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“Hey,” I spoke, smiling at the sight of my beautiful girl.
“Hi,” she replied, forcing a smile of her own.
“Did you hear that?”
Cartier nodded as I undressed and walked over to the bed. “Yeah.”
“Tink…”
“If I’m standing in the way of you being with the woman you love, I can leave. I know how much Mariah means to you…”
“Meant to me. What we had is over.”
“Well… even if it is… what about Santino? You know how I grew up, Zay. He deserves to have a healthy relationship with both parents.”
“He will, but that doesn’t mean we have to be together.”
Cartier cupped her hands in her lap. “I think I should move out.”
“I want you to stay. They are going to leave.”
“Zay…”
“I love you, Cartier.” I licked my lips, surprised that the words came out so effortlessly that time.
Cartier gripped my beard and pulled me closer as she moaned. She connected her lips with mine for a tender kiss before confessing, “I needed to see if those words tasted as good as they felt and sounded.”
“Did they?”
“Yes, but let me taste them one more time.”
Our lips connected again, and this time, so did our tongues. Before we could get too deep, she pulled away to say, “I love you too, but I don’t want to come between you and your son.”
“You won’t. I have to put boundaries in place with Mariah so she understands we’re through. They will stay at the Tower, and I will still spend time with Santino. I’m going to better manage my time, though, so we can get back to us. I don’t want you to feel like I can’t be present for you just because I’m a father now. You’re still a priority in my life, Tink.”
Her eyes watered as she cupped my cheeks and gave me a sweet kiss. “I really needed this conversation, babe. I felt like I’d waited too late to tell you how I felt and was losing you.”
“I’m yours in whatever capacity you want to have me. Whether you move back to L.A. or stay here, I’m yours, Tink.”
She nibbled her cheek before giving me that beautiful smile.
“Will you be my boyfriend?”
I wasn’t expecting her to ask me that, so I couldn’t respond right away. She giggled before kissing my slightly parted lips.
“Zay…”
“I’m too old to be anyone’s boyfriend, but I would love to be your man. Your life partner. Your confidant.”
“I love the sound of that, too.” When I tried to kiss her, she playfully pulled away. “Wait. I have something for you.”
Cartier crawled across me and opened the nightstand drawer on her side of the bed. She pulled out a slim, long box and handed it to me. When I opened it and saw the gold Cuban link chain, I laughed heartily.
“Is this your collar for me?” I asked as she laughed herself.
“Yes. I’ve been yours, but this makes you mine in all ways now too.”
I handed it to her so she could put it on me. Once it was secured, I reconnected our lips for a brief moment before telling her, “We need to get a room on the third floor. We need privacy for what I’m about to do to you…”
