After Hours Redemption (404 Sound) Page 9

  “Thanks.” He took the bag, then stepped aside and gestured her in.

  She entered his domain, letting her gaze move around the interior. Wow. This place is stunning. The open floor plan gave her a wide-angle view of the polished oak floors and cabinetry, contrasted against the gray marble countertops and stainless appliances in the generously sized kitchen. He’d furnished the living room with a sleek but comfortable-looking camel-colored sofa, two matching chairs and a low-profile glass coffee table. “Nice place.”

  “Thanks. Bought it a few years ago.” He walked around the tall granite-top bar that represented the only separation between the living room and kitchen, gesturing her to follow him. “It’s close to the studio, spacious, and best of all, I don’t have to cut the grass.” He positioned himself by the stove, tending to something sizzling in a cast-iron skillet.

  She chuckled as she eased onto one of the two upholstered wrought iron barstools. “I can see the appeal of that. I usually get one of the teenagers down the street to mow ours.”

  “Dinner should be ready in about fifteen minutes.” He used his spatula to flip whatever was in the skillet.

  “What are you making, anyway? It smells heavenly.”

  He used a mitt to grasp the pan’s handle and gently shook it. “My vegan soul food specialty. Salisbury steak and mushroom gravy.”

  She pursed her lips, contemplating that. “Vegan steak? What’s in that? And when did you become vegan?”

  His deep rumbling chuckle preceded his answer. “The base for the steak is chickpeas and lentils. Don’t worry, you’ll love it. And I’m not vegan, but I try to eat three to four plant-based meals each week.”

  “I see.” She looked down, suddenly self-conscious about her little lower-belly pooch. “So that’s how you maintain that glorious physique, huh?” If eating fake steak made from legumes kept his body looking like it was carved from marble, she certainly wasn’t going to knock it.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard my body called ‘glorious’ before. You flatter me, Eden.” He tossed a wink over his shoulder.

  She rolled her eyes for show. But deep inside, she fought off the urge to grab a handful of that magnificent ass of his.

  “But, nah. I work out to keep my body in shape. The way I eat is more about how I feel. I’m too old to be eating garbage, you know. Can’t digest it. It’s just not worth having an upset stomach.”

  “Relatable. I gave up fast food a few years back, and my insides are sincerely grateful.” Giving up fast food, along with her regular strolls around the neighborhood, had helped her shave off a few pounds. Still, her curvy frame always seemed to hold on to a nice layer of padding, and she’d long since accepted the fact that she’d never be skinny. And that suited her just fine. “I’m looking forward to trying your creation.”

  “You’re gonna love it. It’s a big hit with Gage, and he loves meat to an almost frightening degree.”

  She nodded. As he worked at the stove, she couldn’t help noticing the slight slump to his broad shoulders. “Hey, I’m not trying to get in your business, and you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. But what happened last night? Is everything okay?”

  He turned off the burner and set down the spatula, facing her. “I don’t mind telling you. My mother took a bad fall while out running yesterday evening.”

  She frowned. “Oh, no. Is she going to be all right?”

  “She’ll be fine. She’s a real pistol, my mom. She’s pushing sixty and you can’t tell her anything.” He shook his head, wearing a rueful smile, and quickly relayed how his mother had gotten hurt.

  “Well, damn.” Since she frequented the city’s trails, she could easily imagine having such a run-in with an oblivious cyclist. “How’s she holding up?”

  “Other than being mad she can’t run for a few weeks, she’s in pretty good spirits. They kept her overnight because her pulse was erratic and the doc wanted to observe her, but they cut her loose this morning.” He opened the fridge, pulled out two bottles of water and slid one to Eden. “Sent her home this morning with a cane, meds and orders to take it easy for a while.” He cracked open the bottle, taking a big swig of water.

  “How’s the family handling things?” She opened her water and let its cold freshness quench her parched throat. Her other thirst, however, could only be satisfied by the man standing just beyond her reach.

  “As well as can be expected. Nia’s gone into ‘bossy-britches’ mode, but then again that’s her default setting.”

  She snorted. “Bossy-britches?”

  “If you ever meet my sister, trust me, you’ll see what I mean.” He took another sip from his water. “The twins are waiting on Mom, babying her the way she’s always babied them. Gage, he’s a little standoffish. I think it’s hard for him to see Mom laid up like this. As for my Dad, he’s giving her moral support.”

  “What about you, Blaine? How are you holding up?”

  His eyes met hers. “It’s not an ideal situation. I was pretty freaked out by Nia’s cryptic call. But now that I know Mom will be fine, I feel better.” He stifled a yawn. “I’m just a little tired and achy. I stayed at the hospital with Mom last night, and those damn hospital recliners will have your whole body in knots.”

  “I’m familiar.” A memory passed over her mind like a storm cloud, of sitting at her aunt’s bedside after the bus accident. Her mother had perished in the ambulance, but her aunt had held on for a few hours after the crash. Her final words still echoed in Eden’s mind.

  Take care of my Ainsley.

  Shaking the memory off, she said softly, “Is it ready? I’m eager to test your skills in the kitchen.” There was a double meaning there, and they both knew it.

  He watched her, letting her remark hang between them for a moment before replying. “It’s ready. I was just letting it cool off.” He held her gaze for a long, smoldering moment. “We wouldn’t want to get down before it’s time, right?”

  She sucked her lower lip between her teeth as a tingle of anticipation danced down her spine.

  Seated at his beautifully set dining room table, she watched as he placed the finished plate in front of him. The pristine white bone china plate held the whipped mashed potatoes, running with mushroom gravy and topped with his vegan steaks. A pile of bright, crisp green beans, sautéed with shredded carrots and red onion, accompanied the main course. “Wow. This looks amazing.”

  He grinned as he took his seat across from her. “Wait until you taste it.”

  She dug in and soon found herself groaning with delight as the flavors collided on her tongue. “Blaine. You’re a fantastic cook. This is really delicious.”

  His smile widened. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “I love it.” She forked up more of the scrumptious offerings.

  As they ate, they chatted about their day, the weather and the horrors of Atlanta traffic.

  Before she knew it, she’d cleaned her plate. Setting her utensils down, she noted how she felt full, but not stuffed. “What a meal. I can’t even imagine what you came up with for dessert.”

  “Oh, it’s definitely the sweetest, the creamiest, the most delicate thing I could think of.”

  Her mouth watered at the prospect of whatever culinary delight he had in store. “Ooooh. What is it?”

  Their gazes connected across the table.

  “You.”

  * * *

  Blaine felt the change in the atmosphere as soon as the word left his mouth. The air between them seemed to vibrate, saturated with the electric charge of their attraction.

  Ever since she’d stepped over the threshold in that long, flowing fiery red dress, with slits on either side that parted to show off her luscious legs as she walked, he’d been keeping a tenuous hold over his hormones. She made him feel like a young man just discovering the birds and bees...and she was the onl
y flower in the garden he wanted to buzz around.

  Eden’s eyes widened for a moment, then surprise melted into seduction as her glossy lips parted. She pushed her plate away, easing her chair back from the table. “Oh, really? And what makes you so sure I’ll agree?”

  “If you don’t, I’ll be devastated.” He spoke softly as he stood and rounded the table. When he reached her chair, he knelt at her feet. He lifted one, observing the jeweled sandals she seemed to favor as he held her ankle in his hand. “All I ask is that you let me plead my case as to why you should.”

  Her tongue darted out, slid over her bottom lip. “And will I like the way you plead, Blaine?”

  She was teasing him, and they both knew it. As hard as he was, he still savored every moment of this banter, this delicious back-and-forth. He caressed her ankle, then let his fingertips trail up to her calf. “You’ll love it. I promise.”

  “Mmm.” The low moan escaped her throat, spurring him onward.

  He stroked her soft-skinned legs, grazing his open palms from her calves to the tempting fullness of her thighs. “You’re so beautiful...so soft.”

  She let her head drop back.

  He unfastened the jeweled sandals and set them aside. Sitting down, he took her bare feet into his lap and began massaging them with slow, methodical purpose. He worked each gold-painted toe in a small circle, then moved on to knead the instep of each foot.

  She crooned in response. “Oooh. How did you know I needed a foot rub?”

  “Psychic, I guess.” He continued his work, feeling her muscles loosen beneath his touch. Her hips edged forward on her seat as she arched her back in response to his ministrations. Watching and feeling her reactions made him feel powerful...with each moment, he grew more confident that he’d be able to please her in all the ways she craved.

  He stopped a moment before she would have slid off the chair, and her body made a slow return to its original positioning. She looked his way with passion-hooded eyes. “You make a very convincing argument,” she whispered, reaching out to stroke his jawline.

  As she leaned forward, the tops of her full breasts moved into his direct line of vision, and his dick pulsed with need.

  He placed his hand atop hers. “I’m just getting started, baby.”

  She gave him a wicked smile. “Well, don’t let me stop you.”

  He leaned forward, placing a series of soft kisses on the exposed swell of her bosom, enjoying the way she hummed with pleasure. “May I?” He grasped the thin straps of the dress, and she nodded. Letting the straps fall, he tugged the top of the dress down until the fabric bunched around her waist. His breath escaped in a whoosh as her full, naked breasts were revealed to his appreciative eyes. Unable to hold back, he took one rounded globe in each hand, giving them a gentle squeeze before devouring one taut, dark nipple.

  Her small, sharp cries punctuated each suck, each lick, each pass of his thumb over her berried flesh. He kept his eyes open, thrilled by the sight of her, arched and trembling as he pleasured her.

  He moved away for a moment, stood to kick off his loafers.

  She was on her feet a moment later, tugging at the buttons of his shirt. A couple of them flew off, but he couldn’t have cared less.

  There in his dining room, with the moonlight streaming in through the window, they undressed each other. She undid the clasp of his pants as he tugged down her dress; undergarments followed, adding to the pile of fabric he kicked under the table. Once they were both as nude as the day they’d been born, she reached out, running her open palms over his abdomen.

  His skin burned at this first tentative touch. She was gentle, tenderly caressing him, driving him mad with wanting. He pulled her into his arms, weaving his fingertips through her silken tresses as he lifted her face to his kiss.

  Long, torrid moments passed as he savored the sweetness of her mouth. Yet there was another treat he wanted to taste, to devour. So he eased her back into her chair and knelt before her again. Hands guiding her into the proper positioning, he eased her hips forward and her thighs apart. He could see her glistening with wetness in the shadowy light, and he trailed his index finger over her hardened clit.

  She gasped. “Blaine...”

  “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll take care of you.” He circled the taut bud, teasing it with his finger as he planned to do with his tongue. Moments later, he cupped the undersides of her thighs, raising and opening them further as his outstretched tongue delved between her slick folds.

  She cried out, then dissolved into melodic moaning as he feasted on her. She was dripping with honey and tasted much sweeter than anything he could have concocted in his kitchen. There wasn’t a finer dessert to be had anywhere in Atlanta, or the rest of the world, for that matter. While she writhed and sang her pleasure, he sucked, he teased, he enjoyed. Only when her orgasmic shout sliced the air did he stop.

  He sat on the floor, watching her shiver and listening to her heavy breaths for a few moments before he stood. Grasping her hand, he asked softly, “Can you stand?”

  “Mmm.” Still trembling, she shook her head.

  “I got you.” He lifted her naked frame into his arms and carried her to his bedroom. Then, laying her atop the comforter, he sheathed himself with protection and eased between her parted thighs.

  She grasped his hardness, her eyes locked with his as she guided him inside her warm, slick passage.

  He groaned as he entered her fully. She was so hot and so gloriously tight. Her body gripped his shaft as he began to move, sliding in and out of her. Her fingernails dug into his back, but he ignored the sting as he worked his hips forward, then back, then forward again. Being inside her again after all this time felt so amazing, so right...he never wanted this to end.

  “Oh, Blaine...” Her voice cracked as she called his name.

  He couldn’t recall ever hearing a sweeter sound.

  And there, fourteen floors above the jewel of the South, he made love to her until exhaustion forced them to seek sleep.

  Eleven

  Monday morning found Eden standing in the studio at Against the Grain. Arms folded over her chest, she stood behind Trevor as he worked the soundboard. Next to Trevor sat the legendary hip-hop producer Jerome Dupois. Wearing a red-and-tan leather letterman jacket emblazoned with his famous label’s logo, Jerome scribbled notes onto a notepad he’d brought in with him. Glancing his way, Eden wondered if and how the brotha could see more than a few inches in front of him, considering the dark sunglasses obscuring his eyes.

  On the other side of the glass partition, Naiya sat atop the wooden stool inside the sound booth. Wearing the special noise-canceling headphones that allowed her to hear playback of the track unencumbered by outside interference, she shuffled through the pages of her lyric sheets.

  Trevor, the engineer, was a laid-back dude with a close fade dressed in his standard uniform of white polo and khakis. Holding down the intercom button on the panel, he asked, “Naiya, you ready in there? I’m gonna feed the playback into your headphones, okay?”

  She gave him a thumbs-up, straightening her posture on the stool.

  Eden took a seat on the plush sofa behind the board, and the playback started just as she settled in. The mid-tempo track, featuring Dupois’s signature funky bass line and rocking percussion, provided the perfect backdrop for the song. Eden’s lyrics, inspired by the words in Naiya’s journals, recalled the giddy excitement of the singer’s first love.

  She felt the smile tugging the corners of her lips as she heard Naiya’s delivery. Her vocal talents were impressive, and she delivered a great first run-through of the song. As the track came to an end, Eden returned to the board and held down the intercom button on the soundboard.

  “Wow, Naiya. You really can blow, girl!”

  Naiya blushed. “Thanks, Eden.”

  She smiled. “I only have a few pointers for this
next take. We’ll run through the main melody once more before we move on to recording the harmonies.” She checked her phone for the time. “We’ve still got about forty-five minutes before the backup singers get here, which should give us plenty of time.”

  “Okay, what do you need me to do?” Naiya lifted the left earphone, propping it haphazardly atop her head.

  “Stretch that initial note just a little bit. When you get to the bridge, take it up a half an octave. And keep emoting—you’re doing great putting your feelings into the music, okay?”

  “I got it.” Naiya returned the earphone to its proper position. “I’m ready.”

  Jerome raised his index finger and made a circling motion, signaling Trevor. The engineer restarted the playback, and Naiya leaned into the mic to belt out the song for a second time. Save for a random sneeze that caused one section to have to be rerecorded, she delivered a flawless second take.

  Eden applauded as Naiya hung up her headset and exited the booth. “Amazing. Absolutely amazing. You’ve made light work for the backup singers.”

  Naiya stood in the doorway of the soundboard vestibule. “Thanks.” She slipped her phone from the back pocket of her jeans. “You think I have time to run down for a quick coffee and a snack before the other girls get here?”

  Eden nodded. “Sure. Besides, you’ve earned a break.”

  “Cool.” Naiya called out to the producer, who was scrolling through his phone. “Yo, JD, you want anything?” Moments later, after promising the producer an herbal tea, she left.

  Eden exited the studio soon after. Her mind wandered to Blaine, and the amazing encounter they’d had. She’d remained in his arms all night, and it was some of the best sleep she’d had recently. She smiled at the thought of the way he’d worked her body...and the way he’d greeted her the next morning with kisses and that beautiful smile. There was none of the awkwardness she’d been afraid of, but she hadn’t been thrilled to hear him talk about how being with her brought back sweet memories. It made it seem as if he’d been reaching for the past, instead of working toward a future with her. Whatever the case, she knew she wanted to experience his lovemaking again, as soon as possible.