Page 39 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
“Open,” I said, scooping up some of the banana pudding on the spoon.
“Make sure it’s the perfect scoop,” she warned with a finger and a smile.
I tilted my head letting her know that I was from the south. I knew what I was doing.
She parted her lips without hesitation, maintaining eye contact as I fed her the perfect bite of pudding. I could hear the satisfying crunch of the vanilla wafers as she chewed, and she leaned back with a soft moan of appreciation that went straight through me. My skin tingled thinking of all the positions and filthy things I wanted to do with her to hear that sound again.
“Yeah, I did that, huh?” I said, unable to hide my satisfaction at her reaction.
“You did. Are desserts your specialty? Or can you throw down in the kitchen?”
“I can do a little something. Had to learn when my mom got into her wreck.” I reached over and took her hand, threading our fingers together. “Plus, if I’m gonna be taking care of you, I need to know my way around a kitchen.”
“There you go again,” she said, but she was smiling. “Making plans without consulting anyone.”
“What’s to consult? You been mine since I laid eyes on you.” I brought her hand to my lips, pressing a soft kiss on her knuckles. “Question is, when you gonna stop fighting it?”
She was quiet for a moment, just looking at me with those eyes that had some serious highway robbery energy. Made me want to hand over my keys, my wallet, my whole damn life. My gaze darkened because I’d never seen or felt anything like it. It was clear that I’d send a man to his maker for fucking with her and Samaj.
“I’m not fighting it anymore. Just taking things slow. Is that okay?”
“That’s perfectly fine with me. I’m just feeling blessed to be in your presence. Corny?”
“Hell no. I like that I don’t have to wonder or guess your intentions, but...”
I gently pulled her into my lap. She came willingly, settling against my chest.
“But what, baby? You just have to trust that I’ll catch you.”
“It’s not that. It’s work. It’s optics. I’m not worth you losing your job or getting into trouble.”
“Sametra Jonelle, don’t ever let me hear you say some shit like that again.” My voice got serious because I was genuinely offended. “I can get another job. Not sure I can find another you.”
That shut her up as she curled deeper into my body. St. Ambrose wasn’t the only hospital, and she needed to understand that. Things got quiet between us. The music was low, just R&B that fit the mood perfectly. I could see why she came out here to unwind. It felt like a sanctuary.
“So, what’s your plan for getting around while you’re in school?” I asked, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on her arm. “Your dad’s car situation working out?”
She sighed against my chest. “For now. But I can’t keep borrowing it forever. Especially once classes start and I need to be more mobile.” She paused. “I’ve been looking at used cars online, but with the insurance taking forever, and starting school... It’s just a lot right now.”
“Mmm,” I hummed, filing that information away. “You’ll figure it out. Smart women always do.”
“I hope so. I just hate feeling like I’m constantly borrowing or depending on other people, you know? And sometimes I don’t want to figure it out.”
“Independence is cool, but stubbornness ain’t. You gotta let someone in, let someone run to save you.”
“That sounds dangerous. Independence is my middle name. Always has been. Had to be.”
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, already making mental notes. Our conversation shifted to lighter things, like her favorite spots in the city, places she wanted to take me, dreams she had for after graduation.
“This is nice,” I said, running my hand through her hair, already moving past her earlier comment. “I could get used to this.”
“What, sitting on my patio?”
“Sitting anywhere with you. Coming home to you. Being the man you call when you need something.” I tilted her chin up, so she had to look at me. “I want all of it, Sametra. The good days, the hard days, the quiet nights like this. Fixing drawers, all that shit.”
“Malik...”
“I know it’s fast. I know you got walls up for good reasons. But I also know what I feel when I look at you.” I cupped her cheek gently. “And I know you feel it too.”
