The Game of Seduction (Arrington Family Series) (2 page)

“You’re next, playboy,” she said in her usual upbeat, bubbly voice.

“Playboy? You think I’m a playboy?” He didn’t know why all of a sudden he was offended by her comment. She called him that all of the time, and he always gave her some witty, smart-aleck answer such as “and you know this” or “til the day I die.”  

The men and Raven laughed while Bria smiled and shook her head.

“Boy, please.” She walked toward him with the rose bud. She took the champagne glass from him, took a sip, and then handed it back to him. “The whole world knows you’re a playboy. Now, let me put the final finish to your attire so you can take pictures. The photographer is done with Shelbi and the bridesmaids.”

Rasheed’s pet peeve was women drinking from his glass; however, he thought it was cute when Bria did it. He finished the rest of the champagne and set the glass on the table.

“I’m going to go ahead and take Justin down to the chapel now that Shelbi is back in her dressing area,” Raven said. “The pastor mentioned wanting to see him.”

“Cool. I wanted to ask him a question about the vows I’ve written.” Justin headed toward the door with Raven.

“I’ll go with you,” Derek said. “I want to get a glimpse of those twins again.”

Rasheed looked passed Bria and straight to Derek. “Hey, I got first dibs on the twins,” he yelled as the door closed.

“Humph. And you say you aren’t a playboy,” Bria said with a whispered laugh.

Rasheed looked down at her while she struggled to pin the flower to his lapel. She was on her tippy toes despite the fact that her heels had given her a few extra inches of height. A sweet, soft scent of jasmine and gardenia radiated from her and filled his senses with her aura.

“You smell and look beautiful,” he said in a deep voice that he normally wouldn’t use with her. “I’m not used to seeing you all glammed up.”

Almond-shaped, coffee-colored eyes glanced up at his face, and her lips parted slightly before she sighed and continued to straighten the flower.

“This thing won’t stay still!” she expressed in a flustered tone. She unpinned it and tried again.

Rasheed wasn’t sure what had ruffled her feathers. Bria was always laid back and nothing got on her nerves—except the task of pinning a rosebud to his lapel. When he had first met her, he’d flirted hard.
Real hard.
However, she nipped that in the bud fast. She’d threatened to throw him over the banister of Justin’s restaurant and then proceeded to tell him she wasn’t some floozy or groupie. After that, he had nothing but respect for her, and they’d hung out ever since. Bria had become one of the boys to him thanks to her athletic ability, her love of sports, and cool attitude. He still checked her out from time to time, especially in the little shorts she wore when playing basketball. But he never flirted and even asked for advice about whatever girl-of-the-week he was seeing.

“Having problems, Bree?” he asked, using the nickname he’d given her and concentrating to stay composed. He tried to remember this was his friend, his homegirl. She stood in front of him so close he could see the pulse at the base of her neck beat faster than usual. He pushed his hands in the pockets of his trousers to resist the urge to glide them down her neck, her arms, back, hips—especially the hips—and then end up on her plump little derriere as he imagined picking her up and kissing her already parted, sexy lips.

“I … I almost got it,” she said with a relieved smile. She stuck the pin through the lapel and back out to firmly connect the boutonnière. “Ouch!” She pulled her finger back and waved it in the air.

Rasheed took her finger in his hand and lightly kissed it. Before he had time to think about what he was doing, he sucked the pricked finger into his mouth as his eyes met hers in an intense stare. The rise in his silk boxers strained against his pants as his lips touched her skin. He knew he needed to stop this charade, but her finger was literally finger-licking good, and he wanted more—much more.

“Better?” he whispered in a seductive tone as he caressed her other fingers with his lips and brushed a wisp of hair out of her face.

“Hmm … um …” she stuttered, and her eyes shut as more untamed purrs trailed from her throat.

The aroused music which escaped her was answer enough for him. With little effort, he moved her hands around his neck and drew her petite body hard against his. He bent his head to her quivering lips to imprison them with a seductive kiss. He kissed her deep, relishing in her essence as his tongue wound its way around hers in a slow, sensual dance. Her body arched against his, and more soft moans rose from her. He dipped his tongue inside her mouth even further as she continued to reach for it with her own. Her soft hands slid over his bald head, down to his neck and gripped his shoulders which stirred fervor in him.

“You taste so damn good, Bree,” he groaned.

Rasheed had known all along if he ever had the chance to kiss her, she would be delectable. Now he knew what the closest thing to heaven was, and a moan trembled from him. He moved his lips to her smooth neck which released a rumble from her throat. He kissed her with a tenderness that surprised him, but Bria was a delicate piece of art, and he wanted to treat her as such. He nibbled the hollow area near her collarbone and ran his hands down her backside until they rested on her plump little butt. He was trying his best to not unzip his pants and lift her leg around his torso …

Bria jerked away from him with a gasp and a wide, bewildered gaze. She placed her hand over her mouth as if it were burning.

They stared at each other for a moment before she broke the silence. “We need to go,” she said in a stern voice he wasn’t used to hearing. Usually it was a sweet musical sound, but now it was laced with disapproval and regret.

Coming down from cloud nine, he straightened his tux and looked down at her. Her eyes were wild, lipstick smeared on her full lips, and her breasts rose up and down tempting him to grab her again. He continued to be mesmerized by her hard breathing because one, he caused it, and two, her breasts had never looked so damn perky before. He cocked his head to the side when he realized her nipples poked through the material as if they wanted to break free. How could he have forgotten to touch, kiss, lick, pull, and nibble on her two luscious peaches?
Damn. I’m slipping.

He stepped forward. “Bria, are you all right?” He reached for her to offer comfort.

She turned from him and headed towards the vanity area. He placed his hands back in his pockets where they should have stayed in the first place. That’s when he realized the monster in his boxers was hard as a rock. He pulled down his tux jacket, but that still didn’t hide it.

“I’m fine, but that can’t happen again.” She blotted the red lipstick with a Kleenex. “We’re friends, and friends don’t get all hot and bothered for each other.”

“So, you’re all hot and bothered over me?” he teased, trying to make her smile, but the sternness on her face hadn’t cracked.

“Rasheed, this isn’t a joking matter!”

“You’re right, Bree. I don’t know what came over me.” And the truth was he honestly didn’t know what had come over him. He couldn’t believe the aggressive way he had acted with her.

She headed toward the door avoiding eye contact with him. “Let’s just forget this happened. The photographer is ready for the men in the wedding party. You’re going to be late, and I don’t want Shelbi upset. It’s her day today.” She opened the door and closed it, leaving him in the room alone.

As much as he loved a passionate kiss with a sexy woman, Rasheed never thought kissing Bria would set his mind into overdrive. Sure, he’d been attracted to her since they’d met. He’d been drawn to her kissable dimples which displayed when she flashed her inviting smile, and he’d had the urge to place kisses in their deep crevices. He loved her funny little laugh, her thoughtfulness, and her nonchalant attitude. She was an all around cool woman. She was his best friend, his girl. He could depend on her to keep him in check and stay focused. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. She was visibly shaken when she left, but of course his kisses always did that to any woman. No surprise there.

Rasheed checked himself in the mirror one more time, wiped Bria’s lipstick from his lips with his handkerchief, and stuffed it neatly back into his pocket. As he opened the door, he realized he was shaken as well, but he wasn’t going to let it show. After all, he was Rasheed Vincent, player
extraordinaire on and off the court. Sure, Bria was beautiful, intelligent, and sexy, but he wasn’t going to let a woman steal his heart again.

Chapter Two

Bria stood next to her baby sister while she exchanged vows with her soul mate. She hoped the anxiety rushing through her veins didn’t show. Instead, she tried to stay focused on what the preacher was saying about the sanctity of marriage. If her eyes wavered even one iota to the left, they would be on the best man, who had kissed her senseless and exposed a truth she had tried to suppress since they’d met. She glanced his way, and their eyes locked.

Her moist hands gripped her bouquet, and she prayed that the wedding band on her finger wouldn’t be wet when she handed it to Shelbi.

But that wasn’t the real reason of her discontent at the moment. It was Rasheed Vincent, whose intoxicating eyes were burning a hole through her skull. He wore a charismatic, cocky smile surrounded by his perfectly trimmed mustache and goatee. He stood bold and commanding in his tuxedo which fit his athletic build in a downright sexy manner. Women lusted after the six-foot-six, chocolate Adonis as if he were a real piece of Godiva chocolate. She had never swooned before, but the intense way he ran his eyes over her as if she was naked, would be the first time if she didn’t get a grip.

They’d been friends for the past few months, but for some reason she felt—no, knew—their relationship had changed. The second he placed his tongue on her fingertips and then her lips, sent her to a place of oblivion. She had secretly wondered what it would be like to be kissed, held, and caressed by Rasheed and now she knew. Now she wanted his lips to explore her entire body, leaving no spot untouched. The thought sent a warm sensation through her veins, and she tried to turn off her thoughts of him by glancing at her parents in the front row. Her dad was patting her mother’s hand as happy tears flowed down her cheeks. Bria wanted a long-lasting relationship like her parents, but after her ex broke her heart two years ago, it seemed almost unattainable. And now she was somewhat infatuated with Rasheed, but he would be the last person she would even consider being in a long-term relationship with because he didn’t want one. He was a self-proclaimed playboy and bachelor and wanted to keep it that way.

Bria had followed him throughout his successful basketball career until the day it ended. She had read about him on gossip blogs with supermodels, wannabe models, video vixens, actresses, socialites, and heiresses and had seen him on numerous commercials. Meeting him in person had been the icing on the cake, but she would never tell him that. It would go straight to his arrogant, bald head.

During the past few months it had been difficult to resist the desire that swept her body like a windstorm whenever he was near. The urge to straddle him when he sat comfortably on her couch watching the game, chugging beers and getting mad when his team didn’t score, kept her up at night. Watching the intensity in him when he was frustrated with his team made her wonder how his face would look if they made love.

When he had kissed her earlier, she’d fought off the desire to jump up on him and wrap her legs around his waist. One thing that stopped her was that her dress would wrinkle, and Shelbi would have a fit. Second, Rasheed was the president of the playa players association. He wasn’t interested in ever settling down or even being in a monogamous relationship ever again.

Their friendship meant a lot to her, and she didn’t want to ruin it with passionate French kisses before her sister’s wedding. No. She and Rasheed would just have to look pass their mistake and make believe it never happened.

The wedding had gone off without a hitch, and they were an hour and a half into the reception. Bria cleared her fuzzy head with a cool glass of refreshing champagne as she sat at a round table with Raven and their twin cousins who had been bridesmaids. Megan and Sydney Chase were stunning identical twins which had the groomsmen drooling over themselves.

Bria had just returned from the lobby area returning a few phone calls to patients and to a few guests who couldn’t make the wedding and were running late to the reception. She had missed about thirty minutes of the reception including the cutting of the cake and the garter toss. However, she was trying to avoid being in the same room with Rasheed until she could get her thoughts together.

Zaria Richardson, the wedding coordinator and cousin to the groom, announced the bride would toss the bouquet in a few moments.

Bria stood and patted Raven’s shoulder. The twins stood and waited.

“Come on, girl. All the single ladies need to report to the dance floor like Zaria said.”

Raven looked taken aback. Right away, Bria regretted the words. Raven had been a widow for a little over a year. Her deceased husband had been a police officer who’d been killed in the line of duty three months after they’d been married, and she still grieved his death.

Bria took a deep breath and placed a hand on her sister’s shoulders.

“I’m so sorry, big sis. I wasn’t thinking.”

Raven smiled her usual it’s-ok-smile that she’d used since her husband had passed.

“No problem.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m single, I suppose. How about I catch the bouquet at
your
wedding? Besides, you know Shelbi is going to aim it at you.”

“Chile, please. Getting married is the last thing on my mind.”

Bria couldn’t help but glance at Rasheed as he leaned against the bar not noticing all of the female attention directed his way. But he was immune to it because it was a natural part of his everyday life.