it didn't take much to make him jealous, not when it came to emery. she was the center of his existence. no matter where things had fallen apart, no matter how complicated everything became, and even when she teased him like this, it only reminded him how possessive he still felt over her. when she questioned how much money he had left from his boxing days, he let out a sarcastic snort of a laugh. the massive fight earnings, pay-per-view checks, endorsements, sponsorships, investments. despite his large personality, his was a humble guy. he never really liked to brag. he was more interested in investing in his gym, taking care of his family, and, of course, spoiling emery whenever she let him. still, he knew that compared to idris, he probably didn't come close. "see, i knew it." he shook his head, teasing her. "you're a gold digger." even so, he knew emery had more sentiment than anyone. she'd always been tender, thoughtful, and loving.
he was grinning ear to ear, trying not to laugh when she admitted she missed him. "good," he assured, his deep voice vibrating through the car. his steady hand slipped from the steering wheel to rest against her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. hearing her call him stupid only made him happier. "sometimes it just feels good to be home. where you're comfortable, where all your things are... ice cream included." he reached for her hand, lifting it to his lips to press a playful kiss against her knuckles. "c'mon, girl. quit playin'..." his eyes drifted from the road to emery for a brief moment before settling forward again. "you know i can't keep my hands to myself, especially when it comes to you."