Precious Stones Page 10

  “In here,” she answered from the bathroom.

  He entered the bathroom and found candles illuminating that room too, and his wife in their large tub, covered in suds.

  “I hope you didn’t start without me,” he joked as he kneeled down and slid his hand into the warm water and caressed her thigh.

  “No, I didn’t, but you need to get in before the water cools off.”

  Ramsey stood and quickly stripped out of his clothes. He eased into the water and pulled Keilah into his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. The water is still hot.”

  She nuzzled her face against his warm neck and said, “So are you.”

  He gave her a tender kiss on the cheek and said, “I love you, Keilah.”

  She straddled his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said, “I love you too, Ramsey. I don’t think I can be any happier than I am right now here with you and Neariah.”

  He covered her breasts with his mouth and pulled her hips closer to his body. The temperature of the water immediately went up several degrees, especially when Keilah started to let out loud sighs. The attention he was giving her sensitive nipples was amplified with each flick of his tongue.

  “Ramsey,” she whispered.

  “I know, baby,” he whispered back before kissing her hard on the lips.

  Shivers radiated over her body when she felt his manhood swell between her thighs. She looked him in his eyes and saw love staring back at her.

  “I think we’re ready to get out of here,” she murmured. Before he could respond, she nibbled on his neck, in a spot that was one of his erotic zones and never failed to send him over the edge.

  He sucked in a breath and then said, “I agree.”

  The couple wrapped their bodies in plush towels and blew out all the candles before returning to the bedroom. Once there, they dropped their towels on the floor and climbed into the warm bed. Ramsey pulled Keilah into his arms and showered her with kisses, starting at her lips and working his way down to her manicured toes. On his way back up, he stopped at a spot he was very familiar with and buried his face between her thighs. She writhed, moaned, and cried out in ecstasy as he deepened the oral pleasure he bestowed upon her.

  “Ramsey!” she screamed, causing Target to bark from the hallway. Keilah could feel her legs trembling uncontrollably as her husband showed no signs of stopping his sensual assault. “Baby, please!” she cried out just before she shuddered hard, sending a hot wave of pleasure through her entire body.

  “Did you like that?” he whispered softly in her ear.

  She needed to catch her breath, so all she could do was nod. Ramsey’s warm, wet kisses on her body made it difficult to move, especially after he placed her legs over his shoulders and eased his throbbing manhood inside her and began to thrust his hips against hers, first slow and deep and then fast and precise. In either case Keilah was in sheer bliss, and so was her husband. Wanting to get the best angle to give the most sensitive pleasure, he flipped her over on her stomach and made love to her from behind. Hearing her soft sighs and moans let him know she was enjoying his loving, and when her breathing got even deeper, he knew the end was near. Therefore, he flipped her back over on her back and quickly reentered her body.

  He covered her lips with his tongue against hers as he quickened his pace. His body felt like it was on fire, and he was covered with perspiration. With each thrust of his hips, Keilah let out a moan, especially when he covered her brown peaks with his mouth and sucked hard on her nipples. Ramsey’s body finally stiffened as he had a massive orgasm, causing him to cry out and groan. Keilah kissed him hard on the lips and proclaimed her love for him once again. He buried his face against her warm neck and tried to bring his breathing under control, but he was hit with another orgasm when Keilah ran her tongue over his ear and neck. He was completely exhausted and could barely move.

  “Baby, are you okay?” she asked as she rolled him over onto his back and cuddled up to him.

  “Couldn’t be better,” he mumbled as he caressed her curvy backside.

  She ran her hands across his broad chest and kissed his luscious lips and then asked, “How much time do you need before we do it again?”

  He opened his eyes and asked, “Are you serious?”

  “Of course I am, babe. That was amazing, but I’m still a little hungry,” she revealed. Ramsey took her hand into his and placed it over his groin and said, “You tell me, babe.”

  Keilah gently stroked him and said, “If you ask me, things are looking pretty promising right now.”

  Ramsey looked into her eyes and uttered, “Make me a believer, sweetheart.”

  At that moment she lowered her head and covered his shaft with her soft, warm lips. Ramsey allowed his wife to take his mind and body to a very special place, and he loved watching her as she pleasured him. She was extremely skillful and had him fully involved and spouting his appreciation in a matter of seconds.

  “Are you ready for me, baby?” she asked as she straddled his body and eased down on his massive, throbbing rod.

  “Always,” he responded as he gripped her round backside and assisted her as she started a slow grind that would soon intensify when he began to thrust his hips up against her body.

  This session didn’t last as long as the first one, because after a few taps against her hypersensitive core, her release came quickly, as did his, putting both of them in a deep, coma-like sleep for the rest of the night.

  The next morning, before Neariah woke up, Ramsey mounted his wife once more and made love to her with so much intensity, it brought her to tears. He had never been with a woman with so much love, sex appeal, courage, and beauty, and he craved her every minute of every day. Controlling his appetite wasn’t easy, and he was glad his wife understood and welcomed his affection with open arms.

  As they lay in each other’s arms, they could hear Neariah begin to cry.

  “Neariah’s up,” he whispered. “Do you want me to get her?”

  She gave him a kiss on the lips before climbing out of bed and said, “No, you rest. You put in a hard night’s work.”

  Ramsey smiled and watched her slide into her robe and then exit their bedroom.

  Chapter Eleven

  Michael couldn’t believe someone was ringing his doorbell so early in the morning. He angrily stormed to the door, yanked it open, and yelled, “What!”

  To his surprise, his former boyfriend, Kevin, was standing on the porch with a bewildered look on his face.

  “Damn! Well, good morning to you too,” he replied.

  Michael sighed and asked, “What are you doing here, Kevin?”

  Kevin slid his hands into his pockets and asked, “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  Michael ran his hands over his head and slowly stepped to the side, and against his better judgment he allowed Kevin to enter. Kevin stepped into the foyer and turned to look at Michael.

  “You look good.”

  Without responding, Michael made his way into the kitchen, with Kevin following close behind. He pulled a cup out of the cabinet and made himself a cup of coffee on his Keurig coffeemaker.

  “Do you want any coffee?” he asked.

  “No.”

  Michael grabbed his cup of coffee and sat down at the bar. He put cream and sugar in his cup and asked, “Why are you here, Kevin?”

  Kevin sat down next to him. “I’m here because I thought you would’ve called by now. Since you haven’t, I thought I would come by to see what’s up.”

  Michael took a sip of coffee and said, “Nothing’s up.”

  “You have got to be kidding me. Nothing’s up?” Kevin retorted. “So, what about us?”

  “There is no us, Kevin. In fact there never was. I made a mistake. We were a mistake.”

  Kevin looked at him, clearly confused by his sudden change of heart. When Michael was deployed, Kevin felt that their relationship was solid. It was definitely strained when Keilah found out about their love affair,
but it was solid nevertheless. Kevin played with the salt and pepper shakers on the table and asked, “Where is all this coming from? I thought we were cool.”

  Michael looked at his friend and said, “I’ve been confused about a lot of things, Kevin, including you. This is not me.”

  “Don’t start with that bullshit. I know you, remember?” Kevin replied with a sly grin on his face.

  “You think you know me, but you have no idea. There are some things in my past that you don’t know about, things that caused me some confusion. I should’ve told you the truth a long time ago. Maybe if I had, we wouldn’t be sitting here.”

  Kevin reached across the table and touched Michael’s hand and said, “I don’t believe you. Something happened to you over in Iraq that has you confused. What we have between us is no mistake. I know you love me, and I know you still want to have a child.”

  Michael removed his hand from Kevin’s reach without answering.

  Kevin leaned back in his chair and asked, “Does this have something to do with that bitch that shot you?”

  “This has nothing to do with her, and you watch your damn mouth when you speak about her. She was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I blew it.”

  “I can’t believe my ears. That psycho bitch shot you, or have you forgotten?”

  Michael sighed and said, “Leave Keilah out of it. This has everything to do with me doing the right thing. Everybody makes mistakes. I’m sorry this is hurting you, Kevin, but I’m trying to be as honest about it as possible, and you deserve to find the right person for you. I’m not that person.”

  Kevin pointed his finger at Michael and said, “Don’t think I’m going to let you get away with this. You owe me.”

  Michael jumped out of his chair, causing it to the fall to the floor. He pulled Kevin out of his chair by the collar and said, “Get the hell out of my house! I told you it never should’ve happened. I’m not gay!”

  Kevin tried to reach up and touch Michael’s face, but Michael threw him across the room and yelled, “Don’t make me hurt you, Kevin. I said get the hell out of my house, and don’t come back.”

  Pulling himself off the floor, Kevin said, “You must have that post-traumatic stress syndrome, because you’re not the person I knew last year.”

  “You’re right! Now, leave and don’t ever come back,” Michael yelled as he opened the front door.

  Kevin looked him in the eyes and said, “You said we were going to have a child. You’re going to pay for this.”

  “I told you it was a mistake, and I don’t take kindly to threats. If you think someone is going to give you a child, you’re dreaming. Give it up, Kevin!”

  Kevin stared into Michael’s eyes and gave him an evil look for a few seconds, before finally walking out the door and out to his car.

  Michael slammed the door and made his way back upstairs. Once there, he sat down on the side of the bed and covered his face with his hands. He felt somewhat liberated, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His plan hadn’t been to hurt Kevin, but he knew he wasn’t being true to himself living the lifestyle he had been living. He was confused, and he needed forgiveness for his trysts with Kevin, and the only way he could redeem himself was to pray for forgiveness and then face his fears. It wasn’t going to be easy confronting the man who had molested him years earlier. This had caused him to question his sexuality. This man was responsible for catapulting his career, and while Michael was thankful, he didn’t want anyone to think he had been shown favoritism with his career moves. This man had screwed up his head, and it was time for him be held accountable.

  Michael pulled himself off the bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. He had a lot to do today, and if he was going to get his life back, he needed to start at the source of all his misery and ultimate shame. An awakening had happened to Michael in Iraq, and it was long overdue.

  Across town, Kevin was still fuming over his argument with Michael. He was hurt, and he wanted Michael to hurt more. He’d taken off work today with plans of spending it with someone he loved, but those plans had changed. So he called his friend Jeremy at the Washington Signal newspaper to see if he was interested in running an updated story on the military’s latest hero and POW. His friend didn’t seem interested until Kevin mentioned Michael’s connection to mogul Keilah Chance Stone. Kevin told his friend the whole story of how Michael had been his lover and how he had planned to impregnate Keilah so they could fight for custody of the child and raise it together as a couple. He even told his friend that Keilah had caught them in bed and had shot Michael.

  “I don’t know, Kevin,” Jeremy said. “I mean, it all sounds like a great story for a soap opera or a reality show, but to put this in print could put my reputation and job in jeopardy. I mean, the Stones are a high-powered couple in D.C. and they have some friends in high places.”

  Kevin let out a breath and said, “Don’t tell me you’re scared. I thought you were a journalist.”

  “I am a journalist. I just have to make sure I verify the information if I decide to go with it.”

  “What other verification do you need?” Kevin asked.

  “We’re cool and all, but we’re talking about my career. I would have to interview Michael or Keilah to get their side of the story before going forward,” Jeremy asserted.

  Kevin was silent on the other end of the telephone. Then he said, “What if I can get you verification on tape?”

  “That might work, as long as I can authenticate the voices. Videotape would be so much better, but have you really thought this through? Are you sure you want to do this? The Stones could make your punk ass disappear if they wanted to, and that fine Michael Monroe could snap your damn neck like a twig,” Jeremy stated with a laugh. “If you’re going to do this, you’d better understand the consequences.”

  “I understand them clearly. Michael and that bitch Keilah are going to pay dearly for what they did to me. We had plans for a life together, but Keilah took away any hope of that and Michael let her.”

  “Hold up! You’re not talking about blackmail, are you? ’Cause if you are, I can’t be a party to that. That kind of shit will get you put in prison, and prison is no place for a guy like me or you. You’d better reconsider—”

  Kevin cut him off and said, “There’s nothing for me to reconsider. I’ll get back at them one way or the other. You let me work out all the details. I just need to know if you’re interested in doing the story, because a story like this could reward you with all types of journalism awards.”

  “That remains to be seen,” Jeremy answered. “Look, I have to go. I have a meeting in ten minutes. You have the number. Call me when you have something I can use.”

  “That’s a bet,” Kevin replied before hanging up the phone.

  Michael got dressed and tucked his cell phone in his pocket. He had a long drive ahead of him, and he wanted to hit the road as soon as possible, before he lost his nerve. It was a cold December morning with clear skies, but he was on a mission. A mission that could release him from his demons so he could get back to living.

  Three hours later he pulled up to the secure gates of a prestigious institution and showed the guards his credentials. Being an alumnus, he had more freedom to visit the facility than outsiders. He’d even been a guest speaker at events on various occasions. After being waved through, he parked his car in a visitor’s parking space and exited the vehicle with a gift box in hand. He quickly entered the administration building and made his way to retired lieutenant colonel Cornelius Biggs’s office. When he opened the door, he found the lieutenant colonel on the telephone. With a smile on his face, Biggs continued to talk on the telephone, but he waved Michael into the office. He quickly ended his telephone call and walked over to Michael and gave him a friendly handshake.

  “What a nice surprise. Why didn’t you call to let me know you were coming?”

  Michael stepped back from the lieutenant colonel and said, “I wanted to surprise
you. This is for you.”

  “You didn’t have to bring me anything,” Biggs announced. “I should be giving you a gift for surviving in that godforsaken country. I’m glad you made it back safely. Not many of our soldiers do.”

  “I don’t want to talk about what happened over there. Open your gift,” Michael instructed him.

  “Sure, son. Have a seat. Do you want some coffee, juice, or anything?” the lieutenant colonel asked as he ripped open the wrapping paper and pulled out a beautiful crystal hourglass with the inscription of Matthew 24:36. “This is beautiful,” he said as he sat it on the shelf, next to his gold and crystal awards. He made his way back over to his desk and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want any bagels or juice or anything?”

  Michael waved him off and said, “No, I’m good. I’m not here to take up your time, but there’s some things we need to talk about.”

  The lieutenant colonel poured himself a glass of orange juice before sitting down and said, “Of course. What’s on your mind?”

  Michael closed his eyes briefly and then opened them to look directly into Biggs’s eyes. “I need to know why you felt it was okay to molest me when I was one of your cadets.”

  The lieutenant colonel’s body stiffened, and then he slowly lowered his glass to his desk. With a frown on his face he asked, “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Don’t insult my intelligence, Lieutenant Colonel. I’m not delusional, and I’m not fourteen anymore. I know what you did to me and so do you, you son of bitch.”

  Biggs jumped up from his desk and said, “How dare you come into my office with these accusations? The only thing I ever did was to mentor you boys and helped you gain the illustrious military careers you’re enjoying now!”

  “I didn’t make this up!” Michael shouted back. “You molested me and ruined my goddamn life!”

  Biggs’s assistant knocked on the door, interrupting them.

  The lieutenant colonel, who was clearly distressed, gathered his composure and said, “Come in.”

  “Lieutenant Colonel, is everything okay?” she asked as she studied the pair. “I thought I heard shouting.”