“Pryce, no. That’s not your decision to make. And honestly, it’s not your business.” Even I didn’t believe that. But I had already said it, so I went with it.
I watched as he placed the sandwich on a small plate and walked over so that he was standing right next to me. Setting the plate down on the island, he turned the barstool so that we were face to face.
“Even you don’t believe that shit you just said. You’ve always been my business.” He spoke with conviction, but his tone wasn’t harsh. It was sure. Placing his hand on my belly, he continued. “You’ll be my business for the next twenty-one years. And so long as you don’t wanna co-parent from a visitation room at the Department of Corrections, you’ll take heed to what I said.I’m tellin’ you now so there’s no confusion if a rapper comes up missing later. You want tea or water?”
I shouldn’t have been thinking about his hand sliding down my belly and into my shorts to my pussy, but it was exactly where my mind went. While I should’ve been scared, I was turned on. I knew this Pryce well. This wasn’t a threat. It was a promise wrapped in a warning, one that I didn’t want to challenge.
“Chamomile tea,” I answered.
He nodded once and moved back to the pantry. Again, my eyes followed his movements as he filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove. I picked up the sandwich I didn’t intend to eat and took a bite. I wasn’t a fan of grilled cheese sandwiches until I met Pryce. It was the only thing he knew how to make that didn’t require me looking over his shoulder at the stove. He always had the right amount of cheese and made the bread a perfect golden brown on the first try.
“You been sick a lot?” he asked, leaning against the counter.
“Only in the first trimester,” I replied as I chewed. “I couldn’t keep much down.”
“Any cravings?”
“Nothing specific really. But whatever I have a taste for, I have to satisfy the craving right then and there.”
He nodded slowly, like he was taking mental notes. “How bout your prenatal vitamins? You taking those?”
A small smile tugged at my lips for the first time since he’d been in my house. “What you know about prenatal vitamins?”
“I know you should be taking them.”
“Yeah. I am. I’m doing really well, Pryce. I’m taking care of myself,” I assured him.
He watched me take another bite of the sandwich before asking quietly, “How long you have your hair like that?”
Reaching up instinctively, I pulled at one of my curly red strands. “A few months now. Wanted to switch it up.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. “Felt like I needed to change my look along with the new scenery.”
“You wanted to feel single?”
The question landed heavy and unexpected. I hadn’t thought about it like that. Sure, I was single when I made the decision, but I definitely didn’t feel that way.
“No. It was just something I wanted to do.”
He studied my face, eyes unwavering, like he was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth.
“How’s business?” I switched the subject to avoid him overthinking my response.
“It’s running. Some days are longer than others.”
I nodded. “Have you been sleeping?”
He scoffed softly and turned to remove the kettle from the stove. “Since when you start asking questions you already know the answer to?” Pouring the water over the chamomile teabag, he added a little honey and brought it over to me.
“I figured since you had someone, they’d be helping you out with that.”
He smirked. “Nah. You figured you’d try to covertly ask me if I was with someone. The answer is no. I don’t sleep when I link Alexis. I get my nut, then I go about my business.”
His straight admission stung. I could’ve gone without him telling me that he was fucking someone else. And I felt stupid for even opening the door to his honesty. I shifted in my chair uncomfortably, wanting him to give me space. Then, he spoke again.
“The only person that can help me get the rest my body needs is you.”
