Page 77 of Devanté
“You have a smart-ass mouth, Devanté. You know that?”
“I know. So far it hasn’t stopped you from loving me. Also hasn’t stopped you from screaming my name.”
“Not letting this go, are you?” There was a smile in her warm voice. I had to see it for myself. I walked into the bathroom while she pinned thick swathes of hair up to create a beautiful updo. She was wearing a yellow halter dress that left her deep brown shoulders bare. Her skin called to my lips. I couldn’t sit in front of a steaming cup of cocoa without taking a sip.
I gripped her waist from behind and rested my lips on her shoulder. She was shea butter smooth and cocoa butter sweet. Smelling her was enough to make my eyes shut.
“Oh listen,” she said, stretching her pointer finger in the air. “Jodeci just came on,” she pointed out when the song in the background changed. “How fitting?”
“It is fitting. The song is even better.” Jodeci’sStayplayed, cocooning us in a moment outside of space and time. I swayed side to side with her in my arms and every fine hair on my body stood on end. We’d become an antenna for whatever frequency perfection vibrated on.
“Tell me how you put that motherfucker out, Blake,” I spoke with my lips attached to her skin. I was addicted to her in so many ways. Feeling my skin on hers was a high I wanted to give into every fucking day.
“Well, I’d just found out about your little family with Renee,” she lifted her eyes to mine in the mirror and smirked. I glared. “So, I was insanely stressed out. I drove home all worked up and when I got here, he was in the house with his friends and that purple-haired bitch, Kenzie.” I felt her muscles tense beneath silky skin.
I kissed the tight muscle running along her neck and she relaxed with a sigh, letting her body rest against me. I listened to her tell me about threatening Devin with a knife and cutting his clothes up and nearly cutting him and Kenzie up in the process.
“Shit, Blake. I didn’t know you had it in you.” My laugh was deep and quiet pressed against the shell of her ear. Every time my lips brushed against her, she shuddered. It was subtle but I felt it when I held her like that.
“I always knew you were psycho though. The baddest ones are always fucking nuts.”
“Shut the hell up. He pushed me to that point. He was squatting in my fucking house like a bum.”
“I’m fucking with you, baby. He deserved that shit. You stood up for yourself. So the fuck what if you had to pull a knife on him and his friends?”
“And that purple-haired bitch.”
“Yeah, her too,” I laughed. We rocked from side to side like there was no place to go and nothing to do. “I’m proud of you. I thought you fell off your game when I saw you had him in your house like that.”
“I might fall off sometimes and that’s okay, but I’ll always get back up.” I gave her an extra squeeze because I loved listening to her pour into herself. It was the most important form of self-care and Blake was a master at it.
“You always do.” I took a deep breath and inhaled her cocoa butter scent. “That’s why you’ve done so well at Watson. They’d crumble if it weren’t for your resilience.”
“That’s exactly why Perez is throwing me a party and why he handed over a nice fifty-thousand-dollar bonus.” She turned to face me and smiled.
“Holy shit, that’s great news, baby.” I lifted her up and sat her on the edge of the sink. Her thick legs bracketed my waist and I felt the warmth emanating from her pussy.
She pulled me down for a kiss then we pulled apart and my face fell into a frown. “What’s up, Devanté?” She held my face in her hand so our eyes locked.
“You got a fifty-thousand-dollar bonus for bringing in how much money?” I asked.
“Millions. Your campaign with Shaw was the hundredth multi-million deal.” She said it like it was nothing but my girl was out here making millions for Watson. It was a huge deal.
I rubbed my chin and slid her closer to me. “Blake, you need to put your two-week notice in with Watson.”
“What? Why?” She was frowning now.
“You made Watson millions. They’ve gone from the third firm to the number one marketing firm since you started working there. Not just in the country but theworld. You have to know it’s because of you.” I aimed my finger at her chest.
“I mean, yeah but…”
“No buts. Mr. Perez got off cheap with fifty thousand. You should have gotten fiftymillion. If he can’t value what you do and the fucking magic you work…you need to leave.”
“Perez has been a great boss, Devanté. I don’t have any complaints.” She grew quiet for a few beats and I watched the connections firing off in her mind. I knew they would. All I had to do was point her in the right direction. It’s how we fed off each other.
“Oh my god, I sound like a happy slave,” she gasped, hopping off the sink and rushing into her room. I followed her because let’s be honest, the view was amazing and I’d follow her anywhere.
“I wouldn’t say slave. You’re complacent though, baby. That’s not you. It’s time to step out of that little box Watson has you in.”
