Page 113 of Falling Into Gravity

“You talkin’ real crazy, cuh,” he muttered, body twitching beneath her.

“Nah, I’m talkin’ real,” she whispered, pumping him slow with her hand. “Let go, Malik. You don’t always gotta be on ten, at least not with me.”

His stomach flexed as her mouth took him again. Sloppy, slow,sure. He groaned so deep it sounded like a growl—eyes hooded, lips parted.

“I’m here,” she cooed. “Let me love you back to life...show you what black legacy looks like.” Aku was talking big shit because she could back it up.

She sucked deeper, gripping tight at the base, tongue moving in rhythm with her breath. She worked him until his hands groped the sheets and his hips jerked once—hard.

“I’m close…”

She hummed around him.

“You been carryin’ too much,” she said, breathing hot air against his slick shaft. “Let some of that shit out.”

He couldn’t hold it anymore. Not with her looking at him like that. Not with her voice so soft, sopresent, while her mouth did things that erased everything he’d ever tried to forget.

He came with a loud grunt, back arched, hand over his face like he didn’t wanna cry—but might.

She held him through it, making sure to swallow it all.

Then she rested her cheek on his thigh, smiling soft, fingers tracing lazy patterns on his knee.

He stared at the ceiling.

His lazy Cali accent spilled out. “I ain’t deserve that.”

She glanced up at him, tongue flicking the corner of her mouth. “Yes, you do. Every damn drop of love I got for you, you deserve it.”

Malik tried to swallow his emotions ‘cause that was still something he had to learn to be okay with. “What if I fuck it up again?”

“You will,” she said easily, crawling up to straddle him gently, “but not tonight.”

She kissed his cheek, then his jaw, then pressed her forehead against his.

“Tonight,” she whispered, “we just dream about how good it’s gon’ be. Our life, our babies…you cookin’ in the kitchen with a bonnet on while I run the world.”

He chuckled, hands resting on her hips. “You really think that’s what this gon’ be?”

“I know it is.” She kissed him again, slow and deep. “’Cause I’m not lettin’ you run no more…so don’t try.”

He leaned back, looking up at her like she might be the best thing Crescent ever gave him.

She was.

chapter 20

. . .

Los Angelesin October was still warm—but the breeze had changed. The sun cast a copper glow over the skyline and the palm trees swayed like they knew fall was finally creeping in.

Aku was in her element.

Niah was in her own little world, mouthing the lyrics with Aretha.

The office had exploded with more racks—richer fabrics, deeper colors, layers of suede, leather, and silk. Grammy season was coming, and so was her ex.

“Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin played low from Aku’s speakers. Devin looked damn near angelic in his designer fit—if angels had tats and threw up sets in red.

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