Gotta Get Next To You (28 page)

“Sure. I’ll get those refills,” she said.

Andrea went to the kitchen and poured more
wine for them both. She was sitting on the sofa when he came back.
Jamal gazed down at her with a tight expression.

“Listen, I gotta go,” he said.

“Go?” Andrea blinked at him.

“I just wanted to come over for a few minutes
and—” He raked long fingers through his dark hair.

“What is this about, Jamal?” Andrea stared at
him in confusion. “Did we have a fight and I missed it?”

“No, no, it’s not you. It just things are
moving kinda fast.” He seemed to struggle for words.

“Give me a clue, Jamal, because I’m lost.”
Andrea’s heart pounded at the sudden turn his mood had taken.

He gazed at her. “I guess what I mean is
...”

“Wait a minute, do you think I’m getting too
serious because I asked about your family?” Andrea said. She
frowned at him. ‘Take it easy. I’m not desperate.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“I enjoy being with you, but I’m not trying
to push you someplace you don’t want to go.” Andrea’s temper rose
toward the boiling point.

“Sure.” He rubbed his jaw and took a deep
breath.

Andrea’s anger dissolved at the look of acute
distress on his face. This big, strong man was afraid of getting
hurt again, something she understood very well. She moved close to
him, but didn’t touch him.

“My marriage went bad and the divorce was
worse. I felt the same way you did,” Andrea said.

“So, we should take it easy this time
around.” Jamal looked at her. His eyes said he wanted to hold her,
but he did not move closer.

“I don’t want to own you and I don’t want to
be owned, okay?” she said quietly.

“Okay. Look, I’m sorry for taking you through
drama. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.” Jamal looked
genuinely puzzled with himself. He took a deep breath and let it
out.

“Leave if it’ll make you feel better. But I
can promise you one thing. I’ll make you feel a lot better if you
stay.”

Andrea watched his expression. She understood
his fear. She felt it herself. What would she do if he decided to
run?

I’m stronger now. At least that was what she
wanted to believe. Still, she clenched her teeth so hard her jaw
ached.

Jamal came to her with one long step and took
her in his arms. His kiss was gentle, searching, as though he
needed to be reassured. Andrea gave him what he wanted. Her
response was to mold herself against him until their bodies were a
perfect fit. They went to her bedroom without speaking. Once there,
Jamal let her undress him. She massaged his shoulders and back
until his muscular body relaxed beneath her fingers. Andrea
stripped down to only the fuchsia bra and panties she wore.

“I’m going to keep my promise,” she whispered
close to his ear.

She lit all three wicks of a long,
vanilla-scented candle that sat on her dresser. When she returned
to the bed, Jamal took control. He pulled her panties down over her
hips and thighs, kissing the soft flesh until she moaned for more.
Reaching up, he unhooked her bra. Andrea took it off and sank down
onto the bed. The sensation of his long, hard body stretched atop
hers made her moan in pleasure. With a brief pause to put on a
condom, he mounted her and slowly, maddeningly eased his penis
inside. Andrea felt an aching need that was both pleasure and pain
as she lifted her hips to take in every inch. She gasped each time
he thrust.

Then his gentle probing gave way to a
frenzied pace. Andrea matched the rhythm of his hips with her own.
They clawed at each other, their bodies slapping together as they
sought to tame a primal hunger. Faster and faster they went until
the queen-sized bed shook with the force of their thrusts. An
orgasm started deep inside her until it spread in waves, a force
that pulled her into bliss. Andrea panted his name low, then
screamed once. She wrapped her legs around him and rolled her hips
frantically; taking every drop of pleasure he had to give. Jamal
let out a deep, guttural groan as he stiffened inside her. He came
and pushed Andrea over the edge into another orgasm. Their
movements slowed, and then stopped. They lay still in each other’s
arms.

“Are you going to stay?” Andrea
whispered.

Jamal braided his fingers through her hair.
“Yes.”

***

Lee gazed at Andrea and smiled. They were on
the bayou behind Gran’s house. She was teaching him to fish
Louisiana style with a cane fishing pole. Andrea wore a frown of
concentration as she watched the small red and white float bounce
on the gentle waves of water. A wire basket of flopping perch and
sac-au-lait floated in shallow water between them.

“They’re not biting now. Guess it’s gotten
too hot. The best fishing is early in the morning,” she said
quietly, as though afraid to scare away what few fish were
left.

“Maybe they saw you hooking their pals and
took off,” he said in a stage whisper.

She squinted at him. “Such a comedian.”

“We’ve been at this for two hours and haven’t
caught anymore fish. I’m hungry.” Lee rubbed his stomach.

“You haven’t really tried,” she shot
back.

Lee stuck the end of his fishing pole into
the soft mud bank and walked over to her. “I’ve been distracted. Do
you have any idea how good you look from behind in faded blue
jeans?” he whispered as he put both arms around her waist.

“Why can’t you just admit I’m a better
fisherman?” Andrea whispered back.

“No, you fight dirty.” Lee pressed against
her. “You put on this tight T-shirt to throw me off my game.”

“I did not!” she said hotly. “I—Wait, I’ve
got another one.

Lee stepped away from her. Andrea reeled in
another perch as Lee cheered her on. Her face glowed. Sunlight
brought out red highlights in her dark hair. He smiled as he
watched her. She seemed perfectly at ease despite years of big-city
life.

“Looks like Gran will have enough for a fish
fry,” Lee said with a grin.

‘To feed my huge family? We’d have to do a
lot better than this. So pick up that fishing pole.” Andrea took
the fish off the hook and dropped him into the wire basket.

“I say it’s time for a trip to the fish
market,” Lee teased.

Andrea glanced at the fish, then at him. “I
say you’re right. This is hard work!”

“Then let’s quit for the day and relax.”

“Amen!” Andrea said with a smile.

They packed up their catch and hiked back to
the house. Gran made a big fuss over the fish, taking them from
Andrea and shooing them back out the door after they’d washed their
hands. They walked back to the bayou hand in hand, Lee carrying a
wicker basket of goodies Gran put together for an impromptu picnic.
Andrea had a large cotton blanket for them to sit on while they
ate.

“Let me show you another special place,”
Andrea said.

She led him down a footpath overgrown with
thick grass. Wild ferns and honeysuckle bushes grew on both sides
of it. They were sheltered from the pounding Louisiana sun by a
thick canopy of trees overhead. Lee felt as though he were in a
magical forest being led to temptation by a beautiful nymph in blue
jeans. He followed happily.

“Just how far do you plan to take me, woman?”
Lee pretended to be out of breath.

Andrea turned around suddenly and pulled him
into her arms. “How far do you want to go?”

Lee kissed her. “You know the answer to
that.”

She slipped out of his embrace and tugged him
by the hand. “Then come on.”

They went a few feet farther before entering
a clearing. An expanse of dark green grass stretched to the edge of
another section of Bayou Blue. The water made a gentle lapping
sound against the bank. Swamp oak and ash trees surrounded by thick
shrubs farther back provided patches of shade. A warm breeze blew,
rustling the leaves of bushes and trees.

“Here we are,” she said. “One of my favorite
play-grounds when I was a kid.”

“You were lucky. All I had was a few clumps
of yellow weeds and concrete,” Lee said.

Andrea spread the blanket on the grass near a
large oak tree. She sat down and patted the spot beside her. “Well,
now you’re here with me.”

Lee dropped the insulated basket on the
blanket and sat down next to her. “A big improvement.”

“It really was bad where you grew up, huh?”
Andrea rested her chin on his shoulder.

Lee paused before answering. He tried not to
think about his childhood too much. His mother had turned to
alcohol and drugs to escape. His younger brother, Chris, had turned
to a gang for security.

“Yeah, pretty rough. High crime rate, high
unemployment, lots of despair, everything you see in those gang
movies.”

He could have added that his mother and
brother had suffered a real tragic ending. Instead he pressed his
lips together. The less he said the better.

“And it still bothers you.” Andrea massaged
his arm to comfort him.

“I’ll carry that life with me forever. But at
least my son doesn’t have to live it,” Lee said with conviction.
“He’s going to have better opportunities and a safe
environment.”

“Children need stability.” Andrea wore a
pensive expression.

“Yeah, my ex and I finally grew up and put
Jake first. No more sniping at each other in front of him, no more
custody drama.”

“That’s great. Being caught in the middle is
awful,” she murmured.

“What about you? Growing up in Bayou Blue
must have been just about perfect. Small town, big, loving family
around you.” Lee thought of how different their lives had been.

“Not perfect, not at all,” Andrea said. “My
mother and I have a kind of truce these days. But we’ve had our
share of battles. My daddy ... Their marriage wasn’t exactly a good
one.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I guess the big city
doesn’t have a monopoly on misery.”

“No way.” Andrea looked up at him. “I think
it’s wonderful the way you put Jake first. Boys need positive male
figures.”

Lee suspected she was thinking of Denny.
Guilt pricked at him like a fine, sharp needle. He rubbed his cheek
against her dark hair and made a silent vow to help the young man
as much as he could.

“Hey, we’re way too serious for this picnic,”
he said in a playful tone.

She smiled at him. “You’re right. No more
heavy social commentary.”

“So what do we talk about?” Lee said,
brushing a dark, curly tendril of her hair away from her face.

Andrea gazed up at him. “We don’t have to
talk about anything.” Her full mouth curved up in a seductive
smile.

“I like the way you think, lady,” he
whispered, and kissed her hard.

Andrea lay down, pulling him on top of her.
“You taste so good,” she mumbled, her lips pressed against his. She
guided his fingers underneath her T-shirt.

Lee caressed her breast through the lace bra
until her nipple hardened. “What if someone—” She smothered his
words with an urgent kiss.

“Nobody will find us,” she whispered. “Now,
hush and give me what I want.” She pulled her T-shirt off in one
graceful move.

His breath caught at the sight of the white
lace bra against her cafe au lait skin. Without taking her eyes off
him, she undressed completely.

“Are you sure some fisherman won’t stumble on
us?” Lee took off his clothes quickly despite his words. He was on
fire to have her. He removed a condom from his pocket and put it
on.

Andrea shook her head slowly. “Private
property. Be-sides, no one can see us from the bayou through the
thick brush.”

She went to him and their bodies melded
together like two pieces of a puzzle. A breeze across the water did
nothing to cool their heat.

“I’ll never be able to look at an oak tree
the same way,” he murmured. He gasped when she rubbed against his
erection.

“The way nature intended it to be,” she
whispered with a soft laugh.

Lee held out as long as he could. Andrea
drove him deeper into a lustful frenzy by licking his lips as she
rocked against him. She nibbled on his shoulders, moving her hips
faster, then slower. With an explosive moan, Lee lifted her.

“Now,” he rasped.

As Andrea lowered herself slowly, he moaned
at the shock of hot velvet closing around him. He clutched at her
and thrust hard. They made love hard and fast, with no slow buildup
this time. When Andrea came, her muscles tightened around his
penis. She whispered his name over and over. The sensation sent him
into a frenzy. His orgasm exploded, leaving him shaking in her
arms.

“I’ve never felt it like this before,” he
said, his voice husky with emotion.

“Loving you is beautiful,” she murmured, and
kissed his neck.

They stretched out on the blanket spoon
fashion, with her back tucked against his chest. They lay quietly
for several minutes, both pondering the wonder of what they’d
shared.

“I wish I could freeze this moment and stay
right here with you forever,” Lee said softly.

“No worries, nothing but carefree days of
fishing and making love.” Andrea squirmed in his arms. “Only one
problem.”

“What?” He nibbled her earlobe.

“We probably wouldn’t fish that often.” She
laughed.

“Now, that’s a problem I’d like to have,” Lee
said, laughing with her.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll get the clinic
straightened out and we’ll have more time together.” Andrea sighed
happily.

Lee’s laughter died at the mention of the
clinic. There was no escaping reality, not even in such a magical
moment. He had come to Bayou Blue for a serious purpose. A purpose
that would end this little bit of heaven much too soon.

“That’s what we need, more time,” Lee said
quietly, and held her tighter.