I gave my mother a tight-lipped smile. “Ok.”
Her head swiveled to catch mine. “What’s wrong, Paige?”
When I looked at her, my eyes welled up because I had so much I wanted to say, but I knew my mother had enough on her mind. So, I leaned in, kissed her cheek, and forced a fake smile to keep her at ease. “I’m ok. I promise.”
I gathered my little belongings and walked to my car. I said goodbye to my mother one last time before driving away. My phone vibrated with a text. When I reached a stop sign, I checked it, and as soon as I saw his name, a shiver ran through me.
I waited for a response, but there was nothing. Was he messing with me? Like some mind fuck? I pressed my foot on the pedal and sped off to his place.
PRESS PLAY
It took a while, but when I arrived, I jumped out and headed straight for the top floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, his door opened too. I stepped inside, but there was no one in sight. My stomach dropped, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The smell of his cologne lingered, as if he were standing right here.
I eased my way down the hall, searching for him. This was the first time I had the chance to walk through his place. Braylen's home had no color; everything was plain, almost as if he viewed the world through a dark lens. It screamed depression. I checked the first door I came across, which was the bathroom. “Braylen!” I called out.
I moved further down the hall to a closed door. I knew I should have turned around, but the feeling of the beast and hisdark cave intrigued me. I crept closer to the door and stood there, staring at it, almost fixated. My arm reached toward the handle when I heard his deep voice in my ear. It felt like my soul jumped from my body. “Don’t go searching for shit you can’t handle.”
I quickly turned around to face him, eyes to chest. Braylen was so tall that he towered over me. Before I looked up at him, I took a deep breath. My head slowly rose as I looked into his eyes. “You scared me.”
His nose flared. “You’re being nosy.”
My voice softened. He had that effect on me, and I didn’t know why. “I was trying to find you.”
He stepped back, but his eyes never wavered. “I’m always around.”
I rolled my eyes as I tried to move past him back toward the front door. I don’t know what he thought this was, but I wasn’t about to play whatever game he wanted me to play, again. He got me the first time, and honestly, I didn’t have the energy to go through it all over again.
Braylen stepped forward, causing me to step back. When I realized he had me against the wall with nowhere to move, I became nervous. “Why did you want to meet with me?” I asked nervously.
“Fuck type shit you on?” he gritted.
From the look in his eyes, I knew he felt something for me.Did he feel the same as I felt about him?A sexy grin eased on my face. “The same shit you’re on.”
He pulled his eyes away. “I’m talking about you putting your fucking hands on me. Don’t ever do that shit again.”
“You just can’t admit you were wrong for standing me up. Maybe the next show should be called niggas with a problem,” I said, tossing my hand on my hips.
Braylen nodded slowly. “Piggy, kill that noise. You just keep your hands to yourself, or next time the Braylen you know will be gone, and the nigga you don’t want to meet will greet you, again!” he snapped, lowering his face toward mine.
I know he was referring to the night he let his fingers explore me. I grinned. “Say you were wrong,” I muttered.
“No,” he grumbled.
My face moved closer. “Say you wrong. That’s all you got to do.”
He had now moved only inches away from my lips. My breathing grew labored. My mouth slightly parted. I swallowed hard as I tried to shake off whatever fucking spell he was trying to cast over me. I raised my hand to his face, and he swiped it away, so I swiped his hand back. Braylen quickly grabbed my wrist, swung it behind my back, turned me, and slammed my face into the wall. “If you know I’m wrong, why do you keep asking me to tell you. You’re a smart girl, Piggy. I shouldn’t have to tell you shit.” This time, his voice was low, he talked slowly, and it deepened.
I don’t know why what he said turned me on, but it did.Was he flirting, or was he serious?It was getting harder to tell, and that only started to frustrate me. I could feel him press his body against my back and ass. I shifted my body slightly, poking my ass out toward him. His hand slowly eased around my waist, caressing my belly. My breath bounced off the wall as I took in his touch.
The way his fingertips dug into my skin, then slowly scratched across my belly, was beast-like. “See, Piggy, this is thenigga you don’t want to meet. The nigga that chooses pain then pleasure. The nigga that would devour not only you but your soul,” he growled as he allowed his body to push me further against the wall.
His dick throbbed against my back while his lips grazed my ear. “I’m not like any other nigga you’ve met before. My place of business isn’t for your antics. You came up there showing your ass, and I don’t like shit like that. So next time, keep that shit cute before I,” he paused.
Something was happening. Silence filled the room. The feeling of built-up lust lingered between us. It was only a matter of who would take whatever this game was to the next level. He released my wrist and stepped back from me. I slowly turned toward him. He eyed the elevator, then me. I knew that was my cue. He looked like he wanted to devour me, like he wanted to say something that would feed both our souls. Little did he know that all he had to do was say those words, but of course, he didn’t.
He turned his back on me. “I said what I said. You drive safely back to school,” he gritted, walking away as he always did, as if I didn’t exist.
I didn’t know what any of that meant, but it was now clearer than ever that Braylen and I wouldn’t get past go.
