Winning Dawn (7 page)

She was almost asleep when she felt his lips on the back of her neck.  She arched into him with a gasp. He nibbled his way down her spine. He kissed one butt cheek and then the other before moving behind her. He lifted her hips and slid his fingers between her thighs to stroke her moist center. Dawn’s hands clenched her pillow as his digits circled her clit. She pushed back in search of more. “Please,” she whimpered.

“You want me?”

“You know I do.”

“Say it.”

“I want you. Please, fuck me.” Still, he hesitated. She let out a cry of frustration. She’d been aching for him since their shower together. “What is it?”

“I don’t want anything between us. I want to take you bare again.”

It might have been passion talking, but she wanted the hot rush of his seed inside her again. “Yes, please.”

He groaned and then he was stretching her open with his cock. She got up on her knees and braced herself on her elbows as he continued to fuck himself into her. They both groaned when he sank in that final inch. She felt so full, so complete. Her hardened nipples rubbed against the sheets with each lunge of his cock into her heated channel. The sensation was unbearably tantalizing. “Oh God, Evan! You feel so good. Take me harder.”

He granted her request, slamming his hips into hers. She’d never been possessed so deeply. She met each brutal penetration eagerly. The bed frame knocked against the wall with each of their fevered movements. It wasn’t long before she could feel her climax coming. The spasms in her lower belly grew tighter with each thrust. “Oh, God, Evan, please!”
“Please what?” he panted.

“Please make me come.” In response, he slid one hand to her pussy, zeroing in on the tiny bundle of pleasure there. The other hand latched onto one of her nipples. One tug and she was gone, soaring into a hot orgasm that had her pussy gushing cream for him. She cried out his name. Evan rode her through it before finally giving in to his own climax. He swelled inside her. She could feel his cock jerking as he filled her repeatedly with his essence.

He collapsed on top her but quickly rolled to his side, taking her with him and holding her in a hug. His breathing was choppy as was hers. Her heart rate slowed. Safely snuggled in his arms, she began to drift off to sleep again when he spoke. “Dawn, go out with me.”

She inhaled deeply and withdrew. “No.”

* * * *

Evan sat up when nothing more seemed to be forthcoming. “No? Do you care to elaborate?”

She slid off the bed and went to her closet. Tugging on her robe, she refused to meet his gaze. “You said this was about sex, remember? Sex I can handle. I don’t want another relationship right now.”

He tried to tamp down on his impatience. He knew what he’d said, but that didn’t hold true anymore. Despite getting kicked in the teeth so many times by bad relationships, he liked what he had with Dawn and he wanted more. There was a veracity to her actions and words that he found compelling. She was at once fascinating and frustrating. “I asked you on a date. It wasn’t a marriage proposal.”

“I don’t date guys like you.”

He arched a brow. “White guys? Are you a racist? After all we’ve done?” She didn’t say anything. She stood before him, shy and unsure. “You’re kidding me, right? Less than an hour ago, you sucked my dick so hard that my eyes rolled to the back of my head and you don’t want to date me?”

Unbelievably, she colored and turned her head away. “Don’t pressure me, Evan.”

He stood and clasped her shoulders. “Why? Why don’t you date white men?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about doing it before. And now…it seems like too much work.”

He emitted a frustrated growl. “All relationships are work. Damn, dating is work. You know how I feel about it. It’s bullshit.”

“Then why should we bother?”

“Why shouldn’t we?”

“I asked first.”

“I like you. I want to do more stuff with you than just screw. I want to take you to dinner. I want to share shit with you. I want to be able to call you without you thinking I’m setting up a booty call. I want to be able to send you flowers without you scolding me.”

She shook her head and tried to turn away. He held her steadfast. “How would I explain you to my mother? She’s a member of the NAACP. I’ve disappointed her too much in the past to bring home a white boy.”

“First of all, I’m not a boy. I’m thirty-nine. Secondly, being a member of the NAACP doesn’t mean she hates white people. Third, I’d think your mother would appreciate my treating you right and not be concerned about the color of my skin.”

“Treat me right? Ha! You suck at commitment. You said so yourself.”

“I’d try for you, Dawn.” He tried to let his sincerity show in his voice and on his face.

“Let me think about it.”

It wasn’t a yes, but he’d let it be enough for now.

Chapter 7

Dawn woke the next morning in bed alone. She’d asked Evan to leave the night before to give her some time and space to think about his invitation.

She opened her eyes with the same knowledge she’d held last night; she had no intentions of dating Evan. She couldn’t.

She wasn’t a racist. She was truly happy for Kayla, but she couldn’t envision herself in an interracial relationship. She didn’t want to have to deal with the stares. And there was her mother to consider. She still hadn’t informed her of her broken engagement. No way could she announce that not only was she no longer engaged, but was also dating a white man. Her mother would have a heart attack.

It wouldn’t work and she would tell Evan so the next time she talked to him.

The sky was overcast as she drove in to work. More roses arrived for her in the afternoon. She merely glanced at the card. Recognizing Reggie’s signature scrawl, she pitched it into the trash and placed the new flowers beside the ones she’d received yesterday.

As she put her key in the lock, she could hear her cell ringing. She entered and locked the door with one hand as she fished in her purse for her phone with the other. Her fingers touched her lip gloss, wallet, and camera before making contact with her cell. She caught it in time for it to stop ringing. The caller ID showed the call came from a blocked number. She was still pondering it when her landline began ringing.

“Hello?”

“Did you like the flowers?”

“Reggie.”

“Yeah, it’s me, baby.”

“Why are you sending me flowers?”

“You know it’s always you and me, Dawn. Nothing else is real. Nothing else ever lasts for either of us. I love you, baby.”

Dawn closed her eyes and dropped onto her couch. What did she say to him? She used to anticipate these calls. They were part of their usual song and dance. Reggie obviously didn’t believe she was seriously ending their relationship for good this time.

“Did you hear me, baby?”

“Yes. What about Tanika?”

“I told you before, she means nothing.”

“I’m sorry, Reggie. We’re done. Stop sending me flowers.” She ended the call. The phone began to ring again before she could take her hand off the receiver. She let it go to voice mail. Her cell rang. She’d deleted his number from her cell so the ringtone was generic and not “No One” by Alicia Keys as she had previously programmed specifically for him. She sent the call to voice mail.

He called several more times, but she didn’t answer. She was still on edge from all his calls later that night when she heard from Evan. She was already in bed and she wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Her surly greeting was returned with a brief pause. “I wanted to come over, but—”

“You don’t have to explain to me.”

“Suffice it to say, work got in the way,” he finished, as though she had not interrupted. “Given any thought to where you want to go on our date?”

“I never agreed—”

“You will.”

She inhaled sharply. “My answer is no. Maybe we should end our arrangement.”

“Coward.”

“Do you think taunting me will change my mind?”

“I’m not. I’m stating the truth.”

She growled. “I’m not a coward.”

“You are. Your reasons for not wanting to date me have everything to do with your fear of what other people will say and do and nothing to do with us. While it’s not a perfect world, you’re blowing this out of proportion. No one is going to stone us for dating.”

“Has it even occurred to you that I might not want to date you?”

“No.”

She smiled. “Care to elaborate?”

“No.”

She sighed. She knew she should deny him, but she wanted to say yes. Maybe it could work. It had worked for her cousin. She wished she could talk to Kayla right now, but she wouldn’t interrupt their honeymoon. “Give me more time, Evan.”

* * * *

By Thursday night, Evan had worn her down. Each night, he called and argued his case, addressing all of her worries with calm reasoning. Worn down by his persistence, she agreed to go out with him. What could one date hurt? At least she wouldn’t have to wonder “what if.”

Friday, she felt a pleasant anticipatory buzz. Throughout the day, she found herself planning her outfit and her hair style. She wondered where they would go and what they would do.

Even the arrival of more roses after lunch didn’t dampen her mood. Reggie had continued to send them each day. She was loathe to contact him again for fear of encouraging him.

She was gathering her belongings at ten minutes until five when she heard the lobby door open. She sighed, hoping whoever it was would leave quickly. Didn’t people realize the level of customer service they received was directly proportionate to the number of hours left in the day? At ten ‘til, her patience stores were sorely depleted. Add to that that it was Friday and she had a date tonight, her level of friendly and helpful were at an all-time low.

She placed a saccharine sweet smile on her face before looking up, her keys in her hand. Reggie stood before her dressed in a tux, a ubiquitous bouquet of roses in his hand. As she watched, he dropped to one knee and pulled a ring box out of his pocket. “Dawn, I love you. Will you marry me?”

Her mouth dropped open in shock. Only the sound of her co-workers coming down the hall spurred her to action. “Are you crazy? Get up from there before someone sees you!” She hurried around her desk and urged him to his feet.

“Not until I get an answer.”

“We’ve been through this. It’s over. Now get up from there before you embarrass me,” she hissed.

He avoided her hands and laughed. “Dawn, I get it. I’ve never been there for you. But from now on, I will be. You mean the world to me. I’m telling you, it will never happen again.”

Marshall, Jenna Mae, and one of the younger attorneys came into view. “What’s going on here?” Marshall asked. His expression begged for details.

“Nothing,” she said just as Reggie burst into a loud and off key rendition of “No One.” She’d once told him that the song described her feelings for him. She rolled her eyes. “Enough! Stand up this instant. Follow me home and we can discuss this further there.” He rose and she rushed to grab her belongings. “Sorry,” she muttered before hurrying out, her face hot with embarrassment.

She was steaming by the time she pulled up in front of her townhouse. Reggie parked beside her. Her hands were shaking with anger so badly that she could barely get the door open. The minute they were inside, he dropped to one knee again. His expression was optimistic. Dawn took a deep breath to withstand the desire to hit him. Despite all their issues, she’d never allowed her personal life to spill over into her professional life.

“How
dare
you come to my office?”

“I wanted to show you that I’m willing declare my love for you to the world.”

She scoffed. “We’ve been together too many years for anything you do at this juncture to change anything.” She dropped her purse onto the couch and glared at him. “Oh, get the fuck up already! The answer is hell no!”

“You don’t mean that.”

“How many times do I have to say it? No! I don’t want to be with you anymore. It’s over.”

He stood slowly. “This is about Tanika and about today. Look, I thought it would be romantic. The shit girls gossip about to their friends.” He brushed off the knees of his pants. “As for Tanika, it was nothing serious. I’m sorry about it. Please forgive me?”

“I forgive you,” she said automatically, “but I won’t take you back this time.”

He looked around before returning his green gaze to her. “You’re with someone else,” he said flatly. “Who is it?”

She didn’t deny it. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Did you cheat on me?”

“He kissed me once before we broke up, but that’s all.”

“Is he the reason you dumped me?”

“No.”

His shoulders slumped. He placed the roses on the coffee table. “I’ve never pictured myself growing old with anyone but you, Dawn.” Tears filled his eyes and he wiped them away with his sleeve. “You were my go-to girl for everything. My rock. I know I should have treated you better.”

“Damn right,” she said. She glanced at her watch and was alarmed at how late it was. “I’ve got to get ready.”

“Date?”

“Yes. See yourself out?” She didn’t wait for his reply. Instead, she hurried upstairs, stripped, and showered. It didn’t take her long to find the clothes she wanted to wear and lay them on the bed. She did her makeup and hair. Within forty minutes, she stood before the mirror to examine herself. She’d decided to put her hair up. Tendrils of loose curls lay on her neck and at her ears. She’d arranged her bangs to fall in an asymmetrical point. Her dress, a deep wine, had spaghetti straps. Its draped bodice showed off her breasts to their full advantage. She smoothed her hands over her hips. It took a moment to find a purse and shoes to match, but she was satisfied with the overall look when she was done.

She decided to go downstairs to wait for Evan. She stopped on the second step when she saw Reggie sitting in front of the TV. “What are you doing? Why are you still here?”

“Thought I’d meet this guy. Make sure he was good enough for you.”

She took the steps as fast as her pumps would let her. “No. Get out.”