Accepting His Name

by Tressie Lockwood

  Several people got on and off the elevator as she waited to reach the top floor. As she people-watched, she wondered what she thought of being treated so specially. It hadn’t gone to her head yet, but what would she be like in a year? Elitist? Feel entitled to people scraping the floor on her behalf?

  That’s if I last a year.

  Shakarri stepped into the suite where Ezio kept his offices. The requisite blond secretary met her at the glass door. “Mrs. Sartori, welcome. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you. Mr. Sartori is finishing up a meeting, but you can wait for him in his office. This way.”

  Shakarri gave her credit for showing respect without kissing Shakarri’s toes, and she chided herself for prejudging when she saw the blond hair and the slender figure. She sounded proficient and reliable.

  “Can I get you a drink, Mrs. Sartori?” she offered.

  “You can call me Shakarri.”

  The woman looked doubtful. “Do you mind if I wait until Mr. Sartori gives me the okay?”

  “He’s that controlling?”

  The woman’s lips sealed together, and embarrassment rolled over Shakarri. It must be obvious to all of Ezio’s closest staff why he married her. No one must think they married for love. Not when she put her foot in her mouth like just now.

  “I’m fine, thanks.” She took a seat, and the other woman left her alone.

  A full fifteen minutes later, Ezio strode through the door. She stood with a hand on her hip. “You made me wait, but you were mad when I did it to you.”

  He crooked a finger at her while he shut the door. She walked over to him, and Ezio crushed her to his chest to devour her lips. Dizziness assailed her, and she clung to him, enjoying his touch. All too soon, he released her and moved to his desk. Shakarri followed like a confused little puppy and then shook her head to clear it.

  Ezio opened a drawer and removed a pair of scissors from inside. She wondered if he planned to cut up the pages he just brought in from his meeting. A long arm shot out, and he drew her closer. She didn’t resist because she liked kissing him. He traced his mouth along the line of her throat, and she tilted her head back to let him have his way.

  Something scraped, and she figured out it was the sound of the scissors opening and closing. Gasping, she jerked away from him and looked down to discover he had cut straight up one leg of her shorts, revealing too much of her thigh.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” On reflex she smacked him hard across his cheek. Red stained the area, and Ezio’s blue eyes snapped in anger.

  He held up the scissors and placed them on the desk. “I asked you to choose between the outfits I set aside for you.”

  “And I told you I don’t need you choosing my clothes!”

  “You’re free to wear those shorts to lunch.”

  She covered her thigh. “You know I’m not leaving here like this. I don’t know how they do things in Italy, but here a man doesn’t try to control everything his wife does. It’s called trust.”

  He offered a dry laugh. “Trust? Our relationship isn’t based on trust. It’s based on—”

  She held up a hand. “Please, don’t say it again. I never thought I’d hate a word so much. Ezio, you need to stop trying to handle me. I’m not the kind of woman you’re used to. Not like your employees or your family. I’m going to control me and mine. That doesn’t mean I won’t lay down whenever and how ever often you want.”

  His gaze flicked to her thigh. “You assume your body is all I want.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  “No, and there are certain standards I expect. I explained everything to you in the presence of my lawyer. I paid for your solicitor as well. Everything was outlined to you.”

  “Nowhere did the paperwork say you could cut up my clothes!”

  “Call it a whim.”

  “Call it insane. I’m leaving. You can have Lucca take me, or I can catch a taxi.”

  He sat down on the edge of his desk and folded his arms over his chest. They had a staring contest for a few minutes, and Shakarri swung away to head for the door.

  “You walk out and I will sue you for breach of contract.”

  Pain exploded in her temple when she faced him. “No judge in his right mind would side with you.”

  “Is that the chance you want to take?”

  Her throat went dry. When she didn’t speak, he pushed off the desk and approached her. She checked him over carefully to be sure he didn’t bring the scissors with him. Ezio pointed to a closed door on his right.

  “Through there is a closet. Inside is something for you to wear. Through the other one is a bathroom, or you can change in the closet. It’s big enough.”

  She gasped. “You’re kidding?”

  “I anticipated that you would continue to fight me, so I brought it along. I have an important client to meet today, one who happens to appreciate the form of a beautiful black woman. With you on my arm, I will be sure to get his business.”

  “So you’re using me.”

  “As you are using me,” he agreed.

  Shakarri gave in. What choice did she have? He seemed always to have the right words to convince her she fought a losing battle before she started. She couldn’t win against this man, but she would do everything she could to try to learn how to best him. Right now, he held all the cards, but she was a patient woman. Maybe she could get him to give her an allowance. She could save up and pay down her debt on her own. Then when it was manageable without killing herself to pay it she was gone. Yeah, that was a good plan, and it gave her hope.

  “Fine, whatever.” As she spun away from him, she had the satisfaction of seeing the bruise that had started on his cheek. She bit back a smile. Let him explain that to his client.

  Shakarri walked into the closet to find something to wear. She slipped into a lace dress with a plunging neckline and an A-line skirt to discover a perfect fit. This dress wasn’t one of the ones from her wardrobe at home. Even though she had so many, she was pretty sure she had never seen this dress. That meant Ezio had bought it, or maybe he had one of his female staff pick it out. Who cared? He was only thinking of his client and making more money anyway. None of what he did was about her.

  They left the office together a short while later, and Lucca drove them to a restaurant Shakarri had visited before with Ezio. The host led them to their table, and not long after a black man, who looked like he was in his late twenties and almost seven feet tall strode toward them with another older man. He looked like a professional ball player with his easy movements and his height.

  Ezio stood to shake his hand, and Shakarri did as well. Brown eyes locked onto her, and the man grinned big. “Johntey, how you doing, sis?”

  She resisted rolling her eyes. “I’m good, thanks.”

  “Johntey, this is my wife, Shakarri Sartori.” Ezio greeted the other man as well, who Shakarri learned was Johntey’s manager. He was just what she’d thought he was, a professional basketball player.

  The group took their seats, and Shakarri crossed one leg over the other beneath the table. She settled her mind in for a boring night of business talk or whatever the men intended. Johntey had the nerve to scoot his chair closer to hers.

  “So,” he said, stretching a long arm across the table that must find slam dunks easy to do, “tell me about you.”

  She cast a doubtful look at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be talking with Ezio about whatever—being a spokesperson?”

  He chuckled. “No, I’m thinking about selling one of my businesses to him.”

  “You?” She bit her tongue, but the insult was out.

  He didn’t take offense. “I can’t play ball forever. I have to think about the future, you know? My wife and babies have to be looked after with style after this career is over.”

  “Oh, you’re married.” Somehow that gave her relief because he almost crossed the line into her personal space. She glanced at Ezio, but he’d fallen into conversation with the other man a
nd ignored her. What else was new?

  Johntey let his finger touch hers briefly and then apologized like it was an accident. “No, I’m not married. I’m talking about the future. I’m always planning ahead. People say I have a business mind. I say I know what’s best for me. I see something I want, and I go after it.”

  The significant look he gave her made her skin crawl. She held up a hand, feigning a need to brush her mouth to be sure he saw the huge rock on her finger. “Um, you know I’m Mrs. Sartori, right?”

  He lowered his voice and leaned closer to her. “Nothing wrong with a friend.”

  She moved out of proximity, waiting for Ezio to tell him to back off. Her husband seemed to have forgotten her existence, and her temper flared. This was why he wanted her to go to lunch. He knew Johntey would hardly sit down before he was all over her, and it didn’t even bother him that she was not only married but married to an Italian man. Johntey planned for the future? It looked to her like he planned to cheat on his future wife as if it was all business. Talk about stereotypical, yet she couldn’t help feeling disappointed in him.

  Johntey leaned in again. “Why don’t we exchange numbers? We could hang out when I’m in town.”

  “Why don’t we not?”

  He poked his lips out playfully. Shakarri realized he truly thought she wouldn’t deny him. Maybe he thought her cold attitude was all a part of the game. “Come on, baby girl. You know how it’s done. Plus, he’s not paying us any mind. He gets it, and he’s fine with it. As long as we aren’t obvious to the point of embarrassing him, he won’t say anything.”

  Shakarri was about to tell him to get out of her face, but she paused. Was what he said true? Was this part of what Ezio expected of her? If he did, he could kiss her butt. She wasn’t giving her body away to get him good business deals. Feeling her hateful stare, Ezio glanced at her. He looked from one to the other of them, and she knew he saw how close Johntey was up on her. His expression didn’t change. He went right back to talking.

  Shakarri scraped her chair back. “Excuse me.”

  All three men stood, and she walked away without explaining herself. Once she was and out of their sight, she stopped and leaned against the wall. The pain that had begun earlier in Ezio’s office intensified. This couldn’t be true. She had to be jumping to conclusions. Johntey must have misread Ezio’s intentions.

  Her husband’s words came flooding back to her. “Your job is to please me.”

  She pressed a hand over her mouth, and her stomach roiled. No, it couldn’t be. He wouldn’t want her to sleep with another man to close a deal. If he did want that, she could run. She could get out of town and…

  Her chest constricted. She’d made the vow to save money earlier. Right now, she didn’t have much in her checking account, and she certainly didn’t have the resources to disappear and live off the grid like they did in the movies. Tears pricked her eyes, and bile rose in her throat. She sniffed. Nay would take her in, but Ezio could find her at Nay’s, and he could file a suit against her for breach of contract. She could bring up that he had tried to pimp her out, but she wouldn’t be able to prove it. He certainly wouldn’t pay for her to have a lawyer this time.

  A small sob escaped her, and a woman walking by stopped. “Are you okay, honey?”

  “I’m…” Shakarri tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but with the woman’s gentleness, she only made it worse. A nod and a hand held up sent the woman on her way. A tear slipped down Shakarri’s face. She better get into the bathroom to see that she hadn’t ruined her makeup.

  “Shakarri.”

  His deep voice arrested her, and she couldn’t move. She refused to turn around. He wouldn’t get the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Before she could move more than a few steps away from him, he grasped her arm and turned her to face him. She refused to meet his gaze. Shock rolled off him.

  “Why are you crying?” There was some deep emotion in his voice, and she assumed it was anger. She was messing up his plans.

  Shakarri raised her chin. “I’m not giving my body away so you can make more money!”

  He blinked. “Explain.”

  “You know where to go.”

  He lowered his voice. “Shakarri, I’m asking you to explain to me why you left the table and why I find you here in the hall in this state.”

  “This state?” She shook her head. The panic and hurt turned to anger. “I don’t care if you drag me through court and I’m left with nothing but the clothes on my back. I don’t care if I have to eat out of Dumpsters.” She was so exaggerating. She’d rather die of starvation than eat out of the garbage. “I won’t let him touch me!”

  “At what time,” he said softly with a simmering anger in his tone, “did I ask you to sleep with another man?”

  “When you saw him practically on top of me at the table and did nothing. Johntey even told me himself you don’t mind as long as we don’t embarrass you in public. He said that’s how the game is played.”

  To her shame, she hiccupped at the end of this tirade, and she pressed the backs of her fingers to her mouth. She wanted to tell him more about what a sorry lousy no good man he was, but she had to use all of her energy to hold the tide of emotions back.

  Ezio released her arms and folded both of his over his barrel chest. His eyebrows bunched above eyes that had turned almost as dark as the ocean. “You listened to him and not to me.”

  “I did listen to you! You said—”

  “I never asked you to give your body to him. I said he enjoys looking and being around a beautiful woman. He crossed the line when he tried to get you to agree to an affair. I’ll deal with that.”

  She studied him. “You’re changing your tune now that I’ve refused. You just sat there!”

  His hand shot out, and he dragged her to his chest. She fought to get away, but he was too strong. His lips brushed her cheek. She turned her head, but he turned it back, forcing her to look at him.

  “Make no mistake about it, Shakarri. You belong to me, and I won’t share your body with another man. I don’t mind another man looking at you or even flirting, but if any man touches you, I will rip his arm off. Are my intentions clear now?”

  She shivered in his hold and gazed at the top button on his shirt. “Yeah.”

  “Good.” He kissed her lips. “Now, go and fix your face and come back. As I said, I’ll deal with Johntey.”

  “What are you going to say?” she asked out of curiosity.

  He ignored the question and walked off. She made a face behind his head and went on to the bathroom. When she returned, everyone at the table was silent. Johntey looked furious. His manager’s head threatened to explode it was so red, and Ezio calmly sipped a glass of wine.

  Shakarri took her seat, and Johntey scooted away as if she had the plague. The excruciating lunch meeting soon ended, but she wasn’t sure later if Ezio had made his business deal.

  Chapter 4

  “I’m telling you it was crazy,” Shakarri told Nay over the phone. She glanced at the pantyhose Ezio had left on the chair next to her bed. They were so silky and sheer they were almost invisible, but he must be crazy if he thought she would wear them in the middle of summer.

  “I don’t know, girl. Maybe you should get out of there. He’s too controlling. Money’s not worth all that.”

  “Eating is worth all that.”

  “You can come live with me. He’s disgusting, Sha. Don’t put up with it.”

  Shakarri recalled the day before when she argued with Ezio in the hallway at the restaurant. “It was actually kind of hot.”

  “Sha! Is he brainwashing you?”

  “No, hear me out. Think about it. He held me in his arms and told me in this deep angry voice that if any man puts his hands on me, he’ll rip his arms off. You can’t tell me you don’t think that’s hot.”

  “For the movies.”

  Shakarri laughed. “Oh, so when your man threw you over his shoulder and told you you weren’t going anywhere
, you didn’t change your mind about breaking up with him?”

  “That lasted about a week.”

  “Because he was cheating. Nay, why are you being difficult?”

  “I’m being your friend. He wanted you to cheat so he could later.”

  Shakarri dumped the pantyhose back inside her dresser drawer and shut it. “Something tells me if Ezio wanted to have an affair, he would just do it. He probably wouldn’t even hide it.”

  “And you want to stay married to a man like that?”

  “I’m biding my time. I told you my plan. I’m sure it’ll work too because if Ezio’s anything, he’s generous with his money.”

  “Well how about you be careful with your heart? It sounds like you’re falling for him, and that’s the worse thing you could do. Don’t be fooled. His kind is good at manipulating people, and he’ll make you love him then throw you aside after he’s gotten what he wants. You won’t even be able to fight him for joint custody of your baby.”

  Shakarri’s chest constricted in pain. “Let’s not go there. I told you I had some clauses drawn up in our agreement that protect me too. Ezio can’t take my baby.”

  Her friend grumbled some more, but Shakarri changed the subject. The truth was even though she had asked her attorney to get some of the wording changed in their contract to make sure Ezio couldn’t push her out of his life and keep their child, she was scared it could still happen. He had a way of getting what he wanted. She had seen that in just their arguments being on the losing end even as she believed she was right.

  “To prove to you my plan will work,” Shakarri said with excitement, “I caught Ezio this morning before he left. He gave me money when I asked for it.”

  “No way. How much did he give you, and where are we going?”

  Shakarri laughed. “Money always talks with you.”

  She didn’t tell Nay Ezio had looked at her in silence for a few minutes. She’d felt like he could read her mind and knew her plan. Yet, he still reached into his wallet and peeled off several big bills for her. That was the first time she enjoyed being his wife. Well, aside from the intimacy part.