If I'd Only Known (Milan Women Series Book 1) (2 page)

“Jern,
you are not a well woman,” Perri declared, laughing out loud.

Journey
chuckled. “But I do know what I’m talking about,” Journey insisted. Perri, when
Barrington gets home talk to him about your concerns with his housekeeper. He
can listen; not listen. Either way, you tell him. Because I would hate to annihilate
this heifer if she gets stupid on you,” Journey stated serious as daylight.

“I
hear you, Jern. What are we going to the mall for you to buy now?”

Journey
glanced at Perri. “I’ll let you change the subject. But only because now we’re
talking my favorite topic,” she admitted, laughing at her friend’s insight on
her love of shopping.

“Okay,
Jern, what latest pair of designer jeans do you just have to have?” Perri
chuckled.

“OMG,”
Perri screamed, hearing Blue-Eyed Souls latest song playing on the radio. It
was only the second week since it hit the airwaves, but it was already number
three and still climbing on the top ten R&B charts. Missing her man like
crazy, she pumped up the volume.

Tears
were streaming down Perri’s face by the end of the song. She couldn’t believe
Barrington had made it for her, much less dedicated it to her in the credits of
their newly released CD. It had been almost six months since the last time he
flew in unannounced to see her, and though he usually tried to call her at
least once a day, he hadn’t called her but twice all this week and she was
itching to hear from him like nobody’s business.

She
reached for her sketch pad, busily capturing on paper in black and white the
beautiful vision that filled her mind’s eye. The phone rang and, she cursed,
hating the interruption when her creative juices were flowing so sweetly. She
cursed again, snatching the receiver up on the fifth ring, prepared to let her
thunder roll on whoever was on the other end, however, before she could utter a
word, she heard music to her ears as butterflies began to tap dance in her
belly.

“Hello,
sweet Perri,” Barrington Knight’s voice was playful over the phone.

Elated,
Perri laughed out loud. “Hello,” she tried her best to sound simple as Simon.
It only lasted a minute before she heard herself say, “Man, I thought you’d forgotten
about me.”

Barrington
chuckled, wishing he could see his woman’s beautiful face. “How could I forget
about you?
Why
would I forget about you, Perri Milan?” He shrugged and
smiled as if she could see him. “Granted, I’ve been on the road for the past eight
months, but out of sight didn’t mean you weren’t on my mind. I’m home for a
minute now,” he said, excited to taste her luscious lips.

“Why
didn’t you warn me? I could have prepared dinner for you.”

Barrington
loved that Perri made him a welcome dinner whenever he came home from a long
tour on the road; it meant she cared. But he wanted to surprise her and cook
for her this time. “Because I knew you’d slave away at a hot stove all day, and
honestly, baby, I just wanted to chill with you a couple hours before we eat.”

“You
just wanna get me on my back.” She chuckled when he laughed out loud.

“You
are not right, girl.” He loved her sense of humor. “Why do you always say
that?”

“Because
you never know what to say when I knock you off your game,” she teased.

Knowing
it was pointless allowing his mind to rest in that area since they’d yet to
have their first sexual encounter, he chuckled and changed the subject. “Did I
catch you at a bad time?”

“No,
you’re fine. I’m just sitting around sketching.”

“Is
that right?” he drawled.

Perri
smiled into the phone envisioning his golden tan face with a head full of
beautiful golden blonde curls that she was now dying to sift her fingers
through. “That’s right,” she said dreamily.

“What
were you sketching?” It dawned on him this part of her life she didn’t share
with him.

Perri
glanced down at her paper. Every detail of his face was picture perfect. She looked
around like someone could really see her. “Just some images floating around in
my head.” There was a knock on the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone. “Can you
hold on for a sec, please?”

“Don’t
leave me hanging too long,” he said playfully.

Perri
ran down the hallway to the door anxious to get rid of whoever it was; it
didn’t matter because they wouldn’t be staying. She was more than a tad put out
that someone, anyone dared to infringe on the little precious time she had with
her man. Oh, yes, someone was about two feet away from receiving a royal
cussing out. Not bothering to check the peephole, she snatched the door open,
catching a glimpse of her unexpected visitor as a surprised gasp escaped her. She
gazed up to Barrington’s six-four inch muscle-bound frame, itching to run her
fingers through his feathery soft golden blonde locks as her eyes came to rest
on his gorgeous yellow-green orbs.

Letting
his eyes drink in Perri’s five-six inch hour-glass form, Barrington
instinctively reached out to tuck a stray brown curl behind her ear, allowing
his eager fingers to linger on her deliciously rich honey brown face. Chuckling
at his baby’s shell shocked expression in her expressive chocolate brown eyes, Barrington
rushed in, taking her in his arms. Without further ado, or even a chance for
her to make a move, he kissed her once . . . twice . . . deepening the kiss the
third time.

Perri
was lost inside his kiss; her body feeling warm and tingly. She moaned in his
mouth as he used his skillful, probing tongue to retrace the path inside her
mouth that he’d claimed for himself the first time they’d ever kissed on that
beautiful snowcapped mountain he’d surprised her with a trip to, over a year
and a half ago, when they decided to move their relationship from the friend
zone into the dating scene, where they’d both been actively pursuing their
perspective roles in each other’s lives ever since.

This
kiss was like none other she'd ever experienced, except for with this special
and unique man. Perri tried to catch her breath between kisses only to find it
was a hopeless feat trying to steady her flush body under the bone thrilling
assault of his potent and wonderful fingertips as his warm hands began to roam
over her body as if he knew by heart every secret about each and every crevice
his fingertips delved deep into. Perri couldn't do a thing but stand there and
take it as his mouth found its way and reacquainted itself to her ears and neck
while his hands took on a whole other escapade of their own, feeling their way
to places that were strictly still
virgin
territory.

“Barry,”
Perri panted, grinding her core into his probing hand. His mouth came back to
hers.

His
hands played with her soft, brown tresses, massaging her scalp, knowing it stroked
her stress away. “Don't you know it's dangerous to open the door without asking
who it is?” he asked, kissing, nibbling, and teasing her upper and lower lips.

“Huh?”
Perri returned the pleasant kisses. “You expect me to think right now?”

Barrington
chuckled as he decided to give her time to regain her good senses. He licked
his lips just to taste her honey one more time. Squeezing her waist, his hands
traveled down to cup a handful of her ass, as his baby was blessed with just
enough junk in her trunk. “Seriously, Perri, you need to be more careful.” He
shook his head. “Don't ever answer the door unless you ask and know who it is
first,” he instructed her like he was reprimanding a small child.

Perri
folded her arms and looked up at him. “Then maybe you should have thought about
that before you showed up here unannounced.”

Barrington
chuckled. “So, you're not happy to see me?”

Ignoring
his question, she said, “And furthermore, if you were so concerned about my
safety and well-being, why'd you just push your way in and immediately pounce
on my body?”

He
laughed out loud. “It wasn't your body, it was your mouth.”

“Same
difference, it’s still part of my body.”

“I
beg to differ.” He pulled Perri back into his arms. “If I were gonna pounce on
your body, baby, it wouldn't be like this.” Barrington tasted her lips again,
kissed her, slowly slipping his well-placed tongue into the sweetness of her
mouth, and finding her tongue again, he mated with her like a savage beast.

Unable
to help it, Perri slid her hands around his neck and caressed his scalp as she
expertly ran her fingers through his gorgeous locks, letting out a deep sigh of
surrender.

Just
like that, Barrington ended the kiss.

“Anyway,”
she playfully pushed at him, “what are you doing here?”

Looking
back at the door, then her, he grinned. “You just gonna leave that door open?
You want me to discuss all our personal business where your nosy neighbors can
hear?” he teased.

Perri
closed the door behind him and led him into the living room. “So?” She pivoted
around to face him.

“So
what?”

Perri
huffed. “Don't play with me, G-Man. What are you doing here?”

“I
came to see
my
woman. Is that all right with you?”

“Fine
time to be asking now that you’re here.”

He
chuckled. “You still got that smart mouth I see.” He reached out and fingered
her lips lightly. “I like that, though,” he admitted. “Don't change.”

“I
hadn't planned on it,” she informed him, trying to stifle the smile that so
desperately wanted to come out of hiding.

“I
see,” he drawled.

“You
don't see anything, Barrington. If you did, you'd know I was just playing hard
to get.”

He
grinned. “Does that mean I got you if I want you?”

She
grinned back. “Does that mean you want me . . . if you could have me?”

He
had to laugh. “Why you always answer my questions with a question?”

She
laughed, too. “Why you always ask questions that need answers?”

They
laughed at each other.

Barrington
shook his head. “You got such a damn smart ass mouth.”

“No
need to worry since me and my mouth are none of your concern.”

Stepping
closer to her, he lowered his head until his forehead touched hers. “See, now,
Perri, that's where you're wrong.” He lightly brushed his lips against hers.
“Things are different now.”

Fighting
the desire inside, Perri said, “I don't know how you figure that.” Her eyes
fluttered shut as his mouth did things to the inside of her mouth that she knew
she had no business allowing herself to enjoy when he was making her feel this
hot and bothered.

“Well,
now, I could tell you.” He kissed her deeply again. “But you'd probably have
more fun if I showed you.”

“No,
you'd have more fun if I let you show me. But if you can't even tell me,
Barrington, why should I trust you to show me? Why would I even want to see?”

“Some
things, Perri, there aren't any words to describe. You have to feel it in order
to believe it's real.”

“And
some things, Barrington, have to be explained in some detail in order to make
up your mind if you want to proceed any further or not.”

She
surprised him with that remark. “This is true.” He chuckled.

“I
know it is,” she smirked.

“Oh,
don't go getting all confident now. I could shake things up for you a bit.”

“So
do what you feel,” she suggested not bothering to hide her amusing grin.

“Careful
what you ask for, girl, I just might have to give it to you.”

“You're
assuming I'd let you.”

“You
underestimate me, Perri.”

“Meaning
what?”

“You
assume you'd be able to resist me.”

“I
done a good job so far,” she patted herself on the back.

“That's
only because I haven’t really put my personal touch on you yet.”

“Now
who's sounding cocky?”

“Not
cocky, baby,” he denied. “I just know my capabilities.”

“In
the bedroom, no doubt,” she said dryly.

“Bedroom,
living room, dining room, bathroom; it don't matter to me where because with my
level of skill, you still won't be able to compare me to another.”

“That’s
a high level of boasting for someone who has yet to back his claim up.”

“Well,
if you'd let me show you, baby, you'd see the proof is in the way I put my back
in to it,” he teased and laughed when her mouth fell open.

Catching
her off guard she didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. Truth being
told, right now, she was having a hard time looking in his eyes.

“Don't
tell me I finally rendered the great Perri Milan speechless.”

She
rubbed the back of her neck just to have something to do with her hands. “I'll
be back in a minute,” she announced and turned to leave before he could
question her.

Inside
her bedroom, Perri hung up the phone then sat on the edge of the bed, trying to
regain her composure before rejoining Barrington in the living room. Leaning
back on the bed, her hand brushed against her sketch pad. She'd forgotten she
even had it out. Getting up, she grabbed it, looked at the sketch of Barrington
one last time and, unable to help it, she smiled her butt off.

“So,
this is what you were sketching when I called.”

Perri
jumped, startled because she didn't hear him come into her room.

“Easy,
baby girl, it's just me.” He grinned as he steadied her by the elbow. Taking
the sketch pad from her hands, Barrington admired what he saw. “You're really
good, you know.”

“Thank
you.”

“You're
welcome.” He shook his head in awe. “Everything is so detailed. It looks just
like me, he mused, amazed at her creative skills.” He looked at her then back
down at the picture he held in his hands. “This is really something else,
Perri. I mean . . . it's beautiful, my baby.”