Caresha’s chest tightened as she fought another smile. He thought she was being shy, but the truth was, she was just standing there admiring him. Without another word, she walked over and sat down behind him. As she reached for the remote and pulled up the Pandora app, Danger leaned his head back and rubbed her legs. The move felt so natural it startled both of them. Neither acknowledged it, though.
Rain continued pounding against the windows while Summer Walker’sSession 33drifted softly through the apartment. Caresha unraveled his bun and began separating his locs. Looking down, she noticed his eyes were closed already.
“You tired?” She asked, making conversation.
A slow chuckle left Danger. “Hell yeah.”
“Me too.”
“I know. My fault for coming through so late. I’ma make it up to you.” He pressed a kiss against her thigh.
“It’s all good. I took off for the next two days, so after the reception, I’ma stay in and catch up on my rest.”
“Good. You need it. Yo’ ass stay working.”
“Look who's talking. You stay in them streets. When’s the last time you got some real sleep?”
“Last time I was with you.”
A smile immediately touched her lips; that was two days ago. “You only sleep good when you with me?”
Danger opened one eye and looked up at her.
“Yeah. So can I join you?”
As she parted one of his locs and applied oil to his scalp, Caresha found herself blushing again.
“Of course. Whenever you free, just come by. No need to call or text.”
“Damn. I got it like that now? Bet.”
She laughed; he spoke as if he wasn’t already doing that.
A few songs later,Soon as I Get Homeby Faith Evan’s came through the speakers. Without thinking, Caresha started singing along while twisting his roots.
“You can sing too?”
“Mm, a little.” She brushed it off like it was nothing.
Caresha wasn’t no Whitney Houston. But she could certainly hold a tune better than most. Growing up, Nivéa’s mother had made her join the church choir after hearing her sing around the house. She never pursued it seriously, but every now and then it still came out naturally.
“You sound good, ma.”
“Thank you.”
Caresha continued working through his hair. The rain eventually eased into a light drizzle while song after song filled the apartment. Somewhere along the way, Danger drifted off completely to her singing to Monica. His breathing deepened. His shoulders relaxed. The constant tension he carried from Lil Mo’s death seemed to disappear beneath her hands.
For a while, Caresha simply admired him. Most people saw the Vice President of the Knights. The enforcer. The biker. The man people crossed the street to avoid. They saw the muscles, the tattoos, the reputation, and the violence attached to his name.
She saw this version. The exhausted man asleep against her. The man who secretly liked affection. The man who wanted to be close to her any chance he got. The man who trusted her enoughto let his guard down. The other day, Danger had nearly cried in front of her during an episode of missing his best friend. That’s how comfortable he’d become around her.
With the length and thickness of his locs, it took nearly four hours to get them done. By the time Caresha finished, sunlight was beginning to peek through the blinds. Smiling to herself, she leaned forward and gently rubbed Danger’s beard.
“Hey.” She sang softly.
Danger stirred but didn’t wake.
“D.”
