Taeja

9. Chapter 9

9

She wasn’t sure how long she slept, but when she woke up, Damon’s side of the bed was cold. Stretching, she rolled over to sit on the side of the bed. She stared into space for a few minutes while her thoughts ran wild.

The situation with her father was heavy on her mind, and she forcefully pushed it away.

She remembered Damon’s soothing voice in her ear as he tightly held her until she fell asleep. Though it warmed her heart, she pushed it away, too.

She didn’t like the cause that led up to the situation and she didn’t want to think about it either. So she stood up, grabbed her phone, then went downstairs.

Taeja wasn’t sure where she was going. She’d never been in this house before. She only knew that it belonged to Zain.

God, she hated the decor. The color scheme was too multi-colored and vibrant, the ambiance just wasn’t right. She hated that she was judging, but this house looked the opposite of Zain. Or the image she had painted of him in her mind, anyway.

Classical music drifted from some place in the house, and she followed it to the living room. Damon was lounging on the sofa, tapping away at his laptop while the music came from the TV opposite him.

“Damon,” she called out.

He looked from the laptop at her with a warm smile. He held a hand out and she walked toward him, sitting and cuddling at his side. Damon threw an arm over her shoulder, rubbing her arm and kissing her forehead while a smile came to her face. “Are you feeling better?”

Taeja withheld a sigh. “No, but mi nuh waa talk bout it.”

“Okay…”

“Where’s Zain?”

“He went out. He’ll be back soon.”

Humming, Taeja glanced at his laptop. The screen displayed a coding program. “What’s this for?”

“The app I’m working on.”

“You make apps?” she asked, realizing how little she knew about her guys.

He nodded. “I’m an IT technician, but game design is my first love.”

“Wow. Not me?” she joked.

“You’re a close second,” he replied in a joking manner.

Taeja chuckled. “What kind of game is it?”

“A battle royale. I don’t know where I’m going wrong. I’m trying to fix the graphics, but the colors are all messed up. Look.”

Taeja leaned off his shoulder so he could freely work his hands. She watched in awe as Damon’s fingers soared over the keyboard. He was more attractive when he was in his zone.

After several more clicks, Damon played a demo of the game for her. Taeja nodded when she saw what the problem was. The grass was bluish-yellow instead of green.

“Something’s wrong with the code?” she asked after the demo ended.

“No. I went over it one hundred times already and my friends who I’m making it with went over it, too.”

“Maybe you need fresh eyes.” Taeja patted her lap. “Let me see it.”

His brow’s knitted. “Have you ever done game design before?”

She shook her head. “No, but everything boils down to the same thing, right? Coding. I’m good at it, I promise. Ask my professors if I ever got less than a B in any of my classes.”

Damon silently debated before giving in. He laid his laptop on her lap, and she opened the script .

While Taeja went over it, she chatted with Damon. “Does listening to classical music help you focus?”

“Yes,” he said, hanging onto every minor action she made.

Taeja chuckled. “Damon, mi nago mess up.”

“I didn’t say you would.”

“True, but the way you’re breathing down my neck says otherwise.”

Damon scoffed. “I’m not worried about you messing up. It’s backed up.”

“Then gimi likkle breathing space nuh, sir,” she said, and Damon sighed before scooting over. Taeja stared at the less of an inch he placed between them, before she shook her head and returned her focus to the laptop screen. “I never asked how you understand Patois?”

“We live in Florida. I think half of the population is from the Caribbean.”

Taeja smiled. “You’re right, and… I see where you went wrong.”

Damon sat more upright. “Where?”

“Right here.” Taeja pointed at the screen. “This function has an extra space.”

Damon groaned and facepalmed. “You’re right.”

She smiled. “I know I am.”

He playfully glared at her. “Your ego, Taeja,” he said while taking the laptop away. “Thank you.” He leaned in to kiss her.

Taeja’s eyes fluttered closed, and her heart swelled. She loved being appreciated for her efforts. She was sure when he pulled away, her eyes reflected the deep adoration she felt for him.

Looking away from him, she watched as he made the necessary changes, then replayed the game demo. Everything was perfect now.

Taeja smiled. “That will be fifty dollars.”

Damon scoffed as he saved his progress, then put his laptop aside. “How about I feed you instead?”

Taeja’s belly grumbled. She clutched the material of her silky blouse. “I am hungry.”

“I figured.” He stood, offering a hand to her. After he helped her to her feet, they walked toward the kitchen. “Do you eat chicken tacos?”

“Mi will eat anything. ”

Damon chuckled and pulled the stool out at the island for her. Taeja smiled as she sat, then watched him move around the kitchen. She was in complete awe of him — how his muscles flexed when he reached into the overhead cupboard for a plate; how luscious his waves looked when the sunlight hit it from the right angle. Damon looked like he could walk onto the set of a perfume commercial and own the show.

He plated and heated the food quickly, then placed it before her. “Do you want anything to drink?”

“I want tea. Zain have fever grass?”

Damon chuckled while shaking his head. “He only has coffee and tea.”

“I’ll take the tea,” she said, and he nodded before moving away to prepare it. Taeja moaned as she took the first bite from the chicken taco. “This is good.”

Damon nodded before leading a cheery conversation for the next several minutes until the food and steaming hot cup of tea disappeared. By then, the vibrant blue sky was a stormy gray.

Taeja frowned while washing the dishes. “The weather’s bipolar.”

Damon chuckled from his seat at the island. “You’re right.”

“I still want to go shopping.” She turned the plates down to air-dry, then looked at him. Leaning on the counter behind her, she curled her fingers around the edge. “But if it’s too much, you can drop me at Liyah—”

“No,” Damon said, his dark tone surprising her a little. “You’re ours. You’ll stay with us.”

She smiled. “Okay, daddy.”

Damon gave her a warning glare. “Baby…”

“Yes?” she asked sweetly.

“Come here.”

Her grip tightened around the counter. Was Damon’s voice this deep and sexy all this time? Whew. She was in heat whenever he looked at her like this. Like she belonged only to them, and no one else was allowed to look at her unless they wanted their eyes gouged out.

She loved it.

Exhaling a soft breath, Taeja released the counter. She took unsteady steps toward him.

Damon gripped her by the waist and tugged her between his legs. “Every time you call me daddy, you’re asking for it.”

“I’m not asking. I’m begging.”

He exhaled a shaky breath, and she inhaled it. Tipping, she brought her face close to his. They shared a breath as her mouth neared his. Close enough to touch, but not touching at all, her lips tingled to have Damon’s lips on hers.

A loud slam of a door pulled them apart. Heavy footsteps faded down a hallway.

“That’s Zain?” Taeja asked, nervous to see him after their conversation.

Damon nodded, loosening his grip on her waist. His free hand cupped her face, then he swiped his thumb across her bottom lip before slipping it inside her mouth. Meeting his gaze, Taeja sucked on his thumb. Damon’s eyes dilated as he watched her. His arousal was evident on his face, and she knew hers was too.

“My dick should be in your mouth instead.”

Taeja’s eyes flickered to his crotch. His erection pressed against his jeans. She released his thumb, then moved her hands to his waistband. Taeja didn’t care that this was the kitchen. She wanted to please her man right here, right now, and that was what she’d do.

Damon deserved the sloppiest blowjob for how well he handled her rollercoaster of emotions.

Much to her dismay, Damon halted her hand.

Taeja pouted. “I want you, Damon.”

“I want you too, but I think Zain needs you more.”

Her mind flashed to what almost happened between her and Zain this morning. She needed him, too. Actually… she needed them both. “I want you both.”

“Another time.” Damon kissed her forehead. “Go show Zain how good you can take dick.”

It excited her.

He released her hand, and she stole another kiss. “Before I go, do you have somewhere I can put my documents? ”

Damon nodded. “I have a safe.”

“Okay, thank you,” she said, about to pull away and run upstairs to Zain. She halted when she remembered something. She wrapped her arms around Damon and gave him a tight squeeze.

He faltered before wrapping his arms around her. “What’s this for?”

“Thanks for being there for me,” she whispered.

“You know you love sleeping with me.”

Taeja rolled her eyes, pulling away to glare at him. “You guys should stop saying I have a big ego because your egos are on another level.”

He chuckled, slapping her ass as she turned around. “Have fun, baby.”

Taeja didn’t answer. Instead, she took steady steps to the room she was in earlier. She assumed that was where Zain went.

As expected, he was.

Zain was shirtless, sitting on the edge of the bed and tapping away on his phone. His brows furrowed while he typed. His grip tightened around the phone, relaxing as he looked at her, and his face softened.

Taeja’s heart melted. This man was usually so cold, yet she brought out something in him. Just like he did her.

She gave him a shy smile, now unsure if she wanted to fuck him or simply be in his presence.

“Are you going to come in or stand there all day?” he asked, and Taeja’s smile washed away.

Sighing, she walked into the room, then closed the door behind her. She sat at the top of the bed, being mindful of his space. From here, she had a better view of his locs hiding some of the fading scars on his shoulders. Her hands curled into fists. She hated whoever did this to him. She hoped they were rotting in hell.

“Taeja,” Zain’s voice pierced the stillness.

She didn’t look away from his scars. “Yes?”

“I can feel you staring,” he said, and she looked at the back of his head.

“You’re mine to look at.”

Zain snickered and turned around to look at her while putting his phone aside. “Your mouth, Taeja. ”

She smiled. “You say that a lot, but you never do anything about it.”

His brows raised. A small smirk crawled onto his face. “Oh?”

“Yup.”

“What do you want me to do to you?”

Her eyes trailed his sculpted body before meeting his eyes again. He looked at her similarly to how he did this morning. But this one was more intense and had her hairs raising in sweet anticipation.

“I have a few ideas.”

“Make them actions.”

Taeja’s lips parted, but no words came out. Moments ago, she’d been so sure of herself. Hell, hours ago she’d been so sure of herself.

And now a cat caught her tongue.

This always happened with Zain.

With him, her boldness felt different. It wasn’t the type where she’d make the first move, then lead the rest of the moment if she desired to. With him, he made her bold enough to submit. She’d always willfully give him the reins and allow him to dominate her completely.

And right now, she was giving her power over to him again. He could break her if he chose to, but he wouldn’t. This was Zain. He got her in ways no one else did. She admired that about him.

“Come here, Taeja.” He curled a finger. “Let me put your mouth to use.”

She stood and walked toward him. She stopped before him, eagerly awaiting what he wanted her to do next.

“Get on your knees,” he ordered.

Taeja knelt.

Zain stood.

She craned her neck to see him better, wetting her lips with her tongue when she saw his arousal.

He reached out to drag a hand through her curls. “Take it out, and open your mouth as wide as you can.”

Licking her lips, Taeja obeyed Zain’s command. Her fingers looped into the waistband of his sweatpants and tugged it down to his ankles. She placed a lingering kiss atop his boxers before she lowered it, too.

His dick sprang free, and Taeja was surprised by the size of it. Zain wasn’t fully hard and his dick was already this size.

Taeja swallowed a lump, reminding herself that she'd taken him like a champ before.

Wanting to make Zain proud, she looked into his eyes as she took him into her hands, then kissed his tip. Zain inhaled a sharp breath, and she almost smiled. She knew her action excited him.

Breaking the stare, she placed another kiss on his tip before taking him into her mouth. She sucked, licked, and stroked until he was at his full length. Then she got to work. She sucked him at a fast pace, placed him in the back of her throat, and made him stay there until she could no longer breathe. She gagged while his raspy moans drifted into her ears, making her pussy wet.

Zain’s fingers tangled in her hair and held her head in place. He pushed her head down and thrust his hips forward, forcing her to take more of his dick in her mouth.

Taeja choked when he hit the back of her throat, causing spit to dribble down the sides of her mouth. Her eyes watered and her cheeks hurt, but it was worth it because pleasing him pleased her, too.

She pulled him out and slapped his dick on her tongue before she pumped his length with her hand. Her mouth found his balls, and she sucked them, looking up at him and feeling herself grow wetter.

Zain’s eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted as he looked at the ceiling. Taeja would pay to see this look on his face forever.

Moving from his balls, she went down on him again and used her hand to stroke what couldn’t fit in her mouth. She used her free hand to play with his balls.

“Fuck, Taeja,” Zain hissed. “The things you can do with your mouth.”

She loved how raspy his voice was. It was laced with desire, fueling her to suck him faster. His grip on her hair was so tight that her scalp burned. It was a type of pain she enjoyed. Paired with the throb in her clit, she almost came right there.

Taeja never knew sucking a dick could make her feel this way .

Gradually, Zain’s thrusts into her mouth slowed. “Get on the bed. I can’t wait any longer.”

She freed his dick from her mouth and wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. Zain’s fingers were quick to strip her from her clothes. She was on the bed in no time.

“On your knees, Taeja,” he said, and she turned around, exposing her pussy to him.

Zain took a step forward, and his fingers sank into her ass. He gave it a stinging slap, then rubbed away the pain. She bit into her lip when he pressed his thumb against her clit. “Sucking my dick made you this wet?” he teased.

Taeja nodded.

He slapped her ass. Hard. “Answer me.”

“Yes.”

Zain soothed the sting with his calloused palm before gripping her waist. He tugged her back on him. Her clit jumped as his dick pressed against her ass. “Be a good girl and don’t run, yeah?”

Taeja scoffed. “I won’t run.” She needed this just as much as she needed her next breath. Why would she run? Zain must have been underestimating how badly she wanted him.

Hands still on her waist, Zain directed his dick to her entrance. Taeja gripped a fistful of the duvet as the head pressed against her opening, making her walls stretch to accommodate his length. The mix of pain and pleasure was too much.

“Jesus Christ,” she cursed. “Zain—”

“That’s the tip,” he said, slowly inching further instead of her pussy. “Just relax.”

She tried her best to relax, but damn. She knew he was bigger than Damon, but she never expected to be stretched this way.

He worked another inch inside her, then stopped, giving her time to adjust. She released the breath she was holding.

Zain chuckled. “All that talk, and you can’t take dick?”

Taeja gasped, turning her head around to glare at him. Zain smirked. He looked so sexy with his eyes peeking out from his locs, Taeja could no longer feign being mad at him.

“Whatever, Zain,” she said, her tone jovial. “A act mi did a act so yu can feel good.”

He raised a brow. “Yeah?”

“Yeah! It likkle like mi fing—”

Zain slammed balls deep inside her, touching her cervix and making her scream. Taeja’s eyes slammed shut, and she saw stars behind her eyelids as she tightened her grip around the duvet. Zain didn’t give her time to adjust before he ruthlessly took her from behind, ripping loud moans from her witty mouth.

He didn’t speak, but the way his body treated hers was more than his mouth could ever say.

The sounds they made were all they needed to hear.

Skin slapping against skin.

His deep grunts and heavy breathing.

Her moans and cries for him to stop. Go faster. Fuck her hard until she could only remember his name.

This was ecstasy. The pleasure was overwhelming.

Especially when he found her swollen clit and rubbed it with the pad of his thumb. “You’re close.”

Blinded by the things she was feeling, Taeja was unsure if he was asking or telling her. She could only clench tighter around his length and meet his strokes while he savagely fucked her.

“Don’t stop,” she whimpered, her orgasm so close she could taste it. “I’m—”

“I know,” he said, his voice deeper and making her heart beat faster than it was already. “Come for me, Taeja.”

Her body had no other functions but surrendering itself to pleasure. Her legs shook, and she lost her arch as she showered him with her release, but Zain didn’t stop his ministrations to her body.

He descended with her and rubbed at her clit while fucking roughly, passionately. Just like he used her mouth minutes ago.

Her orgasm released its grip on her body, and her chest heaved as she climbed down from her high .

Zain seized his strokes. “You said I can’t fuck?”

Struggling to catch her breath, Taeja dryly laughed. “I don’t like you, Zain.”

“Sure, you don’t,” he said, then gave her ass a gentle tap. “Turn around,” he said, and she tried to come off his dick, but he halted her. “Spin on it.”

Taeja’s eyes widened for a second. She’d never had anyone tell her to do anything like this before. She didn’t even know it was possible. “Okay, but if yu cocky bruk, mi nago pay no hospital bill.”

With his dick still buried in her, Taeja turned around. His dick rubbed her walls while she did, and it had her getting horny all over again. Now, her legs were on either side of him.

Zain looked at where they were connected. “Did it break?”

Taeja shook her head. “No.”

Zain snickered and leaned forward while resting his hands on either side of her body. “Wrap your legs around me,” he said, looking at her hardened nipples.

She locked her legs around him and pulled him closer. She smiled as Zain licked his lips and dragged his eyes back up to hers. “Can I kiss you?” she whispered. She knew how much he hated to be touched unless he gave her permission, so she was trying to be mindful of him. But he looked so handsome above her — with his locs framing his face, and his dog tag dangling between them — she was compelled to ask. Since that night on the balcony, his lips were the only thing on her mind.

Zain didn’t answer her, but he leaned down and swiped his tongue over her bottom lip. A trail of tingles was left in its wake before he captured her lips for a kiss. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and pull him even closer than he was already, but she remained respectful. Her hands gripped the sheets as he started to thrust inside her slowly, almost lovingly.

This was a different man than the Zain who just fucked her so hard, her pussy burned. This felt like he was sating the pain, and she loved it.

He broke away from her lips to trail kisses down the side of her face until he met the crook of her neck. She craned her neck to give him better access to suck on her sweet spot.

Low, breathy moans escaped her mouth and filled the room, joining the scent of sex that was high in the air.

“Taeja,” he murmured against her skin.

“Yes?” she moaned.

“I’m not gonna last long fucking you,” he said and pulled away from her neck to look down at her. Zain paused his strokes to smirk at her smug expression. “Your fucking ego.”

She chuckled as a smile graced her face. Never in a thousand years did she imagine she’d be laughing and talking to Zain while having sex with him. It felt like she was seeing a side of him no one else saw…

It made her happy.

After her session with Zain that ended up being brought to the bathroom, Damon dropped her off at Liyah. He made her promise to come back to them after she finished shopping, and she promised to.

That was hours ago.

Now, she was in the mall with Liyah. They had several shopping bags thrown over their arms and a drink in their hands as they walked from store to store.

“Girl, mi nago lie. Mi love two man fi yu,” Liyah said.

Taeja smiled. “I love it for me, too. I never saw this happening to me, you know?”

“No. What do you mean?”

“People would probably look at it weird, but all of us have respect for each other, and I think that’s what should matter.”

Liyah nodded. “People judge what they don’t understand, and unu relationship ano fi nobody but unu understand.”

Taeja smiled at Liyah, who stopped walking to look at a blouse on a scantily dressed mannequin. “Thanks for being so cool with this, Liyah.”

“I never thought you’d settle down already, but you know I have to support all your decisions. Even the crazy ones,” Liyah said, looking away from the mannequin to smirk .

Taeja groaned. “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”

“Nope!” Liyah stuck her tongue out at Taeja as they continued walking. “I told you to glue the wig on your head, but no, you didn’t listen. When we were on the rollercoaster and your wig flew off, I was laughing, crying, and screaming at the same time.”

Taeja laughed off the embarrassment. “Listen, I didn’t even realize it flew off cause mi eye did shut tight. I’m never going on a rollercoaster ever again.” She frowned as she remembered that she didn’t get to retrieve her wig after the ride ended. It was stuck on the branch of a giant tree. She was so angry that she cut the amusement park trip short. Liyah had laughed at her the entire journey home, and Taeja ended up laughing at herself, too.

Liyah chuckled as they sat on a bench. “Me too, girl. My heart was in my ass after the first drop. If yu wig neva fly off and mek mi laugh, I’d probably die on that rollercoaster! I don’t know why people love rollercoasters so much. They’re death traps.”

“True,” Taeja laughed. “Anyway, how’s things with Mason?”

Liyah hissed her teeth. “I want to break up with him,” she confessed, and Taeja gasped.

“What? But you love him.”

Liyah sighed and looked away, her shoulders slumping. “I do, but he cheated on me, Tae. I feel like if I forgive him, our relationship won’t be the same.”

“Because you cheated, too?”

Liyah rolled her eyes and took a long sip from her drink, making Taeja wince at the slurping sound. “I didn’t cheat in the way you’re thinking. I just started entertaining the guys who always text me, but I never had sex with any of them.”

“Mason knows that?” Taeja asked, and Liyah shook her head. “Well… it’s either you stay and learn to trust him again, or you call it quits and move on. It makes no sense for you to make yourself miserable in a relationship you’re uncertain about.”

Liyah sighed. “You’re right. I’ll think about it. Afta me nuh bigger than bun. Worse like how all I have to my name is migraines from student debt.”

Taeja knew Liyah was trying to make light of the situation, but she didn’t laugh. Aaliyah worked two jobs to finance her Biology degree, and Taeja witnessed first-hand how rough it was on her friend. She was always willing to help Aaliyah, but Liyah denied most of her advances. Taeja was saddened by it because all her expenses — from her bi-weekly manicures to her out-of-country vacations and frequent shopping sprees — were always paid in full by her father, no matter what terms they were on.

“You’ve got this, Liyah. We’re almost finished with college, then the money’s going to be rolling in,” Taeja assured, and Liyah smiled at her.

“I love you, Tae.”

“I love you, too—” She paused when her phone vibrated in the pocket of Liyah’s jeans she borrowed. “Hold on.” She rested aside her drink and reached for her phone. Freeing it from her pocket, Taeja’s eyes widened at the caller ID.