by M. Skye
“Damn, that’s a good start. Well, you will let me know what you find out, right?”
“Of course.”
He looked around the kitchen, taking in the smell coming from the stove. “Well, what’s for dinner? You have enough for us? I was going to take him and the kids out for pizza, but this smells way better.”
“Yeah, we have enough, and he can stay here tonight if you have something up later,” Terence supplied.
“It’s good, man. I want him to spend the night at my place. I’ve been slacking in my uncle duties, and I need to do better. Get the other two ready, and I’ll take everyone.”
“You want all of them?” Asha laughed. “They are going to run you crazy, and Jonathan won’t sleep in the guest room alone. When he isn’t home, he needs to sleep next to someone.”
Miguel smiled, and Asha saw a glimmer of the brother she used to have so much fun with. “I’m okay with the kid sleeping in my bed. We will all be fine as long as he’s potty trained. I don’t want to wake up wet.”
“My baby has been potty trained for months now. He is an old pro at going to the restroom.”
“Good. Well then, I’ll take them all.”
“Good luck,” Terence laughed. “Meelah is going to have you playing dress-up, and Jonathan is going to have you doing the airplane so much your arms might fall off.”
“I don’t need luck, and it’s exactly what I need to spend my night doing. I missed them, and it’s time I grew up. Family is what’s important.”
“I agree.” Asha hugged him, and he melted into her embrace. She felt like for the first time in months her brother was going to be just fine. “Let’s get the kids packed, and then we will all sit down to dinner. We have so much to discuss, you and me.”
“That we do.” He pulled her up and swung his arm around her shoulder. They walked out of the room while Terence stayed behind to put the finishing touches on dinner. They chatted their way through the living room, past the children, and up the stairs, and Asha felt like things were finally going back to normal for them. The strain was finally gone.
Chapter Twelve
Mia felt the walls closing in on her as soon as she closed the door. Sure her house was decorated with rose petals and darkened, with only the candlelight flickering against the wall, but she felt anything but loved at the moment. It wasn’t because of the latest fight with Tyree. It was because she knew it was only a matter of time before she had to come clean. She wanted to at least feel the comfort of him before she did.
Mia knew he was probably feeling guilty about questioning her, but if she were completely honest, she would admit she didn’t blame him. His insecurities were all her doing, and she knew they would only get worse after she told him everything there was to know about her and Jake. She couldn’t begin to figure out what she was going to say, but she knew it had to be done. She was tired of the secrets, tired of trying to cover them.
She was moving through the house, removing articles of clothing with each step. To feel the gentle caresses from her husband was what her body ached for. She made it as far as the stairs when she felt herself being lifted into his strong arms. She felt as his lips made contact with her skin, and she felt herself sinking into his kiss.
He carried her to their room and pushed the door shut with his foot. As soon as he dropped her to the bed, he attacked her lips with his and ran his hands up her sides. She swore her skin was on fire. She had never wanted him as much as she did now. When they finally broke from the kiss, she could tell he wanted to talk, but she didn’t want to ruin the moment. He sat up on the bed, and she pulled him back down.
“Don’t.” She pulled his lips back to hers, and he caved into the kiss before catching himself and pulling back again.
“No, wait. I need to—”
She moved to his neck, and she could tell she was affecting him, clouding his judgment. “I don’t want to talk about it, Ty. Not right now.”
“But we need to clear the air. I need to tell you how wrong I was.”
The guilt swelled and almost suffocated her. She looked into his eyes and saw the pain and knew she needed to say something, anything to make this better. “It’s not your fault. I haven’t been honest with you. I haven’t told you everything I should have. I just didn’t want you to look at me that way.”
“What way?”
“Like I wasn’t the woman you fell in love with. I’ve done so many things I’m not proud of, and I just don’t want you to hate me.”
He kissed the tear rolling down her cheek, and she shuddered. “I could never hate you, and truth be told, there are a lot of things you don’t know about when we weren’t together. None of it is important. I’m willing to let it go if you will. I want you to focus on what we are right now.”
“Why would you do that? You just wanted to talk.”
“Because you’re upset and it’s making you question my love for you. I never want you to do that, and if it’s that hard to remember, then I don’t need to know. I know I’ve been pushing for it, and I’m sorry. If it makes you this uncomfortable, then forget it. I don’t want us having any more days like today.”
There it was, her chance to bury everything and start fresh, but something about it felt off. She didn’t want to continue with the lies that had clouded them for so long. She knew that whatever he had done in no way topped what she had been afraid to reveal. Now was the time to come clean and pray they could recover.
“I have to be honest with you. I wish I could just forget everything, but it’s not that simple.”
He covered her body and began to plant kisses on every exposed area. He danced his fingers down her stomach and across the band of her panties. He hooked his fingers on both sides and slid them down, and she felt more exposed than ever. Her body was on display and her very soul bared to him. She had never felt more vulnerable than she did at that very moment. “Make it that simple. Forgive yourself and let me help you forget.”
“No. . . .” She tried to object, to make him listen, but when his fingers invaded her body, her back arched and her mouth clamped shut. She had no control over herself. He had taken all her power with one single twirl of his fingers. If only he knew the authority he had over her. If only he knew the things he could make her do.
She felt him doing his signature move down her body, and she knew exactly where he was headed. His mouth was one of his best assets when it came to making love. The way he flicked his tongue over her sensitive pleasure points always made her scream. It was almost as good as when he pushed inside her and made her body his in every way. This was the release she needed, the release she wanted, but she needed even more for him to feel it first.
She pushed him over, stopping his journey to his favorite place between her legs. He landed on his back, and she took advantage of his position. This was the one place they never had trouble. She always knew what he wanted and vice versa. She knew he wanted to plant himself between her thighs and taste her, but she wanted to take charge of this. She wanted to feel like she had the same power over him.
Unbuttoning his shirt and opening it to reveal his chest, she made her way to his nipples and nipped at them gently with her teeth. He loved this, she could tell by the way he wove his fingers through her hair. His light rubbing on her scalp pushed her further, and she started a sucking motion only to follow up with a light nibble. She repeated it on the other nipple. She was sure he was more than ready to have her when he grabbed her hips and forced her hard against him. Even with his pants still on, she could feel the hard mass pressing between her legs.
Feeling his desire for her pushed the moment from lustful to purely primal. She yanked his zipper down and tugged at his pants legs until they lay at the foot of the bed. Tyree sat up and gripped her hips, but she pushed him down, holding a palm to his chest as her other hand found its way to the object of her desire in his boxers. He let out a deep growl when she pushed the boxers away, allowing him to spring free. She didn’t permit him to t
ake them off fully before her tongue poked out, bathing his tip with her warm caresses. His hands found their way back to her hair and tightened. Pushing her head farther, she took all of him in and allowed her tongue to ravish his hardened member.
The bucking of his hips excited her more than she ever thought possible, and she sped up her movements. She started off with her hands, stroking wherever her mouth couldn’t reach, and began to dance her fingertips from his base. She could feel the throbbing under her finger pads and delighted at the thought that she made him this way.
She had never enjoyed this before, but with him it was different. Every time his fingers dug deeper into her scalp, she felt a new level of passion. Every time his hips propelled, she felt stronger, like she could do anything. That was the effect he had on her. He made her feel like she had power she never knew she possessed.
Treating his erection like her own plaything, she pulled him all the way from her mouth just to dance her tongue down the side. When his head flew from the pillow, she pushed him back with one hand. Dancing her tongue down the other side, she felt his hands fist her hair. The pain mixed with pleasure drove her to take him as far as she could. Her sucking intensified and her tongue danced around in her closed mouth until she felt the trickling sensation of his climax.
As his body drained, he emptied himself into her mouth. This time, she didn’t make him pull out or release in a towel. This time, she swallowed every bit of what he had to offer and then lay on her back. She needed to catch her breath. She needed to slow down her pulse, but he didn’t give her that chance. Before she could prepare herself, he was back between her thighs and pressed against her. He didn’t enter her just yet. Instead, he grabbed his erection and brushed it over her wet, sensitive folds.
He was teasing her, tracing her entrance with his tip, and she needed to feel him. He had to know what he was doing. She looked up at him. The look he held told her it was going to be amazing. Capturing her lips, he fell into her, and the initial feeling sent tiny bolts passing through her. He hovered over her for a while before he began to move and pushed the hair from her face. She swore she had only once before felt the tenderness he was giving her: the first time they made love. They were children, things were so new to them, but he was everything she could have wished for. They were both nervous, but he made her comfortable with every touch.
The way he was looking at her now reminded her, and when he took her mouth and thrust forward, she felt her patience shatter. She could tell he wanted slow and steady, but she wanted something else. Placing her hands on his ass, she pushed him deeper, and he picked up on her need. Sliding his hands up to her waist, he buried himself completely, and she gasped. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she locked her ankles together, holding him close, and he threw himself hard against her.
Tyree grabbed her hands, locking their fingers together before sliding her arms up above her head. She loved the way he shifted his body up and propelled himself into a frenzy of thrusts that took her breath away. She tried to scream out his name, but it presented as a series of light whispers. She tickled his neck with her breath, and he dropped his head to rest in the hollow of her neck and pushed himself harder, still gripping her hands. She turned her head to him and tasted the ecstasy radiating off his tongue.
She had no idea it could be like this between them. When he secured his hand around her waist, flipping them and allowing her to take her rightful place on top of him, she brought herself down, taking in every rock-hard inch of his erection. Reaching under them to toy with his sack, she took joy in the moans that escaped his lips. Curling his arm around her waist and sliding his other hand into her hair, he gripped her tight and forced her body up and down. She placed her arms on his shoulders and dug her nails in deep just as he met her neck with his tongue.
He licked her neck, and she sped up, rolling her hips forward, and then she teased him by swaying from side to side. With each sway of her hips, he sucked on her neck harder and harder. She was sure she would have a hickey, but she didn’t care. It felt too good to make him stop, and she was too far gone to put up a fight. When he moved to the other side of her neck, she threw her head to the side, and he slid his hand to the small of her back and pushed her harder against him.
Their sweat intermingled and Mia swore her body was floating off the bed. Locking her legs behind him, she crossed her arms around his neck and placed her hand on the back of his head. Lacing her fingers together, she pulled his mouth to hers and swore they shared the same breath. When she exhaled so did he, when she gasped he did as well, and as soon as his lips parted, she pushed her tongue inside, tasting him for what felt like the millionth time that night. His kisses were intoxicating, his lips were addictive, and everything he was doing to her body was exhilarating.
He was still on her neck, one hand in her hair and the other on her back, when she felt it coming. She felt her legs shaking and her insides fluttering when he took her mouth in one last kiss. As soon as their lips met, she felt the quakes take over, and she heard his grunts, letting her know he was there too. Nothing felt better, and she basked in the moment. He kissed his way from her mouth up to her earlobe and whispered to her.
“You forget yet?”
She sighed when he pulled away and looked her in the eyes. She swore she saw nothing but love and understanding, and it made her heart hurt. She knew he said to drop it, but she somehow felt she didn’t deserve what he was giving her. She didn’t deserve a clean slate, not until he knew everything that clouded the old one. She opened her mouth, but he put his finger on her lips. “If the answer is anything but yes, then don’t say it. I want you happy, and you won’t be as long as you feel like anything that happened between us was your fault. We all did things, we said horrible things, but we’re here, and that’s all that matters. Trust me.”
“I tried to overdose.” Like verbal diarrhea, the words came spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them. His eyes widened, and she felt his body tense. He was still inside her, and she felt him twitch. The look in his eyes was blank. She put her hand to his cheek, and he felt cold. His skin was covered in goosebumps, and she was frightened by the dejected look in his eyes. He gently lifted her body from his and moved to stand in front of the dresser. Grabbing the sheet, wrapping it around herself, she moved behind him, and he shivered at her touch. “Baby—”
“Just stop,” he said, cutting her off. “I can’t . . . I just . . . Why? Why would you do that to me? To us? I can’t think about . . .” He was shaking, and he recoiled from her touch. He was walking backward, and she saw him withdrawing from her emotionally, too. She wanted to say anything he needed to hear to make this better, but when she went to speak, he held up his hand. She looked at him with pleading eyes, and he rushed for his boxers and robe.
“No.” She reached her hand out, and he pulled back like she burned him. She walked up, placing her hands on his face. “Come on. Talk to me. Tell me we’re okay. I promise it wasn’t you.”
He shook himself free of her hands and moved toward the door as she just stood, watching. “I need to get out of here. I need a walk.”
“Just talk to me.”
“I’ll be back.” He fled the room and she crumbled to the floor. Suddenly, she felt like she should have just kept her mouth shut and listened to what he said. Finding her robe and her way to the stairs, she watched as he slowly pulled the door open. He looked so helpless, and she knew she only had herself to blame. She was the reason for his pain and wanted to fix it. She was still running behind him but slowed her stride when she heard the door close.
She just stared at the door as she felt her heart sink. So many things were racing through her mind, and she cursed herself for opening her mouth. At that point, she knew she had to get to Jake and shut him up. If hearing that caused the despair she saw in his eyes, she could only imagine what the rest would do. Now, her main focus was going to be keeping the past hidden by all means necessary.
* * *
&
nbsp; “What in the hell is going on around here?” Richmond yelled. “You were supposed to handle this shit before it got too far. A fight in a restaurant is not what I meant by handling it.”
Lenae huffed and threw down the stack of papers she was holding. “I’ve been doing that, but what I won’t do is sacrifice my daughter’s future. Your plan for revenge is putting her in danger, and I won’t stand for it. You get yourself together or leave us alone.”
Richmond looked at her, and before she knew what was happening, he slammed his hand down on the table in front of her. “You would have nothing if it weren’t for me, you remember that. I built that empire, and I’ll be damned if it goes up in smoke because they’re being careless.”
“You’re overreacting as usual. Why do you have to be so damned dramatic?”
“Because you don’t worry enough. We have a plan, and we have to stick to it if we’re going to get back what’s ours.”
Lenae huffed and threw her hands over her face. “What if it’s not possible? I mean, we’ve been outsmarted so many times, and every time you get your hands on a sliver of that company, we get the rug snatched from under us. I just can’t be hopeful for it any longer. I wanted it only because you made me believe it was possible. I don’t want to keep living in dreamland. You are delusional if you think you will ever be able to walk free again. You will forever be in hiding, and so will Jenna and I for going along with this ridiculous plan. You’re taunting them, and they’re never going to take you seriously that way.”
Richmond had been on the run for the better part of three years, for the murders of his wife and daughter, and every time he thought he had an inch of leverage, Mia or Rick snatched it from him. He had been kicked out of Livingston by his own children and had to sit and watch them merge his life’s work with the Johnston family’s business.
“You’re wrong! I will have my vengeance, and you’ll see. You all will see how wrong you were about Richmond Livingston. I know more than their ungrateful asses. Just you wait and see.”
