Chapter Eleven
When Crown made it home, just one look at Nivéa confirmed everything for him. She stood behind the island, Nyla tucked against her chest, swirling a bottle to cool the milk evenly. As she turned to him, her smile lit up his entire world.
“Hey, handsome.” She sang.
“Sup, beautiful. It smells good as hell in here. You cooked?” Crown asked, standing at the entrance with his eyes landing on the stove.
“Yes, your favorite. I asked your mama what it was, and Reesh was nice enough to bring everything over and keep an eye on Ny for me while I cooked.”
Crown walked over to the stove, checking each pot carefully. Sure enough, his favorites were prepared. Oxtails, baked mac and cheese, candied yams, greens, and cornbread.
“Damn, looks good too. I appreciate you. You and mama been keepin’ me right.”
“You’re welcome. I figured we could eat and watch a movie after I get Ny down. That is, if you’re not too tired. I found something on Netflix that I really wanna see.”
Crown was exhausted and still stressed the fuck out.
All he wanted to do was shower and shut his eyes while he had the chance…
while the streets weren’t on his line and clients weren’t demanding his presence.
But he knew Nivéa needed an escape after being locked down all day.
She didn’t have to tell him. He could just feel it.
Putting himself in her shoes, he told himself he would thug it out. Anything to make her happy.
“I’m good.” He said his usual. “I’ll change real quick, wash my hands, and then I’ll feed her before we get to that.”
“Okay.” Nivéa nodded, watching him until he was out of sight.
Upstairs, Crown quickly changed into a white tee and a pair of basketball shorts. By the time he washed his hands, Nivéa was already in the nursery. He headed over and met them in the center. They kissed as she handed Nyla and the bottle over to him.
Crown cradled Nyla’s tiny body in his arms and sat down. As he talked to her, she scarfed down the bottle, and the warm milk had her out like a light in no time. Gently, he laid her down in the crib, pulling the blanket slightly over her. Nivéa smiled, shaking her head at the tender scene.
“You’re so good to us.” She said, opening her arms.
“Always,” Crown walked over to her, lifting her small frame.
Nivéa wrapped her legs around his waist, tucking her head on his shoulder.
Things between them had become so natural.
She planted kisses on his neck until they reached the kitchen.
She got down and instructed him to go sit and relax while she fixed their plates.
Crown complied, settling into the theater room and getting the custom fireplace going.
By the time Nivéa returned, he was so deep in thought as he leaned back in the oversized recliner that he hadn’t even realized she had entered the room.
She picked up on his worried expression.
“Hey, if my situation is what’s been troubling you, we can always leave, and I can just go to the police station like I planned at first.” She offered, handing him the plate and drink. “It’s okay, baby. You don’t have to try to figure everything out.”
Crown snapped from his thoughts and turned to her. “I plan to retire my patch at 40.” He said, ignoring her ridiculous statement. “It gives my bro enough time to learn more, heal, and mature.”
“Wait, what?” Nivéa’s brows furrowed in confusion as she went to grab her food. “That was random as hell, baby.” She remarked when she returned.
“Just thought you should know. This is my life until then, ma. Shit ain’t pretty.”
“I hear you, handsome. I told you as long as there’s a plan in place, I’m ridin’ with you.”
Crown took a bite of his food and said,
“I lost one of my prospects. He was on life support in the hospital for a lil minute.” He revealed.
He had been holding it back, trying to shield her from the troubles that came with his life as it ate at him.
But he needed relief. He needed someone to talk to beyond his niggas.
The pain was still fresh because he had picked out and paid for Dro’s casket early that morning before he met with Preach.
The fork in Nivéa’s hand froze as she brought it to her lips. “Why was he on life support?” she asked nervously.
Crown didn’t answer, giving her a knowing look.
“I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, lil nigga meant a lot to me. I met him when he was just a kid at one of the back-to-school drives. We’re holding his funeral this weekend. I’m gon’ make sure he goes out nice.”
“I’m sure you will.” She reached over and massaged his beard for comfort.
They ate in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts.
“I’m almost finished with my order for the birthday party, so I reached out to my customer to confirm the time and day for her to pick it up.” Nivéa broke the silence.
“Aight, you know I got you. Just let me know when you ready.” Crown set his plate aside and pulled her onto his lap.
Worried about him, Nivéa nestled against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. The sound of it soothed her and reassured her that he was still alive and well. At times, she thought she was weak and easy to have such strong feelings for a nigga she’d just met.
“What’s the matter?” He questioned.
“Nothing, baby. Let’s just watch the movie.”
“Aight, what you pick?”
“Extraction. It has Chris Hemsworth in it.”
Crown nodded his head in approval, reaching for the control tablet.
While she loved thrillers, he was an action kind of man.
As the lights dimmed and the screen came down, he massaged her back and shoulders, and it wasn’t too long in the movie that his eyelids grew heavy.
It’s as if he soothed himself to sleep by pleasing her.
Nivéa laughed softly as he snored in her ear.
Tuning him out, she finished the movie alone.
She could tell he was tired and was just grateful for his company.
When the credits rolled, she powered down the screen and shifted in his lap to face him. The flickering glow of the fireplace cast shadows around them as she kissed the sides of his face and licked his neck. Crown groaned, stirring back to life, his hands roaming over her ass.
“Come out of this, baby.” Nivéa whispered, tugging at his shirt.
With a weary gaze, Crown lifted his big arms, allowing her to pull the t-shirt over his head. As his chest came into view, Nivéa trailed kisses across every inch of his tattoos. Then she stood and began to strip, the thin fabric sliding down her body and revealing her in all her imperfect glory.
“Damn, baby. That’s what you on?” Crown gripped her by the waist, his eyes roaming over her naked form as he kissed all over her stomach. Even with her imperfections, she was perfect to him.
“Yes,” Nivéa dropped to her knees, her fingers teasing the waistband of his shorts.
Crown lifted, making it easier for her to slide his shorts and boxers down, and as they pooled around his ankles, she leaned in and took his head into her mouth. Slowly, she alternated between sucking and licking it while her hands stroked his base, determined to please every inch of him.
“Shittt, ma.” Crown’s eyes fluttered closed.
By the time he opened them again, he found Nivéa’s fiery gaze locked on him as she slurped.
Then, with a sloppy spit, she coated him, taking him deeper.
Precum and saliva glistened, both stretching from his tip to her lips as she bobbed her head.
The shit sent waves of pleasure coursing through Crown.
He placed his hands on the sides of her face, moving his waist to match her intense rhythm, building the tension between them.
Nivéa moaned in response, the vibrations echoing through his shaft as she reached down to massage his balls.
Once she had a gentle grip, she widened her jaws and slowly deep-throated him, sucking both simultaneously.
The overwhelming sensation caused Crown to moan so loud that he felt like a bitch.
He quickly pulled out, panting as he gripped her by the throat.
“Fuckkkk. Who the fuck taught you that, hm?” He questioned while trying to pull himself together.
“Mmm,” Nivéa licked her lips. “No one. I just decided to try it on you, baby. Your dick looks so good. I wanna do everything to it.”
“Yeah, aight. Don’t fuckin’ play with me, Nivéa. You better not have ever tried that shit with anyone else.” He pointed two fingers dead in the center of her forehead, forming the shape of a gun.
“I haven’t.” She lowered his hand and kissed it, bringing the calm to his storm.
Cutting his eyes at her, Crown shook his fucking head. She had him gone for real. “Promise me you been a good girl.” He found himself saying.
“I promise you, baby.”
With a swift motion, Crown pulled her up, guiding her body back onto his lap.
He paused for a moment, savoring the intimacy.
He kissed her lips softly before taking her breasts into his mouth.
He suckled on one nipple while twisting the other between his fingers, causing Nivéa to shiver and grow wetter beneath him.
As she released the arch in her back, her body melted into his, the sweet scent of her arousal intoxicating him.
Refusing to keep her waiting any longer, Crown slid her warmth down his girth, igniting an inferno that consumed them both. She was so wet and tight, wrapping around him perfectly, while he was so long and thick, filling her.
“Ahmaddddd, ohhh…” Nivéa moaned as she sank fully onto him.
“I’m right here. Forever. I know you feel a nigga, baby.”
“Certainly feel you, but promise me, baby.”
“I promise you.”
Crown tightened his grip around her throat with one hand, the other resting possessively on her ass, guiding her as she bounced slowly up and down on his dick. This was his pussy, and he wanted to feel the depths of it.
“You feel so good.” Nivéa cried out, vulnerability lacing her voice.
“You feel better.”
“People probably think we crazy, baby.”
“Where that come from, ma?”