SEDUCTIVE: A Contemporary Romance Anthology Read online

  A Romance ANTHOLOGY

  SEDUCTIVE Anthology

  © 2019 Pure Textuality PR

  All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  ISBN-13:

  SEDUCTIVE is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. The Authors acknowledge the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of any and all trademarks mentioned in this work of fiction.

  This anthology was curated by Jena Gregoire and Pure Textuality PR.

  Published by Pure Textuality PR

  Cover & Formatting by Pure Textuality PR

  http://SEDUCTIVEreads.com

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  A COUPLE OF FOREVERS

  by Michelle De Leon

  DISTURBANCE

  by Marlow Kelly

  WATERMELON SPICE

  by Donna Mercer

  MY BOYFRIENDS DAD

  by Jade C. Jamison

  HOLD MY HEART

  by Brea Viragh

  LOVE, DOCTOR

  by M.C. Cerny

  LOVE’S EVERLASTING SONG

  by RaeAnne Hadley

  PLAYING WITH HIS HEART

  by Krista Ames

  A COUPLE OF FOREVERS

  by MICHELLE DE LEON

  A Couple of Forevers was an idea gifted to me by God through my husband, Joseph. He gave me a basic foundation for a story that can only be divine inspiration! I put my patented twists and turns to the plot, but the nuggets of reality that are infused in between the pages are what makes this book a true labor of love. The Lord knows which parts are fact and which are fiction, but I hope it moves every reader to trust that unconditional love does indeed exist and how it can truly conquer anything.

  THE FIRST FOREVER

  CHAPTER ONE

  Family and friends were gathered around a table topped with dish after dish of Maggiano’s best offerings. Food and fun is exactly what Ethan Aragon wanted as his circle came together to celebrate his accomplishment.

  Dane Briggs, his literal partner in crime, came over and greeted Ethan with the brothers’ hug. “Yo, this is what’s up! Look at this spread.”

  “What took you so long? This celebration is for the both of us, man.”

  “I know and I’m truly touched, E. You know my people ain’t hitting on nothing so…”

  “We are your people, Dane Briggs.” Ethan lifted his diet cola and toasted his friend.

  “Can you believe we made detective?”

  “Hell yeah, I can believe it. We busted our butts to get these promotions. Congratulations to us!”

  “I know nobody but Bria is responsible for this shindig,” Dane said as he piled lasagna, angel hair pasta and eggplant parmigiana high onto his plate.

  “She knows I hate parties, but love Maggiano’s so she reserved this room so we could get loose without having a bunch of strangers all up in our business.”

  “Where is Bria?” Dane asked as he looked up and down the table.

  “She’s humoring Warrick’s girlfriend in the ladies room. She wanted to put makeup on Bria. She doesn’t even need it. My wife is beautiful just the way she is.” Ethan told his partner with genuine pride.

  “She most definitely is. Hope she doesn’t run into Jerrae in the ladies room.”

  “Wait; what? Jerrae?”

  “Yeah, bro. I saw her downstairs with a few folks from the InterCon waiting to be seated. You would have thought they would have gone to the Maggiano’s on Peachtree instead of coming over here to Perimeter.”

  “I could care less about running into that ancient piece of history, but I don’t want Bria’s night jacked up by having to see Jerrae. Why are you just now telling me?”

  “She completely slipped my mind until you mentioned makeup.” Dane could have kicked himself. “That chick was rocking way too much.”

  “As per usual.” Ethan was undecided. He hardly wanted to give Jerrae Tate any of his attention, but he wouldn’t have put it past her to start something just because. He called his eighteen year old son over. “Hey, Jerrae is downstairs. I think we may need to run interference to keep this event civil.”

  “You know Ma is too classy to get tangled up with her brand of drama, Dad.” Warrick’s face scrunched up like he had a bad taste in his mouth. “You already know my opinion on that whole chapter.”

  “I’m not trying to revisit all that, Warrick. Trust me, I regret separating from your mother in the first place, but my getting caught up with Jerrae showed me what I couldn’t see at the time. Your mother is my home and my heart. It just took more years than I would have liked to come to that conclusion.”

  “Y’all killing me. Are we going downstairs or what?” Dane hated emotional conversations.

  “Yeah, let’s get this over with.” Warrick rolled his eyes.

  Jerrae was busy chatting it up with her friends, but from the corner of her eye she saw the trio approaching; Ethan, Warrick and Dane. She saw Dane when he first came in, but had no idea he was there to see her ex-fiance.

  Ethan spoke first. “What up, Jerrae; can I speak with you for a minute?” He acknowledged her group with nods and a quick handshake to a couple of the guys he knew.

  “Sure, Ethan. Excuse me, people. I’ll be right back.”

  They stepped a few feet away. “Hey there, Warrick. You are looking all the way fine. How have you been, sweetie?”

  “I’m good. Tell the kids I said hello.” Warrick was as smooth as his dad. He made his point with his stance. It clearly read ‘I’m a gentleman so I’m going to speak, but know that I’m not here to entertain you’.

  “I’m upstairs with my friends and family celebrating. Everything’s good, but I just wanted to tell you it’s not necessary for you to come up to me and Bria.”

  There was a long pause. “What are you celebrating? If you don’t mind me asking so I can congratulate you, too.”

  Dane chimed in. “We’re celebrating our promotions to detectives with the APD.”

  “Oh, wow! That’s great. I know that’s the career path you’ve wanted for a long time. I’m glad you made it.” Jerrae made a move to hug him, but suddenly stopped.

  Bria had joined them.

  “Hello.” Bria extended her hand to Jerrae.

  Jerrae tried not to stare at Bria too hard. She’d seen pictures of Ethan’s wife, but never had a conversation with her in person. To Jerrae, Bria had seemed mousy and average. It hadn’t shocked her that she’d lost him. But this woman she was looking at now was simply gorgeous.

  Bria was just below average height, but as she stood in the middle of the men and faced Jerrae, she appeared to be regal; almost statuesque. She was in no way shook by their run in. Jerrae was almost disappointed. She took Bria’s hand. “Hello. Ethan was just sharing his good news, but I see our table is ready so I’m going to rejoin my party. It was nice seeing you all again. And tell Rafer hi for me, too. Have a good night.”

  They watched her saunter over to her dinner group and sit down. Bria took her husband by the arm. “Ready?”

  Dane and Warrick walked ahead of them. “We were trying to head her off at the pass.”

  “I figured that, but it wasn’t necessary. She’s powerless. Truthfully, she’s always been. We couldn’t stay apart because we weren’t meant to. As big as Atlanta is, it’s small too. We might see her again. Who cares? I don’t.”

  “You look beautiful. Warrick’s
girl did a nice job. She accentuated your features, she didn’t cover them up.”

  “I couldn’t go through this ritual every day, but I do think I look kinda hot,” Bria laughed as she squeezed Ethan’s hand and winked. “Come on. Let’s finish dinner so I can go home and really feed you.”

  Mornings were getting hectic. The boys had to hustle to get ready for school. Warrick was working part time during his senior year because he wanted to save money for college expenses. After getting off late at night, he sometimes dragged when he woke up the next day. Rafer was in middle school and overflowed with energy. The energy wasn’t always directed where it needed to go so he often was busy doing everything but getting prepared.

  “All right you Aragon men. I will NOT be driving anyone to school so get the lead out.” Bria announced as she went around the house cleaning up messes. She intended to spend her day off in peace, but there was always something that needed to be taken care of. Bria could hear Ethan down in the basement working on his music.

  “Dad should have been a producer,” Warrick said as he stopped to listen to the beat his father was creating.

  “He still can be. You never know where life will take you. An education is a great launching pad, so kudos to you again for earning that scholarship, Warrick. We’re so very proud of you.” She gave her son a hug and then a shove towards the front door. “Now get on up outta here!”

  Warrick laughed. “Yes, Drill Sergeant! Later, Ma.”

  Bria then turned her attention to Rafer. Her youngest was a beautiful child with huge challenges. Diagnosed with Autism, he was brilliant at some things and struggled with others. He was always in good spirits and kept the family in stitches.

  “Did you finish your breakfast, Raf?

  “I did, Ma. Can you sign my permission slip?” He handed her a crumpled sheet of paper. The field trip was scheduled for that morning.

  “Why didn’t you give this to me before, Rafer?”

  He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his backpack.

  She shook her head and reached for a pen. “You’re lucky. Go on and have fun.”

  “Thanks, Ma.”

  Just as she signed it, the school bus pulled up in front of the house. She hurried him out the door and waved to the driver.

  Bria went down to the basement and flopped onto the couch. Ethan was in the zone so she just laid there and listened to the hard hitting beat.

  Ethan was aware of his wife’s presence even before he glanced back and saw her lying on the couch. He first started experiencing it while they were still dating. It used to bug him out, but it was one of the ways he knew she was the one.

  He waited until he got to a good stopping point and then went over to join her. He lifted her legs and put them on his lap. He began to caress her thigh. “What did you think of the track?”

  “I was digging that. The rhythm got me thinking about a fight scene I’m working on in the book. Sometimes I wish you’d pursue the music career more. I support your dreams; all of them. But the public’s relationship with the police these days…”

  “I know it’s rough. I didn’t really encounter much tension when I was an officer. Now that I’m a detective there’s even less exposure to that hostility, but it still can be dangerous. You know I’ve seen all kinds of horror growing up in Brooklyn. Worse than anything I’ve seen here. But I know as a wife you have your concerns.”

  “I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself but it’s not easy knowing your man is in harm’s way all the time.”

  He rubbed her inner thigh and made his way up her shorts to the lacy panties she was wearing beneath them.

  “Are you trying to change the subject, Ethan?”

  “Were we talking?”

  He slid off the couch and knelt down between her legs. Bria instantly began to squirm as his skillful fingers found the warm spot he was seeking. He pulled the lacy panty to the side and kissed her passionately. Ethan loved every part of his bride. He loved her scent, her taste, her involuntary reaction to his touch.

  “You’re off today, right?”

  “Why? You’re going to call out?” She asked in a husky whisper, waiting for him to take her to the next level.

  “No, but I don’t have to be in until later. The boys are gone right?” He pulled off Bria’s shorts.

  “Yesssss.”

  “Good.”

  He stood up and slid down his sweatpants. He was about to continue showering Bria with attention when she deftly took him into her mouth. His legs quivered and he had to steady himself. An incredible rush took over his body. It was hard to maintain control. Ethan would gladly surrender to Bria. Physically she demanded it. Her every movement was a statement. I want you. You are mine. I’ve earned you. But it was Ethan really who had to earn their marriage back.

  He moaned lowly. “I love you.”

  She looked up and smiled. “Love you, too.”

  Ethan sat down and pulled Bria on top of him. He kissed and held her to him close. Her kisses were like making love. Intimate; invasive. But she worked diligently to put him inside of her. A deeper attachment.

  “There was many a time I missed this, Bria. Our rhythm. It’s like creating a beat. The notes just connect and the sound is powerful.”

  “I hated it, but the time apart forced us to see what our feelings were really made of. I mean I already knew, but you had to figure it out.”

  “And once I did, I knew what I had to do.”

  Bria lowered herself as low as she could so she could feel all of Ethan. His sharp intake of breath pleased her immensely. She’d always had a crazy desire for her husband. A desire that drove her to do things with him when more common sense should have guided her away.

  She gyrated her hips and gripped him as tightly as she could. Her movements were slow. And tortuous. She enjoyed taking charge of the moment. And she believed her husband enjoyed it, too.

  She played with his ear lobe and felt him grip her ample bottom. But she never stopped moving her hips. She never got off beat. She danced and grooved and hit the base hard. Ethan muttered obscenities under his breath like lyrics.

  “You ready?’

  “Not yet.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Please don’t stop, Bria.”

  So the dance continued until she reached the climax. And as she rode it out, she reached under and began to fondle Ethan. He was full and ready to burst and as she caressed him, he released and nearly knocked her to the floor.

  “Now that is what a good morning is all about,” Bria said as tried to catch her breath.

  Ethan grabbed the throw and the cushions from off the couch and tossed them on the floor. They wrapped their bodies around each other and drifted off to sleep.

  Ethan began to dream. He found himself on an old familiar battlefield so he already knew he was going to see “him”. He’d often have this dream when he was with Jerrae. It’s like the drama and turmoil he’d experienced with her manifested itself in his unconscious thoughts. There was never any conversation. Just war. The demon would take the field and start his assault. Ethan would fight him with all that he had, but there would come a point when the demon would get the upper hand. His strength would drain and he thought he’d lose his soul.

  The dream would come to him at least twice a week for months. But then Bria began to show up. The demon would tremble with fear as she wielded a sword. The weapon was sharp and illuminated. Ethan always thought the light was from heaven because when Bria struck the enemy with her blade he would back off wounded. He’d come back other nights, but Bria would deal with him harshly and without hesitation. During one dream, Ethan grabbed the sword and together they drove the blade into their heinous opponent. Victory at last. But now here he was having the nightmare all over again.

  His phone went off and woke him. Ethan jumped up.

  Bria untangled herself from around him. “What’s wrong?”

  He grabbed his cell. He didn’t recognize the numb
er and let the call go to voicemail. “Nothing. Just time for me to get up and get ready for work.”

  Bria could tell Ethan’s mood was slightly different. “I’ll run up and fix us something quick to eat while you’re getting ready.” She kissed him before heading to the kitchen.

  Between his music and the lovemaking, Bria was ready to spend the rest of her day off working on her manuscript. She’d be beyond glad to finally be able to quit her day gig. Insurance was not her passion.

  Bria threw together an entrée salad with grilled chicken, spinach, tomatoes, shredded cheese and walnuts. She topped it with raspberry vinaigrette and looked for something else to make the meal more hearty. She remembered there was turkey chili in the fridge and warmed that up.

  She was going through her email when Ethan joined her in the kitchen. “You know I’m hungry. Sex is like smoking weed, you get the munchies afterward.”

  Bria laughed. “Well eat up then.”

  They went over some budget issues and talked about the kids. Ethan finished his meal and went to put on his holster. Bria was not particularly fond of guns. Ethan carried even before he made the career move into law enforcement. He was teaching Warrick how to handle a weapon. She was not particularly fond of that idea either, but once when she joined them at the range, she had done better than her child. All head and neck shots. They never let Warrick live it down.

  “Okay, I’m out.”

  Bria walked with him to the door. As was their custom, he bowed his head and his wife laid her hands on him.

  “Father, we thank You for your constant protection and grace as your son serves and protects Your people. We thank You that no hurt, harm or danger shall come upon him and that he will not have to inflict harm on anyone else today. I seal this prayer with the blood of Jesus and declare it is so. Amen.”