Drink glasses clinked together and laughter was loud and plentiful. 

    “I can’t believe you got promoted!” Her mother exclaimed, still in shock. 

    “Why is that so hard to believe?” Her father asked her, taking a sip of his beer. 

    “I know Rae can do anything. But she had been exec assistant for so long. I was starting to think he wouldn’t give it to her.” 

    “He probably wasn’t. But my girl went in there are demanded it.” Tre cheesed hard like a proud father. She snort. 

    “It was about time. Besides, I couldn’t work as an exec assistant forever.” 

    “Tell us how it went!” Her sister Amee asked, an excited grin on her face. 

    “Not much to tell. I went in there, asked him to give me a promotion or else I would leave the corporation. He’s really benefited from me these four years so he knew I was a big asset.” Tre chuckled. 

    “Damn straight. You been wiping that man’s ass for four years. The least he could do is give you what you deserve.” They all laughed. 

    “So Rae,” She looked up into the face of her father.

    “Where is Kwasame?” She put her glass of wine down. 

    “He couldn’t join us. He work late so he sends his regards.” 

    “Kinda unfortunate isn’t it? Your boo couldn’t be here…” Amee commented. 

    “I’ll have my time with him. Right now it’s all y’all.” 

    “Well good. I think I’d have a problem with any man takin my baby girl away from me.” Her father said with a grunt. 

    “Daddy please.” He chuckled. 

    “How are things with Kwasame?” She blushed and tightened her lips on the rim of her glass. 

    “Things are good.” 

    “Oh come on, tell us more than that Rae.” Amee exclaimed, her face full of nosiness. 

    “What? Things are good.” 

    “Okay so if I were in a happy relationship with a man as fine and foreign as yours things would not be good. They would be absolutely life changing.” She cut her eyes at her sister. 

    “Pardon me if I don’t want to share all my business with y’all. Y’all some of the nosiest folks in New York.” Amee clutched her heart and feigned hurt. 

    “Excuse me. No we are not.” 

    “Mm. Tell that lie to somebody else.” Tre chuckled. 

    “Well, regardless you look happy. I like that guy.” Rae snort. 

    “You sure you don’t just like him because he is black?” 

    “He’s better than that Japanese fellow you were infatuated with in high school.” Her father spoke up, calmly taking another sip of his beer. She looked at him. 

    “Dad!” Amee said sharply, softly hitting him. 

    “Kendrick, what are you talking about?” Her mother said, a stern look on her face. He sighed. 

    “Sorry baby girl. I meant nothing by it.” 

    “What was wrong about him being Japanese?” 

    “Nothin Rae. Forget it.” She took a deep breath and leaned forward on the table. 

    “Nah. You mentioned it so I wanna know why.” He had everyone’s attention. She tapped her fingernails on the table, waiting. 

    “It’s just that I don’t have a high tolerance for men who hurt the women in my family. Especially those who know nothing about our culture and the way we do things.” She bit her lips before replying. 

    “But it was you who sent me to a place where no one knew of my culture or of me period.” 

    “Rae!” Her mother exclaimed, looking at her, her eyes wide. 

    “You did. I was entirely too young and you shipped me off without so much as a goodbye. What was I supposed to do? Remain by myself for four years because there were no black people around?” 

    “Ebere.” Her father gripped his mug. 

    “Rae, I apologized.” She smiled. 

    “And I’ve forgiven you.” 

    “Then why are you bringing it back up?”    

    “Because you must have forgotten that my falling in love with a Japanese man was a result of you abandoning me there. I just wanted to remind you.” He grunted and set his mug down. 

    “I did it because I wanted to protect you.” 

    “I know Daddy. And for a time, he took your place. I was safe with him.”    

    “For that I am thankful.”

    “All I’m saying is that I don’t want you to get caught up in skin color and ethnicity. That can be dangerous.” Things had grown tense and she sighed. 

    “I have a good life now. And an equally good man. That’s all there is to it.” She reached for her glass and took a sip of her wine. 

    “I’m sorry if I upset you baby girl.” Her father said, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand. She smiled. 

    “You’re right. Kwasa is better than him. Much much better.” He smiled in return. 

    “I’m glad to hear that.” 

    “Okay then enough talkin about the past. I believe our food has got here. Let’s thrown down.” Tre said with a clearing of his throat. She sat back and watched as her family attacked their plates, passing around appetizers. Smiling to herself, she began to eat. 

*****     

    “Congratulations sweetheart.” Arms wrapped around her as they sat on his couch and she smiled against his chest. 

    “Thanks teddy.” 

    “I’m proud of you.” She looked up at him and gently run fingers across his high cheek bone. 

    “Kwasa?” 

    “Yeah darlin?” 

    “I wanted something for my congrats.” 

    “That is?” She pulled his face towards her, bringing his gaze to hers. 

    “It’s a big something.” 

    “Is it?” His lips felt so smooth pressed against her palm. 

    “Mmhm.” 

    “Name it.” She slowly got on top of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. His eyes widened only slightly and then a sexy little smirk slid across his full lips. 

    “Ah. I see.” 

    “You’ve yet to touch me or anything. What’s up with that?” He slid his hands down to her hips. 

    “I’ve wanted to take things slow. That’s all.” She pouted and slid her hands up his chest. 

    “It’s been two years slow. I wanna speed things up some.” She leaned down and kissed him. He smiled against her lips and slowly moved her so that she pressed closer to his groin. She gasped and pulled away, panting against his cheek. 

    “If you’re ready. I’ll catch it and throw it back to you.” 

    “I’m so ready.” He brought his dark alluring eyes to hers and she laughed as he nearly fell trying to get to his bedroom. 

***** 

    His skin reminded her of black silk. Smooth black sand. All black everything. His hands big as mountains came to hold her so tenderly, his lips soft and plush kissed her as if she would disappear. Her breath was deep and her skin tingled with want. Clothes left her body and soon, soon the language he spoke to her was the most beautiful one of all. He threw her out into the clouds, passion written so delicately, so loudly in that space. Hands gripped sheets and sweat wet bodies. He felt so good. Fingers curled underneath her chin and brought her lips to his. She let the reaction of his love free from her belly and he responded so elegantly. She pushed. More. She needed more. 

    “Throw it back teddy.” She breathed against his skin. 

    “Catch it for me baby…” Hips rolled and stroked, making her weak. He moved like he was trying to merge with her and she wanted to become him, inside of him until she didn’t know who she was. Only him. Just him. She cried out, her body singing such beautiful notes.  He gripped her hips and brought her hips back hard, her breath taken smoothly, sharply.  

    “Kwasa…oh God…” Her teeth bit her lips as she gasped for air. The heat covered them in its shade and she wanted to be burned. He groaned, a deep intoxicating rumble against her shoulder. Just a little more… He reached up to take her breasts in his hands, pulling her back against him flush. His hips drove her over the edge and she let the heat swallow her. He found her lips, groaning into her mouth. Quickly, he pulled out of her and grunted as he came against her lower back. She sat back into his lap as he softly kissed her cheek. Weak, she tried to catch her breath, eyes closed. She felt his lips smile against her jaw line. 

    “You did good little lady…” He whispered, his accent more pronounced. She laid her head back against his shoulder and smirked. 

    “You’re not too shabby yourself teddy.” She turned her head to look up at him and he gently caressed her cheek. 

    “We should have been more careful.” He commented, his voice low and gentle. 

    “Yeah…” 

    “I should have-”

    “I wanted to…. like this.” 

    “I’m glad I was able to in time.” She playfully pouted. 

    “You don’t want kids?” He kissed her nose. 

    “I’d love children with you darling. There’s nothing I want more. But not now yeah?” She let him pull her underneath his covers and felt him drift to sleep. But she couldn’t sleep as peaceful. She stared at his hands on her waist and swallowed. For some reason, something didn’t sit right with her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Maybe she was tripping. It wasn’t like she wanted to have kids now anyway. Snuggling against him, she stayed still until sleep finally whispered sweet lullabies to her.  

**** 

    When she woke up in the morning, she smelled coffee. Getting up, she pressed the sheets against her skin. Glancing down at them, she smiled to herself. Love was made here last night. Sighing to herself, she got out of bed, taking the sheet with her. Going into the bathroom, she tied the sheet around her and lifted her hair out of her face. The sweat had made it curl up, making it look like she hadn’t spent hours getting it bone straight. Sucking her teeth, she turned her head to look at her neck and shoulder which had pale red love marks. Kwasame was a cheeky boy indeed. She bit her lip and turned on the faucet to splash her face with water. It was then that she noticed that the ring normally on her finger was gone. She stared at her naked finger and for a moment couldn’t place how she felt. She shouldn’t have still been wearing it to be honest. But at the same time, she felt like he had invaded her space. Sighing, she reached for her stay over toothbrush to grab empty air. She blinked and the once minor irritation blossomed into full anger. Where the hell was her toothbrush? She opened the bathroom door and walked into the kitchen where he was making breakfast. 

    “Kwasame?” He flipped some bacon and turned his head back at her, a handsome smile on his face. 

    “Well, good morning little lady. Did you sleep well?” 

    “Yeah.” She lied. That wasn’t important. The important thing was why her toothbrush was gone and her finger bare. 

    “I’m making your favorites. Cheese grits with extra sharp cheddar, bacon, sausage and the fluffiest pancakes you can imagine.” Her stomach growled and she placed a hand on her tummy, silently telling it to shut up. 

    “Thank you. Uh… I have two questions.” 

    “Shoot.” 

    “One: Where is my toothbrush?” He didn’t turn his head as he kept cooking, that action alone bumping up the intensity of her anger. 

    “I threw it away.” 

    “I see that. Why?” 

    “I wanted to clean out some clutter. That’s all.” 

    “So my toothbrush was cluttering up your space?” 

    “Rae…” 

    “I got chu. Two: where is my ring?” At that, he finally turned around. The thing that pissed her off the most was that he didn’t look the slightest moved by her antics. 

    “I don’t like when you wear it.” 

    “So that gave you the right to take it off my person?” He sighed. 

    “I don’t see what is the problem little lady. You’ve let me into your personal space before. Why is this any different?” 

    “Because you didn’t ask me to remove it.” He turned back around and finished breakfast. Walking past her, he set their plates on the small table. 

    “You need to let him go Rae.” He said softly but firmly. Her mouth dropped open and she blinked at him. 

    “W-what do you mean I need to let him go? I have let him go.” 

    “You’re wearing the ring he gave you when you two were together. From what you told me, he proposed to you with it. Ten years later, you still wear the damned thing. How do you think that makes me feel Rae? You wearing another man’s jewelry?” She swallowed thickly and looked away from him. 

    “Kwasa..” 

    “You no longer belong to him.” Silence. But she could hear his breathing that had grown faster.     

    “Am I right?” She licked her lips and looked up at him. 

    “Right. You’re right.” 

    “I do not want to appear like a possessive asshole. But I cannot help it. Please Rae. I don’t… want you to put that ring on again. You’re not his woman anymore. You’re mine. Is that clear?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

    “Y-yeah. Crystal.” 

    “I’m sorry about your toothbrush. I wasn’t aware you were going to stay over. I would have gotten you a brand new one.” She kept quiet. 

    “Rae say something.” Still nothing. He sighed and sat down. 

    “Sit and eat with me baby. Come on.” Slowly, she gripped the chair and pulled it out. Slowly she sank into it and stared at the food in front of her. 

    “I hadn’t realized…” She said quietly, holding up her hand. She looked at her finger, the indentation of the ring once symbolizing the greatest love she had experienced still on her skin. 

    “It seems you two definitely experienced something great. But as far as I’m concerned, he wasn’t worthy of you. A man who lets the love of his life walk away from him without a fight is not worthy of being with you.” 

    “All true.” 

    “You spent four years with this fellow. I can understand. But it’s been ten years. A full decade.” Slowly, his rough yet gentle fingers slid across her hand, covering the indentation. he slid his fingers through hers and brought her hand to his lips. 

    “I want to be the only one who lives in your heart Ebere Marshall. I won’t accept anything less than that.” He kissed her hand and smiled at her. 

    “Kwasame…” 

    “Do you want to know why I’ve waited so long with you? I’ll tell you. It is because you are the woman I want as my wife. I want to get to know all sides of you. The good, the bad and the ugly. I wanted to know this without making love. And still. I want to learn every part of you, what makes you tick.” She smiled softly at him and tightened her grip on his fingers. 

    “Teddy…” 

    “Yes love?” 

    “You’re a good man…” 

    “I may not have much. I may be living in this dump of a place. But I want to give you the world.” 

    “Does it bother you? That I make more than you?”  He chuckled. 

    “It does not matter. I think we both know who really wears the pants here.” She sucked her teeth but couldn’t stop her smile. 

    “So I’m the bread maker and you’re…”

    “I’m the wife maker absolutely.” She snort and started laughing. 

    “Wife maker. I am completely done with you Kwasame Jones.” He chuckled again and kissed the back of her hand again. 

    “Now, eat some food. And then perhaps we can work some of this food off.” 

    “Will you be naked again? I like you naked.” She teased. He grinned and licked his lips. 

    “I’ll be whatever you want little lady.” 

    “Good.” She pulled her hand back and they began to eat their breakfast. She eyed him as he chewed his bacon. He was like black coffee. Strong and solid. Bold and straightforward. When she felt like falling, he was there to comfort her and soothe her and he always kept her straight. She truly had a good man indeed.