She focused on the task at hand. The last thing she would do right now was get caught up in the past. Packing helped to center her as she spoke. “My husband died five years ago and left me a lot of money. I don’t work anymore. I don’t really like being alone, so I asked my mom to move in with me when I bought this house. Jerome came with.” She rolled her eyes at the last part. Prosper crouched. She could tell he was trying to catch her eye, so she glanced at him. “What?”
“It’s so much to you.”
“I could say the same about you.”
“Yeah, but I’m an open book when it comes to you, which is the highest compliment. I promise.”
She smiled a little at that. “I believe that.”
“I wish you would open your book to me.”
His words made her heart stammer. She continued to pack for a little bit before she looked up at him again. “Believe it or not, it slowly is.”
The smile that graced his face made her want to melt right there into the floor, but she knew they didn’t have time for that. She smiled at him. “Go. I need to focus so we can get out of here.”
Prosper stood. “You right. Let me not get in ya way. Do ya thang. Once we leave here, you gon’ be all mine.”
The way he said it made her insides tingle, and though that had been exactly what she fought against for the past three years, she recognized that there was absolutely no more fight left inside her.
Nighttime was always hard for Prosper. He never slept very well and normally ended up watching TV, running the streets, or raiding his kitchen during the hours that most people slept.
That night was no different. After trying to catch some Z’s for the past few hours, Prosper flung the thick comforter off him and rose from the couch. If he had it his way, he would have been cuddled up with Teonny’s fine ass in the master bedroom, but he didn’t want to push his luck with her. He’d just made a lot of progress with her during all the chaos going on, and he didn’t want to backslide. He’d be damned if he spent many more nights on the couch though.
“Peanut gonna have to make some room for me in that big ass bed,” he mumbled as he stood and stretched.
Prosper’s bulky frame was completely naked, save for a pair of boxers. He took a moment to pull on the basketball shorts he took off, when he lay down to sleep, before he went toward thekitchen. Since he couldn’t leave, he decided making a midnight snack was his best bet.
He had just placed all the ingredients on the counter for the ultimate grilled cheese when he heard soft footsteps coming toward the kitchen. He froze and reached for the drawer where he knew his gun was. Though his mind told him there was no threat, he would never be caught slippin’.
In the seconds he waited for the person to appear, his hand wrapped around the cool handle of the gun, and he remembered why he didn’t particularly like this safe house. It wasn’t an open floor plan like he preferred.
When Teonny appeared in the entryway of the large kitchen, he relaxed, but he placed the gun on the counter. He saw her eyes flicker to the gun, and he smirked before he got back to work on his grilled cheese.
His muscles flexed as he opened the bread and placed six slices on the counter. “You know, you never told me why you went to the gun range every day.”
He glanced up and saw Teonny cock her head to the side. “You aren’t big on greetings, are you?”
Prosper stopped spreading butter on the bread and gave her his full attention. “Why you say that?”
She shrugged and moved further into the kitchen. He watched as she propped her elbow on the counter and leaned forward. “Every time you see me, you jump right into a conversation. You never say hi.”
He dropped the knife and moved toward her. Before she could utter another word, he pulled her into his chest and held her securely. He breathed her fresh scent in and allowed his strong hands to massage her small back. “Hey, Peanut.”
He felt her relax into him, and he grinned. His girl was finally loosening up around him.
When he felt her arms wrap around his trim waist, he had to stop from bitchin’ up and melting back into her.
“Hey, Patrick. What you doin’ up?” She pulled away slightly and looked up at him.
“Couldn’t sleep. Want a grilled cheese?” he asked as he reluctantly pulled away from her.
She peered behind him with raised brows. “You know how to cook?”
“Grilled cheese can barely be called cooking.”
She shrugged and hopped up onto one of the island stools. “It’s more than I thought you knew how to do.”
He chuckled as he got back to work. “Nah. My mama may not have been shit, but she made sure I knew how to take care of myself.”
