She returns to the fridge and starts to rummage through it.
“I’m not labeling it, but you call it whatever you want.”
“It’s your own fault, you know.”
She slams the fridge shut and says, “What is?”
“You.” I point at her. “With that face and those sexy legs. Remember the night we met? I couldn’t stop looking at you, and then you try to dress me down about my son. I’m a single father. That’s like feeding a stray cat and expecting it to stay away. I was a goner within ten minutes of meeting you. You sealed your own fate.”
NINETEEN
He’s so smug,my hand aches to connect with his cheek, but he’s so sexy sitting at my kitchen table. Despite the redness and bruising on his chin and eye, he’s still the most handsome man I’ve ever been with. He’s so tall, he sits sideways because his knees won’t fit under the table.
I put fresh fruit, cheese, and a few crackers on a plate and put it in front of him. He snatches my wrist and yanks me onto his lap.
“Thanks, Queen Vee,” he says right before he presses his lips to my cheek. I giggle at the nickname and relax in his lap. He feels good. Hard but comfortable, and when he wraps those arms around me, I want to stay in his embrace all night.
“You’re welcome, jerk.” The microwave pings, and I start to climb off his lap, but he tightens his hold.
“You smell good.” He sticks his face in the crook of my neck and kisses my skin. “You feel even better. I already like being your boy—”
“If you know what’s good for you, you won’t finish that sentence.” He lifts his head and gives me the same mischievous smile from earlier. A piece of his curly hair falls onto his forehead, and I swipe it out of the way.
“What can you do to me?” I make a fist at him, and he covers it with his large palm. He closes his hand around mine and squeezes it when I try to pull it away. “If I want to say that I like bein your boyfriend, I’m going to say it.” He kisses my temple. “And you are going to like being my girlfriend.” I look at him, give him my best stern look and shake my head. “Yeah, you will. I don’t think you’ve ever been spoiled by a man, have you?”
I throw my head back and let out a big belly laugh. “Spoiled by a man? There’s nothing a man can buy me that I can’t buy myself. I don’t need to be spoiled.”
He puts his forehead on my shoulder, and I rest my chin on his head. He tightens his hold around my waist, and I relax fully into him.
“I’m not talking about buyin’ you things, which I will do. I’m talking about calling you to make sure you’re okay. Bringing you coffee in bed. Loving on you when you’re sick. Cheering your victories and fixing your mistakes. Someone who just accepts you, warts and all. And I know I’m away a lot with my job, but even when I’m away, I’m going to be thinkin’ about you and takin’ care of you. All you have to do is let me.”
He peppers my temple with kisses, and for an instant, I close my eyes and imagine what that would look like. I’ve kept myself closed off, even in relationships. There’s a part of me that I don’t let anyone have, and with Colt’s long arms wrapped around me, I imagine what it would be like to let him be that man.
I thought it would be Jerry, but when it came time for me to fully commit, I couldn’t do it. I told myself it was because I didn’t want to leave New York or my family, but the truth was, I didn’t think Jerry was worth it. There hasn’t been anyone serious since him. I made sure of it. I wasn’t looking for anything when I met Colt, but my stepmother says lightning strikes when you least expect it. That’s how she met my dad. She backed into his new car in a parking lot, and she was bracing herself for a verbal beat down, but she fell in love instead.
Tonight, when he ran to protect me without a second thought for himself, it thawed something in me. He was so feral, so protective. He pushed me aside and told me to run, as if I would ever leave him to deal with those thugs alone. But the way he protected me is not something I will ever forget. Nor will I forget what he looked like taking those two guys on by himself.
“Will you let me be that person for you?” When I don’t respond, he grasps my chin and holds my stare. “Will you let me in? It will be good, I promise. I’ve never had it either,” he says.
“Never had what?”
“A lover who’s also a friend. Someone who will take care of me like you’re doing now. I’ll be the happiest man on earth if all you do is eat with me after a game.”
I run a hand through his curly hair.
“You’re easy to please, then. You should demand much more than that.” He stares up at me while I caress his scalp. “You’re selling yourself short, champion.”
“You’re right. Tell me you’re mine. Tell me you’ll let me in. Tell me—”
“Jesus, are you always this damn dramatic? Okay, fine. Yes, but you better not—” The words are cut off when he kisses me. It’s a gentle but deep and possessive kiss. I kiss him back, savoring the taste and feel of his tongue on mine.
“Colt,” I say when we finally break the kiss. I rest my forehead on his and relish in the feel of his hands caressing my back.
“Yes, Queen Vee.”
“Why haven’t you had those things before in a relationship? You had a wife.” I think back to my dad and stepmother. They’re not one for overt displays, but they hold hands when watching television. He puts an arm around her whenever they go out. Dad held Mother’s hand too when they were married. I can’t imagine the cold marriage that Colt has hinted at.
He runs his hands up and down my back, paying special attention to my lower back, right above my buttocks.
