_________
Stevie stood at the sliding doors that lead outside of Tremaine's home to the backyard, enjoying the view, as she rested her body on the framing, while she sipped on thee glass of champagne Tremaine had given her a while ago.
"Boo," Tremaine's hands grabbed at her waist startling her as she wasted some of the champagne from her glass.
"Tremaine!" She sighed laughing, looking down at the small spill near her feet, she then turned around in his hold to face him.
"You good?" He asked rested his left hand on the small of her back, while his right hand caressed is her cheek.
"Yeah..." She smiled sweetly. "I'm great actually, Tremaine. I still can't believe you did all of this for me, Tremaine. I still think you shouldn't, but it was absolutely beautiful," She told him as he leaned in to kiss his lips.
Dropping his right hand to rest on her back, he pulled her body closer to his own. "This? This isn't shit compared to the things I want to do for you, Stevie, I told you it's so much you deserve outta' life, baby, a woman like you shouldn't have to lift a fucking finger, no true shit, ma. Though I know your independent, stubborn ass won't allow me to sweep you off your feet completely? I am very appreciative and happy you're allowing me into your space, to learn who you are, what you like, dislike, what makes you smile, y'know outside of work on a deeper, personal level. Getting to see the fun, outgoing, vivacious Stevie, and not just workaholic, bully --"
Laughing she poked his chest. "-- Watch it,"
Laughing his kissed the tip of her nose.
"-- A'ight, a'ight, but no funny shit though Stevie? If I'm being honest here. I haven't felt this way in a long time. You uh... You do something to me, Stevie, in a good way," He shrugged looking away from her.
Slowly Stevie's lips pulled into a bashful grin. Suddenly she burst into giggles "Damn it, Tre... Stop doing this," She tried pulling away from him.
"Wait...." He pulled her back. "What am I doing, mama, huh?" He dropped his hands lower to squeeze her body closer to his, inhaling her lasting scent.
"This--" She whined laughing. Pulling away from him once more, she stepped outside of his home into the backyard. "You're making a fucking punk outta' me, Tremaine. I'on like it, man. All this giggly, blushing shit isn't me. I don't do this, I don't ---" She turned to see him already following closely behind her.
Smiling he cupped her chin with his hand. "-- Correction, you've never had a man who knew how to make you feel like this. Because alot of men are intimidated by a woman like you Stevie. Head strong, very intelligent, bold and damn sure outspoken," The two laughed lightly.
Tremaine slipped the wine glass out of Stevie's hand, tossing it in the pool behind them. Which shocked her for a moment "Tre..'
"Men run from that, that don't want a real woman on there team. A real boss, y'know,"
Stevie smiled slightly. "Continue," She encouraged him.
Tremaine dropped his hands from her body, stepping back to put space between them. Unbuckling his belt, he began to unbutton his dress pants. "But see me?"
Stevie furrowed her brows. "What you doing?" She asked crossing her arms at her chest.
Tremaine gave a playful smile towards hers, as he kicked off his pants to the side. He then began to unbutton his dress shirt. "Me? I ain't phased by you, ma, wanna know why?" He smiled as he unhooked his watch dropping it to the lounge chair near him.
"Why?" She asked watching him take his glasses off. Also, tossing them into the chair with his watch.
Stevie finally caught on and immediately began to shake her head as she began to back away. "No! No, Tremaine... Don't you fucking ....Dare!" She yelled as she turned to escape his devious plan.
"Nu...uh, come here," Charging after her. He quickly got his arms wrapped tightly around her waist before tossing them both off the edge and into the pool.
The two of them separated as they sank to the bottom momentarily. Stevie, swimming up to the surface first. Glanced around the pool for Tremaine. "Tre?" She called out swiping her soaking wet hair from her face. "Where are you? I'm going to kill you! Why would you--" She spun around looking for him.
"Tre?"
"Tremain--" She felt his hands touch her shoulder's.
Spinning around to face him. "You fucking..." She lifted her balled fist to strike him. "-- Bum! Why would you do that, Tremaine, look at my hair! My makeup, my clothes.." She ranted on as she began to splash water at him.
Crippled with laughter Tremaine simply placed his hands up to guard himself. "Chill, c'mon chill, ma. I'm sorry a'ight, I just like when I get you wet," He cracked up laughing harder.
Stevie shrieked. "You..." Lunging forward towards him.
Tremaine dropped his arms from hiding his face just as Stevie grew closer to him. "C'mon I'm sorry," He laughed as he restrained her wrists. Laying them against his chest, the two stared at one another.
Quietly the two held direct eye contact. Slowly Tremaine released Stevie's wrists, as he dropped his hands to hold her waist, in order to draw her body closer to his. "I... I wanna show you something, c'mon,"
After getting out of the pool and drying off, the two ended up taking separate showers before Stevie was instructed to get dressed in the robe he left in the guest bedroom for her and to meet him downstairs.
"Tremaine?" She questioned once reaching the half cracked door. "You in here?" She asked pushing thee door open.
"C'mon, Kitten," She heard his voice from a distance.
Stepping inside the room she was spooked by the motion lights, shielding her eyes for the brightness. She strolled down the small hallway leading to some stairs. "Tremaine?" She called out.
His rough laughter carried from somewhere, when she heard footsteps approaching from the left side of her. Looking over she saw him holding two glasses of some sort of dark liquor. "Here--" He offered her the short glass of liquor.
"What's this?" Stevie asked taking the glass from him.
"Bourbon and a honey shot," He explained briefly.
Sniffing the glass. She then took a small sip of it. "I meant this, this room... Wait, bourbon and a honey shot, Tremaine, What type of shit do you have planned?" She asked intrigued as she took another sip of her drink.
"A lot, but, this... This is the room I was telling you about. C'mon, don't be scared, mean ass, come take a look around. Might find something in here you like," He told her smiling as he moved to take a seat on the couch on the far right of the room.
Stepping down the four steps she paused to look around the space. "Is that a pole?" She pointed laughing.
"Like it?" He asked coyly as he rested his bare back against the couch cushion, sipping his drink.
She snooted her nose looking away from him. "So how many girls have you fucked down here?" She asked as she slowly strolled around. "Damn..." She picked up the hand cuffs from the tray that sat there.
"One," He voiced flatly. "You.. I had it built in here for you, well for us, actually. Which took about three weeks,"
"Really are you serious?" She asked laughing as she turned around to look over at him.
"Yes ma'am, and down here? It's a non judgemental zone. Not that anything you want to do I'd judge, but I'm saying, nothing's off limits," He shrugged as he eyed her lewdily over the rim of his glass as he finished off his drink.
"Because if I'm being honest?" Standing up the cotton pj bottoms he wore sagged to hug comfortably on his waist. "When we first met? I wanted to break ya' fucking back in, Stevie, i'on think you understand?" He grew closer to her.
"At the interview?" She questioned Inhaling his cologne as he stood inches from her.
"Nah," He shook his head. "The coffee shop, when you told me off that morning? Can't fake it? That shit turned me on. I couldn't stop thinking bout' you half the morning, so, when you came in for your interview? I had to be a asshole, to keep from asking you out, crazy I know, but.. You, jus--" He leaned over into his personal space. Gently he kissed her lips.
"I... Just... What, Tremaine?"
"Finish your drink," He looked down at the glass in her hand.
Never breaking eye contact, she lifted the rim of the glass to her lips. Sipping it down, Tremaine decided to step in and help her, grabbing the bottom of her glass. He tilted it a bit upwards. "Drink all of it down, there you go, mama, good girl," He smiled.
Removing the glass from her hand with his right. He placed his left hand around her neck, pulling their faces closer to each other, he leaned in to kiss her lips, which tasted of bourbon with a taste of sweetness to them. "Mm," He placed one more kiss against her lips. "Will you do me a favor?" He asked as he dropped his head to feather sloppy kisses against her neck and shoulder.
"Mm... Anything," She voiced softly.
"Good," Dropping his hand from her neck. He stepped back. "C'mon," He extended his hand out for her to grab.
Without hesitation she slipped her hand into his. Smiling he lead the way back towards the stairs to exit the room, to wherever he was taking her.
"Where are we going?" She asked as Tremaine lead them out the door and down the hallway.
Entering the living room. The pair stopped near the fireplace. Releasing Stevie's hand, he moved to light it, before he moved to grab something hidden under one of the couch pillows.
"What's going on?" Stevie asked crossing her arms at her chest, eying Tremaine as he made his way back over to where she stood with something behind his back.
"Burn it," He pulled the item from behind his back.
"Burn wha.. Oh my God! Where did you get that, Tremaine! Give me that!" She grabbed for the scrapbook he had.
Tremaine pulled it out of her grasp. "I got it out of your closet. Now burn it, Stevie, because it's bullshit," He argued.
"Tremaine! Give, me, that! I'm not burning that. It's... It's --" She stammered as tears pooled in her eyes.
"It's what holding you back? Huh, the shit you put in her is ignorant. You said it yourself you should've threw it away years ago. What's stopping you? Because if you want to heal that hurt little girl in you? She doesn't need constant remainders of what hurt her. You're beautiful, Stevie, inside and out, I wish I knew then when you created this trash, I would've fed you fucking confidence and self-assurance with my bare hands. I mean look at you, baby, look at the woman you are right now? How far you've come, that little girl who made this? She would be so fucking proud of you, I can attest to that, because I am, Stevie. So please, mama, give yourself some sort of healing and closure with this," He grabbed her hand, slowly he placed the scrapbook book in her palm.
"Burn it," He told her.
Stevie shut her eyes tightly. Shivering with a mixture of emotion's. Her hands shook as she gripped with both her hands. Easing up towards the fireplace, she exhaled a sadden breath. "I can't..." She sobbed.
"Yes you can, Stevie, c'mon you can do it," Tremaine stepped over towards where Stevie's stood. Stepping behind her, he pulled his arms around her, until his hands laid ontop of hers.
"Take a deep breath, Stevie, count of three okay?" She nodded her head to agree.
"One,"
"Two,"
"Three," Together the tossed the white and blue scuffed up scrapbook soaring into the bright orange and yellow flames.
A small gasp escaped Stevie's mouth. As her body sagged in his grip, sobbing harder now. Tremaine wrapped his arms around her tighter. "It's okay, it's over, that piece of your life is gone for good, you'll feel better about it later, c'mon let's get in bed," Releasing his grip on her. He bent scooping her legs up from under her.
Though Stevie didn't vocalize it, she truly appreciated Tremaine in that moment, not only for making her actually burn the scrapbook, one he was correct still caused her pain, every time she saw it. But, for taking the initiative to push her towards healing from that part of her life.
It meant alot to her. As she was grateful for him...
________________________________________
Updateeeeee!!! Finally, Lord.. I hope you guys enjoyed it!!! 🥺❤️..