Chapter 20 #2
His shoulders relaxed. “Yeah. We can go look at it right now if you want.”
She left her car in the lot and climbed into his truck. The second she buckled in, Little LA started moving, kicking, flipping, and doing whatever acrobatics he did in there.
“We’re happy to see you, Daddy,” she said, grabbing his free hand and pressing it against her belly.
He looked over at her while they sat at a red light, his hand moving with the baby’s kicks. “Damn, RJ is going crazy in there.”
“RJ?”
“Yeah, I was testing it out.” He winked, pulling forward when the light changed. “Rolani Xavier Pracher Junior. What you think?”
She smiled despite herself. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. We haven’t even discussed names yet.”
“We discussing it now.” His grin was smug. “RJ Pracher. Got a nice ring to it.”
“We’ll see.”
They pulled up to the building on Second Street ten minutes later, and it was exactly what he’d described—clean, safe, good bones. Brick exterior, big windows, and a small parking lot off to the side. The kind of place that looked professional but not sterile.
He met with whom she assumed was Carter and got the keys.
“Ready?” he asked as he unlocked the door and held it open for her, his hand finding the small of her back as she stepped inside.
The space itself was empty, echoing when they walked in, but she could see it. The potential. The vision was coming together in real-time.
“It’s got good light,” he said, pointing to the windows lining the front. Natural light floods the space, warm and inviting. “Soundproofing would be easy to install. Electrical is up to code, HVAC works. Plumbing is solid. It’s ready to go—you gotta furnish it how you want.”
She walked the perimeter slowly, heels clicking against the concrete floors.
She could already see where the equipment would go, where she’d set up the interview space, how the lighting would hit.
A small lounge area for guests. Her desk in the corner.
Maybe some plants to soften the industrial feel.
It was perfect. More than perfect.
“What’s the rent?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady, trying not to get her hopes up too high.
He was quiet for a second too long, hands sliding into his pockets. “Ken—”
“Don’t.” She already knew where this was going. “Don’t say it’s free. Don’t tell me not to worry about it. Just tell me the rent, Rolani.”
“You my woman. You carrying my son. I’m not charging you rent to work out of a building I own. That’s ridiculous.”
“No, what's ridiculous is you thinking I'm going to let you give me a whole commercial space.” She crossed her arms. “I told you, this is business. I need to do this the right way.”
“The right way is me taking care of you.”
He stared at her for a long moment, that muscle in his jaw flexing. Then he exhaled hard, dragging a hand down his face. “You stubborn as hell, you know that?”
“I learned from the best.” She didn’t back down. “Market rate, Rolani. What would you charge anyone else?”
He named a price—fair, maybe even slightly below what she’d been seeing elsewhere, but not charity. Not a handout.
“I can do that,” she said, relief flooding through her. “I’m signing a real lease. With terms. And if I’m late on rent, you can evict me like any other tenant.”
“Ken—”
“I’m serious.” Her voice was firm. “If I’m late on rent, you evict me like any other tenant. If I damage the property, I pay for it. This is not a favor.”
He looked at her like she was the most frustrating, most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Then he shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. “Aight. You want a lease? I’ll give you a lease. But I’m not evicting you for shit, that’s too far.”
“Yes, you will. That’s the deal.”
He pulled her closer. “And just so we're clear—I’m doing this because you asked, not because I agree with it. You my woman. What’s mine is yours.”
“I know. But I’m not there yet. And I need you to respect that.”
“I do.” His hands settled on her waist. “I respect the hell out of it. Even if it’s driving me crazy.”
She smiled at him. “Good. Then we have a deal?”
“Yeah, baby. We got a deal.” He kissed her forehead. “My lawyer will draw it up this week.”
She nodded, relief and excitement flooding through her. This was really happening.
“What’s your schedule gonna be?” he asked. “You recording at night? Weekends?”
She turned to look at him fully, one eyebrow raised. “Rolani, are you about to tell me when I can work in MY space?”
“Nah.” His tone was even, unbothered. “I’m asking so I know.”
“I’m a grown woman—”
He moved quickly, backing her up against the window before she could finish the sentence. His hand found her chin, tilting her face up to meet his eyes. Heat flooded through her, pooling low in her belly. She was already soaked, and he knew it.
“I know that,” he said, voice dropping lower.
“But you also MY woman. And I’m not cool with knowing you out here alone, late at night, in an empty building.
” His protective edge was out in full force.
“So either you tell me when you plan to be here late, or I’ll be in the parking lot.
Your choice. Shit, I might get you a security guard. All that.”
He pecked her lips once, twice, then deeper—his tongue sliding against hers, tasting like caramel. His hands traveled down to her ass, squeezing, pulling her closer. Then his hands slid into the waistband of her leggings, fingers brushing against bare skin.
He wanted this to be about her, not him. He’d been gone and missed her like crazy. Right now, all he cared about was making her feel good.
“I’ve been gone too long,” he murmured against her mouth. “But I fear you forgot who the boss is, baby doll.”
His finger found her clit—swollen, sensitive—and applied enough pressure to make her whimper.
“I have, I think,” she said, breathless, smirking. No sense in pretending she didn’t want whatever was coming.
His finger slid across her clit in slow, deliberate strokes, and her knees threatened to give out.
“I’ll text you,” she gasped. “When I’m here late.”
“And what else?” His mouth found her neck, teeth grazing her pulse point.
“I don’t know.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Whatever you want, baby.”
She was full-on panting now when he started to nibble on her ear, his finger still working her in slow, torturous circles.
“And Ken,” he said against her skin, “I’m not trying to control you. I’m trying to protect you.”
“I know.” She looked up at him, completely under his spell, on the verge of soaking his hand. “And I’m trying to let you. It’s just... it’s new for me.”
“I know that too. And I appreciate you for trying. Meeting a nigga halfway.” He kissed her softly, and her walls clenched around his fingers.
“Baby, don’t stop.”
“Why would I do that? I always aim to please.”
A soft cry escaped her lips as she came, her whole body trembling. His dick was hard as hell, but he could wait. He was going to tear her ass up later. She continued panting, shaking, coming down slowly. “That’s what I love, baby.”
When she finally came down, she rested her forehead against his chest, breathing hard. “I’m going to be late.”
“I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “Come home to me after your thing.”
He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket—because of course he carried one—and cleaned her up gently, carefully.
Her hands rested on his shoulders as he stood. She giggled.
“What?”
“Nothing.” It wasn’t nothing but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to say those words to him.
She’d only ever said it once and wasn’t sure if she was ready to be rejected.
Although his actions said he did, at every turn he aimed to please, make her happy, and ensure she was safe.
I love you was scooting closer and closer.
“I’ll see you later. Dinner is in the crockpot, and Monroe needs baking soda for her science project.
It’s the weekend, so don’t let her work on it all night. Make her be a kid.”
He stared at her for a second, taking it all in.
The way she stood in the gap for him with Monroe.
The way she made sure there was food waiting at home—home, because that’s what it had become with her in it.
The way she trusted him with her body, her business, her dreams. The way she let him protect her without losing herself.
His head felt so full he could float away. He was so damn lucky. All he could think about while he was gone was getting back to her. It’s why he’d told Giovanni he was falling back for a minute. They’d done what needed to be done, and the business was running itself.
She kissed him one more time, soft and sweet, then headed for his truck.
“Okay, Momma. Go have fun.”
He shook his head, laughing at himself. She had him wrapped around her finger, but she deserved it. She’d made it clear she was a rider for real.
She blew him a kiss as she drove away.