Page 57 of Caught off Guard

When Zora’s tremors ceased, her lips met mine. Unlike our previous kisses, this one felt more intimate and peaceful. My heart was content, realizing that her neediness and yearning matched mine.

“Whatever you’re doing is touching me from the inside out. Do you feel it?” Zora’s voice barely rose above a whisper as she pressed her forehead onto mine.

“I do.”

I straightened her clothes as her chest heaved. I separated briefly to pull my briefs and pants over my waist. She then wrapped her arms around me and held me close. I returned the embrace and inhaled her fragrant hair, pulling it into a ponytail in my fist and drawing her close to me with my other hand.

“I don’t want you to leave.” She spoke the words into my chest as she hugged me tighter.

I brushed her hair with my hands and planted them at her waist.

“I don’t want to either.”

When she released me, her sad eyes almost gutted me.

“But you have to. As much as I’d love for you to take me from the back in my queen-sized Brazilian hardwood bed with its antique finish, you can’t tonight. It’s getting late, and if we keep this up, I’ll be in bigger trouble than I already am. No matter how rebellious I want to be, I have to do right. I was reckless when I invited you to spend the night. The public decorum agreement clearly says that I can’t have male overnight guests in this house. I already ruined their rug. I’m still the president, and those are their rules. And I need to wipe down this counter with disinfectant wipes too.” She grinned, distracted by the barely-there spots on the surface behind us.

The dichotomy of Zora’s recklessness and responsibility had me chuckling. I buttoned my pants and pulled my shirt over my head. When I was dressed, I held her chin in my hands.

“I understand. It takes time to be one hundred percent rebellious, I see. But promise you’ll call me before you go to bed. If I can’t sex you to sleep, I can talk you into a night of sweet dreams.”

She rolled off the island and brushed her skirt down.

“I promise.”

FIRE AND ICE

The next day,my parents drove down from their vacation home in Charlotte to make sure I was okay. Lena took off from work for the day too. We sat in my breakfast nook, mostly catching up on how I got into this mess and what I needed to do to recover from the aftermath. In true form, my parents babied me as if I was going to break under the pressure of this Liberation University stupidity.

“Zora, this will pass. We know you’re not a harlot.” My mother pursed her fine lips and smiled at me like I was the cherub she thought I was.

My stoic father sat by her at my table with his leg over his knee and nodded.

“I knew what I was getting into when I entered higher education and became an administrator. It’s par for the course.” I lifted my glass of iced tea and smiled, looking past them to the island where Cairo ate me out.

Lena followed my eyes and squinted at me before rolling her eyes quickly without my parents seeing. I gave her a wink and took another sip of tea.

“I don’t care how normalized crazy is at this university. I don’t like my little girl being dragged through the mud one bit,” my mother said, oblivious to my sudden break in mood.

“Of course, Zora is innocent. She’s the best thing that ever happened to this raggedy ass school.”

My parents nodded at Lena’s sharp remark, reminding me how they also allowed my twin to have a potty mouth but placed me on a pedestal when it came to morals and high expectations. It mattered that they approved of me. A slight twinge of bitterness entered my heart as I realized that was probably one reason why I was so focused on being so perfect most of my life.

“What’s the plan for putting this mess behind you?” My mother folded her hands over each other and stared at me.

She was the epitome of perfection, with her shiny black curls and lightly made-up face. Even her posture was perfect as she spoke. Despite the tension building in my shoulders from the question, I relaxed my spine and slightly slouched in my chair.

“Cairo and I are hosting a press conference at his home today. We are making our relationship official so I can be reinstated as president. Our attorneys are working together to negotiate updated terms for me, based on my new status. I’m going to do a better job clarifying exactly what public decorum means.”

“Of course, we’ll be front and center.” My father spoke with the authority that made me feel safe.

Lena and my mother confirmed his words with their nods.

“And see if they can get that misogynistic policy removed. You’re a grown woman who doesn’t need to be policed,” Lena said.

My mother folded her arms over her small chest and said, “Thank goodness for that Cairo. I look forward to meeting him. He sounds like a keeper.”

“He is, Mama. He is,” I said with a goofy grin.

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