Soul Mates Read online

  “Yeah, well, just don’t you go dropping any hats around him, Nae!”

  Erinae eye’s gleamed with satisfaction. “Feeling a little territorial, are we?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “But just until Monday.”

  “And then?”

  “Any then we go our separate ways.”

  “Lee—”

  She shook her head. “Don’t look so worried, Nae. We had a great day and I’m not in the mood to think past tonight.”

  “What’s happening tonight?”

  “We’re having dinner. You want to come with?”

  “Not on your life!” Erinae crossed the room and kissed her cheek. “Just this once, let your hair down, and go buck wild, Lee.”

  “How can I when he doesn’t remember me?”

  “You remember him. That’s enough for now, hon.”

  But she had several lifetimes of misery weighing her down. Now wasn’t nearly enough. Nothing less than eternity with him would suffice to atone for all the heartache she’d endured.

  “Have a few drinks over dinner so that later you’ll be in a better mood to slip off your panties and let him fuck you raw all night long.”

  Carlee’s stomach muscles clenched. “Nae—”

  “Raw—all night long, Lee.”

  * * * * *

  “After last night, I’ll bet you’re glad you decided to come after all, aren’t you?”

  Trey finished knotting his tie before he turned to look at Mick who lounged on the bed behind him. “What do you mean?”

  “You spent the night with her. Didn’t you? What’s her name?”

  “Her name is Carlee and unfortunately we didn’t spend the night together.”

  “No? Why not?”

  “What do you mean why not?”

  “Ah. I see. Got your nookie and slept in your own bed, huh?” He nodded approvingly. “It’s about time you got back in the saddle.”

  Mick’s assumption that Carlee slept around annoyed the hell out of him. “I didn’t sleep with her.”

  Mick arched a brow. “You mean she played hard to get after running down the stairs and throwing herself in your arms in front of the whole damned place?”

  He frowned. “You know, Mick, you don’t really have any room to talk and I’d appreciate it if you kept your nose out of my business.”

  Mick’s eyes widened. “What’s up, Trey?”

  “Nothing’s up.”

  “The hell something isn’t up, Trey. What is it?”

  “Just mind your own business and stop assuming every woman is like the floozies who sleep around with you.”

  “What the hell! I don’t sleep around anymore than you do.”

  Mick’s marriage had quickly fallen apart after his young daughter’s death in a car accident. Since then Trey suspected Mick had been celibate. Trey sighed, nodding. “I know. Forget I said that. I’m just a little on edge.”

  “Apparently so. She really got under your skin, huh?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “What’s your point?”

  “And let’s not forget that you have more than a few floozies of your own waiting back home, Trey.”

  “There’s no one special.”

  Mick whistled softly. “She has got under your skin. And what would you call Paulette?”

  “I’m sure she’d object to being called a floozy and she and I are in no way committed to each other.”

  “No? Does she know that?”

  “Yes, she does. She understands that I have no particular interest in her.”

  “Does she really? I hope so for your sake and the sake of your dark beauty.”

  Trey tightened his lips. “My dark beauty? You know Mick, your life would run a lot smoother if you admitted you find black women fascinating and go date a woman you could really go for instead of the endless succession of skinny blondes you try to convince everyone you prefer.”

  Mick’s eyes narrowed. “I can handle my own love life, Trey.”

  “So can I. So let’s just both drop the subject before one of us gets knocked on his ass. Okay?”

  Mick nodded slowly. “That sounds like a good idea, but you know I didn’t mean anything racial or negative by that remark.”

  “Of course I do, Mick.” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s accurate. She’s black and she is beautiful.”

  “Are you spending the evening with her?”

  Trey nodded, turning back to frown at his reflection. Maybe it was time he did something with his hair. He was too damn young to walk around with a head full of gray hair. “How do I look?”

  “How do you look? Are you serious?”

  He nodded. “Of course I am.”

  “Damn, Trey. You’ve fallen for her like a ton of bricks.”

  “She’s very special.”

  Mick crossed the room and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You know that after one meeting?”

  He met Mick’s gaze in the mirror. “Yes. So I don’t want to hear any crude remarks about her.”

  Mick held up his hands, palms out. “You won’t.”

  “Okay. So how do I look?”

  “Like a man very happily possessed.”

  He shrugged. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”

  Mick laughed and clashed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll see you sometime tomorrow, Trey.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see.”

  * * * * *

  Trey arrived twenty minutes early to pick her up.

  Despite his protests, she made him wait outside while she slipped on her dress and put on her make-up.

  He let out a wolf whistle when she finally let him in.

  “Damn, you are one pretty lady.”

  Smiling, she placed her hand on his chest and stretched up to kiss his cheek. “And you are one handsome hunk.”

  He slipped an arm around her waist. “You want to blow off dinner and do something about that?”

  “Nope.” She danced out of his arms. “Not a chance.”

  “Damn. Then we’d better go before you tempt me beyond my endurance.”

  She nodded and slipped her arm through his. “I’m in the mood to be wined and dined. So let’s go.”

  They had dinner at one of the many secluded romantic enclaves for couples at the lodge complex. Whenever he could, he held her hand and listened attentively to everything she said. She admonished herself not to fall for him, but when he looked at her as if she were the only woman in the world, commonsense fled.

  After a meal she barely touched, they walked hand in hand to the lounge to dance.

  When she turned to him, he drew her close, resting his warm palms against her bare upper back. With his lips against her ear, he whispered that she was sweet, beautiful, and totally seductive. “And mine,” he added.

  His. She had waited so long to have him reclaim her. He spoke all the right words and inflamed her deepest passions. Yet he didn’t remember. Rather than being special to him, as he was to her, she was just someone he hoped would be an easy lay.

  “You belong to me,” he murmured, tipped up her chin, and pressed a long, warm kiss against her mouth. Longing to wrap her arms around his neck and shamelessly rub her breasts against his chest, she trembled. She contented herself with parting her lips and returning the pressure of his mouth.

  Although she ached for him, she wasn’t going to be an easy lay. If he wanted meaningless sex, he’d have to look elsewhere.

  Each slow dance tested her resolve. After their fourth dance, she inhaled quickly and pressed her hands against his chest. “It’s been a long day, Trey.”

  “And?”

  “And I’m going to bed.”

  “Good idea. I’ll come with you.”

  She lifted her head to look up at him. “No. You won’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m not interested in what you’re offering.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think I can change your mind.”

&n
bsp; She shoved against his shoulders. “Don’t. Please.”

  He released her. “Fine. Let’s call it a night.”

  They walked to her room in silence. She expected him to ask her to spend the night with him. Instead, at her door, he cupped her face between his palms and kissed her lips.

  His kiss this time was deep and lingering. It stirred her passions and made her long for the ultimate embrace with him. By the time he lifted his head, her panties were damp and her pounding heart made breathing difficult.

  “What time are we having breakfast tomorrow?” he asked.

  She brushed the back of her hand across her mouth. “I don’t eat breakfast,” she reminded him, not quite meeting his gaze.

  He turned her head until he could look directly into her eyes. “Fine. What time are you watching me eat breakfast tomorrow?”

  “I think I’ll sleep late and—”

  He pressed a thumb against her lips. “You’re not sleeping late—unless you want me to join you in bed.”

  “Trey—”

  “What time?”

  She sighed. “Nine-ish?”

  He shook his head. “That’s too long to wait to see you again. How about eight?”

  She smiled, pleased by his eagerness. “Okay.”

  He kissed her lips lightly. “Good night, sweetheart.”

  She caressed his cheek. “Good night, Trey.”

  * * * * *

  In her room, Carlee undressed and went to bed, although she suspected thoughts of Trey would keep her awake most of the night. After lying sleepless for an hour, she got out of bed. Maybe a long soak in the heart shaped Jacuzzi tub for two would get her drowsy enough to sleep.

  As she walked towards the bathroom, the phone rang. Startled, she glanced at the bedside clock. Twelve-thirty. It must be Erinae. She hurried across the room to snatch up the phone.

  “Nae, what is it? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Trey, honey.”

  The breath caught in her throat and she sank onto the side of the bed. “Trey! What’s wrong?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Okay. Tomorrow—”

  “We need to talk now.”

  “Now? What’s wrong?”

  “This separate bed thing isn’t working for me.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve had enough of it.”

  “But according to you, we’ve only known each other one day.”

  “Maybe so, but I feel like I’ve been aching to make love to you all my life.”

  She shared the feeling but decided admitting it probably wouldn’t be wise. “We can discuss it tomorrow, Trey—”

  “Tomorrow hell. Put on your sexiest teddy or strip naked.”

  She shook her head. “No, Trey—”

  “I need you honey and I’m on my way.”

  “No, Trey, I’m not going to—”

  “I’ll be there in half an hour. I expect to be let in.”

  “Or?”

  “What’s the point in wasting time discussing pointless what ifs? You’re going to let me in, Carlee.”

  She put the receiver on its cradle, her legs trembling. He expected to be let in, did he? What if she didn’t want to be an easy lay for him? What about what she expected, wanted, or needed?

  She rose and walked over to the full-length mirror on the back of the closet doors. The sheer, black negligee she wore ended mid-thigh and cupped the undersides of her breasts, while showcasing her rather wide areoles. There would be no part of her body that would not be on full display when he arrived if she didn’t cover the revealing negligee.

  Carlee studied her reflection. Bare of make-up, her face looked plain, her eyes huge and filled with a mixture of fear and excitement. She resembled a frightened teenager about to surrender her virginity to prove her love. Telling herself she had nothing to prove didn’t help. She could almost see her heart thumping at the thought of spending the night with Trey.

  On the plantation she had spent many nights longing for him. After she’d been sold, she had bitterly regretted that she hadn’t given herself to him.

  She tensed when a quiet tap sounded on her room door. “Yes?”

  “Sweetheart, it’s Trey.”

  Oh, God! Her courage deserting her, she snatched up the sweats she’d worn earlier and pulled them on over her negligee. She wet her lips and crossed the room to the door. Taking several deep breaths, she slowly opened it.

  He handed her a dozen purple roses and a small lavender teddy bear. “Hi, sweetheart.”

  He hadn’t changed. In the old days, he’d rarely come to her without some small trinket or present. “Oh, Trey! They’re purple! I love purple.”

  He smiled. “Yes, I know. You didn’t think I’d forget did you? Do you remember the time we—”

  He broke off and they stared at each other in silence for several moments.

  Her heart raced. He remembered. “Trey…”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know what I was going to say.”

  But she suspected she did. He was beginning to remember. She smiled and took the flowers and the bear, suddenly feeling better about what was about to happen between them. “Thank you!” She placed them on the table near the door. “Where did you get them in the middle of the night?”

  “This is a lover’s resort. The gift shop is manned twenty-four hours. Do you like them?”

  “Of course I do, but then you knew I would.”

  “Then come give me some love, honey.”

  She walked into his arms.

  He embraced her. “Why are you trembling? You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

  She pressed her hands against his shoulders. “No, but I don’t sleep around.”

  He rubbed his cheek against hers. “I’m sure you don’t.” He tipped up her chin and kissed her lips. “But we are going to spend the night together.”

  She generally had little patience or time for so-called Alpha males who expected to always have their way with women. Trey’s Alpha behavior should have dampened her desire. Instead, everything about him excited her sexual passions while deepening her emotional hunger for him. Her level of need made thought difficult, but she struggled to retain some semblance of commonsense.

  Torn by conflicting emotions, she shook her head and drew out of his arms. “Not so fast, Trey.”

  “I want you and I want you now, Carlee.”

  “You think the issues between us can be so easily resolved?”

  “Yes, actually I do.”

  “They really can’t be, Trey.”

  “Why not?”

  “Do you know what I’ve been through? What I endured waiting for you? There was a time when I really wanted and needed you. I didn’t just want you physically, but I needed to be rescued.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that but honestly, honey, right now it’s the present that has my attention. So let’s talk about now.” He took her hand in his, kissed it, and held it against his chest. “I’m here now, sweetheart,” he spoke softly.

  She lifted her chin. “Now is too late, Trey. I don’t need you to come to my rescue now. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself without depending on a man who doesn’t keep his promise to protect and rescue me.”

  “Carlee, please. Not now.”

  She yanked at her hand, but he only tightened his grip. “I know you say you don’t believe in reincarnation, but I do and we’ve both lived before. And you let me down when I needed you most. I don’t need you now, Trey.”

  His lips tightened and his eyes narrowed. “Maybe not, but you still want me and I want you. What are you going to do about that here and now?”

  She stared up into his ice-blue eyes and saw her own, unfilled desire reflected in his gaze. She had waited several lifetimes for this man. Although she no longer needed his physical protection, her need for physical intimacy with him had not abated one iota.

  She would never give her heart and soul to him again. But her body cried out for the satisfaction it had be
en denied for so long. With every breath she took, she wanted him. Standing gazing into his eyes, she knew she had to surrender to him. She would retain full control of her heart, but for the next two nights, her body would be his.

  When she tried to draw away from him again, he made no move to stop her. She moistened her lips, took a deep breath, and locking her gaze with his, she slowly removed the sweats.

  She allowed him to gaze in appreciation at her body in the sheer negligee for several long moments before she slowly danced around him, one hand under the negligee on her pussy. It ached and throbbed for him. She rubbed her fingers over her clit as she swayed from side to side. Although she had never danced erotically, doing so for him felt natural.

  She kept her eyes locked with his, drinking in his reaction.

  Tiny lights seemed to burn in the depths of his blue gaze, signaling his rising passions. He wore sweats and when she glanced down, she saw the swelling along one side of his leg. Feeling heat and passion consume her, she surrendered to a wanton urge she had always resisted.

  Shivers of pleasure danced along her spine as she considered what was about to happen between them. Soon the cock slowly hardening against his leg would be between hers and deep in her quivering, aching body. Oh, lord, but she wanted him!

  Smiling, she turned her back to him. Looking over her left shoulder, she lifted the negligee, revealing her bare behind. Feeling sexy and uninhibited she bent forward and rotated her hips suggestively. “Do you like what you see?”

  “Yes.” His breathing quickening, he slipped a hand into his sweat pants to cup a hand over his cock.

  She generally found men who touched their genitals in her presence annoying. Watching him palming his cock turned her on. She wet her lips and rubbed her clit as she continued rotating and moving her hips from side to side.

  But it didn’t suit her to have him too hard too fast. She walked over to him and tugged at the hand in his sweats. After a moment of resistance, he allowed her to pull his hand free of his pants. Looking into his eyes, she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.

  Smiling seductively at him, she sucked at each of his fingers while undulating her body.

  He sucked in his breath and cupped his free hand over her breasts. “Oh, sweet. I need you.”