20. Micaiah
HIM – FOUR DAYS LATER
“I explain shit to you, Beanie, because I want to, not because I have to. I owe no nigga nothing.” –Heart of Stone, MJ Stone
“You don’t have to do this, Micaiah.”
“How about I enjoy doing this for you?”
“Or could it be that you’re just a freak, and you get off on bathing pregnant women?”
“Or maybe I get off on bathing my baby’s mother and my woman.”
She laughed. “You would. If I left it up to you, I would be getting out of the tub all slick and wet from orgasming every time.”
“My only goal is to please you. Are you saying that when I fingered your pussy until you came last night that didn’t please you?”
“Of course.”
“And when you stood up in the tub the day before and I ate you out, that didn’t please you?”
“Baby, it did.”
“I’m not seeing the problem.” He wrapped me in a towel and lifted me into his arms.
I wrapped my arms around his neck as had become my custom. I was on bed rest, but not incapable of doing for myself, but Micaiah wasn’t having any of it.
He had been cooking for me, feeding me, bathing me, dressing me and letting me go out in his courtyard for twenty minutes per day, doctor’s orders, and he had been reading to me from all my favorite authors.
Malachi spent most of his day in preschool, but when he was home, he came in my room and watched TV with me, colored with me, and talked about the baby.
He was a sweetheart, and he was growing on me each day.
I hadn’t been here for long, but the time that I had spent here made it feel like home, like this was my family.
Even Mai was a sweetheart, checking in on me and bringing me little snacks each day that she came to take care of Malachi.
Dawn and Brooke had both stopped by along with Mrs. Gabriella, who insisted I call her Mama Gabby.
They each sat with me for at least two hours, talking about the baby, helping me come up with baby names, and bringing gifts.
Nothing had connected with my soul yet, and Micaiah said he felt the same way.
We looked at beautiful nursery designs online to determine how we wanted to design her nursery both here and at my house. I had a hard time imagining returning home and leaving Micaiah, Malachi, and Mai behind.
“Are you ready for dessert yet?” Micaiah asked after he had oiled me and dressed me in my nightgown.
“Of course, I am. When aren’t I hungry? This little girl has made me gain twenty-five pounds already, and we’re still growing.”
“And I adore every inch of you,” he whispered against my lips before he sucked them.
The doorbell rang, and he pulled back with a frown on his face.
“Did my sisters or mama say they were coming over tonight?”
“No.”
“Mm. I’ll be back.”
He climbed off the bed and headed out of the bedroom. I was in one of the guest rooms because I didn’t want to become comfortable sleeping with him, and neither did I want to send the wrong message to Malachi.
My room was on the main floor to make it easier for me to get to the courtyard. Micaiah didn’t want me walking the stairs at all. He often slept in the guest room across from mine just in case I needed something during the night.
I grabbed the remote to turn on the TV, and I found myself flicking through it, not really wanting to watch anything. I loved reality shows, but I wasn’t in the mood for them at the moment.
Just when I found something that I did want to settle on, I heard Micaiah’s footsteps.
“Hey, babe. Some important people want to meet you.”
“Who?” I asked with wide eyes.
“You’ll see. Trust me when I say that you’ll like this surprise.”
“Okay, well, I need to get dressed.”
“I’ll help you.”
He was so patient and attentive while he helped me get dressed.
By the time that we finished, he led me out of the bedroom and to the library.
When we entered, I saw three fine men who were as equally handsome and sophisticated looking as Micaiah.
Two of them wore suits, and one wore slacks and a button-down short-sleeved silk shirt.
Of the two in suits, one looked like he was freshly dressed and heading to the office, and the other appeared to have already worked a full day, with his tie untied and shirtsleeves rolled up to the elbow.
His jacket was tossed carelessly over the back of his chair.
“Babe, these are my good friends, Mason Baxter-Ames, owner and CEO of MBA Security.”
The freshly dressed man with gold eyes stood, walked to me, and kissed my hand. He stared into my eyes and declared, “My God, he said that you were beautiful, but you’re an exquisite beauty. Just stunning.”
“Ohh shit, here he goes,” the one whose tie was askew stated.
“Forgive my best friend. He’s an animal and doesn’t know how to keep his paws to himself.” Micaiah snarled and smacked the other man’s hand, taking him by surprise. Everyone laughed.
Mason winked at me with a sexy and daring smile.
“That’s Xavier Valentine, a prominent defense attorney with Valentine, Solace, and Loving.” Micaiah introduced the light-skinned man with the askew tie.
He waved and smiled a tired but beautiful smile.
“And finally, we have Lance Dawson, owner of SpecWare,” he introduced, tossing a hand in the direction of the dark-skinned man with the bald head wearing the silk short-sleeved shirt.
“It’s nice to meet all of you,” I replied after each man either kissed my hand, as in Mason’s case, or hugged me as in the case of the two other men. They all smelled good and warm, and Micaiah complained that all three of them took too long touching me.
“Now I see why you’ve been incognito,” Mason stated as Micaiah poured glasses of liquor for the three men and grabbed a soda for him and a bottled water for me.
“I thought you were writing another bestseller,” Xavier declared sleepily.
“I’m just glad that somehow you managed to declaw that witch who had her claws finally sunk in you,” Lance declared with a smirk.
I lifted my eyebrows at Micaiah who rolled his eyes.
“I told y’all Arabella and I were finished a while ago.”
“Not the first time we’ve heard that chorus,” Mason stated in a bored tone.
“I’ll take it that you’re not fans of his agent,” I spoke up.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Xavier stated.
“Hey, show my baby some respect. We’re not even giving Arabella space in this conversation. Y’all feel me?” Micaiah demanded.
“My bad.” Mason apologized.
Micaiah came to sit next to me with his arm draped over my shoulder.
I leaned into him, and they moved from chatting about Arabella to stories about their childhood.
Apparently, they had all known each other since middle school and were life-long friends.
He and Mason had known each other the longest since their mothers were best friends and pregnant together, so basically, they had known each other all their lives. Their birthdays were even days apart.
All three men were single, but unlike Micaiah, Mason and Xavier had never been married. Lance was currently divorced, but he didn’t speak on that subject for long. From the little teasing the men did of him, it was clearly a sore spot, and I didn’t think he was over his wife.
When they finished talking about their past and telling me all about Micaiah as a kid and teen, Xavier pointed at us. “This is a good look for you that I like. I can see this.”
“She’s definitely a lot more chill than either of the first three Mrs. Livingstones, pregnant and all,” Mason stated.
“She’s not to be compared,” Micaiah growled.
The three men looked at each other and then back at us. As one, they all replied, “Dayyuum!”
“What did you do to my guy?” Lance asked. “He’s always chill as hell. I see a protective nature in him that I’ve never seen before.”
“All right. Y’all met her. It’s time to get out,” Micaiah declared, standing.
“Oh, that’s how you do us when you’re really in love? Never saw what that looked like on you before,” Mason remarked.
Micaiah tilted his head sideways, pulled his fingers through his beard, and then looked down at me thoughtfully. “I do love her, and I’m not ashamed to admit that,” he stated, shocking the hell out of me.
“She got a sister?” Xavier asked.
“A best friend?” Lance remarked.
“I’ll take her mother,” Mason stated, causing me to spit out the water I’d been sipping on.
“Her daddy will—Yeah, time for y’all to get the hell on. You ain’t gotta go home, but you gotta get ya black asses the hell out of here.”
They all chuckled, but they stood, finished off their drinks, and one by one came to say goodbye to me with a hug.
“We’ll be back before that baby arrives. If this one act up, let us know, and we’ll kick his ass,” Lance declared when he pulled back from the hug.
“You’ll get your ass kicked,” Micaiah replied emphatically.
“Congrats on the little one. She’s already got a crew of uncles who are looking forward to spoiling her,” Xavier stated, hugging me.
“It truly is a pleasure meeting you. He’s a good man. The others broke his heart, but I don’t see that in you,” Mason whispered when he hugged me.
“He’s a good man, everything I’ve ever dreamed of. If anyone’s heart will be broken, it will be mine,” I replied, glancing at Micaiah, who was talking to Xavier and Lance.
“If it’s about the marriage thing, just give him time.”
I looked at Mason, and he gave me a firm nod. I exhaled, and he joined the other men.
“Wait right here. I’ll be back to take you to your room,” Micaiah ordered when he saw me preparing to leave the library.
I sat down on the couch and listened to the men teasing each other like a group of grown boys as they headed out of the library.
I kicked my feet up and thought about what Mason had said both times, declaring that Micaiah was in love with me, and Micaiah professing it, and to be patient with Micaiah on the subject of marriage.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he was right.
He knew his best friend better and longer than I had. I made up my mind that I would just love Micaiah with all my heart and take things between us as they came, no pressure, no stress.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Micaiah stated, walking back into the library a few minutes later.
“Hey, sexy,” I replied, nuzzling my nose against his as he lifted me into his arms and carried me back to my room.
He brushed his lips against mine on the way, and when he finally placed me in the bed, I spoke. “Love, Micaiah?”
“Yeah. Is that a problem?”
“No. Just unexpected. You’ve never said it—though you’ve shown it.”
“I’ll keep showing and proving it to you as long as there’s breath in my body. You know why?”
“No.”
“Because you’re so damn worth it. You make me happy, Myraj, happier than I’ve ever been. Since the day that I met you, all you’ve brought was sunshine in my life, and I’m so thankful for you.”
“I’m thankful for you, baby. How can I ever show that?”
“Just let me love you.” He climbed in the bed beside me and pulled me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest as we reclined in silence.
I wondered what it would take for him to be completely healed from his past and if he’d ever be ready for marriage again.
I knew that if he and I were to marry, it would last forever.