Page 18 of Mr. Right Now
He kissed her one last time, then held the car door open and waited for her to get in. So many emotions swirled inside of Jayana. Her head kept telling her it was too soon, but her heart said something completely different. He drove a couple of miles, then turned into the driveway of a two-story home in a Manhattan Beach neighborhood with stately homes and manicured lawns. “This is your house? It’s gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” He led her up the walkway, unlocked the door and moved back for her to enter first.
Jayana stepped into a wide foyer that opened into a huge living room. Her footsteps echoed on the highly polished wood floors. The open floor plan was flooded with natural light and she zeroed in on the beautiful black piano on the far side. He had an expansive kitchen with a breakfast bar and two islands, and a sliding glass door that led to an outdoor patio. On the other side sat a family room with dark leather furniture. She knew, instinctively, that he spent a lot of time there. “I love this place. How long have you lived here?”
“Five years.”
“I want to see the rest of the house, but first, you promised to play the piano for me.” She hooked her arm in his and nearly dragged him back to the living room.
Dante slid onto the bench and pressed a few keys. “What do you want to hear?”
She shrugged. “Whatever your fingers play.” When he mentioned playing the piano, she figured it had been a hobby of sorts, but from the first slow jazzy note, the man played as if he should be on a stage headlining somewhere. She stood transfixed as he played. One song ended and he started another, this one mid-tempo. When it ended, she had tears in her eyes.
“What is it, sweetheart?”
Jayana was so overcome with emotion, she could barely speak. “You are amazing. What were you playing?”
“Both pieces are by Ramsey Lewis. The first one was ‘Love’s Serenade’ and the second was ‘A Night in Bahia’.” My mom loves his music, so I learned to play quite a few of his songs.”
She reached up and touched his face. “You are truly gifted, Dante.” Unable to find the words for how his music made her feel, she let her kiss say it all. What started as soft and sweet turned hot and all-consuming in a nanosecond. She didn’t know who moved first, but their clothes went flying and they ended up with him sitting on the piano bench while she straddled his lap.
“Hold up,” Dante said, his breathing as ragged as hers. He reached down for his discarded pants, grabbed a condom out of his wallet and quickly sheathed himself.
Before she could draw her next breath, he gripped her hips and brought slowly down on his thick erection. Jayana moaned as he filled her completely. Never leaving his gaze, she lifted off him, then eased back down, swirling her hips in a figure eight motion. She repeated the motion a few more times until he increased the pace, moving with deep, steady thrusts. Their blended cries sounded in the room and she dug her nails into his muscular shoulders, holding on for the exquisite ride he was giving her. “Mmm.”
“I can’t get enough of you.” He let out a low growl, his strokes coming faster and faster.
Jayana threw her head back as her body trembled with pleasure unlike anything she’d ever felt. He latched on to an erect nipple, sucking, teasing, and making her cry out again.
“Come for me, baby,” he whispered, then slanted his mouth over hers, mimicking the movements of his lower body.
She tore her mouth away, her back arched as the pressure built inside her. He cupped her bare bottom and drove his shaft deeper and faster until she climaxed all around him, screaming his name. “Dante!” A moment later, he yelled out her name, shuddering as he came. Jayana dropped her head on his shoulder, her body boneless and completely satisfied. Dante’s arms tightened around her and they stayed that way for the longest time. She lifted her head and he crushed his mouth against hers in a deep, passionate kiss infused with something she couldn’t identify.
“I can’t move.”
“Me either,” she said with a soft moan. Her eyelids grew heavy and she started to drift off. “I love you.”What did I just say?Her eyes popped open and she muttered a curse, but she didn’t move a muscle. Neither did Dante. When he didn’t say anything, she released the breath she’d been holding and relaxed, but only marginally. Had she meant it? Yes. Had she meant to say it out loud…andnow? Hell no! Was she going to address it? Absolutely not.Please don’t let me have scared the man off.
* * *
Dante reread the same page for the fourth time, then tossed the paper aside. Every time he started, his thoughts would drift to Jayana’s soft confession.I love you.He had no idea if she’d meant it or if she’d blurted it out because the sex had been amazing. He also had no clue whether she hadn’t brought it up again because he never reciprocated. It had caught him by surprise and he didn’t respond because the words had gotten stuck in his throat. Three simple words, that carried a weight that could never be described as simple. Though he and Jayana had gone to lunch earlier in the week, neither had brought it up. The easy camaraderie they’d always shared had disappeared, leaving in its wake wariness and uncertainty. They would have to deal with it sometime soon, but right now, he had to get through this document.
Picking up the sheet again, he began again. His tech company was working to develop an infinity battery that could be installed into any battery-operated device, and would continuously recharge when near their wireless power transmitter. He managed to read the first two paragraphs and he heard a knock. Dante had purposely closed the door to minimize interruptions. Sighing, he set the document aside and called, “Come in.”
“Hey, big brother.” Erika strode in and sat. “You busy?”
“Going over the information related to the infinity battery.”
“Oh. Then I won’t keep you long. And it’s a great idea, by the way. I’ll get right to it. You need to fix whatever is wrong between you and Jayana.”
He groaned inwardly. “Who said there was anything wrong?”
She rolled her eyes. “Please. You don’t think I’ve noticed you going back to your old smile-once-a-week self? She loves you, you love her, and that scares the crap out of you. And for what? Something you had no control over.”
“Erika.” He didn’t have time for this today.
“I know you’re the older brother, but today, you’re going to sit and listen to me,” she said, pointing a finger his way. Her voice softened. “We all know you blame yourself for Dad’s death, but that’s not on you, Dante. There’s no way we’ll ever know if the outcome would have been different.”
He buried his head in his hands. The weight of the memory pressed down on his chest like a two-ton boulder. “It is my fault. I should’ve called a nursing service instead of leaving Danielle there with him.” Dante’s gaze shifted to the picture of him and his father taken at a fundraiser, a face so reminiscent of his own and he felt the memories rising. He should still be here and not lying in a cold grave. Even after four years, the pain of losing his hero remained. Briefly closing his eyes, he swallowed the lump and fought to control his emotions.
