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  Royal glanced over at Gemma again before he responded, “She just is.”

  Chapter 2

  The party was over. Royal and Gemma were among the first to leave since he had to take her home to get clothes. And now, they were on the way to Charlotte – more specifically to Charlotte’s Dilworth Neighborhood –near Uptown.

  Royal glanced over at Gemma as she sat in the passenger seat of his Tesla. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she wasn’t sleeping. He could almost feel it.

  “Are you hungry, Gem?” he asked her.

  “No. It’s late anyway.”

  He glanced at the clock on the car’s touchscreen radio display. “It’s nine something.”

  “Yeah, but I’ll get heartburn if I eat a meal this late Royal.”

  “Right,” he said. He knew that. Just like he knew the name of every one of her prescriptions and when she needed to have them refilled. He’d recorded it all in his personal calendar on his cell. And he knew other things about her – like when she needed water. When she was happy or feeling overwhelmed. Right now she was relaxed, yet spent from the party. He’d purposely kept her on the dance floor for as long as he could, intent on showing her a good time.

  He glanced over at her again. Her eyes were still closed, displaying the impressive length of her lashes. Her breathing remained gentle. Steady. Ambient light made her cheeks glow and appear soft like he already knew they were. He wondered what was going through her mind? Was she thinking about Gianna? Or maybe Gianna’s announcement that she was pregnant? To keep a conversation going, he asked, “How do you feel about being an aunt?”

  Gemma opened her eyes and stretched her body while she yawned. “I’m excited. I’m so happy for Gianna. For a while there, I didn’t think she would ever find someone.”

  “Why not?”

  Gemma shrugged. “Because she wasn’t looking.”

  “That’s usually when you find something...when you’re not looking for it.” That’s how I found you. That was the truth. When he volunteered himself to stay with her at the hospital, he had no idea how quickly she would touch his heart.

  She smirked then glanced over at him. “If you say so, Royal.”

  “I know so,” he said palming her left thigh, squeezing firmly then letting go when he felt her body jerk.

  She cleared her throat and hoped he didn’t feel it. This was the second time today she’d had this kind of response to his touch. Why was she so jumpy like Royal’s hands had never been on her thigh before? She wasn’t the fidgety one. Gianna was.

  “Sorry, did I scare you?” Royal asked.

  “No. You just—um—sort of caught me off guard. That’s all. Now, keep your hands to yourself.”

  Royal laughed. “You say that now then later it’s, oh, Royal, I’m cold. Can you hold me? Royal, can you rub my back? Royal, I need those strong arms around me,” he teased, trying to imitate her voice when he said it.

  Gemma chuckled. “First of all, I’ve never said put those strong arms around me.”

  “Yes, you have. Stop lying, Gem.”

  “I haven’t,” she said, still tickled. “O-M-G, you’re full of it, Royal.”

  He was steadily laughing, cracking himself up.

  * * *

  When they arrived at his condo, he took the liberty of walking around the car to open the door for her – something he’d always done especially since he still considered her to be in the recovery phase after her surgery. He reached for her hand, then helped her to her tired feet.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” He handed her the keys and said, “Go ahead and unlock the door. I’ll get your bag.”

  “Okay,” Gemma said walking on up toward the entrance. “I better not walk in and find a naked woman spread eagle on your sofa.”

  Royal grinned and glanced up at her as she unlocked the door. Then he walked quickly to join her inside of his place. Having her here made his two-bedroom, modern-style decorated condo feel even more like home, adding warmth that was sorely lacking until she showed up. This was her third time here, but the first time she would spend the night.

  Gemma slid out of her shoes, leaving them by the door.

  “I’ll be right back...going to put your bag in the spare bedroom. Make yourself at home.”

  “Okay.” Gemma continued barefoot onto the kitchen where she took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with ice and water.

  After leaving her bag on the bed, Royal returned to the open living room – kitchen area and stood there watching her drink water. She was just about to take another drink but as she turned up the glass, she caught his gaze. Smiled.

  “What?” she asked, noticing he’d come out of his white jacket, bow tie and had unbuttoned his white shirt three buttons down.

  Royal leaned against the wall and eased his hands into his pockets but didn’t say a word to answer her. He just observed her in his home. Her presence here felt organic – like she belonged. He had other women over but never one as interesting as her. Maybe it was the fact that she didn’t blush around him or wasn’t trying to impress him or beautify herself in his presence in hopes of winning his affection and attention. But why would she? After all, they were just friends – well friends who were now in-laws since Gemma’s sister married his brother.

  “Royal?”

  He came out of his reverie at the sound of his name off of her lips and smiled big and bright, so much so that Gemma took in the full picture of him standing there thinking that while nobody on earth was perfect, Royal St. Claire came pretty darn close to it. The white clothes he had on enhanced the creamy goodness of his skin. His teeth were straight and as white as his clothes. Eyes, mesmerizingly black, matching the color of his hair. He would alternate styles of wearing a beard, goatee and sometimes he shaved it all off and go with a simple, well-groomed mustache. Whatever he did, it suited him.

  “So, what’s up?” Gemma asked, feeling her body temperature rise under the spotlight of his gaze, thinking that it was odd for him to be staring at her this way. What was he thinking about? And why was he smiling?

  “What’s up with you?” he asked.

  She threw her head back. “Okay…I thought you had to talk to me about something.”

  “I do. Do you have the popcorn ready?”

  “Popcorn? You didn’t say anything about no popcorn.”

  “I’m saying it now. Pop some.”

  “And how am I supposed to know where you keep the popcorn?”

  He was quiet as he stepped around the counter to the kitchen then over to the pantry. She followed and watched as he opened the door then turned around and looked at her.

  Her eyebrows raised. “Oh. You want me to reach up there and get it.”

  He gestured for her to do so.

  “What’s wrong with your hands?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I just want you to know where things are,” he told her.

  “O-kay…” Gemma stepped in front of him and rose up on her tiptoes to remove a box of Pop Secret from the top shelf. As she did so, Royal, standing behind her, closed his eyes while taking in the scent of her. He didn’t know what it was she was wearing, but it smelled heavenly against the fragrance of her own skin.

  “You got me reaching up here and you’re taller than I am,” she told him.

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed,” he joked.

  “My point is, it wouldn’t have been nothing for you to grab this from the top shelf.”

  “Yeah, but I wanted you to do it, Gemma.”

  “Bet you did…” she mumbled while opening the box. She removed one package and tore the plastic wrapper off of it before placing it inside of the microwave. Then she turned around to look at him. He was staring at her again, in an inquisitive way this time she could decipher, and that made her cross her arms over her chest and stare back squinting at him – doing a little examination of her own. “What?”

  A weak smile grew on his face. “Nothing.”

  “Then wh
y are you staring at me like you want to say something?”

  “Because I do want to say something,” he said.

  “Then say it.”

  The microwave beeped. Royal took a big, white bowl from one of the lower cabinets and handed it to her.

  “Thanks. Now, stop keeping me in suspense. What is it that you have to tell me?”

  “Stop being so impatient, woman,” he said taking the bag from her. He poured the popcorn into the bowl.

  “I wouldn’t have to be impatient if you would stop keeping me in suspense.”

  “Oh Gemma, Gemma, Gemma. What am I going to do with you, girl?” He tossed a single popcorn kernel into his mouth.

  “Tell me what it is you have to say so I can’t move on with my life.”

  Royal smiled. “Why are you so impatient?”

  “Hello!” Gemma said, brightening her eyes. “I almost died, remember? That’s why I like to know things. I know how it feels to have no tomorrow.”

  The smirk fell off of Royal’s face. He wanted to tell her not to talk that way, but fearing it would destroy their carefree conversation he resisted. “Grab your water,” he told her as he headed to the living room.

  She took her glass, filled it back up with tap water then sat a cushion away from him on the sofa. Removing one of the wooden coasters, she placed it on the shiny, wooden table and then set her glass on top of it.

  Royal looked at her. “You know I have bottled water in the fridge right?”

  “Yeah,” she said reaching into the bowl, grabbing a fistful of popcorn then crammed it all into her mouth.

  “Gem, if you’re hungry—”

  “No. This is good,” she mumbled with a completely stuffed mouth.

  Royal watched her chew. Women he dealt with never did stuff like this – eat recklessly and carefree. Amazingly, he wasn’t the least bit turned off by the fact that she ate a handful of popcorn at once or the fact that she was talking to him with a mouth crammed so full, popcorn was falling out. Things that would normally turn him off, she got a pass for.

  “I was thinking about everything you had to go through with the surgery and being sick with cancer and all—”

  “What do you mean you were thinking about it?” she asked, interrupting him.

  Royal adjusted his position on the couch angling his body towards her. “Just what I said. I was thinking about it, so much so, that I went to Ram to see if there was a way St. Claire Architects could do something to help people in a similar situation. People who could possibly…um…die if they can’t afford treatment.”

  Gemma shoved another handful of popcorn into her mouth. “What did you come up with?” She glanced up at him to see his eyes on her mouth. She quickly covered her mouth, smiling as she did so, mumbling, “Sorry. I’m not being very ladylike am I?”

  “I don’t care how crazy you’re eating. I just want you to pay attention to what I’m saying while you’re eating.”

  “Okay. I am. You said you went to Ramsey to see what the company could do to help people who were in a situation like I was.”

  “Yes, and I proposed that we come up with a foundation named after you.”

  Gemma stopped chewing and glanced up at him. “Do what?”

  “I want to name it in honor of you.”

  “Um, hello! I’m not dead.”

  Royal chuckled at the seriousness of her expression. “You don’t have to be dead for someone to honor you, silly.”

  “But I didn’t do anything to deserve this.”

  “But, nothing. Stop trying to tell me why you don’t think you deserve it and tell me how you feel about the idea of it all.”

  “I—I—” Gemma didn’t know what to think. Well, she did but it was so far beyond her wildest imagination to have a foundation named after her that she didn’t know how to react to it.

  “Gem?”

  She glanced up at him and tilted her head to the side. “Whose idea was this? Yours or Ramsey’s?”

  “What does that matter?”

  “I just want to know.”

  “If you were paying attention to me instead of murdering that popcorn, you would’ve heard me when I said I brought this idea to Ramsey.”

  She mused over it for a minute and said, “I think it’s a good idea. It saved my life so maybe it will save someone else’s.”

  Royal nodded and tossed some popcorn into his mouth.

  “It probably shouldn’t be named after me, though,” Gemma said, rubbing her buttery hands on the pant legs of her white jeans. It’s not like she would ever wear them again, anyway.

  “Why not?” Royal asked, standing up. He sauntered to the kitchen and returned with a couple sheets of paper towel for her.

  “Oh. Thanks,” she said.

  “You’re welcome.” He sat down again. “Why shouldn’t it be named after you?”

  With raised shoulders, she responded, “Because I don’t think I did anything to deserve it.”

  Royal took the bowl from her lap and set it on the table. Then he motioned for her to come closer to him. She did, moving slowly to sit right in the cradle of his pelvis. “Thank you for not squishing my balls this time.”

  Gemma giggled. “I wouldn’t have squished them the last time if they weren’t so big.”

  “Can’t argue with you there,” Royal said. He circled his arms around her waist and Gemma fell right into his embrace enjoying the feel of his warm, hairy arms against her skin. She recalled how when she first met Royal, she nearly had hot flashes every time their eyes met. That’s how handsome he was. But when she knew Royal had no interest in her, her comfort level with him increased day-by-day to what it is now. As far as she was concerned, Royal and his three brothers for that matter, were the brothers she never had – especially Royal. He had stayed with her in the hospital for weeks and didn’t know her at the time. But a couple months later, they were ‘them’. Royal and Gemma. You hardly saw one without seeing the other.

  Royal squeezed her into his embrace and let himself feel all the emotions he had for this woman swirling around inside of his mind and heart. For him, their friendship started out as a protective type of relationship. One where he felt the need to safeguard her, even from herself if need be. That desire ballooned into something he hadn’t expected – a longing to see her every single day. An inherent need to be close to her. Even in his arms right now she wasn’t close enough.

  He drew in the thick scent of her sweet fragrance. “I want to name the foundation after you, Gemma, because not only do you represent the type of people were looking to help, but you fought your own battle and won. I’m proud of you for that. You are a strong, beautiful black woman and I truly feel you deserve everything good that’s coming to you.”

  “Wow,” she said, picking at his arm hair. “You put it so eloquently.”

  “It’s the way I feel about it.” Royal took her small hand into his and stroked his thumb along the back of it down to her wrist. “I’m waiting for you to object. I know you have something to say. You always got something to say.”

  “Nope. Not this time. I’ll let you have your way.” Gemma smiled, interlocking her fingers with his. “But seriously, thank you for thinking of me.”

  “I always think of you, Gemma,” he said softly, and nothing in him gave him pause about expressing how he felt in that moment.

  Gemma could hear and feel the truthfulness of those words as she felt goosebumps consume her entire body. She smiled, touched by his expression. Royal always knew what to say to make her smile. To make her feel good about herself even if it was just fluff or a friend being nice because, well, that’s what friends were supposed to do, right?

  “Hey, why don’t you go get changed so you’ll be ready for bed,” Royal suggested.

  “No. I’m fine right now,” she said leaning forward to take the remote off of the table. She powered on the TV and leaned back, reclining against Royal’s chest again.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “L
ooking for a movie.”

  “Gemma, go get comfortable. You know, just as well as I do, that you don’t stay awake in these arms for too long.”

  “You think you know me so well,” she said, channel surfing.

  “After nearly twelve weeks, I don’t think I know you. I do know you. Now go on get changed. And bring your medicine in here, too.”

  Gemma stretched. “But I don’t want to get up. I’m nice and comfy.”

  “Then hurry up and change and you’ll be back comfy in no time.”

  She sat up then twisted her body to look at him and frowned.

  He smiled. Even her frowns were endearing – as stunning as the features that enhanced her beauty. “Go ‘head, Gemma. I’ll be here when you get back.”

  “Ugh…” she said standing. “You get on my nerves.”

  “Love you, too, bae,” he quipped watching as she rolled her eyes. He didn’t take his eyes off of her until she was out of sight – when he didn’t have much choice. He stretched and draped his long arms around the back of the sofa, exhaling sharply. With his eyes closed, he took a moment to relax, tired from a long day of partying but genuinely happy for Ramsey. His brother had found love again – something the family never thought he would do.

  “Sleepy?” Gemma asked.

  Royal opened his eyes the moment he heard her voice and saw her standing in a white T-shirt-style nightgown that read in bold letters: Namaste In Bed. He cracked a smile then studied her skinny legs down to her small feet before returning his attention back to her face. She’d also taken off the white scarf she had on and used a black scarf to secure her hair.

  “You got your pills?” he asked.

  “I took them already,” she told him. “Hey, it’s late, Royal. Why don’t you go ahead and go to bed? I know you’re just as tired as I am.”

  “I am tired, but I want you right here.”

  “Royal, go to bed. Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in—”

  “If you don’t bring your butt over here, I’m coming after you.”

  She smiled small then it grew. In her mind, she could picture Royal chasing her around the coffee table.