Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
While Remedie was packing her things, Nico got a call from his mother reminding him of dinner that night with her and his brother.
He’d honestly forgotten about it. Remedie was a welcome distraction but a distraction, nonetheless.
His mother was his world, and the fact that he had forgotten about her good home cooking crushed him a bit.
He didn’t dwell on it, though, because he would be there, and little did Remedie know, so would she.
“Okay, I think this is everything.”
Nico glanced up from his spot on the couch. He’d heard her moving around and asked several times if she needed help, but she declined every time.
Now she had two duffel bags and three suitcases sitting by the door, and he was impressed with how quickly she packed everything.
He stood and strode over to her. “Bet. Go get in the car. I’ll grab your bags and lock up.
I already called the locksmith. They’ll be here tomorrow with the people who install security systems, so if you forgot anything, we can grab it tomorrow or anytime, really.
That nigga ain’t gon’ bother you no more. ”
She nodded, and he could see the relief in her stance. Her shoulders weren’t as tense, and she seemed to breathe a little easier. He didn’t know what it was about her cute ass, but everything in him wanted to keep that softness about her afloat.
Nico watched her pretty ass walk to the car. She stopped when she got to the door and peered at him as she hesitated. He chuckled. That had been a test. Baby passed with flying colors. He jogged over to her and opened her door. Once she was inside, he went to work hauling her things into his car.
When he finally got into the truck, Remedie was tapping away on her phone.
“What you doing?” he asked. He was simply being nosy. He wanted to know everything about her, and she seemed really focused on her phone. “Better not be another nigga I gotta handle. I don’t mind clearing them all out of your life, cookie.”
She laughed, but he was dead ass serious.
He didn’t know how he knew, but somehow, he did: Remedie would be his.
He’d never felt this way about a woman before.
That love at first sight bullshit was just a hallmark to him before.
Something to keep hope alive for little girls too young to experience heartbreak and too old to have a fairy-tale ending.
He knew better now. He just had to get her on board.
“I’m making a grocery list. After I get settled, I’m going to make an inventory of what you have in your kitchen, and then I need to go to the grocery store.” She tapped away for a few more seconds before she asked, “What are your favorite foods?”
Nico grinned. The way to a man’s heart was definitely through his stomach, and he was already wide open for her. Remedie feeding him every day wouldn’t do anything but make him fall quicker.
One whiff of her perfume shattered Nico’s focus.
Normally, he would be in his office reviewing old fights of his upcoming opponents, but he wanted to keep an eye on Remedie moving about his home.
Not that he didn’t trust her. He literally just wanted to watch her.
He felt like a creep, but he wasn’t about to stop himself.
She’d been in her room for the past hour or so, which allowed him time to focus, but that went right out the window as soon as he felt her presence again. He felt like a little boy with a big ass crush.
When he looked up at her, his smile was automatic.
She’d changed, and he was willing to bet she’d showered too.
She smelled fresh and edible. His eyes traveled down her toned body, but he quickly snapped out of it while silently scolding himself.
Nico was normally a charmer, but with Remedie, he felt like his game went out the window.
He couldn’t help but let it be known, every chance he got, how attracted to her he was or how he wanted her.
He’d never been the type to come on strong.
He normally told women what he needed or wanted, and they went along with it.
It was simple and a blunt transaction. There was nothing simple about what he felt about Remedie.
“I’m off to the store. Is there anything in particular you want? I know it’s your off-time, so I’ll make sure you get plenty of your favorites while still balancing your protein intake, at least.”
Nico looked down at his phone and noted the time before he stood up, towering over her. “I’ll come with you. That way, I can grab whatever junk food I want while we’re there.”
She eyed him. “You’re just tryna be up under me, aren’t you?”
“Is that a bad thing?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and she giggled.
“Since I already know there will be no talking you out of it, let’s go.”
Nico walked toward the front door and grabbed his keys while he patted his pockets to make sure he had his wallet. “I love a woman who goes with the flow.”
She shook her head as they headed out of the house. He had no doubt that her eyes were on the sky. She loved rolling them pretty mothafuckas.
“Which store is closest to here?” Remedie asked as she unlocked her car.
“I’ll drive. I have a quick stop to make.”
Remedie shrugged and hopped into the car after he opened her door.
The ride was smooth. They didn’t have any rap battles or great debates about music, but their silence was comfortable.
Nico could tell she was tired by the way her head pressed against the cool window and her eyes zoned out.
He hoped she wasn’t too mad about what he was about to thrust on her.
For him, though, family was so important.
He looked for their input on everything, and right now, he needed a little bit of validation on what he felt.
Did he have to bring Remedie along to get that validation? No. But what was the fun in that?
When they pulled up to his mama’s house, he quickly turned off the engine and got out before she could ask any questions. He should have known she would be ready with a question as soon as he opened her door to help her out of the car.
“Where are we?”
He grabbed the back of his neck. Suddenly, he was unsure of his actions, but he had never been scary, so he responded honestly. “My mama’s house.”
The way Remedie’s brows rose made Nico want to laugh. She was so damn cute. “Nico, what the hell?”
“That ain’t my name.” He grabbed her hand and led her toward the front door. To her credit, she didn’t try to pull away, but she definitely kept that mouth yapping away.
“It’s the name ya mama gave you, fool. The same woman who apparently lives here,” she hissed. “Why the hell would you bring me here? I just met you last night. Did you forget? I’m practically a stranger, and you have me coming to your mother’s house?”
She yapped the entire way to the door. He found it amusing.
He learned something new about her. When she was nervous, she rambled, and her palms sweated.
He squeezed her hand before turning to her.
As he looked into her eyes, he opened his mouth to tell her she didn’t feel like a stranger to him, but he refrained.
Instead, he said, “Will you relax? You already met my brother, and we’re just here to eat real quick before we go to the store. It ain’t no big deal.”
He was definitely playing the situation down, but they were there now, and he needed to get her little ass inside. End of story.
Her stomach chose that moment to growl. It had been hours since they ate breakfast, and neither of them had eaten since.
Her beautiful body responded to him in a way that was oh so helpful. He made a mental note to thank it at a later time. The way her body cooperated with him in nonsexual ways turned him on in the worst way.
Her free hand flew to her stomach as her cheeks tinted red. “Nico, seriously, I don’t know about this. I don’t think I’m good with people’s parents. I never had any of my own—”
He couldn’t help it. His hand found the side of her neck, and he leaned down to kiss her.
He used no tongue, but there was still so much passion in the action.
Hearing her trauma slip through her tough exterior did something to him.
Poor baby didn’t know that he was ready to give her everything she had been missing out on, including a family of her own.
Maybe he was moving too quickly, but he couldn’t find it in himself to slow down.
He typically wasn’t a very patient man, so she really needed to get with the program.
When he pulled away from her, she seemed stunned, but she also seemed calmer. She wasn’t rambling anymore, either, so that was a plus.
“Listen to me, cookie. I just wanted to bring you by to get some good cookin’. You’re about to start as a full-time chef for me, and I wanted to treat you before you dive in. My mama is the best cook I know. Is it so bad I wanted to spoil you with some good food?”
She still looked stunned by the kiss. His thumb trailed down her bottom lip, and that action caused her to snap out of her daze. She cleared her throat as her shoulders drooped. “I guess not.”
“Don’t sweat it. I got you, okay? I wouldn’t ever put you in an uncomfortable situation. My job is to protect, right?”
“That’s what you say, but you aren’t my man, Nico—”
“That ain’t my name, cookie. I ain’t gon’ tell you too many more times. And you focusing on all the wrong shit, anyway. I don’t got to be yo’ man to protect you. We friends, right?”
She shrugged before a light smile danced across her lips. “I guess. You aight from what I can tell.”
He chuckled. “Aight then. Friends protect friends. That don’t just mean physically. It means in every way. Ain’t nothin’ bad gonna happen while you wit’ me. Cool?”
She finally nodded, and he felt a great deal of relief. The last thing he wanted to do was bring her up into his mama’s house when she didn’t want to be there.