Page 33 of Nothing Like Your Ex

Kwinn couldn’t help but agree. Melo was being intentional without intruding on her space. He remembered what she wanted, bought it, and arranged everything himself. She’d never been overly impressed by a man, and she wasn’t raised to be, but she had to give applause where it was due.

“Thanks, Brooke. I appreciate that,” Kwinn said.

“Of course. I hope I didn’t overstep.”

“No, no. You didn’t. You know me well enough to know what I will and won’t let fly, so we’re good. I appreciate the teamwork,” Kwinn assured, chuckling.

Brooklynn smiled on the other end. She loved Kwinn like a sister, and after seeing how her relationship with Jabari had somewhat affected her, Brooklynn was all for a real nigga coming through to add to her happiness.

“Okay, good. I’ll text you if anything comes up. Enjoy your dinner with Saiko,” Brooklynn said.

“I will. Talk to you later.”

Hanging up, Kwinn gathered the trash and kept the box the dish came in. Weirdly, she had a thing for holding on to packaging. Ashamed, Kwinn still had MacBook, iPhone, and iMac boxes she refused to toss out, as if they meant something. One day, she’d declutter them all, but not today. After washing the appliance, she headed upstairs to get dressed.

Saiko texted to let her know she was on her way home. While she got dressed and turned on some music, Kwinn thought back to the night she spent with Melo at the studio. Letting him sample the pussy on their first link-up hadn't been in her plans, but she didn’t regret it one bit. He hadn’t pressured her; instead, he gave her the exact motivation Kwinn claimed she needed to bless the intro.

“Talk to me like you miss me,” Melo encouraged with his head still between her legs. He kissed her bare lips. “We on the phone and you can’t wait to see me so I can do exactly what I’m doing right now.”

Kwinn hadn’t come down from her back-to-back orgasms, and he was prepared to give her another one. The flicker of his tongue against her clit pulled a sexy moan from her lips. Not easing up until he was sure she’d taken his creative direction, Melo pleased her. When he finally came up for air, Kwinn’s head was spinning and her core aching to feel him inside her. Not wanting to take it that far, she channeled her fierce craving into the track.

On wobbly legs, even while sitting on the barstool, Kwinn took a deep breath. Eyeing Melo through the glass as he talked to her through the headset, she nodded.

“Baby, I know you’re on the road right now, but I’m missing you so much. We have plans, remember? I need you to do that little thing that I love. So make it home safely to me.”

Melo grinned and nodded. Kwinn had given him exactly what he asked for and more.

She never imagined her voice would be the intro to anyone’s song, let alone a Grammy-nominated rapper’s. Clearly, Melo was very persuasive in his pursuit, but Kwinn loved it. Experiencing new things would forever be something she looked forward to and cherished. As she applied a coat of gloss to her lips, her cell rang. Smiling, Kwinn answered Melo’s FaceTime call.

“Damn,” Melo expressed with a boyish grin. “Look at you, Pretty. Where you headed?”

“I wish it was coming to see you.” Kwinn smiled shyly, openly admitting where she wanted to be without hesitation.

Smitten and feeling crazy for falling as hard as he was, Melo shook his head. “You gotta get off my line talkin’ that sweet shit, my baby. I’ma fuck around and spoil you rotten.”

Kwinn chuckled. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Not at all. But back to you coming to see me. Wait, hold up. You ain’t tell me my nigga Villain was out there murkin’ wildlife for his lady.”

The awe and excitement in his voice made Kwinn giggle. He’d been knee-deep in reading The Last Man on Earth and had been updating her along the way.

“That part was crazy, wasn’t it?” Kwinn asked excitedly, ready to do a reread of her own.

“Hell yeah. I would’ve done that boar just like he did!” Melo exclaimed.

Kwinn licked her lips. “And you would’ve gotten some pussy immediately after, too.”

Melo cackled and shook his head. “There you go talkin’ that shit. Come here so I can taste it. I miss you.”

Kwinn melted at his admission. “I miss you too. And I love my gift. Thank you so much. I’ll have to bake you a cake or something. What’s your favorite kind?”

“Lemon. I’ont think you gon’ have enough time to make it in a day, though,” Melo said.

Confused, Kwinn frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I couldn’t answer when you called earlier, ‘cause I was in a meeting with a few people on my team. We’re shooting the music video to Choose You, and I need you in it.”

“You need me or want me in it?” Kwinn questioned, feeling her nerves trying to get the best of her.