“You good?” I asked, making my way towards her as she stood there rubbing her arms uncomfortably.
“I’m fine,” she mumbled, looking off.
“It’s okay, not to be, Toni.”
“I said I’m good,” she snapped. I gripped her chin up to face me.
“Chill with that shit.” I kept my command brief and to the point, not willing to argue with her stubborn ass. She poked her bottom lip out, and my hand met the back of her neck where Imassaged gently, watching some of the stress melt away from her body.
“You know, when I’m officially your man, you won’t be able to hide from me. You haveto let me in and let me try to help. Why don’t you start now?”
“I don’t even like you like that,” she said, sucking her teeth and giving me the same eye roll she had been dishing out since the day I met her.
“Lie again.” I pulled her body in close and kissed her hard enough to have her pulling on my shirt for more. I had no plans of fucking her, I just came to put her mind at ease, but the way she moaned softly when my hands cupped her cheeks had me ready to reconsider.
“Can you stay with me?” she asked in a soft voice as she looked up at me with wide eyes. “Maybe just until I fall asleep?”
“I got you,” I promised, giving her lips a gentle kiss before locking the door behind me.
“Hurry up,” she whined, scooting under the covers as I handled the lights and pulled my shirt over my head. I smiled to myself, happy she seemed to be back to her regular bratty self. I planned on staying there all night if that would keep her calm.
“I said chill, crybaby ass,” I fussed as I slipped in beside her. Her body instantly met mine as she threw her leg over mine and I slipped my hands under her shirt so I could rub on her bare skin. She was so damn soft and warm that I immediately melted into her.
“You want kids, Toni?” I asked, planting kisses on her lips. My conversation with Justin was fresh on my mind, making it impossible not to ask the question.
“I used to…” she sighed, a slight sadness in her tone. My heart dropped a little because I knew I wanted them, and that could be a dealbreaker in a serious relationship. I would never push her to do something she wasn’t comfortable with.
“What changed?”
“Nothing, I guess. I always wanted at least one, but after everything that happened in my last relationship, I just came to terms with the fact that it might not happen for me.” My body grew rigid as I made a mental reminder to make sure I took a trip to New York so I could “run into” Malcom’s punk ass sooner rather than later.
“So you gon’ let him take that away from you?” I asked.
“It’s not that simple, Chase. I’m not getting any younger, and I’m not having kids with just anybody.”
“So what you’re saying is that youdowant kids, but you’re playing it off because you’re afraid that it won’t happen. You know you don’t necessarilyneeda nigga to have a family, right?” I asked.
“Wow, and here I thought you were gonna offer to give me one.”
“I mean… that could be arranged too, but I’m just saying—even without me, or another man, you still deserve your family, baby.” She went still as she digested my words. After a few moments of complete silence, she sucked her teeth.
“Stop saying shit to make me like you more… I still don’t like you like that, Chase.”
I laughed and pulled her in for another kiss, this time slipping her a little tongue. I couldn’t help but laugh at the way she whined when I pulled back.
“I know, baby. Go to sleep.”
I didn’t know what it was, but around her chaotic ass, my body felt more relaxed than ever and I damn near slept through my morning alarm on my phone. Usually, I was upbeforeit came on so the sound of my phone vibrating on the nightstand damn near scared me out of my skin. Amaya didn’t budge at all until I tried to pull myself away from her.
“Where you goin’?” she whined as she held my arms, keeping me glued to her body.
“It’s 4:30. I got workouts,” I mumbled into the back of her neck.
“We’re under a shelter in place.”
“The gym is in the basement Amaya. I can still shelter in place and get this workout in.”
“Orrrr,” I could feel her body shuffling around as she slid her shorts down over her hips. “You can shelter in this pussy and get another kind of workout.”
