Chapter 3 #2
The address Oden sent me wasn’t to his restaurant, but a condo near lakeshore drive.
It was in one of those expensive ass, Gold Coast buildings.
I could tell it cost a grip as I found myself in the tempered glass elevator going up.
The view was beautiful, the lap of straight up luxury if you asked me.
He met me at the elevator, dressed in black pants and a grey polo as though he hadn’t just cooked an entire meal.
Shit this man was gorgeous. He had tight, irritated eyes and even tighter lips.
Unlike any man I had ever been attracted to, he had a beard and goatee.
It was neatly trimmed and maintained unlike many others I had seen.
He was the color of fresh cookie butter with a sharp jawline and flat cheekbones.
On his left cheekbone right below his eyes, easily able to be missed, was a beauty mark.
Before I could step from the elevator, I was pulled into his space. The type of hug I had only dreamt of awaited me. Shit, him and these big ass arms had the potential to be my weakness.
“You smell good.” He kissed my temple before his hand gripped mine and pulled me in the direction of the open door.
Had I been any lighter, I swear I would’ve been blushing. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
From the moment I entered his condo, my stomach had been grumbling. It smelled so good in here I just knew I would be leaving here stuffed. “It smells delightful in here.”
He didn’t let my hand go until we stepped into the kitchen, where he washed his hands and went for a spoon. Seconds after he dipped it into one of the large pots on the stove, he held it to my lips. “Taste it.”
Our eyes locked and I accepted the spoon full of whatever between my lips. The moment was erotic and so sensual that I had to look away while I chewed.
“Do you always feed your guests or am I just special?”
He set the spoon down. “Yeah, you're special.” Then, like pure fucking sin, he winked and turned to stir another pot. I swear I didn’t know how I was gonna survive this night, but I’d try. There was definitely no bitch in my blood.
“You’re beautiful,” he complimented.
I smiled hard, looking away. “You’ve been giving me compliments since I walked in the door, Oden.”
“Shit, I’m supposed to. Plus, I’m stating facts. I figured we’d eat out on the patio tonight.” He motioned toward the open doors that led out of the kitchen.
I looked around. “Do you mind if I explore? This place seems huge.”
“Nah, not at all. There is nothing really here.”
I nodded and still decided to do my lil one two because not only was I nosy, but this place was huge.
When I made it back to the kitchen, a glass and a bottle of wine awaited me.
He had already plated the food and was carrying it to the patio.
Yeah, this man was too perfect. Something had to be wrong.
“Grab that for me,” he instructed, throwing his head in the direction of the wine and the scotch glass I assumed was for him a few centimeters away.
“Are you a serial killer or something?” I asked, immediately after seeing the elaborate spread.
He chuckled, then placed the plate on the well set table before those serious eyes landed on me. “Why do you ask that?”
“Because you’re perfect… shit too perfect for me to be here right now.”
“Nah, I’m far from perfect, beautiful. I’m honestly as flawed as they come, but on my best days I hold things together well enough to appear fine.”
The entire time he spoke, I listened, because something in his words made me feel seen. Like somehow I had found a kindred spirit in this man and I wasn’t looking. “And what kind of day is today?”
“Not half bad. I was lowkey looking forward to feeding your beautiful ass.”
There I was smiling again. The smile engraved on my face was so wide my damn cheeks hurt. “Tell me anything. I bet you cook for and feed all your friends. Nothing about me is special.”
Instead of us seating at the patio table, we went to the sectional type layout with the table in front of it.
“I ain’t telling you anything. Ain’t got no reason to lie to you, Jade.
You are special and I can tell that much from looking at you.
Something has me drawn to what I see in you.
I don’t know what that is yet, but I wanna find out. ”
“That sounds extremely vague, but for some reason I’m inclined to agree.”
He grinned. “Not vague at all. Just me keeping it as honest with you as I can. I’m a dark nigga, and I’ve done some shit I’m not proud of.
Things I still carry to this day that make me so complicated that I shouldn’t be sitting with you right now like this.
But something about you is magnetic. Not gonna lie, you caught me by surprise. ” His smile was beautiful.
I was grateful for the fork of food he held at my lips because I didn’t have any sort of response for what he said.
I was truly taken aback. I wasn’t used to a man being so honest and straight forward.
I didn’t know whether to exhale a breath of relief or stay nervous.
From just his presence alone, I knew I wasn’t dealing with an average man.
Oden wasn’t some little ass boy, he was a grown man able to articulate his own words.
True to his word, he fed me dinner and the entire evening we talked and got to know one another in a way I truly wasn’t used to. He really wanted to get to know me and not just between my legs. He actually wanted to know me.
“So, what happened with you and your daughter’s mother?” I had to ask, because I couldn’t see any woman walking away from him unless he had a dark side I had yet to be exposed to.
“We didn’t work. Married and all, nothing I could have ever done would have been enough for Ashley.”
I nodded, sensing he didn’t want to discuss his ex. “I’m sorry I asked.”
“Don’t be. Things don’t work out, that’s life.”
I nodded. “Well I?—”
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, voice heavy. I could tell he was second guessing himself when I didn’t respond immediately.
“Yes,” I responded almost like I was exhaling a heavy breath.
My neck was in his grasp within seconds before he leaned forward and mashed his lips against mine.
What I expected to be quick was nothing near as he held me there for a moment.
Small pecks became weighted, and before I knew it my tongue was down his throat, and he welcomed it.
The type of action I had shied away from for the last several months but here he was. Shit, here he was.
When we pulled back, he just looked at me. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to kiss you like that?”
“No, how long?”
“Since you got into my car the other night,” he answered with nothing but honesty in his eyes. Maybe I didn’t know him as well as I wanted, but I knew you could tell a lot about a person from their eyes.
I laughed nervously, leaning into him. I didn’t know what to say because that quick peck alone was consuming. It made me feel him. That fucking fast.
In one quick motion, his massive arm was around my shoulder and he was pulling me into his chest space as we shifted back against the sofa.
Being in his arms was nice, like a necessary warm blanket fresh out of the dryer.
I could lay here for hours knowing damn well I should have been taking my ass home.
I didn’t though, instead I enjoyed his embrace, closing my eyes until I fell into a comfortable sleep I didn’t realize I was in until I felt myself being lifted off the sofa.
“Shit, how long was I out?” I sat up as soon as he sat me on the sofa.
“Not long. You're good, right?”
“Yeah. I think it’s time I go hom?—”
“Nah. It’s too late for you to be driving and you had wine. Nah, you good, love. I’ll take the couch and you ca?—”
“I’m not putting you out of your bed. I can drive myself home, Oden.”
“But you not.” He looked up from the mess he was cleaning up and those eyes were serious. So pointed and serious that I swallowed hard and conceded. For no man had I ever conceded, but something about this one had me doing just that.
“Well, I’m not gonna put you out of your bed. I think we can share a bed, Oden.”
He laughed, then looked me over long and hard. “You sure, Jade?”
At the risk of sounding like a hoe, my next statement slid from my lips a little too easily. “I’m sure and whatever happens, happens. We are both grown. Now can I help you clean or are you gonna shut that down too?”
He laughed. “Yeah I am. Chill out, sweetheart, let me handle this.”
I wasn’t used to this. I wasn’t used to sitting back and just being while a man did everything. This feeling was foreign to me.
“Well can I at least shower? I feel like I smell like outside.”
He laughed again, this time moving from the kitchen into my direction. “Yeah, since you insist on doing something.”
I laughed and followed him down the hall. There he led me into a massive bedroom with only a bed and a duffle on it. I noted the place was empty, but never came into the bedroom and saw it was this empty. There was absolutely nothing here except the bed and a few light fixtures.
“Told you I don’t live out here, but I keep a few changes of clothes just in case I don’t feel like driving home or my daughter wants to stay with me.”
I nodded, not understanding why he was explaining himself to me. When we entered the massive closet, he grabbed a shirt and pair of his boxers for me to sleep in. Then he left me to shower and went to finish cleaning. Yes, this entire moment was foreign to me, because where had this man come from?