A Family Reunion (31 page)

So he continued to stroke the sensitized flesh between her thighs, touching her in the most intimate way a man could touch a woman without making her completely his, but giving her deep gratification nonetheless. Over and over his fingers pleasured her, pushing her higher and higher as he eased the ache within her. He watched her close her eyes as her body accepted his caresses, his tantalizing treatment. Her moans of pleasure touched him and made him fall in love with her that much more. And when she began lifting her hips against his hands he could feel sweat pop out on his forehead.

“Michael,” she breathed slowly when the touch of his hand became more profound, stroking the heat inside of her into the greatest pleasure she had ever known, as she trembled, succumbing to her primal craving to be satisfied. She reopened her eyes and looked at him.

“I want you inside of me, Michael.” She slid her hand up to his face, wanting him to join her in the mind-blowing passion she knew lay just beyond her reach again. “The ache won’t completely go away until you’re inside of me, because you’re the one my body is aching for,” she whispered as hunger flamed desire all through her once more.

Michael closed his eyes to fight against her words, her plea. When he reopened them, he saw her looking at him with eyes heavily laden with desire. “Are you sure, Taye? What about your fear of getting pregnant? What about your fear of the family finding out about us? I got condoms to protect you, but I can’t have you for just tonight. If I make love to you, things can’t ever go back to being the way they were between us. You do understand that, don’t you?” he murmured hoarsely.

Taye slowly nodded her head. She had waged a fight not to love him and had lost. In the end love had won. She couldn’t deny what she felt for him anymore. She couldn’t deny what she wanted with him. “Yes, I understand,” she whispered softly.

“Are you willing to love me and to be with me regardless of whether the family gives their blessings or not?”

He saw the look in her eyes and knew she wasn’t sure they would give it, but then neither was he. But at this point, he was beyond caring. As long as their girls accepted things, and he truly believed in his heart that they would, he was determined that he would have a life, a truly rich and meaningful life, with her. “Are you willing, Taye?”

She stared deep into his dark eyes and softly said, “Yes.”

Michael breathed in deeply before withdrawing his hand and easing off the bed. Before sliding down his pants, he pulled out his wallet and got two condom packets. He looked down at her. “I really think one will work, but to ease your fears I’ll use two.”

Taye’s throat was tight. She was deeply touched by his thoughtfulness. And because of it, she was no longer fearful of anything. “One is OK.”

Michael held her gaze. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He nodded. To be honest, he didn’t want to use one at all but knew they had to act responsibly. He wanted a child with her, but he also wanted things to be done right. He didn’t want her ever feeling guilty about getting pregnant with his child.

Taye watched Michael prepare himself for her as the heat in her body began getting hotter and the need within her began getting fiercer. Moments later, after completely removing her gown, he came to her and the weight of his naked body pinned her to the sheets. Automatically her legs opened for him as his mouth found hers.

The feel of Taye’s wetness as well as her tightness was almost more than Michael could stand when he slowly entered her. By the time he had gone as deep into her body as he could go, his body was wet with sweat.

He sucked in a deep, agonizing breath when he felt Taye’s tongue lick a portion of the sweat from above his lips. That gesture pushed him over the limit, and he ground his body against hers, going deeper and claiming her in the most elemental way. She lifted herself to him, moaning, demanding fulfillment.

And he gave it to her.

With overwhelming intensity and an obvious concern with her ten years of celibacy, he made love to her with compelling tenderness. At least he tried being tender, but she wouldn’t let him. She didn’t want him to suppress his desire to fulfill hers.

So she whispered in his ear and told him exactly, in blatant erotic terms, what she wanted him to do to her. The flagrant crudity of her words surprised him but elated him, pushing him over the edge. He immediately increased the rhythm and the tempo of their lovemaking. “I’m going to do just what you’ve asked, baby, so hang on.”

And she did.

He tightened his arms around her, thinking that never before had making love been this good. Taye touched him in places he hadn’t known existed, which attested to just how much he loved her. Her body was accepting all he was giving, as well as giving fully of herself as she arched upward to meet his every hard thrust, grateful her bed had good springs and grateful still they were the only two people in the house. Both her body and her bed were getting a workout like they’d never had before.

Taye and Michael continued straining toward each other, giving each other pleasure. He could barely breathe when she reached up and pulled his mouth down to hers, kissing him in a way that melted his insides.

She let go of his mouth to scream out his name when a fierce climax rammed through her. But it didn’t stop there. He held himself back as once again he brought her body to a second climax, then a third, releasing ten years of sexual need stored within it.

Finally, when he could no longer not give in to his own body’s demands, his head fell back as he pushed himself deep inside of her when a climax with more force than a freight train and tornado combined ripped through him, wringing groans from him. Passion, the likes of which he’d never experienced before, possessed him, took control of his body and his mind. His arms gripped her hips, bringing her closer to him as he felt her shudder again uncontrollably beneath him.

Moments later, when his strength had been totally consumed, he took her face in his hands and looked down at her, touching her cheek with trembling fingers. “I love you, Taye,” he said in a voice made rough by what they had just shared as well as the deep emotion in his heart that he felt for her.

He saw her smile. He saw the tears wetting her eyelids when she said, “I love you, too, Michael.”

“Oh, Taye,” he said, slumping against her and pulling their sweat-dampened bodies together in a warm embrace. Closing his eyes, he held her in his arms, wanting to hold on to this moment for as long as he could. He slowly lifted up and looked down at her. “Because we love each other, we’ll be able to handle anything. Believe that, Taye.”

She looked at him, knowing that somehow he would give her the strength to handle anything as long as he loved her. “I do believe it, Michael.” She then inhaled deeply. “That was truly amazing,” she said softly. “It was one soul-shaking experience.”

He smiled. “You think so?”

She looked up at him, smiling. “Yes.”

He leaned in close and put his lips to her ears and whispered, “Want to soul-shake some more?”

Breathless, her heart fluttering, her pulse racing, she said, “Yes.”

With a deep groan from the back of his throat, he joined their mouths together in a long, passionate kiss. He then slowly pulled away. Upon seeing the questioning look in her eyes, he said, “I got to make a change before we do this again, baby.”

When she still looked at him, confused, he said, “I need to put on another condom.”

“Oh. I’d forgotten about that,” she said softly.

He leaned over and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Umm, that’s OK. I meant it when I said that I would take care of you.” His voice was a warm caress that stroked across her body. “You’re going to be here when I get back?”

She smiled up at him. “You bet.” She then watched him get up out of the bed, pick up the other condom packet off the nightstand, then turn to walk, naked as a jaybird, into the bathroom. She sighed as a satisfied smile curved her lips. She wondered what Rae’jean and Alexia would think of her now. She had gone from celibate to totally wanton in a single hour. And she loved it! Just as much as she loved Michael. She refused to think about how the family would react when they found out. She would think about that tomorrow. Then maybe she wouldn’t think about it at all. Telling the girls first was the most important thing. Sebrina, Kennedy, and Monica had grown close over the past months. Taye wondered how they would handle the news that she and Michael were serious about each other. What if they were appalled at the idea, the very thought? She clutched the bedspread tightly in her hands. She refused to worry about anything tonight. The only thing she wanted to concentrate on was Michael. Loving Michael.

“Ready?”

The sound of his husky voice made her turn in the direction of the bathroom. He leaned against the door frame. She let her gaze rake over his entire body before returning to meet his eyes. “I see that
you
are.”

He smiled as he slowly walked back over to the bed. “For you, always.” He reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight enough to imprint his body onto hers. “This time we’ll take things slow.”

“You think so?” she said brazenly, challengingly.

He chuckled. “Just what have I unveiled here?”

She shrugged her shoulders and grinned sheepishly. “A woman with a very hungry appetite, maybe?”

His smile deepened. “I guess after ten years I shouldn’t really be surprised, should I?”

Taye pulled him back down into the bed with her. “No, you shouldn’t.”

Much later, after their bodies were satisfied once again, Michael gathered Taye closer into his arms and held her with his jaw resting against the top of her head while she peacefully slept. He made a silent promise that from this day forward her life would be filled with love and happiness.

Total love and complete happiness.

She belonged to him now, and their family may as well get used to the idea.

Pretending to be asleep as she felt Michael’s attempt to kiss, stroke, and taste her awake, Taye fought to keep her eyes clamped shut. With the bright sunshine peeking through the bedroom window announcing it was a new day, it seemed he had plans to continue what they’d done most of the night.

Boy, he’s determined,
she thought as he gently kissed her eyelids before moving down to the corners of her mouth. Playing possum wasn’t easy, but she was curious to see just how far he would go to wake her up.

Then again, maybe pretending to be asleep wasn’t such a good idea after all,
she concluded when he rubbed his unshaven chin against the delicate skin of her breasts just moments before his tongue made a wet trail around the darkened nipple. It took everything she had not to moan out loud from the sensation.

“How long are you going to pretend to be asleep, Taye?” he whispered.

She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. “How did you know I wasn’t really asleep?”

Amusement played around the corners of his mouth. “That little catch in your breath when I touched you here gave you away,” he said, reaching down and again touching the very essence of her. “If you were really asleep, you wouldn’t have been able to feel a thing.”

She looked up at him, almost breathless again, when he continued to intimately caress her. “I seriously doubt that.”

He chuckled. “Why were you pretending to be asleep? Am I boring you already?”

“Hmm, definitely not. I was curious to see just how far you would go to wake me.”

Propping himself up on one elbow, he leaned over and kissed around the corners of her mouth again. “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll tell you.” He leaned closer and whispered something scandalous in her ear. She actually blushed. “Michael! You wouldn’t have!”

He chuckled again. “Oh, yes, I would have, and enjoyed every minute doing so. Wanna see?”

She tried backing away from him. “No, you can’t.”

He stopped her retreat and pulled her back toward him. “Wanna bet?”

Taye’s breath caught in her throat as she watched him lick his tongue across his firm, full, and determined lips before moving closer and closer to…

The sound of the doorbell interrupted his intent. He pulled back. “Expecting someone, sweetheart?” he asked, refusing to remove his hand from between her legs just yet. He liked touching her that way.

She released a little moan from the back of her throat before answering, “It’s probably the paper carrier collecting his weekly fee.”

“Umm, you know that for sure?” he asked as his hands continued to stroke her.

“No,” she replied in a throaty whisper. The only thing she was sure about at the moment was how he was making her feel. The man was a master at foreplay. Whenever he touched her this way it was immensely reactive, to every nerve cell in her body.

“Then I’d better check,” he said, moving away for what Taye hoped would only be a moment. She was enjoying all the wonderful things he was doing to her body, she thought, watching him walk, totally unself-conscious of his nakedness, to the window. He eased the curtain aside.

“Does your paper carrier drive a late-model black Olds Ninety-eight?”

Taye closed her eyes and snuggled under the covers when the doorbell chimed again. “No.” Seconds later she snatched her eyes back open when she suddenly realized just who did. She quickly sat up in bed. “What color is the interior?”

Michael turned around and looked at her curiously. “You expect me to be able to tell that from way up here? My vision is good, Taye, but not
that
good.”

Already she was scrambling off the bed, grabbing her robe, and coming to the window to join him. She almost passed out when she saw the car. “That’s Mama’s car! Good grief! What’s she doing here! She seldom comes to visit.”

Michael heard the anxiety in her voice. He reached out and rubbed her shoulders. “Calm down, sweetheart. If we don’t open the door she’ll think no one is here.”

“Fat chance. She’s seen your car in my driveway. She doesn’t know it’s yours and probably assumes I’m up here in bed with my lover.”

He laughed, bringing her closer into his arms. “You are.”

Taye pulled away from Michael and quickly slipped into her robe. “You know what I mean.” She stepped into her slippers. “I’ll go see what she wants.”

Michael watched Taye hurry out of the bedroom. Even if she told her mother that the car parked in the driveway was his, making things appear quite innocent, since he was family, he wondered how she was going to explain all those passion marks he’d placed over her body during the night, especially the ones that were quite visible on her neck.

Passion marks were the last thing on Taye’s mind as she rushed down the stairs to open the door for her mother. Pulling her robe together, she glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly noon. Had she and Michael slept that late? But then, they’d had a rather busy night, so it was definitely possible.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, then nearly passed out. Her mother was not alone. “Mom? Cuzin Sophie? What are the two of you doing here?” Taye’s heart almost stopped. Why did her mother have Cuzin Sophie, of all people, with her?

The two older women walked in when Taye moved aside. “What took you so long to open the door, Octavia?” her mother asked in a no-nonsense voice that was filled with disapproval as she stepped into the living room and glanced around. Otha Mae’s gaze went immediately to the sofa that was still covered in a sheet and blanket. “You had an overnight guest, I see. At least you had the decency to let him sleep on the couch.”

Taye inhaled deeply, forcing herself to be calm. Quite naturally her mother would automatically assume that her overnight guest was a man. And what if it was? She was thirty years old, three months shy of turning thirty-one. This was her house and what she did or didn’t do in it was really no concern of her mother’s. “Yes, I had an overnight guest. Michael spent the night,” she said honestly.

Since she and Michael were cousins, her mother and older cousin would see nothing wrong with that. They would never suspect that there was something going on between them. Taye watched as her mother’s ramrod-straight spine loosened up some. “Oh, that’s Michael’s car,” she said with relief in her voice. “I didn’t recognize it.”

Taye looked at both women but specifically at her mother. “Whose car did you think it was?”

Otha Mae shrugged. “You never know with you young people. Some of you lack morals these days, having all sorts of men coming and going out of your homes.”

Taye was about to open her mouth to say something about that comment when she noticed the two women glancing behind her to the stairs.

“Michael,” they both said at the same time, smiling.

“It’s good to see you, sweetie,” Cuzin Sophie added. “Come give us a hug.”

Taye turned around and her breath caught in her throat. Michael was coming down the stairs wearing just his pants. His chest and his feet were completely bare, and he moved with the fluid grace of a panther. He looked sensuous, sated, and irresistible—like a man who’d spent most of the night making love to a woman and, if given the chance, would continue to make love to her again today.

Taye wondered if her mother and Cuzin Sophie noticed that look about him or if either of the two women thought it odd that she and Michael both looked like they had just gotten out of bed.

“Good morning, Aunt Otha Mae, Cuzin Sophie,” Michael said to the two women and proceeded to do as they’d asked and give them hugs. “You two are out visiting early, aren’t you?”

Cuzin Sophie laughed. “Early? Why, it’s nearly noon.”

He gave them a charming smile and said smoothly, “Is it? I overslept then. Since I knew Kennedy and the girls were spending the night over at Fayrene’s, I decided to stay over here with Taye instead of going home to an empty house when my flight got in last night. I always enjoy Taye’s company,” he said, turning to smile at her.

Taye’s heart rate increased with that smile. He was being totally honest with the two women, but he definitely wasn’t telling them everything, thank goodness. “So, what’s the reason for this visit?” Taye asked. She was surprised and couldn’t pretend otherwise. Although her father usually visited her and the girls at least once a week, her mother rarely made the drive from Macon.

“Well, I knew you would be leaving in a few days to attend Brandy’s wedding, and Sophie and I wanted to send our presents by you,” her mother said, placing a JCPenney shopping bag on the table.

“Yeah, that’s why we came by,” Cuzin Sophie tagged in and said. “Besides,” she continued, “I’ve never seen your house and thought this would be a good chance to do so.”

So that you can go back and gossip about what you saw,
Taye thought. “I’ll make sure Brandy gets your presents,” she said. She had no plans to give Cuzin Sophie a tour of her home. She could only imagine what the older woman would think if she were to take a peep into her bedroom. It would be quite apparent to anyone that her bed had been well used last night.

Taye frowned when she couldn’t help but notice that for some reason Cuzin Sophie, who noticed everything, was paying a lot of attention to her neck. Taye’s frown deepened. Had she broken out in a rash or something? If so, her mother and Michael hadn’t seemed to notice.

“Cuzin Sophie? Is there something wrong?” Taye finally asked moments later after having gotten tired of the older woman’s intense stare.

The older woman didn’t even try to look contrite for having been caught staring. “I should be asking you that question, Taye, since you’re the one with all those little marks on your neck.”

That comment certainly got everyone’s attention. Taye couldn’t help noticing her mother suddenly zeroing in on her neck as well. Taye swallowed deeply. After last night she could only imagine what sort of marks Cuzin Sophie was referring to. She pulled her robe tighter around her. “They’re just marks. No big deal,” she tried to say lightly.

Unfortunately, making light of it didn’t wash with her mother. Otha Mae Bennett crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Taye. “It’s obvious what kind of marks they are, Octavia. I would like to know how you got them.”

Taye returned her mother’s glare. She noticed that Cuzin Sophie had taken a seat on the sofa, not to miss any of the proceedings. “Mama, I don’t owe you an explanation about anything that goes on here in this house.”

Her mother’s spine went back to being ramrod straight. “Yes, you do if I think you’re not setting a good example for my granddaughters. I expect them to have a good Christian upbringing.”

“I raise the girls right and you know it. Besides, they’re spending the weekend over at Fayrene’s.”

Otha Mae huffed. “And you think their absence gives you the right to act indecently. What about Michael and his opinion of you now? I’m sure when he got here last night and saw all those marks on your neck the first thought that came to his mind was that you’d become a woman with loose morals.”

Her mother’s words hurt because Taye felt there was no reason for them. She hadn’t dated a man since Monica had been born, but for some reason her mother failed to believe she hadn’t been involved with anyone all these years.

Michael, his fists balled in anger, went immediately to Taye’s side. “I think you’ve said enough, Aunt Otha Mae,” he said in a voice that was clearly upset. “And you’re wrong about what I think of Taye. I hold her in the highest regard, and as far as I’m concerned she is above reproach.”

“Above reproach! How can you fix your mind to even think that?” her mother snapped. “She’s had two babies out of wedlock and now it seems she may be working on a third. Look at those marks on her. I may be old, but I’m not stupid. I know what they are. She’s let some man put—”

“No!” Michael said, loud enough to freeze Otha Mae’s words in mid-sentence. “Taye didn’t let
some
man do anything.
I’m
the one,” he said, pointing at himself, “who put them there.”

Michael’s confession, Taye saw, shocked both her mother and Cuzin Sophie speechless. Their eyes bulged. Their mouths gaped open. And she was sure that if it weren’t for the straw hats they were wearing, their hair would be standing straight up on their heads right now.

“What do you mean, you put them there?” Cuzin Sophie asked, clutching her heart like Michael’s confession was enough to give her a heart attack.

Michael placed a hand around Taye’s waist and gently brought her closer to him. “I meant just what I said. Taye and I are in love and what we do and how we spend our time is our business, no one else’s.”

Otha Mae recovered quickly. “In love! You can’t be in love! You’re cousins, for heaven sakes! What the two of you are doing is a sin!”

Michael rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “It’s not a sin for two people who love each other to express their love in a physical and intimate way. And as far as us being cousins, everyone knows I was adopted into this family, so in actuality, Taye and I aren’t related.”

“But you’re family. If you don’t want to think about yourselves, then think about the girls. This will totally confuse not only the family but the girls as well.”

“Then it’s time for everyone to get unconfused. I’m not worried about how the girls will take it. I have good reason to believe they’ll handle it just fine. And to be honest with you, I really don’t care how the family is going to take it. Those who love me and Taye and want us to be happy will accept the fact that being happy for us will mean being together.”

“No, Michael, you don’t mean that. It’s wrong,” Otha Mae implored.

Michael shook his head and looked down at Taye. He smiled and reached out and cradled her face in his hands. “There’s nothing wrong about me loving Taye or her loving me.”

He then turned his attention back to the two women who stood staring at them. “Accept it and be happy for us.”

Shock turned into anger and it ripped through Otha Mae Bennett’s body. “I will never accept it! No one in the family will!” She turned angry eyes to Taye. “You have succeeded yet again in bringing shame to this family, Octavia. You have disgraced us all.”