The only jewelry he wore tonight was his Rolex and a single diamond stud in his ear. King bit his bottom lip slowly while looking at me like I was dinner. Before I could even say anything, he grabbed my waist and pulled me into his chest.
I melted into him instantly.
His arms wrapped tight around me, strong and warm, and when his hands slid down and gave my ass a firm squeeze, I didn’t even bother complaining. His cologne wrapped around me, rich and masculine, and I inhaled it deep like it was oxygen.
Lord… I didn’t want to let him go. But I had to stay strong.
I wasn’t about to give him pussy just because he showed up looking good and smelling like money. I had real feelings and I was tired of them being tampered with. King was the second man in my life to ever be between my thighs.
“King…” I finally whispered, letting out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding.
“Layloni…”
He lowered his head into the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply before pressing a soft kiss there. Then another. His arms tightened around me like he never wanted to let me go.
It was something about the way he held me made my chest ache in the best way. My hands slowly wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him even closer. For a moment we just stood there like that. Breathing each other in. All the tension we had been carrying around for days slowly melted away.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he mumbled against my neck.
My whole body stilled. Shock shot through me, but I stayed quiet. I didn’t want to break the moment.
“I’m sorry I didn’t show you sooner that I was raised better than the man I’ve been acting like,” he continued quietly. “I been carrying a lot of anger… a lot of pain. Losing my dad fucked me up more than I let people see.”
He finally released me and walked into my house, dropping onto the couch like the weight of the world was sitting on his shoulders. His head bowed as he rubbed his hand over his waves.
“I miss him every day,” he said. “Sometimes it feels like I’m losing my damn mind without him. When he died… It felt like I lost my connection to the world.”
His voice cracked slightly before he continued.
“But lately something been changing.” His eyes lifted to mine.
“That’s because of you.”
My stomach flipped. He looked at me in a way that made my heart pound harder.
“When I first saw you, you were so deep in your own world you ain’t even notice me standing there,” he said. “But when you finally looked at me… I saw the pain in your eyes. Life had been beating on you.” His voice softened.
“But even through that pain… you were still beautiful.”
I felt tears sting my eyes.
“I wanted your number that day,” he continued. “But I let it go. Figured it wasn’t my place.” He laughed lightly.
“Then I saw you walking in that damn rain… fast as hell too.” His head shook.
“I remember thinking, what kind of man lets his woman walk in the rain like that?”
My chest tightened.
“And when you told me you had a boyfriend… I ain’t even gonna lie. That made me want you more.” He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.
“But then I realized … I didn’t even know how to be the man you deserved.” His eyes met mine again.
“I never loved a woman before you…except my momma.”
That confession made my breath catch.
“I kept women in rotation,” he said honestly. “They never asked for more. Just took the gifts, the dick, and kept it moving.” He paused, looking up at me with glistened eyes.
