Chapter 12 Submerged
Chapter twelve
Submerged
After the lawyer’s office, Nique finally let her guard down.
We went to Felix’s for lunch, watching the gators move through the marsh while we waited on a call from Henry’s office.
When it came through, it didn’t erase the fact that she still had to show up to court, but it gave her just enough hope to smile at me for the first time without catching herself.
I spent the rest of lunch trying to get her to come home with me, but she wasn’t going for it. Stubborn as ever, she was set on going back to the hotel. Once Eli started blowing up my phone about a job site, I let it go and headed back to work.
The memory of her sitting across from me stayed with me longer than it should have.
I thought about it all the way through my afternoon site walks and most of the drive home.
By the next day at lunch, I found myself pulling into Chick-fil-A and heading to her shop without overthinking it.
I already knew I was using the food as an excuse before I even pulled out of the drive-through.
The moment I stepped inside Botanique, the vibe shifted. Ari Lennox was playing low over the speakers, setting a mood that made me want to lock the door behind me.
Nique was behind the counter, looking like a dream. She had a small, dark glass bottle in her hand, turning it over like she was deep in thought. She looked up, surprise flickering in her eyes before she masked it with that defensive edge she always kept for me.
"Hey. What are you doing here?" she asked, setting the bottle down on the counter.
"Just wanted to check on you," I said, holding up the bag. "And I brought you lunch."
She looked at the Chick-fil-A bag, then back at me, sighing. "Dex, you don't have to keep being nice to me just because I went to jail. I’m fine."
“Nah, you ain’t getting rid of me that easy,” I said, walking closer until I could smell her. “You called my phone for the first time in years to come get you. Now you got me feeling special.”
Nique let out a dry laugh, shaking her head as she took the bag. "You better be glad I’m beefing with Nel and London or I wouldn't even be talking to you right now."
"Y’all ain’t made up yet?"
“They’ve been calling,” she admitted, pulling out a fry. “I just can’t deal with them and court at the same time. It’s too much.”
I knew how she was, so I let that go.
While she ate, I leaned against the counter, my eyes landing on that bottle she’d been holding. The label just had one word on it: Ignite.
“What’s this right here?” I asked, picking it up.
“Massage oil,” she said, her voice muffled by a chicken nugget.
I turned the bottle over, thinking about how my shoulders felt like they were made of stone. “I could really use a massage.”
Nique didn’t even blink. “Nigga, please. I’m trying to eat. Stop being thirsty.”
She went back to her fries, but the sass didn’t stick. The shop went quiet, just the music between us. I watched her and saw it—the way her shoulders dropped under the weight of everything.
“Dex,” she said, her voice losing that edge. She looked up and I saw genuine fear in her eyes. “I’m so nervous about court tomorrow. My stomach has been in knots all morning. What if Henry can’t work his magic?”
I set the bottle down and walked around the counter, stepping into her space. “Everything is gonna be fine. I told you I got you and I meant that.”
She looked down at her hands. “I’ll never be able to repay you for all this, Dex. The lawyer, the clothes, the hotel.”
“Letting me be in your presence without trying to bite my head off is repayment enough,” I said, reaching out to flick her chin.
“At least let me give you some products,” she insisted, trying to regain her footing. “I’ve got new masculine body oils, and my beard oil works wonders. I don’t want you leaving here empty-handed.”
“I already told you what I want,” I said, pointing to the Ignite. “I want that massage.”
Nique bit her lip, looking at me for a long beat. She didn’t push the beard oil again. She just saw the look in my eyes and nodded.
“Lock the door,” she said quietly. “Meet me in the back.”
She didn't have to tell me twice, I went to the front, flipped the sign to Closed, and headed into the back room.
“Take your shirt off,” she said.
I didn't hesitate. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it aside, taking a seat on the stool. I watched her reach for that bottle. She rubbed her palms together to warm the oil, and when she pressed them into my back, the heat hit me immediately.
“You’re stiff as hell,” she murmured, her thumbs digging into the knots.
I let out a low groan. The oil felt different. It started as a faint tingle, but within seconds, a rolling heat was settling deep in my gut. I was reacting fast; way faster than I should have been from a simple massage.
I looked down and watched my jeans start to strain. I was getting hard, and there was no hiding it.
“The oil,” I rasped. “It’s doing something.”
Nique let out a soft, knowing laugh. She moved around to the side, her eyes dropping to my lap. She didn't look surprised; she looked satisfied.
“Oh good,” she whispered. “The formula works.”
I caught her wrist. “What you mean, it works?”
“It isn’t just massage oil, Dex,” she admitted, a wicked little smirk pulling at her mouth. “It’s a sensual oil. It’s got pheromones and some other stuff I’ve been playing with to get the vibe right. It’s designed to do exactly what it’s doing to you.”
I let out a dark chuckle, pulling her a little closer. "So, you’re using me as a lab rat? You let me sit here and think you were being sweet just to see if your little hobby was hitting right?"
"I needed to see if the new batch was strong enough," she teased, her eyes raking over my bare chest. "And you did say you were tense. I’m just helping you out."
"You're about to pay for this," I warned. The tingle was turning into a demand. Every place she touched felt like it was on fire. "You know damn well this ain't 'helping'."
She moved into the space between my knees, her eyes dark. "It increases blood flow and sensitivity. On a scale of one to ten, where you at, Dex?"
"I'm at a fifteen," I growled, my hands finding her hips. "Stop talking and show me the rest of the 'test'."
Nique didn't say another word. She just dropped to her knees. The way she looked up at me had my heart thudding. She reached for the button of my slacks, and a second later, I was free and heavy in the air.
"Damn," she whispered.
She wrapped those oil-slicked fingers around me, and I felt that heat take over.
The Ignite wasn't playing. It made every touch feel ten times heavier, turning a simple grip into something that had my jaw locking.
She started with a slow, intentional slide, her thumb swirling over the head like she was trying to see exactly how much I could take.
"Nique... fuck," I choked out, my head snapping back.
"You like that, Dex?" she murmured, her voice vibrating against my thigh. She picked up the pace, her rhythm steady. She knew exactly what she was doing.
I watched her, the sight of her brown skin against mine and the way she bit her lip while she worked me. The pressure built until it was sitting right at the tip. I couldn't hold back if I wanted to. I came hard, my whole body betraying me as I poured into her hand.
Nique stood up, looking down at her hand with a satisfied, wicked grin. She looked like she’d just won the championship. "Results confirmed," she said, swaying those hips as she turned toward the sink. "The formula is a success. You can see yourself out whenever you catch your breath."
I was up before she could even turn the water on. I caught her from behind, pinning her against the steel sink. My bare chest pressed into her back, and I reached down, gathering her dress up.
"You had your fun," I rasped into her ear. "Now it's my turn to show you who’s really in charge."
She let out a broken moan, her body still trembling. "Chill, Dex... you got yours. Just go."
"You know I ain’t going nowhere until you cum too," I corrected, my hand sliding inside her panties and finding her soaking. "You think you can just light a fire and walk away? Nah, baby. You’re gonna stay right here and burn with me."
I worked my fingers into her, hitting that spot I knew she couldn't ignore. She started shaking, her breath coming in shallow gasps.
“Don’t run from it,” I said, my voice low and steady. “Stay right here with me.”
“Dex, please…” she whined, gripping the edge of the sink so hard her knuckles were ashy.
“Talk to me,” I murmured, my lips brushing her ear. “Tell me what you need.”
Her head tilted back against my shoulder, her voice breaking as she finally gave in. “Don’t stop… right there. Please, Dex, don’t stop.”
I let her ride the wave until she was limp in my arms, her legs barely holding her up. I pulled back just enough to turn her around, her face flushed and her eyes hazy. She reached for me, her mouth open and desperate for a kiss, but I stepped back and cut the connection.
“What, my breath stinks?” she asked, looking completely confused.
I laughed, but it wasn't because anything was funny. “Nah, girl. We just need to talk before we go any further.”
I grabbed a stack of paper towels and started wiping the oil and sex off my skin. I adjusted myself in my boxers and fastened my jeans back up, taking my time while I watched the disbelief written all over her face.
“Talk about what?” she asked, her voice finally getting some of that defensive edge back.
“About us.”
“What about us, Dex?” She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to pull herself back together.
“When you gonna stop playing these games, Nique?”
“Omg, Dex,” she rolled her eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh. “You really know how to kill the mood.”
“The mood been dead for years, Nique,” I countered, stepping into her space until she was backed up against the sink again. “The mood would still be dead if you hadn’t of needed me to bail you out of jail.”
“So now you holding that over my head?” she asked, her eyes flashing as she started to get mad.
“You know me better than that. I’d cross an ocean for your ass and you know it.”
“Then why you tripping?” she asked, matching my energy.
“Cause I’m done with the back-and-forth. I want you to be mine. For real this time.”
She looked away, her jaw tight as she tried to find a way out of the conversation. “Dex, you know how we are. We fuck, then we fight. Why you trying to change the rhythm?”
“Because the rhythm is tired,” I said, my voice dropping. “And I’m tired of playing. I want you, Nique. Not just your pussy—all of you.”
“Yeah, well, pussy is all I got to give. You better hurry up and get it, too, 'cause this conversation is making me dry as fuck.” She was trying to play it cool, but I could see the flicker in her eyes. She was rattled.
“I’m good.” I turned and headed for the exit.
“This the second time you done turned me down. You gay or something?” she called out, her voice echoing in the shop.
I laughed, looking back at her. “You been munching carpet for two years and got the audacity to ask if I’m gay? I should be asking if you’re straight again. I could have sworn you were a lesbian, so why you want the dick so bad?”
She rolled her eyes, leaning back against the sink. “You’re deflecting but just know it’s your loss. I’m not offering you none of this a third time.”
“You still want to have a destination wedding?” I asked, completely throwing her off.
“What?” she questioned, her face scrunching up like she didn't hear me right.
“I know how you like to be different. Since Paris had a destination wedding and London is having one, I know you probably want to do something different.”
“Dex, you about to make me mad as fuck.”
“I’m just trying to see where your head at for our wedding.”
“Nigga, I’m not marrying you,” she snapped.
“Not yet, but you will, baby. I got to get you to be mine first. That’s why I ain’t tripping about fucking you right now. Soon enough, that pussy gonna be mine for real.”
“In your dreams.”
I smirked, reaching for the door. “I was hoping more so like in Tulum. Take some time and get your mind right, Nique. Agree to be my girl so I can beat that pussy up properly in Mexico.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond. I walked out through the shop and back into the Mobile heat, headed to work with a smile on my face.
She was already mine. She just hadn’t signed the contract yet.