Chapter 21
Three Weeks Later
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt wasn’t the sunlight sneaking through Zanova’s bedroom window; it was her soft lips. She kissed me like she was testing to see if I was real, like maybe she’d dreamt me up during the night and needed proof I was still here.
For a second, I didn’t move. I let myself feel the warmth of her breath, the faint taste of mint, and the scent of her vanilla body wash that still lingered on the sheets.
My hand found her waist and pulled her closer into my side.
Before my brain even caught up, my thumb started tracing lazy circles against her bare skin.
“Morning,” she whispered, her lips brushing mine again.
“Damn…” I groaned, my voice rough from sleep. “That’s how we are doing it now, Ms. Pierce?” I gripped her ass.
She smiled that little half-smirk that always got to me. “Are you complaining, Mr. Carter?”
It’d been three weeks since finding out that I was going to be a father.
What made that shit hit even sweeter was that it was Zanova who bore my child.
The woman who stole my heart, without even trying, was carrying my legacy.
Every time I thought about it, my chest got tight in a way I couldn’t explain.
Out of all the women I’d crossed paths with or entertained since my divorce, she was the only one who ever made me want to slow down and do right. And now, she is having my baby.
It still blew my mind just thinking about it. I’d catch myself zoning out, picturing her belly growing and imagining myself holding a little version of us in my arms. I wasn’t the type to get soft, but this was different.
“Not even a little bit,” I said, pulling her closer until she was straddling me.
The sheet slid from her naked frame, and the morning light hit her just right, her skin glowing like the sun had a personal thing for her. For a moment, we just looked at each other. No words. Just that quiet kind of peace that I only got when I was with her.
She ran her fingers through my beard, breaking me from my thoughts, eyes soft and steady. “You good, baby? You zoned out on me.”
“Yeah,” I admitted, but the look in her eyes told me she didn’t believe me.
Her smile faded into something gentler, something deeper. “You okay with it? With… all of this?”
I reached up, cupping her face, my thumb brushing her bottom lip.
“More than okay. I’m good, Nova baby. I was just thinking how my whole world has shifted since meeting you.
And I mean that in a good way. You gave me something I didn’t even know I needed.
You… and my baby.” I placed my hand on her stomach and smiled.
I couldn’t wait to see her belly swollen.
Her eyes glistened, and she leaned down, kissing me slowly.
Zanova tasted sweet as honey: warm, soft, and addictive.
The kind of sweetness that hits slow at first, then lingers long after the kiss is broken.
Every time our lips met, I swear I got pulled in deeper, like her taste carried a promise I didn’t even know I’d been craving.
She was my sweetest temptation wrapped in peace and danger, dressed in silk.
I couldn’t get enough. This kiss told me everything I needed to know.
When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against mine. “I’ve fallen for you, Mr. Carter,” she whispered.
“Good. Because I’m going to catch you, love. Every fuckin’ time.” I smiled, placing her on her stomach, lifting her ass in the air, then positioned myself between her legs.
She groaned. “No, Samir! We are going to be late for lunch with my parents.”
“I’ll make it quick.”
Since we were both naked, there was no barrier between us, so I was able to slide into her warm walls. She was already wet. As always, her pussy sucked me in like it missed me. We both moaned from the intrusion.
“You are not right… Shit! Fuck me harder, baby!” She threw her ass back, and I caught it.
Hearing her voice laced with so much pleasure, I drilled her long and deep.
Her shit was crazy wet, and I couldn’t help but pull out to get a taste of her cream.
Spreading her ass cheeks apart, I dove in.
I started from her asshole, circling my tongue around her forbidden hole before taking her clit into my mouth.
Grunting, as her sweet essence hit my palate, I made sure not to miss a drop.
“Mmm! You are so nasty, Samir! I love it!” she cried out.
“Mhm,” I mumbled between slurping on her shit. “And I love you. Now come for me, love.” I slipped my thumb in her pussy as I went back to sucking on her clit.
“S-shit! Samir! I’m about to commmmmme!” she screamed.
Giving her pussy one last lick, I sat up and thrust my dick inside of her as she came hard as fuck. I waited until she came down off her high and slapped her on the ass. I dropped back on the bed and placed my hands behind my head. My dick was covered with her cream.
“Come clean me up, ride this nut out of me, and then we can shower.”
Smirking, Zanova crawled over to me and sat on my knees. With no hands, she took my dick in her mouth and began bobbing her head up and down at a fast pace. The view of her mouth stretching to accommodate me, and her saliva coating my dick, had a nigga’s toes popping.
She pulled up and let my now hard dick pop from her mouth. Twisting to face me, she purred. “We taste so good together, baby.” Not waiting for me to respond, she turned back around and swallowed my dick deep into the back of her throat.
“Shit, Nova baby! If a nigga wasn’t already in love, I swear… this visual would definitely do the trick.” I palmed the back of her head, guiding her up and down.
I felt like I was ready to bust the biggest nut of my life.
Just when I was about to let loose, Zanova climbed on top in reverse cowgirl, slid down onto my dick, and fucked the shit out of me.
Her pussy was eating my dick up. The shit was feeling so good, I couldn’t hold my shit in a second longer. I came so hard, I almost blacked out.
After lowering my heart rate, we showered, got dressed, and headed out the door.
Forty-five minutes later, I pulled my Bentley Bentayga into Zanova’s parents’ driveway, the low purr of the engine fading as I shifted it into park.
Today was the day I was officially meeting her folks.
A nigga never been nervous about shit, but for some reason, this had me uneasy.
My palms weren’t sweating or anything, but my stomach had that tight, restless twist that wouldn’t quit.
The last time I did something like this was when I met Paige’s people.
That memory alone made my jaw clench. Zanova’s parents didn’t strike me as the pretentious, judgmental type from how she talked about them.
Paige’s parents, on the other hand, were cold as ice and twice as fake.
Her folks didn’t care about who I was as a man.
They only cared about how fat my pockets were.
All they saw when they met me was dollar signs, the designer watch on my wrist, and the car I drove.
I should’ve known then that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
I stepped out of the car and went around to the passenger side to assist Zanova.
I opened her door, and she placed her hand in my mine and climbed out.
The white, fitted dress she wore stopped just above her knees and hugged her curves perfectly.
She had her long hair bone straight and hanging down her back.
I shut the door, but not before stealing a kiss. She looked nervous.
“Why are you looking nervous, love? Should I be worried?” I chuckled.
“No. It’s just… my father gave my ex such a hard time. He didn’t care too much for Jerome when they first met and never grew to like him either. My dad doesn’t play about me. He’s protective, maybe a little too much sometimes.”
“Good. That means he loves you. I can respect that.” I squeezed her hand. “But he's gonna love me. They both are. I’m a likable person.” I winked at her.
“Oh, yes. My mom is going to love you. She’s the nice one.”
I chuckled, taking her by the hand.
I led her up to the door, my thumb brushing the back of her hand as she reached to ring the bell, but before she could even touch it, the door swung open.
Standing there was an older version of Zanova—same warm brown skin, same almond-shaped eyes, same kind of beauty that didn’t need effort.
Her smile was wide and welcoming, the kind that instantly made you feel like family.
“Y’all made it!” she said brightly, her voice carrying that mix of love and authority only moms seem to have.
Zanova grinned and stepped forward, hugging her mom tight. “Hey, Ma.”
I stood back a second, watching them. The resemblance was uncanny, not just in looks, but in energy. You could tell where Zanova got her softness from.
Her mom glanced over her daughter’s shoulder and locked eyes with me. “And you must be Samir,” she said, her smile widening even more.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied, stepping forward and offering my hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Oh, none of that ma’am business,” she said, waving her hand playfully before pulling me into a quick hug that caught me off guard. “Call me Clarissa.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Clarissa, it is.”
She looked me over with that motherly mix of curiosity and approval. “Well, I can see why my daughter is so smitten. You’re even more handsome in person.”
“Ma!” Zanova laughed, a little color rushing to her cheeks.
I grinned. “She talks about me, huh? That’s a good sign.”
“Mm-hmm.” Clarissa stepped aside to let us in. “Come on in, both of you. Lunch is ready, and Lord knows my husband’s been pacing since she told him you were coming.”
Zanova shot me a look, half warning, half amusement.