“Aight, baby,” he replied, still not looking away. “You do that.”
And just before the screen went black, his eyes narrowed the tiniest bit. Like whatever he was thinking, he was already acting on it.
T h em u s i ct h u m p e dlow in the background as I worked out. I was in the zone, chest bare and drenched with sweat, arms flexing under the weight of every controlled movement as I wrapped up my last set of curls. The gym setup I’d built inside my loft was damn near therapy at this point.
A heavy bag hung in the corner. Racks of free weights. State-of-the-art equipment. That black rubber flooring I had laid myself to get it exactly how I wanted. No trainer. No distractions. Just me, the silence, and whatever the hell was weighing on my mind that day.
I let the dumbbells hit the floor and grabbed a towel, wiping my neck and shoulders as I walked barefoot through the open-concept space. Concrete walls. Big ass windows overlooking downtown. Gray sectional. Black culture artwork. High ceilings with exposed black beams. Shit was peace.
I pulled the fridge open and snagged a bottle of water, drinking half of it before I even breathed. Checking my phone, I saw texts from my mama and my boy.
I nodded to myself. Good news. Everything was still moving. My empire was solid, but that didn’t stop the tension in my chest.
I leaned against the counter and stared at the phone for a second longer than I should’ve. I was trying my hardest not to press Autumn. I placed my phone down, headed to the bathroom, and stepped into the shower. That hot water was everything. I stood under the spray with my eyes closed, handsbraced against the wall. She crossed my mind again, and my dick got hard instantly.
All it took was a flash of her face. Her voice in my ear. The memory of that wet ass pussy wrapped around my dick. Her legs up, soft moans while I stroked her. That woman had me in a fucking chokehold. And now, she was dodging me and lying about being okay. And for some reason, that made me want her even more.
After the shower, I didn’t even throw on clothes—just a pair of black boxer briefs and a spritz of cologne on my chest. When I got to the living room, I poured up a double shot of tequila and rolled up a blunt. I sparked it up, took a pull, and let the smoke float around the Christmas lights that lined the windows.
It was a little after ten at night, and I knew Autumn was in bed, probably reading. I hit FaceTime, and she answered on the first ring. She was lying in bed with a bonnet on.
“Hey. I was just thinking about you.”
“Oh yeah?” I said, my voice low and smooth. “I can’t tell.”
She cut her eyes at me. “Don’t do that.”
“Nah. What’s up wit’ you? I know it’s somethin’. You ain’t exactly a good liar, baby.”
“I told you. I’m just tired.”
“Autumn.” She looked away, lips pressed tight. I didn’t push, but I could see it—something in her eyes. I leaned back against the couch, smoking. “Aight. You ain’t gotta talk ‘bout it. Not right now.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“You still look good, though, even with that bonnet on.”
She rolled her eyes, but I caught the smile that followed. “Shut up.”
“I ain’t lyin’. Shit… I been thinkin’ ‘bout you all day.”
Her eyes flicked up. “Yeah?”
“Hell yeah. I miss you.”
She exhaled, biting that bottom lip I wanted to kiss. “I… I miss you too.”
“Missin’ how you sound when you whimper. Missin’ how wet that pussy was the last time I had you moanin’ in my ear.”
I watched her shift, just a little, as her thighs pressed together. “Woods…”
“Nah. I just wanna know if you been missin’ this dick the way I been missin’ that pussy.”
That got a small laugh out of her. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You knew that from jump.” I adjusted the phone, gave her a full view—tattoos, abs, boxers low on my hips, my chain sitting on my chest. Dick bricked up. “I know that pussy wet right now.”
“It’s… not.” Her voice cracked a little.
