Page 129 of The Need to Know

My lips formed an O shape. “Can I fuck you back?”

“No, you may not. You’re going to lay there and take this ride.”

I winced at the sudden reality of the very real distance between us. She was over forty minutes away in Belmont and I was in Atlanta. I needed to see all this shit she was talking face to face. “I’m not sure I can handle all this. You have no idea how fucking hard I am right now.”

“Good, keep it up for me, because tonight, that ass is mine.” With that statement, she had hung up and let her authority be known.

I wanted to reward Ezekiel for how well he’d done during the dinner. For effortlessly being himself and not trying to impress my father by talking about helping me with my business. For trusting that Paisley and I could run Shéc on our own accordingly.

Alannah and I’d made plans to spend her fall break together. And even if I would have my sister to myself, I did like meeting Oisin. He was a nice guy. Blue-collar and proud. Honest and kind. Alannah had really lucked up.

And so had I.

I flipped the sun visor down to check my appearance in the mirror. I’d straightened my hair and pulled it back in a neat bun. Outside of grooming my eyebrows, applying lashes and lip-gloss, I left my face bare.

Tonight, we were trading places. I wore a blush-colored blouse tucked into a mauve-shaded pencil skirt. My blush stiletto heels were the perfect final touch. I was the boss this time around.

Ezekiel came to the door almost immediately after I’d knocked. He was dressed in his usual style, making us appear as a couple of corporate colleagues going out for a lunch break.

Ezekiel took his time taking me in from head to toe. The smile tugging on his full lips made him look boyish.

“Damn,” he said. “I like it.”

I modeled my ’fit, knowing he would approve. “Yeah?”

He reached out to touch me and I swatted at his hands. Uh-uh. “I can’t touch you?”

“No, you may not,” I let him know. I sized him up, loving the sight of him all anxious and nervous. “Come on, we’re going shopping on me.”

Ezekiel shook his head and pulled his door shut behind him. “Everything on you, huh?”

I led the way to the elevator, feeling his gaze on my back and ass. “Don’t worry about the price, either.”

Today we were trading roles, so when we got out to my car, I went forth and opened his door for him. Something that made Ezekiel shake his head once more before getting in. I could tell he was amused, but at the same time uncomfortable in this position. I was loving it. I felt empowered and in control, and sexy as hell. I couldn’t wait to dominate him in bed later.

When I got to the other side of my car, I found the door already open for me. I climbed in behind the wheel and Ezekiel was just finishing adjusting his seat to accommodate his height. It was strange seeing him on the passenger side. He looked so big and bulky in my ride just then.

Still, I started up my car and backed out of my spot and took off. There was no going back now.

“I mean it,” Ezekiel said as he glanced my way. “I really like what you got on.”

We were professionally dressed, serving real Mr. and Mrs. type of energy together. Even though I was playing a role, I made a mental note to dress the part more often.

“You look good,” I said as I snuck a peek at him. “But we’re about to make you look better.”

Ezekiel chuckled. “Yo, I can’t do this. I’m not gon’ be able to last long.”

“You have amazing stamina. I don’t know why this time would be any different.”

Ezekiel faced me some more. “You cute, you sexy and all’at, but this whole thing you’re doin’ is just different. Like, we can pull over right now and get it poppin’, I’m with it.”

“Anyway.” I changed the subject, not needing to let him get the upper hand. “You really put me on to The Love Below. What other albums are you obsessed with?”

Ezekiel switched gears as I drove on to our local shopping center. Shéc did good business being in the strip it was located in. There were no other shops nearby that catered to men, so for that I had to drive to Belmont Village Shopping Center where a conglomerate of designer retail stores were held as well as other famous chains.

Ezekiel stroked at his chin, peering ahead of us as he thought of his answer. “Real talk? That debut B.o.B album was off the chain. Like, of course I like my street rappers, but hearing Bobby come out with a different sound—that record with the Paramore girl? The whole thing is just perfect.”

B.o.B was from Decatur, but when you were from Belmont, you learned to rep everyone out of Georgia who made it.