Walk Me Home: A Friends To Lovers Dance Romance Read online

  Julie is the newest one in our bunch. She's sweet, but blonde jokes were made for her, and she has zero filters, but we love her.

  The waitress takes our order and leaves us to our conversation. We’re all sitting in this huge corner booth with a small table added to it because we don’t all fit. Bentley and I are sitting next to each other at the end. His knee keeps bumping mine under the table. After all the bumping and grinding we just did, I'm struggling to keep it together.

  It’s been too long since a real man has touched me. It may only be a few months since Jackson and I broke up, but it’s been much longer than that since we’ve had decent sex. In the moment it was hard to realize how shitty my relationship with Jackson was, but looking back, it’s as clear as day. Bentley touches me, and without even realizing it, he sets me on fire.

  He places his hand on my thigh and leans in close to whispers in my ear. “You’re blushing.”

  I glance over with a grin on my face. “And?”

  “Wanna fill me in?”

  I shake my head with a slight grin. “Nope.” I can’t admit to wanting Bentley. Not yet, anyway.

  He leans in close and whispers, “That’s okay. I think I already know.” He gently squeezes my leg under the table, letting me know that he’s onto me.

  When we finish eating, we each pay our bill. Some are still sitting around talking, but I’m ready to get out of here. “Walk me home?” I ask Bentley, hoping he is ready too.

  “Of course.” He gets up, pulling my chair out for me like the gentleman he is. “Y’all have a good night,” Bentley says to our crew, who is now grinning ear to ear because they see us leaving together.

  “How much do you want to bet them asses are gossiping about us again?” I look up at him with laughter.

  He shrugs. “Let’em talk. I could give a shit less.”

  “Me too.” He opens the door for me, and we both step out into the warm evening air. “It’s beautiful out.”

  “It is.” I inhale a deep breath.

  “So now that we’re alone.” He bumps me.

  I glance up at him. “Yeah?”

  “You wanna tell me why you were blushing back there.”

  Bastard knows exactly why I was blushing, but he wants me to admit it. “What if I say no?”

  He shrugs. “Then I guess you say no.”

  I toss my head back, laughing. “You know why I was blushing.” I slap him playfully.

  “I do?” He plays dumb.

  “Yes, you do. Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you.” We stop outside my apartment complex.

  “Fair enough.” He steps up close to me. “I’m glad I have that effect on you,” He says with a handsome smile that wakes my lady bits up.

  “Me, too.” I smile.

  His eyes bounce between mine and my lips as he inches in. “Jade, I’m going to kiss you.” He warns, his breath warm on my lips. He pauses for a moment, waiting for me to argue, but I close my eyes. His lips connect with mine. The jolt I feel is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It strikes deep in my core.

  Our mouths open, and our tongues connect. His hands glide up my back as he presses my body against his. He tugs at my messy bun, breaking our kiss. “Good night, beautiful.” He presses one more chaste kiss to my lips and leaves me there, speechless and breathless.

  Oh, Bentley, you just opened up yourself a can of worms, my friend. I expel a deep breath and head in contemplating my next move. For now, I have a date with BOB.

  Chapter Ten

  Jade

  Bentley and I have spent a lot of time together at the studio over the last few weeks. We’ve been working hard trying to come up with music, investing hours into jamming out to so many different songs. It has been so much fun. We play with the lyrics and beats merely moving our bodies, hoping to figure out what feels right.

  We tried working with J Lo, but Micah’s not sure he’s happy with it. I think the only thing we’ve learned is that we feel right together, although neither of us has fully admitted that yet. We’ve managed to tease each other to the point of near explosion. There have been a few times we’ve come close to attacking one another, and someone would come walking in, interrupting us. Despite the fact we’re having a blast, dancing and teasing one another, there are still two problems. One, I’ve killed the batteries in BOB and two, we can’t come up with something we want to dance to.

  He walks into the salon to pick me up for practice, sporting his huge sexy smile. Missy, one of my besties and the hairdresser next to me, fans herself. “Girl, he is seriously hot.”

  I roll my eyes. “Wipe the drool.” I toss her a towel.

  “I will, but if you don’t scoop that man up, someone else will, and you’re going to be hating yourself.” She picks up the towel and pretends to wipe her mouth.

  I laugh. “You’re crazy.” I throw my bag over my shoulder.

  “That may be true, but he’s still hot, and he won’t be single forever.” She warns.

  “See ya!” I can feel her watching us as I hurry toward the door to meet Bentley so that we can get to the studio.

  “You ready?” His megawatt smile melts my panties.

  “For sure. Any new ideas for today?” I ask, hoping he’s come up with something.

  He shakes his head. “Not necessarily. I like what we’ve been doing, though.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me. “I say we hit another playlist and just go through it.”

  “You realize that in trying to accomplish this mission, we’re in the process of creating our own little playlist.” I giggle.

  He shrugs. “So be it.” He hits play and starts dancing down the street to Whisper by Blac Youngsta. We don’t bother with headphones when we’re walking together anymore because we’re always so deep into music.

  People are moving out of the way as he dances by. Some look frustrated by his moves, but most are amused. I can’t help but laugh. The dude has some serious skills. It doesn’t matter what the beat is, Bentley can move to it.

  I can’t help but join in as we dance past people walking to the studio from work. I grab the light post and dance around it, then continue down the street. When we get to a clearing, he picks me up over his head, spins me around, and then slowly lowers me, sliding me down the front of his muscular body. Our lips practically touch on the way down, and my panties are about to combust from the sexual tension flowing between us. He takes my hand, and we continue on our way.

  As we get to the studio, the song is coming to an end. We rush up the stairs to what has become our private area to work while we figure this out. Just as we put our bags down, P. Diddy comes over the speaker. Bentley grabs my hand and starts singing to me. We have spent endless hours flirting over the last couple of weeks. We've even come close to locking lips again, but something always seems to get in the way. He hasn’t kissed me since the night we went to eat, and the want that is building between us is intense, but something or someone always seems to interrupt us.

  “I need a girl to ride, ride, ride. I need a girl to make my wife.” He sings, pulling me close and grinding his hips with mine.

  “You hitting the club with us this weekend?” I ask, ignoring the words he just sang to me.

  He laughs. “Of course.” He spins me around and then pulls me close, grinding his hips with mine.

  Our eyes lock, but he glances down on my lips. “I need to kiss you, Jade.” He whispers. His eyes appear as if he’s not going to make it unless he tastes me. I press up on my toes to meet him the rest of the way. My panties instantly explode from the jolt that strikes me to the core. I love the way his full, soft lips feel on mine. He pulls away, rubbing his nose gently against mine. “God, I’ve missed that.” He kisses me one more time, our tongues briefly connect.

  “Me too.” I pant.

  He runs his knuckles over my cheek. “Valentine’s Day is coming. Let me take you on a date.” His words are demanding, but his eyes are pleading. I can’t say no.

  “I would love that,” I whisper wi
th a smile.

  A small grin plays at his lips. “Good.”

  I hold my hand up. “Under one condition.” He narrows his eyes at me. “You let me make you dinner tonight after practice.”

  He’s smiling ear to ear. “Deal. I’ll plan it and let you know the details.” He grinds his hips to the music.

  “Sounds good to me.” He locks our fingers together and spins me around and then pulls me back.

  When we turn, we notice we’re no longer alone. Our entire crew is leaning on the wall with their arms crossed at their chest. The amusement is written all over their face. When we stop, they erupt into a round of applause. Bentley holds up my hand, and I take a bow.

  Ky shouts, “It’s about fucking time.” We both burst into laughter.

  “Fuck you.” Bentley flips him off.

  “We came up to work on our competition routine, and we found you two in this very intimate embrace,” Aaron says with laughter.

  “So, you had to interrupt, right?” I shake my head. “You couldn’t just leave us be.”

  Micah walks over to us. “Thanks for proving me right.” He slaps Bentley on the back as he walks past us to the stereo equipment to bring up our music.

  Everyone else joins us on the dance floor. Some are hugging me, happy for me while the rest are busting Bentley’s balls over how long it took for him to ask me out.

  Micah pulls us together so we can get to work. He seems happy with Aaron and Julie’s progress, but he gave the lead stunt to Bentley and me.

  When we finish rehearsal, we walk hand in hand back to Bentley’s so I can make us something to eat. “Do you have food at your place, or should we stop at the store?” He looks down at me, fighting a smile. “What?”

  “I don’t have anything thawed out. I told you. I don’t really cook.”

  I shake my head. “Come on.” I pull him down the street toward the small market. It’s a bit pricey to shop here, but in a pinch, it will work. “What do you like to eat?”

  He shakes his head. “I’m not picky. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in a while.”

  I scan the store, trying to come up with something that won’t take too long to make. “How hungry are you? I think I’ll make a grilled chicken caesar salad and some breadsticks.”

  “That works. I had a protein bar before class.” I roll my eyes. I can’t let him live off of protein bars and take out.

  Bentley follows me around the store as I grab a small pack of chicken and everything else, I need to make a yummy fresh caesar salad. “Okay, I got everything.” He takes the handbasket from me, and we walk to the register where he pays for the groceries. “Thank you.” he grabs the bags with one and my hand with the other.

  “You have no need to thank me. You’re preparing a meal for me. The least I can do is pay for the food.” The more he does for me, the more I realize Jackson was an ass. “Why are you blushing?” Damn it, every time I compare them, I blush.

  I grin. Looking down at the ground as we walk up to his building. “You’ve made me realize what an ass my ex was time and time again.”

  He shrugs. “That isn’t my intention, Jade. I am just being me.” He shakes his head. “I’m sorry if it reminds you of what an ass he was, but we will work on that after dinner.” He winks and rubs his stomach. “I’m kinda hungry.”

  I burst out laughing. “Okay, come on, big guy. Let’s get you fed.”

  I cook the chicken while he rinses the lettuce and grabs us a large bowl to mix our salad in. He leans against the countertop, looking down at me while I cook. “Can I help you?” I ask, trying to figure out why he is staring at me.

  “I like you cooking in my kitchen. It’s very sexy.” He inches closer, his eyes bouncing between my lips and my eyes. Our lips connect, his tongue dives in, and battles with mine. The sizzling of the chicken pulls me back to the now.

  I pull away, shaking my head. “You’re going to make me burn the chicken.”

  “We can’t have that.” He chuckles. “I’ll get us some plates.” He goes to the cabinet behind us, pulls down two plates and two cups, and pulls two forks from the drawer while I mix the salad and take the breadsticks from the oven. I serve us each a plate, and we have a seat at his table. “Thank you. This looks delicious.” I dive in, and he follows—another gentleman act.

  “What are your big plans for our Valentine’s date?”

  “I haven’t fully decided yet, but you need to dress nice.”

  “Nice, huh?” I can’t help but wonder what he has up his sleeve, but I’m excited. Jackson never took me anywhere nice. I plop the last of my salad in my mouth.

  “Is that okay?” He asks with concern.

  “Of course.” He takes our empty plates and loads them into the dishwasher.

  “Wanna hang out for a bit, or do you want me to walk you home?”

  “No, I’ll hang.” We head over to the couch.

  He takes a seat at the end, and I snuggle up next to him. He puts his arm around me and kisses me on the head. “What do you like to watch?” He asks as I rest my head on his shoulder.

  “I don’t care, babe.” My eyes go wide. I can’t believe I just called him babe, but he says nothing. He just continues flipping through the channels until he decides on a rerun of Chicago PD.

  I look up at him. “I never thought of you as a cop show kind of guy.”

  He shrugs. “I honestly don’t watch much TV.” He says, staring into my eyes. I press up, kissing his full soft lips. He moans into my mouth as I climb over his lap. His hand runs up and down my back as I grind my eager pussy against his hard cock. I pepper kisses up his jaw. “I don’t watch much TV either,” I whisper in his ear.

  “Jade,” he pants, picking me up and laying me on the couch.

  He grinds his hips, smiling down on me. “You have no idea how happy you make me.” His lips connect with mine before I can say anything more. He kisses his way down my neck to my breast.

  “Bentley, we should shower first,” I beg, realizing we had both been dancing. He pulls me up off the couch and sits me down on the ottoman.

  “I don’t give a shit. I need you now.” He peels my shirt and sports bra over my head, tossing them aside, and lays me back down. He peppers kisses down my neck to my breast, sucking one into his mouth as he cups the other.

  “Mmm, Bentley.” I wrap my legs around his hips, but he continues kissing down my stomach, stopping to play with my belly ring for a moment. “Your lips are magic.” I moan.

  He lifts my hips and peels my leggings down over my ass. He’s licking, kissing and sucking his way down my legs as he removes them from my body. I’m on fire with the need to feel him inside of me, but he has the patience of a saint and is going to make me wait until he’s ready.

  “What’s wrong, beautiful?”

  “I need you inside me.” I bite my lip, trying to stifle my desperation.

  “Trust me, baby. I need to be buried inside you, too, but in time. I need to taste you first.” He kisses his way up my leg. When he gets to my lady bits, he laps up my essence, sucking my tiny nub into his mouth. He works it with his tongue until I explode. My legs clench around his head as he continues working my sensitive bits.

  “Bentley,” I call out. I need a break, but he’s not listening, so I try to adjust my position on the ottoman and nearly roll off.

  “Where are you going, beautiful?” He asks, catching me before I can fall.

  “Holy shit, that was…” my words trail when he pulls my ass to the edge of the ottoman and slowly sinks himself deep inside me. He begins thrusting his hips, but the stupid ottoman is sliding across the floor with every thrust.

  “Fuck,” he growls out, trying to hold me still.

  “Sit on the couch,” I demand. I didn’t think he was going to listen at first, but he does. I climb on top of him and lower myself onto his cock. He thrusts his hips up in rhythm with me. “Babe, this feels amazing.” I toss my head back, placing my hands on his knees behind me. He grabs my hips with one h
and and kneads my breast with the other. “Fuck, Bentley.” I cry out as another orgasm tears through me. He slams his hips forward one last time and empties himself deep inside me.

  I lean forward, placing my head on his shoulder. We’re both trying to gain some control when he expels a deep breath and whispers. “Now, we can shower.”

  I burst into laughter. “I’d like that.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Jade

  I slip my snug black jeans up my long, lean legs and pull on an off the shoulder shirt that reveals my flat stomach over my head. It’s club night, and I’m so excited to be getting out with Bentley tonight. We’ve both been working hard all week, and when we’re not working, we’re talking on the phone or at dance rehearsal. It’s like we’ve been dating for months, even though we only just started.

  Katia appears at the door of my bathroom, sipping a glass of wine. “Are you coming home tonight?” She wiggles her brows at me.

  I grin. “Probably not.”

  “Good. I like Bentley.” She takes another sip as if she didn’t freak out on him about a month ago.

  I roll my eyes. “Really? You’d never know it from the way you reacted the last time I stayed out.”

  She laughs. “I just wanted to make sure he treated you right.”

  I spin around, leaning on the sink with a huge smile on my face. “Katia, I can’t believe how incredibly kind, caring, thoughtful…” My words trail.

  “Sexy.” She continues.

  “He is definitely sexy.” My smile grows. “I mean, he named his cat so he would be reminded of his mom because they are that close.”