Twists and Curves - A Sexy BWWM Interracial BBW Romance Novella from Steam Books (Romantica) (7 page)

Yolanda paled. “What the fuck? Don’t you dare…”

“It was nice hearing your voice, Yolanda,” Roy interrupted. “Bye.”

The line went dead.

Yolanda placed the receiver back in its cradle, resisting the temptation to throw it against the wall. Then, she sat on a chair, buried her face in her hands and cried.

What on earth had she done?

By making an enemy out of Roy Carmichael, she had let her family get hurt. She had let them down, not foreseeing that Roy would involve them, too, though she should have known he was that despicable. It was all her fault, and so she vowed she would do everything she could to help them.

And she wouldn’t let Roy hurt anyone else she loved.

The fact that she had not heard from her other stepbrother, Lewis, meant Roy did not have influence over the army and so could not harm him, and since her mother and stepfather, both retired, were unharmed, they would probably stay that way. He did not mention Deana either, which meant he probably did not intend to hurt her.

There was, however, one person he intended to hurt. For sure.

Shane.

Well, she would not let him.

True, she couldn’t stop Roy’s despicable plots but there was one thing she could do to prevent Shane from getting involved, keep him from getting hurt.

As much as it pained her, there was only one thing left for her to do.

Chapter Five

“You’re going to stop seeing Shane?” Deana asked with a horrified expression as she sat on Yolanda’s couch, having dropped by her friend’s apartment out of concern after Yolanda had not called back. “But didn’t you say the two of you were in love? Just a while ago, you were…”

Deana stopped talking as she realized the look of despair on Yolanda’s face, which looked even worse than the expression she had on when she and Gil broke up. In fact, she had known Yolanda for many years now, both of them meeting in high school, and yet she had never seen Yolanda so crushed, making her own chest feel tight. 

“What happened, Yolanda?”

“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Yolanda said, taking a deep breath. “Have you heard of the businessman, Roy Carmichael?”

“Of course. I’ve seen him on the news a few times. Not bad-looking for a businessman… Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be the guest on the show last week but he cancelled?”

“He didn’t cancel.”

“What?”

“I was the one who told him not to come.”

“You did?” Deana’s brows furrowed. “But why?”

“Because when we were at the restaurant the week before, I overheard him saying he wanted to sleep with me, or more accurately, he wanted to get me to sleep with him. Was gloating over it with some dickhead buddy of his like it was all some sick game.”

“Son of a bitch. Wait, he was at the restaurant? No wonder it seemed like there was a table with just bodyguards.”

“I’m sure there are a lot of people who’d want to kill him. I do.”

“You’re planning on killing him?” Deana’s eyes widened.

“I want to kill him,” Yolanda corrected. “But I’m not going to become a murderer just because of him. Anyway, back to the story. I turned him down and so now, he’s mad at me. At the same time, he still wants to take me to his bed which is why he’s coming up with all these schemes.”

“He was the one who spread the rumor?”

“And put something in the chocolates,” Yolanda said. “And just now, I found out that he’s behind my stepbrother suddenly losing his job and my stepsister’s scholarship being in jeopardy.”

Deana frowned. “That’s nasty.”

“It’s despicable, but there’s nothing I can do to stop him.”

“So what does this have to do with you and Shane?”

“He threatened that he could hurt Shane, too, and I don’t doubt he’ll go through with it, so I have to cut ties with Shane while I can.”

“You’re staying away from Shane because you don’t want Roy Carmichael to hurt him?”

“Right. He’s at the peak of his career. I don’t want to jeopardize that.”

“But Yolanda, you didn’t do anything wrong. Can’t we do something, like call the cops or something?”

“He’s powerful, Deana. He’s got enough money to make people bow before him.”

Deana snorted. “Still, surely there’s something else you can do. Why don’t you tell Shane all this and…?”

“Do you think I
want
to stop seeing him, Deana?” Yolanda turned to her angrily, tears streaking down her cheeks. “Do you think if there was something else I could do, if there was another option, I wouldn’t do it?” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve finally moved on. I’ve finally opened my heart to love again. Don’t you think I’d want to be happy?”

Deana placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “If you love him, you can tell Shane all this.”

“If I do, he’ll just get more involved and I can’t have that. I have to get away from him as soon as possible.”

“So you’re going to just tell him you’re not going to be seeing him anymore?”

“It’s what’s best for us both, at least for now. I know he might end up hating me, but that’s okay. At least, he’ll be out of Roy’s firing range.”

“You can’t even be sure of that. For all you know, Roy could still target him, knowing you care about him.”

“Then I’ll have to make Roy think I don’t care about Shane. I have to. And yes, even with that, there’s a chance he’ll still go after Shane, but I still have to try and dissuade him. I still have to try.”

Deana sighed, then nodded slowly. “Alright. When will you tell him?”

“Tomorrow,” Yolanda answered grimly. “He’s taking me to a friend’s ranch in Vermont tomorrow. I’ll tell him then.”

~ ~ ~

Telling Shane she no longer wanted to be with him, however, was easier said than done. Yolanda had thought that being dumped by someone was the worst, but walking away from someone she loved felt ten times worse, pain seizing her chest each time she looked at Shane. She knew she had to do it, though. She knew she had to keep Shane safe, and so she had to say goodbye.

Now, if only she could find an opportunity.

While there were plenty of opportunities in the car, she decided not to tell him there, afraid that they might stop in the middle of nowhere or worse, that they might get into a fight there and end up in an accident. Instead, she waited until they reached the ranch. 

As soon as they arrived, however, she became too captivated by the beauty of the place that she wanted to see more of it, and so she postponed her bad news. As Shane showed her around the ranch, the more she became entranced by it, and she started to wonder if perhaps she should wait until they got back to New York before she told Shane what she intended to, not wanting to spoil the beautiful place with something so sad.

After an hour of horseback riding, though, she decided not to delay any longer. She had to do it now, before all her resolve dwindled, before she gave in to the voice of her heart rather than follow the plan she had in mind.

She could not wait a second more.

“I have something to tell you, Shane,” she said as they led the horses down a tree-lined path, trying to keep her voice from trembling.

“What is it?”

“I…” She felt a lump suddenly form in her throat.

“Is everything okay?” He reached for her hand.

She forced herself to nod, swallowing. Then, she turned her head to look at him as she squeezed his hand. “You know what? You’re the most amazing guy I’ve ever met.”

He smiled, blushing.

“And not just because you’re very good looking, but because you’re a sincere person. When you do something, you put your heart into it and when you say something, you mean it. People like that are rare these days.”

“Gee, I don’t know what to say.”

“I want you to stay that way,” she went on. “And I want you to be happy and to become even more successful because I really think your songs can touch a lot of hearts. I want you to make even more of a difference in the world.” She paused. “And so I have to tell you this.”

He stopped walking, looking at her and listening to her intently.

“I…”

She stopped talking as she felt a drop of water on her cheek. Knowing she hadn’t started to cry yet, she looked up to see other drops falling.

It was raining.

“Let’s hurry to the barn,” Shane said, getting on his horse.

Yolanda, too, climbed hers and they dashed to the nearest barn, an old one which seemed like it hadn’t been used for years, but luckily was still intact apart from a few holes in the roof where the raindrops seeped through, even having dried hay spread on the floor. They tied the horses inside and went in, sitting on the hay as they tried to catch their breaths and dry themselves.

“Here.” Shane handed Yolanda his denim jacket. “Wear this so you won’t get cold.”

Yolanda nodded, accepting the jacket which she wrapped around her shoulders. 

“The rain should let up in a bit,” he said, looking out the window before closing it. “It never rains long here at this time of year.”

“You sound like you’ve been here a lot.”

“I have,” he admitted. “Roland’s Dad and mine were friends for a long time.”

“I see.”

“By the way, what was that you were trying to say? It seemed like you were about to say something really serious back there.”

Yolanda stiffened. Right, she still hadn’t said what she came to say.

“Well?” He sat beside her on the hay.

“I…” She stopped, struggling to find the words to say. Should she repeat the prelude she had said earlier or should she just go straight to the point?

“Yes?” he encouraged her.

“I’ve been thinking and I think it’s better for us to stop seeing each other.”

He said nothing, though his expression showed his shock.

“I mean… just for now. It doesn’t have to be permanent unless you want it to be. I just need to sort some stuff out. Besides, I think now is not the right time for you to be in a relationship since your career…”

“So you don’t want to be with me?” he asked, interrupting her.

“It’s not like I don’t want to be with you,” she said, then regretted the words as soon as she had said them, realizing she had just made things more difficult. “I just need to stay away from you for a while.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Why?”

“Like I said, you…”

“I’m not buying those reasons. They’re not reasons, just excuses.” He moved closer to her and held her chin gently in his hand. “Tell me the truth, Yolanda. If you don’t like me, tell me.”

Yolanda turned away. “You and I are not right for each other,” she forced herself to say, each word seemingly a thorn in her throat.

“Of course we are. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”

Yolanda felt a tear roll down her cheek. “It was good, but it’s over now. It will never…”

She was unable to continue speaking because he gripped her chin a second time, this time more firmly, and kissed her.

For a moment, she could not respond, her eyes wide in shock at what he was doing, but as his lips caressed hers over and over, she closed her eyes, unable to resist the warmth of his kiss or thwart the warmth building in her own body, the flames being kindled by the voice that had been telling her she loved him over and over, now much louder than before.

She loved him.

And he loved her. The tenderness of his lips against hers told her as much.

Suddenly, nothing else mattered, not the rain pouring outside the old barn, Roy Carmichael or the fact that they were in a place where anyone could walk in at any time. She clung to him, seemingly clinging for dear life, and kissed him back with all the passion raging inside her, parting her lips so that their tongues could collide and mingle.

Over and over their lips and tongues met, and she was so caught up in it that she didn’t notice him slipping his jacket off her shoulders, only noticing when she felt his hand pressed against the small of her back, rubbing it before moving his fingers up the curve of her spine, making her skin tingle through the soaked fabric of her blouse.

She, too, moved her hands, letting go of the fistfuls of his shirt that she had clutched to splay her palms against his smooth chest.

He moved his hand up to her nape, massaging it before running his fingers through her hair. Then, he lowered her down gently on the hay, never breaking the kiss, while she wrapped her arms around his back.

When the kiss broke, she was out of breath and so was he, though it hardly mattered. He looked down at her, his eyes gleaming with a hint of sadness, of love, and of desire. She, too, felt her own desire stirring, the warmth in her body turning into heat in spite of the cold air drifting into the barn, and knowing he was asking for her permission even without speaking, she gave it, wanting him as much as he wanted her. She reached for his hand and kissed his palm before pressing it against her cheek. Then, she placed it on her chest, right above her pounding heart before shifting it lower to rest on her left breast, her eyes never leaving his.

He looked down at his hand and slowly squeezed her breast through the layers of damp clothing. Then, he bent down to kiss her neck as he used his other hand to enclose her other breast, kneading them both gently.

He kissed the hollow of her throat while his fingers worked on the buttons of her blouse, undoing them before releasing the clasp of her bra, laying her bare to him. Pushing her blouse and her bra to the sides, he kissed one breast reverently and then another. Then, he took one of her breasts in his mouth, sucking on it while he fondled the other, taking the nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

She gasped, feeling her breasts swell under his ministrations, her nipples becoming hard as pebbles under the onslaught of pleasure his tongue and fingers skillfully delivered, and when he used his tongue to flick against her nipple repeatedly, she writhed, the sensation making her whole body feel on fire.

He moved his mouth to her other breast as he used his other hand to travel lower, skirting the soft swell of her abdomen before making its way between her legs, caressing the core of her through her pants.

At first, she felt the faintest feeling of self-consciousness as her body was mostly exposed to him. She felt confident in her curves, and even spent an episode of her show dedicated to women’s body image. But Shane was such a beautiful man, and she knew he had to have had his share of—conventionally—beautiful women, too, and the thought she might possibly be compared to any of these hypothetical women opened up a window of insecurity for her…