Yours to Have: A Novella
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Yours to Have
B. Love
Prolific Pen Pusher
Copyright © 2020 by B. Love
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Introduction
Prologue
Ten Years Later
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
10. The End!
Introduction
Hey book bae!
With this journey to my 100th book, you may have noticed that I’ve tried to do something really, really different with each release starting around 91-ish. Yours to Have, book 99, is no different. I wanted it to be really unique and something that you have never read from me before.
Yours to Have features Cade and Luna – a couple who spent their college years together and were once inseparable. A sudden and random breakup leads to them becoming friends with benefits years down the line. For quite some time, Luna is okay with that, but eventually that changes. This novella shows what happens after that change.
It’s not the typical romance in the sense of it showing the beginning, middle, and end of a couple’s journey to love. There is LOTS of sex and intimacy over the course of three days. LOTS and LOTS of sex and intimacy : ) Yours to Have is… a novella showing a man’s devotion to getting back the woman he loves – that’s it. Nothing more.
If you’re looking for a book that has the beginning, middle, and end of a couple meeting and falling in love or one that isn’t filled with vivid sex scenes and vulgar language, please skip this read and find something else from my catalog to indulge in. And, if novellas aren’t your thing… skip this read. It is ONLY 17,000 words. Please, please read something else if you prefer longer books.
Write for you soon,
Prologue
“I don’t want to hear a thing come out of your mouth unless you’re opening it to eat my pussy.”
Luna smiled, but it quickly turned into her biting down on her lip when Cade pushed her into the wall. He hadn’t been inside of her apartment long enough to make it beyond her front door, and she couldn’t wait a moment longer to have him inside of her.
“Who the hell you think you talkin’ to?” Cade questioned, using his grip around her neck to keep her pressed against the wall. “What I tell you about lettin’ that slick shit fly out ya mouth, Moon?”
Moon.
Cade was the only person to call Luna Moon.
Every time he did her pussy pulsed.
That was no surprise – Cade was almost always able to get that reaction out of her since the day they met four years ago.
When Luna first arrived at the University of Memphis for her freshman year, meeting a guy and falling in love was nowhere near a priority on her to-do list. That changed the moment Cade sat next to her in their English class, and they’d been inseparable ever since.
“Oh, so you can talk dirty to me, but I can’t talk dirty to you?”
With a grin, Cade released the hold he had on her neck and put a few inches of space between them. “You could at least say hello first.”
Rolling her eyes playfully, Luna busied herself with unzipping his pants. All week, Cade had been hard to reach, which was understandable. He was getting ready for graduation, like Luna should have been. They started out together, but unfortunately, Luna was going to have to stay behind for an extra semester. Though she wished she was graduating with her class, Luna knew there was no point in complaining or being upset over it.
“Whatever, Cade,” she dismissed, shoving his pants down to his ankles. “I haven’t seen you in like four days. Being polite is the last thing on my mind right now.”
A small smile played along the corners of Luna’s smile, but it was replaced with a frown when Cade grabbed her wrists. He sighed heavily, stilling her movements. Brows bunched together, Luna tilted her head as she took in his serious expression.
“We need to talk, Luna.”
Her brows relaxed as she blinked. With a soft nod, Luna clenched her jaw. She shook her head, then dragged him over to the couch. Pushing Cade down onto it, Luna straddled him.
“We can talk later. I want you inside of me now.”
While Cade’s mind and mouth may have wanted to talk, his hardened dick wanted to be inside of her. Her mouth moistened at the sight of it as she pulled it out of the hole in his boxers. At any other time, Luna would have wanted them both to be satisfied with foreplay, but right now, she wanted – needed – him inside of her.
She needed the words that he was trying so desperately to get out to be silenced.
Because she feared those words would be words that would shatter her palpitating heart.
“Lu,” Cade called quietly, leaning his head back against the couch.
Holding him in her hand, Luna chuckled in confusion with a shake of her head. His shaft began to soften the moment she put him at her opening, and that had never happened before.
“What is wrong with you?”
Cade lifted his head as he told her, “We need to talk.”
Realizing there was no avoiding the conversation he wanted to have at this point, Luna released him and sat next to him. She pushed her night gown down and closed her legs, clenching her jaw at the feel of her sticky wetness rubbing against her thighs.
“Fine. What’s on your mind?”
Cade inhaled a deep breath as he took her hand into his, and that only alarmed Luna more. He only did that when he had bad news. His thumb slowly caressed her hand. The longer Cade stared into her eyes, the slower her heart began to beat. The more it began to ache. Why couldn’t he just… say whatever the fuck he had to say?
“I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”
The silence that surrounded them became the loudest thing Luna had ever heard before. Removing her hand from his, she sat up in her seat. Not wanting to speak too soon, Luna gave her mind time to wrap around his words, but she was having a really hard time accepting and understanding them.
“What do you mean?”
Cade’s head hung. Shoulders slumped. Breathing became baited.
“I mean,” he paused and gave her his eyes. “I’m breaking up with you.” Scooting away from her, Cade turned in his seat to better face her. “Our relationship has gotten too serious. You wouldn’t have gotten an incomplete in Marketing 400 if it wasn’t for me. Plus, you were too late signing up for the last math class you needed. All that bullshit ass studying we were doing together knocked you off your square, and I’ll never forgive myself for holding you back.”
“Cade, you can’t blame yourself for this…”
“Yes, I can. And you’re lucky Professor Green gave you an incomplete instead of an F. Now, all you’ll have to do is write the essay, make your presentation, and take the final exam to complete the course instead of starting over from the beginning. And you gotta make sure you sign up for that math class too, Moon. You see how quickly it fills up now.”
Luna scratched the top of her head, trying to make this make sense. Yes, they spent quite a bit of time together, but it didn’t seem toxic or unhealthy to her. Sure, she got an incomplete in the class, but so what? She wasn’t the only person to get one, even though Cade had managed to pass with a high B. What did he really think would be gained by them parting ways? And why didn’t she have the courage to ask?
Cade reached f
or her hand and she pulled it away from his reach. “I’m only doing this because I love you, Luna, and I want the best for you. We were supposed to graduate together. Move to Dallas together. Start our new lives and careers together. And you’re not going to be there… because of me.”
Luna chuckled as her palms began to sweat. Left leg shaking, she closed her eyes briefly and inhaled a deep breath as her nostrils flared. They both had goals of dominating the marketing and advertising world, specifically by working with Negus – the number one black owned marketing and advertising company in the world. Employment within the company was so sought after that people try to pay their way inside.
Every year, Negus offered two internship opportunities. One in Dallas and one online for college seniors that allowed them access to video training and mentorship by Negus’ founder Hulu Smith. Though both Cade and Luna applied for the online internship, Luna won. She did so well on her portfolio that Hulu offered her a paid job when she graduated, but when he found out that she’d received an incomplete in her last marketing class and would be a semester behind because of it, Hulu offered the position to Cade.
At first, he fully intended to decline, but Luna convinced him to take it anyway.
He agreed, and now, he would be heading to Dallas to start his new life without her.
“I don’t want you to fail because of me. With me gone, you’ll be able to focus on school and handle your business without our love being a distraction.”
Except, it wasn’t a distraction.
If anything, it kept her sane and focused for the past four years.
But it didn’t seem to hold much weight within Cade’s perspective, and Luna didn’t have it in her to try and convince him otherwise. She didn’t have it in her to beg and plead for something Cade or any other man should have given her willingly. If he wanted to break up, Luna would do nothing to stop him. She would keep her head held high and show not one ounce of need.
The moment he left, though, she’d swallow her pride and help it go down smooth with the tears she’d cry.
“But this doesn’t have to be a forever thing, Moon. Once you’ve gotten your degree, you can come to me, and we can be together again.”
Looking away from him, Luna allowed the beating of her heart to settle back into its normal speed. With each second that passed, she felt herself distancing and detaching her heart from him.
“You know I don’t believe in second chances. If we don’t work now, we never will.”
Clenching her jaw, Luna stood as her eyes began to water already.
He knew.
He knew.
He knew about her parents.
How her mother consistently allowed her father to walk in and out of her life. Loving her when it was convenient, leaving her when he got bored. He would hurt her, over and over again. And it didn’t stop until her mother finally had the courage to desire better.
She knew.
She knew.
She knew about his parents.
How his mother chose him and love over her career. And while she enjoyed being a mother and wife, eventually she felt unfulfilled. So unfulfilled that she left her home to find herself, leaving her husband and children behind. Eventually she came back, but the damage had already been done.
Now, Luna didn’t believe in giving a person a second chance to prove they don’t value you.
Now, Cade didn’t believe in putting love or anything else above purpose and career.
Now, they were seemingly at a crossroad, heading down two completely different paths… when less than ten minutes ago, Luna saw Cade in every vision of her future.
Cade stood, towering over Luna. She wouldn’t dare look up at him, though. She couldn’t.
“You know how I feel about this shit, Lu. I can’t let you put me first.”
“It’s not your choice,” she gritted, finally looking up at him. “This is my life.” Her pointer finger stabbed her chest with each word she spoke. “My heart. My career. My choice. And if you make this choice for me…” Luna’s voice cracked. Her breathing came out shaky as she put space between them and put her hands over her mouth in prayer position. After inhaling another deep breath, she affirmed, “This will be it for us, Cade.”
It was risky, giving him an ultimatum, but what other choice did she have? Cade needed to know what was on the line here. There would be no back and forth in her life as if her heart was a revolving door. And that was one boundary she’d been firm on her entire adult life. No man who claimed to love her should ever make her compromise that. Then again, could she claim to be a woman who loved him and not give him that chance?
Defeat was etched within his watery eyes and partially opened lips. His weak stance and clenched fists. Cade took a step forward and closed the space between them. He lowered his face to hers, pausing when she turned her head to the left to avoid his lips. After placing a kiss to the corner of her mouth, Cade whispered, “One day, this will make you love me more,” before stepping back and walking away.
Maybe that was true.
Luna couldn’t say.
Because today… today it made her hate him.
Ten Years Later
This was day three of no sleep. There was no doubt in Cade’s mind that he wouldn’t be able to rest until he saw her. Felt her. Had her inside his arms. Rested inside her walls.
Luna Renae Thompson.
The woman whose presence gave him peace and absence gave him dis-ease.
Cade’s soul literally could not rest if he wasn’t around her. He would end up having to trick himself to sleep after staying up all night, if he was able to sleep at all. The only time sleep found him easily was if he smoked, had an edible, or took enough sleeping pills to knock out an elephant.
Maybe that, this, was his punishment – no rest for his soul for the torture their breakup caused hers.
But… that breakup was ten years ago.
And there was no doubt in Cade’s mind that it was for the best.
Their relationship was obsessive almost, love so deep and rich it consumed them. The moment Cade found out Luna would get an incomplete and not graduate in time he knew what he was supposed to do. While there was no part of him that wanted to part ways with her, Luna needed space to focus on what was most important. And she did. A year later, she graduated with her degree. By that time, Cade was well into his life and new career in Dallas.
The plan they had for themselves had always been to work for the same marketing and advertising company, Negus. Over the years, Cade had become Vice President of urban marketing and Luna was the head of the advertising and marketing human resources department. She spent two to three weeks out of the month traveling to different locations interviewing, hiring, and training new employees. Though she loved coming up with sales pitches and advertising portfolios, Luna enjoyed teaching the art behind marketing and advertising more.
Everything they’d planned for their lives together had fallen into place for them as individuals. Luna didn’t live in Dallas, but she frequented it a lot. Honestly, Luna didn’t live anywhere. Because of her consistent traveling, she’d never planted roots in one city. Well, that was the excuse she gave, but Cade knew the real truth.
A hard sigh escaped his mouth as he ran his hands slowly down his face.
This was week three of no Luna. There was no doubt in Cade’s mind that he wouldn’t be able to rest when he saw her. Truthfully, they spent the bulk of their time together making love. It was the only form of intimacy she gave him. Since their breakup, Luna vowed to never be serious with him again.
They didn’t talk much while apart, only checking in here and there to make sure the other was okay. Luna didn’t let him in much on her life, mainly because she swore he gave up that right when he left her. To anyone else, they would swear Cade should leave her alone and not settle for the crumbs Luna offered, but Cade was willing to accept anything he could get.
It was his fault that they had made it to this point.
But there was… something inside of Cade… something that told him the old Luna would eventually make her way back to him. If she weren’t going to, she would have cut him off completely. No. She loved him still – just as much as he loved her. And it didn’t matter how long it would take, Cade was going to nurture the love for him inside of her until she was ready to be his again.
“Fuck this shit,” Cade grumbled, snatching his phone off the bed. He’d already sent his customary text for the day, but he had to hear her voice. There were dark bags under his red, dry eyes. His brain could hardly focus on one thing. And if he didn’t get some sleep soon, Cade feared he’d pass out at the worst possible moment.
Rubbing his left eye, Cade went to his contacts and found Luna’s name. His finger hovered over it momentarily before he found the courage to press call. It rang twice before she answered, and Cade immediately released a grateful breath.
“Are you okay?” she asked quickly, and Cade couldn’t blame her.
It was a little after midnight; he never called this late. Hell, he barely even called. Their phone conversations were quick check ins that lasted for less than two minutes.
“Yea. Can’t sleep.”
“And you thought to call me?”
The sound of the smile in her voice made Cade smile. It made sense for her to ask him that, seeing as though they never talked on the phone. There was really no conversation she could offer him. Instead, he hoped at least the sound of her breathing would lull him into a peaceful slumber.