Throughout this whole break up, I think the nights were the worst. You’ll be surprised at how quick you get used to that warm body sleeping next to you or being wrapped in a pair of strong arms.
The sound of gentle knocking broke through my thoughts. I turned toward the door wondering if I was hearing things. A few seconds the barely there knock came again.
“Come in!” I called.
Jo opened the door. I smiled at him standing there looking adorable with his fake cast on and unneeded crutches.
“Having a hard time sleeping?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I haven’t slept in week and I’m exhausted.”
I bit my lip. It had been a week since last we slept in the bed together. “Why?” My question was so low I didn’t think he heard me.
“Because I can’t sleep without the smell of cocoa butter against your skin.”
Cocoa butter against my skin? What the world does that smell like?
I cleared my throat trying to quiet my nervousness. “That’s not good for your healing. You need rest.”
He looked at me with those puppy dog eyes. “What do you suggest I do? I am your patient for the next six weeks.”
I put my finger against my chin. “Hmmm, maybe you can use a little sleep therapy.”
He looked skeptical. “What exactly is that?”
I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. “It’s when the nurse allows the patient to sleep in the bed with her, so that he can get the proper amount of rest.”
A huge grin spread across his handsome face. “I think that is the perfect prescription.” He nearly tossed his crutches away before he pulled his t-shirt over his head.
Give me strength!
He half limped half hopped towards my bed. I held up my finger as he leaned over me.
“Just sleep.”
He nodded. “Yeah, of course, just sleep.”
I gasped when he didn’t continue to the otherside of me, but settled between my legs. His big hands closed around my waist sliding my nightgown up until my panties were showing and then he laid down resting his head against my center, moving it till he got good and comfortable.
My mouth opened in shock. After he found the spot he liked the best, he wrapped his strong arms around my waist holding me close and sighed.
“How I’ve missed that.” He muttered.
It took a minute for my shock to wear off, but when it did, I realized I still held my hands in the air over him. Slowly I lowered them and began to gently rub his head, holding him close.
Moments later, I kid you not, he was out. However, his heavy breathing was causing all kinds of havoc against my girlie parts.
Even still I found myself smiling. I think I liked the rascally side of Jo. And you know, although I thought there was no way I was going to be able to go to sleep in this position, it wasn’t long before I joined him in slumber.
He and I must have been tired because neither of us moved till the next morning and he not even then. I carefully slid from underneath him and looked down at him sleeping. He wasn’t lying about not getting any sleep. Jo was generally a light sleeper, but it looked as if his body was making up for the sleep he’d lost.
It felt good to know that our time apart had affected him just as much as it affected me. I stood there and allowed myself a moment more to visually enjoy the sight of his muscled chocolate body lying on my white sheets before I hurried into the washroom to perform my morning rituals. If Ayana wasn’t awake yet, she would be up shortly, and I didn’t want her to cry out and wake her father.
Once again, I chose to bypass the clothes I had brought from home and instead chose a beautiful yellow summer maxi dress that had caught my attention last night. I don’t know why, but I felt amazing and today, I wanted to be the girl in the yellow dress.
I even took extra care with my locs, moisturizing, re-twisting, and then piling them high on my head in a messy bun, allowing a few tendrils to escape down my neck and back. Barefoot, I tip-toed past Jo and out of the room. When I eased opened Ayana’s door, it was to find her standing up in her crib looking around wide-eyed at all the toys in her room.
When she saw me she reached for me. “Ma ma ma ma.”
“And how did you sleep, precious heart?” I asked her as I laid her on the changing table and changed her diaper. In a language that only she understood she began to tell me how she slept. In fact, she talked while I got her dressed and brushed her little hair into a ponytail on top of her head.
She continued to talk to her mama as I took her into the kitchen, sat her in the high chair Jo had gotten for her and prepared her a little bowl of baby cereal. She talked in between spoonfuls. The only time she stopped is when I sat on the couch and began to nurse her.
She still liked to nurse a little after meals. But since she was in fact eating solid foods, she was nursing way less. I had worried that the weaning process was going to be difficult, but surprisingly it was happening quite naturally.
“I am such a damn idiot.” Jo said startling me. I had been looking down at Ayana and didn’t hear him come into the room. He stood there in the entrance to the hall that led to the wing of the penthouse where the bedrooms were watching us. And honestly, I had no idea how long he had been standing there.
He was dressed in only
