She purred, bucking against me. “We’re going to be okay in the morning?”

  “Absolutely,” I murmured against her lips as I thrust inside of her. She felt so good, so warm, so wet, I had to steel myself against the sensations flooding through me. I wanted to take my time, but I also wanted to come. No, I needed to come.

  Her eyes fluttered closed. “Yes,” she whispered, biting down on my shoulder.

  That was all I needed. We took our time, pushing and pulling, giving and taking in equal measure. We were good together, in sync with each other. And I found myself thinking ahead to more nights like this, more time with her.

  As our pace quickened, I realized I was unraveling, losing control. In the past, that would’ve scared me, but I wanted to lean into it, let things happen organically. I thrust into her once, twice, then two more times before she came, squeezing my hips with her long legs and my dick with her pussy. It felt so good, so right, I followed her over swiftly, with her name on my lips and her face seared on my brain.

  We stayed like that, arms and legs entangled for a moment before I rolled off of her. Pulling her close to me, I brushed my lips over her brow, reveling in the fact that she didn’t protest. She nuzzled her nose into my neck.

  “I’m tired.” She tugged my earlobe into her mouth. “But not ready for the night to end.”

  “No worries.” I placed her hand against my growing erection. “I’m good with that, too.”

  We spent the rest of the night exploring each other, learning more about one another. It was irrational, the way I wanted her. We’d only spent one evening together, but I knew from the moment she glanced at the menu earlier and decided to order food instead of drinks that I wanted it to be more dates, more days. It wasn’t that she ordered the Henny Chops, a side of seasoned fries, and a spicy margarita. It was the way she didn’t pretend not to be hungry. It was the way she listened intently when I talked and offered her viewpoint with no qualms about it. It was the way we fist bumped each other when we agreed on something and defended our viewpoints when we disagreed. Always respectful, never attempting to change each other’s minds. She was a breath of fresh air, for sure. Intelligent. Intense. Irresistible. And I want more of this.

  Chapter 4

  I Wanna Be Where You Are

  DAPHNE

  * * *

  I bit down on the only thing I could find. My arm. It had finally happened. I’d lost my mind. How else could I explain my current predicament?

  Skirt hiked up.

  Legs in the air.

  Nero’s dick in my pussy.

  Nero’s thumb on my clit.

  In his office.

  Shit. It was my place of employment, too. I was pretty sure his assistant knew what was up when I’d shown up two days last week and one day this week for lunch. With no food in sight. But damnit … It felt too good to stop. No matter how inappropriate it was. No matter how bad this would look if any of his colleagues, his staff, or his students walked in on us.

  This was the way it had been, though, since he’d beat me at axe throwing and then fucked me until I could barely move at a hotel in the city. His skill in the bedroom had rendered me silly and horny. And thirsty. I couldn’t think about why now, because …

  I’m coming. And I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t groan. The only thing I could do was grunt. Softly. The delicious orgasm—the second of the day—rolled through me, and I was helpless to do anything but let it take over.

  When it was over, I opened my eyes to find Nero staring down at me, a mischievous smirk on his lips.

  “You good?” he whispered, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

  I nodded, struggling to catch my breath. “I’m fine. Are you?”

  He bent down and captured my lips in a searing kiss. “Better than good.”

  My stomach tightened as he started the dance again, winding me back up like a rag doll, taking me higher with each thrust, until another orgasm crested within me. But, this time, we came together.

  I lifted myself up on my elbows and glanced at him. “I definitely have a problem.”

  Nero helped me get dressed, sucking my nipples through my bra as he zipped up my skirt, nibbling on my earlobe as he buttoned my blouse, and pressing his growing erection into my stomach as he trailed wet kisses over my collarbone, up my neck, to my lips. “What’s that?” he murmured against my mouth.

  I gripped his hair in my fist and kissed him. Hard. “You.”

  The corners of his mouth quirked up. “I’m a problem now?” He tugged me forward, against the hard ridge of his dick. “I tend to think of myself as your solution.”

  I cracked up. “You’re so corny.” Yet, even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. Nero was everything but corny. Thoughtful. Smart. Sexy. Despite the whole debacle surrounding that crazy-ass text, I enjoyed being with him, getting to know him. Which made me sorta grateful that I couldn’t control my temper that day in the auditorium. We’d spent the last two weeks immersed in each other and I couldn’t regret it.

  It wasn’t just sex either. We talked. A lot. He shared some things about his childhood, and I told him about my upbringing in the church and the fractured relationship I had with my sister. Nero listened when I unexpectedly burst into tears while explaining the reason why I’d sent the text message that day. And he’d even suggested we drive to Neil’s old hood to find him.

  “Did you think about what I asked?” Nero brushed my hair away from my shoulder and licked the base of my neck. “About tomorrow?”

  Nero had asked me to join him at a faculty event, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to walk into a room on his arm. This thing between us was still new and I preferred to keep it quiet for a while. The last thing I needed was to become the topic of the weekly gossip that tended to spread around the building like a wildfire. I bit down on my bottom lip. “Do I have to?”

  “No,” he told me.

  Tilting my head, I observed him. He was almost too good to be true. When we started this, we promised to be honest with each other. And he’d stuck to it. Nero never asked me to do anything I wasn’t comfortable with, which was in stark contrast to the men I dated in the past. “Are you sure you’re not disappointed?”

  He brushed his finger over my jawline. “I’m good with whatever you decide.”

  I believed him, but I still felt like shit. “I’m just not ready for that.” Hell, I hadn’t even told Britt about this. “I kind of like that we’re keeping this quiet for now.”

  Placing his finger over my mouth, he whispered, “It’s okay, Daphne. You don’t have to explain.”

  Shit, I love the way he says my name. “You mean that, don’t you?”

  He opened the small refrigerator in his office and pulled out a bag from Panera Bread. “Absolutely,” he said, passing the bag to me. “I figured we should actually eat today.”

  Opening it, I gasped. “How did you know I loved the Strawberry Poppyseed Salad?”

  “I overheard you the other day talking to Lanelle about it in the cafeteria. Figured I would surprise you.”

  I peered up at him, torn between eating my salad and climbing on his lap. “Thank you.” In the end, my stomach made the decision when it growled.

  Nero joined me on the small loveseat he kept in his office. He pulled another salad out of the bag. As we ate, he told me more about the upcoming Juneteenth Jubilee. “I’ll be glad when it’s over. Planning events is not my thing.”

  I popped a blueberry in my mouth. “Will you have to plan the event next year, too?”

  He’d already explained his role in the Mr. Black Organization to me but had stopped short of giving specific details about his responsibilities. I already knew a little bit about the org because my father was a member for years, so it was interesting to hear about their efforts in the community now. “I have another two years,” he replied. “Then, we’ll select another person to take over the mantle.”

  “That’s cool. How did you get into this?”

  “Ace.”

  Nero’s grandfather, Ace, was a legendary hero in certain parts of the city. Even though I grew up on a different side of town, I heard tall tales about the Bond family. Some of the kids in my neighborhood had likened them to the mob. As a kid, I had actively prayed to never run into one of them. “I still can’t believe you’re one of those Bonds,” I mused.

  He chuckled. “Ironic, huh?” He leaned forward and kissed me softly. “Not only did you run into one of us, you also just let me fuck you in my office.” He took a bite of his salad and smirked. “And you would probably let me do it again if you didn’t have to go back to work.”

  I pointed my fork at him. “True.”

  Nero barked out a laugh. “See. I knew it.” He finished his salad and rested his back against the sofa. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done this,” he admitted.

  I stared at his profile, memorizing the lines of his face. His brown skin was so smooth, so soft, I couldn’t help but nuzzle my nose against his cheek. I set my salad on the table and leaned back against him, pleasantly surprised when he wrapped his arm around me. “You haven’t eaten lunch in a long time?” I teased.

  He brushed his mouth over my temple. “After Nala graduated from elementary school, Evelyn and I never shared a meal together again.”

  “Really?” Nero had mentioned his ex-wife a few times. Each instance, he made it clear that there was nothing more between him. Not because he said those words, but because he didn’t seem to like her at all.

  “Not alone anyway,” he amended. “Shit, even before that.”

  “Did you ever love her?”

  “I cared for her,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it was love.”

  “Why did you stay?”

  “Because I thought it was the right thing to do. I married her when she was pregnant with Nala, and I already had custody of Zoe. I just figured it was best to be together. So that my girls could grow up in the same house.”

  The more he told me about his life, the more I wanted to learn. “I love your bond with your daughters.” Nero had never shied away from telling me about his family. Even the not-so-good parts like the death of his parents and how he came to live with his grandfather. It was clear that he adored his girls and was proud of the women they’d become. “Sometimes I wonder if I missed out on something special by not having kids,” I offered.

  “Why didn’t you?”

  I let out a slow breath. “Because my parents brought so many kids home that I felt like I spent the bulk of my childhood mothering.” At eight years old, I learned how to change a diaper, feed a baby, and burp them. My father worked long hours driving taxis and my mother spent a lot of time at the church and at her part-time job at Hudson’s Department Store. Once I was old enough to be left alone at the house, I was put in charge of my siblings—and all of the foster kids that lived with us. “By the time I turned eighteen, I’d had enough. I moved out, struggled for a few years while working my way through community college.” I shook my head as memories of that time filled my mind. “I don’t know how I made it. I lived in some shitty places.”

  “And you never went back home?” he asked.

  “Never. That didn’t stop my siblings from wanting to move in with me. And I always felt like I had to let them, which was one of the reasons why I let Neil stay with me.” It had been weeks, and I still hadn’t heard from my cousin. Even though I was pissed—and would never deal with him again—I still prayed that he was okay, that he wasn’t lying in a ditch somewhere.

  “I understand. My siblings are all spread out.” I was surprised to learn that Nero had siblings. He didn’t talk about them much, and I knew it was because they weren’t close, having been split apart when his mother died.

  “Do you still talk to any of them?” I asked.

  “Only my sister Sasha. She’s down in Atlanta, though.”

  My phone buzzed with a reminder for my two o’clock meeting. I turned in his arms, searched his eyes. “I have to go.” I kissed him. “I should probably make myself presentable for this Zoom call.”

  He fisted my curls in his palm, holding me to him. Then, he kissed me fully. It was all tongue and teeth, as his free hand roamed my body. Seconds later, my shirt was hanging off my shoulders and his mouth was on my breast, sucking my nipple until I cried out. His eyes flashed to mine, and he placed a finger over his mouth, signaling that I needed to be quiet. “I think I have the time to give you what you want,” he murmured.

  Oh damn, this man. My body sparked to life as he peeled my skirt off. His knuckles brushed my core, and I opened for him wantonly, not even caring that once again he had me in an extremely compromising position at work. He strummed my clit with his thumb before he sucked it into his mouth, bringing me to a quick, yet satisfying climax. Soon, we were making love, eyes locked, foreheads touching. It didn’t take long for me to come again, shuddering around him as he pounded into me until he fell over himself.

  Suddenly, I wanted more—more skin-to-skin contact, more time to talk. More him. “I think we should both take the rest of the afternoon off,” I suggested.

  His eyes flashed to mine, and a sexy half-smirk, half-smile formed on his lips. “You already know I’m down.”

  “Heffa, where the hell have you been?” Britt burst into my house, walking straight through my living room to my bedroom, peeking in doors along the way. She had on her standard work attire of blue jeans, a T-shirt, and gym shoes.

  “Girl, why are you barging in here like the police?” I laughed to myself as my friend executed an imaginary search warrant. “What if I had company?”

  Britt made her way back to the front door, where I’d remained. She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot against the floor. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “Who is he?”

  I shrugged. “What are you talking about?”

  “You been fucking somebody,” she said, motioning to my hair and my robe. “It’s the middle of the day and you’re home.”

  “As you can see, I’m home alone.” Luckily, Nero had left hours ago for an early shift at the hospital. Because I still wasn’t sure I was ready to tell anyone about us, last night was the first time he’d spent the night at my house. Up until then, I’d been going to his place. Partly, because I still wasn’t comfortable in my home. Mostly, because I knew that people tended to just drop by unannounced. Things between us had graduated from sex during the day to all-night love making and mornings together. It felt natural. And also very fast.

  Britt scanned the room again, presumably looking for clues. “I still don’t believe it.” She leaned in, sniffing my shoulder. “You’ve been very quiet. And absent for weeks. I’ve been worried about you, but you don’t seem to even care that you still have no furniture.”

  Ignoring my bestie, I walked into the kitchen and pulled out a carton of orange juice. I poured two glasses and let out a heavy sigh. “I plan to go shopping soon.” I’d already purchased some things—a bed, a bedroom set, a television, and a new kitchen table—but I’d yet to find furniture for the other rooms. I figured as long as I had somewhere to eat and sleep, I would be good until I found what I wanted. “Besides, I work more than I’m here anyway.”

  Britt sipped her juice, eyeing me over the rim of the glass. “Did you go to your parents over the weekend?”

  “Yeah.” Every Saturday, I spent the morning and afternoon with my parents. During that time, I cleaned their house, took them grocery shopping, and ensured their prescriptions were filled and separated into their pill cases. They looked forward to that time together, and I never missed a week unless I was out of town.

  Britt and I chatted about our families. I shared the latest on my siblings and even a little tea about Jada and her husband. Apparently, there was a little dust up at the church and Jada’s husband was now on probation, on the verge of losing his job as assistant pastor due to some persistent rumors of inappropriate behavior with several female parishioners.

  My best friend gaped as I told her the story. “Get out,” she said. “That’s what she gets being so judgmental.” Jada couldn’t stand Britt, probably because Jada’s husband couldn’t stop staring at my bestie’s ass whenever she was in the room. “I told you he wasn’t right.”

  “Girl, I know,” I agreed.

  Britt twirled her glass in her palms. “James asked about you again.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I told him when I saw him that it’s not going to happen.”

  “He said he had stopped by the other day, but you weren’t home.”

  While I was with Nero, I received the notification that someone was at my house. And that turned into a conversation about my ex. What’s funny? I’d never been so open with another man about my life. Nero was easy. It was refreshing being around a grown-ass, sexy-ass man with no drama. When we weren’t together, we sent little messages to each other or even chatted on the phone during our work breaks. He was a busy man, always on the go, always working, but he’d been intentional about spending time with me. It didn’t matter what I wanted to do. He was down for whatever. I liked that. I like him.

  “Any news on Neil?” Britt asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

  The mere mention of my cousin twisted my stomach in knots. “Not a word. I asked Mama about him, and she hasn’t heard from him either.”

  At this point, there wasn’t much I could do about Neil. The police had taken the report, the judge had issued the warrant, but my cousin was in the wind. No telling when he would emerge, and by then, my things would be long gone.

  Britt reached out and squeezed my palm. “I’m sorry, sis.”

  “I don’t care about the stuff. It was never really about that.” I angrily wiped away the tear that had burst free. “I’m just hurt that he did that to me, angry that he took Kitty. And mad at myself for trusting him.”

  “You can’t blame yourself. You did nothing but help him.” She walked around the island and wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Daphne, just continue being the person you are. God will handle Neil.”

 

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