“Why didn’t you answer?!”
He kissed her nose. “’Cause I wanted to see this reaction.”
Meadow hit his chest three times. “I was worried!”
“I’m sorry, baby.” His voice dropped. “I’m here now, though.”
All the anger and second guessing she felt earlier melted away just from his presence alone. She wanted to hate herself for feeling so damn gullible because for all she knew, Zaire could’ve just left from being with the next bitch… he had the money to do it.
Still, his presence was one she wanted to bask in.
So, she pressed her forehead to his, breathing shakily. “I watched you today…”
Zaire stilled. “Yeah?”
“I watched you from the second they showed your name to the moment you won.” Her voice was soft but still raspy from sleep. “You looked…calm, focused. like you belonged out there with all those people doubting you.”
He swallowed, staring into her eyes, outlining her lips with his eyes.
“You were beautiful,” she whispered, “and strong, and I swear I felt every swing in my chest. I was yelling at the TV like you could hear me.”
He closed his eyes as her words sank deep within his chest. If she kept talking to him like this, he had no choice but to fall in love.
“I’m proud of you,” she said, “not because you won, but because you didn’t fold. You didn’t let them pull you off your game. You showed up exactly how you said you would.”
He opened his eyes slowly, looking at her like she’d handed him something sacred.
Meadow cupped his cheeks. “I’m so fuckin’ proud of you, Zaire Cooks.”
A raw, gut twisting feeling flickered across his face.
He pulled her closer, voice rough. “What you trying to do with those words?”
She smiled into his mouth, rocking her hot center against him. “Get fucked.”
His mouth swallowed hers and his hands roamed up her nightgown, exhaling when he realized she had panties on. If she didn’t, she would have to explain where they were when she was sleeping in another man’s house. He finally sat down on the bed with Meadow straddling his lap.
“This what winnin’ do to you?”
Meadow shook her head. “This whatyoudo to me.”
Meadow reached up and cupped his face, her thumbs smoothing over his jaw. She watched every part of him…his eyes, his breath, the way he swallowed hard, the way his shoulders finally dropped like he’d found the only place he cared to land.
He dragged his fingers down her cheek and spoke without thinking. “You want kids?”
Meadow blinked, stunned. “What-”
“Answer me.”
She searched his face, her breath stalling in her throat. “Umm…yeah… one day.”
His hand slid to the side of her neck, squeezing it lightly. The feel of his rough hands unraveled Meadow.
“You wantmybabies?” His voice was calm, his gaze steady. “Little Black babies with curls and a smart mouth like you…little golfer babies who know they somebody because we gon’ teach them.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, his breath flowing over her lips.
Meadow’s nails curled gently grazing the sides of his face, pulling him closer. “Zaire…”
