Page 53 of Take Two

“I’m in. Yes. Whatever you want, the answer is yes. Let me know when.” I lift her off her feet and carry her bridal style to the bedroom. I put her on the bed and strip her naked.

“Dim the lights,” she says. There’s a loud clap of thunder and a flash of lightning. Something about the weather makes me want to get into bed with my woman and protect her from the outside world.

“On your stomach,” I order, and she obeys. While she’s on her stomach, I grab the massage oil I left on her dresser earlier. I drip some between her shoulder blades and watch it slide down her brown skin.

I bite her shoulder before I start to knead her supple skin.

“This is the best,” she mutters, and I agree. Thisisthe best, and I can’t believe I spent more than a decade in a bottle as opposed to being in a relationship like this.

“That’s becauseyou’rethe best, puddin’,” I say.

“Can you make me more of that on Friday? I’m still so mad at Terri,” she grumbles.

“No talk about your sister or my brother for the rest of the night. I just want to be with you. I want to touch and kiss every inch of your skin. Then I want to slide into you and make slow, sweet love to you until we both pass out from pleasure and exhaustion.”

“Would I be selfish if I asked you to spend every night with me while you’re still here?” She slowly turns on her back and looks me in the eyes. “I understand if you can’t, but—”

“I can, and I want that too.” She pats my side of the bed, and I slide in nextto her.

“And when you visit, you’ll stay here, right? At least sometimes. I know the boys will want you there, and it’s not just about me, but—"

“We’ll figure it out. I promise.” She mumbles something, but she stops when her phone rings. She reaches for it on the nightstand and sighs.

“It’s my mom,” she says. She holds a finger up and puts the phone to her ear. “Hi, Mom.” After a few seconds, she curses under her breath and gives the ceiling the middle finger. “Terri? Why are you calling me from Mom’s phone? What the fuck? I’m busy.”

I sit up and go to the edge of the bed. I take one of her legs, put it on my lap, and start to rub the heel of her foot. That immediately soothes her.

“No,” she says. “Can’t,” she says a few seconds later. “Because I don’t want to,” she adds.

I run my fingers over the sole of her foot and she sighs. “Well, that’s between me and Mom. And by the way, thanks for telling her my personal business.” She stays silent for a while and then says, “Why would you be the one to move out? Doesn’t the house belong to you both?” She listens and says, “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Terri. How can an intelligent woman do something so stupid? You’re a rocket scientist, and you let this man run game on you like this?” A few seconds later, “Oh my God, will you stop crying? Tears aren’t going to fix this.”

Violet looks at me and mouthssorry. Then she pulls the phone from her ear and whispers, “I’ll trade you my sister for your brother.”

“It sounds like she needs you, darlin’,” I say softly while I continue to rub her foot. She does an eye roll and stares at the ceiling while she listens, and I continue to work my magic.

“It’s not a matter of wanting the house, Terri. It’s half yours. Sell it and take your share. Do you have a lawyer?”

Whatever Terri says causes Violet to wave a fist in the air and slam her head on the pillow.

“You’ve worn me down. Are you happy? You can come with Mom over for dinner this week. I’ll tell her when, and she can tell you.” She pulls the phone away from her ear. I think she’s about to press end, but she puts it back to her ear and says, “Stop crying already.”

“UGH!” she says after tossing the phone to the floor. I take her hands and lift her into a sitting position. She crawls toward me and straddles my naked lap.

“Everything okay?” I ask while I caress the small of her back.

“Terri’s life is imploding, and she thinks she’s going to make me her confidante. She’s filing for a divorce, but enough about that. I’m sure she’ll go on about it ad nauseam soon enough.” She wraps her arms around me. “I don’t want to talk about that. What I want is to be with my man right now. There’s something only he can give me,” she whispers in my ear.

“Darn right only I can give it to you.” One of my hands leaves her butt and touches her most sacred place. She’s already wet for me. She bends down and kisses me. Without breaking the kiss, I lift her and position her on me. She slowly slides down, and I sink into her.

“Oh, Charlie,” she whispers as she starts to ride me. “Yes.” Her fingers slide in my hair. I suck on the base of her neck, uncaring about marking her. In fact, I want to. I want everyone to know she’s taken, and that she belongs to me.

We stay like this with her riding me, loving me slowly and thoroughly. I slide my fingers up and down the base of her spine. I inhale the musky scent of her. The smell of her desire fills theair, and it’s like a drug. She’s my drug now, and this is one I never want to be free of.

Like every time we’re together, it doesn’t take us long to fall over the cliff. She falls first and calls out my name. She pulls on my hair and bites the skin on my shoulder. Her soft moans push me over the edge, and I come inside of her. I stay there until I get soft. She climbs off my lap and falls on her back. There’s no modesty when she spreads her legs, and I see the evidence of our lovemaking oozing out of her.

I slide in next to her, and she cuddles to my side. We stay that way, quiet and content until my phone vibrates with a new text. I groan after reading who it’s from.

“Helicopter brother,” I say to Violet. “He reminded me that we’re working out together tomorrow.”

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