25. Lessons from a Black Woman
Chapter twenty-five
Lessons from a Black Woman
Moni
The smooth silk of my new robe whispered against my skin. Golden dragons and delicate cherry blossoms decorated the rich blue fabric.
It flowed around me like a river of liquid luxury.
“Do you approve?” I spun around giving Lei a show.
The fabric caught the light and shimmered.
Lei leaned against the doorpost with his arms folded over his chest and a smirk twitching at the corner of his lips. “You look radiant and regal.”
“And do you like your robe?”
He shrugged, looking down at his. It was equally stunning in design but more dragons and in a deep, midnight blue.
My Mountain Master.
The more I was around Lei, the more I understood that he didn’t need finery to command attention; his power and dominance was enough of a cloak, more opulent than anything he could wear.
“This is fine.” Lei shrugged. “But the fact that my father bought it for us, lowers my review.”
Leaving the door post, Lei adjusted the robe on his shoulders and walked over to me.
And for a few seconds, I wondered what Leo had been thinking when he purchased these exquisite robes for us. Perhaps he imagined the intimate moments Lei and I would share, wrapped in such elegance.
Lei stopped in front of me. “What are you thinking about?”
“I was trying to figure out what was on your father’s mind when he bought these.”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Why not?”
“It might scare you.”
“So. . .you know?”
“I have a good guess.”
I grinned. “Then, tell me.”
Lei lifted his hand to my robe and touched the collar. “You’ll regret it.”
“I won’t.” I raised an eyebrow, waiting for his explanation. “Tell me.”
“Hmmm.” He slipped his fingers over a golden dragon on my sleeve, tracing its coils.
Lovely shivers ran up my spine.
“These robes are a tradition in the East. They’re for new couples who are trying to conceive.”
“Uh. . .” I blinked, processing his words. “Trying to have babies?”
A small smile played on his lips. “Yes. The cherry blossoms symbolize new beginnings and fertility, while the golden dragons represent strength and protection.”
“No.”
“Yes.” With delicate tiny strokes, he trailed the cherry blossom tree on the front of my robe. “And the color blue is not because we are in the East.”
“Then, what is it?”
“The color blue. . .well, it’s believed to encourage the birth of a boy.”
I looked down at the rich blue fabric, suddenly seeing it in a new light. “So your father is basically saying. . .get to work on my grandson?”
“Pretty much.”
“Leo Jr?”
Lei frowned. “We are not naming our son after him.”
“We are not even having a discussion about having kids. It’s too soon.”
Lei’s frown turned to a smirk. “Are you sure about that?”
“Very sure.”
He raised his hand to my face and gently caressed my cheek.
I leaned into his touch. “Speaking of that, I’ll need to head back to Glory, get my birth control, and talk to my doctor.”
“There’s a Palace doctor. She will be your new physician.”
“I will still need to go to Glory to—”
“I don’t want you out of the East.”
“Lei, calm the fuck down.”
He brushed his thumb against my chin. “I’m possessive.”
“No shit, but you don’t control my movements.”
“If you leave the Palace, I want to know.”
Now it was my turn to frown.
“But, if you leave the East, it will need to be planned and discussed days before you go.”
“Absolutely not.”
Lei’s eyes darkened, the playful banter draining away. “I am serious.”
“Yeah. I know you are. This is why I’m letting you know that I’m not abiding by that.”
“There are dangers—”
“Bullshit. You’re just worried about other men.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, a Mountain Master warning that I wouldn’t heed.
“I am your partner, Lei, not your prisoner.”
A heavy silence stretched between us.
Lei kept his gaze fixed on me. “My feelings for you are new ones that I have never experienced. I don’t want to lose this, or you when. . .I’ve lost. . .people in the past.”
“Yeah, but. . .your PTSD doesn’t allow you to cage me.”
He blinked. “I don’t think I have PTSD.”
“You saw Chanel dead. You carried her corpse around. If it isn’t PTSD, then it is something.”
He blinked again.
“After all of this—the tea ceremony and battle—we’re going to make sure you talk to someone.”
“You think I need to talk to someone?”
“Lei, we will all need to talk to someone after this.”
Lei’s gaze softened.
“Everyone thinks you’re this solid rock of a man because you’re the Mountain Master, but in the end. . .you are a human with a delicate mind and a shattered heart. And all of that needs to be respected.”
He lowered his hand and took mine. “You care about me.”
I pressed my free hand against his chest. “I do.”
“Then, I’ll talk to someone after this.” He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on my forehead.
His words filled me with warmth and I felt a sense of peace settle over me.
The future was uncertain, but in that moment, I knew that whatever lay ahead, we would face it together.
Lei let go of my hand and gave me his phone. “You still don’t leave the East without telling me days before.”
I sucked my teeth. “I see I’m going to have to teach you about dating a Black woman.”
“And I’m going to have to teach you about dating a Mountain Master.”
“Oh, I’ve learned quite enough.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“But you still need to learn some things about me.”
“Like what?”
“Let’s start with Lesson One: Respect.” I placed my hand on my hip, wrapping my fingers around the fabric of the robe. “As your partner, I reserve the right to make decisions about my movements and where I want to go. You don’t get to control that.”
His eyebrows furrowed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “And if I feel it may threaten your safety?”
“Then we discuss it, Lei. Together.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Lesson Two: Communication.” I raised his phone in the air. “See this? This is how we talk when we’re apart. Not by informing you days ahead of my leaving the East like we’re planning an invasion of mega proportions.”
He chuckled.
“Lesson Three: Equality.” My gaze pierced into his again. “I am not below you because you’re the Mountain Master or above you because of any other reason. Our relationship works on the basis of equality.”
“Hmmm.” Lei uncrossed his arms and leaned my way. “And lesson four?”
“I am always right. That’s lesson four.”
He chuckled.
“That is it for today. Class over.”
He tilted his head to the side. “But will there be homework?”
“Are you making fun of me, Mountain Master?”
He closed the tiny space between us and brushed his lips against mine. “Never, my love. I’m simply eager to learn.”
“Is that right?”
“That’s right.” His lips captured mine and I surrendered to the intoxicating rush of our kiss, melting into his embrace as he pulled me against him, his arms a perfect fit around my waist.
My eyelids gently fell shut, lost in the blissful haze of our love.
The kiss deepened, enticing a low hum from my throat.
Groaning, he pulled back.
A soft smile graced his lips as his gaze held mine. “You are quite the teacher.”
My chest rose and fell rapidly, my breaths came in short, uneven gasps, and my heart raced.
How was he able to get me so frazzled in such a short time?
“Come down for dinner, after you talk to Banks.”
My body tingled from the electricity of his touch.
Then, without another word, he left the bedroom, leaving behind a lingering sense of his tantalizing presence. It appeared he might have gotten the last word on that conversation.
Well damn.
Doing my best to get my senses back, I gripped the phone tighter, walked over to the window, and gazed out, taking in the surroundings of my new home.
The day was slowly turning into evening with the sun setting over the massive garden outside. Hues of orange and pink painted the blue sky.
Alright. Alright. What am I supposed to be doing again? That’s right. Call Banks. Check in. Tell him to bring my sisters over tomorrow.
My brain knew the mission, but my body still floated in this poetic sensation of new love.
It was a euphoric bliss.
Overwhelming.
Buzzing.
Aching.
A poetic blend of ecstasy.
I felt like I was walking on the edge of a dream.
At the window, I closed my eyes, allowing the sensation to wash over me, to seep into my very being.
Alright. He’s gone. Get it together.
I took a deep breath, savoring the lingering warmth of Lei’s kiss.
God, I love this feeling. I hope it never ends.
I opened my eyes, looked down at the phone and dialed my cousin.
Damn. There’s so much I have to catch him up on. Let’s hope he doesn’t blow a fuse.
The moment I put it on speaker, Banks answered.. “Moni! Finally!”
I widened my eyes. “Yes. I’m here.”
Banks’ voice boomed through the phone. “I’m pissed at you. You missed your daily phone-ins, then I had to see you on the news being Michelle Obama! What were you thinking?”
Wait. What? He saw me on tv in the South?