Just Can't Get Enough Page 7

  Tiffany smiled as she watched Celina slam the door behind her as she walked into her house.

  “Looks like you’re going to be a free man if you were depending on her for some loving,” she said before flouncing off the porch and getting into her car.

  Darius watched helplessly as Tiffany drove away. How was he going to explain this? He knew what things looked like and this was the reason Celina didn’t want to enter into a relationship. Darius toyed with waiting for Celina to come over to his place. I might as well wait for a cold day in Hell, he thought as he leapt over the fence separating their yards. Darius knocked on the door, holding his breath as he waited for Celina to open it.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “I want to talk to you,” he said.

  Celina folded her arms across her chest and raised her right eyebrow. “Looks like you had your hands full on your front porch,” she said angrily.

  “I know what that looked like,” he said. “But it wasn’t what it seemed . . .”

  Celina threw her hand up, stopping Darius in midsentence. “I don’t need an explanation. You don’t owe me anything, Darius. You’re free to do whatever you want to do.”

  He ran his hand across his face, searching for the right words to say. Nothing he thought of saying sounded right and the look on Celina’s face told him that whatever he said was going to be met with some resistance. Still, Darius had to try to make her see the truth.

  “Celina,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him. His words floated out of his head as she focused her angry glare on him. She looked as if she was poised to spit fire.

  Pushing out of his arms and backing against the door, she said, “Darius, what do you want from me? I mean, there you were with a half-naked woman standing on your porch. But it wasn’t what it looked like, right? Let’s just be adults and let this thing go.”

  “No, I’m not going to do that. Tiffany means nothing to me and I’m not a perfect man. I’ve made some mistakes.”

  “And so have I. My latest one was getting tangled up with you.”

  Darius grabbed her arm, pulling her against his hard chest. His lips were centimeters away from hers. “I’m not going let you walk away. You can say we’re just friends but there is something else going on here.”

  “Maybe in your mind,” Celina said. She pressed her hand against his chest in an attempt to push him away, but Darius grabbed her hand and kissed it gently. Celina stepped back from him and opened the front door. “Why don’t you just leave? We have nothing else to say to each other.”

  Shaking his head, he didn’t move. “Your little attitude isn’t going to push me away, even if that is what you want.”

  “I’m not my mother and if I can’t be number one, I won’t be number two,” Celina snapped.

  “What?”

  Celina fell silent as if she regretted her admission. Darius cupped her chin in her hands.

  “Talk to me. You laid out all of these rules, you claim you just wanted sex, but that’s not true, is it?” Darius asked gently.

  “I don’t want to be hurt,” Celina blurted out. “I don’t want to get my hopes up about you to have them crushed.”

  Darius stroked the side of her face with his thumb. “I would never do anything to hurt you,” he said. “You have to trust me, believe in me.”

  She shook her head as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “I-I can’t,” Celina whispered. “I wish I could, but I can’t.” She stepped back from Darius and pushed against his chest. “Please go.”

  Darius stood firm. He wasn’t going anywhere.

  CHAPTER 8

  Celina walked away from Darius, wishing she could take back everything she had said to him. She’d given him too much information and now she knew he wasn’t going to walk away, but Tiffany was a reality. She knew there was something going on with the two of them and she wasn’t going to let him make a fool of her. Darius would deny that he and Tiffany were still intimate; that’s what men did when they were caught.

  How many times had her father denied there was something going on with the other women he had been with?

  “Talk to me.” Darius said.

  “Why are you still here?” she asked, her eyes flashing anger.

  He sighed as he reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

  Celina placed her hand on top of his and moved it from her shoulder. “Please, just go.”

  “No, not until we work this out. Celina, I want and need you in my life,” he said, nearly pleading with her.

  “And her, too?” she spat out. “What does Tiffany mean to you?”

  Darius threw his hands up. “I told you—nothing. She was a mistake. I was messed up when I got involved with her, but I’m not that person anymore.”

  “How do I know that?” Celina asked. “Am I just supposed to take your word for it? Darius, you’re full of it and I’m not going to let you hurt me. I came home early tonight because I wanted to . . .” Her voice trailed off and she turned her back to him.

  “You wanted to what?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she said, knowing that she couldn’t open up to him now. Her mother might call it running, but Celina was being smart and getting away from Darius would be the wisest thing for her to do. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was falling for him. Celina stood in front of the leather recliner, holding on to the arm of the chair, hoping it would prop her up and give her the strength to push Darius out of her life.

  “This is just wrong,” Celina said.

  Darius walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. She pressed her hand against his chest, but he wouldn’t let go.

  “No it isn’t, Celina. If this is about Tiffany—”

  She shook her head furiously. “I watched my father hurt my mother with a parade of women and I would never stand for that. You’re not going to do that to me.”

  “I wouldn’t want to,” he said. “You’re the woman I want. Nothing is going to change that. I don’t need a harem.”

  She inhaled sharply as he leaned in closer to her, his lips nearly touching hers as he said, “Why can’t you let me inside that wall?”

  “I’m afraid,” she said as Darius twirled a strand of her hair around his finger.

  “Don’t be,” he said, then brought his lips down on top of hers.

  Celina surrendered to his kiss, but was she going to be able to surrender to his love? She abruptly broke off the kiss, fresh tears shining in her eyes. “Darius,” she said. “I-I can’t do this.”

  “Can’t or won’t?” he asked. “You can’t let fear keep you from experiencing life.”

  Celina turned around and looked at him, wanting so badly to be able to trust him. But how could she ignore what she’d seen? How could she ignore her heart? I’m here for my father, not for him and not to fall in love with him.

  “Darius, right now is not a good time for this. We can’t . . .”

  “Can’t what? You won’t let anything happen, Celina. We’re here, right now. You want me just as much as I want you. After what we’ve shared, I can’t get enough of you. Fighting it isn’t going to change how you feel.” He walked over to her and stroked her back.

  “Promise me that you won’t hurt me,” she said, finally giving into what she felt.

  “That’s one promise I will keep,” he said as his lips brushed against hers.

  Celina took a step back. “But we have to take things slowly,” she said. “I don’t want us to make mistakes by rushing into this. If we’re going to build something real together, it can’t just be based on physical attraction.”

  Darius nodded in agreement but he didn’t say a word. The last thing he wanted to do was give her an opportunity to change her mind.

  Celina closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. Darius’s scent was intoxicating and she felt dizzy. But it was time, she told herself. It was time to allow herself to love.

  “Why don’t we have a quiet dinner tonight?” Darius asked. “W
e could drive up to Myrtle Beach and have some seafood and talk.”

  “I need to stay close to home in case the center calls me about my father,” she replied. “But I would love to have dinner with you tonight.”

  Darius smiled. “All right, I’ll break out the grill and some wine.”

  “That sounds good,” she said.

  Darius stepped back and headed for the door. Celina followed him, trying to quiet her doubts about him and the journey they were about to embark on. He turned around and kissed her gently on the forehead.

  “You won’t regret this,” he said.

  I hope not, she thought as she smiled at him.

  Darius walked home with extra pep in his step. He had made inroads with Celina. Now he had to prove to her that all men weren’t out to hurt her, though he knew it was going to be a hard sell. However, he was up for the challenge because he wasn’t going to be satisfied until her heart was his completely.

  The last woman who’d moved him this way was Renita, even though she proved not to be worthy of his love. Besides, Celina and Renita were like night and day. Celina had a vulnerability that made him want to protect her. She was strong and at the same time fragile, like the petals of a rose.

  The night had to be special. As Darius prepared for dinner, he ignored the blinking light on his answering machine. The outside world would have to take a backseat as he readied himself to prepare his famous grilled eggplant, stuffed mushrooms, and a green salad for Celina. The phone rang as he chopped bell peppers and leaf spinach and he ignored that as well. He had too much to do to be distracted by whomever was on the other line.

  After washing and drying the vegetables, Darius walked up to his bathroom and took a long shower. As the water beat down on him, he thought about the rain and making love to Celina while the water cascaded around them. He closed his eyes, imagining her curly hair pressed against her face as the rain fell. He could feel her soft lips tickling his neck and her tongue dancing on his earlobe. Darius was so engrossed in his fantasy, that the water got cold as his body heated up, anticipating making love to Celina. He shut the spray off, dashed out of the shower, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He headed for the bedroom and took a pair of black slacks and a white golf shirt from his closet, but he wasn’t satisfied with the outfit. We’re not going to a business meeting, he thought as he reached for a pair of linen shorts and a goldenrod oxford shirt. He dressed quickly, because he still needed to get the candles ready for the dinner table, since he and Celina would eat inside tonight and, if he were lucky, she’d be his tasty dessert.

  After putting the candles and the place settings on the table, Darius headed for the kitchen to finish cooking the meal. He pulled a salmon steak from the freezer for himself, squeezing lemon juice on the frozen fish, then dropped it in a glass pan with some parsley and chives. Darius slid the pan in the oven. While the food cooked, he dimmed the lights in the dining room and throughout the house. Next, he opened the curtains so that when the sun set and the moon and stars began to dot the sky, they would provide the perfect backdrop for their dinner.

  He walked into the kitchen and grabbed the salad to set in the center of the table. He looked at his watch. It was almost time for Celina to come over.

  Celina stood at the front door with her sweaty hand on the doorknob, her heart beating like an African drum. With her other hand, which was just as sweaty, she smoothed her knee-length black halter dress with red Chinese embroidery around the neckline. Luckily, she didn’t stain it. Convinced that her dress was fine, she started tinkering with her hair, which she’d pulled up into a bushy ponytail, and not a hair was out of place. All right, you can do this. Besides, the man has seen you naked, she thought.

  Swallowing her fears, she opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Casting her eyes upward, she took in the natural beauty of the setting sun, which gave her the urge to grab her sketch pad and colored pencils. Celina made the short trek across to Darius’s house. She took a deep breath before she knocked on the door.

  When Darius opened the door, he took Celina’s breath away. He radiated. The golden shirt he had on made his dark skin glow.

  “Hello,” he said. “You look beautiful.”

  Celina blushed. “Thank you.”

  “Come in, dinner is almost ready,” he said, stepping aside to allow Celina to walk in. She couldn’t deny how beautiful everything looked and how great it smelled. The candles flickered on the table and filled the room with a golden glow and the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle.

  “You went all out, didn’t you?” Celina said as Darius led her into the dining room. One thing that impressed her about Darius was his style and the fact that his house didn’t look like a typical bachelor pad. Everything was in its place. And he had a love of music, and fine food—those were major pluses in her book. She never expected to find someone like Darius in Elmore and she never expected to find herself falling in love, either.

  “Please, sit down,” he said, pulling out a chair for her.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You’re such a gentleman.”

  Darius sat down beside her. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said as he reached over and grasped her hand gently. “Celina, you’re the most intriguing woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.”

  He smiled and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. As his lips touched her skin, shivers of delight ran down her spine. The feeling excited her and surprised her all at the same time. Change the subject, quick, or we won’t be eating dinner at all, she thought. “Darius, what’s for dinner?”

  He stood up. “I think you will approve. I have grilled eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes, stuffed mushrooms, and a salad.”

  “Sounds divine,” she replied. Darius walked into the kitchen and Celina took a full breath for the first time since she walked into the house. Being close to Darius frazzled her senses. She had to stay in control of herself, but he made her feel things and want to do things that she’d only fantasized about.

  Celina surmised that it was time to give in to what she was feeling as she watched Darius walk into the dining room with the trays of food. Rising to her feet, she took one of the trays from his hands. “Looks like you were struggling there,” she said, placing the tray on the table.

  Darius set the other tray on the table and stroked Celina’s cheek. “I know we said we were going to wait, but I want you so much, I’m about to explode,” he said.

  Before Celina could say a word, Darius had pulled her into his arms and captured her lips hungrily. She moaned softly as he slipped his sweet tongue into her mouth and probed the crevices as if he were on an expedition. Her body responded naturally to his touch, his kiss, and she didn’t fight it when he untied her dress and barely noticed when it pooled around her feet. But when she felt his hands against her breasts, Celina pulled back.

  “We-we can’t do this,” she whispered. “Not now.”

  Darius leaned in closer to her. “Celina, you want me just as much as I want you. Don’t fight what’s in your heart.”

  “How do you know what’s in my heart? You’re more interested in what’s between my legs,” she snapped.

  Darius placed his hand over Celina’s heart, which was beating rapidly like an engine in overdrive. “This is how I know,” he said. “Your heart is talking to me and it is saying the same thing mine is saying. When are you going to start listening to it?”

  She couldn’t breathe when he pressed his lips against her neck. Every word he’d said to her had been true and she was trying to find some thought to push him away, to give her an excuse to run again. She couldn’t find one.

  “Do you still want me to stop?” he asked.

  Celina shook her head. “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”

  Darius scooped Celina into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. In the darkness, Celina’s doubts whispered in her ear, telling her that she was setting herself up to be hurt, just like her mother.

  Darius laid her on the bed, lo
oking down into her dark eyes. She looked up at him, not knowing what to say or if she should say anything, but words failed her. If she had said something, it might have been the wrong thing. She desperately wanted to believe that she and Darius were building something real and that he wasn’t like her father had been when he was married to her mother.

  As he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his sculpted chest, a surge of lust ripped through Celina’s body. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, his manhood deep inside her. But what more could he offer her?

  Darius kissed her lips gently. “I want you to love me,” he said. “Don’t hold back. I’ll protect you.”

  “Are you sure you can do that?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Yes,” he replied confidently, then gently kissed her neck. Celina exhaled and her stomach trembled as Darius’s hand brushed across her smooth belly. Then he gently removed her satin and lace bikini panties, stroking her inner thighs with his thumbs as he slid the delicate material down her legs.

  She moaned as Darius played her body like a classically trained pianist, slipping his finger into her valley of sexuality, making her thighs quiver. She responded to his every touch like a musical note. Darius slid in between her legs, positioning himself on top of her, pressing her breasts against his chest. Their hearts seemed to have one beat, their bodies one yearning.

  Celina took his earlobe into her mouth, gently biting it as he wrapped her legs around his waist. She was so hot she felt as if flames had engulfed her body and it was going to take Darius to put them out.

  As Darius entered her awaiting body, neither of them realized that they hadn’t protected themselves. Celina pulled Darius closer to her, urging him to dive deeper into her body. She wanted him to lose himself inside her and she wanted to lose herself in his love. He answered her silent request and thrust his hips into hers, digging so deeply that she felt as if he’d touched her soul. She closed her eyes as she exploded from the inside out. Never had she experienced such passion and such intense pleasure. Darius wrapped his arms around her, not ready to pull back. Her warmth and wetness made it hard for him to control himself, but he held out until he knew that Celina had been satisfied. Then he allowed himself to climax.