Bro-mance 101 Read online

  “Your ex was looking for any reason to break up,” Devlin continued. “That relationship was a disaster waiting to happen.”

  “No, it wasn’t,” Zhané argued. “You planted that seed in his head.”

  “How often did you two have sex?”

  She gasped. “None of your business!”

  “Must not have been much. I can tell by your response.”

  “Of course, we had sex…many times. Often.”

  Occasionally.

  Zhané tried to remember the last time she and Malik had been intimate. It was rushed, and she’d wanted him to cum quickly so she could get back to reading her reports.

  “Did you anticipate coming home to him? Seeing him at the end of a long day?”

  No, I didn’t.

  “Did he make your panties wet thinking about him?”

  No, he didn’t.

  “Did he make your toes curl? Did he stroke your body in all the right places? Did he leave you hungry for more?”

  No! No! No!

  “Okay, that’s enough,” Zhané interrupted. “This isn’t about me.” Devlin Hart had a nasty habit of interjecting self-doubt into her arguments.

  “If you’re looking for someone to blame, pull out your compact mirror,” Devlin accused.

  “You don’t know me!” she charged.

  “Yeah, but I know your type.”

  “Oh, really? You know fiercely independent women working their way to the top who don’t take shit from anyone?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Poor Malik. He didn’t stand a chance.”

  “Damn you!” She stood before him, her feet planted firmly in front of his leaning form. How dare he casually stand there with his arms folded and that holier than thou attitude? The energy in the air was like kindling, ready to be lit by a spark from either one of them at any moment. He wasn’t backing down, and neither was she. “What do you have against women?” she demanded.

  “Nothing,” he answered. “I just steer clear of the scheming ones.”

  “I think I understand now. You avoid women, and you advise other men to avoid relationships with women. You must be gay.”

  His polite smile didn’t quite reach the dark eyes that stared at her with amused interest. “I assure you I am not gay.”

  She shrugged. “Sadly, we’ll never know.”

  “Once you’ve had a taste of me, there will be no doubt in your mind.”

  Their eyes locked. She couldn’t believe she was stuck in the elevator with this jerk. His charm was riding shotgun with his arrogance. He was trying to captivate her with that disarming smile and those arresting eyes, but she wouldn’t fall prey to his manipulations. Something made this guy tick and she had nothing better to do than try to figure it out. She wanted to get under his skin the way he’d burrowed himself under hers.

  “I think you’re afraid of women,” she challenged. “That’s why you say, Don’t Get Got! How stupid is that?”

  “It makes sense when you’ve been through tough times.”

  “Bull. You’re callous and hard-hearted. I don’t think you’ve ever loved in your life. If you did, you would never advocate a man leaving the woman he loved.”

  “You’re wrong. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean they’re right for you.”

  “You hide behind your radio show telling men to do all the things you wish you could do. You’ve probably never even been in their shoes,” she accused. “You’re an imposter!”

  “Cool it, lady,” he warned.

  “What’s wrong? You don’t want anyone to find out your show is a platform of lies?”

  Devlin took a step toward her. Signs of agitation lined his face. “I told you my show is legit.”

  Zhané persisted, not caring if she offended him. He’d upset the balance of her life. If Devlin Hart wanted to dish out the straight talk, he should be able to take it in return. “I think you’re covering for your lack of knowledge. I bet you don’t even know how to pleasure a woman in bed. I bet–”

  Within seconds, Devlin closed the distance between them and forced her against the elevator wall. In a move that equally shocked and delighted her, he grabbed her by the shoulders and captured her lips in a heated kiss, the force of it nearly knocking her off her feet.

  FIVE

  Devlin thrust his tongue deep into Zhané’s mouth, probing the silky interior. Who knew this little hellion would taste so good? Like strawberries and champagne. He kissed her hard, sucking and biting her lips. Through the thin material of her dress, he fondled her nipples, greedy to taste more of her. The buds hardened beneath his hands, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to be closer, to feel her flesh against his fingertips. He tugged at the neckline of her dress. A primitive grunt reverberated in his throat when he heard the delicate material rip, exposing her smooth expanse of cleavage. It took all his willpower to drag his lips from her tempting mouth and trail kisses along the long column of her throat. The skin leading from the hollow of her throat to the luscious rise of her breasts was so soft. So sweet. A pair of ripe peaches, ready to be plucked.

  He dipped his head low and pulled one of her dark areolas into his mouth, feasting hungrily on her tender flesh. He treated the other breast to a generous hand massage as he rolled the swollen nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Zhané gasped with pleasure as she pushed her fingers into his hair, tightly clenching his dreadlocks. “Oh God,” she moaned.

  Devlin pressed her up against the wall and grinded his pelvis against hers. “You want me to prove I’m a man? Is this what you wanted Zhané?”

  “Yes,” she rasped. Her hands slipped to his shoulders, her fingernails cutting deep into the backs of his shoulder blades.

  “Did Malik make you feel like this?” he demanded to know.

  “Never.”

  “Are your panties wet now?”

  “Yes!”

  Devlin abruptly stopped in his tracks. He hadn’t expected her to say that. He’d only kissed her to stop her accusatory rambling. He pulled back and stared into her hazel eyes. Up close, he could see traces of smeared eye liner rimming her long, black lashes. Otherwise, her face was flawless. Her skin was smooth and clear–and soft, judging from the way his fingers felt pressed into the silky slopes of her shoulders. He was no expert on cosmetics. All he knew was what he liked on a woman, and it was safe to say, he liked this one. He breathed in the scent of her light perfume, a citrusy smell that his body responded favorably to. The two of them were here alone with no one to interrupt whatever wicked journey their minds could create.

  For a split second, Devlin battled with himself. What kind of man would he be to take advantage of a woman on the heels of a breakup? He was a good man. He didn’t ravish strange women in elevators. But he had needs too. It was obvious Zhané was as hot for him as he was for her–and he was ready to put both of them out of their misery!

  He lifted the hem of her short dress, yanked her panties down, and pushed a long finger inside her. She was moist and hot. He turned rock-hard instantly. He’d done this to shut her up, to prove he was more of a man than she could fathom. Only now, he was caught up in his master plan.

  Zhané fumbled with the top button on his trousers, and Devlin quickly took over, damn near cutting one of his fingers on his zipper in his hurry to be free of the confines of his chinos. When he pushed his briefs down, his penis throbbed wildly, ready to land in the middle of the target. Common sense deserted him as he ripped Zhané’s panties off, ready to sate his hunger.

  “Condom! Condom!” Zhané breathlessly warned.

  Jeez, at least someone was thinking. Had he gone so far, he’d forgotten the basics? Don’t Get Got! He reached into his back pocket, extracted his wallet and pulled out a condom. It had been months since he’d fucked anyone. He hoped to God this Magnum was still good.

  He was sheathed in latex in less time than it took to blink. His pants slid down to his ankles as he braced Zhané against the elevator wall, and wrapped both of her legs aroun
d his waist. He felt the heat radiating from the insides of her thighs as he eagerly sank into the sweet wetness she offered. Zhané pulled him deeper, grinding her hips against his. His eyes rolled back in his head. Goddamn! She felt so good. Her hands draped around his shoulders, and her fingers locked against the back of his neck. She held on tight while he bucked like a wild bronco, thrusting repeatedly in and out of her.

  “That’s it, baby,” he ground out. “Give it to me.”

  “Don’t stop,” she begged. “Don’t stop!”

  “I ain’t stoppin’ ‘till you scream my name.”

  Devlin cradled Zhané’s rear end, and rocked her against the elevator’s wood-paneled wall. His grunts filled the air, mingling with her moans and soft, feminine mewling. If only she knew, he couldn’t stop if he wanted to. He’d rather gnaw his own arm off than leave this sweet, milky haven. The melody of their lovemaking was music to his ears, the loud, smacking sounds of flesh against flesh penetrating the hot air inside the elevator. Their encounter was short and sweet, with an intensity that ripped through him like a grenade.

  Even if she hadn’t clawed his back and screamed his name, Devlin would have known the moment Zhané came. He felt an intense heat followed by a rush of sticky fluid cover his penis. That was his undoing. His head dropped back as he gave one final thrust and roared his pleasure. A red-hot heat consumed him, gathering speed inside his core until it exploded into blazing pockets of flames inside him.

  ********

  Zhané adjusted her dress, pulling the short hemline back into place. “I can’t believe we just did that.”

  Devlin zipped his trousers. “Don’t tell me you’re having Buyer’s Remorse?”

  “No. I have a policy of no regrets. What I can’t believe is how you just jumped my bones.” Her body was still tingling from his assault, the lips between her legs throbbing like a strobe light. She’d shocked herself by welcoming the advances of a complete stranger. But God, it was worth it. In the span of fifteen minutes, Devlin had made her feel more desired than Malik had managed to do in six months. Maybe this was just pity sex. Maybe Devlin felt bad for her. Whatever prompted it, the man had temporarily tilted her world on its axis.

  “Now, are you convinced?” Devlin asked.

  His cockiness hadn’t abated. If anything, it had magnified, along with her desire for him. Still, she wouldn’t let him off the hook. “You know my story,” she said. “Now tell me yours. Who was this woman who broke your heart?”

  He didn’t bother to deny it. “She was no one of importance.”

  “Oh no,” Zhané wagged her finger at him. “She must have been important. When did you two break up?”

  “Five years ago.”

  “Around the same time as when your show launched.”

  “How did you–”

  “Lucky guess. Only a catastrophic event like a woman making a fool of you could have spurred you to create Bro-mance 101.”

  He frowned. “You don’t play fair, lady.”

  “Neither do you, Devlin Hart.” The look on his face told her she’d hit a nerve. “This is about the woman who wronged you,” Zhané ventured. “You’ve created this show to heal yourself. She was your muse.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” he waved her away before edging slowly edged back into his corner, putting some distance between himself and her.

  “I can see it in your eyes,” she prodded. “I’m not the one in denial. You are. That’s why you bash women.”

  He rubbed his palms over his dreadlocks. “I’m not a basher,” he objected. “I like to think of myself as a cyber-psychiatrist.”

  “Let me get my shovel out so I can clear away this manure you’re spreading.”

  He shook his head. “I’m fulfilling a need. My listeners need me.”

  “I beg to differ. You need them. Without them, you’d be nothing. There’d be no show.”

  “Look, Zhané…”

  “No, you look.” He was clearly irritated, which made her feel good. There was a chink in the black knight’s armor. “You asked me to take a long, hard look at myself and I did. Now, it’s time for you to do the same. You demand all these people open up to you, but you don’t reciprocate. You’re a hypocrite.”

  He was silent, but she could still see the storm brewing in his dark eyes. “I thought I loved her,” he finally spoke. “Worse, I thought she loved me. It ended up badly. It took me a long time to get over her, but I did.”

  Zhané watched the raw emotions flicker across his face. Anger. Bitterness. Defeat. “You don’t realize it,” she told him, “but you’re making women everywhere pay for what your ex did. That’s the whole basis of your show.”

  He held up a warning finger. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes I do,” she boldly pressed on. “And this time, you can’t silence me with a kiss.”

  A spark of defiance glinted in his eyes. “Sweetheart, it took more than a kiss to shut you up.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. She’d come here to give him a piece of her mind and ended up giving him a piece of the pie. She should be ashamed of herself, but she wasn’t done with him yet. “What you told Malik was wrong,” she said. “You should have advised him to talk to me first, not just throw me aside like an old rag. I don’t think you realize what an impact your words have on people, Devlin. You have the power to sway others. That is a huge responsibility that you should not take lightly.”

  “I don’t,” he battled back. “I speak the truth. I’m sorry if you can’t handle that.”

  She gave him a sideways glance. Devlin Hart was holding onto some serious baggage. Someone would have to fight tooth and nail to get him to fess up to it. “I guess you’ve never made a mistake in life.”

  He opened his mouth, she was certain to give a back-handed reply, when the lights flickered and the elevator lurched back to life.

  “The power’s back on,” Devlin stated matter-of-factly.

  The elevator doors chimed and then slowly opened. Zhané glanced at Devlin, waiting for him to say something, but he clung to the strong, silent stereotype. How ironic. Two strangers had just performed the most intimate act a man and woman could do. Yet, an awkward shroud of silence now hung over them. Within the span of a few hours, her emotions had mutated from disbelief to anger to calm acceptance. Her boyfriend had dumped her, she’d met the guy responsible, and she was fine with it. Life had a fucked up sense of humor.

  Zhané collected her purse and walked through the elevator doors. As an afterthought, she tossed a few parting words over her shoulder. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Devlin Hart. Thanks for the ride.”

  SIX

  “You did it right there in the elevator?”

  “I sure did.”

  “Girl, you are scandalous!”

  “Maybe, but that man was the best I ever had.”

  Zhané laid face down, feeling the soothing effects of a hot stone massage, while her best friend, Katina was on the bed opposite her getting a sea weed body wrap. This was one of the rare spa treatments they allowed themselves to indulge in every once in a while.

  “You know that was just rebound sex,” Katina informed her. “Devlin Hart took advantage of you in a moment of weakness.”

  “I disagree. Devlin actually did me a favor. He helped me to realize that what Malik and I had was a shell of a relationship.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am. And I harbor no ill will toward Malik. I was just as wrong as he was. Devlin says our relationship was doomed from the start.”

  “Oh, now you’re quoting this guy?”

  “He said some things that really resonated with me.”

  “He’s a male chauvinist. You can’t even take what he says at face value.”

  “He’s not that bad, Tina.”

  Katina propped herself on her elbows, and turned toward Zhané, her dark eyes wide open in surprise. “Not that bad! Girl, that man must have hypnotized you. In fact, you probably
didn’t even fuck him. He’s so smooth he made you believe it happened!”

  “Shit, if that wasn’t real, pinch me ‘cause I can still feel my body humming from what that man did to me a week ago.”

  Katina cracked up laughing. “What am I going to do with you? You’d better give me your car keys so you don’t try to drive back over there for seconds!”

  Zhané laughed too, careful to keep still so the stones didn’t slip from her back. “That’s not a bad idea.”

  “Ooh, you’re worse off than I thought.”

  “I was upset with Devlin at first, but after I thought things through, I realized I have no reason to be pissed at him. Nobody can make my man leave me but me. I have to take some responsibility for our breakup.”

  Katina let out a deep sigh. “You’re too forgiving, Zhané.”

  Zhané closed her eyes, signaling the end of the conversation. She felt a connection with Devlin Hart, but maybe it was all in her mind. Maybe Katina was right: it was just good old-fashioned lust. No satisfying relationship could come from a quickie in an elevator. She was setting herself up for failure again, jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Her sigh mirrored Katina’s. Oh, well. I’m not going to beat myself up about it. What’s done is done.

  Thankfully, she’d never have to see Devlin Hart again. He’d forget all about her, and in time, she’d forget how for a blissful moment, he’d given her a memory to last a lifetime.

  ********

  “What’s your opinion, Dev? Is a girl who puts out on the first night worth keeping around? My friends say those types of women are hos.”

  Devlin listened half-heartedly to the caller on the line. There was a time when he would have thought a woman who gave it up during a one night stand was easy. He was suspicious of women who used their feminine charms to get what they wanted. Now, he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t believe Zhané had ulterior motives. In fact, he felt just the opposite. She was a classy woman. The moment presented itself, and she was very mature about getting what she wanted. He didn’t fault her for that. Now he couldn’t get her out of his mind.