“I’d have to be stupid to believe anything that a man said during sex,” I replied pointedly.“Plus, when you consider how we were roleplaying, I didn’t want to make the mistake of reading too much into anything that we did last night.”
His head reared back in surprise.“Roleplaying?Who the fuck was roleplaying?”
“You know what I mean, Beck.”
Grabbing my chin in his fingers, he said, “Let’s get something straight here, Thandie.While I can admit that last night was new for me, there was noroleplayinginvolved on my end.Remember, that was your fantasy, not mine.”
“Even so, we’re not kids, Beck,” I replied, doing my best not to get too excited too soon.“I just...I’m just trying to be pragmatic here.I don’t want you feeling that you’re...that you’re obligated to make this more because I’m Kelly’s best friend.”
“Did you not hear me earlier?I’ve had a thing for you since the moment that we met,” he said, making my heart skip a beat.“That wasn’t for Kelly’s benefit, baby.It’s the truth.Everything since the moment that I touched you last night has been the truth.”
“So, we’re really doing this?”I asked, still trying to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground.“You and me?This is...is real?”
“Yeah, it’s real,” he said, finally letting go of my chin.“In fact, it’s about as real as it gets.You’re not some woman that I picked up at a bar or met at a medical conference, Thandie.I know you.I’ve known you for years, and so I don’t need to take things slow with you.I already know enough.”
“And you’re prepared for having a Black girlfriend?”I asked, and while it was an uncomfortable topic for a lot of people, I needed to ask.
Beck’s blue eyes glowed with a quiet anger that actually made me feel better.“Do not ever ask me that question again, Thandie,” he answered.“No matter what you might think of me, my profession, or my law-abiding ways, I can and will always protect you.Even if we weren’t dating, I’d never stand for that shit, and you know it.”
“The world is still an ugly place, Beck,” I told him.“And knowing a Black woman is a lot different from dating her.”
I had to grab onto his shoulders when Beck grabbed my hips, then dumped me on his lap.“I’m not stupid, Thandie,” he said.“I’m also not naïve, and I’m very aware of what kind of world we live in.Still, there isn’t anything or anyone out there that can change how I feel about you, and if I’m ever failing to protect you from all the ugly out there, then just let me know, and I’ll try harder.”
Swoon.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I said, “You’re making it really hard not to fall for you, Dr.McKenna.”
“That’s the plan, Counselor,” he chuckled as he held me tighter.
“So, what happens next?”
“If it won’t scare you away, then we move you into my place by the end of the month,” he said, and I was pretty sure that he was serious.“We also go shopping for a new bed.We need to make sure that we have one that’s compatible with all of our new hobbies.”
I let out a laugh, but before I could say anything to that, Kelly’s piercing screech was vibrating throughout the room, and she really was all energy.Kelly McKenna was the very definition of live emotion, and I just couldn’t love her more.
“Oh, my God!”she gushed as she clapped her hands together.“Look at the two of you!”
“Christ, can you drop it down an octave,” Beck winced.“I think you made my ears bleed.”
“Oh, shut up,” she laughed as she walked around to sit next to us on the couch.“Let me be happy for you two.”
“You don’t think that this will make things awkward?”I asked warily.“Especially, if things end up not working out?”
“Oh, please,” she scoffed.“Like my brother would ever let that happen.”
Beck just held me tighter as I asked, “Meaning?”
“Meaning that you might as well start planning your wedding to my brother now,” she retorted.“Beck never would have made a move on you if he didn’t see you as his forever.”
I immediately turned to face Beck.“Propose to all your girlfriends, I see.”
Before he could say anything, Kelly was saying, “You’re not a girlfriend, Thandie.You’re family, and because you’re family, there’s no way that Beck isn’t all-the-way serious about you.”
“That sounds oddly incestuous,” I muttered, wishing that she’d chosen different wording.
“We’ll roleplay stepbrother and stepsister later,” Beck quipped, making me smack his arm while Kelly let out a horrified gasp.
“Can you please not?”she choked out.“While I’m more than happy for the two of you, that is stuff that I do not need to know.”
