TiTi (Purple People Book 4) Read online

  There was silence afterward, as each panted softly, catching their breath. Slowly he softened and slipped from her body. She reached down for her panties, pulling them up, so he did the same, yanking his sweatpants on at the same time. When he thought she’d move to her side of the sleeping bag, he swept her to him with one arm.

  “Come here,” he growled softly into her ear. He would never let her go again.

  Chapter Four

  Titi:

  The smell of pancakes filled the house. A small noise at the edge of the kitchen made her glance up.

  A shirtless Reese stood there, his hair mussed and looking better than anyone had a right to. His biceps bulged even in the morning light. She’d assumed that yesterday he’d just worked out to get that larger-than-life look. Apparently not.

  She’d zonked out wrapped in those bulging arms.

  “Good morning,” he whispered, and she wanted nothing more than to fling herself against him and kiss him properly.

  But dammit, how long before he’d leave her again? For good this time?

  “Morning.” She deliberately turned her back on him, facing the stove. It didn’t deter him. He simply came up behind her and placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck. Why had she knotted her hair on top of her head as if she wanted to give him access to that special spot?

  “Look, I think we need to get something straight.”

  “What would that be?” His deep voice rumbled.

  “I’m not looking for a fling or a best friend. You can drop the act, Reese. It’s not gonna happen.”

  “Titi, you’re missing the point, my love. You are mine. You have always been mine, and you’ll always be mine.”

  Her body stiffened in his arms. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll agree to be yours. Just as soon as you jump aboard that ship and leave the planet again.” It was what he wanted anyway. She was simply giving him permission.

  He stepped away, and she immediately missed the warmth from his large body. “If that’s what you want,” he agreed easily, as if he’d jump off a cliff if she told him to. As if he’d do her bidding with his eyes closed.

  “Mmm, pancakes!” Elias was as wide awake as a hopping bunny rabbit, plopping himself in a seat at the kitchen table. The other kids piled in after him.

  “Are you walking us to school, too, Reese?” Bebe asked.

  Titi brought a plate of pancakes to the table, plopping one onto each plate.

  “Nope,” Reese said easily. “Titi will do that. I have to head back out to the ship so I don’t miss Aunt Millie’s coronation.”

  “Aww! I wanted to bring you for show and tell,” Elias moaned. “I told all the kids about your adventures in space, searching for a special treasure for a special someone…”

  “Sorry for your disappointment,” Titi said, her voice tight. “You’ll get used to it. Find a back up plan for show and tell.”

  He looked at her intently. “Like what, Titi?”

  “Why don’t you tell the kids about the awesome movie you watched last night? And just when you get to the ending…kablam. Mention that you fell asleep and they’ll have to have a sleepover with you to get closure by watching it themselves.”

  His little purple face brightened. “That’s a great idea.”

  And would pay the grownups back for obviously trying to set her up to fix her relationship with Reese. A houseful of noisy kids to remind them of birth control.

  She plopped the rest of the pancakes down in front of Reese, and headed back to her mom’s room to shower and change.

  By the time she came back to the kitchen, Reese was gone. She fought against the disappointment. It was what she wanted, she told herself. Hell, it was always what happened. He turned and left her without a backward glance.

  Purple bastard. How dare he do her bidding so easily?

  * * * * *

  Reese:

  Did she really think it would be that easy to get rid of him? That one day after landing at the home he’d missed, he’d be willing to leave her so soon? He’d thought he’d won her over last night. But as soon as the sun rose, so did her mood.

  “What’s got you sulking?” His dad asked, entering through the front door.

  “Titi. I don’t know how to get her to listen to me long enough to explain why I left. Maybe I need to take her suggestion and go with Uncle Rojan to see the coronation. Perhaps by the time I get back, she’ll be ready to hear me out.”

  “No son of mine shall let a woman slip through his fingers,” Bajoc roared. “Not when I am a walking encyclopedia of sexual advice.”

  Reese winced. “Dad, really. I don’t need that kind of advice. I don’t want to think about that advice and how you got it, or who you got it with...”

  “Well, it’s still good you came to me.”

  Reese wasn’t going to mention that his dad had come to him.

  “If you had gone to your Uncle Tristan, you would have gotten all sorts of bad guidance. He sucks at matchmaking. He will slaughter you with his rotten advice. In fact, the only reason why your Aunt Lara stayed with that old timer is because she’d gotten pregnant too many times to leave.”

  That and the fact that Aunt Lara was all over Uncle Tristan, just like his mom was always draped over his own dad.

  “But let me tell you, soldier. Titi’s a wild one. Always has been. Now, she swore me to secrecy about all the times she sought my expert advice, but I can tell you where to corner my precious little niece.”

  By the excitement in his dad’s eyes, he was hoping to clue him in to the juiciest knowledge he had. Reese couldn’t burst his bubble by telling him Kamau already mentioned it.

  “She’s not at home?”

  His dad leaned in. “She is. But at her home. She no longer lives with Uncle Tristan.”

  “I had no idea she ever moved.” Even to his own ears, his comment sounded contrived. But his dad didn’t catch on.

  “No.” His dad held up his hand. “I am sworn to secrecy. But you can figure out where she lives easily enough. You know your uncle can’t keep a secret. It will be his fault when he spills the peas. Then when you go to see her, you must bring her a present. Women love pretty baubles. The brighter the better.”

  “Oh, I will. This present will blow her mind.”

  His dad’s eyes widened as the wrong implication hit. “Not that present, Reese.”

  “Dad!” He felt the skin on his cheeks darken and he moved to cover his crotch with a pillow. “I wasn’t thinking that.”

  “Oh. Well, just as long as we’re on the same page then.”

  As soon as his dad left, he headed back to Titi’s old house. His aunt Lara was in the shower, but Uncle Tristan was in the kitchen.

  “You know I used to bathe my purple punkin in this very sink?” he asked.

  “I remember,” Reese said. “Though it was much more fun in the tub.”

  “Used to have to wash out her diapers here, too,” Tristan said, his eyes misting over. “I invented those, you know. The diaper.”

  “I know. Uncle Tristan, I was wondering where Titi was? We had a bit of a misunderstanding that I want to clear up…”

  “My daughter wants to be left alone, Reese. Unfortunately, you take after your own father in the regard that you do not have much sexual prowess. It is time to face facts, son. She does not want you.”

  Reese raised his eyebrows. “Who says I don’t have much sexual prowess?”

  “If my daughter has been sullied…” Tristan growled. “Nephew or not, son. You will wed my daughter and clean up her tarnished reputation.”

  “Oh, good. Let’s get that done, shall we? Now that I have your permission, why don’t you tell me where she is so I can actually ask her?”

  Tristan’s eyes misted again. “You’re going to propose? Wow, you know we can probably hold the wedding there at her cottage. You know how Titi always loved being in the woods.”

  “I would love that. You better get with Aunt Lara, and my mom and dad to start planning.”
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br />   Reese was almost out the door when his Uncle Tristan called out. “Reese, son, just some friendly advice. Your parental unit once smeared the guts of the pirates who’d kidnapped your mother on the walls of their ship to impress her. Scared her witless! That said, don’t seek out words of wisdom from your dad. They fall out like missing teeth.”

  “I think I just got all the pearls of wisdom I need, sir.” Reese smiled at his Uncle Tristan before heading down the path.

  He accomplished what he needed to. Titi’s dad let it slip. She was living in the cottage in the woods. It would never implicate poor Kamau when Reese sprawled on her lovely porch swing, waiting for her to get home.

  He headed that way.

  Chapter Five

  Titi sat on the playground swing set to think about her complicated situation. The kids had just done their morning exercises, followed by practicing their line formations, a tradition in the school. They’d waved at her and headed inside, and she sat in a swing like a lonely child. She didn’t want to head back to her parents’ house and face their knowing looks. They’d known Reese would be babysitting his siblings with her. Hell, Aunt Marcie and Uncle Bajoc were on the weekend getaway with them. The lot of them had set her up. But for once, she didn’t want to head to her adorable little house. This time, she didn’t appreciate the solitude she normally loved.

  “What’s wrong, warrior?”

  Her dad’s face was gentle as he squatted near her. Now that he was here, she couldn’t be upset with him over the obvious Reese ploy. Her father always looked the same and had since she was three. She’d known her parents had extended life spans. It was why her mother wanted tons of children. Her father was more than secretly pleased. He liked to brag about how fertile he was. It was weird.

  “Daddy. You’re back.”

  He nodded. “And you’re sitting in a swing all alone.”

  “Nothing’s wrong.” But she scowled.

  Her dad nodded again, somewhat sagely this time. “Reese is home, and you didn’t make up.”

  She smoothed out the frown lines between her eyebrows. “I don’t know why it’s so hard.”

  “You’ve loved him forever,” he said simply. “It hurt when he left. You wouldn’t listen before, stellina, but maybe you will now.” He leaned in. “Reese left for you.”

  She stared at him. It made no sense to her. Reese left because he wanted bigger and more adventurous things in life. “Why do you think that?”

  “Do you remember the egg Aunt Joy gave you?”

  Great stars, the egg that was…where the hell was the egg? In her pocket of last night’s tunic? She had nearly forgotten about it. Eyes wide, she nodded.

  “You’d broken it. Reese always knew he wanted to get one for you to replace it. He knew a degree in trade would benefit our planet and decided to go for it, for the chance to come across a rare crystal egg. He missed you, too. The entire time he was away, he always asked everyone for updates regarding you. But every time he came home or contacted by video cam, you managed to avoid him.”

  “I couldn’t see him. It hurt all over again.”

  “I know, little one.” Her father pulled her up out of the swing and toward him for a giant bear hug. He deposited a kiss on the top of her head.

  “But the hurt never went away when I ignored it,” she said sadly. “I was wrong.”

  “Bah! Not my daughter. I’m sure Reese was wrong for not trying harder to get you to listen. Plus, he probably feels like a loser for never procuring the crystal. That I feel bad about. It takes a man’s hood away to not accomplish a goal.”

  She smiled. “Manhood. A man’s manhood.” How her mother and father stayed together for so long with all their misunderstandings was beyond her. “Reese is leaving again. He said this morning he didn’t want to miss Aunt Millie’s coronation. I don’t want to watch him leave. I can’t bear a public goodbye in front of everyone. Especially if he decides he wants to stay space bound.”

  “Go hide out from your best friend, stellina. I’ll let it subtly drop that you are living in the cottage in the woods. He will come after you to say goodbye properly or I will break his legs and drag him there.”

  She certainly didn’t want Reese to know where her house was. It was her place of solitude, where she could go to lick her wounds. “Now, daddy, you know that will upset Uncle Bajoc. Instead, why don’t you just casually mention to Uncle that I’m hiding indoors? I’m sure he’ll tell Reese. And Reese thinks I still live at your house. He can leave me a message saying goodbye.” The males of the village were inept at keeping secrets.

  “Well, that’s provided that Bajoc has the intelligence to see this is matchmaking in the progress. His wit is a little slow.”

  “For sure,” Titi agreed. It was the only way to soothe her father’s rambunctious soapbox. And matchmaking skills. She loved him for trying, but she and Reese were a lost cause. If it took seven years, one should know to give up.

  “I love you, pops.” She kissed her father’s black cheek, leaving purple glitter in the shape of her lips. She knew from past experience he would leave the markings all day, pretending he didn’t know they were there.

  “I love you, too. Thank you for watching your brother and sisters. I think your mother is trying for another nutling.” He winked. “I do my best to accommodate.”

  “Dad.” She laughed, as they turned and walked opposite ways. “Tell mom I love her, too. I’ll be by in a day or so.” She waved.

  By the time she got around the school though, Uncle Bajoc was there, pretending to act casual, but obviously waiting for her to walk by.

  “Titi, my favorite niece,” he blustered. He hadn’t used those words in a while. Since the time he wanted her to smooth things over with her Aunt Marcie for something atrocious he’d done. He’d told her what to say to soothe her Aunt, and somehow, magically, her aunt would soften.

  “Uncle Bajoc,” she said.

  “I don’t know if you’re aware. Reese is home…”

  “I helped him babysit last night. As you’re aware, uncle. Since Elias let it slip that you and Aunt Marcie were with my mom and dad.”

  Uncle Bajoc didn’t even apologize though he did look guilty. “I want to let you know he’s been worried about you.”

  She sighed. Uncle Bajoc always tried to give her “the talk” whenever Reese called or visited and she avoided him.

  “I know.”

  “I want to give you my knowledge and wisdom because your father makes a mess of such matters. Reese will be seeking you out. Your father told him to man up and go get his woman…”

  Titi gasped. “He did not!” The sly old devil had just told her to hide out in her cottage in the woods and he would drag Reese there with or without broken legs to state his goodbyes.

  “Yes. He gave Reese a key to the cottage.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Bajoc.”

  “Of course.”

  She deposited a kiss onto his silver cheek, and watched the glitter sparkle. Her Uncle Bajoc would wear it proudly. She snickered to herself. Best to let her father know she was aware of his clumsy matchmaking moves.

  She made her way through the path in the woods. She waited long enough, at the Bubbled Waterfall, for Reese’s ship to leave before heading onward to the cottage. She’d show them all. This would be the final avoidance to make sure he was good and gone.

  But when she turned the corner from the woods to her cottage, Reese sat outside on her front porch swing.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, exasperated as she approached. “Hasn’t the ship left yet?”

  “Not yet. We need to talk.”

  “We did that this morning, Reese. You told me you’re leaving again. So leave already.”

  “Not without clearing this up.” His voice was a growl, as good as any she’d ever heard from Uncle Bajoc.

  “I brought you something.” Between two fingers, Reese held out a gemstone egg.

  Titi gasped.

  “It’s a magical egg,
” Reese said.

  “I know what it is. I have one. Aunt Joy gave it to me a long time ago.” Suddenly she felt dizzy as events and thoughts all hit her at once.

  “Or yesterday,” she whispered.

  Chapter Six

  “Titi?” Reese asked.

  Titi looked up from her dizzy spell. Somehow she was wrapped in his arms as if he’d caught her, and he stared into her face, his amethyst eyes concerned. “Are you okay?”

  “No.” She sat up. “Oh, my Goddess, Reese. None of this is real. This reality, this time. It’s not real.”

  “What? What are you talking about? Of course this is real, baby. I’m right here with you.”

  “No, you don’t understand. I just realized something. It was yesterday that Aunt Joy gave me the crystal egg. Yesterday, I was three years old.”

  Reese stared at her. “You’re visiting right now from the past?”

  She nodded. “Yes. And now it’s time to go back. I can feel it. My feet tingle, like I have one foot in each world…”

  “No. Not yet, Titi. I want you to use this egg before you go. I’ve worked my entire life to be able to earn enough to get one for you. Seven years of trading. I can’t believe you had one all this time. In our lifetime, you had lost Aunt Joy’s egg that night she left.”

  Titi smiled weakly. “I was so mad at you back then. You wouldn’t go learn the Macarena with me. So when I cried to Aunt Joy, she gave me her egg. I swore I wasn’t going to tell you about the special egg just to make you suffer.”

  He smiled too. “I’m willing to learn the Macarena now.” Very softly, he brushed the barest kiss over her lips. She felt his long eyelashes flutter briefly against her cheek. That was another thing she’d forgotten. Butterfly kisses.

  “Why don’t you use the egg yourself?” she asked.

  “I already have,” he admitted. “I know the future. I just want you to see it long enough to stop avoiding me so we can get started on it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He smiled again, rather mysteriously. “Break it. When you see it, you’ll come right back here. To this instant.”