Love Notes (Equilibrium Book 1) Read online

  And he was the controlled substance of choice.

  “Yes,” he said in a low voice, finally answering my question once he pulled back. “We’re doing this.” As if to emphasize his point, he grabbed my hand again, leading me up the steps of the building we’d stopped in front of. I opened my mouth to protest, only to snap it shut again when he pressed a random-to-me number sequence into the aging keypad beside the door, and the sound of a disengaged lock hit my ears.

  Inside, he led me straight to the elevators, giving me a look that made me grateful an empty one opened as soon as he pressed the call button. My heart was racing, thumping against my chest, roaring in my ears as he backed me into it, straight into the corner, where he kissed me again.

  This time, one hand went into my hair, his fingers grazing my scalp as he buried them in a loose, possessive grip on my curls. His other hand went lower, slipping down the curve of my waist before settling lower, palming a handful of my ass to pull me closer. I moaned into his mouth as he pressed me harder into the wall, dipping his head to deepen the kiss as the elevator creaked toward whatever floor he’d chosen.

  I couldn’t help the disappointed sound I made in my throat when he pulled away, once the elevator chimed to signal that we’d arrived. He practically snatched me out, rushing me down the hall so fast that the elevator doors were still sliding closed when he pulled keys from his back pocket, letting us inside his apartment.

  That was where I broke away from him, more interested than I should be in what his place looked like. It was an open loft, with worn hardwood floors and exposed beam work in the ceiling – obviously a feature of a remodel, since this was an older building. Still, there was obvious charm. Exposed brick, carved woodworking around the windows. And it was obvious from the décor choices – dark leather furniture with modern lines, Black artwork on the walls, comfortable rugs – that this guy cared about the balance of the old and new.

  Just… not right now.

  Right now, he seemed exponentially more interested in backing me against a wide pillar that anchored the middle of the loft, and using the high split I’d loved so much as an access point to get underneath my dress. He met my gaze as his fingers hooked the sides of my panties, and dragged them down.

  “Straight to the point, huh?” I asked, holding his gaze as he kneeled to pull my panties down the lower part of my legs, then waited for me to step out.

  “That a problem for you?” he queried back, tossing them over his shoulder once he’d straightened up again.

  A smirk spread across my lips as I reached up, untying the halter-style bow around my neck. As soon as it was loose, I dropped the ties, letting my dress fall with it, leaving me totally nude as it pooled around my feet in a mashup of color.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “Not at all.”

  “Damn,” he muttered, in an appreciative tone that widened my grin.

  “I know.” His eyebrows went up as I grabbed his belt buckle, pulling hard to tug him closer. “Now… your turn.”

  He hooked his fingers together behind his head, watching my hands as I undid his belt, then his buttons and zipper before I pushed his jeans down. The impressive bulge sprouting beneath his boxers was calling my name, but since I was a believer in big reveals, I ignored it, reaching for the hem of his shirt instead, after he’d stepped out of his shoes and jeans.

  He took over the removal of his shirt, treating me to an up-close and personal view of the smooth, espresso-toned skin that covered his chest. His body was nice – thick enough to have something to hold on to, but nicely cut, with all the grooves and ridges. What I really cared about though, was underneath his boxers, and I was ready to see it.

  Before I could go for what I wanted though, he’d scooped me into his arms, easily hefting me over his shoulder.

  My shocked gasp quickly turned into a shout of laughter as he carried me to a part of the loft that had been partitioned off – a part I quickly realized was his bedroom. He tossed me onto the bed, making me laugh again as he flipped on the lamp on the bedside table to dig in the drawer, coming up with a condom that he tossed at me to catch.

  I did, then watched, enthralled, as he rid himself of his boxers, allowing his dick to spring free – long, just as black as he was, and mouthwateringly thick.

  Down girl, I told myself, knowing that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do with a dick like that when it belonged to a stranger. But my face must have given me away, because his barely-suppressed smirk was cocky as hell as he stepped up to the edge of the bed.

  I was right there to meet him, having raised up on my knees, moving closer to where he was. I tore the wrapper open and tossed it away, looking him right in the eyes as I rolled the latex onto him, then kept him in my hands, stroking him.

  “This is perfect. You know that, right?” I asked him, unabashedly feeding his ego, even though he hadn’t really proven himself yet.

  He planted one of his big hands on either of my ass cheeks, cupping and squeezing. “You know I wanna – nah, am gonna, fuck the shit outta you, right?”

  I tightened my grip on his dick, making him groan a little as his hips rocked reflexively forward. “You know I’d rather you be about it than talk about it, right?”

  His eyes narrowed, bringing back that intensity that sent a shiver up my spine, and he said one word before he was on me.

  “Bet.”

  Instead of pushing me backward, like I would have expected, he used his grip on my ass to easily scoop me up, catching me so off guard that I let him go. He had my legs around his waist before I even knew what was happening, and then lined himself up with my opening and pulled me onto him in one swift, firm motion that yanked a cry from my throat as I helplessly clutched at his shoulders.

  Then we dropped to the bed, with me landing on my back against the plush material of his comforter as he put the full weight of his body into a stroke that filled me past capacity.

  “Oh my God,” I cried, digging my nails into his back as he circled his hips, pressing all the way into a spot that had my legs feeling like jello already. I didn’t breathe until he finally pulled back, but he snatched my breath again with the next stroke. And the next, and the next, and the next, until I was breathing like the women in Lamaze classes on TV as he did exactly what he claimed he would.

  He grabbed my ankles, holding my legs in the air as he pounded into me, and I screamed my head off. Every cry, moan, whimper, every single shout I felt, I let it out, because that’s what you did with a one-night stand, you didn’t hold back. And apparently he felt the same, because he was giving me every possible inch of him, driving into me with exactly the kind of focus and vigor my last sexual encounters had desperately lacked.

  I needed this.

  Especially the explosive orgasm that rocked me just a few moments later, in what felt like record time, especially considering that the only foreplay had occurred before we were even in his apartment. Still, as I collapsed onto his bed after he’d shuddered his way through his own eruption, I didn’t feel like he owed me a single thing. I closed my eyes, reveling in the moment of feeling amazingly boneless, appreciating the fact that he wasn’t trying to talk to me, or cuddle.

  I felt, rather than saw him leave the bed, and didn’t open my eyes until I could no longer hear his footsteps padding away as he presumably went to take care of the condom. Biting down on my lip, I shook my head. I was so satisfied with myself that it was ridiculous, but experience had taught me the importance of quitting while I was ahead. It was time for me to go.

  … if only my legs would work.

  Unfortunately for me, those deep strokes had rendered them temporarily useless, and it wasn’t until he’d come back and spread himself out beside me that I could really feel them again. When I could, I pulled myself up and climbed out of bed, stopping for a moment to stretch my limbs.

  “The bathroom is right beside the kitchen,” he told me, sitting up.

  I nodded. “Thanks. I’m gonna clean up a bit,
and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

  For some reason, that seemed to surprise him, enough that he sprang up as I took a few steps, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me between his legs as he moved back to a seated position on the bed.

  “You serious?” he asked, licking his lips. “Not up for a second round?”

  I grinned, running my fingers through the locs that had come disengaged from the band that was keeping the rest back. “I didn’t know you’d have a second round in you.”

  “Well… now you do.” He released his hold on my arm to move his hands up my sides, his touch featherlight until he reached my breasts. There, he cupped his hands underneath, in a gentle caress as his thumbs skirted over my nipples.

  I sucked in a breath as he moved his thumb, covering me with his hot mouth instead, rasping his tongue over the hard peak. My hands went deeper into his hair, burying my fingers in his locs to keep his head in place as he sucked my sensitive flesh.

  “O-oh,” I breathed, damn near falling into him when I suddenly felt his hand between my legs, covering his fingers in my wetness before they plunged into me. A low moan pulled away from my throat as his thumb pressed against my clit, circling as he stroked me with his fingers. His free hand tweaked and pulled at the nipple that wasn’t in his mouth, and just like that… I was definitely staying.

  My gaze traveled down, watching his fingers disappear between my legs before I shifted to watch what he was doing with his mouth. He gave me another one of those smirks as he pulled back a little, looking me right in the eyes as he grazed me with his teeth, then licked the same spot to soothe the sting.

  Oh, he was good. He was very, very good.

  I closed my eyes, giving myself over to pleasure as he pushed all the right buttons for me. And when he pulled that drawer open again for another condom, I happily climbed aboard, intent on securing another win for the night by riding him like my life depended on it.

  He had other plans.

  As soon as I sank onto him, he grabbed my face, pulling me into a kiss. And then another, and another, and the next thing I knew, I was slow grinding into his lap like I had Quiet Storm music playing in my head.

  “You feel so goddamn good,” he groaned in my ear, just before he did something that was half-bite, half-suck, and would definitely leave a mark on my neck.

  “Holy shit, you too,” I whimpered, helpless, as he grabbed me by the hips, taking over with upward strokes that brought tears to my eyes as he plunged into me.

  I can’t go out like this!

  With more force than was probably necessary, I shoved him backward, planting my hands on his chest once he was mostly flat across the bed, with his legs still propped over the side. I pressed in, anchoring my knees against his sides before I started circling my hips, keeping that motion as I moved up and down on him.

  “Fuck,” he hissed, closing his eyes as he locked his hands behind his head, after I batted him away from my breasts. His touch felt a little too good, and I needed to be focused, needed all my attention on this.

  I sat up, shifting positions to use my feet as the necessary leverage for a little more bounce, enough to have him letting off another stream of curses he couldn’t help. My power move was a double-edged sword though, because next thing I knew, his hand was between my legs again, and it was… God, it was too much. The sweet friction of him being buried deep inside me, the teasing stimulation of fingers against my clit, and goddamn….

  “Ahhhh!” I cried, letting out the burst of pleasure I felt as he sat up, catching a nipple in his mouth again, clamping tight enough to skirt the line between bliss, and pain. I wanted to push him away, wanted him to not feel so damned good, but neither of those things happened.

  What did happen was me basically melting into liquid on his dick, babbling incoherently as I came again, harder than the first time. I collapsed onto his shoulder, unable to move as he slammed into me one last time, with a harsh grunt that set off a whole ‘nother round of convulsions between my legs.

  This time, when we fell into bed together, he stayed engaged, keeping his arms locked around me as he settled back. He was still inside of me, had gone soft after his orgasm and then come back to life by the time I felt lucid enough to try to move, only to be met with his quiet snores.

  Shit.

  I relaxed into his chest, almost feeling bad about waking him up so I could leave. After what he’d done for me, I kinda felt like he deserved this sleep. He’d earned it, for making my body feel this good.

  With a heavy sigh, I decided that it couldn’t hurt anything to let him sleep for a bit.

  Might not be a bad idea to catch a few Zs yourself…

  Hmm.

  Maybe not.

  Sleeping in men’s beds – especially strange ones – wasn’t my thing, so I knew I wouldn’t do too much. Just a few minutes… just a power nap, then I would try to untangle myself, and sneak out. I could easily make my way home.

  With that settled, I made myself comfortable against him, looking up at his sleeping face. He wasn’t the type of handsome that could classify him as a “pretty boy”, but with that deep, rich brown skin, lush beard, and those locs… he was beautiful.

  I smiled to myself, happy with the way I was ending my first night as a new resident of Mahogany Heights. The impromptu Dani concert, and then… this, with him, had been a perfect welcome.

  As I closed my eyes, intent on making sure that I really did stay just a few more minutes, there was only one thing that left me feeling the tiniest bit unsettled.

  …. I wonder what his name is.

  Two.

  How am I gonna get this chick outta my bed?

  That wasn’t my first thought upon waking, but it was the one that stuck, once I’d fully opened my eyes and registered the slight fuzziness in my brain – the aftermath of brushing too close to the line of drinking too much.

  I hadn’t been drunk, not even close. Nah, I didn’t get to use inebriation as an excuse for doing something I’d sworn off at the end of last year, after a talk with my mentor had me realizing my actions were counterintuitive to what I claimed I wanted. Drinking and chasing pussy weren’t getting me closer to my goal, and barely felt like a good time anymore, honestly.

  So then why did you bring this girl home?

  Good fucking question.

  I started to shake my head at myself for my internal back and forth, then froze, not wanting my motions to wake her up yet. Not before I had a plan to get her out of here, or at least some opening dialogue, something. I wasn’t trying to be rude, but whatever spell she’d worked on me last night had worn off, and it was time for me to regain the sanctity of my space.

  After a few seconds of gathering my thoughts, I made my move, turning to the other side of the bed to just tell the truth, instead of bullshitting about it.

  Only problem?

  The space was empty.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  That meant she was up and about, loose in my apartment, doing God knows what. I flipped the covers back, and the blast of cool air on my skin reminded me that I’d never gotten up to dispose of the condom that was now a sticky mess in the bed.

  This is exactly what I get, I scolded myself, throwing on some shorts just for the sake of not being naked while I searched my apartment for…

  Damn.

  What the hell is her name?

  Instead of calling out for her using a name I didn’t even have, I stepped into the main living space of the loft and looked around. With the way it was designed, there wasn’t really anywhere she could be except the bathroom, which was empty when I peeked inside.

  She was gone.

  And that unleashed yet another wave of panic, before I did a quick inventory, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. TV, laptop, stereo, cell phone, wallet… there was nothing out of place, which was a relief, because the shit could’ve easily been a lot different.

  Her fine ass could’ve robbed me blind while I was sleeping off two
nuts.

  When I checked the door, I saw that she’d at least locked the bottom one behind her, even though she couldn’t do anything about the deadbolt without a key. I turned it myself, then padded back to my bedroom, where I stopped at the foot of the King-size mattress, surveying the havoc we’d wreaked on the sheets before I bent and started pulling them off.

  Something foreign invaded my senses when I moved around to her side, making me stop for a second. It had been a nice little minute since a woman’s scent had permeated my space, but the girl from last night… hers was distinctive.

  Her hair had smelled of tea tree oil and peppermint, and something fruity I hadn’t quite been able to place. She’d left it behind on the pillow, along with a few smudges of makeup. And her skin… shit. An uninvited memory of velvet-soft, brown-sugar skin hit me like a left hook, bringing back flashes of her throaty moans, pecan-colored nipples, and the scent of roses, and jasmine.

  I shook it off, heading to the other side of the bed to unstick the condom and get rid of it, then finish taking off the sheets. It wasn’t until I had the bundle of soiled fabric gathered in my arms that I noticed a much smaller bundle, folded neatly on my bedside table. I dropped the sheets and stepped closer to inspect, narrowing my eyes until I realized what I was looking at.

  Her panties.

  I picked them up, hating myself for the way my dick responded just to the sight of them, not even getting to the subtle whiff of last night’s arousal that still clung to the flimsy hot pink fabric. Once they were in my hands, I noticed the note underneath – a scrap of paper she’d pulled from the pad at my desk.

  Thank you for a fantastic welcome to the neighborhood.

  That was all it said. No name, no initials, nothing, just – essentially – thanks for the dick, in neat, elegant cursive, and her hot-pink underwear as a parting gift. If nothing else, the girl knew how to leave an impression, and as disappointed as I was with myself that last night had even happened… I didn’t bother trying to stop the grin that took over my mouth.