Love Delivered (24 page)

I chuckled and he followed behind. “Somebody’s hungry,” I teased.

“Somebody’s been squeezing manual labor out of me,” his baritone rumbled sexily.

When I shifted to leave the bed, Stenton threw his weight over my upper torso. “No,” he growled. I froze at the cry in his tone. There was no mistaking the plea in it. For seconds long there was silence before he uttered. “I’m not ready for this to end.”

My heart shuddered. Stenton spoke as an abandoned child. The strength he used to hold me in place belied his machismo. Did he think I’d toss him out like a one night-
and a full day
-stand? I scraped my teeth against my bottom lip, contemplatively.

“Stenton, you need to eat,” I almost whispered.

I twisted so my upper body rested on my elbow as I looked down on his soft curls.

“I need you,” he mumbled, almost incoherently.

Suddenly, my heart rate increased. My face contorted into a painful moue, his undertone breaking my heart.

“Stenton, I was going to get up and fix you something to eat.”

Seconds later, his head slowly rose and turned to meet my eyes. Stenton studied me for a while. I didn’t know what he was attempting to gauge, but he was definitely assessing me.

“You don’t have to cook again. We can go out.” His marble orbs were prominent and his overall gaze was sober.

Stenton and I had never been out as a pair. We’ve always enjoyed time outdoors at private places when we decided not to stay indoors. He was as private as they came. Until Erika.

“Are you sure? I know I can find something easy to whip together.”

He nodded his head. “Where do you wanna go? I can have Srey call ahead for a reservation.”

“Well, you’re pretty hungry now and I’m probably not that far behind you. I’m not sure if we can get an easy reservation this late on a Saturday night.”

Stenton’s lips twitched up into a delicious smile exposing his teeth. His eyes slanted displaying his long dark lashes. “You forget I have more fans in the city of Philadelphia than the mayor.”

It was that smile that assuaged all doubt and fear. It was the one rare thing that made me forget about our bizarre history. In that moment, similar to three years or so ago, Stenton Rogers was the most beautiful creature to me. Well, second to our son, who inherited so many of his father’s handsome features.

He flipped me over and completely covered me on the bed, placing his warm nude body over my small frame and reached his long arm behind him, toward the nightstand on the right side of the bed for his phone. Once secured in his hand, he resumed the previous position, placing his knee over mine and his head just under my breasts.

“It’s me. I need reservations for two.” Stenton then angled his head upward to look at me. “Where?” He sounded like a kid on his first date. 

   I shrugged. “I don’t know.” Then a thought struck. “There’s that new Indian restaurant,
Bajwa,
in Center City…right on Walnut. It looks to be fancy enough for ya,” I joked, with him and Erika in mind and all of their fancy excursions. I’d heard about countless ones. Who hadn’t?

Stenton’s face fell. Again, he was reduced to a disappointed child. “Zo, if you’re not with it, we can pick another place.”

My stomach dropped and I felt like crap. My eyes widened. “No…no! That place is fine…if you like Indian cuisine. Do you like that?”

I recalled him having his friend, Jimmy John, make it for me years ago, but wasn’t sure if he exactly enjoyed it enough to try it again.

Stenton was still crestfallen when he uttered, “
Bajwa
on Walnut in Center City. Make it for an hour.” Then he browsed up at me again. “Is that enough time for you to get ready?”

I bit my bottom lip as I smiled accordingly. Suddenly, I felt responsible to maintain his fragile ego. Stenton let up off of me. I immediately hopped up to leave the bed as he spoke to Srey. I stood at the foot of the bed admiring his chiseled frame. Stenton had always been irresistible to me. The only man I ogled. The only one to make me weak in the knees.

“What the hell are you looking at?” He supplied a knowing smile.

I tapped my front teeth with my index finger, meditatively. Then I pointed it to his semi-erect appendage. “If you’re bringing that, Srey might want to make the reservation for a party of three. But then you won’t have my undivided attention; he will.” I used my lips to gesture at his member.

Stenton’s head jerked back in laughter. Laughter that filled my heart. Mirth that reminded me how much I loved this man. The one who stole my heart at twenty and never returned it.

We arrived at the restaurant and were seated right away. After much deliberation, I decided on spicy shrimp in coconut curry and Stenton, chicken tikka masala. The food was awesome, even Stenton agreed. We had wine and our conversation took course naturally, as it always did as we chatted about my curriculum. In my peripheral, I could see a middle-aged man, gawking at our table. It was weird, but I understood I was with Mr. Philadelphia himself and tried hard to ignore him. Stenton made that easy with our ease of conversation and silliness.

We both declined dessert when the waitress offered. I was stuffed and Stenton could be funny with sweets. Just as our table was cleared, the man I’d been seeing eyeing us just over Stenton’s shoulder appeared at our table.

“Stenton, it’s a pleasure to see you out,” the man with a white beard, balding in the center of his head, greeted. He sported smart glasses and was fairly handsome, even for someone I’d never be interested in.

“Kenneth,” Stenton returned, not looking him in the face.

“I won’t disturb you. I can see you’ve been enjoying your evening.” His smile was too desperate. Attempting to be too impressionable. “Would you mind giving me a statement about your time tonight with Jordan’s mother?”

I gasped. No one ever acknowledged me respectfully. I’m
typically Stenton’s baby momma
. So gross. This guy’s approach was soft and respectful.

Stenton sighed, slightly exasperated. “Because you accurately titled her, I’ll entertain you, Kenneth.”

Just then, my phone sounded of a text. It was Ruth, sending a picture of a house with a message.

This will be Mommy’s house in nine months! Stenton old ass is a’ight!

I eyed the large house, ranch style, white shutters, and beautiful yard.

“So, are you two officially back together?” the man, who I then realized was a reporter asked, hopefully.

Stenton chuckled, almost bashfully. “Only if I was a lucky man could I call Ms. Barrett mine. I’d love to, but it’s something I’d have to earn. I hope not to fail her the way I did the greatest city ever.” His eyes twinkled at me.

My heart enlarged from his subtle hinting at the possibility of a formal relationship and me having just learned of him purchasing a vacation home for my mother. Her dream home. What was going on here?

“Now, my photographer is outside ready for a few shots of you. I would hope you wouldn’t hide your handsome faces. It would be a shame,” Kenneth pouted.

Oh, he was laying it on thick.

Stenton only nodded to acknowledge Kenneth’s covert manner of asking if we would play nice with his pap. He left without pushing for more. I was happy; I had questions.

“What?” Stenton asked, his brows narrowed.

“What?” My eyes shot up to him.

“You’re making that sound with the back of your throat. What’s going on?”

Here we go
. “Did you buy my mom a house?”

Stenton didn’t answer right away. He instead took a long swig of his
Malbec
. Eventually he spoke. “Yes.” Though his gaze was steady, his tone was shaky.

“Why?” My confidence mimicked his, I just hoped he didn’t notice.

He sat up in his seat, taking a deep breath. “Because Sarah has been one of a few whose support hasn’t wavered for me, even though I…brought confusion to her doorstep. She’s been a rock for me when…” I could swear his voice cracked. “Well, when others turned their back. She always reminds me that there’s more to me than fucking balling.”

I winced, but quickly centered myself. I nodded my understanding, not being able to speak from the torrent of emotions running through my head. I didn’t recognize them all, but one I did. I was aroused.  

By the time we made it outside, there indeed were flashes, and from two distinct cameras. I tried to cover my face because of my buzzed eyes from the wine, only to have Stenton pull me into his side and push my hand down. My head whipped up at him, challenging his move. But when our eyes met, we laughed like silly teens. He made me giddy all over. The cameras flashed until we were pulling off in his Bugatti. 

There was nothing but silence on the short ride back to my apartment. I didn’t know what to say to him. Didn’t know which question to go with first to begin my quest to finally understand just what this thing was between the two of us. He’d been so firm in his answer to the reporter. He’d just bought my mother her dream house. Where would I begin? I didn’t. Or at least not in the car, using words.

With his security driving behind us, Stenton kept his eyes on the road, but they were laced with preoccupation. He was in heavy thought himself. I wondered what he was thinking and if it resembled my thoughts of his presence in my life.

When we exited the car, we headed straight for the elevator. Stenton was ahead of me, pushing the call button. While we waited mere seconds, our eyes locked. In an instant, I needed him. I didn’t know how to express my confusion or excitement of having him back, even if temporarily. I couldn’t articulate my appreciation of Stenton igniting my passion for intimacy…
and hope
. There were no words that could explain my desire for him in that moment.

As soon as the elevator door closed, he pounced on me. I didn’t mind because I had my own animalistic expressions to convey. By the time we made it up the one level, my pants were off, and by the time we made it past the threshold of the door, my bottom was completely bare as Stenton took me from behind, against the wall.

The next morning, I awakened alone in my bed. His weight and warmth were gone, but his scent lingered. It permeated the pillows and sheets, was smeared on my lips, neck, breasts and thighs. A ghostly sense of Stenton remained, so why did I feel bereft? Why did I feel alone again?

I shook that idea from my head and rubbed my eyes open. I glanced over at the nightstand and saw it was just after seven, plenty of time for me to do some cleaning before leaving for church. As I dragged my delicate limbs from the bed, I scolded myself for pining for him. He told me some time last night, in between lovemaking that he had training first thing this morning. I, myself, had church and work. We had to get back to our normal lives, no matter how difficult that would be after being entangled for over twenty-four hours.

It wasn’t supposed to be that complicated. From the moment I saw him at Hakim’s party and recognized that licentious slant in his eyes, I told myself I could only have one night with him. That was his only availability to me. But each minute we’d shared since had been more.  

He made me feel as though I’d had
my
Stenton back. He was tender, attentive, even worshipful. Reminiscing over our times together alone was intoxicating. I didn’t know what to expect moving forward. Again, I had a full schedule with church and closing the bakery tonight. He had training most of the morning. We had to end our rendezvous, but Stenton asked if he could check in with me later on and I agreed.

Ughhhh!
I didn’t know separating from him after such a short amount of time would be so hard.

As I stood for the bathroom, I noticed his
Audemar
on the nightstand. I chuckled until I passed the chaise next to the en suite bathroom door and I found his belt lying on the floor. Next to it was a trail of his clothes from Friday night. I immediately got a hunch that Stenton purposely left his clothing here.  He could have easily taken them home when he stopped there this morning before training. I picked each item of clothing up and folded them neatly into a pile, including his boxers and socks. I could have easily slipped them in a bag and sent it to him the next time Jordan visited him. That was my sole thought of sanity concerning his leftover clothing. The unbalanced ones that came in spades were immediately dismissed. I couldn’t get caught up in Stenton anymore. He hadn’t chosen me.

He never chose me.

Those last two sentences became a mantra while I cleaned the apartment, on my ride to church, intermittently throughout service and into my afternoon shift. When I arrived at the bakery, Angela was putting a new batch of chocolate chip spearmint cupcakes into the industrial oven. She looked horrid and I told her so.

Angela wiped the sweat from above her mouth; I’d guessed from the heat getting to her. Her sweaty appearance aside, it was unfair how great she looked with a nude face, basketball tank, leggings, and a bandana wrapped around her forehead to keep hair from her face. Angela was still beautiful after having her world switch lanes just three years ago.

“You look to be glowing. I know you said you were with Stenton this weekend, but were you
with
him, too? A good fuck would explain the glow,” Angela observed as she gave me an intense onceover.