I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes.Oh, please, heffa!She was damn near begging for his attention and throwing herself at him. I could never be so thirsty, even for Poppa’s fine ass. I wasso lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize he’d abandoned his phone until he was pinning me against the counter.
“Is there something wrong, Bubbles?” he questioned lowly.
I shook my head. “Nnn-no,” I tried to lie with ease but ended up stuttering instead.
The intensity in his eyes and the way he pinned me in place had my pussy soaking wet. I tried to keep a composed expression while I was swooning on the inside and sliding down the damn wall in excitement. “You sure? You around here slamming everything down like you got beef with the appliances.”
I rolled my eyes, allowing his words to be a bucket of cold water on my raging hormones. He was too fucking close, too close for comfort, and that was a first. I needed fresh air to be able to think clearly because his intoxicating scent was making my head spin. Lifting my hand to his bare chest, I ignored how firm he was as I attempted to push him out of the way.
The only reason I was successful was that he allowed me to be. I waved him off and snatched up my water canister and snack bag. “I’m good. You can get back to that,” I said in disgust while flicking my gaze at his abandoned phone.
On cue, I heard Karma ask him, “Poppa, who are you talking to?”
Her voice agitated me, so I used it as fuel to carry myself out of the kitchen. I set my things down by the door to slide on my Nike sneakers. I heaved a heavy sigh when I finally stepped out on the front porch. I inhaled a lungful of air, then took a seat on the steps to settle myself.
For a minute, I allowed the caress of the wind to be enough. The birds were chirping in the distance, and flowers bloomed with beauty and splendor as spring made her entrance. When I inhaled, I pretended that the sun filled every crevice inside in my body. When I exhaled, I tried to release all the jealousy I felt, but I failed miserably.
My hands balled into fists as the image of him watching her came alive in my mind. No matter what I did, my mind kept returning to them. He could do so much better than Karma. Not saying it had to be me, but she wasn’t even on his level. All she did was party, chug liquor like water, beg him for money, and fuck him. She was always available when he called because she didn’t have a life. And Poppa was a damn trick. The money he was throwing her way kept her well taken care of.
I groaned in frustration, trying my best to pinpoint when my feelings for Lyrix became this swell of fondness that was far from platonic. I wasn’t sure if living with him was altering my perspective on him, but something had shifted. I couldn’t even be in the same room as him without craving his touch. The worst part was that it was like he could sense when I needed him. He’d come by, tickling me, pulling me into a hug, or placing a kiss on my forehead that sedated me. I partially blamed him for making me feel like this.
I decided to table my feelings for now so I wouldn’t be late for my class. Only then did I realize I hadn’t grabbed the keys to Poppa’s red Honda Accord. I stood, ready to go back in for them, but the front door opened, and Poppa stepped out with the keys. He had on a muscle shirt that left enough of his perfect physique on display. He was wearing sneakers now, too, and holding my yoga mat.
“Um, what are you doing?” I questioned him with a raised brow.
He casually came strolling down the steps. “Going to class with you.”
I folded my arms over my chest. “Huh? What are you talking about?”
He paused at the bottom of the steps. “What? Now all of a sudden, I can’t go to any classes with you?”
He pinned me in place with a stern expression. Since we were kids, I had always dragged Poppa to some type of class with me. He always came along, even if it wasn’t something he was necessarily interested in. He was trying to pull the friend card when I needed some distance right now because I wasn’t even sure if that card was in the deck anymore.
“You’re not even interested in Pilates,” I tried to reason.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I wasn’t interested in bitch ass crocheting either. Didn’t stop you from forcing me to go with you. What’s different now, Bubbles?”
I nibbled on my bottom lip, finding it hard to stand still when he was watching me. I tossed my hands in the air and met him on the bottom step. “Whatever. Lose the mat. It’s Pilates, not yoga.”
He grinned widely before tossing the mat behind him without concern for where it landed. I tried to control my breathing as I trailed him to the car, where he opened the door for me. I nearly stopped breathing when he placed a hand on my waist to stop me from getting in.
“I’m not fucking with that girl,” he confessed of his own free will.
I wished I had someplace to escape to, but once again, I was pinned against him and another hard surface. He was looking at me with such sincerity I couldn’t even doubt his words. Poppa didn’t lie to me. If he said he wasn’t fucking her, then I believed him. What I couldn’t understand was why he felt the need to share that with me and why it removed the knife from my heart.
I allowed my eyes to roam to the side. Attempting to save face, I told him, “It’s not my business what you do with your whores, Lyrix.”
He scoffed with a smirk. “Yeah, okay. Keep telling yourself that. Maybe you won’t slam my door now that the truth is out there.” I didn’t understand what he meant at first, then it hit me.He was referencing my little tantrum in the kitchen. I hated the smug look on his face. He knew I was in my feelings about that little FaceTime call.
“Ha, ha,” I mocked, then gave him the finger, sliding into the car. Poppa closed me inside, then jogged around with a chuckle. I wouldn’t admit it to him, but knowing the truth did make a sly smile appear on my face, but I quickly wiped it away when he slammed himself next to me.
Chapter 11
Lyrix
Iwatched Grai ignore her vibrating phone for the hundredth time. We were currently walking from aisle to aisle, racking up on groceries for the house. Between Grai and my mama, the boys and I hadn’t missed a meal yet. I didn’t have to walk into the kitchen if I didn’t want to, and I was thankful for that. I could put a meal together, but that was about it.
My eyes trailed Grai as she pushed the buggy ahead of me. I loved the natural sway of her hips. Today, she had the nerve to be wearing a yellow sundress that hugged every delicious curve in just the right place. I bit my lip just thinking about what I’d do to her if given the chance. Then I remembered who I was lusting over and had to look away.
