My Anti-Valentine Read online

  The smile on his face grew as soon as he spotted me. I watched his eyes as they swept down my body and his tongue swiped over his lips. It was subtle but it happened.

  I stopped in my tracks. Did he just check me out?

  When our eyes met again, there was something about the way he looked at me that was different. Or at the very least, it just made me feel different. I wasn’t used to the fluttering in my gut that was taking place.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, putting his hands on my shoulders and then slowly moving them down my arms. “Did something happen?”

  “Is Nicole somewhere behind me?” I whispered. “Look. But be discreet.”

  His brows furrowed but he inconspicuously looked around behind me. Taking my hands into his, he lifted one to his lips. “Yes.”

  I nodded and my heart pounded in my chest. “Kiss me.”

  “What?”

  I pushed myself up onto my toes and pressed my lips against his. They were soft and juicy and though it was only a chaste kiss, it ramped up the butterflies he had caused.

  “Is she still looking?” I asked.

  He stared at me with his chest rising and falling quickly. “Who?”

  My eyes bulged as I mouthed, “Nicole.”

  “Oh, oh yeah.” His eyes swept the room. “I don’t see her.”

  “Okay.” I let out a sigh of relief. “She cornered me in the bathroom and—”

  “I always thought you two would be good together,” Mrs. Asante mentioned from out of nowhere.

  That time, we both startled.

  “Mom, you have to stop sneaking up like that,” Emmanuel told her with a big smile.

  “It’s not my fault you two keep tuning the rest of the world out,” she pointed out. With a warm smile, she looked at me. “I told Emmanuel a long time ago that you were the type of woman that he needed in his life. When you marry your best friend, you don’t have the type of problems he had with Nicole.” Her eyes darkened as she glanced around. “I’ve been hearing about the things she’s been saying, and I know that woman wants to get her hooks back into you.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” Emmanuel assured her.

  “Oh, I know.” She looked at him with the purest smile. “I see the way you look at Alyssa. I always knew that love could be there between you two if you let it in. And seeing you two tonight, I have no doubt you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Your aunt and I have been talking about it all night.”

  My heart was racing and the knots in my belly grew. I wasn’t sure if it was because we were pretending to be together and everyone was fooled except for the one person who was supposed to be. Or if it was because we were supposed to be pretending to have feelings for one another and I wasn’t sure if I was pretending anymore.

  “Can I steal him away for a dance?” she asked.

  “Of course,” I said quickly.

  He winked at me. “I’ll be right back, my love.”

  I lifted my hand in a wave. “I’ll meet you at the table, baby.”

  He’d taken a step away from me and then turned around and planted a quick kiss against my lips. Before I could even react, it was over, and he was escorting his mom to the dance floor. I put my hand over my heart hoping to slow it down.

  “I need a drink,” I muttered under my breath.

  Grabbing a glass of champagne from the bar, I returned to our table. The only person there was Julia.

  “Everything okay?” I asked as I sat down.

  She made a face. “Yeah, my date isn’t feeling well so we may be leaving soon.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope he feels better,” I told her.

  We made small talk until I started dancing in my seat. I felt two big hands massage my shoulders. I knew it was him before I even looked. I placed my hand over one of his and I glanced up.

  With a smile, I greeted him. “Hi.”

  “This is your song. Let’s dance,” Emmanuel commanded, pulling me to my feet.

  I let him lead me to the dance floor and as the beat took over, I let my body do the rest. He did a little two step as I swayed my hips and shook my ass. The next song that played had a sexy, throbbing beat and was on my sex playlist. Lost in the moment, I turned my back to Manny and started grinding my ass against him. He gripped my hips and pulled me closer. I lifted my arms in the air and leaned back into him.

  “Alyssa,” he groaned.

  I turned to face him, but my body was still pressed against his. “Yes?”

  He smirked. “You know what you’re doing.”

  Wide eyed, I responded, “Dancing.”

  “You’re tempting me, but okay.”

  Turning back around, I did the same move I did before when the beat changed for the chorus. I put my hands on my knees and popped my booty. But that time I felt him stiffening with each of my body rolls.

  My entire body heated.

  He stood me up, spun me around, and pulled me close. “Alyssa,” he said in a warning tone.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Emmanuel.”

  “We’re at a wedding and my family is around.”

  My eyes widened. I was mortified. “Oh! Oh my God!” I stopped moving and closed my eyes tight. “I’m so sorry. Let’s go sit down.”

  “Hey.” He waited until I opened my eyes to continue. “Give me a minute and then we can head back to the table.”

  I tilted my head. “Sorry. I got carried away.”

  “No, it was good.” He let out a little chuckle. “A little too good.”

  “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

  His brows furrowed. “Alyssa, I didn’t stop you because I’m embarrassed. I stopped you because you’re sexy as hell and I’ve been trying to stop my dick from getting hard around you all night. I stopped you because you were one more twerk away from feeling all of me.”

  I didn’t expect him to say that and I didn’t expect his words to make me throb.

  “Oh,” I breathed. I wanted to say more but I was caught off guard. “Okay then.”

  We stared at each other for a moment before we both cracked up. I had the biggest smile on my face as I stared up at him.

  “I’m having a really good time,” I admitted quietly.

  “Good. Me, too.” His eyes dipped to my lips. “I don’t think I would’ve had as much fun with anyone else.”

  “It’s always a good time with you,” I murmured just as the song came to an end.

  Without another word, he leaned down and kissed me.

  It wasn’t like the pecks we’d exchanged earlier. This kiss was deep and passionate. It didn’t feel like we were playing a role anymore. It was natural and as soon as our tongues collided, the butterflies I kept feeling made sense. He made sense. We made sense. But more than that, I felt an indescribable feeling that seemed to blend want with need and lust with love.

  We pulled out of the kiss slowly and I nervously let my lashes flutter open. My heart was racing and the fluttering in my belly increased. When I met his gaze, I knew with absolute certainty that I wasn’t pretending anymore.

  Emmanuel caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. “Do you want to get out of here?”

  “Yes, baby.”

  *****

  Post-Wedding

  Emmanuel and I went to get my cape and then we looked for his mother to say goodbye. With our fingers intertwined, we walked out of the reception hall the same way we came in. But things were completely different.

  “Oh shit,” Emmanuel swore, stopping abruptly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I forgot to bring the gift in.”

  “Oh, you can still go in and do it. It’s not like it’s a birthday party and they’re going to open them now.”

  He laughed. “I know that!” He pressed the button for the trunk to open and then handed me the keys. “I’m just going to run it in. I’ll be right back.”

  I climbed in the passenger seat and waited for him. When he returned, he told me how h
e witnessed someone trip and fall on the marble floor. They weren’t hurt so neither of us felt bad for how hard we laughed. The entire ride back to his place was full of jokes and observations about the wedding. We talked about everything except for the fact that we had a moment.

  He pulled up in his driveway and parked.

  “Oh!” I gasped as we walked to the door. “Do you have popcorn? I meant to say something before we got here.”

  He unlocked the door, turned around and made a face at me. “Of course, I have popcorn. What do you think this is? Amateur hour? You can’t have a movie night without popcorn.”

  “Yes!” I pumped my fist in the air. “You are always thinking! This is why I love you.”

  The statement hung in the air like smog and I was going to choke on it.

  I did not mean it like that.

  I never had to quantify what I meant when I told him I loved him before. I never felt the need to. He always knew what I meant. But for some reason, it felt different in that moment.

  The silence was deafening.

  “I’m going to take a quick shower and change into my pajamas,” I told him as I pushed him into his own house.

  “Yeah, I’ll do the same and then pop the popcorn.”

  I didn’t even respond. I took off my shoes and ran up the steps.

  Twenty-five minutes later, I was in a pair of black leggings and a white tank top. I had a cute bra and panty set that I was going to put on. But I decided against it.

  He will definitely know I’m interested in doing something if I wear that, I thought as I repacked it in my bag. Everything is fine.

  I walked downstairs and could hear the popcorn popping. When I got to the living room, I saw that he had the fireplace going even though it wasn’t that cold outside. The fire and the glow from the TV provided the only light.

  Is he setting the mood? I sat down on the couch to collect my thoughts. Maybe I should change.

  I considered going back upstairs and putting on my sexy sleepwear. But then he walked in the room wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and no shirt and I lost my entire train of thought. My lips parted and I let out a breath.

  “I spilled butter everywhere,” he grumbled distractedly. “Let me go grab another shirt and then we can start the first movie.”

  My words wouldn’t come out at first. “Okay,” I replied once he was already upstairs.

  I need to get my shit together.

  The truth was the kiss rattled me and the feelings I felt made me uneasy. But the easy banter of the car ride home reminded me that we were friends playing a part.

  And he’s a better actor than me.

  I went to the kitchen and cleaned up the butter that was on the counter. I threw the cleaning wipes away and then washed my hands. When I turned around, my stomach flipped.

  Emmanuel was standing in the doorway, watching me. The look he gave me temporarily rendered me useless. I didn’t move as his eyes grazed my body hungrily. I’d never felt as sexy as I did under the heat of his gaze. I swallowed hard.

  “I cleaned up the b-butter,” I stammered as I noticed his bulge.

  “Thank you. But you didn’t have to do that.” He said the words so softly that I felt my nipples tighten.

  His eyes indicated that he noticed, too.

  I started to cross my arms over my chest because I was a little embarrassed that he could see his effect on me. But then I glanced down at his sweatpants and realized he was showing his cards too.

  Not knowing what else to do, I grabbed the bowl of popcorn and some napkins. “Ready when you are.”

  He bit his lip and went to the refrigerator. “I’ll get drinks.”

  I darted out of the kitchen.

  I’d just sat the popcorn down on the coffee table when he came in with two bottles of water, two bottles of lemonade, and a bottle of vodka.

  “Vodka Lemonade,” I cheered. “My favorite.”

  “I know.”

  I glanced over at him and smiled. When he started to lift his head to look up, I immediately averted my gaze.

  Grabbing the remote, he sat down next to me. “Do you want a blanket or are you good?”

  I put my hands together. “Blanket please.”

  He chuckled under his breath as he got up and grabbed it from the closet. “I knew I should’ve asked before I sat down.”

  “So, we agree”—I cocked my head to the side— “this is on you.”

  He tossed the blanket at my head.

  “Hey!” I yelped before dissolving into giggles. “You’re going to mess up my fro.”

  He sat down and moved the blanket to the other side of him. “My bad.” He slid his fingers into my hair and massaged my scalp. My eyes closed immediately as his fingertips worked their magic. Stroking my kinky, curly hair, he pulled and elongated a tendril. “All fixed,” he uttered.

  I opened my eyes slowly and when our eyes met, my heart felt like it would beat out of my chest.

  “You remembered what I wore the day we met,” I blurted out.

  With his arm resting along the back of the couch, he nodded slowly. “I do.”

  “I never knew that.”

  “It never came up before.”

  I swallowed hard. “Did you mean what you said?”

  He held my gaze. “I meant everything I said tonight.”

  “Even the part about how I was tempting you?”

  “Especially that part.”

  Heat traveled up my neck and flushed my face.

  I didn’t realize how bad I wanted him to kiss me until I watched him think about it. I wasn’t going to make the first move, so I waited. Taking deep, measured breaths, I watched him watching me. There was no rumor to defuse or ex-wife to neutralize. There was no one but us in the room. If we were to kiss, it wouldn’t be for anyone else’s benefit. If we were to kiss, it would be for us.

  I licked my lips. “It was easier than I thought it was going to be to play your girlfriend for the night.”

  His arm slipped behind my neck and brought me closer to him. “It didn’t feel like we were playing,” he whispered, his eyes zeroing in on my mouth. “And it still doesn’t.”

  My eyes fluttered closed just as his lips connected with mine. Every second of built-up sexual tension exploded and sent shockwaves directly to my core. The kiss was reckless. His hand worked its way into my hair as I tried to pull him onto me. I could feel him restraining himself, keeping us upright. But the moment my tongue met his, his grip on my hair tightened and a growl vibrated through him.

  Butterflies spread across my belly as he pulled me onto his lap. I grabbed his face when his tongue teasingly met mine. Shivers ran up and down my spine as I felt how hard he was under me. Desire twisted in my gut so forcefully that I moaned into his mouth.

  Hearing my excitement seemed to excite him as I felt him grow beneath me. My hands moved from his face to his shoulders and then over his chest. I wanted to take his shirt off. I wanted to take his pants off. I wanted to really feel him, but the kiss was so good I didn’t want to stop.

  We kissed recklessly as need and lust consumed us. He let go of my hair and using both hands, he grabbed my ass. Rotating my hips and grinding against him, I felt myself give in to everything I’d been feeling all night.

  If I had on panties, they would’ve been soaked.

  “I want you, Alyssa,” he groaned against my waiting mouth. His voice was rough and thick with want. “Can I have you?”

  “I’m already yours,” I murmured, clawing at his shirt to get it off him.

  As the way our bodies moved against each other became more fervent, clothes started coming off. Before I knew what was happening, I was on my back and my leggings were being peeled off me. He tossed them in the pile on the floor with my tank top and his shirt.

  He stood, towering over me in my sprawled out position on the couch. His broad shoulders and muscular body seemed even more sexy with the fire behind him. I opened my mouth to tell him how good he looked, but he pushed hi
s sweatpants to the ground, and I couldn’t speak.

  Holy shit.

  My entire lower body clenched at the sight of it.

  Forcing my eyes up to meet his, I told him exactly what was on my mind. “Can I sit on it?”

  “Yeah.” His tongue ran from one side of his mouth to the other. “But first things first…”

  He got on his knees, spread my legs open wide, and licked my slit from bottom to top.

  “Oh shit,” I cried out, grabbing the couch cushion with one hand, his head with the other.

  His skillful tongue navigated my body like he’d been there before. And my body welcomed him with open arms. He licked, sucked, and flicked his way into a night he wasn’t going to forget. He did some sort of sucking, swirling tongue action against my clit and I almost came right then and there.

  “Oh God,” I groaned as I lifted my hips.

  He took that as an invitation and continued applying pressure.

  The tingling sensation radiated from my core throughout the rest of my body. I wanted to hang in the balance for as long as possible. I wanted to live in the space where his tongue was the only thing tethering me to Earth. I wanted to savor the experience of being devoured. But he knew exactly what he was doing, and once he did his tongue trick again, I had no control.

  I came hard.

  My body trembled and my hips quaked as he sent me over the edge. Instead of allowing me to catch my breath, he continued his assault on my clit and another wave of pleasure consumed me.

  It only took that first lick for me to know that I was his. And by the second time he had me coming on his lips, he knew it too.

  He kissed me all over as I recovered from my orgasms.

  “You taste so good,” he whispered against my skin.

  Aftershocks rippled through me as his lips skated across my belly and latched on to my nipple. He alternated from one breast to the other until he felt my legs lock around his middle. Finally, he made his way back to my lips and we lost ourselves.

  “That felt good, baby,” I whispered, pushing him off me. Once he was in a seated position, I started stroking his dick. “Now let me make you feel good.”