Make You Mine by Niobia Bryant Page A

his last card, a King of Diamonds—he was out of trump. Kendrick threw out a low piece of diamonds. Caress couldn’t do a thing with the piece of club in her hand—face card or not.
    Trumps were all played and everyone threw off the suit Tamara led with. Her piece of heart was nasty.
    Kendrick and Tamara stood up and started their obnoxious high fives across the table. Caress was confident they would’ve bumped chests if the table wasn’t blocking them.
    Caress stood up and started to gather their wine and highball glasses. “Oh, man, please y’all act like you ran a Boston or something.”
    â€œAin’t it,” Julius agreed, rising to stretch.
    â€œWhateverrrrrr,” Tamara said, glancing at her watch. “Come on, baby, let’s go home and celebrate by spankin’ dat ass.”
    â€œYou two really need more victories to celebrate,” Julius drawled as he started picking up their plates and empty Chinese food containers.
    Kendrick retrieved their coats from the foyer closet. He helped his wife into hers before he shrugged his own on. “Congrats again, Caress,” he said, as she walked into the foyer with her hands full. He bent down quickly to kiss her cheek and give her a one-armed hug.
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œYes, congrats, girl,” Tamara said, rubbing Caress’s belly before she leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “I had a good time. It was a nice couples’ night.”
    Caress started to protest but Tamara just laughed a little and walked out the door behind her husband.
    Julius strolled out of the living room with his hands filled as well. “I wash. You dry,” he offered with a charming smile.
    Caress started to tell him that he was the one to insist on using regular plates instead of paper ones, but she just turned and headed for the kitchen. Julius followed behind her. While she filled the deep sink with water and detergent, Julius scraped the plates before placing them next to the glasses already on the counter. Caress shifted over, giving him the sink while she grabbed a dish towel.
    They worked together in a comfortable silence, the soft strains of Julius’s constantly playing jazz music floated in the air.
    At times their arms or legs would brush from being in such close proximity. Each innocent touch was building a slow burn between them. The air surrounding them was charged with electricity.
    Caress’s entire body was alive from his nearness. His closeness.
    Their hands accidentally touched, and they both jumped like they’d been shocked with high voltage.
    Caress swallowed over a sudden lump as she grasped the edge of the sink tightly.
    â€œCaress, we need to talk about this,” Julius said.
    She closed her eyes as she waited for her heart to resume its regular pacing. “About what?” she asked, proud of herself for sounding like the man wasn’t turning her into jelly with nothing… nothing but his presence.
    â€œWe want each other. We still want each other.”
    Caress chanced a look up at him. He was leaning against the sink looking down at her with his arms folded across his defined chest. She licked her lips nervously and Julius threw his hands up in exasperation.
    â€œDon’t do that,” he said.
    Caress was confused and looked it. “What?”
    â€œLick your lips,” he said in a deep voice. “You’re not helping.”
    â€œOh be serious, Julius. I am not trying to seduce you. I’m pregnant for God’s sake,” she said, whirling to poke her stomach out at him.
    Julius shoved his hands into the pocket of the loose fitting—but still stylish—sweatpants he wore with a wifebeater. “Pregnancy hasn’t made you any less sexy Caress.”
    Or less horny , she thought as she started to lick her lips again at the husky tones of his voice, but when his eyes darted down to her mouth she quickly tucked her lips inward. “Okay,