“Your aunt told my mom that she was dyeing her hair as part ofa list of things she wanted to do before she’s gone… and that she’s on hospice. And when I called my mom after I got back from Dubai, she told me. She thought I knew. I told her that you’d tell me when you were ready.”
My eyes widened. “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait… you’ve known for two months?”
“Yes. And I never looked at you as anything other than the beautiful, smart, intriguing woman who got me to order a burger instead of wings. Who made an ordinary trip home… more than that. A woman who had a lot going on and still made room for me, still made my business idea a viable plan.” He leaned forward, holding my gaze. “I knew you were carrying something heavy, and nothing changed. I found out what it was, and nothing changed. And now you know that I know… and nothing has changed.”
Blinking back tears, I was overwhelmed by his words. I could only manage to utter his name. “Lamar.”
“You want me to see you, and I do.” He put his arm around my shoulders and his mouth against the shell of my ear. “I see all of you.”
Shivering, I leaned into him before turning to crash my lips against his. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our tongues gently teased each other. I pulled out of the kiss as abruptly as I’d initiated it. One more second and I was prepared to climb into his lap and show him how much his words meant to me.
I stared into his eyes. “I like you.”
His lips spread into a smile as he pulled me close. “I like you, too.”
“Tomorrow is the last Sunday before school starts. Would you like to spend the day with me?”
He ran his fingertips down my back. “I would love to.”
When the DJ announced that the party was over, most people headed to their cars. Lamar and I went straight to one of the three bedrooms upstairs that Aaliyah had assigned to us upon arrival. I took a shower and slipped into a silky nightgown. Then I climbed into bed to wait for Lamar to finish his shower—and fell asleep.
Between the way Lamar had put it on me before the party, all the action during the party, and those delicious-ass drinks, I wasknocked out cold. It wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning that I was cognizant of his arm draped across my midsection and his body pressed against my backside. His breath tickled my neck as I roused from slumber.
Turning carefully until I was face-to-face with him, I watched him sleep. I reached up and caressed his beard. The soft coarse hair was well moisturized and perfectly framed his mouth. His full, kissable lips turned slightly downward at the corners as he slept. His long eyelashes rested on his blemish-free cheeks, hiding the most soulful brown eyes.
Lamar Anderson was so incredibly handsome.
And for all the shit I’d been talking on the dance floor, I woke up next to that sexy man well rested and unfucked.
17
“Oh my God,” I huffed, trying to catch my breath as I collapsed on the bed. I ran my hands from my belly to my breasts, tweaking my nipples. My body was still vibrating from the intensity of my orgasm. “That felt so…” I shivered. “So good.”
The first time Lamar and I’d had sex, it was an unexpected, lust-fueled quickie in the woods. The second time, it was passionately rushed in my bedroom prior to the party. So, when he woke up and found me caressing his face, he pulled me close. His hard dick pressed up against me, and seconds later, our clothes were off, and we had been slow fucking and kissing leisurely.
“You take care of me in a way that I’ve never experienced before,” I confessed softly. “I feel you everywhere.”
“All I want to do is take care of you.” Lamar kissed from my belly to my neck before hovering over my face. “I know I said perfection doesn’t exist. But that was before I had your pussy.”
I giggled, pulling his lips to mine. “I can’t believe you picked me up and did all that.”
“I can’t believe you thought I was going to drop you.”
“I weigh a good amount.”
“And I deadlift six hundred pounds.” He dropped a peck on my lips. “You’re light work.”
I’d never been calledlightbefore. I’d been big my whole life, and I had to admit it felt nice to feel so dainty with him. My entire childhood, I had been one of the biggest kids in my grade. In college, I dated a string of average-height, skinny men before marrying an average-height, skinny man. I’d never been manhandled before. I’d never had someone make me feel weightless. I’d never been picked up and fucked against a wall, let alone above the bed.
I’d never felt like the extra fat on my body was the thing that prevented me from being beautiful. But it definitely kept me from being seen as desirable in Chance—at least openly. The mean girlstargeting me and making me public enemy number one made it difficult to make friends, let alone date. Antagonizing me with fat jokes was par for the course, but there were boys who would steal glances and try to proposition me when no one was around. So I knew my weight wasn’t the sole issue. But that environment had kept me from ever asking a man to pick me up, spin me around, and handle me like I’d just been handled.
And there’s no way I can go back.
“How much time do we have?” Lamar asked. “If I weren’t rushing to get to your place after practice, I would’ve remembered to grab my ties and really give you a demonstration.”
With the biggest, goofiest grin on my face, I giggled. “Lamar—”
My words were interrupted by a knock at the door.
