“No, it’s insane,” she shot back with a laugh.
“When it comes to something that belongs to me, I’m fucking deranged.” Marissa turned to face me again and my eyes met hers as we sat at another red light. The car behind us gently tapped on the horn after a few moments, and I refocused on the road as we merged onto MacArthur Causeway Bridge.
The tension in the car was thick, but I wasn’t one to bite my tongue, so I spoke my mind.
“I watched your TikToks today,” I said casually. “All of them. Probably more than once too.”
“Why?”
“You’re gorgeous and I couldn’t get enough of you. Didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”
“I’m embarrassed now. I have like a thousand followers. I just do it out of boredom,” she murmured, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear as she looked out the window trying to hide her smile.
We pulled up to the security booth at the entrance of my parents’ neighborhood on Hibiscus Island. I rolled down the window, and the guards quickly nodded, granting us entry. As we pulled onto the island, past massive homes with perfectly manicured lawns and luxury cars parked in the driveway, I watched Marissa out of the corner of my eye. Just as I suspected, there was no reaction. No wide eyes. No eager head turns to take it all in. She was used to this type of shit, if not better. I could call that from the type of car she was driving. I parked in front of my parents’ house, a sleek, modern estate that faced the ocean with a private dock access in the back and stepped out.
I killed the engine, hopped out, and rounded the car to help Marissa out, but she was already exiting the car, adjusting the dress that hugged her in all of the right places.
“You ain’t starstruck. That’s what instantly drew me to you. You approached me standing on business and you don’t let anything shake you. Not even that broke ass nigga not being able to pay the bill. You whipped your card out to pay. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“I don’t really get impressed by things that can be bought. I’ve had the world at my feet for as long as I can remember.”
“Talk yo shit then,” I encouraged, gripping her hand and walking her towards the house.
I hit the front door panel with my thumbprint, and the door unlocked with a soft click. As I opened the door, the darkened home instantly lit up one room at a time. Slow, warm, and welcoming.
“So what did you bring me to your house for?” She pried once we were inside.
“This isn’t my house, this is my parents’ crib.”
“So this is what you do? Pick up randoms and bring them back to your parents’ house?”
She side eyed me and I emitted a loud laugh.
“Nah, only the ones I stalk on TikTok,” I admitted, washing my hands in the kitchen sink.
Marissa emitted a deep laugh that time, standing on the opposite side of the sink. I turned and went into the refrigerator, retrieving the blue and white box with green cursive letters sprawled across the front.
“San Sebastián, that sounds familiar,” Marissa commented, reading the letters on the box. “What’s that?”
“Only the best slice of cheesecake you will ever find in Miami,” I declared, pulling the box open so she could get a good look at the masterpiece. “This ain’t that shit you find inplastic domes from some chain bakery.” Marissa raised a brow, intrigued by my dramatics. “This is that imported Basque-style cheesecake. It comes from a tiny shop tucked between a wine bar and boutique in Coral Gables. The only man who runs it barely speaks English, but he knows to have one prepared for my mother every week. He’s from San Sebastián where my parents got married, and only makes ten cakes a day.”
Marissa’s eyes swiveled between me and the cake as a wide grin spread across her face.
“Wait… are you serious?” She gasped, stepping closer to the counter with her mouth agape. “This isthatplace?”
I nodded, leaning the cake down so she could get a full view. The golden top always had the perfect caramelized finish, slightly cracked and sunken in the center.
“Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get my hands on one of these?” She bubbled, bouncing around the counter with a huge grin on her face. “They don’t even have a website. I tried to find them after seeing someone post about them on TikTok.”
I placed the cake on the counter and went to retrieve the plates and forks while Marissa washed her hands. She was glowing now because this was the type of shit that impressed her. Bouncing on the heels of her feet, Marissa grabbed the plates and sat them on the counter. I pulled a knife from the drawer below the cake to cut two slices. She was giddy as fuck, rubbing her hands together while I plated the cake.
She snatched up her plate and shoveled a spoonful of cake into her mouth. Her eyes closed and she emitted a loud moan that sent my mind to the gutter. I watched as she ignored me and enjoyed another bite of cake, oblivious to the world around her just like in those videos. Everything about Marissa had driven me crazy up to this point, but somehow even the way she chewed had me on edge. Her bites were small and deliberate. Then the little dance she did, slightly shaking her hips while she enjoyedthe cheesecake, almost made me emit a low growl. That was the final straw. That subtle, carefree gesture brought my dick to life without her even trying. I could only imagine what would happen if she put forth effort. When Marissa’s eyes popped open and she saw me admiring her, she dropped her fork and placed her hands over her face.
“I’m sorry. You just don’t understand. This is what heaven tastes like.”
“You straight. Enjoy and you can take the cake home,” I offered, trying to distract her from my body’s natural reaction.
“Really?” She perked up after placing another spoonful in her mouth. I nodded and she beamed, slowly and dramatically chewing the cake.
