12. Real
Shorty really thought she had said something. All she had done was manage to piss me the fuck off. Talking ‘bout, “Once this runs its course,” when I was thinking about where this could go. I wasn’t jumping on the shit too, too fast. Yeah, I had been feeling her differently for a while, but this sudden urgency might have just been seeing Marlon appreciating her beauty. Or it may have been the pussy talking. No woman had ever had me whipped, but Ev came damn close with that tight, juicy center. A couple of times last night, I started to spread her thighs, work my way inside, and just sleep there. I was sick with it. Whatever it was, I wasn’t thinking about her little speech. I had something else to do, and she was riding. I wanted her with me, so that’s where she was about to be.
I had blown off the fact that I took her to my mama’s place, but it was deeper than I let on. I was shifting gears, changing this relationship into something much different. Part of a close-knit family, I wanted to know what my people thought. My phone was going off like crazy and I looked at it once to see the women in my family apparently typing fast as a mothafucka.
Mama:
She's gorgeous and so sweet, Montréal. I'm here when you want to tell me whatever.
Auntie:
Real, do NOT fuck this up. I guess I'll help yo’ ass keep her. Bring her over.
Kinny:
Sooo you jus wasn't gone say nothing? You like her, like her, huh?
Chennai:
Find out who blends her makeup, Brubber. Lord, she flawless! Ya babies gon' be so cute. TeTe Nai can't wait.
I shook my head and put that shit away. My family was so extra. But I couldn't lie—having the two women who raised me approve of her made me feel even better about taking this thing with her next level. She was so guarded that she wasn't going to agree if I just put it out there. I had to launch a sneak attack on her ass. First casualty was going to be that damn rule book.
Ev managed to stay quiet for ten minutes, before she cleared her throat. I didn’t respond, just waiting for her to say something. She was all proper and together, but she had a slick ass mouth sometimes.
“This what you doing now, Montréal?” she finally asked.
“Driving? I been doing that shit for years,” I played ignorant.
“No. Kidnapping people!”
"You feel kidnapped, love?"
She closed her eyes like she was praying. "Does it matter how I feel, Montréal?"
I looked at her crazy. "Of course, it matters how you feel.”
"I just spent a minute telling you how I felt, and you disregarded it!" she scoffed.
"That little Easter speech you gave?" I waved that shit off. "That ain't how you feel. That's how you think you supposed to feel, according to that rule book in yo' head. Let it go, mama."
She shook her head, sighing. "How do you know how I feel?"
"So, you don't wanna be with me right now? You ain't wanted to be with me all morning, love?" I challenged, turning in my seat as much as I could.
Big, honey-brown eyes glared at me and full, freshly-glossed lips pouted, but she stayed quiet. I grinned.
"You ain't gotta admit it out loud. I'm gracious in victory. Just sit over there and enjoy the ride. I like having you up under me, too."
"I already knew that," she mumbled.
I frowned, not appreciating that comment. I liked her for more than sex. She liked me, too, so she could stop with her bullshit.
"Ay, chill out with that mouth, shorty."
She sniffed but turned her head to look out the window. The drive wasn't much longer. I usually explained my job as in commercial and select residential real estate, giving most people the impression that I just sold luxury spots. That wasn't all I did. I acquired some, revamped them, and sold them for much more than I paid, Basically upscale property flipping. Some places I bought and kept, renting them as high-end, lucrative assets. The collection of exclusive boutiques and eateries I pulled up to was a place like that. I wanted to check on my investment here today, peek in on the clients who were prepping or already open for Sunday traffic. I parked and climbed out before letting Ev out. She sucked her teeth when I grabbed her hand, but she didn't try to pull away.
We stopped at the small coffee and tea shop run by a Brazilian couple my mother knew first. She introduced them to me when they outgrew their old shop. Drinks were their specialty; Mama provided the baked goods they sold. But the Oliveiras had an interesting history that made me extra happy to be renting to them.
"How is Rachel? You must give her my love," Mariana said as Davi blended an iced coffee for Ev.
"She good. In the restaurants or in these streets. She stay busy," I answered, smiling.
I half-listened to her chatter as I watched Ev with Davi. Shorty was one of those old school words like… like gracious. She was so damned gracious the few times I’d seen her interact with people. She had a pretty, sincere smile; she listened like whoever was talking was saying the most important shit in the world; and she said nice stuff to people. Hell, she spoke life into me on the regular. She thanked Davi as she accepted her coffee, immediately inserting a straw and taking a sip.
Her jaws hollowed as she sucked and just that quick, all thoughts of her being gracious were gone as I imagined her creating that same suction around my dick. I liked that version of Ev, too, the filthy one who worked her thick, sexy body in ways that had me questioning life. My dick was hard as hell as she complimented Davi and Mariana on the coffee and their shop. This visit wasn’t going to be long. I needed to be inside her again as soon as fucking possible.
“Real?”
Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts. The way all three of them were looking at me let me know they were waiting on me to say something. I had missed the question, though.
“Run that back,” I said.
“Mariana said are you sure you don’t want anything?” Ev responded.
“Nah, I’m good. You ready?”
I looked down at Ev and she nodded. We said our goodbyes and I took her hand again. A couple more stops to check on tenants and we were gone. I didn’t realize I was pulling her along until she let out an exasperated, “Montréal!”
“What?” I asked, glancing back at her.
“Why you moving so fast?”
Walking up on her, I made sure to get close enough for her to feel my already-hardening dick against her stomach.
"Cuz we got a few more people to see, then I'm ready to get you home," I muttered before getting ready to drop a kiss on her lips.
The disappointed look on her face stopped me.
"What?"
She shook her head. "Nothing."
Somewhere in the last few months, I'd decided that I didn't like her hiding shit from me. I wasn't going to let it slide now. I grabbed her other hand as she tried to step away from me.
"What I tell you about lying to me?"
She shrugged. "It's really nothing. I mean... you insisted on bringing me here. I tried to remind you what our situation is about. If you wanted to spend this morning having sex, I had some time for that. I have no problem being available to—ahh!"
She shrieked as I pulled her into me, slamming our bodies together. I mugged her little confused ass.
"You talking about it's nothing, but it's obvious the shit made you feel a way. I'on know what kinda simplistic shit you on, but I can want to spend time in and out of bed with you. I wanted you with me while I was out this morning, but I also want to fuck the shit out of you. Look Ev, I wasn't expecting to feel this thing between us, either, but you don't see my brain about to explode because it happened. Stop tryna make everything black or white. We some cool ass people. It makes sense that we wanna chill with each other sometimes. Okay?" I said.
"Real—"
I silenced her objections with a hard little kiss. Looking down at her again, I repeated, "Okay?"
She blinked those big eyes up at me before nodding.
"Okay," she whispered.
Satisfied, I led her to the next shop I wanted to visit. It wasn't open yet, but I'd texted my tenant to let her know I was stopping by. She was busy arranging a dress in her front window, but she stopped to let us in, a small smile on her face. That was a big deal. Madame G—as she preferred to be called—had a badass resting bitch face. She was one of my favorites, an old-school dressmaker, even though she was only in her thirties, with a past she didn't talk about and a following that was growing like crazy. I made the introductions, and she sized Ev up before nodding.
"Yes. I can dress her," she announced, her voice accented and decisive.
I laughed.
"We aren't here for that. Unless she wants..."
I looked at Ev, waiting. Swear the way I didn't mind tricking on this woman was not a good look for me. She smiled at me.
"I'm good," she murmured, but she handed me her coffee so she could walk around the shop.
Madame G and I ducked off to her office and talked about the business, everything from foot traffic to her projections. Things were good for her, and I was glad. I moved to give her a quick hug goodbye but stopped when I saw that her little smile had returned.
"What, Madame?" I asked.
"I make the wedding dress of mayor's daughter. She is lovely woman. Curvy, like your beauty. I have much experience with dressing the fuller girls. I will do good job on her wedding dress. She will be even more beautiful bride for you," she said before clapping once.
I shook my head vigorously. Shorty had this situation all fucked up.
"Ay, whoa, lady. Pump yo' brakes. We ain't getting?—"
She held up a hand.
"You never bring girl, Montréal. Now, you bring girl and your eyes, they follow her. You talk to me very quickly so you may see her again. Madame G knows. I will get measurements soon. Make beautiful dress for your beautiful girl."
Clasping her hands below her breasts, she nodded, as if everything was settled. I wasn't about to argue.
"You trippin', Madame, but okay."
Smiling, she ushered me out of her office. We left her a few minutes later, after she studied Ev some more and gave me an unexpected wink.
Ev grabbed her coffee as soon as we were back on the sidewalk. She took a long sip before she began talking, her voice excited.
"Her work is amazing, Real. Oh, my God. I saw some breathtaking pieces. I?—”
"She wants to design your wedding dress."
I don't know why the hell I told her that. She didn't, either. She paused, then looked up at me with a puzzled face.
"Wait, what? Where did that come from?" she queried.
I shrugged. "She assumed you and I... well, she promised to make you a beautiful bride for me."
At this point, it was obvious to me that I just wanted to see her reaction. Her eyes widened.
"And you didn't correct her?"
"Nah. She was convinced."
I swear she just blinked at me for a full minute. Then, she let out a crazy little laugh.
"That's sweet but misguided. Marriage ain't for me," Ev announced.
It was my turn to frown.
"You ain't married or separated or divorced. I know that from the background check. So, how you know?—”
"You ran a background check on me?"
I waved that away. "Of course, I did a background check. Man like me can't be caught out here slippin'. But how you know marriage ain't for you?"
Shaking her head, she chuckled. "Rich men, I swear."
She took off ahead of me, her steps quicker. Her ass was mad. I shook my head, about to follow her until I heard my name called. I looked back to see Madame G standing outside her door.
"What's up, lady?" I asked.
"I forget to tell you one thing. I see?—"
My head spun when I heard Ev make a sound, followed by an apology.
"It is very much okay, belle ," a man's voice assured her. "If someone must run into me, I am happy it is such a beautiful someone. But really, chérie , we must stop meeting like this."
I locked eyes on him.
Fury flooded me.