Looking For Trouble (22 page)

A soft whimper spilled from Alexandria's lips, and her body begged for more. “Oh, baby,” she whispered.

PJ panted hard and scooted his body toward the edge of the couch. He held Alexandria firmly in place so she wouldn't fall as he rose to his feet with her legs wrapped around his waist. He carried her to his bedroom, and there he laid her down with care across the length of his king-size bed. She spread her legs slightly and watched as he quickly pulled off his jeans. Then he slid his gray Calvin Kleins to the floor.

Although the room was unlit, the streetlights outside provided a bright glow through the miniblinds at his window, allowing Alexandria a view of the impressive hardness she'd felt on the couch. She smiled with lust and delight when she saw his large, swollen manhood standing at attention, ready for her.

“Mmmm,” PJ said, looking at Alexandria as he reached for her skirt and slid it down her legs. He hooked his finger along the side of her panties and slowly removed them.

“Ali, I'm going to make love to you with all five senses, and I promise you that I'll make it count,” he said, whispering the words she'd said onstage during her performance at the Lazy Day.

He gently rubbed his hands along her bikini line, and his touch felt so good that she wanted to scream. “Oh, PJ,” she whispered in a heavy breath.

He kissed her slowly as their tongues once again explored each other's mouths. She inhaled with anticipation as he slid his finger from her inner thigh and then dipped it into her moist middle.

“Damn, I love that you're so wet,” PJ said.

She squirmed with ecstasy as his finger swirled around inside her while she moved her hips against the gentle pressure of his hand. Slowly he removed his finger, brought it to his mouth, and licked it like candy. “I want to taste more of you.”

Alexandria eagerly spread her legs as he positioned himself between her thighs. When she felt the tip of his tongue at the base of her creamy folds, she dug her heels into the pillow-top mattress, releasing a slow moan, which let him know he was on point.

“I'm gonna lick you from the bottom to the top,” PJ whispered seductively, spreading her legs farther apart so his tongue could reach its target. With gentle, concentrated skill, he took his time, trailing her heated flesh in a circular motion, which delivered on his promise. He used attentive care—licking, sucking, and stroking her wetness, devouring her sweet juices as they flowed down into his mouth.

“Yes, baby. That's it. Right there,” Alexandria called out as his mouth engulfed her clit.

He nibbled and sucked her gently, using his lips and tongue to take her to a place of new discovery. Her thighs trembled as she bucked against his mouth and released an orgasm so deliciously powerful that all she could do was pant and smile.
“Damn!”
she called out as her chest heaved up and down with pleasure.

PJ dotted kisses along her stomach, across her chest, up to her neck, and then onto the side of her cheek before he reached her mouth, kissing her deeply.

“I want to return the favor.” Alexandria purred as she made her way down PJ's body, planting tender kisses on his skin as he'd done to hers. When she reached his hardness, she held him in her hand and gently stroked his thick shaft from the base to the tip of his large head, and then back down again. She twirled her finger around every inch of his throbbing stiffness that she could touch, enjoying the sound of his low moans and the fact that she was pleasing him. Slowly she licked her lips and opened her mouth wide, enveloping him whole, running her tongue up and down his hardness as she sucked with steady and gentle pressure.

“Oh, baby,” PJ moaned.

Alexandria loved the feel of him in her mouth and against the palm of her hand as she alternated between gently licking him with her tongue, and applying subtle pressure as she stroked him with her hand. She tickled, and teased, and licked, and sucked, and swallowed, until PJ couldn't take it any longer.

He reached inside his nightstand, pulled out a condom, ripped the package open, and slid it on so fast that Alexandria barely had time to brace herself for the feel of his thick head as he slowly penetrated her.

With gentle, measured force, PJ began to ease his way inside her. He thrusted his hips forward, burying each rock-hard inch into her creamy wetness. Once he filled her with his full erection, he paused for a moment and lay there, resting in a warm, welcoming spot that made both their bodies tremble.

PJ nestled his head in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. He smiled and looked into her eyes as he whispered softly. “You smell so sweet, you taste so delicious, you feel incredibly soft, and you look absolutely beautiful. I'm going to make love to you, baby.”

If she thought she had felt pleasure before, Alexandria was amazed at how her body could reach such heights now. She held PJ close to her chest as he thrusted deep inside her, hitting her special spot with a hard force that sent a wave of sweet pain through her entire lower body. She enjoyed the feel of their slick, sweat-covered skin dancing in a rhythm that she knew was going to make her explode again.

Just as she was about to reach her tipping point, he slowed his movements and whispered into her ear, “Turn over, baby. I'm gonna get you from behind.”

His deep voice and sexy command made Alexandria smile with wicked lust. “Mmmm,” she moaned. Slowly, she crawled onto all fours and burrowed her knees and elbows into his soft brown sheets.

She panted heavily as she felt his hands gently grab hold of each side of her hips, and this time she readied herself to receive him. But instead of entering her right away, he teased her, rubbing his hardness against her quivering lips and the sides of her inner thighs. She arched her back and moaned, ready to feel him inside her once again. Then slowly, as he'd done before, he made his way to the place that brought both of them pleasure. She closed her eyes and nearly screamed with ecstasy as he pounded her at a steady pace, which made her body jerk forward. She whimpered softly when she felt him lean onto her back, reach around her waist, and trail his fingers down between her legs until he reached the mound of her throbbing clit, rubbing it as he slid in and out of her wetness.

“You like that, baby?” PJ panted as he continued rubbing her delicate middle, never breaking his deep, unrelenting thrusts into her creamy warmth.

She wanted to respond, but she was too caught up in the hot orgasm bursting at the meeting between her thighs. She turned her head, looked behind her, and found him staring back into her eyes with a determined look on his face, which was etched with tender care and filled with purpose. She let go and gave in to her pleasure as she called out his name, over and over and over again.

He'd satisfied her, and now it was his turn. Within a minute of her explosive release, Alexandria felt PJ's rhythm quicken and his thrusts drive deeper and harder inside her. She knew he was approaching the euphoria she'd already reached, and she could hear his panting grow louder as his movements became more urgent. Knowing he was at the edge, Alexandria eased herself flat onto her stomach while he continued to thrust. “Ooohhh, Ali,” he called out as he exploded inside her, slowly releasing a pleasure-filled moan.

They lay, exhausted and satisfied, wrapped in each other's arms, resting for a moment before they began their next ride.

Chapter 30

A
llene Small remembered when her Saturday nights were busy and filled with work: getting her children's clothes washed and ironed for church the next morning, going over the Bible verses and the lesson she would teach the young children in her Sunday school class, and cooking Sunday-afternoon dinner so all she had to do was pile food onto plates when her family came home from church. But now, her Saturday evenings were filled with watching
The Lawrence Welk Show,
stargazing at the sky, and sleep, whenever it finally decided to come.

On this particular Saturday night, Allene sat on her front porch and enjoyed the unusual chill that had nipped the air. It had been scorching hot earlier today, but now it felt like early fall instead of late summer, requiring her to wrap her shawl around her shoulders as she'd done this morning. Her rocking chair slowly creaked back and forth, creating a beat in syncopation with the rhythm of her voice as she sang “Amazing Grace,” her favorite gospel hymn, which she'd been humming throughout the night
.
She paused for a moment and looked up at the bright moon hanging in the dark sky. The stars looked like diamonds sprinkled across a never-ending canvas of black space, giving the night an air of beauty and mystery.

She shook her head when she thought about the saying she had heard all her life—that it was good luck to wish upon a star. Contrary to that belief, she knew there was no such truth to the old wives' tale. And furthermore, she knew there was no such thing as luck at all. Luck was good fortune brought about by chance; and if life had taught Allene anything, it was that nothing happened by chance. That's why she was grateful that not only was she guiding John to safety, but she was guiding Alexandria, too.

Her grandson and her great-great granddaughter, who were living in different times, were caught in the same tenuous situation—having to make the right choice in matters of the heart. Allene knew how tricky love could be. It could make you soar high or bring you down low, depending upon the person you chose.

She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Alexandria was already in the safety of someone who was going to love her, accept her, and help her along her journey. “Thank you, Lord, for givin' that child courage,” she said aloud. Now her biggest worry was making sure John came out of this weekend unscathed.

“Everything is as it needs to be,”
Susan Jessup had told her decades ago when she'd come to Allene in one of her many restless dreams.
“There is no such thing as coincidence. God makes everything happen.”

Over the years, Allene had come to see the truth in the old woman's wisdom, and she'd witnessed firsthand that coincidence was simply God's way of remaining anonymous through whatever lesson was to be learned. Now, at her ripened age, Allene was comfortable standing in the sunset that had become her life; and more than ever, she was secure in her gift.

There was a time when just like Alexandria, Allene had rejected her gift of prophesy, not wanting the weight or burden that came along with being able to see and hear things that others couldn't. But after the terrifying night when the KKK burned her son and daughter-in-law's house to the ground—and they barely escaped with their lives—her entire world changed. That night demonstrated to Allene how blessed she truly was to have inherited the gift—and that her abilities could be used to help her family not only survive, but flourish. So from that point forward, she set out to hone her abilities, to trust her gut, and to listen and learn from everything that Susan Jessup taught her.

Allene's gift made her aware of many things that others couldn't begin to fathom. All human beings born into this world knew that one day they would die. But Allene could pinpoint the exact year, day, hour, and minute she'd take her last breath. She knew she had eight more years of living left in her body, which was five more than her son had left in his. Her heart ached every time she thought about having to bury her child, but she understood the cycle of life. She knew that this world was just a temporary thing, and what rested on the other side was forever.

Allene rose from her chair and went back inside the house. It was almost midnight and she was beginning to feel every one of her ninety years nipping at her bones.

“Think I'll make me a nice hot cup of tea, with some honey. That'll soothe my insides and help me sleep like a baby,” she said as she walked slowly back to her kitchen.

After she made her tea, she returned to her spot on her La-Z-Boy. She took a sip of the hot sweetness in her cup, already feeling too tired to finish the remainder of the drink. She put her hand to her mouth and whispered, “Life sure is somethin'.”

“Yes, it is, my child,” a strong voice answered back.

Allene turned her head and nearly dropped her teacup when she saw Susan Jessup standing within two feet of her recliner. She was startled and confused, not because it had been several years since Susan had last paid her a visit, but because this was the first time she could remember the woman ever coming to her during her waking hours, in the flesh, no less.

Susan always had appeared to Allene in her dreams; but now as Allene looked at her great-grandmother standing tall in the middle of her living room, breathing the same air and connecting in the same time and space, Susan Jessup appeared as real and as human as any guest walking through Allene's front door.

Susan took a few steps and eased her body down onto the soft couch next to Allene's La-Z-Boy. “We must talk.”

Allene was almost in disbelief. Everything about Susan seemed multiplied by ten. When Susan came to Allene in her dreams, she always appeared as a muffled voice inside a murky image. But experiencing her now, in real time, was very different.

The richness and fine tone of Susan's African accent beat against the air like Ashanti drums, and her crisp enunciation spoke to the fact that she'd been educated in some manner, whether formally trained or self-taught. Allene wanted to reach out and touch her, feel her smooth-looking skin, and embrace her for a long, warm hug. But the look on her great-grandmother's face told her that it wouldn't be wise to mix their worlds through physical contact.

Allene studied the woman who had visited her countless times over the past eighty-four years. She admired Susan's onyx-hued skin, deep, penetrating eyes, and noble posture—all reminiscent of her own features. Susan's thick, wiry black hair was pulled back into heavy plaits away from her slim face, giving her the appearance of a young beauty who couldn't have been older than her midtwenties. She took a seat on the couch next to Allene and smiled.

Allene sat back in her recliner, examining Susan's clothes—a plain, tan-colored dress made of densely spun cotton—and watched as the ancient ghost crossed her bare feet at the ankle, revealing long toes that looked exactly like Allene's very own. “You're young” was the first thing that came out of Allene's mouth.

“Yes, I was thirty-seven when I left this world.”

“You look in your twenties.”

“And you look in your sixties, but you are not. The gift is not the only thing that runs in our blood.” Susan smiled. “Youth is in us, too.”

The two women studied each other for a long moment before Susan continued. “I would have come a little earlier, but I wanted you to enjoy the night sky in peace.”

“You could've joined me,” Allene said. “I love gazin' up at the stars, especially when they're shinin' bright, like tonight.”

“Yes, it is breathtaking. When I was a small girl back in Ghana, I used to watch the sun smile over the African sky each morning, and the moon kiss the day good-bye each night. There was nothing more magnificent to behold. But once I came to these shores, the sun, moon, and even the sky itself felt different,” Susan said with a hint of sadness.

“Do you ever go back? I mean, can't you travel across space and time?”

“No, I have never gone back. This is my home now. This is where I will be until the end of my time.”

Allene wanted to question her. When was her time going to end? She was a ghost. Didn't they float around forever? But she knew that everything with Susan was like a slow dance; and over the years, she'd come to learn that the ancient ghost did nothing without a purpose. So she didn't probe, because she knew that once the time was right, Susan would reveal the answers to all the questions she'd wanted to know, but had never asked.

Allene leaned back in her recliner and sipped her lukewarm tea. “Isaiah and Henrietta will be comin' by in the morning to pick me up for church. You wanna come?”

“I'm sorry, but I will have to decline. I cannot stay that long.”

Allene took another sip of her tea. “I wish you could share a cup with me,” she said with a smile.

“I was never a tea drinker, but I did like coffee.”

“Oh, I like it, too. I only drink tea at night before I go to bed 'cause it helps me sleep. But every mornin', I drink a cup of coffee as soon as I get up.”

“I remember the taste. Strong and bitter like the earth, but rich like life.”

Allene nodded and looked at Susan closely. “What was your life like?”

“Full,” she said with a smile. “My life was full the day I was born, because I came into this world with a purpose. I lived my life so that you could live yours, Allene. I watched over you before you were even born. You are my greatest hope and my destiny.”

Since she was six years old, Allene had always felt a strained distance between herself and the ghost sitting in front of her. When she was a young girl, she'd been afraid of Susan and her haunting appearance, but as she grew older she'd gotten used to her. Then as she slid into the twilight of her life, she'd come to respect and revere her. And now, as she looked upon the woman who had been a part of her life for longer than anyone on this side of the earth, she felt nothing but love for her. She loved Susan Jessup with all her heart and soul.

“I love you, too, my child.” Susan nodded as she read her great-granddaughter's thoughts.

Allene smiled, but then she realized why Susan was there, and that knowledge turned her smile into a flat line. She took a deep breath and sighed. “Thank you for bein' my light,” Allene whispered, “and for lovin' me all my life.” Allene wasn't one to cry; so when the tear fell from her right eye and traveled down her cheek, she simply let it roll.

“You know why I have come to you on this night, in this form, don't you?”

Allene slowly nodded. “Yes. I believe so.”

“Then tell me.”

Allene looked at Susan with a measure of sadness. “It's time for you to go. I ain't gonna see you again. Not in this lifetime.”

Susan nodded. “Your skills are very good. Yes, my child. I must forever return to where I belong. This is my last visit in your world, in this time.”

Allene nodded, affirming what the old African had just said.

“I have been here since yesterday, watching over you, Allene.”

“So that
was
you,” Allene responded in a whisper. “The warm feelin' on my skin this mornin' and the extra-sweet smell from my magnolias this afternoon . . . that was you.”

“Yes, that was me. Just as the cold chill came to warn you about trouble that was headed for John and Alexandria, I brought you warmth and light to let you know that love is all around you. And, in turn, you guided our grandchildren to it through your words and advice.”

Allene let out a deep breath. “Thank you, Lord.”

Susan smiled again. “Yes, and just as I guided you for all these years, it is now time for you to guide our precious Alexandria. She's on the right path, and if she listens to you, and you teach her all that you've learned, her gift will become more powerful than yours and mine. She will be able to do things that even I cannot fathom.”

“Yes, I know. I can feel that child's energy. It's strong, and now that she knows what she's got, it's growin' more powerful each day.”

“Yes, you are correct, Allene. And she has an important element that makes her very special.”

“A pure heart.”

“That she does. Just like yours. And she will need you, Allene, now more than ever.”

“Because of her mama and that man,” Allene said softly, shaking her head with worry.

Susan sighed deeply. “Yes, exactly. What is brewing is a situation that I did not see coming. I thought it was laid to rest many years ago, but apparently not.”

“I guess that sleepin' dog didn't lie.”

“What?”

“It's a sayin'.” Allene chuckled. “It means the same thing you just said. What happened in the past is back again.”

“Yes, it is.”

The two women shared another quiet moment, thinking the same thoughts as they reflected on the marvelous gift they shared. Allene looked at her ghost of a great-grandmother who appeared full of life. “Even though I haven't talked to you in a few years, I sure am gonna miss you.”

“And I, you.” Susan smiled.

“Besides the good Lord above, you're the only one who's been with me in this world through all these years. Now you're gonna leave me, like everybody else who's already passed on.”

“Yes, but I'll always be with you. You will feel me, and so will Alexandria.”

“You're gonna be that warm breeze?”

“Yes, my child. Whenever you feel the warmth of the sun upon your skin, that will be me.”

Allene smiled.

“I must go now,” Susan said, her voice slowly becoming the muffled sound that Allene's ears had been trained to recognize. “I am so proud of you, Allene. Continue to watch over John, and take care of our Alexandria. Guide her well and teach her all that you know.”