BWWM Romance: Crossing The Line: Interracial Romance / Wealthy Love Interest (11 page)

Virgil strolled to her and touched the back of her thigh, wanting to feel her soft, smooth skin beneath his fingertips and her hot, welcoming mouth around his cock. Shawna jumped, startled, and began to fall backwards. Virgil caught her, and sat her down on the couch.

Shawna barely got two words out to scold him for scaring her before Virgil pressed his lips against hers and drove himself between her legs. She moaned, caught off guard. Shawna couldn't move fast enough to counter with her own hands as he held her to the couch, rolling his hips into hers. His salty kisses moved from her mouth to her throat.

"Fuck, I want you," he groaned, sliding her shorts off and undoing his pants. His heavy belt buckle rang against the hardwood floor as he snatched the belt out of his loops and tossed it aside. Shawna helped him with his shirt, pulling it over his head, and throwing it back behind them.

"What's gotten you all riled up?" Shawna joked as Virgil came up to kiss her again. She nipped at his bottom lip and he moaned softly, pressing himself against her, desiring the sensation of her whole body against his own. Shawna ran her hands up his arms, stroking the strong muscles of his biceps. Virgil kissed Shawna's collarbone. His hand tickled as it traveled up her side, caressing her soft skin, cupping her breast and teasing her stiff, sensitive nipple. Shawna moaned as Virgil's breath heated her skin. Taking her other breast into his mouth, Virgil sucked and licked. Her cries of pleasure brought a smile to his lips. His deep laugh sent a delicious chill up Shawna's spine.

She pushed Virgil back on to his knees and wrapped her hands around his hard shaft. Precum glistened around the small opening in his thick cockhead. Taking her time, stroking his shaft, Shawna challenged him with her eyes. Virgil blew out a breath and let his head fall back. Shawna crept forward, kissing the tip of his cock, allowing it to split her lips as if her mouth were her pussy before plunging his cock to the back of her throat. She worked her mouth and hands, tasting his salty skin.

"Oh god, you feel so good," Virgil said. He allowed her to push him back into a more comfortable position with his back against the couch. She ran her free hand up the rippled muscles of his stomach to his pecs and back down. She licked a sensual trail up his cock from base to head and ran circles around him with her tongue. Shawna squeezed her thighs together as she burned with longing. She turned her deep brown eyes up to meet his gray ones and he shuddered at this intimate connection.

"Ride me," Virgil said gruffly.

Shawna sat up and straddled Virgil's lap. He lifted his hips to meet her hot, wet lips. Her juices ran down her thighs. They collided and their voices mixed together in their shared fervor and passion. He filled her, feeling every slick ridge. "Virgil," she moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck, and riding him like a wild horse.

"Say it again," he said.

"Virgil! Uh! Uh!"

Virgil held onto Shawna and rolled her onto her back. Hovering above her, he drove his hips into hers, watching her eyelids flutter and listening to her labored breath. Virgil gasped as Shawna's nails nicked his back, and she tried to match the rhythm of his hips with her own.

Shawna couldn't keep up with him as his tempo increased. She came hard enough to see stars, but he didn't end there, continuing to pump his hips until beads of sweat formed on his brow. He bit his own bottom lip as he watched Shawna's breasts bounce with every thrust.

The sun moved along its course in the sky, changing the light composition of the living room, throwing long shadows. For a second, Virgil saw Janet beneath him and he bit his lip harder until he could see Shawna again. He had tried to drive away the memories and sickening nostalgia. He promised himself that he wasn't going to go there ever again, not with Janet, not with anyone. He had loved her once, but Janet represented the lowest point of his life, and Shawna was his zenith. He tuned into Shawna's voice and concentrated on her face and the love in her eyes. He wanted her and no one else. So why couldn't he get Janet's face out of his mind?

He came hard, grunting, and pulsating. Shawna pulled him down into a hug, and Virgil stayed inside her, feeling the pitter-patter of her heartbeat.

"Wow," Shawna breathed, as Virgil rolled over and lay on his back.

Shawna rolled over and pushed herself up onto her elbows. She leaned against Virgil's damp side and listened to his breathing settle. In all their time together, the sex had always been passionate, but nowhere near as explosive as this. She rubbed her hair and scratched her scalp, stealing a glance at Virgil's face. Usually he wore a lazy, satisfied look on his face as he drifted off to sleep, or pulling her into a warm embrace to cuddle. Now his eyes were wide, fixed on the ceiling, and his mouth was set firmly. The color of sex drained from his face quickly, leaving him pale and clammy.

"What's wrong?" Shawna asked, half expecting a dodgy non-answer. If Virgil wasn't anything else, he was good at keeping secrets. The air of mystery was beginning to grow stale. If he continued pushing her away, Shawna wasn't sure if she'd have the emotional strength to keep trying.

Virgil played with the edge of the rug where they lay and continued staring up at the ceiling.

"I think I had a bad day," he whispered, absently rubbing his face and smearing the dark makeup under his eyes.

"What happened?"

Virgil wrapped his arm around Shawna and pulled her close. She smelled like fresh soap and cocoa butter. Her clean hair licked his chin as she rested her head on his chest. He stroked her braids, letting his finger follow their crisscross pattern. Shawna listened to his heartbeat and sighed, growing more concerned as the silence stretched on for what seemed like forever.

"One of our former band members came back today," he said finally. "And, um, we have a pretty rocky history. I just . . . I don't know. I guess I was comfortable with the idea that I would never see her again."

Shawna's heart thumped in her chest and her breath tripped in her lungs. She didn't subscribe to being a jealous woman, but for a woman from Virgil's past to show up out of nowhere and cause Virgil to fuck Shawna the way he just had made Shawna's head swim. Who was she? Was Virgil thinking of this woman while he was inside of her? Bile rose in her throat. Using her sudden onset of heartburn as an excuse to get up, Shawna went into the bathroom. She took an antacid and splashed some water on her face.

Virgil followed her, and leaned against the doorframe, carefully gaging her reaction. He went back and forth on whether or not to tell her any more. "You okay?"

"I think I ate something weird," she lied. "Well, what was she doing there?" Shawna pressed. Instantly she regretted the edge in her voice, but it couldn't have been helped. He had to know that she was going to be at least a little upset. At the same time, she was glad that he was open enough to tell her what was going on.

Virgil told her about the executive decision the band had made without him and the more he said, the quieter and more withdrawn Shawna became. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the bathroom counter, attempting to appear casual as she listened.

"Will you be okay?" she asked as she groaned inwardly, remembering that Mikki had warned her about Virgil's exes.

"As long as I have you by my side," Virgil said. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to swallow back the flood of emotions mounting in his chest. This happened every time he opened up to anyone. No matter if it was his fault or not, his problems ultimately made people shut him out and shut him down. He searched Shawna's eyes for a trace of sympathy and only found cool suspicion. He understood. She needed to protect herself, especially from him. Virgil was used to burning everything he touched. "You've made me better in every way," he added.

Shawna bit her bottom lip. She didn't know how much of that statement she could trust, but she was willing to hold on until she found out the truth.

S
hawna opened
the doors to the church's charity pantry and tucked the keys back into her pocket of her jeans. Pastor Cordell Mills' stay at the sister church was supposed to only be for two weeks and he wanted to leave the church better than he found it. This meant reinstating its charitable giving and refreshing its face in the community. It also meant that Shawna was going to have to slice a huge piece out of her free time to help. She scratched the back of her head and looked at the old furniture and boxes. The food pantry had been turned into storage. Sighing, Shawna touched an old pew, its tattered cloth seat covered in dust. She hoped that once her father was gone, she could go back to her own life. Maybe she could ask her mother to tell him that she had a life of her own. Perhaps there could be a prodigal daughter.

Virgil couldn't commit the time. He was a workingman and Shawna's father respected that. Virgil tried to make up for the time they were apart with extravagant dinners in elegant restaurants, gifts of sexy clothes and gorgeous jewelry, and long, deep fucking and sucking sessions. His hands took their time roaming her breasts and stomach. He kissed her thighs and took nourishment with his tongue along her spine. When they were together, he was quiet, not talking about his music but absorbed in her and her world, bending over backwards to make her feel like a queen. Frankly, Shawna ran to the church for some sense of real life . She couldn't help but wonder if that woman had anything to do with it. Shawna didn't appreciate the transformation this woman had brought about in Virgil. He was overcompensating, and it was unnecessary. Shawna loved Virgil the way he was, romantically gothic.

Derick whistled and dragged his eyes up the towering pile of old furniture and dusty boxes and back down to where Shawna stood. "You should've called me. I could have brought some muscle."

"Boy, I got more muscle in one arm than you got in your whole body."

Derick laughed and walked over to one of the boxes. Pulling open the flaps, he kicked up a plume of dust that forced Shawna to cover her nose and step back.

"What is it?"

"Funeral programs."

"God, you don't think there's a body back here somewhere do you?"

Derick looked up, cocking an eyebrow. He leaned to one side and then the other, trying to peer through the cracks in between the furniture. "I hope not, but then again . . ."

They laughed and Shawna grabbed a box to take outside. They were going to recycle the bulk of the paper with the exception of a few pristine pieces that would land in the main church's archives. The old pews were headed to a restoration shop for repair and possible repurposing. Shawna and Derick moved them together out onto the lawn where the sun was just starting to burn the earth below it with the heat of the coming summer.

"It's beautiful out here," Derick said, drinking in Shawna's image. "I see why you wouldn't want to leave."

Shawna sighed. She had been Derick's friend long enough to read him. First he would start with the "innocent" observations. Then he would move in close to her, gently touching her hands and arms, as a friend of course, and lastly he would make his play for her affections.

"Wanna play hooky?" he asked suddenly. "I don't think anyone is going to miss us."

"Play hooky and do what?" Shawna laughed.

"I don't know. Peep a flick? Get some grub? Chill and talk a little?"

"That all sounds good," Shawna said, realizing for the first time that she was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Between her father's tyranny and Virgil's overcompensation, Shawna was beginning to burn the candle at both ends. As she helped Derick put the boxes back and lock the door, she hesitated.

Derick looked at her from over his shoulder. His deep brown eyes drew her in. His sweet smile was welcoming. Derick had grown a lot since she last saw him. His wide shoulders gave him a triangular shape down to his narrow waist, a man's waist. Gone was the lanky, boxy boy shape she used to tease him about. He was taller, fuller. He was a good-looking man now and she was genuinely happy for him. She also enjoyed the view. He held out his hand and she dropped hers into it.

"My lady."

"Lady friend," Shawna corrected.

"Mmhmm, yes, girlfriend, yes," he teased, leading her to his rental car.

Kids make promises to each other all the time, mostly because “forever” is such a romantic notion with a short time frame. By time they're adults, almost every promise made seems silly. Shawna glanced over at Derick as the muscle clenched in his jaw and he stared straight through the windshield, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. Whether it was sports, academics, or work, Derick didn't have a competitive bone in his body. He liked living on easy street, slipping through the cracks, and making a brisk ascent to success as a skilled henchman. Savoring the trickle-down success of others was how he thrived. Unlike those who busted their asses trying to scramble over others, Derick slept soundly at night. Shawna couldn't help but wonder if these sparks of a competitive edge was just another sign of Derick's maturity or if he was willing to step out of his comfort zone for her. She felt both guilty and annoyed. She didn’t want to hurt him but she had made herself clear. She wasn’t the only girl around. The way he looked now, he would do just fine.

Derick dropped one hand from the steering wheel and rubbed Shawna's knee. She almost said something, but didn’t, enjoying the warmth of his touch. Derick represented more than her past. He was her roots, her ground wire. They could talk for days on end about things that she could never even introduce Virgil to.

Shawna shook her head and turned, so that her knee was out of Derick's reach. "Friends," she said. "Remember?" How come guys never thought that was worth very much?

"What does he do for you, Shawna?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I know I can do it all better. And if it's the money, I will do my damnedest to beat that, too."

Shawna's mouth fell open, but no words came out.

"I've started apartment hunting," Derick said. "And job hunting. The sister church will need someone to look after them. I, uh, volunteered."

Shawna gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "Soooo, you think that if you move here, that I will just drop everything and come running to you?"

"No, not at all," he said simply. "I just want you to know that whenever the other shoe drops, I'll be there for you."

"You've been talking to Mikki's gossiping self, haven't you?"

"She's my friend, too, you know," Derick said, smoothly stopping at the light. "She has your best interests at heart, Shawna."

"No, she has her own best interests at heart."

"Yo, for real, though, Shawna." Derick turned in his seat to face her, draping his wrist over the steering wheel. His cool posture was betrayed by his sudden change in speech. Derick didn't always have a proper English speech pattern. He had a drawl and a swagger just like the streets. That is, until he landed in front of Shawna's father. But when his temper ticked down, his old voice found its way past his lips. "She said your dude ain't no good. He's dirty. Drugged up . . . a drunk. I had to talk her out of telling your dad. Why are you with somebody like that?"

"Virgil likes me for me."

"I like you for you," Derick said. The light changed and he drove forward. "I've always liked you for you. I've never asked you to change a thing. In fact, I was the one who changed. I got dorky for you."

"That's a lie, and you know it. You've always been dorky."

"That's rude," Derick laughed. "That ain't right, and don't change the subject. If he hurts you, Shawna, I can't promise that I won't catch a case."

"He's been sober for . . ." Shawna stopped. Virgil never told her about going to rehab or meetings. They never talked about him getting treatment. And she knew he wasn’t sober, strictly speaking. They shared a glass of wine over dinner now and then, though they typically stuck to soda. But there were no signs of drug use. He wasn't racing through the money, snorting it up his nose. He never came home smelling like a liquor store. As far as Shawna knew, he was sober in the ways that counted and dedicated to staying that way. "He's sober," she said.

"I'm gonna drop it for now, because I don't want to upset you, but I hope you think about it." They pulled into a parking lot. He leaned across the center console and took Shawna's chin into his hands. "And think about this."

Derick pressed his full, soft lips against hers, and Shawna shot backwards. Throwing the door open, she stumbled out of the car. "Have you lost your goddamned mind?" Shawna yelled. "What is wrong with you?"

Derick got out and circled around the car. "I'm sorry."

"No! No, that is not okay!" Shawna marched toward the busy street. She took her phone out of her pocket to call a cab.

"I'm sorry!" Derick jogged after her. "Shawna, please. Let me take you home."

"No. Get away from me! We were literally talking about my boyfriend. Literally. What do you think this is?"

Derick tucked his fists into his hips and watched Shawna pace as she talked to the dispatcher. "Shawna, I'll take you home."

Shawna felt the hot tears well in her eyes. Even as a kid, she cried when she was angry. She hung up the phone to avoid screaming in the dispatcher's ear. Neither of them saw the tow truck pull up to the curb as they viciously argued back and forth. Virgil jumped down from the truck and took Shawna by the shoulders. She snatched herself away from him, not realizing who he was.

"What's wrong?" Virgil demanded. "What did you do to her?"

Shawna lunged forward and grabbed Virgil's arm as he moved to get into Derick's face.

"I will lay you out, muthafucker!" Derick said, coming to meet Virgil in the middle.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Shawna said. "Stop before someone calls the cops." She stood in between the men with her arms spread. The men stared each other down, but neither dared to jump past Shawna and betray her trust. Shawna blinked the tears from her eyes and sniffed. "I'm going home," she said. "You need to go back to work," she told Virgil. "And I don't give a fuck what you do," she said to Derick.

"Get in," Virgil said. "I was on my way back to the lot. I'll drop you off at your car."

"Shawna," Derick pleaded. "I'm sorry."

"Walk away," Virgil said.

"Dude, fuck you! You don't know me!"

Shawna jumped in between them again, and this time, she could barely prevent them from colliding. For all of the mess Derick talked about Virgil, she remembered doing this exact same thing in the lunchroom when they were in school. Underneath the piety and altar boy politeness was a hothead with a violent streak. If she failed to keep them apart, one of them was going to end up in jail and the other would be seriously hurt. Shawna shoved Derick back with both hands and pointed a warning finger at him, daring him to come at her.

"Stop, or I'll call my father and tell him what his assistant has been up to."

"I don't care. I don't care, Shawna. The only reason I was sucking up to him was because of you. But you done hooked up with this goofy lookin' asshole and basically told me to go fuck myself. I been bustin' my ass to impress your uptight, bourgie family for nothing."

"But ain't nobody told you to do all that, though," Shawna said.

"I hope he fuck you up like he did Janet. That's right, muthafucka. We all know about Janet."

"You don't know shit," Virgil seethed.

"I love you, Shawna," Derick said, backing away. "But you stupid."

Shawna grappled with Virgil's imposing bulk as he moved to go after Derick.

"Let it go," she said. "Fuck him."

I
t took
days for Shawna to cool off, but even after she seemed to calm down, Virgil still couldn't pry the details from her. The specifics didn't matter. He had disliked Derick from the moment he met him and didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. It wasn't a suspicion that he wanted to have confirmed, however. He dreamed of a gentle melding of their lives, where they'd hold barbecues and poker nights. He'd adopt some of her friends, and she'd get close with some of his. First Mikki and now Derick. Virgil admittedly felt much worse about the animosity between him and Mikki than he did about Derick. The last thing Virgil wanted was to isolate Shawna from her friends or family. He hoped she understood that he didn't want to come in between her and anyone. But if he ever found out that Derick had hurt her, he didn't know what he would do.

The sun had barely warmed the apartment's windows early that Monday morning, but the songbirds were already destroying the silence, interrupted every once and a while by the honking squawk of a crow. Virgil sat in the kitchen over a hot cup of coffee, listening to the sizzle of bacon and eggs. He stared at the screen of his laptop, clicking through vacation websites. Maybe a few days away would do them some good. Shawna sleepily strolled in, and leaned over the back of Virgil's chair to hug him. Her warm, soft breasts pressed into his shoulders and her cold hands found warmth against his chest.

"Good morning," she yawned.

"You could've slept in," he said, turning to kiss her.

Shawna turned off the stove and slid breakfast onto two plates. She left them on the counter when Virgil didn't move from the computer. Returning to him, she massaged his shoulders. "What are you working on?"

"I think we could both use a nice vacation."

"Hmm, I haven't really done anything to deserve a vacation," she said honestly.

"It would still be nice."

Virgil rolled his neck in the direction of Shawna's kneading hands. He kissed her knuckles and pulled her into his lap. "I really just want an excuse to see you in the tiniest bikini we can fine," he whispered. Kissing her neck, Virgil reached into her robe and traced her collarbone with his fingertips. "I want to undo the strings with my teeth, and lie you down on a beach towel in the sand." His fingers walked down between her breasts. "We'll roll around underneath a ruby sunset, listening to the sounds of breaking waves."

"Mmhmm, Mr. Songwriter, tell me more." Shawna moaned, leaning her head to the side. She opened her robe and let Virgil's kisses find their way down to her breasts. His fingers dipped in between her legs and found her clit, massaging it. Shawna opened her legs wider. Virgil's fingers entered her, clutched by her wet sex while he continued working her clit with his thumb.