“Hey. I just wanted to make sure you’re good after that fiasco with Lori yesterday.”
“Good probably wouldn’t be the word I’d use at the moment.”
“Please don’t tell me you and Tasha weren’t able to straighten things out. I know she was pretty hurt by all the crap Lori was spewing.”
“Nah, that’s not it. She and I talked this morning, and we’re fine. Lori showed up at Ms. Ida’s tonight while we were having dinner and all but demanded to talk to me privately, like she didn’t see Tasha sitting there.”
“Man, she has balls. What I don’t understand is why she suddenly decided to show up after all this time.”
Antonio released a deep sigh. “Apparently, now she wants all the things I was offering during our marriage.”
Nate made a sound of disgust. “So, let me get this straight. She cameherethinking what… that she could spout a few I’ve changed words and you’d just fall back into her arms? Un-freakin’-believable!”
“My thoughts exactly. Let me call you tomorrow. I’m on my way to Tasha’s.”
“Don’t worry about calling. I was just checking on you.”
Nate took his role as big brother seriously, and the older Antonio got, the more he appreciated it. “Thanks.” He disconnected, then pushed a button. “Call Lorenzo, cell.”
“What’s up, Tony?” Lorenzo said when he picked up.
“Just wanted to confirm Tasha is coming with me. I know you guys offered your home, but she wants to take a trip to Lake Tahoe, so we’ll probably head up there after meeting with you and Cedric.”
“Actually, we can just take the meeting to Tahoe. We both own homes up there, as well as Ced’s younger brother, Jeremy. Jeremy most likely won’t be using his, so you guys could stay there, but I’ll confirm with him just to be sure. Our places have enough bedrooms for you two, but I figure if you’re taking this little trip, you’re going to want a little privacy.”
“You figured right.” He wanted to be able to make love to Tasha in any room without worrying about someone hearing or seeing anything.
Lorenzo chuckled. “I’ll text you tomorrow with the dates and directions. Not sure if you have the flexibility to take Friday off, but it might be best if you could. That way you can leave early in the morning and miss all the weekend traffic. The other good thing is it’ll be a couple of weeks before Memorial Day, when the season typically kicks off. It’s less crowded.”
“Thanks for the info.” Antonio heard a little boy’s voice calling for “Daddy.”
“Come on, lil’ man. Sorry to cut this short, but it’s bath time.”
“Go handle your business. I’ll look for your text.” He turned into Natasha’s driveway as he ended the call and sat there a moment imagining what it would be like to have a little one calling him Daddy. Shaking off the yearning, he shut off the engine, got out, and sauntered to the porch to ring the doorbell.
“Took you long enough to get here,” Natasha said when she opened the door. She pulled him inside and closed it behind him.
“It didn’t take me long. Somebody’s just a speed demon.”
“Just tonight. I couldn’t wait to have you to myself for a little while.”
“And what exactly did you plan to do now that you have me?” She locked her arms around his neck and drew his head down for a kiss that shook him to his core. Her hands slid beneath his shirt at the same time. Antonio broke off the kiss, yanked the shirt over his head, and tossed it on the sofa.
“Mm-hmm… this is what I wanted to see. When did you get this?” Natasha asked as her tongue skated across his chest and over his tattoo. “It’s exquisite.”
A groan erupted deep in his throat. “Junior year of college. I took a couple of classes in African studies, got interested in the tattoos of different tribes and their meanings. This one is supposed to symbolize the transition to adulthood, so I thought it fitting for my twenty-first birthday.” He could barely get the words out with her hands and mouth all over him.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you got it.”
So was he. He gently grasped her hands and pressed a kiss to each one. “My turn.” His hands went to the buttons on her blouse and undid them one at a time, kissing each newly exposed portion of skin. He removed the shirt and tossed it in the direction of where his landed. Antonio continued removing each piece of clothing, slowly and sensually, until her body trembled.
“Tonio, please.”
“You don’t ever have to beg me for anything, baby. I’ll give you whatever you want. Don’t you know what you mean to me?” As he carried her to her bedroom and laid her on the bed, he was so close to baring his heart, to telling her how much he loved her. But he couldn’t, not yet. Not when he still had that corner of uncertainty and fear in his heart and until he knew for sure she was with him all the way.
“Are you going to stand there all night?”
“Not at all. Just admiring the beauty spread before me.” Stepping back and with his eyes never leaving hers, he discarded the rest of his clothes and donned a condom. Antonio took his time caressing and kissing every part of her body. For him, this wasn’t just sex. It had never been with Tasha. He loved her and wanted her to feel what his words could not tell her at the moment. His hand traveled over her smoother-than-silk skin, from her face to her neck, and finally settled on her breasts. He massaged the full mounds, then left her mouth, captured a pebbled nipple between his teeth, and tugged gently, drawing a sharp cry from her. “You like that, baby?”
