Love Delayed (44 page)

I still held on to my breath. “I mean, I know in the agreement I signed it said a nanny would be paid for in full as well as tuition, but...”

“
Zo, that’s for wherever you decide to go.”

“But Princeton is expensive—”

“It’s also where you were when your plans were disrupted. It’s the least I can do.”

I rolled my eyes at nothing in particular, feeling frustrated by the
glaring topic once again. This “situation” haunted my private thoughts, relentlessly.

“Stenton, it took the two of us to make a baby. I don’t want you to take the blame for the consequen
ce of something I consented to, wholly.” I made sure to align my eyes with his.

His expression morphed into a scowl, making it abundantly clear that he was annoyed.

“You had to live through disappointing your parents and community, put your career on hold, carry a baby for almost ten months, experience your body expanding, being isolated, and then deliver my legacy. Me? I still work, still continue with pretty much all the activities I’ve had since before Jordan, and add to all of that, be congratulated by the President of the United States for having a child. Doesn’t sound like a fair trade off to me.” He lowered his chin. “Go back to school, Zo. Resume your career path. If all I have to do is write a damn check to grant you that, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what you’ve been through over the past year.”

I was speechless. When he put it that way I forgot how disconnected it felt like we’d been. It made me reconsider the cave I’d been alone in while everyone else went about life. Stenton was offering me an opportunity to make a life for my son and me. He was giving me the tools to continue the journey I thought I’d derailed.

I bit back the cry that begged to be released. I’d never been much of a crier, but lately my hormones had been off the charts.

I nodded softly. “Thanks, Stenton.”

His thick brows peaked as Stenton shook his head categorically. “No. Thank you.” 

Slowly, an assured smile worked its way onto my face. “Now, let’s eat. You need to restore that energy you exerted earlier.”

He laughed.
God, I’ve missed that
. It warmed something deep within...this time carnal.

“In that case, you need to clean your plate for what I have in store until I board my flight on Thursday.” He sounded sober with that one.

“You’re staying until then?”

His brows met. “Yeah,
Zo, damn! What’s so hard to believe about that?”

I smiled broadly. A goofy one. A goofy smile I couldn’t contain. And it felt great.

~~~~~~~~~~

“
Zo,” he cried out lazily as I rested on my haunches with my head in his pelvis.

Stenton’s head rolled back and forth
, spurring my inspiration to keep pushing him into my mouth and pull him out with a suctioned jaw.

God I’ve missed this.

This expression. This communication. This interaction. His vulnerability. His need of me. While in his lap, I forgot about the loneliness, the exhaustion, the confusion, and the waiting game I played for Stenton’s ultimate commitment. When I felt the sweat beads from his thighs against my arms, I knew he was nearing.

“Zo, baby, not like this. I don’t wanna come like this,” his throaty cry was raw and so…masculine. I missed having a man in my bed, at my mercy, in my mouth—and suddenly in my body.

I released him from my mouth with one final suction. When my eyes met Stenton’s face, I saw his bottom lip between his teeth. His tattoos were all glistening, his chest lifted and dropped with hyper rhythm. And his long and lean arms were raised above his head where his wrists were tied together.

Stenton agreed to me tying him up tonight. Having had more than an amenable day today since our heart-to-heart over lunch yesterday, we’d had a wonderful time talking, playing with Jordan, and even ended the day by going out to a quiet dinner alone. Eligia kept Jordan while we continued catching up.

When we returned, Stenton gave Jordan his bath, I fed him then handed him back over to his dad to be put down. For the first time in over a year my heart didn’t feel so weighed down. We’d paid my tuition for the upcoming semester, sealing the deal for me to fulfill my dream. Stenton seemed just as excited as I was. What better way to celebrate than with our sweaty bodies rubbing against each other in passionate fury?

When I handed Jordan over to Stenton to put down, I threw the question out there with little expectation of him agreeing to letting me tie him up. In all the time Stenton and I had been together he’d only entertained me a couple of times. After our lunch together yesterday, he pulled out the restraints from one of his bags and we played for hours into the night.

Tonight, I had him in simple nylon restraints using one pillar of the bed. With the way he wriggled underneath me, I didn’t know how long he’d stay this way, so I quickly grabbed a condom to sheath him before sinking down on him.

“
Sssssss
…” he blew through his teeth, feeling the friction.

I was too excited to go slow. Something about having him tied up made me appreciate his reasons for inclining to this particular kink. Stenton’s muscles bunched and even rolled at times as he pulled against the device encasing his big wrists. I moved up and down on him, enjoying the fullness of him inside of me. Stenton started to move with me, flexing his hips up from the mattress as I pushed down on him. I saw the tip
of his pink tongue peek between pinched lips and decided I wanted to feel that, too. I lowered my torso to capture his lips and rolled my tongue around his mouth as I rocked my pelvis against his. Stenton felt amazing and I could feel my orgasm stirring.

Suddenly, I needed his hands on me, so I quickly rushed up his long arms to release the swivel snaps of the D-rings and separated the restraints. This wasn’t the easiest feat considering how tall his is. It was somewhat like climbing a tree. It was such a far reach that Stenton had to thrust alone as I released him. 

Before I was completely done, Stenton yelped, “Fuck, Niña! I’m about to come! The shit you do!”

Then his big hands slapped my skin as he clasped my hips, ramming into me. My eyes slammed shut as I felt pleasure spikes shoot through each corner of my frame. My orgasm hit me quicker than I expected, and abruptly I was engulfed in immeasurable bliss. As my body
began its first waves of euphoria, gyrating uncontrollably with pleasure, I grabbed the post he was once attached to and could hear Stenton’s ragged breaths beneath me as we met our release together.

The best!

It was magical, the things he did to me. His ability to make me feel so reverenced and valued. I floated above earth. Felt stronger than I had in a long time. In that moment, I collided with the clarity of my future. Felt like the old Zoey. The one that could take on the world.

Then I needed to see him. Experience his eyes. When I settled my
sight below I wasn’t prepared for what I saw.

“Holy mother of—! Stenton!” I yelped.

Licking his lips, he smiled. “It’s okay. You’re good.”

“No!
Nooooo!” I straightened and covered my breasts. “I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t sweat it. It’s all good,
Zo,” he assured as he wiped my breast milk from his face.

Stenton’s teeth were on full display as he smiled. His eyes were tight from his recent ascent and his tongue wouldn’t stop swiping his mouth. I shuffled off his body, wincing at the disconnect
, leaped into the bathroom, turning on the shower and barely felt the ice cold water against my still hyper-sensitive skin.

“
Zo… Heeey…” Stenton soothed as he entered the shower and wrapped me against his hot hard frame, a stark contrast in temperatures, making my body jerk. He lowered his mouth to the side of my face. “Calm the hell down.”

“I
d
-don’t think I’ve ever
f
-felt so mortified,” I attempted through chattering teeth, I was freezing.

I felt Stenton steel behind me. He cupped my chin so that I could
meet his eyes. While his face was wrinkled, there was a comforting smile playing on his heart-shaped lips.

“
Zo, this is me here. I’m no stranger. That milk feeds my son.” It took a few seconds for me to calm, but I eventually nodded, willing myself to believe he was okay with having my breast milk splattered over his face. Slowly, I turned to face him. I mean, it was Stenton and no random one-night-stand. My arms rounded his waist and I placed my head on his chest. “Besides, I’m not new to your bodily fluids. Remember, I’m the one who proved you can enjoy sex even when you’re menstruating.”

I cocked a brow. “You’re the only man I’ve had sex with while menstruating. You’re the man who took my virginity
.” I made sure to include cynicism in my tone.

Stenton angled his head, “
Ummmm…I didn’t take anything. I was actually forced to catch it if memory serves me correctly.”

I slapped his chest. “Stenton! Is that what you tell people?”

“Yup. Everyone who interviews me. And I make sure to include how perky your tits were the first time I saw them.” As I laughed he cupped my cheeks from behind, pushing me into him. He rubbed his nose against mine as he whispered, “You look even better now with the weight. You’re incredibly sexy, Zoey. Don’t doubt for a moment you’re less than what you were before Jordan. You’re even more attractive now.”

I believed him. It was easy to. There was no way Stenton was lying to me when I considered the gleam in his eyes as he spoke to me and held me to his frame. We were so close that I could detect the rhythm of his heartbeat. I took him at the sides of his face and kissed him tenderly. In that moment, I knew there was no other man who could love me or enrich my spirit the way Stenton did.

A few hours later, I couldn’t find my way to sleep, so I stayed up with the television on at a low volume while on my laptop. I joined a few chat rooms for my upcoming classes. I wanted to know who I’d be spending my semester with. I was happy to be able to hook up with a few old friends.

Stenton was fast asleep beside me on his back with his arms and legs stretched wide. All I saw was a tatted octopus in my bed. He was exhausted. This was supposed
to be a restful few days for him before he did a circus round of commercial and print ad shoots and then go right back into training.

My eyes started to get heavy, so I logged off my laptop and my attention unconsciously wandered over to the television where a rerun of the Wendy Williams show was on. I caught it as she introduced her next guest, Erika
Erceg. The crowd went up in applause as the buxom beauty strutted out in a white fitted midi dress with five inch gold heels. She was beautiful: shiny jet black tresses, olive skin, long and thick eyelashes, plump pouty lips, and the perfect set of hips and booty. Erika was sinfully striking, which was the crux of her success. She didn’t sing, act or dance, but made her family’s surname a brand. She was also Tynisha’s nemesis for some reason: solely diva issues if you asked me.   

“So,” Wendy started her question while fluffing her hair. “What’s this I hear about your progression with your big crush—wait…how long have you been crushing on this man, Erika?”

Erika’s flawless face falls into the perfect bashful expression. Her cheeks heat up visibly, and in the same moment, the crowd goes crazy over the picture that appears on the back screen of Stenton Rogers. I use his formal name because that is who the crowd sees, who she sees. There, in fact, were several pictures that flashed on the screen. One with him in his team’s uniform, another of him posing shirtless, and one black and white photo of him in a pushup stance in the rain.

Another thing I observed was how Stenton was drop-dead gorgeous in all of them, completely stunning. Don’t get me wrong: even his sleepy face lasciviously stirred something deep within, but gosh! The producers hit the mark trying to demonstrate him being crush-worthy. Even I’d suddenly seen him in a different light. I experienced the lust Erika did.

The last picture to flash was with Jordan about a month ago. That one stung. It was personal, of my child. I had to quickly remind myself that Jordan’s father was a public figure and he’d be as exposed as Stenton would allow.

Erika’s gushing broke my daze.

“It’s been like…oh my god…all his career. He’s always been so hot. When I would see him years ago, I would completely freeze, couldn’t even speak.”

Wendy laughed along with her receptive audience. “So, have you talked with him or been out on a date with him?”

“We’ve been out, but not like…alone. We’ve definitely been chatting a lot lately on the phone,” Erika offered.

“
Awwww…” Wendy sang. “That’s too cute.” Erika’s cheeks flamed again. “So, when was the last time you saw him?”

I couldn’t believe the amount of airtime being devoted to a crush.

“A few weeks ago at an event. We didn’t get to talk for long. You know he’s always being swept away somewhere.”

“Yeah, Stenton Rogers has the most endorsement deals in the league, I’ve been told. You think you can handle that with your busy schedule?”