“I not tired yet.”
“The hell you are.” I heard Ms. Debbie say in the background.
“Sounds like Grandma thinks differently, Big Dawg.”
EJ shook his head no.
“EJ, look.”Enzo turned the screen to me.
“Hey, you,”I said, smiling.
“Hi, Tyri. I not sleepy.”He didn’t give me a chance to try to convince him otherwise. The way he rubbed his eyes let me know he was indeed tired.
“I know. But it’s late, and remember, strong boys need rest. You know that?”
“Mmhmm.”
“You want me to do the sleepy time song?”
“Mmhmm.”He nodded.
I sang the hook and chorus to Kash Doll’sBaby Boylowly. It didn’t take long before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Ms. Debbie picked up the phone and flashed a thumbs up.“I’m gon’ need you to record yourself singing for nights like this, baby,”she said.“I know my strong suits, and that is not one of them.”We shared a laugh.“Y’all have a good night and be safe.”
I waved at the screen before handing Enzo back his phone.
“Aight, Ma. Love you.”He ended the call and set the phone down.
Stopped at a red light, he glanced at me. “Come here.”
“What?” I smirked, leaning over toward him.
Pressing his lips against mine, he put his hand on my thigh. The kiss was slow and intentional, like he was trying to say something that he wasn’t able to convey verbally. I was the first to pull back when I heard beeping from behind us. “We gotta go.”
He glanced up briefly before pushing us forward. “You are something else. A good something.”
I let his words hang in the air, while butterflies filled my stomach. If only he knew.
CHAPTER 6
Need I Remind You?
ENZO
The way Thyri interacted with my son left no room for me to think about what he may have been missing out on with Kennedy not being around. Everything was natural between the two of them. Thyri made EJ feel safe. Their bond was more than a nanny who looked out for a child as part of her job. She’d integrated herself in his life in a way that didn’t feel pushy. She belonged there. So much so that it made EJ miss her when she wasn’t around. If he wasn’t talking my head off about some two-year-old shit, he was talking about his Tyri.
I held her hand in mine, sneaking peeks over at her as we drove. Her fingers were relaxed, intertwined with mine, while she stared out the window, oblivious to the shit she was doing to my heart. Singing to EJ may have been a part of the bedtime routine she had with him, but for me it was something entirely different. It was her going the extra mile for a child that wasn’t hers. My child.
I parked in a nearby parking garage, and we walked over to Amavi, a Mediterranean restaurant that had been suggested to me by Kyiris. I wanted to take Thyri somewhere that required her to dress up. She got the memo and exceeded my expectations. Thyri was effortlessly sexy on a daily, but she’dgone the extra mile tonight. I appreciated every curve, the switch in her walk, and that glossy shit she had to reapply when we got out the car because I couldn’t keep my lips off hers.
The way she walked beside me – unhurried, steady, and comfortable – her confidence was on 100. Grown woman shit at its finest. There was nothing performative about Thyri. She was the shit, and she knew that. A woman that knew she was the shit couldn’t help but to walk with that kind of air. That kind of confidence made my dick hard.Thyrimade my dick hard.
Inside the restaurant, we were led to a corner table, which I’d requested when I made the reservation. I liked to have a full view of the dining room and exits. I pulled out Thyri’s chair, not only because it was the gentlemanly thing to do but because I wanted to get another view of that ass as she sat down. She must’ve been reading my mind too because she made sure to sit down real slow. Pecking her cheek, I took my seat across from her.
Smiling, she glanced around the space. “This is nice. I like the ambiance.”
“I did good?”
