Chapter 11 #2
The faint scent of jasmine hung in the air as I walked up the marble steps, my nerves starting to buzz.
Something in my gut told me I should’ve turned this order down.
I rang the doorbell anyway because I’d made the cookies and was already here.
There was no purpose in trying to make this delivery more than what it was.
A few seconds later, the heavy door swung open, and there he was. Samir.
My heart dropped straight to my stomach. He leaned against the doorframe, a smug grin spreading across his lips. “Right on time,” he said, his voice deep and smooth like he’d been waiting on me all day.
That’s when it clicked. The two hundred chocolate chip cookies. The random, last-minute order. The “private client” address with no name attached. Oh, he was slick. This wasn’t just some delivery. This was a fucking setup—his setup.
I blinked, speechless for a second, heat rising in my chest. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered under my breath, staring up at him.
He laughed, his eyes tracing my face like he was savoring every reaction. “What can I say? I wanted to see you. You were dodging me and my calls.”
“So you ordered two hundred cookies just to trick me into showing up?” I shifted the box in my hands, trying to ignore the way his cologne wrapped around me like a memory I didn’t ask to relive.
He shrugged, with that damn smirk never leaving his face. “I had to do what I had to do. You had me out here like I was trying to find Waldo and shit.”
“You really need help, Samir.”
“Maybe, but at least I’m real,” he said, stepping closer, taking the boxes out of my hand. “Come in.” He stepped back so I could enter, but my feet stayed planted.
“No. I’m leaving.” I spun on my heels, ready to leave him standing there with his smug grin and his ridiculous cookie order. Before I could take a step, he gently grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
“Aye! What’s really good, Nova baby? Why do you keep running from me, man? You act like a nigga did you dirty.”
I swallowed hard, refusing to meet his eyes. “Maybe because the last man I let in proved why I shouldn’t have. Look, Samir… What went down between us was fun, but it stops here. You got what you wanted, now we can just keep it professional.”
He exhaled, the cocky tone fading from his voice. “I ain’t him, Zanova. I’m not here to play you. I told you, I don’t chase pussy. I can get that without even trying. I just want you to stop fighting me so damn hard.”
“I…”
“Nah, don’t lie to me. I at least hope we made a connection to where we are better than that. Come in and talk to me.”
I should’ve kept walking, but my feet wouldn’t move.
My chest felt tight, my pulse unsteady. I wanted to believe Samir.
God knows, I did. But believing him meant risking more than my heart could handle.
He held the door open, eyes locked on me, waiting.
Against my better judgment, I exhaled slowly and stepped inside.
He shut the door and set the boxes on the small table next to the door, then boldly pulled me into his chest, making my breath get caught in my chest.
“I missed you.” He buried his face into my neck. His voice was low and rough, like it carried all the weight of the last few days.
My chest tightened at his words and demeanor.
I tried to brush it off, to keep my walls up, but the truth was, I’d missed him too.
I’d missed him more than I cared to admit.
His eyes met mine, searching for something, yet daring me to stop him as he lowered his face to mine.
My knees went weak, my resolve slipping with every heartbeat, and before I could think better of it, he leaned down, and our lips met.
The kiss was slow and gentle at first, but it didn’t stay that way.
It deepened, igniting everything I’d been trying to control with our lips and mouths devouring each other.
The guilt, the desire, and the part of me that had wanted this from the very start all came forth as we held our breaths, refusing to stop.
I tried to pull back and remember my reasons for running away from this, but I couldn’t.
Then he pulled back, leaving me breathless and aching for more. “Are you ready to tell me why you've been avoiding me, Nova baby?”
“Samir, what happened between us shouldn’t have happened. I barely know you. And here I am… finding myself way too comfortable around you and thinking about you when I shouldn’t be.”
“We are two consenting adults, Zanova. I can’t explain what’s been going on between us, but I don’t want whatever it is to end. I told you… I’m on your time, love. Just don’t shut me out.”
“I don’t mean to. It’s just my heart can’t take another hit. I won’t allow that, if I can help it.”
“Well, good thing I ain’t in the business of breaking hearts.” Before I could respond, he slid his arms around my waist and lifted me off my feet with effortless strength.
A startled laugh escaped me as I gripped his shoulders. “Samir! What are you doing? Put me down!”
“Damn, I love how you say my name. That shit sounds sexy as fuck. Especially when I’m digging in them guts.” He stole a quick kiss before I could stop him. “I said we needed to talk. We are going to do that. I just need to make sure you don’t try to run.”
“Nigga, please! If I wanted to leave, I could. You don’t run shit.” I tried to boss up, but the warmth in my voice gave me away. “And you better not drop me.”
“Girl, I lift your weight and more every morning.” He stopped at his beautiful grand staircase and started lifting me up and down with ease. “See. I’m going to have fun with your thick ass.”
He began climbing up the steps like I weighed nothing.
“Oh God. You get on my nerves. And who said I’m giving you some? You said we are going to talk, Samir. We are not fucking.”
“Whatever. You giving me some of this pussy.” He gripped my ass.
“No, I’m not. We are going to talk, and then I’m going home.
You messed up my night. I had plans on soaking in a bubble bath and getting some sleep.
My feet and back hurt from standing, making all those damn cookies.
I should kill you. Tomorrow, I’m going to get a massage, and I will be sending you the bill. ”
“I got you, baby.”
“Yeah, you better.” I looked around as we made it to the second floor. “Your house is nice. Why so big if it’s just you? It is just you, right? You are single?”
“I wouldn’t be chasing you if I was with anyone, love. I don’t get down like that.”
“So you’re telling me you ain’t sleeping with anyone?”
“Them hoe’s is just something to get my shit off. I’m not tied down to anyone.”
“Well, we are definitely not sleeping together anymore. You are not going to have me out here looking stupid. And I am not fighting over community dick.” I kissed my teeth.
“I will never have you fighting other bitches. Besides, your pussy is the only pussy I’m going to be in now. So we straight, Nova baby.”
We reached the doorway of what I assume was his bedroom.
The room was just as impressive as the rest of the house.
High ceilings, soft ambient lighting, and a king-sized bed with black and gold linen that looked like clouds.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and a huge TV hanging over a fireplace looked like something out of a magazine.
It smelled faintly of cedar and something sweeter that I couldn’t place.
He gently set me down beside the bed on a chaise. “Stay right here. I’ll be right back,” he said, voice soft but insistent.
“Do I have a choice?” I pursed my lips.
“Nope.”
He went into the bathroom in his room while I sat and took in the rest of his room.
Everything was so clean and neat, almost as if no one truly slept in here.
I finally let out the breath I’d been holding once I couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore.
The silence that followed was deafening, leaving me alone with my thoughts—the same ones I’d been trying to outrun since the night in Ibiza.
Was I really doing the right thing by being here? Part of me said nothe smart part that remembered how bad it hurt to love someone who didn’t know what to do with my heart. The one that whispered, “You promised yourself you wouldn’t fall again.”
But then there was the other part, the one that came alive when I was around Samir. The part that felt safe in his presence, even if it was for a short time. I’d spent so long surviving, guarding, and keeping my emotions locked behind walls that now I wasn’t sure how to just feel without fear.
My chest ached.
What if this is what peace feels like, and I’m too scared to let it in? I asked myself.
Fuck it! I was going to go with the flow and guard my heart until I had more information on how to proceed with Samir.
Before I could overthink it any further, Samir came back into the room and scooped me up like I was something fragile.
I let out a soft gasp, my hands gripping his shoulders as he carried me into his bathroom.
I was instantly blown away by how big it was.
The scent of vanilla hit my nose, warm and calming.
Candles flickered around a massive soaking tub filled with steaming water and rose petals.
The marble floors gleamed beneath the soft golden light, making the whole space feel unreal.
“You did all this for me? Aw, I feel so special.” I teased with a small pout.
He set me down gently on the edge of the tub and nodded. “That’s because you are. Towels are in the warmer over there,” he said, pointing toward the sleek silver machine near the sink. “I’ll grab you something to put on when you’re done.”
He left the room, and I let out a slow sigh before slipping out of my clothes and easing into the tub.
The heat hugged my body instantly, melting away every bit of tension I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
I found myself drifting, so I quickly washed up before rinsing off in the shower.
I dried off with the towel from the warmer.
That was definitely something I needed in my bathroom because I’m always cold after my shower.
When I exited the bathroom, I didn’t see Samir. I noticed he left me a pair of boxers and a T-shirt to change into. I slipped the two pieces on just as he walked back into the room.
“Feel better?”
I noticed he had changed into some cotton shorts and a white beater. The faint smell of his body wash let me know he’d showered.
“Yes. Thank you. I almost didn’t want to get out. That bath salt you used made my skin feel so soft. Should I ask who you have that for?”
“Come on, baby. Don’t offend me. That’s my sister’s shit. She house sat for me while I was away. Which reminds me to get at her for using my bathroom.”
“Sorry,” I apologized. “Do you have any other siblings?”
“Nope. Just that pain in my ass. Come lay with me… Unless you want to take the guest room?”
“Um, no. Just keep your hands to yourself, mister.”
“Aight, I’ll behave… for now.”
He pulled the covers back, and I slid into the bed beside him.
The mattress was so soft, I couldn’t help but let out a small moan.
It felt like lying on clouds that smelled faintly of him.
Before I could settle, he reached out, looping an arm around me and tugging me closer until my head rested on his chest. His body was solid and his heartbeat steady beneath my ear.
For a second, I thought about pulling away, keeping a bit of space between us, but I didn’t.
I let myself melt into him, just for a moment.
“This bed is dangerous. I can sleep on this thing for hours. I might not ever get up.” I yawned.
He chuckled, a deep rumble sounding through his chest. “Good. That’s kinda the point.”
I smiled to myself, trying to ignore the way my heart was racing. Trouble had a name, and right now, it was Samir.
“I’m not going to ask you what you want to watch. You ain’t going to have me watching some sappy shit.”
“Shut up!” I cackled sleepily. “Can we listen to some music? I thought you said you wanted to talk?”
A few seconds later, Samir switched the TV over to a Pandora station, letting soft R&B fill the room. The slow, sultry music made the air feel heavier, but I was fighting those urges to have a repeat of Samir being inside of me.
“I do. Come here,” he said, his voice low.
Before I could even ask what he was doing, he reached for me, pulling me on top of him until I was straddling his waist. My breath caught, and I tried to play it off with a groan. “Samir! I don’t need to be up here to talk.”
“We are talking. But first, give me a kiss.”
Once again, he didn’t wait for an answer.
His hand slid up, fingers wrapping gently around the back of my neck as he pulled me down to him.
The moment our lips met, everything else faded.
No words or thoughts existed, just that electric jolt that always came with him.
His kiss was rough, like he didn’t have all night to learn every curve of my mouth.
My hands planted on his hard chest, trying to steady myself against the rush of heat spreading through me.
I felt his dick awaking, hard and strong.
Just then, “Deeper” by Joshua Showtime Williams started to play through the room, the bass slow and heavy, matching the rhythm of my hips as I grinded on Samir’s dick, enjoying the friction on my clit.
Before I knew it, we were both naked, and I was back straddling his lap.
“Turn around and sit that ass on my face, Zanova,” he demanded, his voice rough enough to send a chill down my spine.
I don’t know what came over me, but I did as I was told, ready for Samir to take me to the moon.
See? This is what I was talking about.
I get around this man, and all logic goes out the window.