Page 1 of You Make Me Feel

Chapter 1

Kinisha

That man knows he is too fucking fine.

“Sorry, Lord,” I whispered.

We were in church, and I could never stop my mind from drifting. Jarod was sitting his fine ass over to the side, near the deacons, while his father delivered the sermon. Our pastor had gone out of town, so the assistant pastor was preaching. He wasn’t as great a preacher as Pastor Adolph, but he was still good. I suppose it didn’t matter how good he was if I wasn’t listening.

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. The devil was busy. This was probably a sermon I needed to hear. However, that Godiva chocolate had me so damn distracted. I loved a medium- to dark-complexioned man. I wasn’t too fond of yellows, but he could get my attention if he were fine enough. I was trying not to discriminate since my internal clock had started ticking.

I was only twenty-four, but by my age, my sister, Kiana, had found her forever. They’d gotten married, and now, she was pregnant. Although I knew I shouldn’t be comparing my journey to hers, I couldn’t help it, especially since my mama brought up my single status every chance she got.When are you going to settle down? The constant dating has to be tiring.

How in the hell did she think I would find my forever if I weren’t dating? Secondly, they were totally against who Kiana had chosen to settle down with because he was twelve years older than her. They’d resorted to kicking her out of the house to get her to do things their way. My sister stood up for herself and didn’t let them deter her future with Lazarus. I loved and admired how strong she was, although I also had doubts in the beginning.

I wasn’t as strong. I moved out of my parents’ house when I started working as an accountant for Mr. Taylor at Taylor, Wesin, and Sylvesters Accounting Firm. He paid his employees well, and I could move out within three months of working for him. I did my best to respect my parents’ home. However, what they didn’t know didn’t hurt them. I never fucked in their house, but I surely fucked everywhere else.

We were a Christian family, and when my mama found out Kiana and I were no longer virgins, she nearly lost her mind. At the time, Ki was twenty-four, and I was almost twenty-two. She should have been happy that we were educated young women who loved God and had never given them any problems. We always did what they told us to do, but the minute Ki decided to do what she wanted, there was a problem.

Lazarus was very respectful, and he loved Ki. While even I was hesitant about their relationship, Kiana was sure. She knew he was the man for her, and, eventually, we didn’t have a choice but to respect it, or we would have lost her forever. I would have never let my doubts about them come between us, though. My sister was my best friend. I was concerned about Lazarus’s intentions, and as her friend and sister, I felt I could voice those concerns. After she assured me she knew what she was doing, I backed off and supported her decision.

My parents fought her tooth and nail. My mom broke first. After so much time passed without even talking to Ki, it took a toll on her. She was trying to keep a united front with my dad, but it had become increasingly difficult. When she folded, so did my dad. They had no choice if they wanted a relationship with their oldest daughter.

So it turned out that Kiana was right. She knew who and what was best for her life, but here I was, still struggling. I wanted Jarod to be that man. He had to know I was flirting with him. Whenever possible, I walked right in front of him, being sure to sway my hips just right. He was a few years older than me, so we didn’t grow up together. When he was a senior in high school, I was barely in middle school.

However, I was grown as hell now. His being thirty didn’t mean shit. That was only a six-year difference. As I stared at him, his eyes met mine. Since I didn’t have a shy bone in my body, I didn’t look away. His ass wasn’t as holy as he pretended to be, but I didn’t know if he knew I was well aware of that fact. He continued to stare back at me, probably thinking I would look away first.

When I didn’t, he licked his thick lips . . . slowly.Mm. He wants this sex appeal I’m serving.He’d finally noticed . . . or at least shownmethat he’d seen my subtle flirting. He was the deepest shade of medium chocolate a man could get before being dark chocolate. I was so damn thirsty as I got lost in his gaze. He licked his thick lips again, and I knew I would have to go to the bathroom to clean myself up.

I was so happy Ki wasn’t here today. She would have distracted me. Her morning sickness was about to take her out. Laz stayed home with her and catered to her needs. He’d finished school and was working for an investment firm. He only worked weekends when there was some special event. My mother had retired, so if Ki needed help tomorrow, she would probably be there for her.

When I stood from my seat, I lifted the Baptist finger, which expressed my apologies for walking, and made my way to the restroom. I was sure to strut like I was on the runway because I knew he was watching all this ass. It was rare that I wore loose clothing. If I did, it was somewhat revealing. It would either show off my legs or my cleavage. Today, I wore a bodycon dress. It covered all my skin but exposed every curve.

I wasn’t a skinny chick by far. I was thick and had ass for days. The older traditional women in the church probably rolled their eyes every time they saw me, but I didn’t give a damn. Surprisingly, neither of my parents had a thing to say either. They must have learned their lesson after the fiasco with Ki. They gave me a hard-ass time when Ki first moved out, but they got over themselves after a couple of months.

I thought I was gonna succumb to the pressure, though. They were literally going through all my things like I was a teenager. When I got home one day and saw my mama going through my underwear drawer, I nearly came unglued. I had to walk back out and cool off. Kiana walked away from my parents, but she had Lazarus. I didn’t have anyone to have my back . . . just a bunch of random fuck buddies, except Braylon and his sister, Ramsey. They’d moved out of their parents’ house and had offered me a place to go, but I couldn’t find a job in time.

As I went inside the bathroom, I nearly ran into Ramsey. My mind was still on Jarod’s fine ass, and I didn’t even see her coming out. “Girl, who got yo’ attention? Because watching where you’re walking doesn’t seem to be a priority.”

I chuckled. She and I used to go out together sometimes. She’d settled down, though. Her boyfriend, who’d recently become her fiancé, seemed perfect . . . in the beginning. They’d been together almost a year now, and she always bragged about the romantic things he did. I was happy for her, but I kept my eyes open. I had to look out for my girl. She was so in love with Robert’s ass that she wouldn’t notice the small signs saying something was up. That was okay, though. That was what she had me for, and I definitely saw some questionable shit. But until I had solid proof, I would keep my mouth shut.

“I was too busy daydreaming about Jarod. I had to come in here to get myself together.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why. You know what he does. He’s the male version of Jezebel around here.”

I took a deep breath. “I guess I’m the modern version of her then. It ain’t like I’m celibate.”

“Naw. He’s a player. Y’all ain’t the same. He sells promises of love and devotion only to get what he really wants. Be careful with him.”

I nodded. I knew what Jarod was about, but I was practically about the same thing. Maybe he wasn’t boyfriend material, but I wasn’t innocent either. I needed to experience him for myself. I needed to experience him sexually. If that was all that came out of it, then so be it. My curiosity would be satisfied.

She left the restroom, and I went to a stall to mop up the spill between my legs. After washing my hands, I walked out and ran right into someone. I swore I needed to pay attention to where I was going. When I looked up, I smiled politely. It was a man I’d seen in church a few times. Our church was rather large, so I didn’t always see him. He put his hands at my waist to steady me so I didn’t bust my ass on the floor.

“I’m so sorry, sir.”

“Oliver. No problem, ma’am.”

“Kinisha.”

---