4. Rakai
Rakai
I t’s crazy to find yourself attracted to a woman you can’t fully see due to the cloak of darkness.
Yet, the minute my hand hit this woman’s back, something possessive surged through me.
This is one of the few times I’ve been happy about dropping Ronzell off at home.
Spending time in prison and exiting with plans to change my life had me avoiding Ritown Projects and any of my previous turf.
Yet, doing a favor for Ronzell had me in the right place at the perfect time tonight.
Under the dim streetlights in the parking lot, I’m able to get a partial view of this mystery woman.
Her almond-shaped brown eyes, slender cheeks, and thick, kissable lips nearly hypnotize me.
The urge to snatch the royal blue bonnet from her head so I can see all of her hits me hard.
What’s worse is the continuous visual of this woman lying in my bed wearing this same bonnet.
Since walking out the gates of Ribax Correctional, my thoughts have been on rebuilding and rebranding myself without any romantic interests.
However, I’m now staring at this woman, wondering if she prefers satin or Egyptian cotton sheets.
“So, what had you on the wrong side of the tracks? I could smell your fear and knew instantly you didn’t belong in Ritown Projects.”
“I didn’t think anybody was watching me.”
Something about this woman’s naivety irks me because there’s no way she thought she could fly under the radar in a seedy neighborhood like Ritown Projects.
“Where’s your man, mama? Clearly, he’s slipping if he got you out here with blinders on while roaming in dangerous territories.” The aggression in my tone can’t be prevented due to the lava surging through my bloodstream from the gravity of this situation.
A grimace forms on Latia’s lips, and the area around her eyes tightens as fire fills her expression. Leaning against the vehicle, Latia crosses her arms before attempting to give me the what for.
“I don’t have a man because my last one treated me like his child with his condescending attitude and high-handed n?—”
“Hold up. High what? I know he didn’t put his dick beaters on you, mama.” Like a volcano, fire surges through my body, and my hands immediately ball into fists.
Giggles escape Latia’s mouth, instantly bringing a glow to her warm peanut butter skin while deflating my aggression like a tire.
“No. I just meant that he would talk down to me all the time. The straw that broke the camel’s back was his intolerance to my sensitive nature. He called me a wimp who isn’t capable of handling the pressure of life.”
“What’s his name?”
An inferno begins simmering in the pit of my stomach, and wrinkles stretch across my forehead as I wait.
“ Irrelevant is his name. On another note, I have to be up early for work, and a girl needs her beauty sleep.”
“You could get thirty-six hours of sleep and wouldn’t be any less beautiful than you already are.”
Latia’s cheeks turn red, and her eyelids flutter, causing my chest to expand from the action.
“Thank you for stopping him from hurting me. I appreciate you, AC?—”
“Actually, my name is Rakai,” I interject before she can call me the same dumb ass moniker as Kodak.
Her brows knit together, and a frown twists her lips in a cute expression that has a low chuckle escaping my mouth.
“Oh, okay. My name is...” Her words trail off before she looks around to see if anyone else is in the vicinity.
“Come whisper it to me,” I instruct her, curling my finger with a sneaky grin.
The rise and fall of my chest match hers when her feet move slowly before she leans closer toward me. My breath catches in my throat when the puff of air from her lips hits my face before she speaks again.
“Latia Revish. Thanks again for coming to my aid.”
My dick hardens to the point of pain, making my pants bulge, causing me to shift slightly to attempt to contain the ache.
Latia’s sultry and seductive voice is like a siren, and I’m about ready to answer.
My lips begin tingling with an urge to connect our mouths to confirm if her lips are as soft as they appear.
“Don’t mention it.”
“I’m gonna get out of here, but it was a pleasure to meet you, Rakai. You have given me another reason to thank God for his protection and the angels who watch over me. You didn’t have to intervene back there, but I’m eternally grateful you did.”
Nodding, I open Latia’s door and wait for her to secure the seatbelt before closing the door with an intense desire to follow her home to ensure she arrives safely.
Instead, I watch her car exit the spot, and my gaze follows her out of the complex with my chest pinching the further she gets away from me.
Damn, I should have asked her for her phone number.
“Why the hell are you sitting here looking like they mixed your Sprite with seltzer water?” Edmond asks, taking the empty seat across from me.
Edmond Alexander and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember.
We also ran the streets together with Edmond as my right-hand man.
However, my getting caught up and going to jail had Edmond coming to his senses and ending his time in the game as well.
I’m still thinking about my interaction with Ms. Latia Revish a week later.
Surprisingly, she’s been in every dream I’ve had since meeting her.
In thirty-three years of living, I have never had a dream let alone continuous dreams about a woman.
Even with my ex, dreams weren’t a part of our relationship, which ended up being good when her true colors shone brighter than the sun.
If my dream about Latia wasn’t enough, I have also been dealing with an ache at the thought of her.
I’m ready to carry my ass to the doctor so he can do a complete physical because something is going on with me that I can’t pinpoint.
“Have you ever felt a woman before you spoke to or truly saw her?”
Edmond’s face contorts, and his forehead wrinkles as he stares at me like a lab rat.
“Nah. What’s up with you, though?”
“Something about this woman I ran into while taking one of my co-workers home has me out of sorts. I can’t pinpoint it, but I’ve never had this happen before.”
“Maybe it’s gas. Have you taken a shit in the last week? Sometimes, when I’m backed up, my thoughts and body act funny, too. Ma swears by laxatives and suppositories. Do you want me to ask her what brand she takes? A good shit could do wonders for you.”
Sitting back, I stare Edmond down with my eyes squinted.
“Man, what? Why are you telling me about bowel movements and remedies to aid in them? We ain’t close enough to have this kind of discussion right now.”
“What? You’re the one talking about having funny feelings. I was just trying to help but fuck it. Stay backed up. I don’t care.”
Shaking my head, I pick up my drink and take another sip, wondering how I went from talking about having foreign feelings for a woman to imaginary, irregular stool.
“Let’s just change the subject to something less disgusting. What’s been going on with you?”