13. River
I tried to go to sleep, but Erissa’s scent still lingered in my pillows, making it hard to stop the flashbacks from last night. After ten minutes of torture, I gave up and crept into her room.
A part of me hoped she’d be awake, trying not to think about me, but she was sleeping pretty damn well. I went to the foot of the bed and slipped underneath the comforter.
I slowly opened her legs, pushed her loose-fitting pajama shorts to the side, and latched onto her pussy. It only took her a second to get with the program, and she opened her legs wider, then pressed my head into her pussy.
When she came, her screams were loud enough to wake our guests, so I covered her mouth. Her body tensed as I moved on top of her, and I needed her to relax.
“You have to be quiet if you don’t want them to hear you,” I whispered.
A sliver of light coming through the blinds allowed me to see a glimpse of her face as she nodded. I slowly removed my hand from her mouth while easing my dick into her pussy. She was tight, wet, and felt better than she did last night and this morning.
I closed my eyes, stifling a groan as I slowly stroked, pulling out to the tip before slamming deep inside. Her pussy had been on my mind all day, and it took some effort to think about anything else. If I’d been forced to wait until Monday to experience Erissa again, I wouldn’t have made it.
“Fuck, baby. I love how you take this dick,” I whispered.
“River, please.”
“Please, what, baby? Why are you begging me?”
“I need to scream.”
“You can’t do that, beautiful.”
“Shit. It feels too good. Oh, God. I need to—”
I covered her mouth with mine, slipping my tongue inside in an attempt to keep her quiet. As we kissed, she moaned into my mouth with each stroke I delivered. Her pussy pulsed around me, soaking my dick and pulling my nut from my soul simultaneously.
Our climaxes crashed, causing sensations I’d never felt before to buzz through my body. I had no idea what the fuck was happening, but it was something I didn’t want to stop.
Sleep overcame us, and when I opened my eyes, the sun had risen. Our bodies were intertwined in the best way, and if I could, I’d stay this way for the rest of the day.
“E, wake up,” I whispered, then kissed the top of her head.
“Hmm.”
“Wake up, baby. I need to get ready for practice.”
“Hmm.”
One of her legs was thrown across both of mine, while one of her arms was draped across my chest. Instead of rolling over and releasing me, she adjusted her body and moved closer to me, if that was possible.
I smiled as I lifted her arm and placed it at her side, then eased the top half of my body away from hers. When her head fell onto the pillow, she finally turned over and got comfortable on the other side of the bed, freeing me.
After pulling on the shorts I had on last night, I slowly opened the door, looked down the hallway to make sure I was in the clear, then slipped out of Erissa’s bedroom, praying I didn’t run into my mother or sister.
When I made it safely to my bedroom, I grabbed my phone to look at the time, and it was dead, which explained why my alarm wasn’t going off.
I cursed under my breath as I connected it to the charger, then looked at my watch.
I needed to leave within the next fifteen minutes to make it to practice on time, so I rushed through my morning routine.
I was in such a rush that I didn’t realize I hadn’t heard Riverlynn on the monitor. My eyes went to where I kept her monitor, and it wasn’t there. I scanned the room to see if I’d inadvertently moved it, but it was nowhere to be found.
There was no need to panic because I knew my mother was the culprit. Before heading downstairs, I went to Riverlynn’s room, and her crib was empty. Again, I was certain my mother was behind all this, so I left for practice.
When I arrived, Jaxon, Boris, and Desmond were waiting for me, grinning like damn Cheshire cats. Obviously, Jaxon had already filled the other two in about the previous night’s activities. I walked right past them, as if they weren’t there, because I knew exactly the kind of time they were on.
“So, when is the wedding?” Desmond asked, and all of them laughed like he’d told the joke of the century.
“Haha, real funny. Nobody is getting married.”
“I don’t know, man. I never thought I’d see you like you were yesterday,” Jaxon said.
“And we know she let you hit it,” Boris said.
Boris spoke with more confidence than he should have about something that didn’t concern him.
“Y’all don’t know shit.”
“I do, because you told me, and I saw how you are with her with my own eyes, but I ain’t say shit to them,” Jaxon pointed out.
“You’ve been different since you hired her,” Desmond added.
“Different how?”
“When was the last time you hooked up with somebody, old or new?”
I waved him off. “Y’all need to chill. That don’t mean shit. It’s not even like that. Don’t get me wrong, Erissa is cool as hell, takes great care of my daughter, and I can admit that I like having her around, but y’all taking it too far.”
I closed my locker and left them in the locker room. This conversation would be tabled until the end of practice. By then, maybe I’d have the courage to stop lying to them and myself.
“It’s final, River. Rylee and I are staying here with Rivvy while you take Erissa out for a nice dinner. It’s the least you can do to show your appreciation. Not only does she take good care of my granddaughter, but it also looks like she’s been taking good care of you,” my mother said.
The plan was for us to go to dinner as a family, including Erissa. I wasn’t sure what happened while I was at practice, but as soon as I came home, my mother told me the plans had changed.
“I thought the point of you visiting was to spend time together.”
“No, I came to see and spend time with my first and only grandchild.”
“Did you tell Erissa?”
“Yes. She’s out shopping with your sister.”
“Okay. Can I spend a little time with my daughter, or is that not allowed until you leave on Monday?”
“Don’t be silly. She’s napping right now but should be up soon.”
She returned her attention to the cooking show she was watching on TV. I sat next to her on the couch but didn’t say anything because she seemed very interested in the show.
“I like her for you and Rivvy,” she admitted.
“Ma, it’s not that serious.”
“It is that serious because you like her too.”
“You’re reading too much—”
“River Jamal Westmore, I’m not reading too much into shit. I gave birth to you, and I know you better than you know yourself. You may not be ready to admit it out loud, but you’ve already had a conversation with yourself, and you’re trying to downplay your feelings.”
I released a deep breath, not knowing what to say because I wasn’t ready to embrace my feelings.
“You don’t have to say anything, because I know the truth. I just hope you don’t talk yourself out of a good woman.”
“Is that why you want us to go out tonight?”
“Yes. You need to spend some time together outside the bedroom without Rivvy being the center.”
“Come on, Ma.”
“Don’t ‘come on, Ma’ me. You think I don’t know you spent the night in her room? It’s obvious y’all have no problem connecting that way.”
“We connect in other ways too, Ma. Rivvy is still a baby. She still sleeps a lot, and as long as she’s dry and fed, she’s content. I’ve had a chance to get to know Erissa in ways I’ve never been interested in knowing another woman.”
“And have you opened up to her as well?”
I shrugged. “Somewhat, but all she needs to know is I don’t see her like I see other women. She’s different.”
I felt my mother’s gaze on me and turned to look at her.
“You’re really falling for her. My baby boy is falling in love.”
I stood as I dismissed her words.
“Man, Ma. Gone somewhere with all that. I’m going upstairs.”
“You can’t outrun love, River. It will eventually catch up with you.”
I heard her, but I didn’t respond. Riverlynn must have sensed my presence because I heard her whining when I got to the top of the stairs. When I opened the door and called her name, her whining ceased, and she was smiling by the time I took the two strides to her crib.
“There’s my baby girl. Daddy missed you.”
The way her arms and legs flailed with excitement when she saw me went straight to my heart. If I never found love, I knew this little girl would love me because I would do my damnedest to make sure of it.
After changing her diaper, I took her downstairs, and instead of returning to the couch, I sat on the floor, putting her on a blanket. We laughed and played, and every few minutes, she giggled until she was out of breath.
“Fatherhood looks really good on you, Son.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.”
“I know you might have thought I wasn’t supportive, but I had to let you figure this out on your own. It was your first test as a father.”
“I know and I understand. I’m glad you’re here now, though.”
“Me too. Did your sister tell you she got accepted to Black Elm University?”
My eyes widened in surprise.
“No. I didn’t even know she applied.”
“BEU is her top choice, so it looks like this time next year, we might be neighbors.”
“Neighbors? Why can’t you live here with me?”
She frowned. “Boy, I need my own space. You’ve been trying to spend money on me since you got drafted, so now you can buy me a house out here in Cali.”
“Are you serious, Ma? Don’t get me excited for no reason.”
“Unless Rylee changes her mind, Cali, here we come.”
I’d wanted my mother with me from the beginning, but she had her own life to live and Rylee to consider. This news had made my day, but I managed to contain my excitement.
“You hear that, baby girl? Your granny and titi are moving to Cali.”
Riverlynn squealed as if her day had been made by the news, too, causing my mother and me to laugh. I already had a realtor in mind for her to use and couldn’t wait for her to start her search.
“I tried to talk your mother out of this, but she insisted,” Erissa said.
I was behind the wheel of the SUV that she’d been driving, and we were headed to Elm Street Blues for our six o’clock reservation.
“You don’t want to have dinner with me?”
“That’s not what I said or meant.”
“Explain.”
She huffed in annoyance.
“This was not your original plan, and I didn’t want you to feel forced to go on a date with me.”
“I don’t feel forced, but I have to warn you, I haven’t been on a date in over a decade. Hopefully, I haven’t forgotten how to be a gentleman.”
“Based on what I’ve seen of your behavior, I think you should be okay.”
We rode the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. I glanced at Erissa every so often, and she was focused on the view outside her window. I didn’t force a conversation, because we would have plenty of time to talk over dinner.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I helped her out of the SUV, and we walked toward the building, holding hands.
It was a miracle I didn’t trip over my own feet because I could hardly stop looking at her.
She wore a black, sleeveless, one-piece catsuit with a cropped yellow jacket and heels to match.
Her long legs, flat stomach, narrow waist, and plump, round ass were perfect for that outfit. Her taller-than-average height had a few more inches added in the heels, but I still had at least six inches on her, which I loved.
“If my mother and sister weren’t within earshot when you came downstairs, I would’ve said some very inappropriate things to you. As soon as I laid eyes on you, my dick got hard.”
“I’m glad you like the visual I provide, but you’re exaggerating.”
“The hell I am. You fine as hell, Erissa, and this outfit . . . Let’s just say I hate that your pussy ain’t more accessible in it. I might have had my way with you on the way here.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe, but I’m also honest.”
“I don’t dress up often, especially in heels, so I appreciate your compliment.”
Once we made it inside, we were seated in the back corner of the restaurant. It was the most private area in the place, but I was sure we’d still end up on the blogs.
“Here are your menus. Your server will be here shortly to take your order.”
“Thank you,” we chimed as the host walked away.
“Before you ask, I’ve never been here. How are their mocktails?”
“Mocktails? You don’t drink?”
“I probably consumed enough alcohol for the first five years after my parents died to last a lifetime. So, no, I don’t drink. Plus, alcohol doesn’t mix well with my antidepressants.”
I nodded. “I respect that. I guess we’ll both have mocktails. Let’s see what they got.”
About twenty minutes later, our food had been ordered, and we were sipping on virgin mango strawberry pina coladas. It was the first virgin drink I’d ever had, and I felt like I was drinking dessert.
“Your mother thinks we’re a thing,” she blurted out, and her expression said she almost regretted it.
“A thing? What kind of thing?”
“She thinks we’re together or, at the very least, that we should be.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know what to think, but I noticed you didn’t wrap up again last night.”
“You’re right.”
“And I can’t find the Plan B I bought.”