrage. My heart goes out to her, and today is not any different.

As I finally approach the building where I work I quicken my pace because it is a little after six and I need as much overtime as I can get, but just as I open the door to enter the five story building my phone buzzes. It’s a text message from King. It read, “What time are u off?” It takes everything in me to not reply with something nasty but instead I swallow my anger and reply,” 6. Why?” He does not answer me back and at this point I could care less. It is a damn shame that at six in the morning I already have an attitude so I turn my Samsung Galaxy III off and toss it back in my bag. I acknowledge the overweight security guard who sits at his desk in the lobby with a quick,” Good morning” and make my way over to the ladies room to put on the black pumps that I purchased from Target. The shoes add an additional four inches to my already 5’7” height. My black slacks are slimming and my favorite white gold buttoned blouse makes me feel a bit better about myself. Here at work, I keep my black shoulder length black hair pulled back in a neat little bun and since I wear no make-up I take pride in keeping my cocoa brown skin healthy looking. I do one last once over in the mirror, apply some Chap stick and even though by no stretch of the imagination am I fat, I remind myself that maybe it is time that I use that free gym membership. Then I make my way to the elevator, press the button for the fifth floor and prepare to start my day. Monday mornings are truly a bitch. Let’s hope that the rest of the day is not.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/465611

My Author Bio

There is not much to say about me. I wish I could say with honesty that writing was a destiny that simply fell into my lap; that I was meant to do this and in the next year or so my name will be written on the skyline; that I will be sitting on Oprah’s couch on her Next Chapter; and my work will be the next block buster. But I cannot. I will not. I am a 28-no excuse me, 29 year old woman with a long list of dreams and goals that have only been recently introduced to the light. So, what is there to say about me? Well, I used to write poems that eventually turned into song lyrics back in my teen years which led me to believe that I was going to be a ghostwriter for the likes of Destiny’s Child. Clearly that never happened. Just like every other passing whim of a dreamy eyed girl those words disappeared back into the ether perhaps to be syphoned back into the third dimension by some other dreamer with the heart to pursue their vision.

And then I unwillingly became an adult: and one can only guess how the cycle went; relationships, a relationship that eventually led to a child and a tumultuous road of ups and downs and disappointment. And then I got over myself and picked myself up. I put away the pen and sought more practical pursuits like giving college a final attempt. I decided to go through the for profit route: Westwood College. There, I was able to receive my Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice in three years leaving me feeling like my victory in accomplishing something was hollow. Now what?

I drifted. I did what adults have to do to take care of their families. I struggled, and in that struggle forgot about my ambitions on changing the world through some sort of activism to just hoping to land that position that would provide me with the stability that I was searching for. Throughout the pursuit of my education I was encouraged to write. “You’re an excellent story teller,” came one instructor. “Help me with my paper,” came a fellow student. I know, I know how does this relate to this particular point in my life? Looking back, I remembered. I remembered how much I enjoyed a good read. I remembered the many nights that my muse would haunt me with visions of vibrant and amazing characters begging me to bring them to life; to give them a story and a name and a purpose. I fought with myself; denying this sudden urge to become my own creator because I did not believe that I could write; and that my writing could affect someone somehow. I jotted down my ideas lest they end up forgotten and kept them safe until I was ready.

So, I bought a laptop, and it could not have come at a better time because as I was struggling with a great deal of emotional conflicts, I wrote an urban drama entitled Love At Last. Once that was accomplished, I gave one of the most challenging characters I created her story in Nubia Rising. As a fan of the L.A. Banks Vampire Huntress Legends series, I was inspired after her death in 2011 to create my own heroine. A heroine that would live on long after my time on earth is complete; and in that discovery, and in all of the hours of reading and research and bible studies (yes, Bible studies), I found her path which inevitably is my path.

My journey as an author and as an individual rests within that of the supernatural; the paranormal; the abnormal; the shadows behind every single myth and legend and conspiracy one could find. My goal is to blur the lines of the literary world… to challenge its fears of what most would think to be the unaccepted. So, now that I have introduced the first chapter in my life, only God can write the next.

*Check out my first published e-book Love At Last on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/NubianNeteru*