Tell Me You Love Me [COMPLETED]

Chapter 30: Settling In

A/N: This chapter is basically cheesy fluffy goodness between Joe and Aesha on her second full day living with him. Things will pick back up soon because bitches stay tripping. Just hang in there with me ❤️😘

Monday June 1, 2020 - Tampa, Florida

Aesha POV

Here I am, wide awake at...

9:00 AM

I've found my way around Joe's large kitchen pretty well and I've made bacon, scratch made biscuits, grits, and fruit salad for the two of us. I'm humming happily to myself, my body feeling a lot better today than it did yesterday. I can't stop thinking about the moment Joe and I had last night and while I know that it can't happen again, it doesn't change the fact that if it were to happen again, I totally wouldn't stop it. That man does things to me, really good things to me and not just physically; he uplifts me, makes me feel beyond cloud nine with the way he treats me. I may be a fool for trying to fight it off and cutting things off but I can't afford to fall for him, not right now, but something inside of me is telling me that I'm fighting a losing battle with this.

"Yeah, yeah, you're gonna beat my ass when you see me, okay, I get it. Look, I just wanted to get her settled in and comfortable before I told anyone anything...yes, y'all can talk to her once I find her...oh, here she is. Aye, aye! Shut up and let me talk to her first! Damn!"

I look over my shoulder at him as he enters the kitchen area and leans up against the tall island counter.

"Aesha, what're you doing?" He asks me and I move the pot of grits off the stove onto a trivet and turn around to face him.
"I made us breakfast." I say innocently smiling at him.
"You need to be resting."
"I woke up early, couldn't go back to sleep, so I took my time and made us food."
"Aesha, you didn't have to do this."

Placing his cell phone face down on the island, he walks to stand in front of me and looks over at the spread of food, his large body towering over my smaller one but I don't feel intimidated or scared by him; instead, I feel protected and warmed and welcomed by his presence and that is a very refreshing feeling. He looks down and smiles at me, slowly wrapping his arms around me and rocking us in a warm embrace, my arms snaked around his neck.

"You know last night can't happen again, right?" I ask letting him sandwich me between his body and the counter.
"I know, but I did miss your hugs and kisses." He responds resting his face in the crook of my neck, lightly kissing my skin and inhaling my scent.
"And I missed yours. Who's on the phone?"

He separates from me and rolls his eyes.

"It's Trin and the twins bitchin' at me for not tellin'em that you were up. I keep tellin'em that I just wanted to get you settled in and comfortable but they're dying to talk to you, apparently. Would you mind having a conference call with them in my office?"
"Nah, I don't mind."
"Great. C'mon, let's get you set up."

*~*~*~*

"Go eat, I'll be there in a bit." I say ushering Joe out of his office.

I close the door behind him and I sigh as I sit down at his desk, Trin and the twins on speaker on his office phone.

Jimmy: Sooooo...what's it like being in a coma? Ow!
Trin: You asshole, that's not what you ask someone who was just in a coma!
Jimmy: Okay butchu ain't hafta hit me like that, damn!
Trin: You're a damn fool. Anyway, Aesha, how're you feelin', honey?
Me: Oh, y'know, I'm doin' pretty okay for someone who just survived a murder attempt.
Trin: I still can't believe she would do somethin' like that.
Jey: I dunno guys, I been sayin' the bitch was crazy, been told Joe's ass to drop her but Hell, she got pregnant pretty quick, he ain't have the time to heed my warning I guess.
Me: Oh, so he really ain't tell y'all nothin' yet, huh?
Jimmy: Uh, no, why you think we mad at him? What else he ain't been tellin' us?
Me: He ain't the daddy.
Trin: Oh! Thank God!
Jey: Ooh girl I feel like shoutin', hallelujah!
Jimmy: Praise him, brotha! Praise him! Thank ya Jesus!