Читать книгу Love Like Hallelujah - Lutishia Lovely - Страница 14

“I just have one question,” King whispered, as he drew lazy circles around Tai’s cinnamon-colored nipple. He bent down and licked it lightly, causing an involuntary shiver down her spine.

“What’s that?” Tai turned her head and looked at King.

“Is it still good to you?”

Tai smiled, and continued the familiar Ashford and Simpson tune. “Yes,” she said, kissing his soft, full lips, and kissing them again. “And it feels more than alright.”

Her body was still vibrating, singing the praises of his lovemaking skills. They were spending a rare Saturday morning alone, and making the most of it.

“I think it gets better with time, baby.”

“I think you’re right.”

Tai ran her hands up and down King’s back, which was still slightly moist from their zealous coupling. She agreed with what he said. Lately, their sex was some of the best they’d ever had. She turned and snuggled her back against King’s body, spoon style. He rocked up against her, brushed his hand over her still throbbing pussy, and pulled her closer. Tai closed her eyes, a smile dancing across her lips. She’d thanked Vivian more than once for calming her down last month, preventing her from blowing Tootie’s return out of proportion. Especially since, when King returned from his meetings at the church that day, he’d asked if Tai knew about Tootie being in town to care for her mother. Tai had watched King’s face as he delivered the news, had looked for signs of she knew not what exactly. But he’d seemed pretty casual about it and she’d responded in kind, even encouraged him to go to the hospital and pray for Miss Smith.

Even with her rush to judgment about Tootie’s return, Tai had matured in both her marriage and her faith in God. Realizing she was only being human, she forgave herself for her initial reaction. The memories of King’s past behavior were fading, but not gone. God was still a miracle worker, because if anyone had told her a few months ago she’d be contently snuggled up in King’s arms, she would have asked what drugs they were using. A few months ago, she’d contemplated divorcing King, leaving the church and the city. A few months ago, she’d felt worlds apart from her husband, unable to reach him. And she had been. A woman named April had been in the way.

Tai read a book once that suggested there was a blessing in everything, that one just had to look for it. Who would have thought that out of an extramarital affair would emerge a union that was closer, stronger, better than it had ever been?

Reconnecting after the last affair hadn’t been easy for either of them. King had to get over his guilt and Tai had to lose her anger. Both had to forgive, each other and themselves. They’d had to learn to love each other all over again, make their relationship fresh and new. They’d implemented “date night,” where once or twice a month they let Mama Max watch the kids while they went out to dinner, the theater, a concert, or a movie. Sometimes they’d pass a nice hotel and spend the night, adding some scenic variety to their renewed romance. Tai had taken Vivian’s advice on how to spice up the marriage, and one day, when King came home late, it was to a woman in a bustier, garter belt, fishnet hose, high heels, and a waist-length, blond wig. King had been shocked, and delighted. The firecrackers had popped that night!

Tai looked and felt better than ever. Thanks to the Full Workout Fitness Center, she had gotten her “sexy” back. Not only was she thirty pounds lighter, but according to her annual medical checkup, healthier, too. Her blood pressure and cholesterol were low, and her heart beat a steady, healthy rhythm. The cardiovascular routine on the bikes and treadmills had paid off, and the twice-weekly aerobic dance workouts and weight-lifting exercises had toned up her abdomen, buttocks, and thighs.

Now, she was considering a breast augmentation to firm up her four-kids-later set of low riders. Despite all of her efforts, the sag of her breasts continued to plague her. King assured her they were fine with him, but ever since a woman at the gym had proudly showed off her new “birthday tits,” the thought of implants had remained firmly in the front of her mind.

A gentle snore sounded behind her. Tai chuckled softly. Yes, baby needs to rest a little longer after our sexcapades, but a brothah can still “make it do what it do.” Things had gotten even more fun after Tai ordered a Pleasurable Sex DVD she’d seen advertised on late night television. At first, King had balked and said, “I don’t need nobody telling me how to love my woman.” But after she began playing the DVD one night, and the host started suggesting various positions to try, he’d changed his tune. Now, she had to tell him to turn the thing off. He’d counter that he was “just studying.” And indeed they had learned a couple of new positions, laughing heartily as they’d tried to become human pretzels. Tai had finally admitted it was going to take more than aerobics to get her in that upside-down, legs over the head position. Who did those video instructors think she was, Nadia Comaneci?

The telephone rang. Tai glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it was almost eleven. She rolled away from King and grabbed the receiver. “Hey, Mama Max,” she said, yawning.

“Don’t tell me y’all still in the bed! Lord have mercy, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you lovebirds. You betta’ be careful, else y’all be saying hello to number five.”

Tai had never told her mother-in-law that King had had a vasectomy. Guess he hadn’t either. “Now, Mama Max, don’t worry yourself.”

Tai swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. Donning her robe, she padded down the stairs to the kitchen and the coffee machine. It was definitely that time. “What are the kids doing?”

“The twins are outside, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Princess is on that datgum cell phone. You’d think that thang grew out her ears long as she stays on it.”

“I told her about that. Let me talk to her. She’s at your house and should be visiting with you!”

“Ah, don’t bother that child. She alright, helped me fix breakfast this morning. We had a nice little chat. She’s a sweet baby, growing up though. Pretty soon she’ll be grown and gone just like her big brother, Timothy. You’ll have two in college.”

“Don’t remind me. The boys are circling like bees to honey.”

“Well, just watch and make sure that none of ’em sting.”

Tai jumped as King lightly patted her booty. She’d not heard a sound as he walked up. “You scared me!”

“That’s what I intended.” King reached for the phone. “Is that Mama?”

“I’ll be over in a couple hours, Mama. Here’s your son.” She pressed the speaker phone button, noticing King was dressed to go out into Kansas’s winter chill. He looked impressive in his double-breasted, knee-length cashmere wool. “You’re not eating?” Tai asked.

“Hey, Mama,” King spoke into the phone and then over to Tai, “No time, baby. I’ll grab something on the way.”

Tai shook her head. Right after she and King picked up the pieces from his last affair, he’d cut back on work considerably. Slowly but surely, however, the workaholic was heading back to a full, hectic schedule.

“Look Mama, I gotta go, I gotta go, now,” King said hurriedly when after a few pleasantries Mama Max started grilling him about his heavy workload.

“Uh-huh, such a hurry to get off the phone since she’s getting in your business,” Tai said, laughing at the easy repartee in which King and his mom communicated. It was good to hear; their relationship had suffered during his affair with April.

King promised his mother a visit, ended the call, kissed Tai lightly on the forehead and headed toward the front door. Tai could see it in his demeanor; he was already making the mental switch from husband to pastor/company president.

“I’ll call you later.” And he was out the door.

“Things still fine with Tootie back?” Mama Max asked.

“Yes,” Tai replied. “King sees her when he visits Miss Smith in the hospital. You know she just had surgery. Deacon Nash visits her often, too, prays and reads the Bible with her.”

“That’s good. Nancy will appreciate having Deke there. They’ve known each other for years.” Mama Max appreciated Deacon Nash being there regularly, too, instead of King, but she kept her concerns about King and Tootie to herself. She prayed the years apart had cooled the once unquenchable ardor between them. “You have any problems with King being at the hospital?”

“Not anymore,” Tai answered. “I’m not going to let something that happened so long ago worry me now.”

“That’s exactly right, baby. Let bygones stay gone. Who knows? She might even come to church.”

Tai didn’t know how she felt about that. “Well, hopefully not in one of her cat suits.”

Both Mama and Tai remembered the sinfully tight outfits Tootie had brazenly worn to the Lord’s house.

“Oh, chile, she probably can’t fit into those anymore.”

Tai tried to squelch her strong desire for Tootie to have aged badly. “I pray everything turns out okay with her mom,” she said, with compassion. While not extremely close to her, Tai couldn’t imagine life without her mother, or her mother-in-law. “Thank God for you, Mama.”

“Think nothing of it, baby.”

“Hey,” Tai said, wanting to change the subject and lighten the mood, “you want to work out today? You haven’t been in what, about two weeks now?”

“No, chile, these old knees been giving me trouble. Best I sit in this here house and act my age.”

“I pray you never start doing that,” Tai answered sincerely. “I told the kids I’d take them to the movies later. If you’re feeling better, we can go see something for grownups while they watch what they want. That sound good?”

“Now that sounds like something I’ll be able to handle. Can sit on my behind in their chairs as well as my own, I ’spect.”

They finalized their plans. Tai would go to the gym and then head over to Mama’s. Mama would make sure Princess and the twins were ready. Putting the omelet fixings back that she’d grabbed for her and King, Tai decided on two boiled eggs and toast instead. Better for her workout, the second one of the day. The first one had been with King and, yes, it was still good.