Heart's Desires (4 page)

“Alright guys, that is quite enough. Why don’t you both put your dicks away? There’s no need for the pissing contest in this fine establishment.”  Charlie now stood between the two men.  “You’re both too damn big, and you’re drawing unwanted attention.”

Jared seemed to notice for the first time that he was indeed the focus of curious stares, and straightened his tie before taking a step away from Jake and unclenching his fist.  His eyes were still narrowed and focused on Charlie however. 

“A lady shouldn’t say such foul things, Charlene.  You are really proving yourself to be trash.”

Jake growled low in his throat, clenched his fists, and took a menacing step forward, but Charlie stopped him by caressing his cheek and giving him a small smile.

She turned her attention to the smug bastard that thought he could talk to her any kind of way.  “First of all, you arrogant son of a bitch, dealing with you all night has been a test in patience that only the Sweet Baby Jesus could’ve passed. I’ve listened to you talk about yourself without so much as a ‘shut the fuck up,’ all night.  Really, my ladylike quota has been met and exceeded for the night.  With that being said, I will get a ride home with my friends, and you are more than welcome to kiss my trashy black ass.  Let’s go, Bear,” Charlie threw over her shoulder as she sashayed away.

              Jake smirked as Charlie walked away with her glorious ass swaying in her long purple maxi dress and her head held high.  He was proud of how she’d stood up to her asshole of a date.  But if either one of them thought Jake was going to leave this situation the way it was, they both had a lot to learn about him.

              Jake turned to look the other man in the face to make sure he understood what he was saying.  “You will never have another opportunity to talk to Heart the way you just did and walk away unscathed. The only reason why I haven’t laid your dumb ass out is because Heart doesn’t want a scene, but please believe I owe you one, motherfucker, so you better watch your back.”

              “Is that a threat?”  Jared asked, trying to sound as if he wasn’t unnerved by the comments.

              “I don’t make threats,” Jake stated simply as he walked away.

CHAPTER 6

After Charlie and Jake went back to his table, they ordered more drinks and had some slightly awkward conversation.  It was made even more tense by Kate’s presence, who continued to try to get Jake’s attention even though he was clearly not interested in her in the least.

              “I’m Kate, and who are you?”  Kate introduced herself to Charlie with thinly disguised hostility.

              Charlie looked at Lauryn who shrugged, and then at Jake, who held his face in a sneer.
I wonder what that look is about?

             
“I’m Charlie,” Charlie replied, simply not giving the woman anymore of her attention.

              “So who was the asshole, Charlie?”  Jake questioned.  His eyes narrowed at the woman that frustrated him like no other.

              “He
was
my date…”  Charlie responded shaking her head at her misjudgment of Jared.

              “Yeah, I figured that much since you were having dinner with him.”  Jake was looking directly at her, his green eyes colored with anger.

              “I don’t want to break up this little spat you two are having, but…”  Kate began, but was cut off by Jake.

              “So don’t.  Nobody asked you shit.  Lauryn, get your friend,” Jake calmly responded, not taking his eyes off Charlie.

              Charlie glanced over at the other two women at the table. Lauryn was still looking bored, and Kate clutched at her imaginary pearls. Charlie wanted to laugh at the stricken look on her face.  She probably never thought that Jake, being so laid back, would ever talk to her like that.

              “Kate, mind your business,” Lauryn stated, sipping her fruity cocktail and giving the redhead a warning look.

              “I’ve never been treated like this before!”  Kate huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and poked out her bottom lip.

             
I really hate a childish ass female,
Jake thought.

              Jake decided that he would wait until he was alone with Charlie to ask her the questions to which he needed answers, and before the night could get any worse, he decided to pay the check and take the women home. He dropped Kate off first, but what he really wanted to do was slow down and push her out of the truck while it was still moving.  But his mama taught him better than that, so he actually came to a full stop before he kicked her out of his ride. 

              Kate slammed his door in a huff, like that was supposed to make him feel any kind of way.  Charlie raised her eyebrow in question, but she didn’t make a comment.  He dropped her off last. He walked her to his cousin, Tony’s penthouse apartment.

              “I really appreciate everything, Bear.”

              Jake smiled at the nickname that she had given him.  “No problem, Heart. But what I don’t understand is how you can be out on a date with someone like him, and run from me.”  Although Jake’s handsome face held a neutral expression, he was pissed at the thought of Charlie being out with another man.  But he honestly wanted to know the answer. He had been trying to get her to go out on a date for the last three months.  He normally wouldn’t chase women, but she was different.  It wasn’t just the sexual chemistry.  There was something deeper about her that drew him in.

              “Well I… I thought… he just seemed a lot nicer before we actually went out,” Heart stuttered, her face flushed in embarrassment.

              “You still didn’t answer my question, dear Heart.”  Jake moved closer, rubbing his large calloused hand down her perfect brown face. The contrast in their skin tones turned him on.  She was simply beautiful to him.

              Jake moved her long, thin braids over her shoulder and caressed her neck. Charlie shivered at the contact, her eyes glazing over with desire.  She licked her lips slowly.

              “Would you like to come in for a drink?”  She turned to open the door before he could answer.

              As soon as they entered the condo, they heard loud moaning and grunting.  How they’d missed the sounds just showed how preoccupied Jake and Charlie had been with their own conversation. 

              Charlie’s almond shaped eyes went wide, and she let out a little squeal at the sight of Tony’s pale muscular ass pumping wildly into her cousin. Korrine’s legs were wrapped around Tony’s waist, and he had her pinned against the wall, her eyes tightly closed.  Her head was thrown back in pure ecstasy.  She didn’t even notice the two people standing there getting an eye full.

              Tony heard a squeak coming from behind him.  It was followed by a deep chuckle, and that had him pausing mid-thrust.  He slowly glanced behind him. “Shit!” he mumbled.

              Korri whined, “Superman, I’m so close, baby.  Please don’t stop!”

              Jake laughed loudly at that, and Charlie slapped her hands over her face, mortified that she just walked in on her cousin gettin’ it.  And from what she saw, she was gettin’ it good.  Charlie would’ve been impressed if it had been anybody else.

              When Jake laughed louder, Korri finally noticed the intruders for the first time. She let out a squeal identical to Charlie’s, her own almond shaped hazel eyes filling with embarrassment.  She buried her head into Tony’s shoulder.  “Oh my God!  Tony! Oh my God, put me down!!”

              Tony chuckled. “Sweetness, if I put you down, they’re going to see you in all your glory.”

              Not knowing what else to do, Charlie snatched a laughing Jake’s hand and led him to the guest room.  She still had one hand partially covering her face, trying to block out the view of Tony’s naked butt.

              “Well, that was a sight for sore eyes,” Jake said, still laughing.

              Charlie giggled. “Why is this so funny to you?”

              “I’m a guy.  Shit like that is funny to me. Plus, do you know how long I’m going to be able to mess with him about this?”  He shrugged, still chuckling. 

              “I swear, you men can be so immature sometimes,” Charlie said, still laughing.

              Jake shrugged.  “It is what it is, Heart. You gotta learn to laugh and have fun. Life is entirely too short to live any other way.”

              A shadow glossed his green eyes for a moment.  If she hadn’t been looking so deeply into them, she might have missed it.  “I forgot you served in the military.”

              “Yep, Special Forces at your service ma’am.”  He gave her a panty dropping smile.  How could a man so large display such boyish charm just by flashing those dimples?

***

              They sat and talked. Jake told her stories from his military days, and all about his business. Charlie in turn told him all about her life in Houston, and her current job at Premier lounge. They were getting to know much more about one another when Jake noticed how late it was getting, and decided to call it a night. 

              As Charlie escorted him to the door, they noticed that Tony was now fully clothed and casually sitting on the couch sipping a beer.  He had a smirk on his handsome face and a wicked gleam in his dark brown eyes.  He showed no trace of embarrassment at just having been caught sexing down his fiancée up against a wall.

              Charlie took in Tony’s smirking face, but couldn’t quite meet his eyes.  She kept seeing his ass every time she looked at him.  She blushed a little from the awkwardness, and looked up at Jake whose eyebrow was raised in question at why she was blushing.

              Charlie rolled her eyes at Jake.  They weren’t even dating and she could feel the possessiveness rolling off of him. 

I can’t let my guard down. 

She shook her head to clear her thoughts.  “Uhh… ummm… where’s Kori?” 

              “She’s in the bedroom,” Tony replied, sipping from his beer and continuing to smirk at Charlie’s blustering.

              Charlie nodded before walking toward the master suite.  She stopped midway and turned to face Jake.  “Thanks again for everything.”

              “Anything for you, Heart. No thanks necessary.” Jake’s smile was slow and easy and reached his bright green eyes.

              Tony’s eyebrows raised high in surprise at his cousin.  It wasn’t often that Jake showed that much interest in a woman beyond bedding her, but Tony could tell by the expression on Jake’s face as he watched Charlie walk away that it was much more than that. His cousin was infatuated with little Ms. Charlene Heart.

              Once Charlie was out of Jake’s line of sight, he turned to see his cousin watching him closely.  The slow, knowing smile that brightened Tony’s face made Jake smile to himself.

***

              Charlie knocked on the master bedroom door.  Korrine slowly opened the door, and her mocha colored complexion held a tinge of red.

              “Hey…”  Korri sheepishly greeted her cousin.  “I can’t believe you saw us.  I thought you were going out tonight?”

              Charlie laughed.  “Yeah, I did, but my date was cut a little short. I’m sorry. I guess I should’ve called first,” Charlie apologized.

              Korri smiled.  “No, it’s ok really.  It wasn’t like I planned to get screwed up against a wall… again.”  Korri mumbled the last part. “Tony just gets a little carried away sometimes.”

             
Did this heffa just say again? 
Charlie’s eyebrows rose high, almost reaching her hairline.  “I thought you were the reserved one.  Who knew you were gettin’ it up against walls and thangs?”

              They both laughed.  “Tony does tend to keep things interesting.”  Korri shrugged unapologetically.

              “So what happened on your date?  Why was it cut short?”  Korri asked, changing the subject.

              Charlie told Korri all the details to her disastrous date, and didn’t leave anything out.

              Korri scoffed.  “I told you to let me hook you up with Jake.”

              “Yeah, I know.  You were right about Jake being a good guy.  We just spent half the night talking, and the more I know about him, the more I like him.”

              Korri clapped her hands gleefully, like a child getting her wish granted.  “Finally.  So does that mean you’re going to go out with him?  I really think you guys would be great together.”

              “I don’t know about all that.”  Charlie would never admit out loud that it wouldn’t take much more for her to fall completely head over heels for Jake.  After talking with him for most of the night, she knew they were compatible, but now it wasn’t just about sex or the desire filled way they looked at one another.  Now, after they talked, she knew it was much deeper than that.

***

              After her talk with her cousin, Charlie decided to soak in a hot bath and relax.  It had been a long night, and after talking with Jake, she began to wonder if she could really open up her heart again.  Her mind wandered back to a time where she had put her heart in the hands of the wrong person

             
It was Charlie’s sophomore year at Tennessee State University. She loved being on campus, surrounded by likeminded individuals;  people who wanted to better themselves, learn something, and make money.  She loved all the positivity, but even though she had a whole new outlook on the world, she still missed home sometimes.

              Charlie had been dating a senior named Lawrence Gibson.  He was a member of the Alpha Phi Zeta fraternity, the most prestigious fraternity on campus, and Lawrence was the vice president.  He was also the star of the basketball team, and one of the most popular guys on campus. Every girl wanted to be with him, and every boy wanted to be him, and he was Charlie’s.  They had been dating since her freshman year, and things were getting serious between them.

             
Charlie had never been in love before, but she was certain she loved Lawrence, and she was even more certain that he loved her.  They were planning their future together, where they would live after Charlie graduated and became a CPA, where they would work, and even how many kids they would eventually have.  They knew they were going to be together no matter what. 

              However, that was not what happened once Lawrence was scouted for the NBA.  Both of them thought it was a dream come true.  Neither expected it since Lawrence was already in his senior year, but the guy they came to scout was hurt, and Lawrence had the game of his life, so he was immediately on the radar for the scouts. 

They decided that whatever team drafted Lawrence, Charlie would finish her degree and live wherever he was playing.  They thought that they had it made.  But with the scouts came the fame, and with the fame came the hangers on, and Lawrence forgot about what was important.  He forgot about Charlie and their plans, but he was too selfish to just let her go, and she was too in love to want to let go.

             
Even though they were growing apart, they decided to still try to make it work because they were young and dumb and all that.

Lawrence even got himself an agent to help him pick what team he should go to when he entered the draft.  At the same time Lawrence was deciding what team he wanted to go to, Charlie found out she was pregnant.