Stop texting me!
What happened to being a woman of your word??
Paxton, cut the crap and stop acting like a baby.
Quit playing with me, Junior!!
Doesn’t matter how many exclamations marks you send. I’m not coming to that meeting!
Paxton and I spent most of the morning and afternoon going back and forth arguing through text messages. Wanting to be petty and ruffle his feathers, I awoke before the crack of dawn and sent him an email explaining that I wouldn’t be present when the software developers would be in the office to install the new bookkeeping software.
“Paxton, why are you calling me?” I answered with fake annoyance. Gotta keep the boys on their toes.
“Jacolby, I need a better answer than telling me it’s none of my business as to why you can’t be present.”
“Gosh, when did you become such a whiner?” I giggled. “Leave me alone, Paxton.”
“You don’t mean that, Sassy.” The line grew painfully quiet. “Sassy, baby, are you there?” His voice. Its deepness. I had to pull the phone away from my ear to collect myself.
“I’m not your Sassy Baby anymore, Paxton. Don’t call me that.” Living in denial never got me anywhere.
He and I both knew that was a lie. No matter the strife between us, no matter the animosity, no matter the years that pass. He and I would always mean more to each other than we could handle. The name Sassy came about after he experienced my sassy attitude in college. It turned him on in ways no other woman had ever done before. Hearing me talk about numbers…there were several occasions where we had pregnancy scares. Let’s just say he intentionally donated his seeds in hopes of trapping me.
I loved that toxic side of him.
“Tell me you're coming and I won’t call you that anymore.” He knew that was a lie. Who was he trying to fool? “Do you miss me?” He loved to tease me. He loved to see me crumble and become putty in the palm of his hands when he started to sweet talk me.
“Paxton, please, let’s keep this professional. I have to go. If there are any issues, I’m sure you’ll email me. Good night.” I hung up knowing that I achieved my mission. If I knew Paxton like I remembered, it wouldn’t be long before he pulled up on me. He hated when I was short with him and hated to be hung up on.
Yes, I was playing childish games, but I had an end goal in mind and that was to get him in my space…alone.
Fifteen minutes later I was preparing for a night of relaxation when Door Dash notified me that my order had been delivered. Opening my front door I saw that my food had arrived but in the hands of Paxton. With his bunched brows and that sexy mug, I moved to the side so he could enter. Like an obsessed groupie, I closed my eyes and sniffed the trail of cologne trailing behind him.
Ain’t nothing like a good-smelling man.
Paxton's heavy steps caused my wooden floors to creak. “Jacolby.” I held on to my composure. His presence started a rapidly growing fire. Closing my eyes, I permitted my other senses the opportunity to pull him in. The minute I became powerless, I knew he was standing in front of me. “Open your eyes.” He commanded with a brash tone. Yes, brash. It was rude of him to demand me. Rude of him to boss me around.
Oh, but I wanted it. I wanted the brashness. Tell me again, Pi, and I promise to obey.
“Sassy Baby, let me see those brown eyes.” His caress on my cheek caused me to moan. With drunken eyelids, I opened for him. His stare was bold and assessed me unapologetically. “There she is. Why are you hiding from me?”
Don’t give him the panties just yet.“What brings you by, Paxton?” I stepped out of his reach, a conniving smile touched my lips when my back was turned.
Placing his hands in the pockets of his pants, he shrugged his shoulders and rocked on the heels of his loafers. “You left me on read. Have you forgotten that I’m not a fan of being ignored?”
Fighting against the overwhelming need to be close to him, I sat down on the couch. “I’ve been busy. I told you that.” I shrugged like I wasn’t milliseconds from sprawling out on this couch and offering everything I had for his taking.
His nearness made all my senses spin out of control. The contact high, Paxton Reid, was the perfect drug. “Let that be the last time you try to ignore me. Understood?” Yes, big papa. I drooled. I know I did. His smirk told me so.
I’m so damn childish.
“I wi…”
“Let me out of here. Call the police. Sassy baby, set me free.” I hopped up at the sound of Pi screaming from my bedroom. I forgot I had put him away.
“Pi, I’m so sorry.” I opened his cage and placed him on my shoulder. “I want you to meet somebody. Will you behave for me?”
“Anything for you, Sassy mama.”