Chapter 8 #4
“You do that. Good night, Cap.” Cannon hung up the phone.
“Was that your sister?”
“Yeah. She just wanted to make sure you weren’t upset.”
“Nope. I feel . . . good,” she said, nuzzling her face in his neck. That shit felt good as hell, and it took every ounce of strength he possessed to say his next words.
“You need to back up.”
She sighed. “Why? I want to kiss you.”
“You ain’t even known me a week, La.”
She frowned but didn’t move. “So?”
“So, you tryin’ to kiss me after drinking two big ass glasses of wine like they were shots isn’t a good idea.”
Nahla laughed then groaned. “Fine. But tomorrow, when I’m sober, I’m gonna ask again.”
He laughed too. “I hear you, man.”
Nahla rolled her eyes and released him. Turning on her heels, she said, “I’m going to take a shower. You have to clean the kitchen tonight.”
Cannon shook his head. She really was something else.
Although he knew it was the best move, he missed her closeness as soon as she backed away from him. Cannon was starting to feel like he was hooked on his client, and if there was any truth to her words, she might have been feeling the same way.
He wasn’t sure what that might mean for them moving forward, but he had thoroughly enjoyed his night with her. That was all he knew at this moment.
He stood and began cleaning the kitchen. By the time he cleared the counters, washed and dried the dishes, and took the trash out, forty minutes had passed. He wasn’t the least bit tired, but that was nothing new for Cannon, because he didn’t get much sleep most nights.
He contemplated chilling in the living room and watching television but decided to just head to his bedroom and shower.
Maybe he could use the night to do a deep dive into Lyle’s city officials, finally.
He headed for the hallway. As he was about to pass Nahla’s door, he saw that the light was still on, and it was slightly ajar.
Deciding to catch one more glimpse of her before he turned in, he stopped to tell her good night, but what he heard made him pause.
“Today was . . . a lot. It was heavy, but then again, it always is when I’m dealing with my father.
The sheriff’s press conference did nothing to make my day better, but I’ll tell you who did—Cannon Porter.
I just met the man, but I can’t say that I care about that even a little bit.
He makes me feel safe. For the first time in so many years, I don’t feel like I’m in this life thing alone, and I know it’s because I’m here with him.
I wanna feel this feeling forever, and the wine in me is giving me hope that that isn’t just wishful thinking,” she said with a laugh.
Cannon hated that he had been eavesdropping but wasn’t mad at what he heard. What she just admitted confirmed that they were on the same page. As new as their connection was, it was significant to both of them.
Pushing her door open, Cannon stepped inside.
Her eyes widened when she saw him. “I wasn’t talking to myself,” she said, making him laugh. The fact that she was worried about whether he thought she was talking to herself and not whether he had heard what she said was just another reason why he couldn’t get enough of the woman.
“I mean, I was, but . . . it was a voice recording,” she finished, holding up her phone. “Since I’m always so busy, I like having an audio diary, instead of—”
“La,” he said, cutting her off.
She licked her bottom lip. “Yeah?”
“Come here.”
She stood without hesitation and glided over to him. He also moved without delay when he cupped her face gently and pressed his lips on hers. The kiss wasn’t rushed or sloppy. It was slow.
Deep.
Gratifying.
Like he had finally been granted the thing he’d waited years for.
It was every damn thing.
He sensed her rising on her toes to deepen their kiss, so he moved his hands down her body until they were on her hips, then lifted her into his arms. Nahla immediately wrapped her legs around Cannon’s waist and her arms around his neck while he moved to her bed.
Breaking their kiss, Cannon laid her on the comforter and just gazed at her. He wanted her bad, but he needed to stop this now. He didn’t want to mess things up by moving too fast. She felt too important.
“I’ma go to bed, La. I came in here to tell you good night,” he said, attempting to stand.
Nahla tightened her legs and arms around him and shook her head. Gently, she pulled his head back down and kissed him softly. Somehow, Cannon found the strength to pull away again.
“This ain’t a good idea, La.”
She sighed but didn’t release her hold on him.
“Tell me why,” she said.
Nahla rubbed her lips together briefly, and Cannon followed the movement.
“Because,” he said, before kissing her again. “I’m feelin’ you too much already. If we took it there . . .” He kissed her neck. “There wouldn’t be any going back.”
Nahla’s breath hitched, and he hoped she understood what he was trying to convey. He wasn’t resisting her because he didn’t want her; he was resisting because he wasn’t taking whatever this was lightly.
She loosened her arms just enough to pull back and see his face more clearly. His eyes were dark and conflicted.
In a whisper, Nahla said, “I wouldn’t wanna go back, Cannon.”
“La—”
“I’m not sure what it is about you—about this—that’s so different, but it is different,” she said, cutting him off.
“For years, my job has been my life. My stories have been all that matter to me. This is the first time in a long time that there’s something—someone—who means something to me like you do.
“Maybe we are moving quickly, but it doesn’t feel rushed or random to me. It feels right. You’ve been selflessly protecting me. I’ve trusted you tonight with things I don’t trust anyone with. We may not have time, but we have an undeniable connection. Tell me I’m wrong.”
She damn sure wasn’t wrong. Their connection was real. His concern was that it was too real too quick, so he told her that.
Her reply was, “Or maybe it’s so real because we haven’t had time to pretend like we don’t have something here.”
Cannon lowered his head and kissed her deeply.
“Yo’ ass got an answer for everything, huh?
” he asked, although he knew Nahla was right.
The last few days had been a lot—full of chaos, danger, and adrenaline.
Through it all, Nahla Avery had been the bright spot.
He wasn’t a stranger to dangerous situations, but his jobs usually kept him in isolation.
It had always been easier to hyperfocus on the mission and block out everything else, including the client. All that internal seclusion usually left him in a dark headspace, though.
This time around, Nahla had been the constant, the anchor that kept him grounded in the light.
She said he made her feel safe, but in this short time, she had become a safe space for him too.
When he was with her, he felt safe enough to be present.
Safe enough to be happy. For a man like him, that wasn’t a small thing.
Nahla joined their lips again, and as they kissed, he felt her hand move between them. He didn’t stop her from reaching into his boxers or from releasing his manhood.
Instead, he made sure he had her eyes when he said, “La, if we take it there, I’ma want you. Not just tonight, either. We gon’ be locked in.”
She smiled as she began to stroke him.
“You hear me?” he asked.
“Yep,” she said, guiding him to her opening.
“Fuck.” Cannon had to pause. Nahla felt better than amazing.
He pushed inside her—slow, deep, steady. He watched as her lips parted and she accepted every inch of him. Her breath stopped.
“Breathe, baby.”
Cannon kissed her lips, and she exhaled shakily. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes tightly as he moved inside her.
“You good?” he asked.
“Yes.” She breathed. “Please don’t stop.”
Cannon wasn’t sure he could’ve stopped if he tried.
His strokes were slow but deep and powerful. They matched perfectly to the way her body rose to meet him. Nahala wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. Her moans filled his mouth as her heat wrapped around him.
She had him tripping a little bit. It felt like she was made specifically for him—that was how snugly he fit inside her.
“Damn, Nahla.”
He continued his slow pacing until he could no longer contain himself.
He slid out of her almost completely before diving in again.
Nahla cried out, and Cannon groaned. Her hands were all over his body, and Cannon felt like he was in heaven.
The way Nahla had him feeling, he was sure he wasn’t lasting much longer.
Judging by the way Nahla was sounding off, neither was she.
“Yes, Cannon,” she said through a moan. “Right there.”
Cannon smiled. He loved the way she sounded when she was unraveling. As he admired her, he felt himself getting there. Her love faces were sexy as hell. Cannon switched up his angle, and Nahla fell apart. She was loud and breathless as she grabbed the back of his shirt and came undone beneath him.
Cannon followed her instantly, groaning her name against her lips. He pulled out just in time, and her body shook as he released on the sheets between her legs. He kissed her lips again before collapsing beside her.
Nahla curled against his chest, her cheek softly pressed against his skin. Cannon slid an arm around her, kissed the top of her head, and said, “Whatever this is between us is real to me, Nahla. I need you to know that.”
She lifted her head. “Ditto.”
He kissed her forehead.
“Good. Now let’s go get a shower. Then, we can sleep in my bed, since I just fucked your sheets up.”
They both laughed as they got out of bed.
Their connection had just escalated by a thousand, but for some reason, Cannon wasn’t tripping.
The vibe wasn’t tense or awkward. As a matter of fact, he felt calmer than he had in a while.
He was feeling Nahla something serious and decided to just roll with it.