Craving Temptation (13 page)

Rebecca eased over to their side and gave them both a warm smile. She wrapped her arms around her younger daughter's shoulders. “You're not used to all this feminine energy, are you, baby?”

Rasheeda shook her head. “No, ma'am.”

“Baby doll, don't ma'am me! Ma'am makes me feel so old!”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Harper and Rebecca both laughed. Rebecca shook her head as she kissed her daughter's cheek. “You don't know how happy I am to have you here.”

Rasheeda smiled, a hint of red coloring her cheeks. Rebecca winked as she headed toward the kitchen. “Let me check on that food. I know everyone has to be hungry.”

Harper shifted her gaze to Amina's sister. “You look a little overwhelmed. Are you doing okay?”

Rasheeda nodded. “I really am. This is just so different from my life in Memphis. I've never seen people laugh so much!”

Harper giggled. “You and Amina are very lucky. You have a wonderful family!”

“I wish I'd had this growing up,” Rasheeda said with a deep sigh.

Harper nodded. “You have it now. That's all that matters.”

The two women talked for a few minutes more before they were interrupted by Rebecca's calling the family to dinner. Amina gestured for them to head to the kitchen and dining room as she moved outside to reclaim her man.

Troy and Quentin both were standing in deep conversation with her uncles and her cousin Brighton, the group debating politics. Her uncle Manuel, a staunch Republican, was making a point about taxation that the others weren't receiving well. It was a passionate exchange and Amina hesitated for a brief moment as Troy made his point, her uncle giving him his due.

“You right, you right, you right!” the elder man was saying, his head bobbing excitedly.

Amina chuckled warmly. “Grandmother says you all need to come eat.”

“Don't have to tell me twice,” Uncle Nico said. He extended his hand toward Troy. “Congratulations, young man. She's a good girl, my niece. I trust that she'll be in good hands.”

“Thank you, sir,” Troy responded.

“Amina, this one's a keeper,” he extolled as he wrapped her in a deep bear hug. “Don't mess it up!”

Amina laughed. “I won't, Uncle Nico.”

As the men headed back inside, Troy and Amina took a quick minute to themselves. Troy wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her close. He kissed her easily, his lips dancing like silk across hers. Amina purred ever so softly, savoring the taste of him.

“So, do you women have all of our wedding plans under control?”

Amina nodded. “We do. My mother has been calling in favors and pulling strings since I got here. You'd think she was the one getting married.”

“As long as you're happy with everything.”

“I really am and thank you for faxing your documents over to the courthouse. I picked up our license and you'll just have to sign it in front of Judge Colter tomorrow before the ceremony.”

“I'm excited to meet Judge Colter. I've heard good things about him.”

“He was my mentor in law school. And in some respects, a substitute father figure. He taught me everything I know.”

“Then I'm even more excited about meeting him,” Troy said.

Amina's grin was a mile wide. “My family thinks you're great! Everyone loves you. In fact, if she were a few years younger I think my grandmother might try to give me a run for my money.”

Troy laughed. “I wasn't going to say anything but I think your granny tried to goose my bottom.”

She laughed with him. “I'm
sure
my grandmother tried to goose your bottom!”

There was just a sliver of a moon in the late-night sky when Troy stepped outside to take in the view. Inside, the Brewer family was still going strong, a game of bid whist being played at the kitchen table and an old Tyler Perry movie playing on the DVD player in the family room. He had just sent a prayer of thanksgiving skyward when Amina's mother joined him out on the patio.

“What a beautiful night!” Rebecca exclaimed.

Troy smiled warmly. “It is. You couldn't ask for better weather.”

“It'll be perfect for the wedding tomorrow!”

“I really want to thank you for everything you've done. Amina couldn't be happier.”

“My daughter is happy because of you, Troy. I'm sure that if you were to take her down to town hall for the ceremony and then to lunch at McDonald's she would be just as excited.”

“I love Amina very much. I hope you know that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her. I want the very best for her and I promise you I will make every effort to be the best husband that I can be.”

Rebecca crossed her arms over her torso, hugging herself tightly. Her eyes misted with tears. Her head bobbed up and down against her shoulders. She shifted her gaze, staring up at that sliver of moon as she paused in reflection. “I didn't want Amina to go to Memphis. But if she hadn't she wouldn't have met you.”

Curiosity crossed his face. “Why didn't you want her to go?”

“I was afraid that being there with her father wouldn't be a good thing for her. Nasser loves his faith more than he has ever loved his family.”

Troy turned to stare at the woman as she continued to speak. The dim light cast a shadow across her face but Troy could still see the concern that blanketed her expression.

“Please don't think I'm bashing my ex-husband because I try not to. And I do know how much he loves our children. I just think he loves Islam more.”

“Is that why you left?” Troy asked.

Rebecca hesitated, seeming to choose her words carefully. “I left because I couldn't be myself with Nasser. He had an image of how a good wife and mother should be and how a woman was supposed to conduct herself. I wasn't comfortable in that mold.”

“But you left Rasheeda and Basil with him?”

“Yes, I did. Nasser was in a position to be the better parent. He was stable. I was not. I did what I thought was in my children's best interest. I left Amina too but she is very much her mother's daughter. She refused to settle herself into that mold. For Nasser it was easier to send her to me and let the chips fall where they did than to deal with how spirited she was.”

“Amina wants her father's approval. It's very important to her.”

Rebecca blew a sad sigh. “Pleasing Nasser is almost impossible and the only way to get his approval is to do what he wants and not what you want.”

“Well, I hope that he wants Amina happy and that he'll eventually accept the two of us being together.”

“Amina tells me that you were willing to consider converting?”

“I was but I don't think it's for me. Amina understands that I have to follow my heart and do what I think is best. But I'm willing to support her choice and what she wants for herself. Ours would not be the first interfaith relationship.”

Rebecca nodded her head. “I'm happy that you love Amina as much as you do because she's going to need to trust that when her father turns on her. And trust me when I tell you, Nasser will turn his back on her for marrying a man he didn't approve first. It'll be more about his need for control than anything else.”

Troy had only a quick minute to ponder the woman's words when she suddenly tossed up her hands.

“Look how late it is!” she exclaimed excitedly. “It's almost midnight! Go kiss my daughter good night, then get out. It's your wedding day and you're not supposed to see the bride before the ceremony!”

That next day, at one o'clock in the afternoon, Amina Salman and Troy Elliott vowed to honor and cherish each other as husband and wife. As their two families looked on in support, the couple professed their love, promising each other fidelity and respect for as long as they lived.

Amina's mother had secured space at Frogtown Cellars winery. The event facility was located an hour from Atlanta, at the foot of the north Georgia mountains. The main building was a timber-frame structure with cathedral ceilings, hand-carved Tennessee flagstone walls, and Brazilian cherry floors. Its natural setting, quiet ambience, and breathtaking views of the mountains and vineyards had been perfect for their impromptu ceremony.

Troy had been awestruck when Amina stepped outside onto the large deck. Her gown was a sleeveless design with a deep V-neck made in vintage lace. The simple A-line silhouette was stunning on her petite frame. She was beautiful and she glowed. Joy misted her gaze and Troy's only regret was that he had not followed his intuition and married her even sooner.

They were a beautiful wedding party; he and Quentin in black suits, white dress shirts, and matching black-and-yellow print neckties. Rasheeda had stood by her sister's side in a simple yellow dress and headscarf. Family friend and district court judge Patrick Colter officiated. Everything about the ceremony and the afternoon meal at the reception had been ideal. The two families celebrated into the early evening and when it was all done Amina and Troy both knew that they wouldn't have changed one thing.

Troy had made reservations at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta's midtown district. As he checked them into the Presidential Suite Amina could feel the butterflies in her stomach begin to quiver. She pressed a hand to her stomach, hoping to stall the tremors that suddenly had her trembling unabashedly. As the desk clerk ran Troy's credit card and processed their key cards to the room, Troy pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her torso. He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering as his warm breath brushed her skin. She pressed a palm to his chest as her body eased into his side.

“Would you send a bottle of champagne to the room, please?”

“Do you have a preference, Mr. Elliott?” the clerk asked.

“A bottle of Moët, please, and if you could please have the spa send up a foot tub for me as well, I'd appreciate it.”

“Yes, sir.” She gestured for the concierge first, passing on the order as Amina eyed Troy curiously.

Amina's knees were weak as Troy guided her to the elevator and up to the nineteenth floor. When they were settled inside their suite he nuzzled his face into her neck, inhaling the scent of her. The light fragrance she wore was perfect for her, delicate and intoxicating and it made his desire for her increase tenfold. He took an abrupt step back, clenching his hands together tightly against his sides.

“What's wrong?” Amina asked, a stunned look on her face. “Did I do something?”

“I suddenly want to rip that dress off of you, that's what's wrong.”

Amina threw her head back and let out a peal of laughter. “I could just take it off,” she said, her tone coy and teasing.

Troy felt every muscle in his body harden, his erection lengthening hungrily. Before he could respond there was a knock on the door, room service delivering his champagne and foot tub.

He met her curious stare. “You're wondering what all this is, aren't you?”

She nodded. “So are you going to share?”

Troy guided her to a cushioned seat. He pulled the ottoman over beside her and sat down. “I had a dream about you last night,” he said as he lifted her feet into his lap. Her legs were bare, her toes perfectly manicured and polished a brilliant shade of pink.

Amina gasped as his hands gently caressed her calves, snaking beneath the hem of her gown. His touch was electric as he eased one high heel and then the other off her feet. She took a swift inhalation as she remembered to breathe. She blew it out slowly before she spoke. “Really? What did you dream?” she purred softly.

He lifted his gaze to hers for a quick minute as he continued to massage her soles. “We were old and our grandchildren were playing in the yard.”

“Grandchildren?”

“Two little girls and they were the spitting image of you.”

Amina smiled then gasped as Troy struck a nerve, his hands caressing the back of each calf, tickling the creases behind her knees. “What . . . what else?” she said as her breathing became shallow.

“It was all perfect. I was gray and had a potbelly and you were still as beautiful as you are now. There was just so much love between us and we had the happiest home. And our grandchildren were laughing in our front yard.”

Troy's hand suddenly teased her inner thigh and Amina jumped at his touch. The smile on his face was seductive. Amina leaned forward, clasping his face between her palms. She pressed her mouth to his and felt her body grow warm and languid as she kissed him intently. When she finally pulled back, breaking the connection, Troy blew a soft sigh.

He opened his eyes to stare at her. His passion was reflected in her gaze. “I love you so much!”

“I love you more!”

Troy reached for the foot tub and a towel he'd taken out of the hotel's bathroom. She watched as he popped the cork on the bottle of champagne and emptied it into the foot tub. He pushed her gown up around her thighs and pressed a kiss to her knees as he gently eased her feet beneath the moisture. Amina's eyes widened.

“Mrs. Elliott . . .” Troy paused as they both let the sound of her new name settle comfortably against their ears. “Mrs. Elliott, I love you. And today, I promised to love and honor and cherish you for the rest of our lives. But I want to promise you something more.”

He gently rubbed her feet in the cool liquid, the effervescent moisture tickling her toes. “I promise you that our life together will be an unending adventure. Like this champagne bath, we will have moments that will be outrageous and moments that will be decadent. As I live and breathe you will want for nothing. I want you to trust that I will support every one of your dreams and wishes. And you can trust that when it's necessary I will wash every one of your fears and hurts away.”

Tears misted Amina's eyes as she pressed her palm to his cheek, her fingers dancing along his profile. Troy lifted her feet back onto his lap, drying them with the towel. He leaned to kiss her toes, leaving a trail of damp kisses across the top of her foot. Before she realized what was happening Troy swept her up into his arms and carried her from the living space into the bedroom. The king-size bed featured luxury linens and a mountain of pillows. He placed her onto her feet as he dropped his mouth to hers. His kiss was urgent and searching as her body melted against his.

When they finally broke the connection the tears that had pressed against her lashes had fallen onto her cheeks. “I'm scared,” she whispered softly.

He shook his head. “I won't hurt you. And I won't do anything you're not comfortable with.”

She pressed herself closer against him. “No, I'm not afraid that you'll hurt me. I'm scared of disappointing you. I want to please you.”

He kissed her again, his touch light and easy. “Just relax. We're going to please each other,” he whispered back.

Amina took a deep breath and then a second as Troy turned her around in his arms until he was standing directly behind her. He kissed the nape of her neck, trailing kisses along the curve of her profile as she tossed her head back against his shoulder. One by one he undid the pearl buttons along the back of her dress. When they were all undone Amina spun out of his arms and stepped away from him. He watched as she pushed one arm and then the other out of the gown, the garment falling to the floor beneath her feet. Troy was riveted as he watched inch after inch of lush flesh being revealed. Her breasts were bare and she stood in nothing but a pair of white-laced, boy-cut shorts. Troy suddenly had a vision of himself buried in her sweetness, the taste of exquisite ecstasy against his tongue. He was panting heavily as he pulled her back into his arms. With one hand he snatched the bedspread and tossed it to the floor, then lowered them both to the sheet-covered mattress.

Amina shivered as he kissed her fingertips one by one, his mouth skating across her palms. He grabbed her by the wrists, pulling her arms up and over her head as his kisses moved back to her mouth. He lifted himself up to stare down at her, reaching to brush a few stray strands of hair out of her face. He kissed her again, his mouth open, and she slid her tongue inside. Troy shuddered as he tasted her, the two locked in a wet and fiery embrace, every fiber of their being surging with electricity.

Troy suddenly moved himself from her. He tore at his shirt and tie, pulling his clothes from his body. As he undid the zipper to his pants Amina's eyes widened. When he pushed them past his knees, her pulse surged with a vengeance. The protrusion between his legs pressed against his boxers, straining for release. Crawling back onto the bed Troy wrapped one arm around her waist as he moved above her, his lips latching back onto hers.

They kissed for an eternity, tongues licking, tasting, and dueling in his mouth and then hers. His hands danced over her body, his fingers searching every crease and crevice. Amina could barely stand it as desire surged from the pit of her stomach deep into the core of her feminine spirit. Her nails dragged across his broad back as she clutched him hungrily. Her mouth latched onto his shoulder and she bit him gently. He jumped, pain and pleasure coursing through his body. Her tongue danced from his shoulder to his neck, settling in that spot beneath his chin as she nibbled his flesh. Troy savored the sensations. Her breath was light, her touches easy; the featherlike caresses teasing his senses.

He suddenly dropped his head to her chest. Her breasts were just a handful, orange-size treats topped with dark, Hershey's Kiss nipples. His mouth watered as he leaned to lick the succulent treat. Her fingers danced against his head as he sucked one past his lips. He could feel her heave and writhe beneath him as he grabbed the other with his hand, kneading the nipple between his fingers. His mouth danced from one to the other, and Amina moaned. His touch was the sweetest torture.

In one swift motion Troy snatched her panties, ripping them from her body. She gasped loudly as her eyes locked with his. His touch was suddenly possessive, his hands claiming every last part of her. He slid a finger down her belly, past the tuft of pubic hair that curled neatly between her legs. He eased his fingers across the door of her most private place and air caught tight in her chest, Amina unable to breathe. Moisture seeped past her opening and his fingers danced through the slickness. Troy suddenly slid one finger across her folds and then a second. He teased her, gently caressing her sweet spot. He felt her begin to push against his hand, wanting more of him.

Amina had only imagined what it might be like to have a man touch her so intimately and what she imagined hadn't come close to the wealth of sensations that Troy was eliciting from her. She had also imagined what it might be like to touch a man. To reciprocate the ministrations. She eased her hand across the curve of his back, around his waist and into his boxers. Troy shifted his body to allow her unfettered access.

The slightest sheen of sweat dampened his skin. His entire body was a wall of hardened muscle. His stomach was flat and hard and he flinched as her fingers grazed his flesh. She was transfixed by his nipples as they hardened beneath her fingers. Troy paused as he let her explore his body at her own pace. His member was rock hard and the engorged muscle twitched in anticipation.

Her fingers slid slowly down, the dark brown protrusion peeking past the waistband of his shorts. As she watched, Troy pushed his underwear off his hips and down his legs, kicking them from his feet. The hardened length bulged past a nest of tight curls. He was uncircumcised, the shiny head of his cock pushing past its hiding place as his foreskin began to stretch back. His swollen member seemed to grow fuller and fuller in the palm of her hand.

Troy's gaze met hers, a smile pulling at his mouth. She giggled ever so slightly, enthralled by the transformation, as she likened herself to a snake charmer luring a snake out of its hiding spot. Troy moved his hands down to grab his shaft and he commenced to pumping his organ up and down. The motion was slow and easy. Amina placed her palm over his hand, following the rhythm. He moved his hand away, allowing her free rein and as she stroked him his tongue pressed against his lower lip. She suddenly drew her fingertips across his testicles. They were dangling like two succulent sweet lemons. Troy bit down hard against his bottom lip, her touch throwing another log onto the fire burning in his groin. His breathing was heavy and raspy as he tried to fight the rising sensations.

Troy kissed her again, then slid his mouth to her ear. He drew his tongue along the outer edge, then plunged it deep inside. Her whole body shuttered in response to the sensation. Amina gasped loudly as her arms tightened around him.

“I
need
to make love to you,” he whispered as he rolled above her.

Amina nodded, her own arousal at a feverish pitch. Troy moved with an effortless grace between her opened legs, a provocative vivacity creeping across his face. He eased himself toward the center of her core, one hand clutching the cheek of her buttock as the other braced his weight above her. Amina held her breath as she felt him pushing against her entrance. There was a moment's hesitation as he entered her. He felt her tense beneath him and he paused for a split second before pushing himself past the barrier of her virginity. There was a brief moment of hurt and her fingers dug into the flesh across his shoulders until it passed and he was settled tightly against her. She inhaled swiftly as Troy's mouth recaptured hers, his tongue twirling around her tongue.

She was tight and her muscles constricted even more around his member. He began to pump himself slowly in and out, gently over and over again. Completely enthralled by the murmur of her low moans, her rock candy nipples, and the sheen of perspiration that dampened her skin, he felt his own orgasm building, the taut muscles pulsing as he pushed and pulled against her body. Amina bit down against his shoulder again as she pushed her hips to meet his strokes. Heat surged through her midsection, her inner lining throbbing in perfect sync with each thrust.