Adore You (6 page)

“UNCLE ELLLLLLLLL!”

I gathered my niece in my arms for a hug and asked, “Hey Sweetpea, what are you doing here?”

Before she could answer, Cassidy, whom I hadn’t noticed was right behind her said, “We were just leaving. Thanks again, Dev. Heyyyyy, El.” She turned back toward Bee who was standing in the entry way between the kitchen and hallway that lead to the front door. They exchanged a series of blinks and eyebrow raises before Cass and Sophie shuffled out of the door.

“What was that about?”

“Oh. Cass got caught up at work and asked me to pick up Soph so she wouldn’t be charged extra for being late.”

“Nah, nah…I’m talking about—”

“What kinda wine is that?” Bee said and advanced toward me to take the bag.

I handed it over and shrugged my coat off to hang on the coat rack. Bee had already walked back toward the kitchen, so I joined her there. I smelled spaghetti; so going with the red wine was the right choice. I had a fifty-fifty chance though. Bee could only cook two meals well; both of them were pasta based
–
with either a red or white sauce. I made myself useful and set the table. After I placed the last of the silverware down, I looked up to see Bee staring at me with a look on her face I couldn’t quite place.

“I can’t figure you out,” she said finally. “Can you grab the salad out the fridge? I’ll bring this over so we can chow down.”

I grabbed the salad and dressing from the refrigerator and brought it over to the table. We plated our meals and tucked into eating. Conversation was sparse as we stuffed our faces, but we talked around the reason I had come over here anyway. Instead we chose to stay on neutral topics like work, Sophie
,
and the gym. After finishing our food, we cleared the table. Devorah loaded the dishwasher while I sat in the living room area waiting for her, at her insistence. As I sat waiting, I thought about what the hell I was going to say to get back in her good graces and get us over this stupid little fight.

“You look like you’re deep in thought,” Devorah said, as she sat down next to me.

I hadn’t even heard her approach.

“Either you’re a ninja or this carpet’s padding muffles every damn thing. I didn’t even hear you come in here.”

Devorah threw her head back with laughter. She quickly sobered and turned toward me.

“Before you start, can I say something?”

I was taken aback, but intrigued, “Shoot.”

She inched a little closer, fidgeting with her nails. I maintained eye contact until her gaze fell onto her hands. She released a small breath and then raised her head to look me in the eyes once again.

“So I just want to say that I was kind of a jerk the other night and I’m sorry that I made you put me out.”

The shock at her apology must have shown on my face because she just continued talking.

“I just…I sometimes don’t know what to say and that was a prime foot in mouth moment. I didn’t realize the impact my words would make. You always seem so nonchalant and I didn’t realize how harshly they may have been received.”

She grabbed my hand and continued, “I’m only annoyed because when your hands are on me I can hardly think straight and to be frank, I don’t like that feeling. I don’t like being out of control.”

I tucked that tidbit of information away to revisit later.

“So. Yeah. Sorry for being a jackass,” she finished, breaking eye contact once again.

I grabbed her chin, bringing her eyes up to meet mine before I spoke.

“We both overreacted. I’ll own up to my part in that. So if you accept my apology for kicking you out like you were Pamela James, then we can start this relationship on a clean slate.”

A small smile crept onto her face, while her eyes held a bit of confusion.

“Relationship?”

“Yep. Relationship. Let’s cut the bullshit, Bee. Despite whatever cloudy ass words you want to classify it —
leaning in or whatever
— this is a relationship. We’ve been exclusively screwing each other’s brains out for at least six months,
albeit inconsistently
…your fault…”

“Wait,” she interrupted, “Exclusively?”

“Have you been with someone else?”

“Well no.”

“And neither have I, so that’s how exclusivity works.”

“And how is the inconsistency my fault?”

“Really?” I replied, rolling my eyes.

“Fine. FINE. You’re right. But…”

“No buts, we’re doing this. Full steam ahead. I’m talking fancy restaurants, sexy lingerie, all that shit.”

“But you know we still can’t tell our families, right? I don’t want—”

“If you think Cassidy didn’t call Everett to tell him as soon as she breeched your doorstep, I’ve got a beach house to sell you in Idaho,” I laughed.

“If she hasn’t spilled the beans by now, I think I’m good.”

“Wait…she knew?”

“She’s my best friend, El!”

“Cadence is your best friend. And, I thought, the only person in our immediate circle beyond us who knew.”

“You can’t tell me that Cade’s the only person you’ve talked about this.”

“Besides the point. The person I told is not married into the family!”

“Ah ha! I knew it! Oh my god, who else knows?”

“Trey, but
he’s my best friend, Bee
!” I said, mimicking her tone for justifying telling Cassidy.

“Har de har. But for real, can we hold off on telling the family until we see where this is going? I just…” Devorah broke off and looked away again.

I grabbed her arm, pulling her closer.

“You just…” I prompted.

“I just need a little time is all. Can you give me a little time?”

“I dunno, Bee. I mean...I might need some incentive to keep my mouth shut.”

A sneaky little smile crossed her lips before she slowly licked them. She stood, moving directly in front of me. Using the tip of her foot, she nudged my legs apart and stood between them. Not breaking eye contact, she grabbed the hem of her dress, slowly raising it. As the hem traveled up her thigh, so did my gaze. She soon revealed a set of black, lacy panties and a matching bra, which barely restrained what, was undeniably my favorite part of Bee’s body, her beautiful breasts.

As she whipped the dress over her head, my hands charted a course beginning at her thighs, over her ass and up to cup those mounds. Devorah’s eyes slid closed as I teased her nipples into hardened peaks.

“Mmmmm,” she moaned as I moved forward, tugging her bra up slightly to take a peak into my mouth, while still stimulating the other with my left hand. My right hand traveled south, skimming down her stomach to the waistband of her panties.

She brushed my hand away, stepping back slightly. She was a sight, chest heaving, bra twisted, eyes sparkling with barely restrained lust. She adjusted her bra and turned to walk out of the room. I sat there on the couch until I heard her ask, “You comin’?”

“So what were the other rules?” Ellis’ low rumble pulled me out of the orgasm induced hazed I’d been in. I was dozing off when he asked the question I had no definite answer to. The only real rule I had regarding the rollout of this relationship was how it would eventually be revealed to the family. The last thing I needed was Imogene Landon-Lee calling me and going on about how good girls don’t hop from brother to brother. Or how I should have never gave Everett to that damn ginger girl for the millionth time.

“Well…er…um…” I stalled.

“Wait a damn minute. There aren’t any rules beyond
don’t tell my mama
are there? Auntie Im got you that shook?” Ellis laughed.

“It’s not just my mama I’m worried about…”

“Well who else? Certainly not Everett.”

“Hell no. That fool probably already knows because Cass can’t hold water.”

“I thought you said…”

“I said nothing; you assumed,” I laughed.

“So who else? Certainly not
my
mama.”

I remained quiet, playing with the scalloped lace edges of my sheets. That’s exactly who had me shook. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely didn’t want the judgment from my mother, but I could just ignore her ass for a few days and she’d get past it. But Auntie Randi…I couldn’t be the lil heffa who messed around with both of her sons. I’d always been closer to her than Cadence’s mom Auntie Berta because of our shared love of dance. Auntie Randi was the one who encouraged my mom to put me into Hurston Dance Company after she saw me messing around with choreography on my own around the house. When Everett and I broke up, Auntie Randi had nothing bad to say, but I always felt like she was a bit disappointed that I wouldn’t become her daughter-in-law, popping out little dance grandbabies. Don’t get me wrong, she loved Cassidy, but they were about as opposite as two folks could get. Thank goodness Sophie Bean inherited her grandma’s dance genes.

“For real, Bee? Quit playin’, you know Miranda loves her some Devorah.”

“Yeah, but will she love the Devorah that’s fucked both of her sons?”

“Bee, just the tip doesn’t count.”

“It totally doe---wait! You know about that?
Oh my gooooooood
,” I moaned, burying my face in my hands and turning away from Ellis.

Everett and I swore we wouldn’t tell anyone about our failed sexcapades. I mean I’d told Cade, obviously, but he had to know that was a given. There was rarely anything that I didn’t tell her. But that didn’t mean he could tell his brother. Ellis grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into an embrace, kissing my forehead as he chuckled.

“Baby, that was over ten years ago. Besides…I won anyway! You let me get all up in them…”

“Stop. Ew. Do not finish that sentence or you will never get all up in me ever again.”

“Yeah right,” Ellis drawled, running his hand down my body to cup my ass.

“Stop tryna distract me. I’m serious though. Please let’s just chill on letting the old heads know about whatever this thing is.”

“This
thing
being our relationship. Say it with me, Bee. Our rela…actually, scratch that. I’m about to make you take an oath. Repeat after me. I, Devorah Nicole Lee…”

I rolled my eyes, pushing against Ellis slightly to loosen his embrace. He pulled me in even closer, locking a leg around mine to keep me in place. I looked up to see him waiting with one eyebrow cocked.

“All right, fine. I, Devorah Nicole Lee…”

“Do solemnly swear…”

“Do solemnly swear…”

“That I am in a relationship with Ellis Stacey Taylor…”

“That I am in…” I paused.

Ellis just looked at me, with his brow still raised.

I smirked, “All right, all right, I’ll quit fucking with you. That I am in a relationship with Ellis Stacey Taylor…”

My heart damn near burst outta my chest after saying that line. Lord, it was something I never thought in life I’d be saying, let alone repeating in some crazy ass oath Ellis had me taking. Pretty sure that I was grinning like a loon at this point as well.

“Who is knocking the bottom out that thang.”

“I’m not repeating that.”

Outloud that is
, because he was certainly knocking the top, bottom, middle and sides out of that thang.
Whew.

“You know it’s true. I know it’s true. It’s fine. You don’t have to say it.”

“I can’t stand you.”

“Lies you tell, woman!”

Ellis left my house late that night, so waking up the next morning to get to work was a struggle. Part of me wanted to tell him to just stay and call off with me, but I knew that wasn’t logical because I was working on the creative properties for this project my girl Celena was managing. We were set to finalize the campaign by the close of business today, so I specifically scheduled the bulk of my day to ensure all of the deliverables were to the specifications that the persnickety ass marketing manager at Parker & Associates laid out for us. Celena was one of the first people who quickly welcomed me with open arms when I started at Jamieson & Weil, so I always made sure to deliver her goods without delay. Thankfully, I’d finished most of the difficult illustration work on the logo she needed for the client’s landing page; so today was going to be consumed with creating the look in about five different color ways because Robert Parker was unable to “fully see the vision” unless he saw it displayed in all five color combinations that he had been envisioning. A love for what I do and a hefty paycheck kept me from getting exasperated with these folks daily as they expected me to cater to their ridiculous whims.

I reached over to the nightstand to shoot off a text letting my manager Teresa know I’d be pulling in a little late this morning and noticed a text from Ellis. I fired off the text to Teresa and then proceeded to read Ellis’ text
.
Opening up the thread, I noticed it was actually a short video. Pressing play, I immediately broke into a grin. Ellis’ handsome face filled the screen while he talked about how he wished that he could have stayed the night and how next time he’ll be better prepared. Then the camera started to slowly pan as he kept talking about how he woke up this morning thinking about me and
oh my god
. Yep. Definitely his hand on his dick showing me how much he was thinking about me. The camera panned back up and Ellis was still talking, but I’ll be goddamned if I know what he actually said at the end. My mind was still stayed on that dick. Shaking it off, I sent Ellis a text.

You know you ain’t shit for that video right?

Did you get to the end? –Ellis Taylor

Yes I got to the end, fool.

So why am I getting words from you instead of a video in return? – Ellis Taylor

I pulled up the video again, fast-forwarding to the end to listen to what he was saying this time instead of concentrating on…
other things
. I chuckled as Ellis detailed exactly how I could show him I missed him, too, if I had the time.

I’m not sending you that.

Took you a minute. You thought about it, didn’t you? Probably watched the whole damn video again and over there playin witcha self right now. Nasty ass. – Ellis Taylor

Shut upppppp. No, I’m not. I’m actually on my way to the shower.

Word? Gimme fifteen and I can be there to share it. – Ellis Taylor

I bit down on my lip, the offer sounded tempting but I knew that if he came back I would certainly not make it into the office today.

Coulda saved that time if you’d stayed.

A brotha didn’t wanna wear out his welcome. – Ellis Taylor

Could literally never happen.

Noted. – Ellis Taylor

I breezed into work slightly earlier than I’d told Teresa and literally ran into Celena as I was entering the building.

“Whoa Cel, where’s the fire?”

“Parker & Associates. Just heard Urban Current might be tryna undercut us. So I’m on an ambush mission. Not on my watch!” Celena called over her shoulder, hot-footing it to the parking garage.

Celena had been dating the son of the owner of P&A, Jake, so I’m sure someone was about to get an unexpected and unpleasantvisit from his not so happy girlfriend
.
P&A have been clients of ours for years, certainly couldn’t be swayed by whatever tricks Urban Current decided to pull out the bag. I knew Urban Current’s focus has shifted a bit with their recent acquisition. I hope this doesn’t end up in any hunger games ass bullshit between firms. We were perfectly fine when their focus was national while ours was more local and grassroots. The last thing we needed was them encroaching on our territory. And the last thing I needed was unnecessary strife between Ellis and me. I sat my things down in my office and then headed over to Teresa’s office.

“Hey, what’s up with the P&A joint? I just literally ran into Celena on her way to ambush Jake. I thought we were good? I was gonna begin the final colorization of their logos today.”

Teresa ran her fingers through her already tousled curls. “Girl, we came in this morning and it was like a damn fire drill. I don’t know how, but somebody at Urban Current got Robert Sr.’s ear and will be submitting RFPs for the campaign we were supposedly locked in for.”

“Well isn’t that something.”

“Some bull is what it is. But that’s our bad. We took Jake at his word instead of having signed contracts in hand.”

“Wait. The renewals hadn’t been signed despite me working my ass off to create logo after logo? Please tell me that is not what you’re saying, Teresa.”

I’d spent weeks drawing and redrawing logos to the specifications of a very particular marketing manager for Parker and Associates, who also happened to be the other son of the owner, Robert Jr. It was my understanding that we’d had already signed renewal contracts. I was handling the Parkers with a baby soft touch because I knew they were one of our biggest contracts that brought us a great deal of revenue. If all of the work I’d done for the past six weeks was for nothing, I swear to God…