And if I felt like it, I could wake up next to him taking up half of my bed.
I eased onto the edge of the bed and reached out, landing a hand on his shoulder, and rubbing his warm form. “Hey.”
He stirred, squinting and groaning, twisting as he rolled toward me. I admired the wiry, sinewy muscles of his shoulders, his forearms, his back in the dim light. “Morning already?”
“Yep. And I’ve got to be in a bit early today. Just letting you know we’re on a time clock this morning.”
He grunted, then pushed out a heavy sigh. “So, no seconds then?”
I chuckled low, then slid a hand down the side of his body and below his taut belly, where I knew what was waiting for me, if I said the word. “Uh, that would be thirds, greedy. Rain check?”
“Mmmmph.Tore my ass up. You don’t owe me shit.” He stretched, looking around for his clothes. They were scattered across the floor where we’d left them. “What time is it?”
“Little after six thirty.”
“Damn. I was knocked out.” He sat up, scratching the stubble that had grown in overnight, sending an earthy sound into the air. “You got coffee on?”
“You know how I am about coffee. I’ve already had mine. You know where the to-go cups are.”
“To-go cups.” He mumbled, found his boxer briefs, pulled them on. “So, uh, you around next week? Maybe Thursday?”
“Honestly, I don’t know yet.”
I loosened the belt of my robe and let it slide from my shoulders. Typically, I slept in the nude and only wore a robe when I was not expected to be naked. I wasn’t looking at him, but I knew he was eating up my full breasts, my hips, my ass, my thighs.
My feet.
This freak loved my feet.
“A new case is rolling in,” I said, continuing like I didn’t know he was slowly re-dressing while staring with his mouth open. “No telling how unpredictable work is about to get.”
I heard the denim of his jeans rustle as he pulled them up his legs, then the zipper. He headed to the bathroom to use the spare toothbrush I kept handy for him.
“My boy that books TONIC night club said Maxwell was blowing through on some dinner and a show type shit,” he called from the bathroom. “I can get you in if you wanna join. Let me know.”
“I’ll text you when I know if I’ll be buried or not.”
He grabbed his shirt and shoes and pulled them on, then made sure his wallet was in his back pocket. He leaned in only after taking one last long look at my naked breasts and kissed me.
“Enjoyed myself, as always,” he said, before pulling back.
“As did I,” I replied with a genuine smile. “I look forward to our next encounter.”
“A’ight, I don’t need the customer service voice. I’m going.”
“Bye, fool. Lock my door on your way out.”
I listened to him move through the apartment to gather his jacket and keys. The front door opened and closed and the deadbolt whirred after he entered the code to lock the door, leaving me to stand in the middle of the room looking at the rumpled sheets, the dent in the pillow where his head had been.
This was normal. It was what I insisted I wanted—physical intimacy without the risk of anything deep and meaningful anddramatic.
Men who were fine with texting when it was convenient and disappearing when it wasn’t. Nothing formal. Just a good time.
Jeremiah was great for a good time, but he wasn’t the type to drag to Sunday dinner with my family.
I stripped the bed, tossing the sheets and my robe into the hamper. Minutes later, I was in the shower, hot water and my favorite body wash sudsing away the night and his scent.
* * *
