8. Vanya #2
Pearce licked his lips while pulling containers of food from the bag, and that one act made my pussy throb.
I was basically hiding from a man that wanted me dead, and I was getting turned on by Pearce absentmindedly licking his lips.
Sick. The black jeans and black shirt that he wore were very simple, but he looked so damn good.
And the black scarf that he had tied around his head like a turban.
My God in heaven. His ex had to be dumb as fuck because no amount of money would have made me leave him.
Maybe he wasn’t telling me the whole story because I would have told Kalim to kiss my ass if it was me.
I realized I was staring and looked away. I was becoming more comfortable around Pearce, and I prayed to God with everything in me that wasn’t a mistake.
“You gon’ come take a look, or you aren’t hungry?”
Clearing my throat, I eased off the couch.
Becoming more comfortable around him didn’t mean that he didn’t make me slightly nervous.
Pearce was fine as fuck. And though I couldn’t hear the conversation he had with Kalim, seeing him stand up to the man and basically threaten him had me turned on in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge.
He was like the less evil version of Kalim, and I was there for it.
After washing my hands, I peeked inside each container.
There was an enormous spread of food, and there wasn’t anything on the table that I didn’t eat.
The room was silent as we both fixed our plates.
When I was done, Pearce glanced over at my plate filled with food that had a little of everything on it.
Ribs, chicken, BBQ potatoes, potato salad, pulled pork, coleslaw, fried shrimp, and hush puppies.
“Damn I did good, huh?” he asked with hiked brows making me laugh.
“Yes, you did very good. I’m sure I look like a fat ass, but I don’t even care.”
“I bought the food for it to be eaten. Do your thang.”
I put my plate on the dining room table and walked back into the kitchen for something to drink.
By the time I made it back to the table, Pearce had taken a seat.
It would be my second time sitting across from him eating, and I was as nervous as the first time but for different reasons.
At the restaurant, I knew Kalim was coming.
In Pearce’s home, we were alone in his space, and I was dangerously close to him while he looked how he was looking and smelling how he was smelling.
The cologne he’d misted onto his body smelled rich and masculine.
It was the perfect scent for him, and I didn’t even know what it was.
Closing my eyes, I said my grace before digging into the food. Everything was absolutely delicious, and I had to be careful not to eat like a cavewoman who was just tasting food for the first time.
“This shit gon’ hit every time,” Pearce marveled. “This and a hot shower might as well be a sleeping pill because I know it’s going to put me out.”
“I’m going to be tired for sure, but I’ll probably be up half the night braiding my hair. What I don’t finish tonight, I’ll finish tomorrow.”
“You braid?”
“Nah. I’ve only done my own hair once when I was too broke to afford to get it done. I watched a few tutorials, and I think I did okay. I have nothing but time right about now, so I can go slow and make sure it’s up to par. Since I can’t leave like that.”
“You can leave if you want, but it would be better if you were with me. I’m not really trying to sit in a braiding shop for hours, but I will if you really want your hair done.”
The way his words activated my coochie should have been illegal.
This man offered to wait with me while I got my hair braided.
I really didn’t want Kalim to kill me. I had so much to live for but if by chance he did get to me, I at least hoped I’d be able to experience Pearce’s dick before I left the world.
“That’s nice of you, but doing my hair will keep me busy. I just pray that it doesn’t hurt too bad. My shoulder feels better for the most part but…” my voice trailed off.
“I know you were with your people, but how did you end up mixed up in Kalim’s shit?” Pearce asked as he picked up a glass of lemonade and took a sip.
“I was having money trouble, so I started dancing at the big age of thirty. My cousin, Tee was already a dancer, and we worked at Kalim’s club.
Tee loved money and knew a lot of people, so she started asking me to do private parties with her.
Before that night, I never knew she was dealing with Kalim.
I didn’t ask her about the men she dealt with.
One night after a private party, she was too drunk and high to drive, so I drove to her house and spent the night. ”
Swallowing hard, I composed myself. I thought about that night numerous times a day but speaking the words out loud evoked a different kind of emotion. One that I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to face. Shifting in my seat, I continued.
“I was trying to go to sleep when I heard her having sex. Of course, I was annoyed, and I decided to go home. The sex sounds stopped, and I heard Kalim’s voice.
He accused her of having him followed. He believed that she was setting him up to be robbed.
Of course, she denied it. When I heard a gunshot, I got underneath the bed, but he came in the room and found me.
He shot me three times.” My gaze shifted down to the remaining food on my plate.
Closing my eyes to keep the tears at bay, I clenched my teeth together.
“I knew more than likely he would try and finish the job, but I couldn’t leave town without money.
Blackmailing him wasn’t the brightest idea, but I was desperate and angry.
I can’t say that I know for certain she did send people to rob him, and if she did, she was wrong.
But I’ll never say she deserved to die, and I for damn sure didn’t deserve to be shot three times and left for dead. ”