Page 52 of Caught off Guard

When I said the words in my head out loud, Zora lifted my hands and placed them directly over her breasts. I squeezed and kneaded them as she bit her lip.

“You know I want you, baby,” she purred.

It should have been a crime for a board of outdated thinkers to require a woman with natural beauty like Zora’s to hide behind old lady hairstyles and clothes. This was the Zora I wanted to adore and make love to. I loved that she boldly shared this side of herself with me. Although I was aroused beyond belief, something about our moment didn’t feel right. I pulled down her shirt.

“Come here.” I guided her to the couch in the room nearest us and lowered her to my lap, holding her waist firm. “Pump the brakes on whatever this is. I’m here for more than your body. Talk to me about what is going in your head.”

FREAK NASTY ZORA

I fiddledwith the small stones in the mask necklace around my neck as Cairo held me close. I made sure to put it on before Cairo’s arrival to do exactly what he requested—share my truth with him. I couldn’t stay in the box I created for myself and remain sane.

“If I’m going to change, it’s starting today. I’m embarrassed that I was suspended for wearing clothes that made me feel pretty and desired. That was my wake-up call. I don’t want to hide who I am from the world anymore. I need to grow as I age, not regress.”

Cairo’s warm brown eyes drew me in. I rubbed the side of his smooth cheek with my fingertips then raked my fingers over his shiny beard. With each caress, a new revelation came to me about how I wanted and needed to move.

“The rules that put me in a box aren’t real—at least for me. Men who had no idea what it took to get where I am create ways of working that meet their needs, not mine. I tried to play by their rules and do everything right—to the point of making myself sick. I must never forget that I am who God created me to be.”

“And that’s perfect.”

His soft lips called out to me as he spoke his kind words, so I leaned in to taste him. When my heart stopped spinning from the goodness of our kiss, I placed my hand over my heart.

“May I confess something to you?” I took a deep breath and met his eyes.

“Of course.”

“I wanted this from the minute I met you. I feel electricity in your touch. Even if what we have is fleeting, I believe you’ve been sent to move me into my grown and sexy woman era. I don’t want to beg, but I will if I have to…” I stood in front of Cairo and kissed the corner of his mouth.

When I stepped back to take in his fullness, I stared into his eyes.Whew!They bore into my soul unlike any others. No man touched me like that without physically engaging with me. His look made me think he was trying to process my words and decide what his next move would be.

“I have a confession too.” Cairo’s deep, soft voice gave me unexpected chills as I tore myself from his tether.

I nodded, signaling for him to continue.

“To the outside world, this might be a strange way for us to move forward, but I’ll follow your lead. If you want to be a freak, I’ll scratch any itch you get. I plan to be by your side for the longhaul.” Cairo lifted my necklace and kissed it before pressing it back against my neck. “Thank you for being vulnerable.”

I wasn’t sure what the long haul was or how that might work for us. Instead of overanalyzing Cairo’s words, though, I kissed him deeply. As our tongues danced, I massaged his shoulders and absorbed every bit of light he passed my way. When I felt myself leak a little, I leaned back.

“How would you like to penetrate my walls on this couch? Or that ancient Persian rug? Or the island in the kitchen?” I pointed at each destination as I mentioned it.

Cairo reached for my waist and rubbed his nose against the side of my neck. He kissed me next, the hair on his face tickling my skin and making me giggle. When I finally caught my breath, I held the side of his face and smiled.

“You can scratch my sexual itch by helping me christen as many pieces of Liberation’s precious furniture and surfaces as possible. They care about things more than people, so if I break anything or mess it up, they can just replace it. Since they think I’m a ho anyway, I might as well use their residence for my man to turn me out.”

Cairo gave me a mischievous grin and squeezed my thigh.

“You are so bad. Let’s do it.”

I guided Cairo to my couch. Within seconds, we reached for each other, kissing and groping as if we were starving for each other’s affection. I kissed his neck and rubbed my hand onto his smooth back. He kissed and sucked on the base of my neck, driving me to a place of ecstasy as the scent of his cologne and beard oil filled my nostrils. As I clung to him, I said a silent prayer for God to give me the strength to take every inch of Cairo with grace when he finally made love to me.

When we broke our caress, he stood before me shirtless in big, socked feet. I rose and guided him to a six-figure 10x13-foot rug from Iran that lay in a medium-sized sitting room.The unique Mandala design in the middle drew one’s eyes to symmetrical geometric patterns in various shades of maroon, periwinkle blue, beige, and canary yellow. The rug was a handcrafted work of art from a donor who, before Cairo, was the biggest donor in school history. The soft wool and silk fabric would be the perfect location for an irreverent romp with the hunk of man-flesh before me.

“Come here, baby. Let me take off your pants and see what you’re working with.” I dropped to my knees, eye level to Cairo’s crotch.

When I said the word ‘baby,’ he grinned like a Cheshire cat.

“I like this side of you.”

I reached for the button of his jeans. Like a dehydrated woman in the Arizona Desert in the summer, I licked my lips and cupped his balls through his jeans. “I bet nothing this fine has ever entered this boring residence.”

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