Chapter 16
The phone buzzed against the nightstand at six in the morning, dragging me out of the best sleep I’d had in months.
Maybe years. I reached over to silence it, careful not to disturb the woman curled up next to me.
Whenever I was close to her, I felt at peace.
Everything felt right, stronger, bolder.
Our scents had mixed in the sheets and air, warm and decadent.
It was becoming my weakness. We just fit, even when we didn’t.
And I hated that I’d wasted time running from that truth.
Coco lay on her side, facing away from me, silk sheets pooled around her waist. The morning light slipped through the curtains and traced the curve of her back, the gentle dip of her waist, the way her hair spread across the pillow like dark honey.
She wore one of my t-shirts and nothing else, her bare legs tangled in my sheets.
She looked so peaceful, and I wanted nothing more than to pull her close and sink back into sleep.
Last night had been another perfect night. After the date under the fairy lights, after Khemistry sang her song and Coco looked at me like I’d given her the world, we came back to the penthouse and fell into our rhythm.
We stayed up talking and watching Insecure Reruns until almost three in the morning.
She drifted off against my shoulder. When I kissed her temple, she curled into me.
I felt crazy thinking of the shit she had me on.
But the winding down with her, the quiet, was quickly becoming my favorite part of the day.
My phone buzzed again. My father. Three missed calls. That could only mean one thing: final arrangements.
I eased out of bed and slipped into the bathroom.
“Pops,” I whispered. “What’s up?”
“Why you whispering?”
“Me and baby had a long night. I don’t wanna wake her.”
“Shit, you really in love. Damn, the love bug got you,” he said with a whistle.
“Pops... get to it. What do you need?”
“We leave in six hours. Jet’s ready. Villa’s set. You ready for this surprise wedding?”
I braced my arms against the sink, staring into my reflection. This was it, the real wedding I wanted to give her. Her friends were already flying in and a few of mine; the officiant was arranged, and everything was set up on the private beach in Turks.
“I’m ready,” I said.
“You sure she won’t suspect anything? This is a big risk if she doesn’t want it.”
“She told me she never had anyone to invite. No family. I doubt she’ll see this coming .”
“Alright. Monica helped coordinate everything with her friends. Don’t be late.”
We hung up, and I brushed my teeth, washed my face, then stood in front of the mirror for a moment longer. This trip was about showing the woman asleep in my bed that she mattered. That she deserved everything she’d never had.
Back in the bedroom, she stirred. That soft hum she made when waking up filled the space like a melody.
“Lessy?” she mumbled.
I sat beside her, brushing her shoulder. “Wake up, baby. We gotta get ready.”
She turned, sleepy eyes blinking at me with a smile that made the room warmer. “Ready for what?”
“Our trip. We leave today.”
“Today? I thought it was next week!”
“I never said that. Did I?” I smiled at her.
She sat up slowly, studying my face. “You’re up to something. You have that look.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Just trust me. You’re gonna love it.”
Her eyes didn’t waver. “I can follow your lead, Les.”
I took her hand, thumb brushing her knuckles. “Good, because you’re safe with me. Always.”
“And you’re safe with me,” she replied.
She took a breath. “When we get back, if the offer’s still open... I want to move into the house.”
Everything inside me stilled. “You sure?”
“Positive. I want all of you. The complicated parts, too. But as husband and wife, I want us to move to our marital home. I’m ready to make it my own. At some point, if we want a family, we need more space. Might as well get comfortable.”
“You gon give me some chocolate babies?”
“The prettiest chocolate babies you ever seen.”
I kissed her forehead, lingering there as my mind raced ahead to departure times and logistics. Her voice pulled me back to the present.
“Stop moving so fast,” she whispered, her hands finding my face to slow me down.
Coco was always telling me to slow down, not rush through moments like they were items on a checklist. She knew I had a tendency to miss the sweetness when I was focused on the destination. “Come here. What time do we leave?”
“Six hours,” I said, finally letting myself settle into this moment with her. “Why?”
“Come shower with me.”
And before I could second-guess myself, I was leaning down and pressing my lips to hers. Soft at first, cautious. She sighed against my mouth, and her hand came up to touch my face, and that was it. The kiss deepened, hungry and desperate.
When Coco pulled back, I stared down at her until she pushed me back and stood. She grabbed my hand and led me to the bathroom. I sat down on the toilet while she brushed her teeth and washed her face. She was adamant about not washing her face in the shower.
“Come on, husband,” she called over her shoulder. I didn’t hesitate. The water was already running by the time I followed her in. Steam curled around her silhouette. She stood under the stream, her back to me, glowing.
I stepped in, the heat hitting my skin, but it was nothing compared to her. She turned, reached for my shoulders.
“You’re tense,” she whispered. “Let me take care of that. You keep telling me I’m safe with you. But I want you to know, you’re safe with me, too.”
She kissed my neck, her hands sliding across my chest, her body pressed to mine. My control slipped. She dropped to her knees, letting the water pour over her as she took me into her mouth.
The way she looked at me then pulled me open in a way I hadn’t expected. Her eyes stayed on mine as she took my dick into her mouth. It wasn’t lust, it was presence. It was care. And it undid a nigga like me.
My hand hit the wall, the other buried in her wet hair as she moved with soft and gentle hands and movements. I couldn’t hold on for long. She knew that. And when she pulled back, mouth swollen, I didn’t give her time to move.
I pulled her up and kissed her, urgent and deep, turning her around so her palms hit the wall. She arched, ass pressing against me, and I smacked it hard enough to echo.
“I’m not letting you outta my sight this whole trip,” I growled, sliding into her in one stroke.
“You better not,” she cooed.
Our bodies moved together, slowly and demanding. When she came, shaking and calling my name, I followed right after, holding her as the world could burn around us and we’d still be alright.
We stood there after, catching our breath, and she turned with that sly smile.
“Exactly what we needed to shake the nerves. I’m ordering breakfast. Then we pack, and then my man takes me to paradise.”
I kissed her once more, quick and hard, then forced myself to step away. “I can’t wait to spoil you this entire trip.”
“How long will we be gone?” she asked, already moving toward her suitcase.
“Week, maybe more. Depends on how things go.” I watched her move around the room, selecting clothes. “Pack everything you think you’ll need. Swimsuits, sundresses, something nice for dinner.”
“What about you?” She turned to face me, holding a bikini that made me swallow roughly. “You packed?”
“Been ready,” I lied. Truth was, I’d been too focused on the surprise to think about clothes. “Just need to throw a few things together.”
“I’ll take care of it for you. Because I know that was a lie.”
I cornered her in the closet, pressing her gently against the island in the middle.
“You like me for real?”
She wrapped her soft hands around my face. “Is my baby feeling insecure?”
The question hit different coming from her. Not mocking, not teasing—just genuine concern mixed with that knowing smile she got when she could read me.
“Nah, I’m not insecure,” I said, but my voice came out rougher than I intended.
“Just... this is new for me. All of it. Having someone who wants to take care of me, who pays attention to the little shit. You buy me shit knowing damn well I can get whatever I want. Yet you insist on using your money.”
Her fingers massaged the hair on my beard, and I found myself leaning into the touch without meaning to.
“Lesley Grimson, the man who runs half of Coupeville, doesn’t know how to let somebody love on him?” Her voice was soft, no judgment in it. “That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“It ain’t sad. It’s just how I was raised. You handle your own shit, you don’t depend on nobody, you don’t let people get close enough to—” I stopped myself before I said too much.
“Close enough to what?” she pressed, her hands still framing my face. “To disappoint you? To leave?”
I didn’t answer, but she saw the truth in my eyes anyway. But I was preaching to the choir, my wife had grown up and lived her life the same way.
“Baby,” she whispered, “I’m not going anywhere. You understand that? This ain’t temporary for me anymore.”
“How do I know that?” The words came out before I could stop them, raw and honest in a way that made me want to take them back immediately.
She was quiet for a moment, studying my face, wondering if I was for real. Then she smiled softly.
“Because I’m standing in your closet at seven in the morning, about to pack your drawers and socks for a trip I know damn well ain’t just a vacation.” She leaned up and kissed my chin. “Because I got you, Lesley.”
“Coco—”
“Shh.” She pressed a finger to my lips. “Let me pack for my husband. Let me take care of you. Let me love you the way you deserve to be loved. This is about you just as it is about me. An exchange.”
I nodded. She kissed me once more, soft and sweet, then stepped around me, pulling clothes from hangers with the phone tucked to her ear like she’d done it a hundred times before. Ordering food, setting shit up, moving through our closet.