Page 33 of The Dating Prohibition

Kendra’s hands gripped the headboard as she bucked against BJ, her knees spread to either side of his lap. “Yes. Yes. Fuck

yes!” she shouted as she climaxed, her back arching, thrusting her breasts into his face.

He suckled one as he squeezed her ass, palming her hips in place as he drove himself into her. He grunted and then moaned,

his hand slid between them to ensure the condom remained in place. “Damn, Kenny,” he gasped, beads of sweat collecting on

his forehead. His jaw clenched in concentration as his eyes squeezed shut. “So fucking wet.” His entire body went rigid as

he met his release, and he wrapped his arms around Kendra’s back, pulling her to his chest as they both tried to catch their

breath.

Kendra lifted her chin to drop a kiss on his lips before she climbed off him, flopping back onto the pillows next to him.

Their arms touched, heat radiating between them. Breathing hard, she turned to grin at him. “That was good.”

He nodded, his eyes closed. “That was... Yeah, no complaints.”

She laughed, playfully hitting his arm. “That’s not exactly a compliment, you know,” she joked.

“Yeah, well, I don’t want you going and getting a big head.”

“Noted,” she replied wryly.

“I’ll be right back.”

She nodded as he got up to go and dispose of the condom, bringing her back some wipes so that she could clean off. “Thank

you.”

“Want some water?”

“Yes, please.”

He strode to the living room, giving Kendra a clear view to admire his solid form. The man had muscle everywhere. The broadness

of his back was sculpted, leading to muscular arms, where every cut and sinew and vein could be seen, not in a grisly sort

of way, but in a chiseled-from-stone fashion that took her breath away. As he returned, she looked at the ridges of his stomach,

admiring the leading lines at his hips and the thick muscles of his thighs. His tattooed chest with the face of a lion in

black ink made her mouth water.

“What are you thinking?” He observed her. “You look... hungry.”

“Maybe I am,” she shrugged.

He took a gulp from the glass of water before handing it to her.

“Thank you.” She accepted it, taking a couple of sips before handing it back.

He finished the rest and left it on the nightstand before reaching toward the foot of the bed and pulling up the sheet and

duvet cover that had been kicked down as they devoured each other.

Kendra scooted down, laying the back of her head against a pillow as he climbed into bed and covered them.

“Come here, girl.” He grabbed her by the belly and pulled her close, nuzzling her neck. “I don’t know what this fragrance is that you wear, but it drives me insane.” His voice rumbled, making her shiver and her nipples tighten. “Are you gonna tell me or is it a secret?” he asked.

“It’s two fragrances that are layered together,” she giggled as he nibbled at her earlobe. “One is a fragrance that Rihanna

is rumored to wear, because who doesn’t want to smell like Rihanna? And the other one is a vanilla scent that I’ve been told

makes me smell like sugar cookies.”

He chuckled. “You do, kind of. Like a really sexy sugar cookie.”

She yelped as he nipped at her throat. “I don’t know how to take that.” She squirmed. “A sexy sugar cookie?” She raised her

brow, and he nodded into her chest as he kissed her collarbone and began to make his way down to her nipples.

Kendra’s breath hitched as he sucked on her tits, squeezing and nipping at them, she could feel her temperature rising, her

want beginning to pool between her thighs.

Just as his lips trailed down beneath her belly button, her phone rang. “Fuck,” she whined as she squinted at the screen.

“It’s Lani. I’ll be quick, I promise.”

He nodded, but he didn’t move from his position. His lips pressed against the soft flesh of her belly.

Kendra narrowed her eyes at him in a warning, to which he winked playfully in response. Please behave. She imagined him continuing his trail, making her swallow. “Hello?” she answered, holding the phone up to her ear.

“Hey, bitch, what you doin’?”

“Oh, you know, just trying to relax. I’ve been trying not to burn out on all this property research.” Her mouth dropped open

as Ben’s tongue grazed her folds, parting her before pressing against her clit. Her eyes closed, and she mouthed the word

Fuck .

His near silent chuckle blew warm against her pussy. His tongue stroked her again.

Kendra’s mouth fell open before she caught herself and cleared her throat, trying to concentrate. “Sorry, did I lose my train

of thought? I’m just trying to relax today.”

“Okay...” Lani replied, a question mark in her voice. “Are you sure you’re okay? You sound kind of weird.”

Kendra’s eyes were closed, her hips moving against BJ’s mouth. “Mmm-hmm, I’m fine. I’m just not really in the mood to do anything

today.”

“Are you sure? Shonda and I were gonna go to the nail salon. I know you said you wanted to get a pedicure.”

“Yeah, I need to, but I can’t today. But I’ll probably hit y’all up later or I’ll see you at the restaurant tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah. You sure you don’t want me to check on you later?” Her suspicious tone was enough for Kendra to refocus. The last thing

she wanted was for Lani to come looking for her and freak out after finding she wasn’t home.

Kendra palmed BJ’s forehead so that she could respond without being distracted. He stopped for the briefest moment, his warm

breath making her throb. “I promise I’m fine. I just want to have some me time and do a little housecleaning. I need to deal

with some paperwork too, but I also really want to take a nap.”

“I hear that. Today is the perfect day for some rest and a good book.”

“Yeah, exactly. But I want y’all to enjoy the nail shop.”

“Oh, we will. I’m planning to pay for extra massage time. That man who did my feet last time got in my arches so good, I was

ready to propose to him on the spot. You know they serve champagne at this location too.”

Kendra giggled and clapped a hand over BJ’s mouth. He looked ready to snatch the phone from her so that he could have her

undivided attention. “Yes, I recall,” she laughed.

“Alright, well. Don’t take a day off just to be busy at home,” Lani warned.

“I promise I’m gonna rest.” She let go of BJ’s face, watching as he kissed her inner thigh. “You know, just going full self-care.”

“Okay, cousin, good. You deserve. I love you.”

“I love you too.” The last word was drawn out due to surprise contact from BJ.

“Okay, bye.” The phone beeped to indicate that Lani hung up.

“Bye!” Kendra called, dropping the phone as BJ devoured her, lifting her legs over his shoulders. She gasped as his lips circled

her clit, her eyes rolling back until colors danced behind her eyelids.

He didn’t seem to care when her thighs closed around his ears, her entire body shaking from release. He let her ride it out

on his tongue before trailing his mouth back up her body and kissing her deeply then collapsing by her side. “I just needed

another taste,” he explained.

Kendra exhaled deeply, nodding, her thoughts a muddled frenzy. “I can’t think of words.”

He turned her onto her side, making her little spoon as he pressed against her, holding her hand and rubbing the tip of his

nose gently over her neck.

Contentedly, she snuggled into him pressing her face against the pillow. “I could get used to this,” she whispered.

His breath evened and he fell asleep without responding.

Kendra sighed. Against her will, her mind wandered back to her brother’s warning. He’s not ready for anything serious. What if he doesn’t want to get used to this? Her eyes flew open and she stared at the wall, his breathing brushed against the back of her neck in gentle gusts. Minutes

passed before the rhythm of his breathing soothed her enough to drift off.

Kendra jolted awake from a deep sleep. She turned to look behind her and BJ’s side of the bed was vacant.

She reached for her phone and saw he’d sent her a text message that they needed him at the restaurant, but she was welcome to stay and rest at his place.

She leaned against the pillows, taking a deep breath.

As she read his message again, her phone rang and her favorite aunt’s face illuminated the screen.

“Hey, Auntie Mack, how are you?”

“I’m good, sweetheart. How are you doing?”

“I’m hangin’ in there.”

“Well, I don’t want to beat around the bush. I called to tell you that I received some information about a location here in

Charleston that I think you might be interested in.”

Kendra’s brows shot up. “Oh, really?”

“Yes, I have a feeling you’re really going to love it, and I think it falls within your price point, though, of course, you

can still let me know if you need any assistance. It’s got the kind of space you described in the main room, and there’s a

room in the back that could serve for your supper club. The kitchen is a great size, and there’s even a little hidden space

that you could use for an office.”

“Wow! Do you have any specs that you can email me?”

“I asked the owner for them and she’s going to give me some more information this coming week. She’s not in a rush and the

property isn’t listed yet, but she has some feelings about what she hopes the new owner will do or not do with the property.

It’s been a family business for a really long time and so she’s just nervous about letting it go, but she and her husband

are retiring and looking to move closer to her grandkids, so she won’t be here much longer—probably just a couple more months.”

“Okay, well, yeah, I would definitely want to consider it and maybe try to get down there to visit and see it.”

“You know you’re always welcome here. If you come down, I would love to see you and spend some time with you.”

“Okay.” Her mind reeled with questions. “Do you happen to know, is it in a historical building?”

“It is. I don’t know the full history of it, but I’m sure she could explain it when you come down.”

“That’s wonderful. It’s definitely something that I’m hoping for and if I do come down, I might actually bring Ben along with

me.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. “Your brother’s friend BJ?”

“Yeah, you know, he’s a professor in historic preservation and he’s currently on sabbatical doing some research on different

historical building sites. This kind of location might actually be right up his alley and help him with what he’s trying to

get published next.”

“Uh-huh.” Auntie Mack emphasized each syllable. “Yes, bring him. The more, the merrier.”

“Thank you, Auntie Mack. I really appreciate you letting me know about this.”

“Of course, my darling. I will let you go now. I have some friends that I’m meeting up with for some... spirited conversation.”

Kendra could hear the smile in her aunt’s voice. “By ‘spirited conversation,’ are you saying you and your girlfriends are

going drinking, Auntie Mack?”

“Something like that,” she chuckled. “Stay out of grown folks’ business.”

“Okay, well, have fun and be safe, please.”

“I will, my darling. I love you.”

“I love you too. Bye-bye.” Kendra disconnected the call, and within seconds her phone rang again. Shonda.

“Hey, girl! How was the nail salon?” Kendra’s voice climbed an octave higher than she intended.

“Good! How are you doing? Did you take your nap?”

“I did. I actually just woke up and had a phone call with Auntie Mack.”

“Oh, how’s she doing?”

“Good. She was telling me about a property coming available down there in Charleston.”

“You’re not actually going to leave us, are you?” Shonda’s voice became serious.

“I don’t necessarily want to leave, but if leaving means I can realize my dream, then that’s something I have to investigate.”

“I understand, but you just got back.”

“I know, and I love it here, but I’m not opposed to something new. Anyway, what’s going on? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to call to get an update. Are you letting go of those other pursuits?” Shonda’s tone became hopeful.

“What are you talking about?”

“When we last talked, weren’t you kind of thinking that there might be something between you and BJ?”

Kendra bit her lip, her mind racing to determine the right way to respond, knowing Shonda’s misgivings about BJ. Kendra didn’t

want her sister-in-law to feel a way if she did pursue something with BJ. She hadn’t asked BJ about that interaction but figured

she could probably get some clarifying information that would help Shonda get past her feelings eventually. Until then, it

was probably best to keep her in the dark.

“Listen,” Shonda said, when Kendra didn’t respond. “I am assuming that, you know, since we haven’t heard anything else, y’all

aren’t doing anything about your little flirtation, and you’ve let it go, but I still feel the way that I feel,” Shonda said.

“And it’s purely out of wanting to protect you, you know?”

“No, I know you do, and I respect it. I appreciate you for looking out for me—just like Logan and Lani. I know y’all are protecting me but I’m fine. Nothing’s going on,” she lied.

“Okay, if you want, come on upstairs and you can join us for dinner tonight. Your parents are busy, so it’s just a quiet meal.

Nothing elaborate.”

“Okay, yeah. I’m at a friend’s right now. I fell asleep over here after we were chatting about business stuff, so I’ll be

on my way back there soon.” Guilt ate away at Kendra. She could hear the wheels in Shonda’s brain moving. I hate that I’m lying right now.

“Right, well, food won’t be ready until about five, so you’ve got some time.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you soon.” After they hung up, Kendra huffed and fell back against the headboard. “I’m gonna have to keep

track of all these lies... What the hell? I don’t even want to lie.” She spoke aloud to herself. “What does this man want?”

Am I going to have to lie forever?