Chapter 12
I rolled over into a mass of unruly curls.
My eyes fluttered open to find Jaeda snuggled up against me, sleeping soundly.
It felt good to sleep next to her. It had been so long since I had a woman in my bed.
It wasn’t even the fact that she gave part of herself to me last night.
Just being with her was enough. Falling asleep with her in my arms felt natural. Waking up to her, . . . it felt right.
Last night, . . . shit! Last night was something unexpected, but she asked, and I delivered.
I’d given her three orgasms before she tapped out on me.
Now that I had sampled a taste of her, it was going to be hard not to sample her again.
I’d give her control in that aspect, and I told her so last night.
If she wanted it, all she had to do was ask.
I placed a kiss to the top of her head before sliding out of bed and heading for my bathroom. After relieving my bladder, washing my face, and brushing my teeth, I headed out to the kitchen to make some coffee.
Looking at the clock on the stove, I saw that it was almost ten, which meant I slept in. Usually, I woke up around six every morning to get in a workout session before I had to start work. Today, I skipped that. Sleeping in with Jaeda was as good a reason as any to sleep in.
While my coffee was brewing, I loaded the dishwasher with last night’s dinner dishes and started a cycle. Going over to the end table beside my couch, I grabbed Jaeda’s phone and went to put it on the charger in my office.
A knock on my door alerted me, and I looked at my security monitor to see Titan. I just knew his ass was coming to be nosy. Walking over to the door, I opened it. He stood there with a grin on his face and a blunt in his hand.
“Wake and bake, muthafucka.”
He didn’t give me a chance to protest before he was walking in and heading for the balcony. Shaking my head, I closed the door. I should have known he would be over as soon as he woke up.
At this point, I needed him and Mia to make up, break up, or him to find another woman to occupy his free time so he could stay out of my business. I took my time making my coffee before finally joining him. He already had the blunt lit and was puffing on it as I sat down.
“She still here?” he asked.
“Why?”
He grinned. “Because I watched my security footage back, and I didn’t see her leave.”
I shoved him. “You nosy as hell, man.”
He laughed. “Fuck all that. I needed to know. Look at you glowing and shit, nigga. You must have gotten some ass. Is that what I was interrupting last night since you wouldn’t tell me shit.”
I waved him off. “We didn’t take it that far.”
He kissed his teeth as he handed me the blunt. “I guess she’s still a virgin then.”
I took a pull from the potent substance. “In some aspects.”
He looked over at me with a huge grin on his face. “Progress, my nigga. I know her brothers are mad as shit that she didn’t come home.”
I shrugged. “I’m not worried about them. She’s mine.”
“Y’all made things official?”
“No, but after last night, I’m branded on her.”
He laughed and slapped my arm. “Big dawg status.”
He cupped his hands around his mouth and barked.
“Would you shut up! She’s sleeping.”
“My bad, man. I’m just happy for you, my boy. At least one of us?—”
“Aht, aht! I don’t wanna hear that shit. It’s too early to jump on the Titan and Mia soapbox.”
He looked offended. “I listened to you go on and on about how bad you wanted Jaeda?—”
“And I’ve been listening to you complain about Mia for a year or better. We’re even.”
He snatched the blunt from me. “I miss her crazy ass, man.”
“That’s that toxic shit.”
He waved me off and took a pull from the blunt. “Toxic or not, that’s my baby. If we ever get shit right, I’d nut the fuck up about her.”
“Like you don’t already. She ain’t crazy by herself. I want you to be happy, T. I don’t know if Mia is the one, though. Y’all bring out the worst in each other sometimes.”
He shook his head. “It’s not even that. We’ve just always been pitted against each other. It’s hard to be soft with your competition.”
“Y’all don’t even work for the same people.”
“Doesn’t matter. My mama and Maddie have been friends for a long time.
Both of us grew up knowing the organization was going to be our fate.
We’ve trained for this shit since we were ten years old, and ever since then, it felt like we always had to be better than each other.
We always had to one up each other in some way.
Both of us were hot heads with smart ass mouths, so it was easier to be enemies than friends. ”
“I get that, but y’all have been sleeping together for a minute. Why fuck somebody you claim you hate?”
“I don’t hate Mia, man. In my own way, I care about her. I got mad love for her. A nigga just doesn’t know how to be more than what we are.”
“How about actually telling her you care about her?” we heard behind us.
We’d been so engaged in conversation that neither of us heard the glass door slide open. Jaeda stood there in my robe with her arms crossed.
“Hey, baby,” I said, motioning her to me.
She came to me, and I pulled her onto my lap, greeting her with a kiss. She crossed her legs and rested against me, turning her attention to Titan, who sat with yet another huge grin on his face.
“Look at y’all muthafuckas,” he said, shaking his head. “Y’all look good together.”
“Thank you,” Jaeda said. “Now, back to my sister. Why can’t you just tell her how you feel?”
“Your sister is too much like a nigga, Jae. She’s so damn hard, and she’s suspicious as fuck. A nigga don’t even be doing shit, and she’s always accusing me of something.”
“Look, I know Mia can be extra. But when she loves you and you’re worth it, she loves hard.”
“Maybe I ain’t worth it then.” A hint of sadness appeared in his eyes, but he quickly blinked it away. “This ain’t one of those romance books she says you read.”
Jaeda laughed. “Oh, it’s giving enemies to lovers real bad. But that’s fiction, and it typically works out in fiction. This is real life, and both of y’all do the most. Maybe you two just need to call it quits. It shouldn’t be that hard to be with someone you so obviously love.”
Titan drew back like she’d slapped him. “Love?”
“Please spare me the dramatics, DeLuca. As hard as both of you act, it’s very clear you love each other. Nobody continuously runs back to somebody they hate. You either love them, hate them, or you’re a damn fool.”
Titan looked at me, and I shrugged. “My baby has a point.”
“My baby has a point,” he mocked me. “Y’all are about to blow my high. I didn’t encourage this man to go after you so you two could gang up on me. You’re supposed to be sis, Jae.”
Jaeda laughed. “Whatever. You don’t even know if you like me.”
“As long as you make my brother happy, we don’t have any problems.”
“I’m not somebody you want problems with, sir. Act like you know my last name.”
He laughed as he raised his hands in defense. “I don’t want no smoke with you, Ms. Jaeda. Other than your daddy, you’re the one Dillinger I know that I think I could tolerate. Now that you and my boy are locked in, we’re gonna be good friends.”
“If I have to be friends with you, you have to make up with my brothers.”
“You must have smoked crack before you walked out here if you think that shit is happening. They don’t fuck with me, and I don’t fuck with them. I didn’t start that shit, but I’ll finish it every time.”
“You know why y’all don’t get along? Because you’re too much alike. If you had a real conversation, you’d probably like each other.”
I chuckled. “No offense, baby, but most of your brothers aren’t that likable on first impression.”
“I know, I know. I’m just saying, it would be nice if you all could get along. I wanna bring you around the family at some point. It would be nice to not have you and my brothers pulling guns on each other.”
Titan laughed. “Maybe we should just shoot it out.”
Jaeda scoffed. “Titan, I will shoot you my damn self if you ever pull a trigger on one of my brothers.”
He raised his hands in mock surrender. “I hear you, gangsta boo. We will never be friends, but I’m mature enough to be cordial at some point. We just haven’t reached that point.”
Jaeda rolled her eyes. “I thought men got over beefs faster than women.”
Titan frowned. “I ain’t no bitch now. I can let bygones be bygones, if and when your brothers apologize for the way they came at me.
Again, I don’t start shit, but I will finish it.
” He stood to his feet. “I’m gonna get out of here.
Y’all have a good one. Don’t lay up in here being nasty all day. Be productive.”
“Bye, Titan!” Jaeda and I said in unison.
He laughed as he headed back inside. Jaeda snuggled against me and rested her head on my shoulder.
“Did you sleep good?” I asked, kissing her forehead.
“I slept great. You wore me out last night.”
I chuckled. “I’m glad you had a good first experience. You know you’re stuck with me now, right?”
She giggled. “I’m okay with that.”
“You hungry?”
“I’m starving. I could make us breakfast. I mean, you did feed and give me multiple orgasms last night.”
“I just gave you what you wanted and needed. When you want more, let me know. You never have to be afraid to ask for what you want from me. Again, all of me is at your disposal.”
She leaned in and kissed me before standing to her feet and pulling me to mine. I thought we were going back inside until she claimed my spot on the lounge chair.
“In that case,” she said, untying the robe. “I need you at my disposal right now.”
She lay back and draped her legs over the arms of the chair, exposing her pussy. I licked my lips.
“Yes, ma’am.”
I chuckled to myself as I dropped to my knees in front of her. If one night with my mouth birthed this boldness, I couldn’t wait to see what my dick would have her doing.