Page 54 of Nothing Like Your Ex

“You lucky people are here. I’d suck the skin off your dick right now,” she cooed, licking the shell of his ear.

There she went again, talking that shit. A chill shot through Melo’s body at the thought before setting her back on her feet.

“A’ight keep on,” he warned.

Smiling brightly up at him, Kwinn dangled the keys in her hand. “You really bought me a building.”

“Nah,” he corrected, licking his lips. “I bought The Taylor Collective a home.”

She didn’t intend on crying today, but of course, the tears came anyway as her throat tightened.

Knowing she was choked up at the moment, Melo continued. “I don’t want you thinking I did this because you needed me to. I know who I’m in a relationship with. The type of go-getter you are. I copped it ‘cause you have a business that needed room to grow. Instead of you waiting on something to fall through or drag your feet, I took care of it for you.”

Kwinn blew out a deep breath, wiping beneath her eyes. “And words can’t express how happy you just made me.”

It wasn’t the building itself that had her emotional, but Melo’s gesture and what it represented. Jabari had spent so much of their relationship expecting her to pour into his dreams that she’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have someone pour into hers. The most he’d given her was a lame apology after the incident at the club, and she’d only gotten that much because Vic pushed up on him in New York. Jabari almost pissed his pants when he saw him sitting outside his house.

Now here she stood with a man who’d been about her since day one and hadn’t asked her to give up a damn thing. Melo hadn’t tried to convince her to slow down or make room for his life. He listened and invested like the real nigga he was.

With excitement and unadulterated love written all over her face and in her eyes, Kwinn wrapped her arms back around him. “I can’t believe you.”

Melo smirked. “I don’t know why. I told you from the jump it’s whatever for you, and I meant that. You deserve this shit, my baby.” He kissed her forehead and Kwinn pressed her cheek against his chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered, squeezing his body.

Kwinn glanced over at her parents, who had been watching the entire exchange. The pride on Toya’s face and the look in Vic’s eyes made her chest tighten all over again. They’d raised her to build something of her own, and she’d done exactly that.

Now, she had a man who would undoubtedly spend and do whatever to keep a smile on her face and keep her dream going. Kwinn was annoyed that she’d even stayed in her last relationship for as long as she had. It or any prior fling couldn’t compare to what she and Melo shared.

He came through and had her experiencing the finer things in life and loved her like she was the only person his heart ever belonged to. And it might as well have because she’d had it on lock from the moment he entered her world. If Kwinn could choose him all over again, she would. Melo had the type of love she never wanted to go without. It was nothing like a love she’d known before, and definitely nothing like her ex’s.