Risking It All (22 page)

“Would you mind helping me
take the pies out of the oven
.
”

Shanice followed her into the kitchen.
“I haven’t seen you since that night at the club now that I think about it. What have you been up to?”

“I’ve been kind of busy. You know the real estate market picks up in spring and summer months.”

“Well, that means extra cash for you. I’m sure you’re gonna need it with that wedding you and Michael are planning. Did you set a date yet?”

“No, not yet,” Julissa handed Shanice a few pies to set on the kitchen island next to the two strawberry shortcakes. “We’re looking for locations first.”

“Oh, good idea. You know, I haven’t heard anything from that heffa, Christina, yet.
I can’t believe she withheld sex from him for a month before the wedding.
Do you think she’s still alive?”

Julissa laughed at Shanice’s joke. “I think their flight is scheduled to land in Atlanta tonight. We should plan dinner or so
mething so that we can catch up. A
fter all, it’s been at leas
t a month since we’ve seen her.”

“Let’s do that. And speaking of that night, I didn’t know that
the
Quinton would be here. He is too goddamn fine. I can’t believe he is still sin
gle in this big city. Any
smart
woman
would snatch his sexy lookin’ ass up.”

“He knows Michael’s CEO, or something like that,” Julissa said, shrugging her shoulders, nonchalantly.

“Let’s go see what’s going on in the other room. You’re the hostess, but you will have some fun tonight if I h
ave a say in it.” Shanice literally
dragged her out of the kitchen.

**

Everything seemed to be going well. The guests were being fed and entertained, forming small circles and talking and laughing with each other. At all times, Julissa felt Quinton’s presence. Even when he was on the other side of the room. They hadn’t said a word to each other
since the initial greeting. But
there had been a few moments when their eyes met. They had kept their distance up until the very moment when Michael called her.

“Julissa, come here.” Michael was seated on the couch surrounded by some of his co-workers. Quinton and his guest, Taron, were among them.

“Yes
?
” She didn’t want it to seem
uneasy
and anti-social.

Michael wrapped his arm around her waist. “Joe was telling me that he and his wife had a destination wedding.”

“Oh, really? How nice.” Julissa didn’t want to talk about weddings.

“It was spectacular. Of course, we had to work with a wedding planner who was more
than a thousand miles away through
email and telephone. That was the only downside. Not being able to discuss with your planner face to face the details of your wedding,” Joe said, taking a swig of his Heineken.

“That would be a nice idea come to think of it. What about that, Julissa?” Michael turned to look at her. “Hawaii, maybe?”

“Hawaii…” Julissa said, uneasily.
“We haven’t even set our date yet?”

“I was thinking September. What about it?” Michael was all smiles. But, she had no idea why he was discussing plans like this in front of a handful of people they barely knew.

“September is a beautiful month to be in Hawaii,” Joe commented.

“We’ll have to discuss that, baby.” This uncomfortable conversation with Quinton staring right at her was over. She slipped out of M
ichael’s grasp. “
I’ll be putting out dessert. Will you let everyone know in about fifteen minutes?”

“Sure,” Michael agreed, and then he turned to everyo
ne with a smug look on his face.
“My fiancé makes delicious desserts. You don’t want to miss out. Key lime and strawberry shortcake are on the menu.”

“Mmmmm. Key lime is my favorite. I’ll be the first in line,” Quinton commented, licking his lips, watching her as she crossed the room to the kitchen.

Julissa blushed and increased her pace. When she got in the kitchen, she downed an entire glass of ice water. Suddenly, she felt hot from embarrassment
.
,
J.H.C.,
she
was still attracted to Quinton!
He knew it, too.

She
quickly transferred pieces of pie and cake onto small saucers, took them to the dining room, and placed them on the empty table held for desserts. Before long, sev
eral people came in to get them
.

Julissa
returned
to the kitchen and picked up that last piece of pie that she’d saved for herself
. She wished that she could disappear right now, but sh
e would never be so rude in front
of all of Michael’s guests. Maybe she could just chill out in the kitchen and no one would notice. Bending over the counter, she began to enjoy her pie.

She almost fainted when she felt a hard body press up against her backside.

“It appears that everyone enjoyed your
key lime
pie. There are no more slices left on the table.”

“Quinton,” she breathed. She turned around with the plate in her hand, trying desperately to put some room between Quinton and herself.

“
Is that the last piece?” he
asked.

“There’s more in the fridge.”

“Well, this must be some special piece of pie. With you enjoying it in here all by you
rself. It must be really good.”

Julissa close
d her eyes the moment he brought her hand up to his mouth.

He took her finger between his lips
.
“You got some on your finger.”

Julissa’s heart  beat rapidly. She
heard the voices in the background. She heard the laughter of her
fiancé
’, but she didn’t care.
How could she not care?
“Quinton, I…I’m so confused.”

“Sssh. Less talk.” Quinton held his own index finger to his lips.

They both heard
heels clicking on the hardwoods,
coming near them.
The closer and closer they got, the further
they backed away from each other.

“Julissa?” Martha peeped around the corner into the kitchen.

“Martha.”

“Did I interrupt something?” Martha looked from Julissa to Quinton.

Julissa shook her head. “No. I was just getting ready to bring out more pie.”

“Good, I was just coming to tell you that you ran out. Mr. Brennan, were you after a piece of that key lime pie yourself?”

“Yes, I was.” Quinton nodded. “But
first, I was just coming t
o ask Julissa where the bathroom
s were.”

Julissa pointed.
“It’s just down
the hall. Pass the sitting room.”

“This way?” Quinton began moving in the wrong direction.

Julissa pointed
again
.
“No, that way.”

“Julissa.” Martha laughed.
“Why don’t you show Quinton where the bathroom is and I’ll give you a hand with putting out more p
ie. They’re i
n the fridge
, right
?”

“Yes, thank you, Martha. I’ll be back to help.”

“No, probs. This is the only way t
hat I can secure myself a piece.
” Martha giggled.

Quinton followed Julissa quietly in the direction of the bathrooms.

“Right here.” Julissa motioned towards the door.

“I think someone’s in there,” Quinton said, knocking on the door.

“Be out in minute!” The person yelled from within.

Julissa looked down and noticed the lights coming out from under the door. “Well, will you be fine waiting here while I go help Ma
rtha?
Or do you require assistance using it?” She meant that to come out as a joke, but she felt nervous and silly. And Quinton didn’t laugh.

She
took a step past Quinton in an effort to leave.

“No, I won’t be fine waiting here.” He had grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his chest.

“Quinton, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Quinton brushed his lips against her neck. “Or better yet…what does it feel like I’m doing?” His tongue was soft and warm as it glided across her collarbone and up her neck.

“Quinton, this is not right.”

“It’s not? Then
tell me, Lissa…what’s so wrong about it?” His hand cupped her ass, pressing her pelvis into his.

Their
lips were so close to each other now. She only needed to move forward one inch and they would be kissing. Just as their lips met, they heard the toilet flushing.

“Oh, my God.” Julissa tried to pull away from him.

Quinton grabbed her hand and made a bold move. He opened the door to the closest room next to the bathroom and pulled her inside.

“Quinton! This is…this is…”

Quinton closed and locked the door, and then took her lips in an intense kiss. Her knees instantly gave way causing her to fall into his arms for support.

“Oh, Lissa, I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too, Q.”

His lips were all over her face, neck, and shoulders. He even used them to push down the straps to her dress. The moment he sucked her nipple
into his mouth, she relinquished herself
. His actions were quick, but it had been over a week since they were last together. And she understood his need because she was in need, too.

“Q, we can’t be doing this here.” She tried to push him away, but she was als
o pulling him at the same time.

“Why not? No one will know.” He took both breasts in his hands, squeezed them together, and flicked his tongue over the hardened buds.

Julissa bit her bottom lip. “Q, We’ve go
t
to stop. This is Michael’s office.”

Suddenly, Quinton looked up, back, and around the room.

This was the one room that Julissa was never to enter and Quinton
had brought her into it.

He
looked back at her with a grin on his face. Before she knew it, he had her in his arms and was carrying her across the room.

“What are you doing?
” she shrieked.

“You ask too many questions.
Less talk.
” He placed her on Michael’s leather chair, got on his knees and
began kissing her bare legs and thighs
.

Julissa couldn’t decipher between the dozens of feelings running through her body and her mind, from frightened about getting caught to completely turned on by the risk
s
.

“Oh, my God. I can’t believe this is happening,” Julissa mumbled, throwing her head back as she felt his tongue against her skin.

“Let it
happen.” H
e moaned into her warm center. Parting her legs, he gripped the string of her thong with his teeth and ripped the thin m
aterial in two. H
e stuffed the ripped panties in his front pockets and then buried his head between her legs, going straight for her clit. Spreading her pussy lips with hi
s fingers, he tortured her
until she was ro
cking back and forth, his mouth buried inside her wet lips
.

She heard a condom wrapper being opened in the process, but he never missed a beat as he sucked on her clit. He pu
mmeled her
with his tong
ue like a guitarist playing his instrument
. “Shit, baby, you taste just as good as that key lime pie.”

“I thought you said…that you…didn’t get a piece,” she moaned, on the verge of orgasm.

“I never said I
didn’t get a piece.” He sucked hungrily
on her clit. “I was actually…coming back for seconds.
When it tastes this good, I can never lick it just once.
”

Was he talking about the pie or her…?

She closed her eyes shut
,
feeling her tension build. Within
the next second, she was coming
. Hard and long. And all she could do was bite her lips to keep from making a sound. As she was still shudde
ring from her orgasm, he picked her up, sat her on the edge of Michael’s
desk
,
and entered her with
blunt
force.

Julissa wrapped her legs around his torso and took him deep into her pussy.

“Damn, it’s good.” Quinton
gr
oaned into her neck. He lifted her yet again
, and pushed her back up against a wall. “I came back for more because it’s so damn good. How dare you deny me this pussy? Don’t you know that I need this?”