Page 42 of Rebound

“Why are you at my kid’s christening?” I ask her.

“Jeannie invited me.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you’re here,” I practically hiss.

“Go overthere and tell her and her big husband how you don’t want me here. I dare you,” she challenges.

“But why would you come?” I ask.

She flares her nostrils and says, “Because I like babies, and I need to make sure the man upstairs doesn’t punish this baby because she’s yours.” She juts out her chin as if her words are important.

I look at my daughter, who smiles when she sees me, and I run my hand over her head, careful not to disturb the headband that Jeannie insisted she wear.

“No one is going to punish her. She’s going to have everything I didn’t have.”

Maybe the idea began to form in my subconscious on the day of the christening. Whenever it was, it got us here.

“You and I will get along fine,” Leon says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “I’ll have you two over next weekend for dinner. It will just be the four of us without a side of bitterness, anger, and bitchiness.”

Just as he says it, Stella walks up to us and gives me another glass of champagne. She gives her ex the middle finger as she walks away.

Chapter 24

Layla

It was almost nine when we got home. I bathed Jasmine and changed her into pajamas before leaving my old house. My mom cried when I packed a suitcase to bring here. She promised to bring some more of my things tomorrow, but I know she’s only doing that to check out where I live and to make sure I’m okay.

I’ve never lived away from her before. I didn’t go away to college. I worked and took courses at night or online. It’s expected that she would be sad about me leaving. With Grandma not likely to return home, she will be living with only June Bug from now on.

I eye the suitcases that I dragged into the closet and decide I’m not going to unpack them until tomorrow. Seth comes into the bedroom after putting Jasmine in her crib. He lifts his shirt over his head as if it’s normal for us to be sharing a bedroom. His chest is completely hairless. Just the way I like it. He might be on the thin side, but his body is hard and taut. Also the way I like it. He runs his hands over his head, sighs, and drops himself on the bed.

“My dad wants to meet you,” he says. He now has both hands covering his face. “If you can get some time off, I’d like to go for a couple of days next week.” From the tone of his voice, I’m sure that’s the last thing he wants to do ever.

I first got the impression he had issues with his dad on the day of the christening. He sounded annoyed, and he was about two seconds away from going off on him, but he reined himself in.

“Are you two close?” I ask. “And will your dad have an issue with me?”

“Why would my dad have an issue with you?” he stands and pulls off his pants, leaving him in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs.

“With me being black,” I add, but my eyes don’t leave those boxer briefs.

“My dad has enough issues. Trust me, that’s the last thing on his mind.” He pulls off the boxers. “He would never care about something like that, and if he did, I’d tell him to piss off.”

“What does that mean?”

He walks to me and puts both hands on my shoulders. He looks down at me and says, “You’ll find out soon enough, but I promise, he will be so excited to meet you. Why don’t you come get in the shower with me?” He lifts the hem of my dress over my head and drops it to the floor.

While I remove my bra, he slowly rolls down my panties. His hand travels back to the apex of my thighs. He strokes the tip of my clit, and I shiver with need. His other hand covers my ass.

“You have a fat booty for a skinny girl,” he says.

My eyes widen and I slap his chest.

He grins. “That’s how I like them.” He cups both cheeks with his big hands, leans down, and gives me a passionate kiss. The kiss is slow, and I open my mouth to him. He lifts me off my feet, and I wrap my legs around him.

He takes me directly into the bathroom and into the shower that’s big enough to fit half a dozen people. The showerheads come on before I have time to put on a shower cap. He neverstops kissing me, so I can’t protest. Besides, I’m way too lost in his kiss to speak.

He pins me against the wall with my feet still not touching the floor. He spreads my legs apart and slides into me without warning.

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