Chapter 18
W hen Noonie didn’t run away after I showed her my tortured soul, I began to look at her differently. I put the door back on the hinges to return her right to privacy. I'd also returned the clothes I purchased her, but Noonie still chose to walk around in sexy sets. Every time she left a trail of her sweet scent through the penthouse, I found myself following it right to her before dropping to my knees for a taste. She never denied me because we both knew she enjoyed letting me stretch that pussy out more and more every day. She hugged me perfectly every time I was inside her. You couldn't tell me her walls weren't designed specifically to put me in a chokehold.
Standing outside her door, I knocked to alert her of my presence. She snatched the door open, wearing my favorite two-piece set to see her in. It was a black microkini with maraschino cherries and red string. Because of her movements, her ample breasts bounced in place, momentarily distracting me. I swallowed the lump in my throat, then coughed to get back focused on the task at hand.
"Get dressed. I want to take you somewhere."
Leaving no room for discussion, I turned and headed for the living room, where I sat and waited for her to emerge from the back. When Noonie did, she wore a pair of fitted dark wash jeans, a red graffiti t-shirt, and white block walkers. Her curly hair had grown so much she had pulled it into a bun that allowed me to see all her alluring features. I'd never noticed the small red cherry tattoo along her sideburns before, but it was cute. Unable to help myself when I walked up on her, I placed a kiss right there.
"You ready?"
She nodded, dropping her head as air flooded her cheeks. "Yes. I hope this is okay. You didn't give me any clue about where we're going."
I smiled with a wink. "I know. Come on."
Taking her hand in mine, I led her to the elevator. I pushed her against the wall, making a home in between her legs while we were on the way down. I kissed and sucked on her neck, so distracted by the sounds of her moans that she had to tell me when we made it to the garage.
Walking her over to my bike, I handed her a helmet. Her eyes ballooned in surprise. "What? You scared?"
She tucked her lips and nodded. "A little. Are you going to keep me safe, JaSire Dupree?" A cute smile appeared on her face.
"How do you know my name, girl?"
She giggled. "I might've snooped at some mail in your office."
I shook my head, not the least bit surprised. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I snatched her to my chest. "Nosy ass."
She shrugged. "I think it's fair. You know mine."
I guess she had a valid point. "Well, to answer your question, you don't even have to ask that. You're good. I promise."
"Okay," she whispered, looking up at me with a dazed expression. When I tried handing her the helmet a second time, she accepted. I helped her put it on correctly before putting mine on, too. "Twinsies!" she shouted teasingly, making me laugh.
I swung my leg over the bike before sitting down. I extended a hand to help Noonie climb on behind me. I never felt so at peace as when she wrapped her arms around my torso. Kick-starting my bike, it roared to life, following my commands until we were heading out of the garage and racing through the city.
Noonie squealed behind me, then held on tighter. We weren't going too far, so I wasn't worried about her freaking out. When we got to 718 , I pulled into the parking garage, grabbing a ticket for parking. Once we were in a parking spot, I turned the bike off.
"That wasn't so bad, right?" I asked while helping her off then doing the same.
After I took Noonie's helmet off, she shook her head. Her eyes were flooded with childlike excitement. "Not at all. That was so fun. I've never felt anything like it."
Her energy was contagious, causing me to laugh. Stepping closer, I took her hand in mine. "I knew you would like it. Come on."
I expected Noonie to ask me where we were going, but she didn't. She seemed content being out of the penthouse by the deep breaths she kept taking and the smile on her face. We rounded the corner, heading for the art gallery.
"Wow, that is so beautiful," Noonie gushed, admiring the mural on the side of the building. I nodded in agreement. I knew this would be a good outing choice for Noonie. She was always admiring the art in the penthouse and there was a gallery for local artist Loray tonight.
When we walked inside, Noonie started bouncing on her toes, clapping her hands together. Suddenly, she was the one in control as she pulled me from exhibit to exhibit. A few times, I found myself standing back, merely admiring her. I loved the way her forehead wrinkled when she was in deep thought or how her ears wiggled when she was excited. I found myself enjoying her reaction to things much more than the art itself because, in a way, she was the art.
"I love this one the most," she whispered as I walked up to her. Her voice was a little shaky, and when I looked at her, I saw tears running down her cheeks.
"What's wrong?" I asked, becoming concerned.
Noonie shook her head with a little giggle. "Nothing. It's perfect."
I turned to see what had her so worked up but couldn't figure it out. I only saw a canvas covered in graffiti. "Why do you love this one?" I figured asking was better than trying to figure it out on my own.
"Because it's raw and imperfect like me. It has layers, textures, and mistakes, but that's what makes it so beautiful. Even messy things can come together to create a masterpiece." She swiped away her tears before turning to me. "Also, Lay loved graffiti. I don't know how many times I went on missions with her around the city while she tagged various buildings, expressing her pain in a different way."
Her words buried themselves in my heart, causing it to race. "That's beautiful, Novi."
She smiled and dropped her head. "This was perfect. Thank you for getting me out of the house."
I nodded, feeling stupid that I was blushing too. Her appreciation of something so simple made me want to do more to keep that smile on her face. She lit up the entire room so much that she should've been on display. "Are you hungry?"
She rubbed her stomach and nodded. "Absolutely."
I chuckled. "Come on, fat ass. I saw a taco truck outside."
She clapped her hands excitedly, coming closer to me. We walked out the door side by side as she continued to talk about what she loved about the gallery. I didn't understand it all, but I could listen to her talk all day.
The truck was still in the same place, so we got in line. We waited about ten minutes before it was our turn to order. I got steak and shrimp tacos while she settled on Birria. For our drinks, we tried some mango concoction that was good as fuck.
There was a bench on the side of the gallery that we went to sit on while we ate. "What are your goals?" Noonie questioned me out of the blue.
I shrugged. "I wish I could tell you, but I don't really know what I want."
I looked up when I felt her hand on my arm. "Don't worry. You'll figure it out." I appreciated her encouragement because sometimes I felt like I might be a slave to the Dupree name and CCB for the rest of my life. I never really had desires outside of what this lifestyle offered me.
"Have you come up with that business name yet?" There was a drop of consommé on the corner of her mouth, so I quickly used my finger to clean it up. She shuddered at my touch. When we looked at each other, we drifted into another realm where we were the sole occupants. My heart raced the longer I admired her.
When she shook her head, she released me from the trance. "I'm stuck between two. She Sparkles and Knovah's Clean Slate."
"I like the first one."
She bumped into my shoulder. "I bet you do. I wonder if I can really pull it off, though. I know nothing about running a business."
I bumped her back, ready to offer encouraging words of my own. "It's okay to be a novice. We all start somewhere. Your main focus right now should be getting started. Some things you will figure out as you go along, while others will come from those books you're constantly reading. It'll come together."
Noonie laughed with a shake of your head. "I have learned a lot since becoming your prisoner." She took another pull of her drink then set it down. "Anyway, I need to use the restroom."
I nodded toward the gallery. "There's one inside."
"Okay, I'll be back." Noonie hopped up and headed back inside. Since she left nothing but trash behind, I gathered everything then went to dump it in a trash can.
I waited along the side of the building when a seller caught my attention. I don't know why I did it, but I crossed the street and purchased a red rose for Noonie before heading back to my previous waiting spot. After a few minutes, I started to get the feeling she might've taken off.
I couldn't say I blamed her if she did. After all, she was still my prisoner, and this was the perfect opportunity. Just as I was certain she was no longer inside, she rounded the corner.
"Aww, is that for me?" she asked, spotting the rose. I eyed the flower, then nodded and handed it to her. "You're so sweet. Sorry I took so long, but there was a line for the women's restroom."
I kept silent, watching her inhale the flower's aroma with a contented sigh. A part of me wanted to know why she didn't use this opportunity to get far away from me, but I kept my lips sealed because I was too afraid of what the answer might be.
"Thank you for this. Where are we off to now?" I shrugged nonchalantly. I had no other plans other than this. "Can I take you to my favorite place?"
I figured there was no harm in allowing her to experience a little more freedom, so I agreed.