“Girl, where did that figure come from?” Tasha asks, speechless. “Every time I see you, you’re always in a pair of bulky sweats covering all that up!”
“I agree with Tasha. Tamia, you look fucktabulous!” Katie gushes.
We all laugh. “So, you don’t think this dress is too much?”
“Tamia, if you got it, show it off, girl. You look great. I’m sure Jay will have something to say,” Tasha adds with a wink.
If only she knew I’d worn the dress for Kellen. “Anyway, don’t go there, Tasha. Your brother and I are just friends. Don’t get me wrong; your brother is fine as hell and has a great personality, but he’s become the brother I never had.”
“Girl, please,” Tasha snickers. “Okay, I’m ready.” She looks at herself in the mirror and pushes up the hem of her body-hugging, peach strapless dress to show off more of her legs while admiring the rest of her handiwork. “Katie, are you ready yet?”
“Yup,” Katie says, looking stunning in a simple, short, backless romper “Let’s go.” She finger-combs through her hair to make the curls fall like waves and walks to the door. “Come on, ladies, the men are waiting!”
We walk into the living room and find the guys talking, but they stop mid-sentence.
“Tamia, where the hell do you think you’re going in that dress!” Jay bellows. “Where did those curves come from, girl? Kellen, do you see this? I have a feeling I might get in a fight over your ass tonight!”
“Boy, leave her alone. Tamia looks great; now let’s go!” Tasha sings while strutting toward the door.
“Yeah, Tamia, don’t listen to him. He used to do Tasha and me the same way,” Katie says reassuringly.
“Thanks, I think?” I say. I grab my clutch off the table and as I’m about to head for the front door, almost tripping over my feet when I see Kellen’s hard lustful gaze on me, causing my heart to nearly burst through my chest. I clear my throat, and our eyes connect. “Are you ready?
Eventually, he nods, comes to his feet, and takes several steps my way, gripping my hips and pulling me flush against his body. We move until my back is pressed against the wall. “Are you looking to get fucked tonight? Because all I can think about right now is pulling your dress up and fuckin’ you against this wall. You look so sexy in this dress, but you already know that. Don’t you?”
Seven
Kellen
The frat party is in full force when we get there. Drunk co-eds fill the space to capacity. Some are dancing and singing to the songs the DJ’s spinning; others play beer-pong while the rest just hang around talking. I’m leaning against the wall, talking to some of my friends, when I spot Tamia across the room.
Periodically, I would search the crowd for her, just to see some dude talking to her or trying to get her to dance. If I see one more guy talking to her, I am going to go the fuck off. I’m counting down to the days to when Ashley returns, so I can officially end things and make Tamia mine, but I can’t help but feel as if she already is.
I look across the room, again, and see Tamia talking to Tasha now, and all I can think about is how I want to taste every inch of that beautiful brown skin of hers that tastes fruity just like her body lotion I’ve grown to love.
“Fuck it!” I murmur under my breath. I put my beer down and excuse myself from my friends and begin working my way through the crowd, toward Tamia. She’s still talking to Tasha when I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist and whisper in her ear. “Dance with me.”
She ends her conversation with Tasha and turns her head in my direction with a frown on her face until she sees that it’s me and smiles.
“Kellen, you almost got knocked out,” she laughs nervously.
“Dance with me,” I repeat, staring into her eyes. She turns her attention back to Tasha, who’s now looking at us suspiciously, trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
“Kellen, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Not taking no for an answer, I grab her hand and pull her away from Tasha and toward the front of the house where everyone is dancing. The DJ slows it down and plays “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith. When I find a spot, I face Tamia and gently place my hands on her hips and pull her to me, closing any space between us. I direct her arms around my neck and wrap my arms around her waist and bury my face in the crook of her neck and inhale. Damn, she smells good—like sun-ripened berries.
“Kellen, what are you doing?” she asks hesitantly.
“Dancing with you,” I reply, now running my nose along her soft neck.
She pulls away slightly and looks at me concernedly. “Are you drunk?”
“No.” I laugh, then I pull her tightly against me, and we begin to move to the soulful melodies of Sam Smith’s voice. Not being able to help myself, I lower my head and plant a kiss against her lips, causing her to still in my arms. “I want everyone to know that you’re mine, Tamia,” I whisper against her lips and feel her relax in my arms. She wraps her hands around my neck and deepens the kiss.
I feel someone nudging me but continue to have my fill of Tamia’s sweet mouth, stopping when I feel the nudge again. I pull my lips away and look over my shoulder to see Jay standing behind me.
“Hey, I’m sorry to interrupt,” he says, frowning from me to Tamia.
My blood boils, but I tamper it down. “What’s up?”
“I think we should head out early. I interrupted Katie doing a striptease to Thotiana, Tasha’s had too much to drink, and I want to get her home before she pulls the same shit.”
I run a frustrated hand through my hair. “Sure.”
The ride home is quiet. Jay sits up front with me, texting away on his phone, while the girls sit in the back. I look in my rearview mirror and see that both Tasha and Katie are passed out, and Tamia is looking out her window. As if she senses someone watching her, her gaze shifts from the window and her eyes lock with mine. After a few moments of intense staring, I cut eye contact with her and focus back on the road. A couple of minutes later, I pull up into their apartment complex, park, and cut the engine off.
“All right, man,” Jay announces and gives me some dap. “I’ll see you later on tonight.”
“Later,” I respond. Jay gets out and retrieves his sister and they head to their apartment building.
“Katie, wake up. We’re here,” I hear Tamia attempting to wake my sister who sleeps like the dead.
“I’ll get her, Tamia.”
We both get out of the car, and Tamia steps aside while I pull Katie out. I lift her in my arms while Tamia shuts the doors, then we make our way up to their apartment. As soon as Tamia unlocks the door, I take Katie to her room and get her situated. I head back to the front and find Tamia sitting on the couch, removing her shoes.
“You look tired yourself,” I observe.
“I should be, considering the kind of week that I’ve had, but I’m too wired to sleep. I think I’ll stay up and watch a little TV. You’re more than welcomed to stay and watch with me.”
I look at the clock on the TV stand. It reads two a.m., an invitation of a lifetime, but I know if I stay, I know I won’t be able to keep my hands off of her, which will lead to us fucking. Until I press un-pause on my relationship with Ashley and end it for good, even though we never said we couldn’t see other people during this “hiatus”, I’ll keep my dick to myself.