Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
Armond Davis
I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE saying “sweeping a woman off her feet” but that was what Brandy had done to me. I’d never been so distracted and caught up in my life. To the point where I let my brother run the show so I could spend time with my baby.
It had been about a month since I met Brandy and she’d taken me by storm.
We’d gotten into the routine of calling each other every night on FaceTime and it had been the best sleep I’d gotten in my life.
No more tossing and turning. No more waking up sweating with my heart racing from memories in my nightmares. I needed her.
She claimed it was the opposite and she needed me, but shit, we needed each other, and I was grateful we met when and how we did.
I was pulling up to my brother’s guest house in Arlington and dialed Brandy up. I missed hearing her sultry voice and after the day I had, I needed that comfort.
Another shipment had gone missing, and we couldn’t connect it this time. Apparently, the entire shipping container went overboard along with a few that didn’t belong to us when a huge wave crashed into the boat.
I found it rather odd that we hadn’t had those problems before when we used the same route for the past five years. No matter what the weather was, it still made it to us.
Arlando found himself attempting to calm me down but there was nothing he could say that would, except for we found it. That was thousands of my own money lost and nobody cared to replace that shit either.
I spent the day rerouting our other shipments, making sure they were secure and would still arrive on time. To say I had a headache would be an understatement.
“Hey, baby,” Brandy said as soon as the video popped up.
“Hey, love. How are you?”
“I’m good. It’s pretty late, are you okay?”
I sighed and nodded. “Yeah, all good now. Some shit went down and I had to fix it. Didn’t expect it to take up my whole day.”
“Well, at least you can rest now. How soon do you have to be up in the morning?”
“Flying out to Galveston at five.”
“Oh.” She paused and put her head down. “Well, I guess I can’t invite you to my place tonight.”
“What do you have planned for me?”
“Honestly, nothing. I just wanted to sleep in your arms and see what that feels like again.”
“Oh yeah?”
She blushed and nodded, then licked her lips. “I promise I won’t be on nothing more than that. Don’t need you staying up any longer than necessary.”
“You worry about my rest?”
“Absolutely. I take mine very seriously. I can’t perform at my best let alone teach without eight or more hours of sleep.”
“Ah, is that why you have early afternoon classes instead of morning?” I asked.
I made myself comfortable on the couch and kicked off my shoes. I lay back and kept the phone hovering over me. Brandy cased me with her eyes then smiled when she locked on my face.
“You’ve had your shirt open like that all day?” she asked.
“Yeah. Is that a problem, honeybee?”
“Yeah, it is. I don’t need any other chick feeling how I do when they look at you. You already know how damn sexy you are, Armond. Don’t play with me,” she said with that cute ass attitude I’d seen every so often. Her nostrils would flare and her face would get tight. It was adorable and amusing.
“I didn’t have it like this all day. I was bullshitting, but that face was worth it.” I laughed.
“Oh, fuck you, Armond.” She laughed then slapped the phone as if she were slapping my arm.
“I would never disrespect you like that, Brandy. I don’t give these chicks nothing extra to look at. You ain’t ever got to worry. Feel it?”
Her eyes lowered and I would’ve sworn she just came all over herself the way she was staring at me. That shit had me ready to head over there and say fuck it. If I didn’t sleep, then I just didn’t sleep. The forty-five-minute drive wouldn’t be shit for real.
“Give me an hour and I’ll be over there. Aight, mama?”
“Sounds good to me, Mon Mon,” she said sweetly.
“Mon Mon? This my new name now?”
“Yep.” She put on a big smile and batted those lashes at me. Shit, she could call me whatever she wanted long as Bish wasn’t one of those words.
“Alright. I think I can stand that.”
I sat up then headed to my room. Reaching the en suite, I turned on the water for the shower then placed my phone against the mirror. I stared at Brandy as I slowly undressed. She was biting that bottom lip by the time I had my shirt unbuttoned.
She liked it when I teased her. I didn’t even have to get out of my drawers for her to be turned on.
She found comfort in being with a man like me in her little ways.
She was breaking that shell down little by little.
She chose me just as much as I chose her and I was going to show her why she chose correctly every chance I got.
I didn’t have to be extra with her for her to feel me and know I’m him with every conversation, every kiss, every damn moment we were together. I wanted us to fall for each other more and more each day. This was my baby and I wasn’t going to let up.
“What, we about to be watching each other take showers, Mon Mon?”
“Only if you want to. I’m not about to pressure you, mama.”
“I’ll see you soon?”
“Soon, honeybee.”
“Okay, then I’m okay with getting off. I ain’t pressed.” She giggled. She was damn pressed.
“If I hang up, you’re going to be all pouty and shit when I get there. I don’t need all that. Get your pretty ass in the shower,” I replied.
I unbuckled my belt and pulled it off then unzipped my pants. She was disrobing as well. Her skin was glistening against the light. Every curve looked edible. I was going to make sure to take my time with her.
She stepped into the shower and winked at me. She knew just how badly I needed her. Damn.
I pulled up to her place in my black silk pajama pants and a tank. I grabbed my garment and duffel bags then headed up to the fourth floor. She was standing outside the door leaning against the frame with an eagerness that kept my eyes glued to hers.
As I approached her, she silently led me into her space.
It smelled like fresh linen and lavender.
I kicked off my slides then followed her to her bedroom.
Her closet door was already open for me and I couldn’t help but smile.
She already knew what I would do first. I never threw my things around her place.
I always went to the closet. I hung up my garment bag and threw my duffel under it.
When I walked out of the closet, Brandy lay in the middle of the bed in nothing but her silk robe.
It fell off her shoulders and bunched up, exposing only the tops of her breasts.
Her legs glistened against the low light and I wanted nothing more than to rub that shea butter in even more, just so I could touch her longer than she’d probably allow at this hour.
Brandy pulled the blanket and motioned for me to climb into bed. I took my tank off and did as requested. She stood and pulled her half of the blanket back then let her robe drop to her feet. She was wearing a white lace, strapless bustier with the matching thong.
Before I could react, she climbed into bed then straddled me. Her lips crashed into mine and her fingers slid through my hair. The second our tongues collided, she pulled away and smirked.
“I’ve missed you, Armond,” she said breathlessly.
“I’ve missed your pretty ass too, honeybee. Come here.”
I forced her to curl up against me. Our legs entwined and a smile grew on her face.
“I guess you do listen,” she said softly.
“What do you mean?” I knew exactly what she meant.
“I said no funny business and you’re making sure I stick to that,” she mumbled.
I let out a light chuckle then wrapped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head.
“Is this what you imagined sleeping with me would be like?”
“Naw, not really,” she replied.
“And why is that? Because you want me to serve you proper before we pass out?”
“Yes.”
“Well, my lady said we weren’t on that tonight so I’m going to stick to that and not get cussed out in the morning for keeping you up all night and leaving you too exhausted to teach your class.”
She giggled. “Yeah, okay, okay. You got me on that.” She playfully hit my chest then snuggled her head into the cuff of my armpit and chest.
“Woman.”
“You smell good. Leave me alone.”
“And you’re comfortable being in my armpit?”
“At least I know you’re clean.” She giggled and couldn’t even take herself seriously.
She scooted up a little to rest directly on my pec. She traced the tattoo on my chest, laugh now, cry later masks. She then trailed my abs and landed on the hair trail that led to my dick. She stopped at my pajama pants then trailed her way back up.
Her touch was so light that I found deep comfort in it.
My eyes closed and I expelled a sigh. I was trying my best to stick to my guns and not put my lips all over her.
I wanted to show her that our encounters didn’t always have to end sexually.
That we could enjoy each other as a couple deeper than appearance.
I damn sure felt more than just a physical attraction to her.
“Armond, I have a question,” she mumbled, half asleep.
“What’s good?”
“Why do you use your mother’s last name and not your father’s, even though you hate her more than him?”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose. I hadn’t been asked much about my parents, at least to this extent. Shit, how did she even know that?
“Chardonnay told me. Arlando,” she murmured while still trailing my abs.
“When we started our arms business, we didn’t want any ties to our father.
We were trying to make a name for ourselves.
Though his name meant a lot to the organizations we delved in, when it came to that, people sought us out before him.
He thought it was disrespectful, so we said fuck that.
We switched our last names. Nobody could make that tie any longer, so we rolled with it. ”
She giggled then planted a kiss on my cheek. “So, no Boselli?”
“Only on my original birth certificates. I changed our names, but I hold on to the original to remind me how far we’ve come despite our dad’s bullshit.”
“I thought your mom was the problem maker?”
“No. You clearly heard that from Arlando.” I chuckled.
“She may have started the downward spiral, but she’s still solid.
She left because she knew at some point our father would kill her.
I didn’t realize until I got older, but it’s the truth.
I mean, I got a couple of half siblings because of it but shit it’s all love. ”
“I’m nervous about meeting your family, especially your mom. I want her to like me,” she confessed.
I kissed her forehead then stroked her hair. Her breaths grew softer as some of that nervousness seeped away.
“She’s going to love you. Your sister might be the one under the microscope since it’s been this long.”
“I’ll make sure to warn her.” She giggled.
“She will love you both just like I do.”
I felt her body stiffen from my comment, but she didn’t say anything. I guess once she realized I wasn’t either she began her strum on my pelvis. Before I knew it, that trail slowed more and more by the second and her soft breaths were filling my ears, landing lightly against my chest.
I stroked her hair and she threw her leg over my stomach.
I smirked then grabbed a handful of her ass.
She let out a wispy moan then fell into a deep sleep moments later.
I loved how she felt against me. It didn’t matter which position she was in, she always fit perfectly.
She always felt like my happiest memories. She felt like home.
Once I knew she was officially asleep I finally let my guard down and found myself drifting off soon after.