Chapter 35
Maddie
“Will you stop looking at me like that?” I rolled my eyes at Carlos and moved past him with the buggy. We were in Whole Foods getting a few things for dinner I was cooking tonight with Sophie for the guys.
He followed me, and when I stopped, he circled my waist with his arms from behind, making sure to press his body against mine.
“How am I looking at you?” he said against my neck before his teeth gently tugged at my skin.
“Like you want to bend me over this buggy right here in the middle of the wine aisle. Now move please, so we can finish shopping.” I shrugged him off and moved forward again, but I heard him laugh behind me.
“You got me doing domestic shit, the least you can do is let me use my imagination.”
“Shopping is not domestic, and you eat at home, so it’s not new to you.”
“Yeah, it is, and I hardly ever go to the store unless I’m buying liquor or condoms. I pay for a service to do this shit right here for me. It’s easier.”
“Seriously?”
“Hell yeah, seriously.”
I glanced over my shoulder and watched him send a text.
I ignored it and scanned the shelves, trying to find the perfect wine for tonight.
Sophie was pregnant, so I would be drinking alone.
Well, the wine anyway. I was sure the guys would be finishing a few bottles of something stronger than I cared to drink.
I grabbed two of my favorites, placed them in the buggy, and turned just in time to see Carlos frowning at his phone before he mumbled something I couldn’t make out and slid it into his pocket.
I tried not to let it bother me because he was always dealing with some type of business issue, but we were still new, so I was often curious if he was still dealing with other women.
“I have to get dessert. I think maybe a cheesecake,” I said and started walking. It came out a little dry, which I hadn’t intended but it was too late.
“Aight, cool. Get chocolate. I love that shit.” He kissed me on the cheek and walked beside me. He hadn’t noticed I was in my feelings about him being on his phone nonstop since we’d left the house hours ago.
The bakery was our next stop, and again, Carlos had his phone in hand, really engaged in what he was reading and sending.
“Chocolate topping or filling?” I asked, trying to get his attention.
“Filling,” was all he said before he tucked his lip between his teeth in concentration, but didn’t bother looking up at me.
I grabbed one chocolate and plain before I left him standing there and headed toward the front to get in line.
There was no wait in line, so by the time he joined me, it was time to pay. I was in the process of pulling my card out when he walked up, glanced at the total, and removed cash from his pocket.
He didn’t say a word but I could tell he was irritated.
Carlos was very easy to read most of the time because he didn’t try to hide how he felt about things.
He lifted the two reusable bags filled with our things and started toward the door.
He stopped and let me exit first after they opened then followed me.
Once in the car, he turned and looked at me.
“You need to ask me something?”
“No,” I said dryly. I wasn’t in the mood to argue with him simply because I was feeling insecure. Richard had made me that way by constantly cheating and it was hard to let go of that.
“Then I’ll tell you what you’re too afraid to ask.
That’s business. I have to always be available and I make sure I am.
I have a lot of shit going on right now because I just made some changes so I really have to be available right now.
We ain’t married or anywhere close to that, so if I wanted to talk to another woman I could and wouldn’t feel any type of way about it.
I damn sure wouldn’t hide it, if that’s what I wanted to do. ”
Carlos was always blunt and straightforward and I was still getting used to that. As much as I hated it sometimes, I appreciated that I always knew where I stood with him.
“I didn’t think it was another woman,” I said before pulling my seatbelt to secure it. I wanted a distraction to keep from having to look at him.
He leaned across the seat and pecked my cheek. “Yes, the fuck you did. Lying ass.”
Carlos smirked then started his car. I couldn’t help but smile with him because he knew me, even when I didn’t want him to.
“You’re not gonna burn down my kitchen, are you?”
“I can cook, and better than you, which you already know.”
“Shit, you crazy as fuck. You can cook, so I’ll give you your props. My mother probably heard this all the way out in Rochester and she’s cursing your ass out right now as we speak.”
I laughed, admiring his sexy physique as he dashed in and out of traffic. This man was simply too much. His golden bronze, sunkissed skin, hazel eyes, damn near perfect body, and brusque attitude. I laughed to myself thinking about it.
“Your mother?” I questioned.
“Hell yeah, my mother. She made sure I could cook. She always said a man should be able to do anything—cook, clean, take care of himself. I hated it growing up because it made me feel like a pussy, but the older I got, the more I appreciated her for teaching me. She hooked a brother up, so I can do shit on my own.”
“So, you don’t need me then?” I said with a slight grin.
“Nah, I need you, baby girl, just not like you think.” His eyes went straight to my lap and I laughed.
“I hope I’m more than just sex.”
“Fuck hope, hope don’t do shit for you but get your pressure up. Your ass better know.”
“I do.”
“You sure about that?”
“Most definitely.”
“Good, ’cause, if not I was about to pull over and help you make up your mind.”
“How is sex going to convince me I’m more than just sex to you?”
I frowned and he laughed.
“’Cause the way I’ll have you screaming my name will bring out every emotion you could possibly feel, and you’ll know this shit is deeper than the way I make you cum.”
“Must you be so nasty?”
“Shit yeah ’cause you like it that way. You fucking with a real one, Madeline. You might as well get used to that.”
I had no words for that, but it was the truth.
“So, do I get to meet your mom?”
Carlos glanced at me for a minute then focused on the road again.
“We’re not there yet,” he said, as if he didn’t just gut punch me with his words.
“And before you go getting all in your feelings, it’s not what you think.
My mom is old school as fuck. If I’m bringing someone to meet her I better be serious about them.
We’re on the right path, we just still got a ways to go, and before you ask, no. The answer is no.”
“No to what?”
He smirked at me and shook his head. “No other women I fuck with have ever met my mom. When I say she’s old school, I mean it.
When I take you to meet her, first thing she’s gonna do before she even says hello is look at your damn hand expecting to see a ring.
In her eyes, if I’m bringing you around it’s some serious shit. So I don’t take that lightly.”
I was okay with that. Especially if it meant I could possibly be the first one. He did say not there yet, which meant he was at least considering it. That was good enough for now.
“Damn Troop, let her ass breathe,” Carlos said, causing all of us to laugh because it was evident they were making up for lost time. I was just happy my girl was happy again.
The two weeks he acted a fool made me want to cut him, but Carlos told me to stay out of it.
“She can breathe just fine, so mind your gotdamn business.” Trooper paid Carlos no mind and continued moving his hands across Sophie’s body while he kissed her neck.
“Trooper, be nice,” Sophie said, pushing him off of her, but he pulled her closer.
“Shit, I am being nice. I could have ended it with kiss my ass, but I didn’t.” Trooper smirked and Sophie elbowed him.
“How are y’all even friends? All you do is talk trash to each other,” I said, looking up at Carlos from where my head rested in his lap.
“That’s exactly how we’re friends by saying whatever the fuck is on our minds. That’s my peoples and if I can’t be real with him why the fuck be down in the first place?” Trooper said, like he meant every word and it just made sense.
“Hell yeah. When his ass is tripping, I tell him. Y’all women be on some extra shit when you got issues. Whispering and talking shit behind each other’s back. When Troop is fucking up, I let him know before it gets out of hand. That’s some grown man shit.”
“Why I gotta be the one who’s fucking up?
” Trooper smiled and Sophie shot him a look that quickly got him in check.
He laughed and kissed her cheek. “But real shit, he’s right.
Y’all will hold shit in and be hating on your closest friends then blow up because she wore the same color as you to an event or something, when it really don’t have shit to do with that.
We just keep it one hundred twenty-four-seven so it never gets to that. ”
I sucked my teeth and looked over at Trooper. “No, men just don’t care about anything.”
“We do, just not about dumb shit like why she looking at me like that or why she text you back and didn’t text me back.”
“Hell yeah. Or she hugged you and only waved at me,” Carlos added.
Sophie and I looked at each other and burst out laughing because they were right. Women did tend to be extra with certain things. I had to respect how most guys handled their friendships. They said what was on their minds and kept it moving.
We spent the next few hours just relaxing and it felt good to spend time with friends, but I must admit, I wasn’t mad when Sophie admitted she was tired and ready to head home. After being up under Carlos all night and sharing his attention, I was more than ready to have him all to myself.