Page 76 of The Need to Know

I grinned. “Cool, I’ll run out to my car to get a change of clothes.”

I leaned down to shake on it and she lazily reached out to meet me halfway. We fumbled, ending up with my trying to pound my fist against hers, and her going in for a high-five at first. The next attempt saw me trying to high-five her with Nastasia going for the first bump.

“What are we doing?” Nastasia giggled.

“Think we just made a handshake. Here, let’s try again.” It was corny, but we sat there and configured a signature move. We bumped fists twice, and after the third we turned our knuckles and made matching hang-loose signs. It wasn’t coordinated smoothly, yet, but we’d get it down.

“Now take your morning breath and go so I can get myself together,” Nastasia said with a dismissive wave.

I let the sass slide, especially because she was cute with it.

I went out to my car and grabbed a change of clothes and my gym bag so I could shower. Nastasia had gotten up and left me a brand-new toothbrush on the bathroom sink. The door to her room was closed, and I knew she was at least up and getting ready.

In the shower, I ran over the events of the previous evening, unable to believe it myself. I’d gone to bed with her, literally.

We’d slept on two different sides. Neither of us trying anything. So much for seeing where the flow took us. The second thing I’d noticed when I came to her house was what she had on. Tiny red shorts that had a great view of her ass and a tank top. At the time, I was on one, too riled up to flirt.

And then I ate good, watched that movie, chatted it up, and fell asleep. Twice.

It had been years since I’d stayed the night at a woman’s house. It was something I avoided, to not cross wires and confuse situations. But then with Nas, I’d been so comfortable, I hadn’t been able to stop myself.

I put all my sexual frustration and the tension on the backburner as I dressed for the day and went and knocked softly on Nastasia’s bedroom door. We were about to meet with Pops, and the last thing I needed was to be on go.

“It’s open,” Nastasia said loudly from the other side of the door.

She hadn’t even locked it.

We were strangers, but at the same time, I didn’t think twice about sharing food with her, and she felt comfortable enough not to lock me out of her room while she got dressed. I meant it when I told her I didn’t want to hurt her. It made me feel relieved and good to know she trusted me to not just waltz into her room.

Beside her dark rose-colored bed, was a vanity setup, complete with a bulbed-mirror. Nastasia was seated on the stool as she leaned in close to her reflection. One thing I spotted right away were freshly applied lashes.

“Okay, I see you with the minks on,” I complimented as I took a seat across from her on the bed.

She peeked back at me and fluttered her lashes. “You like?”

“Yes, ma’am.” I especially liked that she chose a natural looking pair. I couldn’t stand the kind that made me question how the woman could see they were so thick and feathery.

“I’m just doing a little something to be presentable,” Nastasia informed me. She lined her lips with a tube of lip balm and turned off her lights. Simple yet pretty as hell.

She’d put on a dress. A form-fitting maxi dress that was between mustard yellow and gold. It dripped down her body, emphasizing her curves. I wanted nothing more than to drive my hands along her winding roads and crash into her center.

But I didn’t. Like a good boy, I simply sat and waited.

“Ready when you are,” I let her know.

“So, wait.” She seemed to pause as she turned and assessed me. “You had a complete change of clothes in your car?”

I only dry-cleaned my pants and shirts. “Nah, just some shirts and slacks.”

“So, you’re like…commando?”

“Didn’t really have a choice.” I definitely intended to fix that as soon as I got in from this meeting.

Nastasia appeared thoughtful as she rose to her feet and came over to me. Before I could guess what she was up to, she was turning and sitting down on my lap.

Shit.

She leaned back against me, reveling in my undoing, because all of me was at attention just then. Her skin, her sweet smell, her nice body molding perfectly against mine, it all hypnotized me.