Page 11

COCO

The wedding ended hours ago, yet I was still coasting off the kiss Adir laid on me.

Not to mention the way he held me as we slow danced.

Between the two, my mind and body were both floating in space.

That man… He really was doing too much.

We decided to hold off on our honeymoon for obvious reasons.

When the time was right, we’d take it there.

“Okay, boo. Hear me out.”

I sipped some wine to hide the smile on my face.

Haven’s tone was low and mischievous, although she and I were the only ones in the living room of the guest house she and Jabari were staying in while here.

Haven and I’d had showers, dressed in pajamas, and giggled like schoolgirls the whole time.

It had been so long since she and I behaved with such carefree abandon.

For Haven it was work.

For me, it was Quilo.

Adir and Jabari were out on the patio smoking.

Honestly, I wanted to be nosey.

Occasionally, their laughter spilled into the house.

“I’m listening,” I finally said to Haven.

She sighed. “You’ve been lying to me.”

Smiling, I asked, “About what?”

“You and that man.” She blinked her lashes and smirked knowingly.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think y’all knew each other long before this wedding.”

And therein laid the issue.

Adir felt way too familiar to me.

This time, I gulped some wine.

Haven giggled.

“I don’t know what to say,” I stated.

A hefty sigh followed.

“He’s everything… But no one is everything. Right?”

“Girl, my man is everything to me,” she said.

“And I do mean everything. ”

Shaking my head in amusement, I replied, “Yeah, I know.”

“Alright, then. I’m gon’ go out on a limb and say it. Dr. Adir Bell is in love.”

I balked at her statement, and she pointedly looked at me.

“You need a nap,” I told her to which she cackled.

“No, I don’t. You need to wake up and see that Adir is not playing with you. You met him Monday and that might as well had been a century ago by the way he looks at you.”

Blushing, I bit into my lip and made a noise that made her laugh.

“It’s okay—”

"No, it isn’t,” I responded. “Things are still rocky between him and Quilo. The last thing I want to happen is for Quilo to hate me.”

Haven scoffed. “Quilo could never hate you, number one. Secondly, this isn’t about Quilo. As much as you’d like to make it about him, this is about you.”

“But—”

“Aht, aht! No buts, my girl. You’re worried about Quilo when I’m quite sure Adir can handle him. Focus on you and what you want right now. You have a whole husband now. A husband who saw to it that your best friends were here to see you get married.” She sighed and placed her hand over her heart. “If that’s not something like love, I don’t know what is.”

Thankfully, the sliding door saved me from having to refute Haven’s claims. Glancing over my shoulder, I locked eyes with Adir. Those deadly things never ceased to send my mind to steamy places.

“Ready to go home?” he asked.

Haven coughed as her husband came inside the house.

“Yep, she’s ready,” Jabari stated.

Of course, he was ready to kick us out. He and Haven were here for the next few days, making this a great getaway for them. I wouldn’t impose, so I hugged my girl tightly, then stood from the sofa. Adir’s eyes trailed my body as he walked up to me, took my flute of wine, then downed the rest. Haven reached for the empty flute with a smile on her face.

“Goodnight, boo,” she said to me. I didn’t miss the subtle smirk on her face.

I was about to say something smart until Adir’s hands on my body stopped me dead in my tracks. He picked me up like I weighed nothing and practically tossed me over his shoulder. Surprised, my heart started racing, and my body instantly overheated. It wasn’t like I’d never been this close to his body… However, this was close . My hands felt every muscle on his shoulders. My legs wrapped around him like they were used to this as I held on while he carried me out of the guest house.

“You scared?” Humor laced his question.

“No… I…”

He chuckled. “As much as I want to, we won’t be sharing a bed tonight, Pretty.”

“I sleep in your bed every night, Adir.”

“And I’m cool with that.”

I stared at the side of his face while he carried me all the way to the patio. He hadn’t broken a sweat. Gently, he placed me on my feet. His eyes followed a trail from my bare toes back to my lips. The gesture caused my heart to palpitate.

“What do you say we consummate our marriage with a dance.”

Giggling, I replied, “We already shared a dance.”

“Not one where it’s just the two of us, no one else around.”

Gulping, I bent my head in a quick nod. “Okay.”

His fingers… they glided down my arm until he took my hand in his. Any time he touched me, I felt something deep in my soul.

“Come here,” he urged.

I plastered myself to his body, noting how his tattooed chest peeked through the few undone buttons of the white button down he wore. He still smelled like heaven even in clothes he’d worn while at the altar. I gasped when I felt how hard he was. He lowly chuckled.

“I told you we would take things slow, and I meant that. The most I’ll do is steal a kiss or two if that’s aight wit’ you.”

Recalling just how delicious a kisser he was, my throat clogged with excitement.

“That’s alright with me,” I answered.

Pleased, he held me closer then began to dance. There wasn’t any music playing. Just the sound of the muggy June night filled with chattering crickets, slimy frogs, and the rustling of the trees.

Before long, I laid my head on Adir’s chest and enjoyed the smell of him and the sound of his heartbeat. We were literally slow dancing to no music. Yet, our beat was perfect, our flow natural, and our chemistry electric.

Adir’s hands left mine and landed on the small of my back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned back to smile. His head descended, so I met him halfway to taste his lips. My hands rested on his jawline as our tongues collided. His hands slipped lower, gripping my ass hard and bringing me closer to the part of him I craved but knew I wasn’t ready for.

Adir broke the kiss, just to continue kissing across my cheek and down my neck. His tongue peeked out to touch my skin, causing me to shudder.

“We’ve said our vows now, Pretty. Everything I vow to you is eternal… Forever.”

“Why is this so easy for you?” I whispered.

He smirked. “I walked into Smooth Brew and saw Favor sitting there all alone. Her eyes demanded that I approach her. The scent of her commanded me to reach my hand out to her. Her touch collapsed the fabric of who I am and brought me under a subjection I’ve never felt before.”

I wondered if he heard how hard my heart pattered in my chest as his dick seemed to grow even harder.

“You fuck my head up,” he added.

“I don’t intend to,” I uttered.

“Exactly, my baby.” He gently kissed my lips, then said, “Let me get you inside before I lose the will power to stop myself from doing what I want to do to you.” Even as he said it, he placed kisses on my lips, my forehead, and everywhere in between.

“Since we’re married now, is my job offer still on the table?”

He laughed. “If I remember correctly, you told me to shove it up my ass.”

“ Because you were being an asshole.”

His smile was infectious. “Do you still think I’m an asshole?”

I bit my lip and knew my face showed the truth. Still I replied, “I think you’re okay, Dr. Bell.”

He accepted that with a quick grin. “Are you ready for our honeymoon?”

Gulping, I replied, “Sure…” A shootout, wedding, and honeymoon all in one week. What the hell was my life?

Lowly, he chuckled as if he’d heard my thoughts.