Eventually, he got tired of my assault and actually began to fight me back. He had my silky Peruvian bundles balled up inhis fist as he yanked me around like a damn rag doll. When he got tired of that, he wrapped his hand around my throat. “I knew you liked it rough,” he whispered in my ear seconds before he was snatched away from me.
All I saw was a towering man with his dukes up. He didn’t say shit before he started whupping Trap’s ass. He was tossing him around like he weighed nothing because my protector was twice his size. I saw the blood dripping onto Trap’s shirt and felt no remorse.
“You like to beat on women, huh? Let me show what it feels like to be someone’s bitch.”
Suddenly, my coworkers had the sense to break the fight up. “Aye, you got to get out of here with that,” Tyrell said.
The man snatched away. “Don’t fucking touch me. You niggas is pussy, sitting here watching this man overpower a woman. Is this really what the fucking world has come to? I’m disappointed.”
“She hit him first!” Darwin yelled out.
“Because he slapped me on the ass!” I screamed in defense.
My protector shook his head and picked Trap up by his shirt and drug him to the door before he tossed him out of it and onto the sidewalk. Trap was so fucked up all he could do was lie there, moaning and groaning on the hot concrete. It was something so sexy about seeing a man lift over two hundred pounds so effortlessly. I could only imagine what he could do with my little buck-fifty worth of body fat.
My protector then turned his attention to me, and I lost all the breath in my lungs when I realized I knew exactly who’d come to my rescue. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even though I hadn’t seen him since we graduated high school, I would never forget Perfect fucking Porter, . . . my high-school crush. Last I’d heard, he was locked up for murder, yet he stood before me like a raging bull. With his fists clenched at his sides, all the musclesin his arms bulged and pulsed, momentarily making me forget what was going on.
“Are you okay?” he asked, closing the distance between us.
He reached a hand down to help me off the floor. I felt an electric shock race down my arm when he yanked me up. I sucked in a sharp breath from the sensation, and he thought it meant I was hurt. He started checking me for wounds, and I thought it was the most adorable thing.
“I’m fine, Perfect,” I assured him with a chuckle.
His assessment stopped only because he lifted his intense, brown eyes to my face. I saw him studying me before it dawned on him. “El?”
I tucked my bottom lip and nodded. He was always the only person to call me that. Everyone else usually called me Rock, Rocky, or something along those lines, but Perfect, . . . he always called me El. I felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t be convinced that I wasn’t a teenaged girl all over again, looking up at her biology lab partner.
“Damn, I haven’t seen you in forever,” he whispered. “What the fuck you in here doing fighting? I oughta go out there and beat that nigga again for touching my sweet little Princess. Nooo, man, you’re not supposed to be a fighter. I remember when you wouldn’t even dissect a dead frog because you were afraid of hurting it.”
I shook my head and sighed. It took everything in me to ignore how giddy his referring to me as his sweet little princess made me. “Well, life has a way of hardening even the softest people. And like I said, he kept crossing a line that I was very clear about.”
He ran a hand down his face. “Damn. I hate a nigga who can’t control himself around a beautiful woman. You deserve better than that.”
“Yeah, well, unfortunately for me, he’s the owner’s brother, so I’ve had to put up with his advances.”
Perfect flexed his hand, and I nearly melted seeing how massive they were. My gaze traveled to every inch of his six-seven and three-hundred-plus-pound frame. His skin was still the same soft brown that I remembered, and his almond-shaped, brown eyes were as serious as ever. A slender nose centered his structured face, and a strong jawline added to his attractiveness. Even though he was frowning, something made me inch closer to him. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’d dreamt of those round, berry-colored lips of his as a young girl. All the hair on his face and head was wild and untamed, making him appear even bigger.
“You shouldn’t have to,” he replied, deepening his frown.
I shrugged. “Welcome to the real world, where since there’s no HR, I have to put up with bullshit.” I ran a hand down my face and moved toward my station. “What brings you here?”
He smiled, and it softened all of his features. “Need a line-up and some braids. Can you handle that for me?”
I nodded with an equally kind and genuine smile. “Yeah, I can help you with that. You’re probably going to be my last client here anyway, and you deserve it.”
I pointed to my chair, and he took a seat. I paused to gather my nerves before running my fingers through his hair. It was thick, full, and long enough to touch his back. “You have beautiful hair,” I complimented him.
“’Preciate it.”
“Have you washed it yet?” He shook his head.
I nodded, knowing to start with a wash first. While I was at the bowl getting the water ready, I felt the heat of his gaze on me. I tried to keep it together, but how could I when he looked so delicious? And honestly, I was in a damn drought. Him even being in my personal bubble was dangerous territory. Once thewater was ready, I walked him over to the bowl and laughed at how uncomfortable his big ass looked in the chair. It seemed like his legs stretched on for forever in front of him.
“So, where have you been?” I questioned him to fill the silence. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“Prison,” he replied boldly. “I just got out today. I wanted to get fresh before I go surprise Starlet. She doesn’t know I’m out yet.”
I momentarily froze upon hearing that name. Of course, they were still together. If I was Star, I wouldn’t let his ass go either. But then again, she was stronger than me. I didn’t know if I could’ve held a man in prison down. A woman had needs too.
