Page 24 of The Aries Alliance (BLP Signs of Love #14)

Better

When we finished our meal, Scarlett and I stored the leftovers in her refrigerator and washed dishes like we were an old married couple.

I grinned inwardly as she raked her eyes over my body for the umpteenth time.

Because she seemed to be fascinated with my chest, I faced her as often as I could, sometimes making her pause when she had something to say.

When she tried to gather herself, I took my time to check her out too.

She finally invited me into her living room to debrief about work.

Although she eventually pulled her wrap tightly over her body and tied it at the waist, the outline of her nipples poked through her wrap.

I licked my lips, remembering how sweet they were when I sucked them.

When she lifted her knee on the couch, I caught a peek at her barely-there black panties.

My discipline was unmatched tonight. Although everything in me wanted to hoist Scarlett onto my lap, pry her legs open, and pound her senseless, I extended my hand to her.

I was serious about following her lead. She was vulnerable, so I wouldn’t take advantage of her, no matter how tempting she was.

She intertwined her fingers with mine as we settled into the cushion of her comfortable couch.

Soft instrumental jazz set a serene mood as syncopated rhythms floated through her home speakers.

“Who told them about me?” Scarlett scrunched her face like she smelled a skunk.

“They wouldn’t tell me, but we need to move quickly. These fools don’t play fair.”

“They’re evil too,” she added, releasing my hand.

When she shot up, I moved to the edge of the couch and placed my hands on my knees. My eyes followed Scarlett as she paced back and forth across the hardwood floor of her family room several times. She bit the nail on her index finger before stopping abruptly in front of me.

“They’re coming for me with racism allegations.”

“What do you know?” I asked, gauging if she understood fully the magnitude of the attacks against her.

Unlike the first day we met in my office, I paid even more attention to Scarlett’s mannerisms. She was nervous and coming unraveled before my eyes. When she rested her hands on my shoulders to steady herself, I reached for her thighs so she would stay still.

Her lip quivered slightly before she took a big breath and slowly rehashed her meeting with her supervisor, that hateful woman, and my colleague, Lance.

Scarlett’s voice escalated and sometimes cracked as she explained how she had to set them straight about Blackness.

Although she shared her truth, her eyes dulled.

She rested her hand on her stomach as if she were protecting herself from each of the blows and careless words that had been hurled her way.

“You being pro-Black doesn’t warrant their ganging up on you like that. Send a follow-up email in the morning, replaying the meeting so you have it for your records. Remember”—I tapped her thighs with my fingers—“remain professional, and state the facts.”

She put her hands on her hips and rolled her neck at me.

“Whatchu trying to say?”

I squeezed Scarlett’s thigh so hard she winced.

“I’m not trying to say anything, Boomquesha . . .” I mocked Scarlett’s actions by rolling my neck. “You’re kinda proving my point though.”

She rolled her eyes.

“I swear you’re a damn sellout,” she mumbled, trying to hide her cute little smile.

“Sellout or not, I need you to stay focused. The president may not have a lick of sense, but he’s smart enough to work with a team to build a case against you.”

Scarlett’s eyes nearly bucked out of her head.

“What do you know exactly?”

I scratched the back of my neck, wanting to soften the blow about my conversation in the president’s office. Before I could pretty up my words, Scarlett reached for my chin and held it, her eyes piercing.

“If we’re in this together, I need you to be honest. Protection means that you’re transparent. I don’t want to be blindsided by them or you.”

I reached for her wrists and pushed them gently to her sides.

“And being in our alliance means that you have to trust me when I say some things aren’t worth repeating.

I care about your mental wellness, so every bit of noise isn’t healthy for you to absorb.

Even if you’re being placed in the middle of harm, I have my ways to protect you.

” I pulled Scarlett in and massaged her butt.

Although her muscles relaxed, she shook her head.

“I hear you, but what are you going to do? It’s your job to do what they tell you to do.”

I swallowed and took a big breath, knowing Scarlett was right.

“It won’t get that far.”

“But what if it does?” Her voice quivered, reminding me how dangerous our mission was.

“Do you trust me?”

She looked away and bit her nail again.

“I want to, . . . but trust takes time.”

I nodded.

“Prepare your village. Everything they know is about to be exposed. If they aren’t willing to be in the heat, alert them that there’s still time to back out. When you give me the green light, I’ll contact the media.”

Scarlett jerked her head toward me.

“And say what?”

“The truth. I’ll give the powers that be one bite and see if it will throw them off the warpath. Stay calm and know I’ve got you.”

“Do you, though?” Scarlett stared at me with uncertainty and fear.

At this point, only time would convince her that I had her back.

Was I overpromising? We had strategized our moves meticulously, yet the reality of what we were getting into was overwhelming. Even with good intentions, was it possible for everyone to be in position at the right time?

“You good?” Scarlett stared at me as I pondered our next move.

“Yes. Just going over everything in my head and thinking how brave you are. It takes a special person to stand up for their beliefs when it’s easier to stop pushing.”

Scarlett smiled.

“Thanks for saying that and for everything.”

“It’s nothing.”

Scarlett sat in my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“But it is. I’d never be brave enough to do this alone.” She leaned into me and planted a sweet kiss on my lips.

In that peck, calmness radiated from Scarlett. My doubts about devouring her slowly disappeared, leaving me with unmitigated lust for the woman on my lap.

I cocked my head and licked my lips.

“Did I ever tell you that social justice makes me horny? Your independence and fire that matches my energy in every way.”

Scarlett blushed and inserted her fingers into the waistband of my joggers and beneath my boxers, stroking her fingers across my skin and sending me into an instant state of arousal.

I opened her caftan and gently sucked the visible skin of her peanut buttery breast, which had me ready to bow down like a servant. I cupped Scarlett’s chin and lifted my eyes to hers.

“Where can we get more comfortable, sweetheart?”

My long fingers trailed down Scarlett’s neck, causing her breath to catch.

“In my bedroom.” She pointed behind me.

I picked Scarlett up and carried her in the direction she pointed.

“We need to celebrate.”

“Celebrate what?”

“Your freedom.”

“But I’m not free yet.”

I kissed Scarlett’s cheek.

“But you will be. I’m going to make sure you’re vindicated.”

“Like my knight in shining armor?”

“Exactly.

“I appreciate that.”

I twirled Scar around as if she weighed no more than a feather until she squealed and clung to me. I entered the open door of her bedroom, and she caressed my cheek with her fingers.

“Thank you for being so consistent.”

Her misty eyes made me want to give her the moon.

“It’s my pleasure. I’m warning you that when I’m done with you, you won’t know your name.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No. It’s a promise.”

Although I was sated by a night of uninhibited loving with Scarlett, I missed her the second I stepped out of her queen-sized bed around 5 a.m. Once dressed, I leaned over her and gently kissed her rosy cheeks.

The lavender scent of her pillow spray lingered in my nose.

She stirred briefly but soon settled back into her angelic pose, which had her laid on her back like an angel.

Scarlett’s hand lay gracefully, with her palm lifted upward on the pillow between us as her white sheet covered her breasts.

I pulled out my phone to capture Scarlett’s beauty and stared at the picture. Everything about her was breathtaking. The peace that covered her face made me wonder if she was dreaming of something innocent, like bunnies and clouds.

I thrust my phone in my pocket and tipped out of Scarlett’s home, making sure to lock the front door before I stepped on her porch.

By the time I’d pulled my shirt over my head, I’d gathered myself enough to realize that Scarlett pulled intimate feelings from my mind and body that I enjoyed tapping into.

It made no logical sense.

Maybe it had to do with how she surrendered to me each time I entered her folds.

Without fail, her body received my deep strokes, sometimes to the point where tears fell from her eyes.

From the “don’t stops” to the expletives on repeat and the surprising “thank yous”, I witnessed Scarlett’s walls crumbling in such an endearing way.

Through her, I experienced firsthand the fears of a woman who carried the burdens of others the best she could. With me, she shed her hardness. Her vulnerability transferred a mantle of responsibility from herself to me, reminding me that what we had was more than sex.

That realization softened me. I wanted to give my mother grace for being sad. For years, I called her weak for pushing my father away and being distant. She wasn’t weak at all, though. She just needed a strong shoulder to support her as she worked through the pain she couldn’t comprehend.