Page 26 of Platinum Pressure

“Truthfully, physical attraction matters, but like most people, I’ve fallen victim to some gremlins with a good mouthpiece. Moment of weakness, but that was back before I set serious boundaries.”

“That’s real.”

“Yeah . . . I’m attracted to fine men, but I’m attracted to feelings a lot more. A man who makes me feel seen, heard, and appreciated is my type. A man who doesn’t have to be told how to love me; he just knows from listening and observing because I’m a complicated girl. Sometimes I don’t even know how I want to be loved. I’m attracted to a man who lets me be soft and carefree and not like a mother to his overly grown ass. I’m attracted to leaders, not men who weaponize their incompetence.”

“Understood.”

“What’s your type?” I returned the question.

“You.”

“Oh brother. See how you play all day?”

“I’m not playing. Physically, I’m attracted to thick women. I’m a big man, and women on the bigger side of the scale look best on my arm. I love a woman who is thick and fit. You put me in awe when you help me around the house like I’m not damn near two times your size. I like my woman with personality that meshes well with mine. You showed me exactly who you were the day we met. You’re patient, kind, and caring, just like I imagine my future wife to be. You’re selfless and sweet, and all the important people in my life like you. My mama asked about you the other day. She loves to hear all the things you have me doing daily. She’s a fan of how well you treat me, and shit like that means the world to me because prior to you, my mama hated every woman I brought around. You are my type, Meadow.”

“W-wow, I . . . I don’t know what to say.”

Pride? Joy?

I couldn’t describe or label the feeling coursing through my body as he spoke. To hear him describe the reasons I attracted him filled me with emotions I had no business feeling for a patient. We were getting dangerously comfortable with one another.

Platinum remained silent as he finished the set. He leaned his back against the picnic table as he caught his breath. Sweat coated his skin and only enhanced his sexy-ass features. I didn’t want to make things awkward, but he’d caught me off guard with that. I hadn’t imagined things would take a turn like this.

“When was your last serious relationship?”

I frowned. “Ask me something else.”

“I want to know when the last time a man who met your standards was with you and why he ain’t last.”

A huff slid from my lips. “I’ve been single for over four years. We broke up shortly after I graduated college because I had goals to achieve, and I didn’t have time to suck his dick as much as he wanted me to. He didn’t support my goals and kept joking about trapping me with a baby so I can be a stay-at-home mom he would come home to after hours away from the house each day. Shit like that gives me the ick so bad. I took every word he spoke to me as the threat it was and blocked him.”

Platinum cackled. The sound came deep from his soul as he tilted his head back and held his stomach. His eyes closed while his mouth fell open, and the sight was almost as amusing as the laugh he produced.

I waited with my hand on my hip and lips pursed into a tight scowl for him to calm down.

“Are you done?” I asked with attitude laced in each word.

“My bad.”

“Your turn. When was your last serious relationship?”

He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t consider any woman I dated in the past to be a serious relationship because they were just placeholders. None of the women I dated or was seen around town with was worth proposing to and offering them a permanent spot in my world. But the last time I called someone my girlfriend publicly was a little over two years ago. Since then, it’s been nothing but one offs when I need to fuck, you know?”

“You are so damn vulgar. You couldn’t have worded that last part any better?”

“I ain’t think it was that bad, Dow.”

The way the nickname slid from his lips sent a shiver down my spine. Only family called me that, but it sounded perfect coming from his deep, velvet voice.

“Now wait a minute. Who gave you permission to use my nickname? We’re not cool like that.”

“Says who?”

“Me!”

“Dow, you are my new best friend and future wife. Just don’t tell Seddrick he has to share me. They gon’ write stories about our love one day.”

“Platinum, please shut up.”