Chapter 25
L a t e r t h a t n i g h t, I rolled over, feeling comfortable, despite my body being sore, but I felt so relaxed.
My body was still humming from Woods. From everything.
From the way he touched me, like he needed me.
From the way his voice dropped when he whispered in my ear.
From the way he looked at me like I was his.
Real life was calling, though. I had a flight in the morning, and I knew once I got back to Arbor Hills, everything would try to pull me back to normal. And honestly, I wasn’t ready to let go of this bubble just yet.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I reached over to grab it from the nightstand and glanced down to see the time. It was almost nine at night. I laughed under my breath and tossed the phone on the bed just as I looked up and paused.
Woods stood near the closet, half-dressed, lotioning his body as if he were about to shoot a commercial. Then, a fresh, black Moncler tee stretched over his chest and crisp black cargos slung low on his hips.
“You going somewhere?” I asked, sitting up with my eyebrow raised. I didn’t even know how long we’d slept for, but clearly he’d slipped out of the bed before I did.
He turned to face me, eyes dragging down the length of my body as he placed his chain around his neck. “Yeah,” he said, lips twitching at the corners. “Tryna take you out.”
“Take me out?”
“My homeboy owns this lil’ spot. Grown folks’ lounge vibe. Music, drinks. I got us a private booth. I mean, it’s our last night, right?”
I blinked, heart doing that stupid flutter. “I don’t have anything to wear. All my stuff’s at Taj’s.”
He stepped to me, all slow and smooth, and sat beside me. His cologne invaded my nostrils as he leaned over and kissed my lips. Breath minty fresh. “Ain't nothin’ to go get it,” he said.
I smirked, feeling that same heat from earlier creep back up my spine. But just as I opened my mouth to respond, his phone rang from the nightstand.
He let it ring twice before sighing and picking it up. “If I come back from this call and you ain’t dressed, we ain’t leavin’ this room.” Woods got up and stepped toward the balcony to answer his phone, but his eyes lingered on me the whole way out.
The moment the balcony door clicked shut behind him, I exhaled.
It wasn’t even that serious, but somehow it felt like it was.
It was just a night out. Just a lounge. Just him offering to take me somewhere.
But why did it feel like something was shifting?
Maybe because this was supposed to be temporary.
A little heat during the holidays. Or curiosity. Or chaos. I still hadn’t decided which.
I rolled out of bed, grabbed my green dress, and slipped it on. Then, I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and went to brush my teeth with the spare toothbrush on the bathroom sink. Afterwards, I wiped the fog on the mirror away with my palm. I looked whipped as hell, but had a glow to me.
Woods’ voice drifted in from outside, and I heard him laugh into the phone.
It hit me all over again that he was not the average dude.
Yeah, he drank, smoked, talked a little slick, and walked like his nuts were heavy.
I mean, they were… but he also listened when I spoke.
He asked real questions. He had manners.
He moved like he could be somebody’s everything.
He wasn’t even trying to convince me of any of that. He was just being himself.
I stepped back into the bedroom as he ended his call. “Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head as he tossed a black fitted in his head. “That fuckin’ dress…”
I chuckled. “It’s time to retire this thing and put on something fly.”
“Mmm.” He licked his bottom lip and strolled over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I fuck wit’ that.
But we gotta leave now or else we ain’t leavin’ this room, gorgeous.
” This being the second time he mentioned that, I knew he wasn’t bluffing.
That look in his eyes said try me, but I was already moving.
“I’ll text Taj,” I said, walking around him to grab my phone. “Tell her I’m on my way to change and grab my stuff.”
“Cool. I know y’all probably had some girl shit to do and I’m not tryna fuck that up…”
“You’re not…”
“…but I just wanna spend a lil’ more time wit’ you. That’s all.”
“Same. So let’s go.”
Woods nodded and went to grab his phone, wallet, and key card. Meanwhile, I stood there, breath caught in my throat, trying to act unfazed. This man… whew. Pressure. Trouble. And I was about to follow him right into it.
He drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting on my thigh like it belonged there. Tavern City slid by outside the truck windows in flashes of streetlights, empty sidewalks, and the glow of a few late-night storefronts. Leon Thomas was humming through the speakers.
“I said, baby I'm a dog. I'm a mutt...”
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. Woods was leaning back in the seat, face lit by the red glow from the dashboard. He was quiet with his jaw tight and his eyes on the road, but I could tell his mind was somewhere else.
“You okay?” I asked.
He nodded slowly. “Just thinkin’.”
“About?”
He turned the volume down and glanced at me. “‘Bout how this started off on some real casual airport sex with a pretty ass stranger and turned into somethin’ else.”
I held his gaze. “I know. It’s so weird how… natural this all feels.”
“Facts. And I ain’t tryna press you. I don’t even be doin’ shit like this. We from different cities wit’ different shit goin’ on, but I ain’t ‘bout to sit here and act like I don’t wanna see you again after tonight.”
That made my stomach flutter. “I might like that. I mean, this was definitely supposed to just be a little holiday sex but… now I’m thinking this might’ve messed up my focus a little bit.”
He smirked, turning back to the road. “Good,” he said. “Maybe I want you a lil’ unfocused.”
Not too long after, we pulled up outside Taj’s house, and he threw the truck in park. The front door was unlocked, and the second we stepped into Taj’s house, it was chaos.
The TV was on full blast, playing a Disney movie that none of the kids were actually watching.
One of her twins was sprinting through the living room wearing a bra on his head like a hat, and the other was standing on the couch singing loud as hell with a popsicle dripping down her wrist. Somebody’s tablet was blaring Cocomelon.
Taj just busted into the living room wearing a skintight, leopard two-piece like she was already ready for the club.
“Ummm…” I muttered.
Woods blinked. “Your kids always wild as hell.”
Taj rolled her eyes. “Don’t do too much. They fed, bathed, and happy. That’s what matters.”
“I didn’t say all that,” he replied under his breath.
Taj lit up when she saw me. “Anyway, guess what? I’m slidin’ too. Ty's on the way. And he bringin’ that lil’ light skin homeboy he always be with, so don’t play. You got options if this nigga act stupid, girl.”
I laughed, but Woods didn’t. “Wait, hold up,” he said. “You comin’ where?”
“Uh, out wit’ y’all,” Taj said, like it was obvious. “You not finna be selfish and hog my girl all weekend, bruh.”
He looked at her like he was trying to find the most respectful way to say go to hell. “Cuz, I wasn’t tryna make this a group thing,” he said, scratching his jaw. “It’s my boy’s lounge, we was gon’ pull up on some—”
“Right. And now it’s a crew. We outside tonight! My homegirl Meeta gon’ pull up and my neighbor Lava ‘bout to come watch the kids and…”
I dipped off toward the back hallway before I busted out laughing. Once in Taj’s bedroom, I opened my suitcase and dug for what I needed. I pulled out a black halter mini dress, ruched on the sides, low back, with enough stretch to keep things classy but enough cling to shut shit down.
Gold jewels. Heels. I was going to look sexy without doing too much. After gathering all of my essentials, I freshened up in the bathroom, slicked up my hair into a neat bun, and got dressed. I could hear their voices floating down the hallway.
“I just think you should chill tonight, that’s all.” Woods tried to reason with Taj.
“Why?” she shot back. “‘Cause you thought you had her to yourself? I ain’t seen her in two years, Woods! And I’m the fun cousin that brings the vibes. You knew this already!”
“You’re annoyin’ as fuck, Tajiana.”
“Well, be annoyed, Quamaine. I’m comin’ and that’s that.”
I smirked, sliding on the heels and adjusting the strap at my ankle.
The whole time, I wasn’t even mad. Quamaine was trying to play it cool, but I heard it in his voice.
He wasn’t trying to share me tonight. Not with Ty, not with Taj, not with anybody.
It was cool, though. I was just ready for a good night.