Page 50 of The Impact (Parachutes #3)

Unrelated to age, Vin wasn’t the type to dip much under his bracket. She’d been with the man for over fifteen years. She knew his fantasies, and young schoolgirl didn’t do it for him.

Still, she wanted Bianca to be immature. Pop her gum. Wear tarantula lashes and a bad wig and maybe mispronounce words.

But no. Bianca had beautiful hair too thin to be weaved. And great skin, something Vin loved about Tahli.

This pretty brown skin keeps you looking twenty, baby love.

Bianca was pleasant. She didn’t have a vapid expanse of nothing between her ears. But she did have pert small breasts that could probably fit entirely in his mouth–

“Fuck.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Tahli mumbled to Paige. Her mental brain slaughter of Vin putting his skilled mouth anywhere on this lollipop had come out loud.

“I just…I feel a little lightheaded.”

“Tahli, you need to lie down,” Leah demanded.

“I’m good. I’m gonna go check on the cake.”

Tahli watched Vin meticulously slice the cake into perfect, even pieces. She could never manage it like him, and she was a perfectionist at just about everything. But cake cutting, Dalvin Hayes had mastered.

“Did you learn that from chopping up people or chopping up cocaine?”

Vin grinned at her humor. “Both,” he bantered.

“Sorry it’s not gluten-free,” Tahli quipped.

“That’s cool. She doesn’t really like cake, anyway.”

That bothered her—him knowing these things about Bianca.

“A cupcake that doesn’t like cake.”

Vin raised his eyes to Tahli’s insult and nothing more, still not missing a slicing beat.

“Don’t do that. She’s a good girl.”

He could’ve plopped Bianca on that counter and fucked her right there, and it still wouldn’t have stung as much.

He’d defended her.

Tahli waited for a glitch. Some sign that it was intentional, to make her envious. But no, Vin was unaware. She knew him enough to see. He’d defended Bianca naturally.

Forget if she’d made it into his bed…was she making her way into his heart?

“Where’s Mr. Softee? He disappeared?”

“He had to take a work call. Can you please stop antagonizing him?”

Vin only smirked before the smirk quickly vanished. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why’d you do that? Don’t lie to me, Tahli.”

“Do what?” Tahli feigned.

“Grip the counter. Lose your balance. Have a seat.”

“I’m fi–”

“Sit on the fucking stool, Tahli.”

She slid onto the stool, commanded by the voice. The one he used on Doll, Lo, and Terran, and maybe even DJ. It didn’t come often, but when it did, it did what it was designed to do. Sometimes, he used it on her too. Her favorite times. In the privacy of their bedroom.

“How late were you up doing all this decorating and shit? How early were you up cooking?”

“I’m fine.”

“Try that with somebody else. Literally anybody else,” Vin snidely added, walking around the counter with a slice of cake in hand.

“When’s the last time you ate? Damn sure wasn’t today. You haven’t made a plate yet.”

He’d watched her?

Tahli considered… No way. Yesterday afternoon? She’d skipped dinner to make goodie bags. Skipped breakfast as well, making sweet and sour meatballs and mac and cheese.

“That long, huh? Open up.”

“I’m not eating cake, Vin.”

“Oh, you wanna fight me on this? That’s brave.” Tahli tried not to smirk as his bulky arm, barbed in muscles and ink, raised a plastic fork loaded with all sugar and no substance. But it’ll do for the hunger edge.

Sort of like that girl out there. All sugar. No substance. Taking Vin’s edge off? Curbing his appetite.

“Open up.”

“You’re not feeding me cake, Vin.”

“Open up and get it over with.” He stared down at her, and Tahli fell into the well of his eyes.

“Good girl,” he droned, pulling the clean fork from between her closed lips.

And that made her eyes shoot back to him.

Good girl.

The last time Vin had fucked her from behind was on a Sunday over 18 months ago.

Sunday, because Tahli had just changed the sheets.

Her on all fours and him riding her ass like a cowboy, brawny chest to her sweaty back, his big hand cupping her chin, forcing her head back as he fucked the air from her lungs declaring, “there you go handling your dick. Soak that shit up, baby love. You gonna make me cum so fucking hard just like a good girl. Good girl…”

She hoped the memory’s shudder wasn’t perceptible. Meeting Vin’s gawk, she watched his lenses flare, the slightest curl to his lip.

“Just say the word,” he dared.

Tahli flooded below, but frowned up top, blinking away.

“Say the word for what?”

“For whatever. One more bite.”

“No.” She pushed his hand away.

“One more.”

Reluctantly, Tahli parted her lips. As Vin slid the fork from her mouth, footsteps signaled an intrusion. Vin didn’t pull it away fast enough and didn’t seem hurried to. Drew stood in the doorway, a slight frown on his lips.

“That’s enough.” Tahli slipped off the stool. “Vin’s making me eat cake because I didn’t eat anything today,” Tahli explained away, watching Drew’s tongue roll around his jaw, agitation clear.

“Yeah, well. The cake may taste good but it’s not the best thing for you. But I think you know that already. You need to find a healthier alternative, Tah.” Drew’s covert jabs that Vin grunted to.

“I’m really trying to understand you, nigga. Nah, I’m cool, baby love,” Vin brushed Tahli’s warning hand away from his chest, glower not leaving Drew.

“You either are that fucking clueless. Which means she doesn’t talk to you at all.

Which means she doesn’t trust you. And that’s fucking major to her.

Or…I’m wrong. You do know. You know what I’m capable of.

What I can do to you…but you’re just that dumb mothafucka playing chicken with an 18-wheeler. ”

“Dalvin,” Tahli interjected, but Vin folded his hands, pressing them to his mouth, stare on Drew.

“I don’t like you. Ask Tahli what I do to people I don’t like.”

That tensed her all over.

“I ain’t never give somebody so many fucking warnings in my life. But everything I do is for her, including the discipline to not put a permanent end to these irritating-ass exchanges. You picking up what I’m putting down, Drew-Drew?”

“Like I said, I have respect for Tahli and for her children, so I’m biting my tongue,” Drew countered.

“Correction. You’re biting your tongue ‘cause you know I’ll rip that bitch out of your throat.”

“How’s that therapy working out for you, Dalvin?”

“Hey!” Tahli yelped, stepping into Vin’s path; knowing his next response would not be verbal. Luckily, Terran popped into the patio door.

“Daddy! We want cake!”

Vin sustained the pressure of his glower. “I’m coming, baby.”

Then he brought a finger to the corner of Tahli’s mouth, catching her off guard. Until he brought the frosting he’d swiped to his own tongue.

Vin mouthed a single word to Drew, knocking Tahli fifteen years back into a New Brunswick movie theater. Vin had crashed her date, stole her popcorn, and declared the same exact thing to Drew.

Mine .

When he was gone, Drew’s flaring nostrils turned to her.

“I hate that nigga. He’s testing me, Tahli.”

“You think?” Tahli wiped down a counter that didn’t need wiping. But what was wrong with her? There was a sticky mess between her thighs.

“I gotta deal with him.”

“What?” Tahli asked sharply.

“I think we gotta see this through. Me and him. Get it out. Whatever happens, happens. I can’t let him keep assassinating my manhood.”

Words drifted through the air, and Tahli couldn’t catch any.

“Um… No. You…you wanna fight? Dalvin?”

“If I have to.”

Tahli let out a loud squall.

“Look, that shit from back in the day don’t mean nothing. I ain’t the same dude. Plus, it was dark that night and he charged at me. One-on-one fair fight, I would’ve had his big ass.”

Tahli kissed her teeth.

“Baby, I don’t care about any of that. You don’t have to prove anything to me. I respect how you take the high road when you guys bump heads. You and Dalvin are different men, and I am so grateful for that. It’s just not worth someone getting hurt.”

“Who me?” Drew’s voice rose an octave in offense. “Tahli, I’m a grown-ass man. Dalvin’s grown, too. We too old for this back and forth. We just might have to get it out of our system.”

“Drew. Listen.” Tahli pinched air. “Dalvin is…angry,” she chose.

“He is very, very, very angry. He’s like a big blob of anger right now.

With claws and…and teeth. But he’s in a cage.

He’s been holding back. The cage? His guilt.

His kids. His freedom... But if someone opens that cage…

” Tahli shook her head. “Drew when he’s angry, he has no limits. One of you won’t walk out of that.”

She wasn’t with Drew because he had to prove his manhood and take on her ex-husband. She had the tough guy. The tough guy broke her heart into fragments.

“So, me? You think I wouldn’t walk out alive?”

“I just don’t think it’s worth it.” She saved his ego.

“Then tell him to knock it off.”

Tahli nodded, knowing she’d do no such thing. It wouldn’t work.

“Tahli, your mac and cheese is outrageous!” Tahli had tried to fight the rising vomit from Bianca borrowing Vin’s slang.

“Thank you. Sorry it’s not gluten-free.”

“That’s okay. I cheat a little occasionally.”

“You and Dalvin have that in common.”

When Tahli made the joke, Paige shot water from her nose. Abby bugged blue eyes. Vin hung his head in some version of amused shame, while Vanessa muttered something to the Lord. Bianca turned crimson but laughed it off.

It was a cheap shot Tahli had to take. Now, as the party wound down and Tahli got a head start on cleaning, she wondered if Bianca stepping into the kitchen Tahli was alone in would be retaliation for that joke.

“Hi, Tahli.” Tahli glanced up from consolidating food, finding Bianca near the doorway. “I just wanted to come and thank you for inviting me. I had a great time.”

“Of course,” Tahli moved baked beans into Tupperware. “I mean, you were Dalvin’s guest…”