CHAPTER EIGHT
I was comfortable as hell until Malcolm rolled over and wrapped his arm around my waist.
"You staying tonight?"
I kept scrolling through my phone.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No."
He kissed my shoulder before settling back against the pillow. "You ain't got nowhere to be."
I turned my head and looked at him.
"How you know?"
"Because you don't have a job."
I stared at him for a second before pushing his arm off me.
"See, this why I don't like you."
Malcolm laughed as I climbed out of bed.
"Where you going?"
"To take a shower."
"I was joking."
"Wasn't shit funny."
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and headed toward the bathroom. I had barely turned the shower on before Malcolm walked in behind me.
"You following me now?"
"I'm taking a shower."
"You just happened to need one when I did?"
"Yep."
I shook my head and stepped underneath the water.
Malcolm and I had been dealing with each other long enough for me to know exactly what this was.
He liked having me around, I liked being around him when I felt like it, and somewhere along the way, he started doing things for me that I wasn't about to turn down.
My car note stayed paid. My phone bill stayed paid.
If I wanted my hair or nails done, all I had to do was mention it.
Malcolm had the money and spending it on me didn't hurt him one bit. As far as I was concerned, everybody was happy. At least, I thought we were. But then he’d get in these moods where he started acting like my man, wanting to know where I was going or who I was with.
Or worse, acting like my daddy, trying to tell me what I should be doing.
In exchange for paying my bills. Nah. I wasn't about that life.
This whole situation was supposed to be simple. Him helping me out and me giving him some pussy in return. This shit was supposed to be easy math. And then there were moments like this, where the lines got blurry. Where the easy turned into something tangled.
"Can't a woman wash her ass in peace?" I muttered, not opening my eyes.
"You could," Malcolm's voice was a low rumble, right behind me now. "But you don't want to."
His hands slid up my sides, then gripping my breasts. I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the water temperature. Malcolm rubbed my stomach, then slid his hands between my legs, rubbing my clit in slow circles.
“Mmm.”
Then he placed his hand on the small of my back, pushing me forward.
I placed my hands against the wall and tooted my ass up.
Malcolm rubbed his dick up and down my slit before pushing inside of me.
My back automatically arched, taking him deeper, and he took that as an invitation to wrap his arm around my waist.
"Always got so much shit to say," he grunted, his pace steady and deep. "And now look at you." He was right, too. My legs were shaking, and the water pouring down on us wasn't helping me get any footing.
"Fuck you, Malcolm," I breathed out. The words came out weaker than I wanted, all breathy and shit.
He laughed again. "That's what I'm doing, ain't it?" His pelvis slammed against my ass. His heavy thrusting stole my breath and made my palms flatten against the slick tile for balance. "Taking this pussy like it's mine."
"Fuck," I whined, my head hanging down between my shoulders as he hit a spot that made my toes curl against the wet floor.
"This my pussy, Armani?" His fingers dug into my hips, holding me still as he slammed into me, each stroke harder, and deeper.
I gritted my teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction. He didn’t need to know that he wasn’t the only one I was fucking. It wasn’t his business.
Malcolm leaned over me, pressing his chest into my back with his mouth right against my ear. "Don't get quiet on me now. Talk that shit."
I pushed back against him, meeting him thrust for thrust. His hand came down on my ass and a sharp, wet smack echoed off the tiles. The sting bloomed into heat, followed by heavy throbbing where he was splitting me open.
"Shit… Malcolm! Damn baby, you fuckin me so damn good. Yesss…give me that good dick," I screamed out boosting his ego.
He did it again, on the other cheek. "I asked you a question."
I needed this to be over, or I needed to come.
Either one was fine with me. I lifted my left foot, planting it on the little bench built into the shower wall.
The new angle opened me up, letting him sink deeper inside of me.
Malcolm shifted, spreading my other leg wider with his knee and the new position had him creating friction right against my spot. The one that made my vision blurry.
"Answer me, Armani." His voice was low, but deep.
The water was beating down on my back, running in rivers between my ass cheeks where he had me spread open. I could feel him everywhere. "This. My. Pussy?"
The pressure built at the bottom of my stomach. My legs were trembling and my breath hitched in little gasps. My smart mouth was gone. Malcolm was trying to prove a point and make me stay, but that wasn’t happening.
“Malcolm…I’m coming.”
I couldn't say the words he wanted me, but these would suffice. My pride wouldn't let me. But my body betrayed me. My walls clenched around him and pulled satisfied grunts from his lips.
"Good girl," he praised, and the words, as condescending as they were, were what pushed me over the edge.
My orgasm crashed through me, leaving me gasping for air and my nails scraping against the slick tile. Malcolm kept beating my pussy from the back until he was about to catch his own nut.
“Fuck Armani!” He shouted. “Where you want it at?”
I looked over my shoulder. “You know where.”
Moments later, Malcolm pulled out of me and shot his nut all over my ass.
“Damn, girl.” He grunted and slapped me on the ass.
Once we finished showering, I walked back into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed.
Malcolm wrapped a towel around his waist while I reached for the bottle of body oil sitting on his nightstand.
I poured some into my palm and rubbed it over my arms before working my way down my legs.
Malcolm stood across the room watching me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Then why you staring?"
"Damn, I can't look at you now?"
"You can look."
"I appreciate the permission."
"You're welcome."
He laughed under his breath and walked toward his closet while I finished moisturizing. I reached for my underwear, slipped them on, then grabbed my bra. When I stood and reached for my dress, Malcolm stopped walking.
"Why you putting that on?"
I looked over at him.
"Because walking outside naked might get me arrested."
"I'm serious, Armani."
"So am I."
"I thought you were staying here tonight."
I pulled the dress over my head and worked it down over my hips. "I never said that."
His eyebrows were knitted together.
"So, where you going?"
"Out."
"Out where?"
"The club."
Malcolm stared at me for a second.
"So, let me get this straight. You leaving my house to go to the club?"
I walked over to the mirror and started fixing my hair. "That's usually how leaving works."
"Armani."
"What?"
"Who are you going with?"
I looked at him in the mirror.
"Why?"
"I'm asking."
"And I'm wondering why."
His jaw tightened.
"Because you were just laying in my bed. We just fucked in the shower."
"And I had a wonderful time."
Malcolm stared at the back of my head.
"So, you dating niggas now?"
I turned around.
"You are fucking me. You ain't raising me."
"Who said anything about raising you?"
"You asking a whole lot of daddy questions."
"Because apparently somebody needs to."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Start acting like because you do shit for me, you get to tell me what to do."
"I never said that."
"You ain't have to."
Malcolm walked closer.
"Funny how I'm good enough to pay that phone bill and car note, but I can't ask where you’re going."
I stared at him before slowly raising an eyebrow.
"You volunteered for both."
His mouth fell open slightly.
I grabbed my lip gloss off the dresser and turned back toward the mirror.
"You know what, Armani?"
"What?"
"You got life fucked up."
"I've heard that before."
"I'm serious."
"So am I. I never asked you to pay anything for me. You offered, and because I believe in supporting a man's dreams, I let you."
Malcolm stared at me and I stared back.
"What?"
"You believe in supporting my dreams?"
"Absolutely."
"What dream?"
"Taking care of me."
His eyes closed.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.
"See, that's the shit I'm talking about."
"What did I do?"
"You know exactly what you doing."
I slipped my earrings into my ears and checked myself in the mirror.
Malcolm sat down on the edge of the bed.
"You going up there to see that bouncer?"
My hand stopped.
I looked at him through the mirror.
"I'm going to the club."
"That ain't what I asked."
"Then stop asking questions you don't need answers to."
He shook his head.
"I knew that nigga was looking at you the last time we were there."
"People look at me every day, Malcolm."
"I saw the way you looked back."
I turned around and grabbed my purse.
"Well, next time close your eyes."
"Armani."
I walked over and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you for tonight."
He caught my wrist before I could walk away.
"You really leaving?"
"Yes."
"For him?"
I looked down at his hand until he released me.
"I'm going to have drinks."
"With who?"
I smiled.
"Goodnight, Malcolm."
"Armani, I'm not playing with you."
I headed toward the bedroom door.
"Neither am I."
"Don't call me tomorrow asking me for shit."
I stopped and turned around.
"Okay."
He frowned like that wasn't the response he expected.
I shrugged.
"What? You want me to beg?"
"That's not what I said."
"Good, because I wasn't going to."
I blew him a kiss and walked out of the bedroom before he could say anything else.
Malcolm was a good man, and I enjoyed every benefit that came with dealing with him. The problem was that somewhere along the way, he had started confusing taking care of me with having me.
Those were two completely different things. And if he didn't know that already, he damn sure did now.
I walked over to him and slipped my hand around the back of his neck.
"Don't be mad."
Malcolm looked down at me without saying anything.
I smiled and leaned in to kiss him, but he turned his head at the last second, leaving my lips to land against his cheek.
My eyebrows shot up.
"Oh, so you real mad?"
He looked at me.
"Have fun at the club, Armani."
I stared at him for a second before slowly nodding.
"Okay. I will."
I grabbed my purse, blew him a kiss, and walked out of the bedroom.