Page 106 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
Before I could respond, he pulled me against him, backing me up until I was pressed against the driver’s side door of my Lexus. Same spot where he’d handed me the keys. Same spot where everything shifted. His hands found my waist, and just like that, I was right back in that moment…the one where I knew I had fallen.
“How’s Mama feeling?” he asked, his face close enough that I could smell his cologne and the cool bite of peppermint on his breath. His eyes searched mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe.
“You’re doing that thing again, baby.”
I exhaled, snapping out of my trance. He smirked, and I smiled back. Sometimes, just looking into his eyes felt like slipping into another dimension. It had to be the aftershock of that curved dick. My God.
I studied his face, the one I’d been craving for weeks. Strong jaw. Thoughtful eyes. The same ones I hoped our baby would inherit. “Better,” I whispered. “Much better now.”
He played with a piece of hair that had fallen by my ear before tilting my chin. I could see the war behind his eyes, relief, desire, all tangled up. That’s exactly how I wanted the sheets to be later. “Good. Because I’ve been going crazy without you, Sametra. Three weeks was too damn long.”
“I know. Me too.” And it was true. I’d tried to hide it, but when he walked into Sheena’s with flowers, gifts, and that cocky-ass smile, all that hard-to-get shit crumbled, not to mention I was still having wet dreams from our time in the locker room. “Samaj is staying with some teammates tonight. My place or yours?”
“What’s closer?” he asked, nibbling my bottom lip. I shivered just thinking about all the nights I’d gone to bed aching for him.
“Yours.”
“Good. I’ll meet you there. And baby?” He helped me into the car, his hand lingering on my thigh. “We got a lot of time to make up for. How many you got for me?”
“So many I want to lose count,” I said, my voice already breathy.
He closed my door with that knowing smirk, and I took off toward his place, driving with reckless caution. Fast enough toget there quickly, slow enough not to get pulled over. I needed him, bad.
I called Samaj on the way.
“Hey Ma, you good?”
“Yes. Just letting you know I’m staying at Malik’s tonight. You sure you got everything?”
“Yeah, I just grabbed my bag from the house. I’m headed to Deon’s now.”
“Okay. Be careful, and I’ll text you when I’m up.”
“Good. I’m happy for you. You deserve this.”
His words made my throat tighten. “Thank you, baby. I love you.”
“Love you too. See you in the morning.”
I hung up, smiling. I turned up Hard to Do by K. Michelle and sang my heart out until I was pulling into Malik’s driveway. He was already getting out of his car, and the way he looked at me had my heart pounding all over again. Three weeks of missing him was a long time. Especially due to bruised egos and stubborn silence. All my worries fell away as he grabbed my hand and walked me to the door.
I was used to men who wanted to possess me, humble me, or fix me. My job made it easy for men to disrespect me and make me feel like I was wrong for my profession. Malik wanted to love me as I came. And I didn’t know how to handle someone who saw my independence as an asset instead of a challenge to overcome. But I understood that my man wasn’t a push over either. We’d both have to work toward balance.
I stepped inside, and he scooped me up without hesitation.
“You didn’t want to talk first, did you, baby?”
I shook my head, giggling into his neck as he carried me up the stairs like I weighed nothing. His scent hit me instantly: Bodywash, Tom Ford cologne, and clean linen. One of the things I loved most about Malik was how well he took care of himself.He always smelled good. His place was spotless too, unless we’d been in it, fucking in every room.
He kicked the bedroom door open, but instead of dropping me on the bed, he carried me straight to the bathroom and sat me gently on the marble counter. He turned the shower on, and steam began to curl in the air, eucalyptus rising with it.
“I’ve been dreaming about this,” he murmured, easing between my thighs and tugging my shirt over my head.
“I’ve missed you,” I whispered, already winded just from how he looked at me. I was already soaking wet, and he knew it. The way he bit his lip told me everything I needed to know.
I slid off the counter, pulling down my leggings and removing my shirt. The blush-pink lace I wore underneath made his jaw clench and his mouth twitch into a slow, sexy smirk.
“Oh, you knew exactly what you were doing.”
