Page 14 of Body Language (Mind, Body, & Soul #2)

Niveah

Kendrix’s phone buzzed. He glanced down, sighed, and said, “Excuse me for a minute. Gotta take this call.” He kissed his mama on the cheek, then looked at me with that little grin like, You’ll be fine.

She set her tea down, folded her hands, and looked at me dead-on. “So. Niveah.” She said my name like she was testing it. “Tell me what you do.”

I leaned back, crossing my legs slow. “I communicate.”

Her brow arched. “Communicate?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, meeting her stare head-on. “Some people use their bodies. Some use their money. I use my mouth and my mind. Done right, it’ll get you everything you want… and then some.”

Her lips curved. Not quite a smile, but more like amusement. “You sound like trouble.”

“Only to people who try to waste my time.”

That made her laugh, a quick sharp one. “Good answer.” She leaned in slightly. “You’re a pretty girl. But pretty don’t last long if it’s all you bringing. So I’ll ask plain: what’s your endgame?”

I didn’t blink. “My family. My little brother. My baby sister. They’ve been my world since the day my mama stopped showing up for hers. I don’t need a man to save me. I save myself and them. But I’m not dumb enough to think I can’t build more if I got the right person by my side.”

For a second, she just looked at me. And in that pause, I swear I saw a sign of respect.

“You know,” she said softly, “most girls sit in that chair and tell me what they think I want to hear. You said what I needed to hear.”

I smirked. “I don’t lie. I may not tell the whole truth, but I never lie.”

That earned me a full smile. “Mhm. Sharp.”

I leaned in a little, matching her tone. “Sharp enough that your son better be ready.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “I like that.” She picked her cup back up and sipped. “Don’t break his heart, and don’t let him break yours.”

I smiled slow. “Don’t worry.”

“So you dance?” she asked.

I didn’t blink. “I do. Ballet was first. Pole came later. People assume that makes me less, but it’s the opposite. It made me more.”

“That’s bold.”

I tilted my head. “Only looks bold when you watching from the sidelines. When you living it, it’s survival.”

Her brows rose slightly. “Mhm. You talk like you know exactly who you are.”

“Because I do,” I shot back. “And I don’t need anyone’s permission to be her.”

“Careful, baby. Men like my son love a woman who knows herself. But they’ll test if you can keep knowing yourself once they’re in the picture.”

I smirked. “Then it’s his test to fail, not mine.”

She studied me for a long second, like she was peeling my skin back just to see what I was made of.

“You remind me of myself when I was your age. Full of fire. And let me tell you something, the moment I stopped pouring all of me into everyone else and started pouring into myself first?” She tapped the rim of her teacup for emphasis.

“That’s when my marriage turned. That’s when my husband stopped running my world and started eating out of my hand. ”

I raised a brow. “Sounds like power to me.”

“Damn right it is,” she said smoothly. “And don’t let anybody tell you different. But—” Her eyes sharpened like a knife. “I love my son. He’s a good man with a good heart. If you ever break that heart intentionally, I will come for you myself. And I don’t fight fair.”

Instead of flinching, I leaned forward, a slow grin pulling at my lips. “Good. Because I don’t fight fair, either. So I guess we’ll never have to find out what that means.”

She stared. Then… she laughed.

“Just promise me something, baby girl.”

I nodded once. “What’s that?”

“Don’t lose yourself. My son is strong and steady, yes. But men like him can be consuming. You forget to feed yourself, you’ll starve while feeding him. And then you’ll resent him for a hunger you created yourself.”

That one cut deeper than I wanted to admit. I swallowed, kept my eyes on hers, and said, “Don’t worry. I never forget to eat.”

“Good answer.”

The door clicked open behind me. Just as Kendrix stepped back into the sunroom, his mama leaned forward one last time.

“I like you. Not because you’re pretty. That’s stupid. I like you because you didn’t fold.”

She sipped her tea once again. “Now keep it that way. Because the minute you start shrinking to make a man comfortable, you’ll lose the very thing that made him want you.”

Then, with a sweet little smile for Kendrix as he sat back down, she added, “You picked a beautiful handful, son.”

I smirked, crossing my legs slowly. “Ain’t that the truth.”

We stepped out of the sunroom, and before I knew it, Kendrix had my hand in his, leading me down a stone path through the estate like we were in some damn movie. The grounds stretched forever.

“You really grew up like this?” I asked, giving him a side-eye. “This ain’t no regular house.”

He smirked, watching me more than the scenery. “Are you impressed?”

I shrugged, pretending not to be. “It’s cute.”

“Cute, huh?”

“Mhm.” I smirked. “But don’t think money makes you special. A lotta of niggas rich, but still lame though.”

He stopped, turned to face me, that grin dangerous as hell. “Good thing I’m not one of those niggas.”

I bit my lip, heat sliding up my neck, even though I tried to keep my face straight. The scent of chlorine hit me instantly. His niece was in the pool, floating around on a unicorn floatie, phone in one hand like she wasn’t worried about electrocution.

She spotted us and grinned. “Don’t let him bore you!”

I laughed, waving back. “Girl, he’s trying!”

Kendrix shot her a look. “Keep playing. You gone want something.”

She rolled her eyes like a true teenager. I was still laughing when Kendrix’s hand slid from mine to the small of my back, guiding me toward the pool house. The heat from his palm sent a shiver down my spine.

The door clicked shut behind us, the sound of splashing fading as he locked it. I glanced around. Leather lounge chairs. Towels folded neatly on the counter. Big windows letting the sun pour in.

“Mm,” I teased, leaning against the counter. “You really bringing me to the pool house like we in some secret high school hookup?”

He stepped closer, his eyes low and hungry, beard shadowing that slow grin. “Nah. High school niggas don’t know what to do with you.”

I opened my mouth to fire back, but he was already crowding me, his hand gripping my thigh and pulling me up onto the counter like I weighed nothing.

“Hold on—” I laughed breathlessly, my palms pressing against his chest. “You been letting me talk all this big shit, and now you—”

“Taking over,” he cut me off, lips brushing my ear. “You had control long enough. Time for me to drive.”

My stomach flipped. “Oh, so now you’re Mr. Take Control?”

His thumb pressed slow circles into my inner thigh, making it impossible to keep my voice steady.

“You better be quiet,” he said, teeth grazing my neck. “Unless you want my niece out there asking why you sound like you seen the Lord.”

I smirked, ready to clown him back until his lips touched mine. And Lord… I don’t kiss niggas. Its too intimate and personal. But that kiss was so good. He tasted like bourbon and danger, and the way he took his time with my bottom lip had me helping him tug at my own clothes.

“You got me trippin’,” I murmured, breathless. “I don’t kiss niggas.”

He pulled back just long enough to smirk. “That’s because I ain’t no nigga. I’m Kendrix.”

Then he spread my thighs wide, sliding me down the counter, and lowered his head.

The first lick had me gasping, my hand flying to cover my mouth. “Kendrix—”

“Mmm,” he hummed against me. “Taste just like I knew you would. Sweet. Messy. Mine.”

I tried to close my legs, but he pushed them wider, his big hands pinning my thighs down. His tongue swirled slow, teasing, before he sucked so hard I damn near saw stars.

“Fuck—” I whimpered, biting my hand.

He pulled back just enough to growl, “Nah. Don’t hide from me, Pretty. I want all them sounds. I want this pussy bragging about me.”

Then, dead serious, he leaned closer, eyes locked on my core.

“You hear me, Pretty? You’re mine now.” He slid his fingers inside me and licked his lips. “Ain’t that right, baby?”

I let out a shaky laugh. “You… you talking to my pussy, right?”

He smirked, lips brushing my inner thigh. “I’m talking to her too. She listening better than you.” He tapped my clit with his tongue like punctuation. “Ain’t that right, Pretty’s pussy? You gon’ let me take care of you, huh?”

I threw my head back, half laughing, half moaning. “You crazy.”

“Crazy about you,” he cut in, sliding two fingers in and out so slow it had me arching off the counter. “Shit, she’s greedy already. Clenching like she ain’t ate in weeks.”

“Kendrix,” I gasped, toes curling.

“That’s it,” he murmured, tongue circling my clit while his fingers stroked deep. “Don’t fight it. Give it to me. I want every drop.”

I was shaking so bad I could barely breathe. He was licking, sucking, and talking shit the whole time.

“Yeah, baby. Moan for me.”

“Shit, she so damn wet I could drown in it.”

“Go ahead and cum, Pretty. Make her thank me.”

When the orgasm hit, it slammed into me so hard, tears formed in my eyes as my body jerked. He groaned against me, eating up everything like he was starving.

When I finally collapsed back against the counter, chest heaving, he kissed my thigh and looked up with that smug-ass grin, beard shining.

“She said thank you.”

I burst out laughing, slapping his chest. “You’re so stupid.”

He licked his lips slow. “Nah. Just fluent in Pretty’s pussy.”

By the time we made it back into the kitchen, I still felt weak in the knees. My damn soul was probably still laid out on the counter in that pool house.

How the hell I go from telling a man I don’t kiss niggas to letting him eat my insides like Sunday dinner… and then stroll up in his mama’s kitchen smiling like nothing happened?

Weird. As. Hell.

But there I was, posted up at the island with a glass of sweet tea, laughing like I’d been part of the family for years.

Kendrix had three brothers. Kairo, Kross, and Kordai. And Lord have mercy, they were all fine as hell. It was like the Lord said, copy, paste, add a little seasoning each time. And the personalities were loud, unhinged, petty, and perfect.

Khloe was across from me, rolling her eyes so hard I thought she’d sprain something while her husband Kairo kept poking at her.

“I’m just saying. Khloe always talking about how I don’t make time,” he said, scooping a spoonful of red beans and rice, “but she never forgets to swipe that black card. New shoes. New wigs. Chefs for dinner because she’s ‘too tired to cook.’ Time don’t matter when the bills stay paid.”

Khloe’s head turned so slow I thought she might break her neck.

“Excuse me?” she said, voice flat.

The kitchen got quiet like everybody braced for impact.

“I’m saying,” Kairo continued like he didn’t just dig a grave, “you can’t yell ‘quality time’ and still be at the spa every Friday. That’s what Pops taught us. Be a provider first. Maybe that means I can’t always be present.”

Khloe dropped her fork on her plate. “Money ain’t everything to me. And that logic is your real problem.”

You could tell that wasn’t the first time they’d had that argument.

Kordai blinked slow. “Nigga… what?”

Kross started laughing so hard he damn near dropped his spoon. “Why would you even say some dumb shit like that out loud? Do you hear yourself?”

His mama side-eyed them both and turned to Kairo with zero patience. “You sound dumb as hell. Money ain’t never raised no child or fixed a marriage. You wanna be your daddy so bad, try being better than he was.”

“Y’all don’t get it,” Kairo snapped.

I had to cover my mouth to hide my laugh, but Khloe wasn’t hiding shit.

“You keep talking, Kairo,” she said sweetly, “and I’ll season your food with rat poison.”

Their mama side-eyed Kairo, and cut him down with one line. “Provider, huh? Where your daddy at now?”

Kairo blinked. “…At a work trip.”

“Exactly,” she snapped. “On a fucking work trip. And you in here repeating the same bullshit that left me raising four boys half the time by myself. He realized how dumb that was when it was too fucking late. Stop being a dumb ass before I knock some sense into you.”

Kairo just shook his head like he was used to it. Khloe grinned like she won the lottery. That’s when my phone lit up on the counter.

Zejah.

“Hey Zejah, what’s up?”

Her voice came through fast, panicked. “Niv, where you at?”

The laughter froze in my throat. “Why?”

“You need to get to your mama’s house now.”

My chest tightened. “What happened?”

“She’s outside, screaming at some man. They been arguing for almost an hour. He tried to leave, but she keeps trying to fight him. Ms. Messy Beth done called the police.”

My stomach dropped to the floor and the kitchen noise blurred behind me.

The second I hung up the phone, I guess my face said it all, because Kendrix’s eyes locked on me. That calm, cocky grin he’d been wearing was gone.

“What’s wrong, Pretty?” he asked low, leaning in like it was just us in the room.

My chest was tight, my mind already racing. I didn’t even sugarcoat it. “I need you to take me somewhere. Right now. A Uber gone take too long.”

“Where?”

“Don’t ask questions,” I cut in. “Just get me there.”

For a second, we just stared at each other. Then he stood, sliding his chair back slow, his eyes never leaving mine. “Bet,” he said simply. “Let’s go.”

I exhaled a shaky breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.

He didn’t press me. Didn’t make me explain in front of his family. Just reached for my hand, pulled me up from the chair, and walked me straight out like it was already handled.