Page 120 of This Could Be Us

And am I even down for that happening again?

My body screamsYeeeeeessss, bitch. You definitely are.

Making love with Judah uncorked something in me. I was horny before, sure, but this is different. I know exactly how Judah feels inside me. How he sounds when he comes. How ferocious and selfless and patient he is as a lover. My body wants that again and again and again and as many times as I can have it.

My mind is not as sure. My heart wants to be left out of it—let my body and mind fight it out because as soon as my heart takes a side…

I pick up a wallpaper book to flip through a few selections marked as possible for the back wall.

“This won’t put me to sleep,” I mumble, caressing a floral sample. “Swatches excite me too much.”

A text notification chirps, loud and unexpected. I drop the wallpaper book and cross the room. Grabbing the phone from the ring light, I flip it over to read the incoming text.

Judah:Heard you can’t sleep.

I bite into an irrepressible grin and sit on the arm of the chaise longue, almost dropping the phone, my fingers are so eager to respond.

Me:Stalker, but yes. I’m up.

Judah:You still in your she shed?

My heart performs a somersault in my chest, but I take a deep breath and type.

Me:Yeah. I’m still in here.

Judah:Are you alone?

Me:Lottie and Inez are asleep. Lupe’s staying over at Deja’s tonight. So… yeah. Out here all by myself. What about your boys?

Judah:It’s the weekend. They’re with Tremaine.

Me:What are you doing up?

Judah:Working on a presentation for Monday and just happened to catch you live.

Me:Just happened to, huh? LOL.

Judah:I have a few things that might help you sleep. Do you want them or not, smart-ass?

Me:I would appreciate these things of which you speak very much.

Judah:Good. Can I swing through?

Getting laid always knocks me right out.

Shut it, DTF2000.

Me:Sure. I’ll unlatch the gate.

Judah:Gimme five minutes.

Me:That fast? That soon?

Judah:I was already on my way

Of course you were.

“Five minutes?” I shriek with sudden realization. I run to unlatch the gate, then dash back to the tiny powder room at the back corner of the shed. Really no more than a toilet and a small sink with a mirror hanging above it. My hair is everywhere. I’m wearing a cropped T-shirt that saysJUST FOLD IT INand a pair of Lupe’s jogging pants withPINKprinted across the butt. They’re too long, so I have them rolled up to the knees. And we crown this ensemble with a pair of white faux-mink slippers from a sponsored ad I did a few weeks ago. I’m a motley mess, but there’s no time to fix any of it. I’m at least trying to finger-comb my hair when there’s atap tap tap.

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