17. Uninhibited
UNINHIBITED
Zora’s lustful eyes hadn’t been able to focus on me right since I licked her center like an ice cream cone, and we soaked those people’s fancy rug.
She’s vulnerable, man. Don’t take advantage of her weakness.
Before engaging in the next phase of our sexual romp, I put my underwear and pants back on to focus and attempt to be more sensitive.
I was about to pull my shirt over my head when Zora strolled over to me and scraped her short nails across my chest. With her other hand, she plucked my shirt from my hand and dropped it on the floor.
“Leave this off so I can admire all that yummy chocolate. My sugar level tends to be low at times, so I might need a quick lick.” She poked out her tongue and wagged it at me before flicking it over my nipple quickly.
The combination of her hands roaming over my abs and the cool wetness of her tongue had me sucking in my breath as an electric sensation overtook me. I wanted Zora so much that logic wasn’t at the forefront of my mind.
“God took all his time when he made you. It should be illegal for you to be so damn fine.” She stepped back and wiped the corner of her mouth like she’d eaten a five-course meal.
“I didn’t know you had such a devilish streak in you, Dr. Langston.”
“It’s not devilish. Call it free-spirited. You bring out the suppressed freak in me. Since I’m sequestered in this academic prison, I’m going to make the most of my time here. With my new man.” She winked at me, drawing my attention to her long lashes.
“I like the sound of that.” I enveloped her in my arms and circled her waist, lifting her.
To my delight, she wrapped her legs around me and smiled right in my face. Her fresh breath and bright teeth had me cheesing like I’d won the Georgia lottery.
“This feels like a honeymoon. I love our private time,” I said.
“Since I’ve never been married, I wouldn’t know.”
Memories of my good times with Cece overtook me. I tried to keep my face neutral but couldn’t maintain my smile as memories of what could have been came to my mind.
Zora’s face dropped. She tapped my arm for me to put her down. I lowered her to the ground and turned away before she could read my expression.
“What happened just now? You talk about me wearing a mask, but when you mentioned a honeymoon, you left me. Was it Cece?”
I held my closed eyes with my fingers as I silently implemented a technique to stay in the moment. The last thing Zora needed to see was me break down over another woman.
Who used to be my heartbeat.
I hated the periodic monologue that overtook me when I thought of Cece. I knew she wasn’t coming back, but the absence of those joyous times still pinged my heart.
“I want you to tell me about her. She’s important to you, so I want to know her too. Or at least as much as you want to share. I can tell y’all built something special together.”
I had never shared intimate details about the good, bad, and ugly parts of my marriage with another woman. My therapist and parents were aware of the intimate details of my life, but sharing a world where Cece was not able to speak for herself often felt wrong.
“It’s complicated. And it’s the reason I haven’t dated much or remarried. No woman wants a man’s dead wife sleeping in the middle of their bed with them.”
“What does that mean?” Zora’s doe-like eyes drew me in as conviction tapped at my heart.
If I was serious about seeing where a relationship might take us, I needed to remove my mask too. I pointed to the quaint table in the kitchenette.
“Let me make you some tea and chat over there.”
Zora nodded and moved to the cabinet. She pulled out an electric tea kettle and a small box of assorted teabags.
Several minutes later, we sat next to each other, sipping hot tea. Zora rested her hands around her steaming mug as I placed my hands in my lap.
“Cecelia Forrester was my first love—the apple of my eye, my ride-or-die since day one. With her help, Cairo Kinney became a global brand. She was the first woman who trusted me to love her. She was the most encouraging person I’d ever met. Beautiful and pure as the driven snow.”
Zora reached for my hand and gave me a faint smile as I continued.
“We met at an academic orientation when she and I were high school students about to enter Penn State. A couple of months before she enrolled, she got a full ride to Bucknell, which wasn’t far away.” I sipped my tea and took a deep breath.
“We dated until my junior year when I was drafted by the Tampa Tornadoes. I had to decide how I would proceed with our relationship. Since I loved Cece, I chose marriage. My dad encouraged that decision, saying it would keep me out of trouble with the women who wanted to trap a professional basketball player.”
“Your dad sounds like a wise man.”
“He is. Fame came quickly for me. Cece stayed by my side, guiding me and praying for me as I tried to figure out what I was doing. For almost fifteen years, we had a good thing going on. She was diagnosed with ovarian germ cell tumors in her twenties, but we thought we caught it early enough to beat it. She couldn’t have kids, but at least I had her.
About six years ago, she relapsed. We maintained hope until she could no longer take care of herself.
Five years ago, she withered away like a beautiful flower, leaving me on this earth to fend for myself. ”
I had to turn away from Zora’s glossy eyes. If she shed a tear, I would too.
“Oh, Cairo, I’m so sorry. She sounded lovely. And brave.”
“She was. I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to see a little Cece running around. Then a part of her would still be with me.”
“Why didn’t you adopt or get a surrogate?”
“We considered that and thought we had time. We were making plans until she found out she had cancer. Kids were no longer a priority. Until the end, she apologized for not bearing our children and told me I was young enough to have them with someone else. That was what she said on her deathbed.” I could no longer hold back my tears as memories of Cece’s sweet words and selfless spirit returned to me.
“That must be hard. Do you still want them?” Zora placed her hand over her chest, her face drawn.
Did she think my being with her depended on whether she could give me a child? Since she was in her early forties and focused on her career, I was sure the window for her to bear kids might be gone anyway.
“It is up to any woman I date and possibly propose to whether she wants to have children. I don’t have a right to tell any woman what to do with her body. She would be the one carrying our baby, not me.”
Zora stared at me hard when I said that. I couldn’t tell if she was happy or sad.
“Why are you looking at time like that?” I finally asked.
“You’re so matter of fact about this. I’ve never heard a man be so supportive of a woman’s plan to get pregnant or carry a child with him. It’s refreshing.”
“My parents taught me that philosophy.”
“They raised an amazing man.”
My insides warmed.
“Thank you. Since we’re sharing so much, tell me why an amazing woman like you isn’t married.”
Zora lowered her eyes and spoke in the soft voice I was growing to love.
“I’ve never been asked.”
Her simple answer hit me in the gut, reminding me how much Zora probably intimidated guys who had problems dating independent women who didn’t need them. Zora may have been hard on the outside, but her heart was tender. Even strong women needed love.
“Do you want children?”
“I can’t imagine doing what I do professionally and taking care of a child. Yes, I have something of a support system with my sister, but it wouldn’t be fair for her to put her life on pause to help me raise my baby.”
“The father should help take care of his kid. You wouldn’t have to do it alone.”
“That’s not a possibility for me right now, so let’s just focus on the present.” She reached for my neck and pulled me inches from her face. “I would love to do everything in my power to simulate the actions that make babies though.”
Zora’s wit made me chuckle. I reached for her hand.
“That sounds like a great idea.”
After our tea chat and a light dinner, we sat in Zora’s living room with her wrapped in my arms. For hours, we poured our hearts out to each other, discussing everything from our childhoods to our families.
“Don’t get it twisted. Lena has always been the bad twin. I was the angel.” She picked up her phone and held it up. “I can call my mama right now to confirm.”
“What would Mama Langston say if I told her about your outrageous behavior today?”
“She would say there’s an exception to every rule.” Zora placed my hands over her breasts and held them there as I kissed the nape of her neck.
Moments like this delighted me. I hadn’t laughed this hard in years. As evening approached, Zora pulled me to my feet.
“Although I enjoy our stimulating conversations, Mr. Kinney, your certified angel needs another release. Will you do the honors?” She pulled out a drawer in the kitchen and lifted a condom in each hand.
“I hope you don’t mind that I grabbed a couple of souvenirs from the stash at your house.
We didn’t put them to use, but I figured our time would come. ”
I tsked and shook my head. Freak Nasty Zora was everything I didn’t know I needed.
I moved to the shiny kitchen counter and tore the corner of one of the condom packets with my teeth.
I set the wrapper on the granite surface behind us and then unbuttoned my pants.
Zora stepped toward me and hugged my waist, deliberately lowering my underwear.
“Dr. Langston, I hate to add stealing to your growing list of infractions.”
With my pants around my knees and Zora’s eyes on my growing erection, she bit her lip and then sucked in her breath.
Her finger traveled down my chest to my abs and eventually to the tip of my penis, which she rubbed with her index finger.
When she raised her wet finger and licked it thoroughly, I groaned.