Torn Apart (African American Romance) Read online

  Torn Apart

  by

  Cristina Grenier

  Copyright © 2013 Monster Media

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Other sizzling books by Cristina Grenier

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  The Beginning

  A Different World

  Three Years Later

  The Real World

  New Beginnings

  A Long Time Coming

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Rhonda stared at the white ceiling of the room, which had become like her second home in the past couple of months. She was trying to hold her composure but Ken was making that impossible for her to do. As she lay on her back, Ken ran ice cubes on her sensitive-to-the-touch skin on what was being called the hottest day of the year so far in Traverse City. He had started using the ice cubes on her forehead only moments ago, but now he was down to her navel continuing to head south.

  “Do you want me to stop?” Ken whispered softly to her.

  Although Rhonda’s mind was telling her yes, her body was yelling “hell no!” The sensation of the ice combined with Ken’s kisses circling her dark chocolate areolas caused her to only respond with light breathing and words caught in her throat.

  “Are you trying to say something?” he whispered over her skin in between sucks and light nibbles on her equally dark chocolate protruding nipples.

  Rhonda managed to heavily breath out “no” as she closed her eyes to get her mind off of the things that were telling her why she needed to stop, and instead focus on the moment. This will be the last time, she thought to herself. By this point, Ken had spread Rhonda’s legs and what was once an ice cube had melted over his fingers and now mixed in with the sweetness of her pussy that he was alternating between tasting with his tongue and penetrating with his thick caramel digits. Rhonda could not contain herself as she moaned and was about to experience yet another orgasm this afternoon, thanks to Ken.

  “What am I doing? Why can’t David make me feel like this?” she continued to question herself trying to place her guilt elsewhere. As if he was reading her mind, Ken spoke aloud as he unknowingly answered her question: “If your fiancé, the good reverend, spent more time tending to you then you wouldn’t have to be here with me.”

  The Beginning

  Rhonda Love Downing had met David over a decade ago in high school. Rhonda had always known of the popular upperclassman but they never uttered a word to one another until the last semester of his senior year when David walked up to her in the library after school and decided to officially introduce himself. David Barnes appeared to have known who she was, probably as a result of her friendship with his cousin Sherry who was also a junior like Rhonda. They ended up taking their conversation outside of the library and David walked Rhonda home where they continued talking outside for another couple of hours. He expressed how he was going to be attending college about 45 minutes away, making it a point to let Rhonda know how conveniently close he would be, and most likely would be coming back home often to visit most weekends.

  After that walk home Rhonda rushed in her house greeting her parents before rushing off to her room before dinner. The Downings had instilled in their only daughter the responsibility of taking care of homework first and then having free time to talk on the phone, watch television or whatever teenagers did for fun these days. Rhonda usually stuck to that rule to the point where her parents never had to check up on her to see if she was taking care of business—her grades showed that. Tonight, though, Rhonda had to call Sherry immediately. She needed answers from her best friend about David so she could find out his intentions.

  “I was wondering what was with all the questions! He came by the house yesterday like he was just visiting but then he started in about you. I just didn’t think he was going to approach you without me being the middle woman,” Sherry said excitedly.

  “And you didn’t even call and tell me afterward or even mention it at school?”

  “I was going to call you last night but mama started putting me to work after I got done with my homework and I didn’t think about it today. I’m sorry girl but what do you think about him? What did he say to you?”

  Rhonda described the afternoon in detail from David coming up to her in the library all the way up to him walking her home. It was obvious to Sherry that her best friend really liked her cousin and she thought that David and Rhonda would make a cute couple. Sherry shared with Rhonda that David had broken up with his last girlfriend and was in fact single, something that took Rhonda by surprise. Rhonda remembered he was always dating or seeing someone, so for him to now be pursuing her was bewildering because she did not consider herself to be David’s type. She had been hesitant in exchanging phone numbers with him because David did have a reputation as being a player and it caught her by surprise that he was interested in her. Rhonda mainly kept to herself and she only had a handful of people she truly called friends.

  Rhonda was smart and very active in various clubs in the school so she, too, was also popular amongst a certain crowd; her intelligence and the way she carried herself is what attracted David to her. He had also known of her but it was not until Christmas Break when Rhonda showed up to visit Sherry at his aunt’s house that he had the chance to see Rhonda more up close and personal. David had never noticed how curvy and voluptuous she was; she carried it well on her 5’8” frame too. She was polite but she made no effort to throw herself at David or even attempt much conversation with him; Rhonda was a mystery to him and more of a challenge than many of the girls he encountered at school. What David saw as being mysterious was what Rhonda called being shy. Back then, as a teenager, it took her a little time to warm up to people immediately so she was often labeled as shy. When David approached her in the library, it was as if Rhonda found the courage to open up and communicate with him as if they had been old friends. The conversation that David brought was also different than the type of comments she was used to receiving from guys in high school; he seemed more mature even compared to his fellow seniors. Although Rhonda was not into high-yellow or very light-skinned guys, the pretty-boy types as she described them, she did find David to be attractive and charming. As he escorted her home Rhonda noticed that he seemed to be the perfect height for her, somewhere over six feet, where she could wear heels and he would still have a little height over her. She could not help but be curious about David sexually and how the experience would be with him because she assumed he had lots of knowledge and experience in that department. She, on the other hand, was a virgin and the thought had crossed Rhonda’s mind that this may have been his motivation for approaching her. Lord knows she had classmates that assumed that fact and were often coming on to her promising to be gentle enough with her yet able to do some things to her sexually that would make her get her head out the books more often. That was just one of the many so-called come on lines she received from her fellow male classmates. Rhonda never confirmed one way or another what her sexual status was, with the exception of sharing it with Sherry. Rhonda trusted Sherry enough to know that she would not divulge that information to David though. Although David was Sherry’s cousin, she looked out for Rhonda as if she was a sister; they had been that close since Sh
erry had transferred to the high school over a year or so ago.

  After a couple months with David, Rhonda was no longer an innocent virgin girl but an experienced young woman. Through the month of January, word had gotten around the school about David and Rhonda although at that time they were still just getting to know each other. David had just broken up with Tina, who had just started to hear the rumors about him being seen in and out of the school with Rhonda. Tina had noticed that David had seemed to pull away but as seniors they were all busy with finishing up last semester requirements, preparing for college, and having a good time; unfortunately the good times with David had become less frequent. Although Tina felt as if they were no longer a couple after a year of dating, she and David never had a discussion confirming that their relationship was finished. Finally, Tina saw David hanging around the younger girl’s locker after school one day and could immediately tell that he was smitten with Rhonda. The way he was hanging on Rhonda’s every word and their body language reminded Tina so much of when David had begun pursuing her over a year ago. Instead of making a scene, Tina approached Dana, her fellow teammate on the cheerleading squad, who was also a junior in many of the same classes as Rhonda. She knew Dana was nosy and usually had the information on everyone and everything going on in the school; Tina needed to confirm what she had already suspected—that David had lost interest in her and moved on.

  Dana Peters had been one of Rhonda’s good friends since sophomore year, so when Tina came questioning her about David and Rhonda she knew she needed to alert Rhonda. Dana and Rhonda were complete opposites when it came to interests, but that was what seemed to make their friendship work for both of them; Dana did not have many close friends as smart and mature as Rhonda; Rhonda did not seem to care about what her peers thought of her so Rhonda did what she wanted even if it was not considered the “in” thing to do. Rhonda did not have many close friends period but Dana was one friend of hers who got along with all the cliques within the school—Dana was very active with all things possible within the school. It was Dana who usually was Rhonda’s source of information on the happenings of the school and of the students, good or bad. She found Rhonda at the library after school that day and as soon as she saw Rhonda’s face after revealing the conversation she had with Tina, she quickly regretted having opened her mouth; Rhonda looked as if she wanted to cry.

  “Rhonda, just talk to him and find out what’s going on. I just wanted to make sure you knew that this chick came asking me questions as if David were still her man. I would see them together a lot but that was a while back. I just assumed it was over with them, which is why I never said anything when he started coming after you. Just talk to him,” Dana pleaded.

  “Yea, I will definitely be doing that,” Rhonda said with much more attitude than she intended to give her friend. “And thank you, girl. I appreciate you looking out for me and letting me know about this.”

  “Girl, of course,” Dana replied as she rubbed Rhonda’s arm. “Don’t get upset until you know for sure what’s going on. You know how bitches do—try to get all kinds of shit started. Tina probably came to me in the first place because she knew I would come right to you to say something. Still, we have to be sure.”

  After her conversation with Dana, Rhonda called David and asked him to meet her at the nearby park before she went home. David was already there by the time she made it there; he was walking the path getting in some exercise and enjoying the peaceful scene while he waited for her. This had become “their place” since it marked a halfway point between where they both resided. When he saw her approaching, David smiled. He was steady falling for this girl and every time David saw Rhonda he could not help but show how happy he was to be in her presence. The same held true for Rhonda, but as she approached David on the walking path her stomach was doing flips as she began thinking the worst and preparing for the possibility that this short-lived romance was about to end. How could such a fine, smart and sexy man like David be single anyway, she thought to herself.

  “Hey baby,” he said as he pulled Rhonda in his arms. They had not yet even kissed. David had been taking his time with Rhonda to try to give a good impression as a gentleman but it was getting harder to hold back from acknowledging her the way he wanted. Rhonda, on the other hand, recognized his good manners but was so anxious for him to move a little faster in the way he showed his affection. They both wanted the same thing but not being clear in communicating that with one another out of the fear of coming on too strong.

  “David, we need to talk. And please, I need you to be honest with me.” Rhonda was ready to get straight to the point.

  “What is it baby?” he asked with a look of concern.

  “It’s not that I didn’t trust you and believed you when you said that you were single but I have to ask—are you still seeing Tina Mays?”

  “No, I’m not with her anymore. I’m not seeing anyone else as a matter of fact—I told you that. Where is this coming from Rhonda?”

  “Well, she seems to be asking around about us and implying that you two are still together. What happened with you two anyway?” Rhonda asked as she intently stared David down to see if she could determine if he was being truthful as she was hoping he was.

  “We just grew apart, I guess,” he explained seeming somewhat unsure of what happened. “I think at the time that we got together it was more of us looking good together than us actually needing to be together. Now that we’re about to graduate I guess I felt like it was time to be honest about us and I did begin to pull away first. I shared with her that things just weren’t the same anymore but Tina is the type of girl that just doesn’t get it. She was intent on us hanging in there through the rest of the school year but I guess she didn’t understand that our distance meant I was done.”

  “Oh. Well could you promise me that if anytime during this thing that we’re doing—dating or whatever—that if you get tired of me and want things to end that you’ll please tell me?” Rhonda asked as she did begin to question her own status with him. Were they really dating? What were they?

  “I’ll never get tired of you, baby,” he responded as he put his arm around her and leaned in to kiss Rhonda’s pouty lips.

  Finally, she thought to herself, as her first kiss lingered on with his soft lips massaging hers. It did not matter to her who in the park saw them because at that moment she felt like they were the only two people that existed and she was fine with that.

  David made it official on Valentine’s Day by meeting Rhonda at her locker that morning with a rose, some chocolates, a teddy bear and a cute “mark the box” note asking if Rhonda would be his girlfriend. Of course, by this point, she was head over heels in love with David and responded yes to his request by giving him a big hug and kiss. Rhonda’s status as his girlfriend introduced her to crowds and cliques in the school that she may have never become acquainted with otherwise, and she was beginning to see that many of these same classmates that she had assumed to be a certain way were actually not as bad as she thought. Many were happy and supportive of her relationship with David while there were those who whispered and questioned why David was interested in Rhonda; she kind of felt the same, always questioning why this upperclassman wanted to be with her. In the meantime, David had already put it upon himself to go and introduce himself to Rhonda’s parents without even discussing it with her first; he just popped up one Saturday morning introducing himself as Rhonda’s boyfriend who wanted to reassure Mr. and Mrs. Downing that he had only the best intentions and wanted them to know that they did not have to worry about Rhonda’s well being while he was in her life. Very bold, to say the least, but that was part of the charm that Rhonda loved about David. It was still a surprise to her to come downstairs from her bedroom to hear his familiar voice in the living room having a conversation with her mom and dad. In addition, her parents were all into him—they scolded her for not having invited him over sooner. Within a week of meeting Rhonda’s parents, David invited Rhond
a over to meet his parents; their adoration for her was the same as the Downings’ adoration for David. Everything seemed to be going perfect for the couple.

  About a couple of weeks later David invited Rhonda to his parents’ home while they were out of town for the weekend and that is when Rhonda went all the way with him. They had previously messed around—a lot of kissing, dry humping, and fondling. This particular night David had ordered some Chinese takeout and set out candles and a blanket in the television room offering to give Rhonda a massage while they watched a movie. Neither of them could even remember what the movie was about once it was over because as soon as Rhonda laid on the blanket the only thing they focused on was each other. Rhonda was nervous as she tried to figure out her next move: should she start undressing herself seductively like she saw women do in the movies or would David undress her?

  “You are so beautiful,” he said as he touched her cheek and gave her a soft, sensual kiss opening her mouth with his thick tongue. Rhonda slowly fell backward on the blanket letting David gently fall on top of her while they continued to tongue kiss. David was definitely an experienced kisser, Rhonda thought, so she was excited to see how her first sexual experience would be with him.

  As he lifted up his head to take in the view of Rhonda’s body laid out in front of him, David began to unbutton her black skirt she had specifically picked out for the evening because she thought David would like how she looked in it. She was hoping that this would be a memorable night, and it was shaping up to be that way. As he lightly pulled her skirt down past her feet, Rhonda started unbuttoning her white blouse leaving it open to show off the red Victoria Secret’s bra and panty set that she had purchased for the occasion with some money she still had saved from over the holidays. David smiled, pleased as he pecked her lightly on the lips and told her to turn over on her stomach. Rhonda wanted to jump at his request—by this point she was so ready to lose her virginity to David—but she willed herself to try to move slowly and seductively to not seem so anxious. She took her blouse off before she lay fully on her stomach trying to relax imagining David examining every part of her almost naked body only covered by the sexy lingerie. The television blared as David started massaging Rhonda’s neck slowly and continued on to her shoulders and finally to her back where he unsnapped her bra. He took his time as he applied massage oil on her back and continued to move down toward her butt where he then began to pull down her panties past her feet. He went back to her butt and slowly massaged her while Rhonda suddenly jerked as she felt his kisses on the small of her back.