“This,” I said, glancing back at the house. “Actually living together. Not you staying at my place some nights or me staying at your penthouse… like really living together. I know we’ve been doing it, but it still feels weird.”
“You nervous?” he questioned.
“No.” I replied too fast.
“You think I don’t know when you lying.”
“I’m not nervous,” I said, already feeling myself smile a little. “It just feel different.”
“That’s cause it is different. Different is better for us. I can’t risk no more nights doing our own thing based off our schedules. That shit is over with and home is home.”
He stepped out first and came around to my side before I could even touch the door handle. By now I was used to it. He opened the door, reached his hand out to me, and helped me down like I was glass that he didn’t want to break. The second my feet hit the driveway; I looked back up at the house again.Yep, it’s perfect.I thought to myself.
It was everything for me, the landscaping, the lighting, the way the marble steps led up to those giant double doors. Even the air felt different and peaceful out here. With the penthouse, it was quiet, but everything outside below was busy.
“You did your thing with this house ma,” Dom said placing both of his hands on his waist. I told you do whatever you wanted to make it a home, and you made it happen. I keep saying it, but I be proud every time I pull up like it’s the first time.”
I looked over at him and smiled. “You really like it?” I asked. Once I told the designers, landscapers, and everyone else my vision, they really did deliver and I didn’t have to stand over them to watch.
“Ma, this shit hard,” he said with a little laugh. “I knew it was gon’ be nice, but this? You snapped.”
That made me feel good because I really had put so much into after he told me it was ours from day one. Every detail, every room, every color, and every piece of furniture mattered. I wanted it to feel like us. Soft enough for me, but rich enough for him. I wanted it to feel like love and safety for the family we were building.
The inside looked even better. The ceilings were high and dramatic, the floors were glossy marble, the staircase was curved perfectly, and the lighting made everything feel warm instead of cold. The living room had those huge cream couches with the black and gold accents I picked out. The kitchen was massive with dark cabinets, marble countertops, and one of those oversized islands where everybody would probably end up gathering all the time if Dom allowed it. There were fresh flowers everywhere because I had the staff keep them coming in, and the whole house smelled like vanilla, fresh laundry, and expensive candles.
Dom walked around slowly, out of habit just checking everything, and I followed behind him. I watched how his eyes would linger on certain places and knew that’s where he had the hidden guns. Those were in every crack and corner of the mansion. “You know what this mean, right?” he asked after a while.
“What?” I asked.
“You can’t never get mad and try to put me out.”
I laughed. “Please, I’ll still put you out if I have to.”
He walked up to me and wrapped his arms around my backside slowly licking his lips giving me that look that would make any female drop to her knees and suck his dick right there on the spot. “You gon’ put me out my own house?”
“I absolutely will.”
He shook his head, but he was smiling. By the time I finally went upstairs, my body felt tired all over again. Not weak in a weak way, just drained like mentally, emotionally, and physically. Everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours started weighing on me now that we were home and the adrenaline was gone.
“I’m taking a bath,” I told him while pulling my hair out of the ponytail letting it fall.
“Don’t be all day in the wifey, I need you to relax. I already called the chef.”
All I could do was stare at him. This is the side of him I’d prayed for and I was truly blessed. He was still rough around the edges, but he was adjusting quickly. I guess that was the difference between having love for somebody and being in love with somebody.
The master bathroom was probably my favorite room in the whole house. The tub sat in the middle under a giant chandelier, the counters were marble, the shower was all glass, and one whole wall was windows overlooking the water. I ran the hotwater in the tub and poured in way too much bubble bath because I wanted to soak until my skin got as wrinkled as a prune. By the time I got in, the steam had filled the room and the water felt so good against my sore body that I almost moaned out loud.
For the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe. I leaned my head back against the tub and closed my eyes. Somewhere in the house I could faintly hear music playing low. I could picture Dom downstairs too. Probably in his office. Maybe on the balcony. Probably with a glass of Hennessy in his hand and that same look on his face like he was trying to think his way through everything. That was the thing about Dom. Even when his body was still, his mind never was.
My phone started vibrating on the counter beside the tub and I almost ignored it because I didn’t feel like talking to nobody, but it kept going so I reached over, picked it up, and looked at the screen. I stared at it for a second before answering although I didn’t know the number. It could’ve been a client and of course because my mind was always on go, my curiosity made me answer this time.
“Hello? Carmen Royal speaking.”
“Carmen,” he said quickly, and he actually sounded nervous. “I’m sorry, I know this probably ain’t the best time to call, but I saw the news.”
I leaned my head back again and closed my eyes knowing that voice. “Dru…”
“Nah, seriously. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
