Make You Mine. Niobia Bryant

in the nude,” Caress quickly balked, even as she pictured herself so easily stripping down to nothing in front of him.

      Julius turned his head to give her a leisurely once over. “Pity.”

      Caress flushed and the bud between her legs jumped to attention. Her heart raced.

      “Please, if you’ve seen one set of T & A, you’ve seen them all,” she teased, squirming a little in her seat under his direct and piercing gaze.

      “I doubt that.”

      As the foursome walked into the restaurant’s renovated brick building, Julius placed his hand at the small of Caress’s back wanting to touch her. “Have you eaten here before?” he asked, as the hostess led them to the bar to await a table in the dining area.

      Caress shook her head side to side to indicate she hadn’t as she took in the interior of the two-level structure for the first time.

      The contemporary décor was in hues of deep mahogany with rich blue-and-gold accents that were perfectly accentuated by the bright African sculptures and artwork adorning the brick walls.

      “I’ve heard about it, of course, but I’ve never been,” she told him, as she swayed on the barstool to the soft, sultry music filling the air from the live band playing on the stage at the front of the restaurant.

      “Welcome everyone. Julius.”

      The foursome all turned to find a stunningly beautiful woman standing behind them with a beguiling and warm smile.

      Julius didn’t miss Caress’s eyes darting between him and the woman. “Hello, Mahogany. What’s special on the menu tonight?” he asked, before taking a sip of his Crown Royal and Coke.

      “Roast lamb, grilled salmon, and of course, the jambalaya.”

      Tamara cleared her throat.

      “Oh, I’m sorry. Caress, Tamara, and Kendrick this is Mahogany Woods, the owner of this fine establishment. Mahogany, this is Caress, my date, Kendrick, one of my best friends, and Tamara, my headache.”

      That earned him a pinch from Tam-Tam.

      Mahogany smiled. “It’s wonderful to meet you all. Julius, a pleasure as always. Enjoy your meal.”

      With that she was gone.

      “She’s gorgeous!” Tamara exclaimed, turning in her seat to face the bar.

      “You got that right. Damn, she’s—” Kendrick began.

      Tamara’s right eyebrow shot up and the rest of her husband’s words evaporated like steam.

      “So I guess you’re a regular here, huh?” Caress asked, as she picked up her glass of white wine from the napkin embossed with the word Mahogany.

      Julius looked over at her and felt a desire to push aside her long and fine hair to suckle the long line of her elegant neck. “I’ve never slept with Mahogany, Caress,” he told her, surprised by his candor since he owed her no explanations on his life—past or present.

      Caress took a deep sip of the liquid. “I never asked if you did.”

      He just laughed low into his drink, not believing for a second that the thought hadn’t crossed her mind.

      Their hostess appeared with menus in her hand. “Your table’s ready. Right this way.”

      Caress and Julius picked up their drinks and followed the hostess across the hardwood dance floor to the wrought iron staircase leading to the stylish and hip dining area upstairs.

      Julius smiled devilishly at the delectable sight of Caress’s curvaceous bottom as he climbed the stairs behind her. Although he too thought she favored J. Lo, Ms. Lopez had nothing on Caress. I really need to thank Tamara .

      Julius slid into the booth next to Caress. “I’m starving,” he said, letting his thigh brush intimately against hers. He picked up the leather-bound menu in front of him.

      Caress leaned in close to point at his menu. “I’ll have the Caesar salad with grilled chicken and pine nuts. Right…here.”

      Her sweet scent wafted up to him, clouding his senses, as the touch of her breasts against his arm aroused him with an intensity. Clearing his throat, Julius signaled for their waitress. “I feel like steak myself.”

      When the waitress promptly appeared at the table, Julius ordered Caress’s meal the way she requested and then ordered a T-bone well-done with mushrooms and shallots. He also requested a Heineken with his meal.

      “I’ll have a margarita,” Caress said.

      “Me too,” Tamara added.

      Kendrick smiled cockily at his wife. “You know what alcohol does to you.”

      Tamara rubbed her hand up his strong thigh to lightly stroke his member. “Problem?”

      Julius winked at Kendrick, before turning to Caress with a questioning look in his eyes.

      “Don’t even go there,” she said, blushing.

      They all just laughed.

      Caress was feeling the effects of the tequila in her drink by the end of her delicious meal. “I want to dance,” she said suddenly, following yet another impulse.

      Julius was in the restroom. Tamara and Kendrick were so deep into each other that neither noticed when Caress left the table. Her feet guided her down the stairs and onto the crowded dance floor as the band began a jazz rendition of Mary J. Blige’s classic rendition of “I’m Going Down.” She found her own little space on the dance floor, closed her eyes, and let the rhythm of the music instinctively move her hips and feet.

      Julius wanted Caress. She was beautiful, sexy, vibrant, and funny. Her touch gave him goose bumps. Her smile made his heart skip a beat.

      At that moment, as he stood on a mini-balcony and looked down at her move with such abandon on the dance floor, he knew he wanted to bury himself inside her moist warmth. He wanted her grinding with him in the same fashion as she danced until their bodies were drenched with sweat and then spent.

      Not once taking his eyes off of her, Julius descended the stairs slowly and crossed the dance floor to stand behind her. He grasped her wide hips with eager hands and began to rock his body with hers, enjoying the feel of her bottom cushioned against him.

      Caress knew it was Julius as soon as his hands touched her. She already recognized his heat and his scent. With a soft smile she turned to face him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and press her body close enough to feel the heat of his loins.

      “Damn, I want you,” he whispered in her ear as he nuzzled her neck with his lips.

      Caress laughed softly and grinded close to his lengthening erection. “I want you too,” she whispered back with honesty.

      “Oh, you do?” he moaned deep in his throat.

      Tilting her head back, she looked up into his eyes with want and wild abandon. “Kiss me, Julius,” she demanded softly.

      He lowered his head to honor her request right there in the middle of the dance floor.

      Caress sucked deeply on Julius’s tongue with a lazy, satisfied moan, before ending the kiss with another touch of her lips to his. “You got me so hot.”

      “Do you feel how hard I am?” Julius countered, pressing the full length of his erection into her stomach with a wicked grin.

      “Ahem.”

      They both turned their heads to see Tamara and Kendrick standing beside them. They had been so caught up in their heat that they hadn’t even noticed them walk up.

      “I hate to interrupt when y’all are having such a…ahem, good time, but it’s getting late,” Tamara told them with