The humidity was thick as I walked out into the night air. By the time I made it to my car, I could already feel its sheen spreading across my body. Quickly jumping in my car, I turned the AC on high, leaning my head towards the vent. Hot nights in Louisiana weren't a joke and thank goodness the ride from the hospital to my house wasn't long. I pulled up in my garage a half an hour later and quickly ran in the house.

All I wanted to do was wash the day away. I didn't realize how tired I was until a big yawn escaped me. I called out for Aries but he didn't answer. Walking to the bedroom the shower was calling my name so I took off my shoes, stripped down and walked to the shower naked as a jaybird.

I turned on my shower as the waterfall spray and steam began to ease my muscles. Turning on the small digital shower radio I listened to the smooth sounds of R&B coming from the speakers. I began to sing along to Al Green's, Let's Stay Together. Closing my eyes, I snapped my fingers getting into the song as my body rocked from side to side. There was something about that song that just got ya movin. As I sang the last of the words I turned around and was startled to see Aries watching me through the glass door.

"You scared me," I said holding my hand to my heart.

"Sorry baby I heard the water running and I got distracted watching it run down that beautiful body while those hips sway to the music. My baby got some rhythm and a nice voice."

I opened up the door grabbing him by the shirt pulling him in. He grinned as the water bounced off his shoulders and I found myself raising up his wet shirt. His thick muscles tightened as I licked and kissed down his chest. He moaned as I continued to ease down on him while he ran his fingers through my wet hair.

His sweats were now glued to his body but it didn't stop me from my mission. His manhood bounced alerting me he was ready for action. Kneeling down I took him in my mouth while he gripped the walls. Rocking back and forth his moans became deeper and deeper but were drowned out by the water. It didn't take long before he raised me up turning me to face the wall.

My hands were flat and he pushed me up as I stood on my tippy toes. Being tall had its advantages. His fingers skimmed across my breasts, to the middle of my chest until they found their spot down below. He twirled and pushed them deep while my cheek rested against the warm stone wall.

Between the heat and his fingers, I was ready. Moments later I was sliding against the wall as his thickness filled me. Kissing me along my neck we rocked to our own beat. Our moans were drowned out by the water and music but it didn't stop me from calling out his name and my eyes fluttering in sensual pleasure.

"Ah baby," he said while I felt his pleasure building up. My core wept for satisfaction, just a little bit more and I would surely skyrocket from the heat. With one last thrust and his fingers manipulating my button I broke down into pieces. Our bodies withered against one another and I finally caught my breath while he released me.

I turned around and he didn't stop. He kissed me between my breasts while his hands roamed up and down my body. I licked my lips rubbing my hand across his bald head. He kissed his way down between my thighs wrapping my legs around his neck while he kneeled down.

"Why are you so beautiful?" he whispered in between kisses. The skin between my thighs tingled while his breath from his words tickled below. He stared into my eyes for just a moment before he went in for the kill.

Oh good Gawd today was the day I was going to die. I would be on the ten o'clock news with the storyline of- "The police just found bone fragments and hair samples of Dr. Elizabeth Johnson. Detectives say it was an earth shattering orgasm in her shower early this evening that claimed her life but shortly after she combusted into a trillion pieces. We will have more details as they become available."

I lost control as he did something with his tongue which caused me to succumb to his evil cunning tortuous mouth. He grinned knowing I had succumbed to his idolatry ways.

My body couldn't take anymore. He had left me as collateral damage but I wasn't even worth a nickel. He raised me up and washed me. I literally leaned on him the whole time.

"I better get you out of here before you pass out. You're starting to look flushed," he said turning off the water.

He helped me out and carried me to the bed. I watched as he changed clothes. I slowly crawled over to the other side and grabbed the first thing I saw, a gown with matching panties. He looked back at me and winked.

"Come here sweetness," he said walking over giving me a hand. After I was fully clothed he sat me on his lap.

I chuckled putting my arms around his neck. I couldn't help but kiss him along the ridge of his neck.

"You're even more gorgeous when you look like this."

"I guess my parents did a good job in creating me. Since we are passing out compliments, why are you so handsome?"

"Oh you think your boy is handsome you say?"

"Well yeah. Do you think I would be with you if you weren't?"

"I thought you were with me because I know how to make you holler."

"That's just an added bonus."

"I brought food, your favorite, a catfish poboy with all the fixins along with curly fries. I have no idea how you eat all that fried unhealthy stuff."

"It goes to the booty," I said laughing pointing at it then shaking it.

"Eat on girl, eat on."

We finally got up after we kissed and headed to the kitchen. He had a strawberry salad with some infused water while I ate all the unhealthy food he claimed. He said grace and we dug in.

"How was camp?" I asked taking a strawberry from his salad.

"Good. A lot of kids showed up which is a good sign."

"Any standouts?"

He got quiet and took a bite of his salad. I looked at him and he took another bite.

"Is there a future Aries?"

"No but who knows in a couple of days there could be one."

He quickly took another bite of his salad. He seemed a little uncomfortable, maybe he was just tired too.

His phone rang and he looked down at it. Quickly rolling his eyes he swiped the bar to ignore it. We continued to eat in silence while his phone rang again. He quickly turned it off and slid it in his pocket. I wondered who it could have been. Whoever it was he didn't want to be bothered.

"If you need to take that call you can."

"Nah, I'm good. It's my agent Aaron. I can talk to him later."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. I want to spend time with you, not discuss business."

"You're so sweet."

We continued to eat but he seemed to pick over his salad while I stuffed my face until I had finished every last bite.

"Why don't we go lay on the sofa and watch a movie? I'm tired and you look tired too," I said getting up.

"Good idea."

We cleaned up our mess. I sat down while he rested his head on my lap. I scrolled down the TV guide until I clicked on the movie, The Best Man. A commercial was on so we waited for it to come on.

"Sean is getting an award next week so I am flying out Thursday for the event."

"Couldn't find a real date, huh?" he said looking up at me. He had twisted his body around to face me.

I looked down at him through slanted eyes. "Excuse you but I am a real date. My friend needs me so I'm going."

"I'm just saying whenever he needs you to do something you jump to his aid."

"That's what best friends do."

"I guess, but you two take it to a whole another level. So do you have other friends? If not, you might need to work on that."

I moved his head off my lap and stood up. "How come all our arguments start about my relationship with Sean?"

"Hell Liz you talk to him at least twenty times a day, I'm lucky if we talk once every few days. How can we build a relationship when you go running to him?" His voice had dropped an optic and he raised up.

"Hold your horse's mister. You better tone that voice down, you're in my house and I don't play that," I said waving my finger at him along with my neck. Oh it was about to get ghetto style up in here. My Midea was itching to let loose. He would find out real soon he was messing with the wrong sista.

"Look Liz I really care for you and I want to take this relationship to the next level but you and Sean need to cool it. I don't like to share my woman."

"Are you serious? Your woman? I am my own woman, no one and I mean no one owns me. I'm not a damn slave. You know what, you never once mentioned us being a couple."

"I'm sorry if I raised my voice at you. I thought by me coming here we could make it official. You're the only woman I think about and want to be with," he said pulling me into his lap. He kissed me on the lips softly but I quickly turned away.

"If you want to be with me you are going to have to find a way to get along with him. He is important to me and he always has. Quantity vs. Quality of friends, I will take Quality every single time. Look, I know you two have some rivalry but I won't give up my friendship with him."

"I'm not saying to give up your friendship but sometimes I think you two act more than just friends. I want to be your best friend Lizzy. I want to be the one you call on your good days and bad days. I want to be the first person you call in the morning and the last person you call at night. I want to know everything about you baby."

"When we first started this, we agreed this was just for fun. Now you catching feelings?"

"Catching feelings?" he asked looking confused. Damn prep school boy! He might have been black but he had no street knowledge.

"Excuse me, I meant to say you are falling for me. Look you are an athlete living in another state and it's so much easier not to be committed. We have an open relationship and I thought we agreed we would keep it like that."

"Are you sleeping with Sean or any other guys?"

"Hell no, I'm not a whore. You are the only man I'm sleeping with."

"I'm not sleeping with anyone but you Lizzy."

"So you want to be monogamous with me?"

"I do." He reached over grabbing a notepad and a pen that I kept on my end table. He wrote something on it and passed it to me.

"Will you be my girlfriend yes or no?" He had it written out with a box next to the yes and no. I looked up at him.

"Before I decide we have to discuss Sean," I said twirling the pen between my fingers.

"Are you trying to negotiate?"

"Look Aries I would love a relationship with you, but you have to understand Sean is a part of my life. I won't turn my back on him if he needs me. He doesn't have anybody. His mother is a gold-diggering hoochie and believe me, she takes advantage of him at every opportune moment. I'm his family, including my mom so baby you have to understand that if you want us to work."

"Okay lets compromise," he said laying me down on the side of him. He was now facing me playing with the hem of my gown and rubbing up and down my legs.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I want to hear your voice every day if not by phone then we FaceTime. A text will not do. I want you to come visit me on your weekends when you're not on call. I want you to come to my games and most of all I don't want you physically but emotionally too," he said pointing at my head.

"I'm confused?"

He shook his head. "We have a physical attraction but you and Sean have an emotional attraction. I want that with you. I want all of you Liz," he said grabbing for my hand and kissing it.

"What can I do so I can at least compete for your attention?"

He wasn't asking for much but Sean knew everything about me.

"Well for starters Sean sends me chocolates every month when it gets close to my period. We watch movies together on FaceTime, he always listens to me even if all I do is whine, can you do that?"

"Yes, I can do that, but the whining..."

"You asked."

He started to laugh. "Whining I will have to get use too, but can you not whine every day?"

"I will think about."

I looked into those dark eyes and watched them blink and blink again. I had dated men in the past but they really never got this serious. My mind went back to the article I read online. I wanted to ask him about it but somehow I was nervous.

"I can do the things you've asked but don't ever ask for me to cut my connection with Sean. We have depended on one another since before we could walk and from the way I see it, I won't let anyone come between that."

"That's fair. Hopefully one day I can understand this friendship."

"You do know it turns me on to know that you want more of me," I said pulling him down on me.

"Does it now?"

"Yes," I said raising up kissing him on the side of the lips.

"So are we official Liz?"

"I'm going to LA next week and I want you to know I am going to support my friend. If you don't like it, we can end this here or if you accept it and know that I'm yours, then you won't have a disappointing night," I said pulling off my gown.

"Damn you woman?!" he said cupping my breasts with his huge hands.

"Oh one more thing," I said moaning as he twisted my nipples. I felt pleasure streaming to my core.

"I went online and saw the interview you did with SportsTime Magazine. Nice photo by the way."

"Did you now?" he said pulling my panties down. I raised up as he snatched them from my body leaving me totally vulnerable.

"Yes," I moaned as his hands seemed to be all over my body.

"What did you think about it?" he asked in between kissing my inner knees. His finger skimmed down to my opening. I stop breathing once I felt him inside.

"Just who is that...special someone?" I asked as he went deeper. I bit my bottom lip.

He raised back looking down at me taking away my pleasure. Urgh!!! He had this funny look on his face and he began to chuckle.

"I'm serious Aries. Who is she? I swear if you playing me I will cut your balls off." Why all of a sudden I was jealous again?

His chuckle turned into full blown out laughter. What in the hell was wrong with him? I tried to get up but he pushed me back down.

"This is not funny Aries. Are you playing me? Do you have a real girlfriend back in Atlanta? Am I just your play toy you use when she's not around?"

"Seeing you jealous is hilarious," he said. I punched him in the chest only to hurt my hand. He laughed some more but grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"If you really want to know, I was talking about my future baby mama."

"Oh Gawd, you done got somebody pregnant?!"

I went to get up again but he pulled me back.

"Baby please stop pulling away. I was talking about you silly."

I looked back and he was shaking his head. He pulled me down and wrapped my legs around his back.

"They asked me a question and I answered it honestly. I could definitely see myself with you and us having a family in the future. I won't play football forever and in a few years I will probably retire. I want a woman I can come home to and just be me. Not King Aries or Aries the Superstar, but the down to earth humble Aries."

"So I'm marrying material?"

"Of course you are. You are smart, sexy and my mama would be proud for me to marry a doctor. She thinks everyone else I've dated is after my money. You're different than the rest of the women out there Lizzy. I really think this relationship could work out. I know there is some distance between us, but we can make up for it."

"At least five months of the year your career will take priority and that's a long time Aries. There are a lot of women out there and I rather us to keep what we have then to commit and you cheat on me."

"As long as I know I have you, you don't have to worry about that."

"I've seen the articles of athletes cheating on their wives and girlfriends and I don't need the drama. If you want this to work, no secrets and no cheating. If you feel that you have to cheat, please be upfront with me. I don't want to look like a fool."

"I won't cheat on you so you don't have to worry about that."

I grabbed the pad from off the floor and checked off my answer. I flipped it around so he could see it.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, but you better not make me regret my answer."

"I won't," he said with a grin from ear to ear.

He sang, "you my girlfriend, you my girlfriend," he repeated it over and over in the most awkward song I had ever heard in my life. He moved his shoulders from side to side in a broke down version of the cabbage patch. I couldn't help but laugh.

He smiled looking down at me. We remained quiet looking into each other eyes. I felt vulnerable not because I was naked but because we were making things official. It had been years since I had a serious relationship and now after all those years, I was putting my heart on the line.

So many thoughts were running through my head both positive and negative that I just prayed things would work out.

He lifted me up and carried me towards the bedroom. Laying me down he stripped out of his clothes and laid next to me. I cuddled up to him and he wrapped his arms around me. His masculine scent surrounded me. Kissing me on the forehead we both took a deep breath and moments later I had fallen to sleep.