She laughed. “Because you are the motherfucking man, Jaylin. You keep it real like no other brotha I've ever known, and you don't have no shame in your game. Most of all, you are a man of your words. When you say something, you do it and not only that, you mean it. There's not too many brothas I can give credit to for doing that.” She squeezed my ass. “Plus, let's not forget about how good you are to me. So good, that I don't want to be with anyone else. But, of course, you already know that. Now, your turn, why do you love me?”
I laughed, not wanting to answer Scorpio's question. She backed away from me, folded her arms, and waited. I pulled her back into my arms and continued to laugh.
“If you must know,” I said, “and you might not like my answer...But since you love me so much for keeping it real, I'm gon' be honest with you.”
“Never mind. Don't even tell me. If you plan on keeping it real, I'm sure I already know.”
“Okay, if you think you know then fine, I won't tell you.”
“So, maybe I don't know. Just tell me. I can take it. I'm a big girl.”
I smiled, “I love you because . . . you be fucking the shit out of me. Insides be all juicy and warm, and you be on overtime working that ass likeâ”
She put her hand over my mouth. “Jaylin, that's okay. I told you I didn't want to know. I was hoping you would findâ”
“Find another reason to love you. I just told you that because it's what you expected from me. With that being said, your good loving is part of it, but the ultimate reason is becauseâLet's make love and then I'll tell you.”
Scorpio backed away from me. “Would you stop messing around with me and just tell me?”
“I'll tell you when I'm making love to you, okay?”
I picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. I lay her on the bed and eased in between her soft legs. Our lovemaking went on for hours, before she straddled herself on top and questioned me.
“So,” she said, massaging my chest. “I'm waiting. We've been at this for a while and you still haven't told me why you love me.”
I tickled her, and when she got into my favorite position on her stomach, I laid on top of her. I slid myself inside, squeezing her hands tightly together. She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side. I kissed her cheek, and placed the tip of my tongue into her ear. As I licked it, I whispered, “I love you because you've never betrayed me. And when I thought you did, you were doing what was best for you, not for me. You stood by me when I needed you the most, and never left my side. Not only that, but. . . .” I closed my eyes, trying not to come, as she tightened her insides, grinding on my thang. “But I...I know you're the only woman who will do just about anything for me, and no matter what happens, you'll never let me bring you down. I admire a strong woman. And,” I moaned, “along with all this good pussy, I gotta hand it to you baby, you have definitely captured my heart.”
“Hmm,” she said, stopping the motion. “I got it going on that much and you still don't want a committed relationship with me?”
“Now isn't the time to talk about that. Who knows what the future holds for us? If we're meant to be together, trust me, we will.”
“You're starting to sound like a broken record, Jaylin. And you'd better hurry this up if you anticipate on meeting Nokea for dinner by nine.”
“Don't rush me,” I said, moving inside her again. “I'm not quite finished with you.”
Within the hour, Scorpio and I finished up. The time was the last thing on my mind, but I knew Nokea was probably at home, furious with me. After I put on my clothes, I went into the other room and called her. She must have seen Scorpio's number on the caller ID, because when I told her I was on my way, she just hung up.
I went back into Scorpio's bedroom, and sat in bed next to her. She took my hands and rubbed them together.
“Baby, don't leave tonight. Stay. Stay not because I'm asking you to, but because you want to.”
“I would love to stay, Scorpio, but remember, one thing you said you love about me is that I'm a man of my words. I told Nokea I was coming, so it would be wrong of me not to show.”
She looked away and swallowed hard. “I, uh, almost hate to ask you this, but . . . are you planning on making love to her tonight? I mean, I'd hope you wouldn't after what we just shared butâ”
I leaned forward and kissed her. “No, I don't plan on having sex with Nokea tonight. If you'd really like to know, we don't even get down like that anymore.”
“Come on now, Jaylin, I know you're still attracted to her. And I know you still love her.”
“Woman, please, stop stressing yourself. After that spectacular loving you just gave me, I don't have juices left for anybody.”
Scorpio grinned, and before I could change my mind, I kissed her forehead and jetted.
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Nokea's house was a thirty-minute drive from Scorpio's condo, and when I got there, she was standing at the door with her arms folded. Feeling bad, I hurried out of the car and started to explain.
“I'm sorry. Time just got away from me andâ”
“Whatever,” she said, holding up her hand in front of my face. “Let's just go. Café Lapadero closes in about an hour, so it doesn't even make sense to go there now. Would you like to have a late dinner somewhere else?”
“Hey, it's my birthday. And you're the one paying so surprise me.”
She huffed and walked to my car. I opened the door, and noticed a different look about her scrawnier dress and inviting cleavage. I closed the door and rushed to get in the driver's side. I had to find out what the new look was all about.
As I backed out of her driveway, I kicked up a swift conversation. “Are you thinking about where you're taking me?”
“You're the one driving, silly. Where would you like to go?” She crossed her legs. Her sexy brown thigh peeked through the slit in her turquoise dress, the soft material of which crisscrossed over her breasts. It bugged the hell out of me. It was classy, but I was used to Nokea being a bit more conservative.
“You know, wherever you want to go is fine with me,” I said, not being able to keep my eyes off her breasts. “But, what's up with that?”
“I'd like to go to the Ritz Carlton for the night, and there's nothing up with my breasts.”
“The Ritz Carlton, huh? And what do you think is going to happen at the Ritz Carlton?”
“Dinner, maybe. I really just want to spend some time alone with you, if you don't mind.”
“Okay, then, the Ritz Carlton it is.”
I pulled over at the Mobil on New Halls Ferry Road to fill my tank before getting on the highway. Nokea went inside to get something to drink. Her short-ass dress irritated me, and when I watched this man inside flirt with her, I felt my pressure rise. He held the door for her, then had the nerve to squint at her ass as she pranced back to my car. He nodded, giving me a thumbs-up.
I ignored him, but when he got into his pearly-white Escalade and pulled next to us, I was two seconds from going off.
He lowered his window. “Say, brotha. I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but is that your lady?”
Nokea lowered her window and answered for me. “No, I'm not.”
“Well,” he smiled and cleared his throat. “You are stunning. Do you think I can get your number and possibly take you to dinner sometime? It would truly be an honor.”
Nokea flirted, “Only if you promise to be on time.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her business card. She wrote something on the back, and stuck her hand out of the window to give it to him.
Standing in disbelief, I took my hand off the gas pump and rushed to the other side of the car. I leaned down to her.
“What in the hell is up with you? Don't you have any damn respect for me?” I tore the card into tiny pieces and tossed them inside his car. “If you're that desperate, glue it back together and call her.”
“Hey,” he said. “I don't want any trouble. I thought she was just a friend.” He took one last glance at Nokea, rolled up his window, and drove off.
I finished pumping my gas, and slammed the door when I got inside. Nokea jumped. “What are you so upset about?” she asked. “And how in the world did I just disrespect you?”
I jetted off and didn't say a word to Nokea until we got on Highway 270. “You disrespected me when you walked your butt out of the house with that short-ass dress on. If the wind blows any harder, your ass will be showing. That's probably what that motherfucker back there was looking at.”
“For your information, I like my dress. And whether I had it on or not, that man would have asked for my phone number. If you don't like it, that's too bad. I didn't wear it to entertain you.”
“Please. And don't get me wrong. It's a beautiful dress, however, I do not,” I yelled, “want the mother of my child in the streets with nothing like that on. Again, it's too damn revealing for someone as conservative as you are.”
“Conservative or not, I like it. It's not my problem that men like you can't keep your hormones under control.”
“Oh, I got control. It's going to take more than a dress like that to turn me on.”
She turned away and looked out the window, “Good. Then I guess you won't have any problems keeping your hands to yourself tonight. Besides, I'm sure Scorpio took good care of you anyway.”
“If you say she did, then she did. But, now, I see why Chad came on to you like he did. If this is your new way of dressing, then don't get mad when brothas step to you like that.”
“Don't even go there, Jaylin.” Nokea's voice rose. “Pat and I are having lunch next week and I'm going to tell her what happened. Don't you go making me feel guilty about the way I look, okay?”
“All right, I won't. Sorry if I hurt your feelings. Truth of the matter is, you look good, baby. I don't like no brothas looking at you like that, but if you want to, keep your little come-fuck-me dress on. You just might get what you're asking for.”
Nokea laughed and shook her head. “I swear, you are so crazy. Downright crazy, but I love your crazy butt.”
I leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek, while trying to keep my eyes on the road. “I love you too, but you messed up your loving tonight by trying to give that man your phone number.”
“Darn, and just when I didn't think I had anything coming. Sorry, though, I couldn't help myself. He was really handsome.”
“What? Is that what you call handsome?”
“Yes. He had that Denzel Washington look about him. You know that sexy, confident, masculine . . .”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. But evidentially, you must have left your glasses at home because that brotha wasn't about nothing. Ol' buckethead motherâ”
“You can say what you want, or call him what you'd like but he was unquestionably a sight for sore eyes.”
Deep down, my feelings were bruised. I decided not to stop for dinner, and didn't say much else to Nokea until we got inside the hotel room. She knew I was upset and tried to make small talk with me, but I went straight to the bathroom and closed the door. I took off my clothes and turned on the shower. As the water trickled down on me, I thought about my wild-ass day with Heather and Scorpio. Now, Nokea. There was no way I was going to get down with her tonight. And even though that dress was begging me to fuck her, and I'd visualized a slew of positions I wanted to put her in, my intentions were to take my ass back out there, talk, and go to sleep.
While finishing my shower, I closed my eyes and went into deep thoughts about my love session with Scorpio. When I heard the door squeak, I opened my eyes. The lights went out, and Nokea stepped into the shower and stood behind me. She massaged my back and rubbed my ass with her hands. I turned and brought her hands up to my lips, kissing them.
“As much as I would love to, I can't do this tonight,” I said.
She pulled her hands away, then took my hands and wrapped them around her. Her dress was dripping with water.
“There are no such words as âyou can't,' Jaylin. Because tonight, I don't want any excuses. I say you will.” She placed her hands on my goodness and started to rub it. Worked it so good that it gave her some attention. I backed her against the wall and untied her dress. She wasn't wearing any underclothes, so once the dress was off, there was nothing else to remove.
“Why are you making me do this to you?” I asked, touching her chin. “Are you sure you wouldn't want buckethead in here with you instead of me?”
“No. I think you will work out just fine. And as for making you do this to me, you're not doing anything to me that I don't want you to do.”
“Yes, I am. I'm going to hurt you, Nokea. I'm only being honest withâ”
“Shh...be quiet. Just promise me that you'll hurt me in a good way, Jaylin.”
She pushed my head down toward her breasts that I'd already cupped in my hands. I started sucking them, and as I made my exchange from one to the other, she squirmed around and turned her back to me. I pressed my naked body against hers and kissed the back of her neck. Working my lips down her back, I squatted to part her legs. When I dove into her, she was relaxed and calm as ever. Fucked me up, too; there was no doubt in my mind that she had been there and done this before. The thoughts of Stephon fucking her kept flashing before me, but I was trying hard like hell to stay focused.
Once we got out of the shower, we climbed our naked asses into bed and got busy. Nokea confessed her love for me over and over again. As good as she had me feeling, I had no shame in telling her how much I still loved her. She gave me head for the first time and did it like a pro.