Page 40 of Bodyguard My Heart
“That is correct.” I nodded my head. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked up at the house.
“Oh my fucking God!” She shrieked. “I… I can’t believe you did this. It’s the most thoughtful thing… What are you trying to say?” She stumbled over her words as she approached me. The shock of it all was clear on her face. I pulled her into me, balancing us the best I could on one leg.
“This might seem sudden, but on some real shit, we’ve already wasted enough time.” I kissed her forehead as she sobbed in my arms.
“What about Miami? Are you proposing we move in together? Move here?” She fired off her questions.
“We can have a home in Miami. We can live here. Use this as a vacation home. It’s whatever you want to do, baby girl.”
She pushed slightly off my chest and gazed up into my eyes. I didn’t know what she was searching for, but she was searching for something. It was making me sweat a lil bit. I ain’t want to be out here doing too much, but what was too much with the woman I’d been married to for six years?
“Living together is a huge step.”
“I know.”
“Moving out the country is even bigger.”
“I know.”
Her breathing hitched as I stared into her eyes. She was overwhelmed, and the last thing I wanted her to do was shut down on me.
“Don’t overthink it, baby girl. Let’s just enjoy tonight.” I kissed her soft lips. I could feel her body relax into mine. “No stress, this is home while we’re here, and we’ll talk about that other shit when we get home.”
“Okay.” She exhaled softly.
“Come on, let me feed you.” I moved one of my crutches to the other side of my body, propped myself up on Samara, and headed toward the fort.
“It’s all so beautiful. Thank you,” Samara muttered as she helped me onto the air mattress that was inside the fort before joining me.
“See, a nigga can be romantic. You just never gave me the chance.”
Samara glanced at me. Her mouth opened and closed as she got comfortable next to me.
“It was never that I thought you couldn’t be romantic, Demetrius.”
“What was it, then?”
“Everything else and nothing worth mentioning all at the same time.” Samara’s voice cracked. She said nothing, but I understood every word.
“It don’t matter. I got your ass now.” I pulled her into my body and kissed her on the forehead.
“How is this going to work, Demetrius? Do we date? Do we behave like a married couple?”
There she went overthinking again.
“You’re definitely my wife, but I think we take shit at our own pace. Define it as we go. Is that cool?”
“Yeah,” she replied. “What’s for dinner?”
I removed the food from the chafer dishes. I’d had it delivered from a local restaurant that Ramik recommended. It was Haitian Tasso and rice since my baby liked steak.
“How do you always know what I want to eat?” She lifted the plate.
“I pay attention. Plus, you eat the same three things in rotation.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Steak, sushi, tacos.” I held up my finger and counted off her three items. Her mouth opened and closed, but she didn't respond. She knew I was right.