Chapter 12
Friends
Knight
I finishmy business and move to the sink to wash my hands. Jamel comes up beside me to wash his as well. We both had to use the rest room when we arrived at the restaurant with Sunny and Rem. I was pleasantly surprised when Rem said we would be going on a double date.
This is new. Maybe I’m getting through this time. I’m not going to ignore the fact that Rem’s biggest trigger hasn’t been a factor.
I just may have to stand on my word if I want this to continue to work. Can I stand leaving the force for good? I note the thought doesn’t pain me as much as I thought it would.
“Reminisce is looking good tonight. I don’t ever think I’ve seen her smile so much,” Jamel says before I can dive any deeper into my thoughts.
She does look great. The shoulder length hairstyle she’s wearing accents her face with its loose flirty waves. She’s wearing this sexy top that cuffs around her neck and crisscrosses across her chest. It then tappers down her torso. The matching black slacks ride low on her waist and complement her ass and hips. The pants cover her sexy shoes, but I saw the fuck me heels before we left her place.
Those stilettos are killer. I can’t wait to have them wrapped around my neck and then my waist later on tonight. I wonder if I can talk her into bathroom sex before we leave here. I glance around me.
This place is really clean, I might be able to pull it off. “Yeah, things have been good so far. I don’t want to jinx it,” I reply.
“What’s that all about? She seems into you. Sunny says you two knew each other before your brother got married. If she’s the same one you’ve been hooking up with all this time, what gives?”
“Your guess is better than mine,” I lie.
I’m not about to put Rem’s business out there. It’s a sensitive subject. I get it so I’m not going to expose her emotions and fears to anyone.
I lived them with her. I know first-hand how this all happened. My patience comes from that knowledge.
“Good luck with that one,” Jamel chuckles.
I shrug it off, ready to have a good time. With Rem, I have to take the good times before she’s triggered and runs. I never know how much time we’ll have before that happens.
“Our table is ready,” Sunny says as we return.
I lace my fingers with Rem’s, and we all follow the hostess to our table. I give her fingers a squeeze, causing her to look up at me. She has a gorgeous smile on her lips as she does. I dip my head and peck her lips.
I don’t realize we’ve stopped and are just staring at each other until Jamel clears his thought. I pull my gaze away from Reminisce to find Sunny and Jamel watching us as they snicker. Rem pulls her hand from mine, but I place my palm on her back, not ready to let go of the connection.
“You two look so good together. The chemistry is fire. I can feel it just from looking at you,” Sunny sings.
Leaning in, I press my lips to Rem’s temple and then pull out her chair. She looks at me with a sparkle in her eyes before she takes her seat. I have to admit to myself she does have a happy glow about her.
“Should we start with a few shots before dinner?” Jamel asks.
“Sure, why not?” Rem says as I take my seat beside her.
I reach to brush a lock of hair from her face. When I go to pull away, she laces her fingers with mine and rests our joined hands on my thigh. I lean over and tilt my head to kiss her neck.
She squeezes my hand, letting me know I’m brushing her spot. I suck the skin into my mouth for a quick second. Rem squirms in her seat and turns her gaze on me as I pull away.
I grin and wink at her. I’m shocked when she leans in and pulls me to her lips. I groan into her mouth, wishing we were here alone. I’d have her in that bathroom by now.
I’m the one to break the kiss, pulling away and clearing my throat. Rem laughs and returns my wink. Now that she has me all hot and hard, she turns to our friends and acts as if nothing just happened.
I release her hand and place my palm on her thigh. Leaning into her ear, I give her thigh a squeeze. “We’re in a playful mood, are we?”
“Don’t play with fire, Knight. You’re too pretty to get burned.”
I love this side of her. Who am I kidding? I love all sides of Rem.
“Light the match, baby. I’ll let you set me on fire. I’ll make you wet enough to put it out. Promise,” I whisper.
“You two might need to go get a room,” Sunny teases.
“Or we could let them do their thing and you can bring those lips over here,” Jamel says, offering a save.
I ignore them both and nuzzle the tip of my nose against Rem’s. She cups the side of my face and allows me to take her lips for a searing kiss. Then she playfully traps my lower lip between her teeth and tugs.
“Down, boy. I’ll take care of you later,” she says seductively.
That’s what makes her so special, she’s never been one dimensional. Her complexities draw me in and get my blood pumping. When all other women fall at my feet, Reminisce stands back to watch what I’ll do next.
She keeps me on my toes. Her honesty has a grounding quality about it. She makes me want to be the man for her.
Rem may think she needs a man who makes her feel safe, but I know all sides of her. I know she’d be there for me if I need her. I know the tough side no one else knows. Which makes her look so vulnerable when she’s like this.
She’s letting her guard down. This is Reminisce fully opening up to me.
* * *
Reminisce
“Ready to go?”Knight says into my ear after taking care of the check.
“Yeah,” I say looking up into his eyes.
“That was fun, guys. We have to do it again sometime,” I say to Sunny and Jamel.
“I had a great time. Thanks for treating, Knight. We have it next time,” Sunny says.
She’s still giving Jamel the stink eye for not paying. He and Knight went back and forth on who should pay. Jamel wanted to pay because he and Sunny asked us out. Knight said he owed them one, so he was paying.
Knight won as he grabbed the billfold and handed the waitress his card with a grin on his lips. I’m glad we did this. I can’t remember the last time I did something like this.
Dinner was great, and so was the company. It was good to watch Knight with other people. Our thing has always been between us. I’ve seen him with our family, but not like this.
This was fun and allowed me to let my hair down. It felt good to be someone’s person. I’ll be the first to admit this is what I’ve been looking for. As we leave the restaurant, I’m on a high.
Knight has his hand on my ass as we walk out. We get to the door when a loud sound rings out through the air. I jump and duck, pulling Knight down with me.
I’m back in front of that courthouse. I can smell the gunpower. Those men are standing before me with their guns aimed.
I’m shaking and holding back tears as Knight envelopes me in his arms. He kisses the top of my head and rubs smoothing circles on my back. I come back to the present and glance around, my cheeks begin to burn with embarrassment.
“They popped some champagne, baby. You’re safe. We’re safe. I’m right here. Stay with me, all right?” Knight coos.
I focus on my breathing and settle my racing heart. Before I can find my legs to stand, Knight has me in his arms bride style as he carries me from the restaurant to his car.
He places me inside and pulls my shoes from my feet before he straps me in. I cover my face with my hands and allow the tears to fall. Pulling my knees up, I place my feet in the seat and curl into myself. He cups the back of my head and repeatedly kisses the top.
“You’re safe. I’m here. We’re both okay. It’s all right, baby. I’ve got you,” he croons.
I nod my head because it’s all I can do. He sighs and backs out of the car to close the door. I’m such a fucking mess.
I peek through my hands to look out of the window and see Knight talking to Jamel and Sunny. Sunny looks into the car at me as she wrings her hands. I feel terrible for ruining the night. Sunny kisses her fingers and waves at me as Jamel ushers her away to their vehicle.
Knight climbs into the driver’s seat and starts the car. He then places his hand behind my neck and begins to massage with his big, warm palm. He has never judged me for my panic attacks.
Only taking the time and care to calm me and make sure I’m okay. In this moment, as I want to sink down in this seat and melt away, I think I fall for him more than I ever have.
“Your place or mine?” he asks.
Normally, I would want to rush home and be alone. Tonight, I want to be in his arms. I want to keep this feeling. I want to feel safe.
He’s not pushing for more and that’s going a long way. He reaches to thumb away my tears, again taking care of me. “Your place. I want to stay at your place tonight.”