Page 36 of Taming a Menace

Fifteen

I yla

The nerves that cloaked me for the first hour of our drive seemed to evaporate the further we got away from home.

I wanted to use the road trip as a way to truly gauge my feelings for Keywan.

He was handsome of course, and as I already knew he was amazing in bed.

That didn’t mean he was worth blowing up my life over.

Over the past few weeks, I had come to know how sweet and charming Keywan could be. He made me smile even when I was trying to deny my attraction to him. He easily saw through my disinterested act and kept pushing for me to own up to my desires.

Keywan wanted me to give in to my wants without worrying about the consequences that might follow. It was easy for him to say that because he wasn’t the one breaking the law. It felt silly to even consider dating someone who I was seeing as a client.

The old me would have never looked his way no matter how fine and charismatic he was. The old me would have sent him packing the first day he stepped in my office. This version of me was tired of playing it safe and still getting played.

I wanted something tangible and intense.

I didn’t want safety or security. I thought I had that with Wyatt and look how that turned out.

I wanted real, passionate love. I wanted Keywan.

Fuck the rules. I wanted him, and I wanted to want him.

As we got closer to our destination, my excitement grew.

It had been too long since I’d gone to the beach.

“This is going to be fun,” I said, breaking the comfortable silence.

“You’re getting excited, huh?”

“Yes. Thank you for bringing me. I know you have to work, but I’ll try to help make this fun for you too.”

“You don’t have to worry about me. I love to cook. Plus, having you with me is the only thing I need.”

“You always know what to say,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully.

He chuckled. “It’s true, Iyla.”

I sat up in my seat to get a better view as the GPS guided us to our destination. Everything was so chill and serene. I could see myself living near the beach as long as it wasn’t some big tourist attraction. I wanted to live around locals with few distractions.

Navigation took us to a big, light blue house.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway, I could see the beach.

When Key put his truck in park, I jumped out and made a run for it.

I didn’t go far, just far enough to verify that we were staying on the beach.

I could hear Keywan laughing from behind me before I turned to look at him.

His smile was big and comforting. Every day I grew more attracted to him.

“Damn, I should have brought you to the beach sooner,” he said, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer.

I smiled up at him, taking in the beauty of his dark skin and dark brown eyes as they sparkled under the afternoon sun.

“I’m so excited. I didn’t know we were staying right on the beach.”

“Yeah, I wanted to be close to my destination. She’s having the party near here.”

“This is so exciting.” I raved.

“Come on. I want to take you out there before it’s time for me to get ready for the shower,” he said, releasing his hold on me.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

“Go ahead and open the door while I get our bags. The code is 122784.”

Following his directions, I walked up the steps to the door. I hated coded doors. This one was no different. It took three tries for the lock to click and let me inside. Once I was in the house, I walked straight to the bay window that looked out over the beach. The view was beautiful.

They’d stuck to a theme in the house, making everything charming and beachy. It was decorated in shades of blue and white that drove the beach theme home. I went to check out the bedroom and found that there were two of them. We only needed one.

I didn’t ride four hours away from home with Keywan just to sleep in separate beds. Our whole purpose for coming was to explore our relationship without limits. The limits were off. After checking out both bedrooms, I chose my favorite and tossed my phone on the bed.

I walked out of the room just in time to see Key coming in rolling his trunk. I noticed that our bags were in the middle of the living room.

“That everything?” I asked him.

“Yeah. You like the house?”

“I love it. You did really good.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Thank you.”

“What?” I frowned.

“Nothing, Moon. Get changed so we can go lay on the beach.”

“We’re not laying on the beach. We’re about to build a sandcastle,” I informed him.

“I’m not playing in that dirt. I’ll watch though.”

“OK, but don’t hate on my masterpiece once I get done with it,” I said, grabbing my suitcase and rolling it to the designated room.

I put my bag on the bed and opened it. My bathing suit was on top, so I didn’t have to rifle through everything to get it out. I pulled it out and went into the bathroom to change. I didn’t want to waste any of my precious beach time. Within a few minutes, I was dressed and ready for the beach.

“I should have brought sunscreen,” I announced as I walked out of the bathroom.

A frown knitted my brows when I didn’t see any sign of Key. I left the bedroom to see where he was. It didn’t take long for me to find him because he was in the bedroom across the hall sticking his feet in a pair of slides, yet another thing I didn’t think to bring.

“What are you doing?” I asked him.

“Changing. Don’t worry about sunscreen. I brought some.”

“Oh good. I just realized I didn’t bring any shoes to wear on the beach. I can wear my sandals, but I don’t want to have to keep strapping them up.”

“We can grab you some flip flops.”

“No, we don’t have to worry about it. We’re already on the beach. I can just walk down there barefoot.”

He shrugged. “If you insist.”

“It’s fine. Where is the sunscreen?” I asked him.

“Look in the side pocket of my bag.”

I walked deeper into the room. Key’s duffel bag was on the bed. I pulled the bag closer to me before unzipping it. There was a can of sunscreen along with a couple of other toiletries stuffed in the side compartment.

“Oh you’re fancy. You got the spray kind.”

He laughed as he stood to his full height. “I just got what I saw. Let me put it on for you.”

“OK,” I said, nodding as I passed him the spray can.

“You look a little too good, Moonie. Stay close to me so niggas know where to put their eyes.”

“And where is that?” I asked as I turned my back to him and dropped my head so he could put the sunscreen on my back.

“Any fucking where else,” he said with a low chuckle.

“You should want a woman that other guys want to look at.” I jumped when he sprayed a mist on my back. His hands felt good on my skin as he rubbed it in.

“I can’t stop them from looking, but I can put a limit on it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his logic. He was ridiculous, but I already knew that.

“What’s the limit, Keywan?”

“Two seconds. If you got time to blink twice, you’ve been looking too long.”

I had to laugh. “I wish you weren’t serious.”

“I’m glad that you know I am though.”

I noticed that he sprayed the sunscreen into his hands first as he continued to move down my body, paying special attention to my ass before moving to my legs.

He nudged me until I turned to face him.

Starting at my legs, he put sunscreen on the front of my body.

It irritated me how his touch turned me on.

There was no more resisting him at this point. Once he was done, he took a step back.

“You want me to do you?”

“Hmph.” He simpered before answering the question. “I don’t need sunscreen. I’m black.”

“You literally had this in your bag,” I reminded him.

“Yeah, for people like you.”

“Whatever. Be still. I’m not about to let your black ass get sunburned out there.”

It only took a second for me to realize what a colossal mistake I’d made when I volunteered to put my hands on Keywan.

My fingers lingered over the grooves and cuts in his back as I took my time rubbing the sunscreen in.

His chiseled frame felt heavenly under my fingertips.

I could have stood there all day slathering that stuff on him and he would have let me.

He never said anything as I made sure to cover every inch of his exposed skin.

“There,” I said, finally standing.

He chuckled under his breath and slapped me on the ass.

“Come on before you get yourself into something you can’t get out of up in here.”

“Something like what?” I asked with a coy grin.

“Unless you don’t want to make it to the beach, I suggest you not try to find out.”

“Maybe you can tell me when we make it back then,” I said before leading the way out of the room.

I decided not to mention Keywan taking the second bedroom because maybe it was for the best. I didn’t wait for him to catch up as I stepped out of the back door and walked the path that led down to the beach.

Only a few feet away from the house and my toes were in the sand.

My toes sank with every step I took. Key was right on my heels as I moved closer to the water.

“I should have got buckets for the sand.”

I could hear his low chuckle before he spoke up. “You really about to play in the dirt out here, Iyla?”

“Yes, what do you mean? How else do you think I’m going to build a sandcastle?”

He laughed. “I thought you were just playing about that, lady.”

“Well I’m not, and you’re going to help me.”

“I’m not getting down in that dirt like I’m a little boy, Iyla.”

“Yes, you are. It’ll probably be good for you,” I said, turning and grabbing both of his hands.

“What are you doing?” he fussed.

“Taking you with me.”

“I don’t play, Iyla.”

“You just don’t think it’s cool. I don’t want to hear that. You have to at least try. I’m trying for you. Aren’t I? I’m all the way out here even though I’m nervous, and it’s scary. I’m trying for you. The least you can do is play.”

He shook his head. “Damn, you didn’t have to go there.”

“Yes, I did. I don’t fight fair.”