Lover's Island, page 29
Cree pulled Nyimah to the ground with him, and they both kicked off their shoes before settling on the blankets. His fingers traced the inside of her thighs and parted them the closer he got to her center. She gasped, rolling her neck in pleasure, when Cree’s warm fingers slipped inside her shorts and thumbed the wetness.
“This pussy missed me, huh?” He rolled his tongue across her neck while tugging at the strings of her bikini top until it collapsed beside them.
“It missed you so much, baby,” Nyimah whispered. Months without sex had her feening like a crackhead on the first of the month. No one had claimed her treasure since Cree, and it responded that way, pulsating in his hands. She squirmed out of her shorts and threw them across the cave.
“I missed this shit.” The way she puddled in his hands, he guessed that the pussy had missed him even more. He pulled at the strings that held the bikini bottoms in place, and they pooled around Nyimah’s ass. He placed supple smooches across her chest, taking each breast in his mouth, swirling his tongue around her nipples.
Nyimah’s back arched as trembling overtook her naked body. Months of fantasizing didn’t begin to amount to the mind-blowing sensations pulsing through her now. She pushed the unbuttoned shirt off Cree’s shoulders and planted kisses along his inked chest. After pushing him onto his back, she eased his shorts down, damn near salivated at the sight of his dick as it grew in her hands. Amazement consumed her. How Cree managed to grow even more in her hands was insane. The shit looked bigger than she remembered. She kissed the tip twice before twirling her tongue around it, then shifted her auburn gaze to Cree’s eyes as he propped himself up on both elbows.
Groaning, Cree loved the sensation of Nyimah’s warm, wet mouth wrapped around him. The way she slurped and swallowed left his head spinning. This shit feels so good. Just when he thought sex couldn’t get any better with Nyimah, she surprised him with new tricks.
Bobbing up and down, Nyimah made sure to maintain eye contact with Cree.
“Shit.” Cree mustered the strength to pull away from her before he spilled his seeds down her throat.
Assuming a position, Nyimah fell onto her back and gripped the tips of her toes as she spread her legs wide. Her pearl glistened, and Cree French-kissed it, parting her lower lips with his tongue. “Yes, baby,” she hissed and wound her hips into his face. His slurps were drowned out by the reggaeton crooning in the distance. An orgasm built in her center, and Nyimah moaned out in pleasure, releasing both feet as her body convulsed violently. “Oh my . . . fuck!”
Cree ran his fingers through her silky hair, then fisted it before pressing his lips against Nyimah’s and slipping his tongue into her mouth. He stroked himself with his free hand before guiding himself into her slippery abyss. She dug her nails into his back as her tight walls contracted around the size of him, inviting him in inch by inch until he filled her up completely. His fist tightened around her hair as he thrust in and out. Cree propped Nyimah’s right leg in the crook of his arm.
“Pussy’s immaculate, baby,” he declared with a groan as her muscles clenched around him. He thrusted faster, feeling Nyimah on the verge of cumming. He snaked his tongue around her toes, sending her over the edge.
“Fuck! Cree . . . I fucking love you!” she screamed out, body shaking uncontrollably, soaking Cree’s dick with her juices. Gathering herself, because all coherency seemed to leave with her orgasm, Nyimah mounted Cree and lowered herself down on him. She stared into his eyes as she rode him, bouncing and winding, until the friction from her clit against his flesh brought on another orgasm.
“Yeah, baby, get that shit off,” he coached as he gripped her hips, digging deeper. He gritted his teeth, meeting Nyimah’s climax with a nut of his own, sending his seed deep into her womb.
After collapsing on top of his chest, Nyimah traced her fingers along his tattoos. “We made a mess,” she said and nodded to the wet puddle on the blankets beneath them.
“We ain’t done either.” He locked lips with her. “We can finish up at the villa, though.” They cleaned themselves up, gathered their belongings, and retired to the villa, where they sexed each other until dawn.
* * *
The weekend came to an end quicker than they’d expected. They’d spent most of their second day getting reacquainted with each other’s bodies. After a while, Nyimah had lost count of how many times she climaxed. Amil and a few of the other women she’d met at the party on the beach had accompanied her later that evening to a spa treatment. The following morning, she’d ridden jet skis and gone snorkeling with Cree. It had tired her out so much that she fell asleep upon returning to the villa and slept well into the afternoon.
After waking, Nyimah relaxed in the jacuzzi tub in the villa’s bathroom, allowing the jets to knead her body. The windows were open, and a cool breeze flowed in. They were scheduled to head back to Miami in the morning. Besides getting back to her daughter, she found no other reason to rush back home. Déjà vu hit her suddenly. She relived all her anxieties. The questions of uncertainty. The fear of separation. It reminded her of that last day in Vegas. One foot in Cree’s world and another in the reality of hers. Would this time be any different?
She didn’t know where they went from here. They had discussed a lot over the course of the weekend, everything from what had led up to Nyimah’s disappearance, to how Sunni had helped her adjust, to memorable events from their childhoods. What life looked like for them moving forward wasn’t a topic that had come up. She had wanted to ask, several times, but she had left the ball in Cree’s court.
An hour after she stepped out of the jacuzzi, she sat on the beach with Cree, at a table for two he had brought to the oceanfront. It was already late evening, but Nyimah had a taste for brunch, and of course, Cree had obliged. He’d had the chef at the diner prepare a full spread for them: fresh fruit, fried plantains, eggs, escovitch snapper fish, cheese grits, and biscuits.
“I have something I want to show you.” Cree wiped a napkin against his mouth gently. He rounded the table and stood behind Nyimah and started drumming his fingertips along her shoulders. “You trust me?”
“Of course,” she replied without a second thought.
“Okay.” He removed a red bandana from his pockets, placed it over her eyes, and tied it in back.
“Cree!” Nyimah protested after being greeted by darkness. She didn’t know what tricks he had up his sleeve this time. Expecting the unexpected was a skill she had acquired while fucking with Cree.
After kissing her forehead, Cree guided Nyimah out of the chair and onto the four-wheeler. “Trust me, baby.” He climbed on and wrapped Nyimah’s arms around his waist. “Hold on tight. We ain’t got far to go.”
Nyimah braced herself and leaned into Cree, clenching her arms around his waist tightly. He took off, and the wind whipped wildly past them. She laughed, her hair flying around her face, as they dashed down the shoreline. She felt the wheels slowing down beneath her, until they came to a complete stop.
Cree held Nyimah’s hand as she stepped off the four-wheeler. “Just a little farther,” he coached her as she inched forward carefully. “Okay. Stop right here.” He pushed her hair from one side of her neck to the other, then kissed the exposed side gently.
Shivers ran down Nyimah’s spine at the feeling of his warm breath tickling her neck. She nodded anxiously. “Yes?”
Slowly, Cree untied the blindfold and pulled it away from Nyimah’s eyes.
Nervous chuckles escaped her lips. An aisle adorned with pink roses lay before her, lined with tall clear candleholders containing lit candles. At her feet was a circle of loose rose petals. The sun was setting in the distance, casting shadows over the large LED letters that read MARRY ME. A white vase filled with more roses accented the side of each word. When Cree had mentioned showing something to her, she had never guessed that it would be anything close to this. Her heart raced, palms sweated as she slowly spun around until she found Cree on bended knee on the sand. A small black jewelry box sat in his hands.
“Cree,” she whispered sharply.
“I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on you that you were something special. You had my heart from the first night, and I never wanted to lose you after that. I’m in love with you, Nyimah Deveraux. Now that I have you and my daughter back in my life, I’m willing to do whatever to wake up to y’all every day. Where my words may fail me, I promise to always show you with my actions.” Cree opened the jewelry box, revealing a large princess-cut diamond ring. “Will you do forever with me?”
Nyimah’s hand trembled in his when he took it. While she was questioning what their lives would look like when they returned from this trip, Cree already had plans to propose to her. Had she not known that he was engaged to another woman less than two weeks ago, the answer would’ve immediately been yes. “Are you sure?” she said instead.
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. It’s you and me.”
Closing her eyes, Nyimah pushed the anxious thoughts away and nodded. Her eyes fluttered open. I deserve this. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Beaming, Cree slipped the ring onto Nyimah’s left hand, then rose to his feet to seal the proposal with a passionate kiss. He spun Nyimah around, lifting her inches off the ground. “I love you. I got you for life.”
“I love you too,” she affirmed. It was then that she noticed the people standing behind them on the beach, hooting and hollering in approval. Amil was among the crowd of locals, and she was holding up an iPad in her hands.
“She streamed it to my moms and them back home,” Cree mentioned. “You want to go back to the villa?” he asked suggestively, tapping fingers against her ass.
“Definitely.” Nyimah giggled, already knowing they were about to solidify their engagement with rounds of mind-blowing sex.
* * *
Khiri balanced the basketball in his hands, dribbling it, as he jogged down the court. He had landed in Fort Lauderdale earlier that morning. Unlike most of his family members, he preferred a regular first-class flight over flying private. Not that owning a jet wasn’t within his means. He just didn’t see the point. His mother had requested his presence, to talk about Nyimah, he assumed. She had suggested they meet at Loveleen and Fabian’s since they already had plans to cook and had invited other family members over. He spotted one of his favorite cousins, Pierre, and waved him over to join him on the court.
“What up, fam?” Khiri locked hands with Pierre and brought him into a brotherly embrace.
“Shit, coolin’. Showing my face so Ma Dukes don’t spazz on me.” Pierre nodded for Khiri to pass him the ball.
He checked the ball, passing it a few feet to Pierre. Snickering, Khiri couldn’t sympathize more. His mother had given him the same warning. The Baptiste women did not play about their social events. “Your aunt on the same shit. They think they gotta throw something every other week.”
Pierre jogged to the basket and shot a layup. He passed the ball back to Khiri. “That’s why I be out the way.” He spent most of his time running the family’s drug trade in the South. He left the rest for Cree to handle. “What was up with you and Nyimah?”
Sighing, Khiri moved the ball between both of his hands as he dribbled through the opening in his legs. He stood on the three-point line and released the ball into the air. As much as he’d rather not talk about it, Pierre wouldn’t be the last to ask him about Nyimah. “I met her last year, when she moved in next door, and we been cool since.”
“And you don’t have a problem with Cree being with her?” Pierre adjusted his locks, which sat in a bun on the top of his head.
Khiri sucked his teeth as he bounced the basketball to Pierre. The answer was simple to him. He didn’t have a problem with it, because he owed Cree. He owed him a shot at love after having a hand in ending his relationship with Nova. Of course, he wouldn’t tell Pierre that, though. “He’s her baby’s father. She was never for me. We’re friends. Everybody wins in the end.”
“Damn, she had bro baby, for real.” Pierre thought back to the months he had spent searching for Nyimah with Cree. Witnessing his brother’s disappointment every time their search turned up empty had left him despondent too. “You met Aida too?”
Khiri grinned as he watched desire momentarily flash across his cousin’s face. “Yeah, I know Aida li’l feisty ass. Those two like a fucking package deal,” he joked. “That’s you?”
Pierre licked his lips to conceal the smile lurking on his face. “Nah.” He fingered his goatee before throwing the ball up to shoot a two. “We cool, too.”
“Nigga, I think we got different definitions of cool.” Khiri caught the ball as it fell through the net, then tossed it to Pierre.
“You probably right. I fuck with her, though,” Pierre replied as he held the ball in his hands, gripping it.
“Tic! Come help me with this box!” Nadia shouted, standing on the patio, with both hands on her wide hips.
“Ma, I told you I’m too old to be called Tic.” He jogged over to meet her.
“I was in labor with you for twenty hours. I think that gives me the right to call you what I want, no?” She rolled her neck at him and held her arms out for a hug. As a mother of one, Nadia still treated Khiri like he was a child. No matter how big he got, he still bowed down to his mother. The first queen he had ever loved.
Khiri wrapped strong arms around his mother’s petite frame. “You got it, boss lady. Where the boxes?” he asked as he pulled back.
Nadia instructed him to follow her into the home. “They’re in the garage. Nova’s in there, but she can’t lift it by herself.” She pointed in the direction of the garage.
His chest deflated at the mention of Nova’s name as his eyes darted around the patio in his effort to locate any excuse to send someone else to help out.
“Aunt Nadia, Gigi wants you.” Sanai ran over to Nadia and tugged the hem of her sundress.
Khiri turned his gaze to the little girl. Their genes were so strong that Sanai resembled them all. The strawberry-shaped birthmark above her elbow, however, was something only one other person in their family possessed. His mother. He didn’t understand how he had never noticed the distinct mark prior to confronting Nova. She’d been radio silent ever since, going to great lengths to avoid him. “Hey, Sanai.”
The French braid that ran down her back and ended with a blue ribbon whipped in his direction. “Hi, cousin Tic,” she replied shyly, her eyes lingering on him for a few seconds before she redirected her attention back to Nadia. “Come on, Auntie! Gigi is waiting on you.”
“Okay, baby. I’m right behind you.” Nadia shifted her gaze to Khiri. “Gon’ head and help that girl,” she instructed before following Sanai inside the house.
Khiri kissed his teeth and brushed his thumb against his nostril before pulling his pants up and heading to the garage. Luxury vehicles filled the large space. He found Nova there, sitting on top of the box she was supposed to be moving, staring at her iPhone. A familiar voice could be heard coming from her speakers.
“Come along with me on one of the best surprises of my life. My man flew me on a pj to Miami, where he had one of my first surprises waiting. Y’all will never guess. A yacht, bitch! You see it! Then I . . .” The voice trailed off as Nova locked her phone and crossed her arms.
Khiri knew the voice belonged to Nyimah from her TikTok page. He remembered her telling him that it was the only social media platform she used now. He wondered how Nova had located Nyimah’s page. Women resourceful as hell when they want to be, he reminded himself. “I ’on’t think lurking helps in situations like this.” His deep voice announced his presence.
Nova rolled her eyes in his direction. “What the fuck would you know?” she snapped. “Unless you’ve been lurking yourself. How do you feel about Cree taking your girl to Lover’s Island?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Khiri fingered his goatee. Nova’s taunts were an attempt to deflect from her own feelings. “It’s not my concern, but if anything, I’m happy for them.” He folded his arms across his chest as he analyzed Nova. She rocked back and forth as she blinked away tears.
“What are you doing here?” she muttered.
Khiri motioned to the box she sat on. “Ma told me to come help with the box.” He’d opted for going with the easy answer, overlooking the elephant in the room, which was nearly suffocating them.
Nova stood and stepped to the side. “Here it is.” She moved to walk out of the garage until Khiri blocked her path. “Can you move please?” She ran her fingers nervously through her short hair.
“We never finished our last discussion. You know—”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” Nova hissed lowly, cutting him off. Her heart raced as she recalled Khiri’s accusations. “We had sex once—”
“Twice,” he interrupted, correcting Nova. The first time, they were drunk and stopped shortly after beginning. But the second time, that one regretful night, they were fully aware of what they were doing. Redness set into Nova’s cheeks, revealing that she, too, remembered. “There was no protection the second time. Cree came home two weeks later. A month after that, you were pregnant. You never questioned it. Why not?”
She inhaled shakily. “Because I know who my child belongs to.”
Khiri chuckled as he ran his tongue across the top of his gums. Nova could play whatever games she wanted. While she had been working toward a fairy-tale ending with Cree, he had had nothing but time to reflect. “It’s funny you say that, because Nyimah’s daughter doesn’t have that birthmark.”
“Nyimah’s daughter?” she repeated. “What does that have to do with me?”
He peered at Nova, whose eyebrows drew together in confusion, and realized he was delivering new information. “Look, me and Cree are finally back on speaking terms. I don’t want to blow our shit up again, but I gotta know, Nova. I deserve to know.” He tried to cover up his previous words.
