Sharing another teaser from Book 2 of my McClain Brothers series, Let Me Hold You. It is UNEDITED and subject to change. Enjoy!!

~No release date yet, because I'm still writing it, but coming soon.~

Kimberly

I made my way back to my office, fell into the chair behind my desk, and stared at the mountain of papers and folders and phone message slips that were cluttering nearly every surface around me. Rihanna’s Work played in my head as I tried to decide what to tackle first—the grant proposal the fundraising consultant I’d hired had submitted for my review or the missed calls from the community center’s main—i.e., only—benefactor. Sighing, I grabbed my phone and dialed our benefactor’s number, hoping he was in a better mood than he was during our last conversation. He wasn’t, but the conversation wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, and after that duty was fulfilled, I dug into the grant proposal, then moved on to some PR stuff I needed to handle, was knee-deep in that paperwork when my cell began to buzz on my desk.

I grinned at the name that danced on the screen. “Hello?”

“Heyyyy! What you up to?”

“Working, what else?”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot you like working there. I mean, you like…actually enjoy your job. You’re an anomaly if I ever saw one.”

I shook my head, took a sip from the bottle of water that had gone from frigid to tepid over the course of the work day, and said, “My job is my calling just like singing is yours. Who doesn’t love their calling? Don’t you enjoy singing?”

“I love it, but you should be somewhere sipping tropical drinks on the beach. You damn sure earned the right to take it easy. I don’t know why you don’t.”

“Because, like I said, this is my calling. Now, I know you didn’t call me to harass me about my career choices for the millionth time. So, what’s up?”

“Oh, yeah! I was calling to see if you needed a ride home from work today. You get off in a couple of hours, right?”

“Uh, why would I need a ride? My car is new, Zabrina.”

“I just thought maybe you did. Hey, how about I meet you there? We’re still going out for drinks and dinner and stuff tonight, right?”

“Uh-huh, and you think you’re slick, don’t you? You remembered the NBA guys start helping out today, didn’t you?”

“Is that today?! Girl, I got so much on my mind, I forgot all about that!”

“Heifer, please. Your thirsty ass ain’t forgot nothing. You probably memorized the damn basketball camp schedule. I bet you know it better than I do.”

“Whatever. So…is Leland McClain as fine in person as he is on Instagram and on TV? You know, he likes older women. I could be his sugar mama.”

“No you couldn’t with your broke ass, and do you think I have time to check him out like that with all the work I have to do around here?”

“I think your ass is not blind. I mean, shit…as big and tall and fine as he is? Hell, he’s finer than Big South and you know that’s a damn accomplishment. How can you possibly not notice how sexy he is?”

“He was wearing basketball shorts and a Romey U t-shirt. He looked…athletic.”

“And fine.”

As hell. “I guess. But, uh…ain’t you got a man?”

“Sometimes.”

“Sometimes? What kind of answer is that? Don’t you live with him?”

“That’s debatable. So, did you see a print?”

“Bye, Z.”

“Damn, it must’ve been a huge print for you to be trying to hang up without wishing me a happy whatever random holiday today is. You know how you are about your holidays.”

“Oh, yeah…happy Old Maid’s Day.”

“Fuck you.”

“What?! That’s an actual holiday!”

“And that was an actual fuck you.”

“Wow, okay. I love you, too, Z.”

“Uh-huh…”

“I do! And I wasn’t throwing shade. Hell, I’m older than you and I’ve never been married either and I don’t even have a man.”

“But you’ve been engaged before.”

“You really wanna take it there?”

“My bad.”

“Uh-huh.”

 “And as far as you not having a man, that’s by choice.”

“I know.”

“Mm-hmm…so, you sure you don’t need a ride or something else that will put me in the vicinity of Leland McClain?”

“Bye, Z!”

“Bye, ole cockblocking-ass woman.”

I relaxed against the back of my chair and released the giggle I’d been suppressing while on the phone with my first cousin and best friend for life. Zabrina Norris was a nut but spot on with her analysis of Leland McClain. He was fine, extremely so—tall, as fit as any NBA player, gorgeous brown skin, dark eyes, big Colin Kaepernick afro that he kept pulled up in a man bun most of the time, thick mustache and beard. The facial hair made him look older, but he was young, and I was…me. The last thing me needed to do was get involved with any man, especially him. Not that he wanted me anyway.

But whether I was his type or not, I damn sure could enjoy looking at him.

Wanna check out what I'm listening to as I write this book? CLICK HERE to see my Let Me Hold You playlist thingy on Spotify. 

I've been working hard on Book 2 of my McClain Brothers series, hoping to finish it this month (no release date yet) and I thought I'd share a little snippet. Enjoy!!

**Disclaimer: This excerpt is unedited and subject to change**

Leland

I rolled over in bed, felt the heavy gold chain around my neck shift as I slid the soft hand from my chest and reached for my phone on the night table. Easing out of bed, I reached on the floor for my underwear as I stretched my body and headed into the suite’s bathroom, phone in hand. I missed the call, but after I emptied my bladder, redialed the number and leaned over the sink as I waited for her to answer.

Instead of a hello, she drawled, “I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Her voice was that familiar combination of gruffness and comfort that I loved hearing.

“Yeah, but it’s cool. You the only somebody who’s allowed to wake me up.”

She chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to know I got that kinda pull with you. How you doing?”

“Good. How are you, auntie? Your blood pressure okay?”

“I’m fine, boy. What I tell you about worrying about me?”

Staring at myself in the bathroom mirror and stretching my tired eyes, I said, “Can’t help it. You the only mama I got left besides Kat.”

She laughed. “That girl always did think she could boss you around.”

“Think? She did a good job of it! And she look so much like Mama that half the time I thought she was her!”

There was silence from Aunt Ever. I was sure she was trying not to cry, probably thinking about her baby sister, my sweet mother. I had cried all the tears I had for her when I was a kid and held on to the good of the fact that she’d ever lived rather than mourning her loss now.

“You getting settled in St. Louis? Liking it so far?” she asked, redirecting the conversation.

“Yeah, it’s cool,” I lied. I hated the move, was accustomed to living between LA and Miami. St. Louis was slower than both, in some ways even slower than Houston to me. I preferred a faster pace.

“Made any new friends?”

Before I could answer, I felt her wrap her arms around my waist and press her breasts against my bare back. That irritated the shit out of me. Not that I couldn’t go for some more of what she gave me the night before, but I was on the phone with my aunt. The last thing I wanted was a hard dick while talking to her, so I said, “Hey, let me call you back, auntie.”

“Mm-hmm, tell whoever she is I said hi.”

I shook my head as I ended the call. “Good morning,” I said, as I covered her hands with mine.

“Good morning to you,” she said, sliding her hand down my stomach to my groin, then adding, “and to you, too.”

I turned my head toward her a little and smiled. “You tryna get something started that I can’t finish. I got places to be, shit I gotta do.”

I heard her sigh, felt her warm breath on my back. “So, I’m being dismissed?”

Moving her hands, I spun around to face her. She was pretty, fine, and I’d enjoyed her the night before, but I really did have a packed schedule. I had to work out, had houses to look at, calls to make, and a prior commitment I didn’t want to be late for. “You ain’t gotta take it that way. I had fun with you, but like I said, I got shit to do.”

“You gonna call me later? Maybe we can have drinks…or something?”

I left the bathroom, re-entering the bedroom of the suite in search of the rest of my clothes. “Or something, huh? My schedule is packed, but I’ma hit you up as soon as I can, a’ight?”

“Okay, because I want you to meet my brother and my son. They’re both huge fans. And maybe we could catch a movie or something?”

It was my turn to sigh. What part of “my schedule was packed” did she not get? And damn, why was she trying to introduce me to her folks when I just met her ass last night? I swear, you’d think a forty-seven-year-old woman wouldn’t be trying to move so fast. Shit!

I didn’t answer her in the affirmative or negative, just finished getting dressed, gave her a kiss, and left her in my suite hoping she’d be gone when I got back, because like I said, I had shit to do.