Chapter 6 #2
I raised a brow but remained on the bed, waiting until he returned to ask what he meant by that. Only, . . . when he returned to the room, he had a plastic bag with the hotel’s logo in his hand, and he went straight to the bathroom. He closed the door, and seconds later, I heard water running.
Annoyed that he went to take a shower without telling me what his plans to spoil me consisted of, I grabbed the remote control and turned to Dime Pieces while cursing him out under my breath.
After about fifteen minutes, he came out of the bathroom.
I wanted to keep my eyes trained on the television, but I couldn’t resist the innate desire to admire him whenever he was near me.
When I finally pulled my eyes away from the screen, he was standing beside the bed, smirking, with a hand extended toward me.
He also had on the same T-shirt and sweatpants he had worn into the bathroom.
“Come on, Doll,” he said.
“Where?” Instead of answering, he reached down, scooped me into his arms , and carried me to the bathroom, all while ignoring my protests.
Once we made it there, the scent of lavender hit me first, and when I looked at the bathtub, I realized why.
At some point this morning, Brixton had gone to the boutique downstairs and purchased flowers, bubble bath , and candles.
The freestanding tub was filled with bubbly water, and steam rose from it. I turned to him.
“You made me a bath?” The answer to my question was obvious, but the sight before me was so shocking. I had never taken him for the type to do things as sweet as this.
“Why you sound so surprised, Dy? You think I can’t take care of my woman?”
I whipped around to face him , and that arrogant smirk was on his face once again. I felt my cheeks heating at both his words and the confidence in his expression. I felt nervous, scared, and giddy all at once.
“I’m your woman now?” I asked, my voice low.
He closed the space between us and lifted his T-shirt—which was the only thing I was wearing—over my head. He tossed it toward the door and kissed my neck.
“You’ve been mine since third grade, Dylan Ivie,” he said, wrapping his strong hands around my waist. Backing me toward the tub, he added, “You just forgot.”
He kissed my chest, and I was speechless.
Moving a hand from my waist, he grasped my hand and helped me into the tub.
I let out a relief-filled sigh that came out as more of a moan.
Now that I was up and moving around, I realized how sore my body was from what this man had done to me the night before. The hot water was perfect.
“You’re joining me,” I said once I was settled.
“I’on do baths, Doll.”
I pouted. “Please?”
We engaged in a very brief stare down before he sighed and began removing his clothes.
Once he slid in behind me, I rested my head against his chest and sighed. “Isn’t this crazy?”
He rubbed a hand across my flat stomach.
“What?” he asked.
“How quickly this thing with us just clicked. After all this time.”
He kissed my neck, and I sucked in a breath.
“Nah, it ain’t crazy. You’ve always been my person, Dy. The years apart didn’t change that. We’re just pickin’ up where we left off.”
I turned my head slightly to look into his eyes. “The years apart don’t make you kinda sad, though?” I asked him. “We missed a lot of time.”
He tugged me gently around the waist, prompting me to turn around. Once I was facing him, I straddled his lap. He kissed my lips.
“The fact that you’re here with me right now makes being sad about anything an impossibility. Maybe we needed the time to grow so we were more than ready for this right here. Because this . . .”
He dipped his head and kissed my left breast.
“Is all . . .”
His lips caressed the right one, and I circled my arms around his neck.
“I care about. I ain’t ever been so grateful for a second chance in my life,” he said before kissing my lips. The kiss was soft and sweet until his tongue entered my mouth and tasted mine. As he deepened our kiss, he lifted me by my hips. When he lowered me again, he was buried deep inside me.
The suddenness of his movements, paired with his size and this angle, had my next breath caught in my throat.
My mouth hung open as he slowly guided me up and down his length.
“Breathe, baby,” Brick whispered. He ran his tongue up my neck, making my body shiver. I gasped and cupped his face in my hands. Brick’s hands slid from my hips up to my breasts. His thumbs brushed over my nipples, sending sharp sparks of pleasure through me.
Adjusting to him, I was finally able to move.
Slowly, I rocked my hips, the water sloshing quietly around us, every slide and shift making me tremble.
Brick moved his hands back down, gripping my hips as he guided me, meeting my movements with deliberate thrusts that had me unraveling bit by bit.
I closed my eyes and threw my head back, enjoying the ride we were both taking each other on.
“Doll,” he said in a low growl.
“Mmm.”
“Look at me.”
My eyes fluttered open , and I focused them on his handsome face. The way he looked at me—like I was the only thing that mattered in his world—was about to send me over the edge, but I took a few slow breaths, trying to hold on.
His lips found mine, and it was a soft, lingering kiss. He only pulled away slightly, so our lips were still touching when he said, “I love you.”
With that, he kissed my lips again before holding me in place and repeatedly slamming up into me. He moved faster, and every one of my nerves tingled as my body chased the heat that was building until my body shook uncontrollably as I released.
Brick followed moments later, a low groan rumbling from his chest as I collapsed against it. His arms wrapped around me, and I kissed his chest.
“I’on care how long it’s been or what comes next, Dylan Ivie,” he said, resting his chin on top of my head. “I love you. Been lovin’ you.”
I closed my eyes and smiled. Call me crazy, but I believed him.
“If you scream in my ear again, I’ma cuss you out,” I said, laughing.
I called Wilder the second I stepped off the elevator and onto the main floor. I knew she wanted all the details of my reunion with Brick, and there was no one I wanted to unpack the whirlwind with more.
“Bitch, I can’t help it! My fast-ass bestie is out here sleepin’ with childhood sweethearts!”
I laughed louder this time and pulled out my wireless earphone case. Wilde and I could talk for hours, and I wasn’t about to be holding this phone the entire time. Once I put one of the earphones in, I put my phone and the case in my purse and continued.
“You get on my nerves.”
“So, how the hell was it? Did Mr. Brick live up to the hype you’ve created around him all these years or nah?”
I felt my cheeks heat as I reflected on the previous night’s events. “He delivered and then some,” I replied, my smile growing with each word I spoke.
“It’s like—I’on even know how to explain it, girl.
Our connection picked up where it had left off.
Like, when we were talking and just vibing, I felt like I was fourteen-year-old Dylan again, but also .
. . not really. Because grown man Brick is a whole problem, in the best way possible.
” At this point, I couldn’t even see where I was going because my cheeks had drowned my eyes.
I couldn’t help how hard I was cheering, just like I couldn’t help the nonstop butterflies going crazy in my stomach. This man had me higher than cloud nine, and I couldn’t lie. I wanted this feeling forever.
“I’m so happy for you, D. Any man concerned with the details of my bestie’s life is good in my book. That man broke into your phone and called me to get your breakfast order. That’s husband energy, and I’m so here for it.”
My teeth grazed my lip. I almost forgot about that, but it was just another reason I knew I was in love with him.
“Yeah, I’m here for it too,” I said with a sigh. “I just hope it lasts well past this snowstorm.” My chest got a little tight at the thought of this not being a forever thing.
“It will, D. Y’all were made for each other.”
“I hope so.”
As I walked past the ceiling-to-floor windows toward the front of the lobby, I squinted my eyes and leaned closer.
“Girl, snow is still falling,” I said, surprised.
“Chile, tell me about it. It’s gon’ be another day in the house for me, because I can barely function with how high the snow is now. If we’re getting more, I’m about to hibernate. Wait, where are you? Why aren’t you with your man right now?”
Her calling Brick ‘my man’ found my smile. “He has virtual meetings and stuff this afternoon, so I came downstairs to explore the hotel. I’ve never been here before.” As I said that, my eyes widened because of our conversation from the night before.
“Bitch, how the hell did you know what hotel I was in last night?”
Wilde burst into laughter. “Girl, relax. You know Craig used to try to do the most to keep me. We had a couple of staycations there.”
I rolled my eyes, thinking about her most recent ex.
I hated Craig because he was a cheater who couldn’t get right.
Not even wanting to waste time speaking on him, I changed the subject.
Wilde and I talked for at least an hour as I explored the spacious hotel.
There were three nice restaurants, a spa, and a few boutiques.
You really didn’t have to leave the hotel if you didn’t want to, because everything you needed was within reach.
I didn’t even want to know how much it cost per night.
Of course, Maria called me shortly after I hung up with Wilder. She needed to give me her daily dose of complaints and requests. There was no telling how long that phone call lasted, but I just sat on one of the love seats in the reading lounge I found until she was done.
By the time I had covered every inch of the main floor, a few hours had passed, and I figured it was a good time to go back up to the room to see what Brick was up to.
As I was about to turn the corner to head to the elevator, something in one of the boutiques caught my eye. An arts and crafts section.
Without a second thought, I entered the store and grabbed a shopping bag. Initially, I was only looking for nice markers. Coloring was one of my favorite pastimes, and for some insane reason, I brought my coloring book with me, but nothing to color with.
Once I found some, though, I continued pursuing.
As my eyes scanned everything they had to offer, an idea hit me.
Impulsively, I grabbed more writing utensils, scissors, glue, glitter, construction paper, and a pack of mini poster boards.
I felt excitement bubbling in my core as I moved to the snack aisle and grabbed some things.
Once I felt I had enough to bring my vision to life, I took the items to the checkout counter.
To my delight, there were racks of magazines and the city’s main newspaper at the counter. I added some of those to my purchase and practically skipped out of the store.
Brick and I had talked about how we had been feeling stagnant in our careers, and he commented on both of us getting back to the things we loved to do.
What better way to get a jumpstart on that than to make vision boards together?
We were snowed in for another day, so I felt it was as good a time as any to do some manifesting.
Hopefully, he was down for it, because I was too excited about my little idea.
I hopped on the elevator, and there was an older couple already on. I greeted them politely as they observed the many bags I had acquired at the boutique. With a smile, the woman said, “Looks like you’re planning a party, young lady.”
I grinned at her. “Something like that.”