Let Me Keep You: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (Let Me Love You Book 3)

by Mia Madison

  What the hell kinda unicorn pussy did this girl have? My eyes bugged at all that tea. It was a lot of gossip.

  Trinity shrank and lowered her voice, as if she realized I were there listening the entire time. I damn sure was. This was crazy. “I understand Tyson’s wild, but I can’t control that. I told him we were done.”

  Wait… Tyson? Tyson, Brian’s best friend Tyson. I wanted to speak up so bad, but remained silent. Tyson and Brian were ultra-players, but Tyson was a little off the deep end when it came to his jealousy. Those behaviors she spoke of correlated with the one Tyson in Miami I knew capable of such stupidity. His status and money were the only things keeping him from really getting his ass whooped if it were the case.

  Trinity and Nick went back and forth. No matter what, Nick was solid on his lack of interest or interaction with Trinity for six months. Trinity never denied that, she just kept pressing him to let go of his issues with Tyson.

  “Trinity!” Nick bellowed. “I won’t stand here all day and argue with you about my decisions. I gave it several months, and it never got better. You are dear to me, okay? Of all the other women I’ve dealt with, I actually cared—and still care—for you, however it’s not romantic.”

  The anvil dropped in my heart. This was getting real.

  “I haven’t dealt seriously with other women in months. Months. Because I’ve spent time with you, even though I’ve told you we can’t be anything more than friends. We can’t. It’s impossible. I’m not getting charges behind this crazy jackass you decided to have a baby with. Nobody in their right mind would.”

  “Nick, I can share.”

  Those low-spoken words silenced him. I felt my heart race up when I heard her say that. Share what?

  “What?” He crossed his arms.

  “I said,” she gestured to the car, “I can share. With her.”

  Oh, heeeeeeeell no. Now this chick was crazy, certified, motherfucking psycho. My days of pretending it was okay to share a man like a co-op crop were over. All it did was break my heart in the end. As long as a man didn’t have to choose, he wouldn’t.

  “Fuck, no.” Nick bellowed. He and Trinity exchanged heated words. She was incensed that he turned down her offer, because it was a compromise. He was pissed she even offered it in the first place.

  “Where’s your self-respect?” he asked.

  “You didn’t have a problem with it when we were bringing girls into the bedroom,” she taunted. She raised her voice loud enough for me to hear it. Little did she know, I wasn’t hip to that game as well. Almost every woman desperate to keep a baller would allow him to bring another woman—or more—in the bedroom. It wasn’t acceptable for most average women, but it was a reality I learned from Brian.

  I liked women sometimes—but on my terms, not as a condition of being with someone. Most women were allowed desperation to exploit them. I’d been one of them.

  The pang of heartache hit me; the hold Nick had on her was the same Brian had on me—until Nick walked in my life.

  I felt bad for her. Nick respected her enough to tell her the truth, yet she fought to hold on to him. And even disrespected herself in order to plead her case.

  Nick must have been an amazing catch; as nasty as she was to me, there wasn’t any way to deny her beauty.

  Trinity had options. If the Tyson she mentioned was the same Tyson I knew, he was a gorgeous example. Half black, half white, stellar build with green eyes and lots of money. He would just never be faithful, which was normal for a young twenty-five-year-old with money.

  As if on cue, Brian messaged me again. Why are you wilding out, Dee? I looked and saw he’d been texting me all day. I didn’t have time for him. I slept great after my night with Nick, woke nice and late in the morning, and spent an hour with Morelli. She taught me the basics of pole. Afterward, I came straight to Raquel’s. Now, here I was with Nick.

  Brian wouldn’t give me anything but the same old mess. A couple of hours with him, in which I was supposed to behave gratefully for his attention while other women fought to steal him away.

  Trinity burst into tears as Nick repeated, perhaps for the twelve-millionth time, that he was done entertaining her romantically. “If you can’t handle being my friend, and respecting the woman sitting in the driver’s seat, he pointed at me, “as my potential woman, then we have to go our separate ways.”

  Trinity turned and looked into the car. She locked eyes with me, and the pain in her eyes was tough to swallow, but truth was truth.

  Nick clarified where his attention was: on me. And thank God, he was man enough not to fall in line with her lurid suggestion to share. I would have been done at that point, walking or catching a Lyft instead of wasting any more of my time under his seductive spell.

  I couldn’t hear what she said, but I watched pull him a few feet away from the car. She whispered something in his ear, to which he nodded. They shared a hug, but it wasn’t sexy or romantic. It seemed to be a sad, parting hug. As their arms broke away, she regretfully drew her fingers over his forearms and held onto his hands. Her eyes looked mournfully at me, she gave a grim half smile, half-dried tears glistening her face, and turned to walk off.

  Nick’s expression was of distressed relief, a mixture of pain caused by him letting her down harshly, and the exhalation of closure. Whatever she told him, she accepted that they were done.

  He re-entered the car with a sense of solitude.

  “You okay?” I looked at him, truly concerned. Without thinking, I reached out for his hand and squeezed it. “I know that wasn’t easy for you.”

  “Oh, baby girl, it was very easy.” His hazel eyes blazed, their seriousness burning into me. “I know what I want. I want a real woman who’s down to let me show up for her. Someone I can have fun with, relax with, build with—have kids with. Trinity’s an amazing woman. Amazing.”

  “But?”

  Nick’s eyes narrowed with frustration. “She ain’t you!” He flipped his hand and squeezed mine. “Look, mama. I don’t know whether you’ll realize this today, tonight, tomorrow, or next month. But I’ve made a firm decision that I don’t want anyone else but you. Have I had options? Hell yeah.”

  “I know—”

  “Hush.” His tone lethal, but the yearning in his expression balanced its ferocity. “I know you know—and I also know you gon’ let me finish.”

  I blushed, and my nipples hardened. He was so aggressive and passionate. It was sexy.

  “I don’t know what it is, mami, but YOU have my full attention. I’ve never felt this way before about any woman, and I refuse to fuck around with whatever this is between us. You have me in full entirety.”

  My heart buckled and the gasp escaped me. Nick was dead serious about there was nothing I could do about it. I could feel his sincerity, but I still rolled my eyes and scoffed. Pressing my finger to his lips, I pursed mine and retired, “Boy, don’t you go talking shit you can’t keep up with.”

  My sass triggered him to go full predator on me.

  “Trust me, baby girl… I’m patient. I can wait. You’ve been hurt, so you’re guarding your heart. Trust me, your heart is my focus, but the rest of you?” He snaked his tongue around my finger and pulled it between his lips. Sucking on me sensually, my eyes lowered from the pleasure. I never knew my fingertips could be so sensitive.

  “Really?” I moaned.

  “Mmhm,” he groaned. Pushing my finger out, he looked me in the eyes. “One day you’ll give into me, and when you do, I’m going all in. I’m gonna tame your heart and that pussy.”

  Nick

  Baby girl and I got back to Raquel’s place a little later than we expected. We used her key to get in, because Kenny and Raquel weren’t answering.

  Dilayla went to the back while I set up the pizza. She groaned in jest as she made her way back. “Of course they weren’t texting us and asking why we took so long.”

  “Why?”

  “They’ve been fucking!” She laughed. “I walk in and they’re
both in there sleeping like babies, almost naked as the day they were born.”

  “Wake their asses up.” I shook my head. They had us come over for what? To pack while they slept?

  “No, let them sleep,” Dilayla said, reaching for the counter. “I gotta get a picture of them first.”

  “The fuck you will,” Kenny interjected from the doorway. He had his sweatpants on, but remained shirtless, exposing his chiseled body. We both took pride in showing off the hard work we maintained in the gym. “Took ya’ll lovebirds long enough.”

  “Lovebirds?” Dilayla said. “We’re not the ones passed out from another afternoon of fucking.”

  “Aye,” Kenny protested. “There was packing and fucking. It’s a lot of work.” Raquel called out to him. He tilted his head toward the back. “Let me go check on her.”

  Raquel and Kenny finally woke up after we ate, and we continued packing until a little after nine p.m. By that time, the pizza was finished and everyone was famished and fatigued.

  “I need a shower,” Raquel announced. “I think we’re done for today.”

  She looked at Dilayla and me. “Thanks, guys. Wanna order more food, or…?”

  “Bitch, I’s tired,” Dilayla cut her off. “Dilayla is going home.”

  “I’s?” I looked at her. “We talking like Buckwheat now?”

  “Yes, we is.” She looked at me pointedly. The smooth, buttery smirk on her tired face made me ache to reach out and touch her.

  Raquel and Kenny smiled at each other again and I gave them narrow eyes in response before flipping the bird. I’d been sneaking glances at her when she wasn’t looking all afternoon, longing for her to give in to me. Everything about her was delicious, including the way she sweat. She had no idea how badly I wanted to give her this eleven. The newlyweds had caught me staring all day, only to share conspiratorial looks with each other and taunt me.

  I loved and hated how in sync those two were, especially because it was obvious where my attention was.

  “It’s late at night. I don’t want Dilayla paying forty dollars for an Uber. Can you take her home, Nick?” Raquel launched her suggestion with an innocence that was only betrayed by the glitter in her eyes. “Please?”

  “Sure,” I replied a little too excitedly, giving away my cool. “Ready, mami?”

  Dilayla shot daggers at Raquel, blushing—she’d been put on the spot. “Girl, I’ma kill you. I can get home fine, thank you!”

  “Well, I would just prefer you to be safe, you know with Brian’s crazy ass.”

  I stiffened at the comment. Brian had already shown his ass last night. I had no interest in hearing about him coming around and making a scene again. I was protective of Dilayla, and didn’t know what his wild ass was capable of.

  “Oh, then I’m definitely dropping you off,” I insisted. I grabbed her pretty, grimy hand and kissed it. “Let’s go.”

  We said our goodbyes and headed to my whip. Dilayla had driven before, but I held open the passenger door for her, determined to show her my chivalry.

  “Give me your address, babe.”

  She rattled it off wearily and leaned back in her seat. I put on the Kevin Gates playlist on TIDAL, and put the car in drive.

  “Thank you for giving me a ride,” she said, yawning. “I’m so tired.”

  “It’s been a long day, babe. I got you.” I reached out and patted her hand. I didn’t want to let go, so I held onto it, swirling my thumb in her palm. “Do you need to stop anywhere?”

  “No, thanks. I’m just exhausted. I need to get a shower. Wash this day off.”

  “Has Brian contacted you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What he want?”

  “He’s just talking crazy,” she said. “I hope he’s not at my place. I’m just… good.”

  “You live in an apartment or house?”

  “I have an apartment, but it’s on the first floor of the building,” she explained that the apartment complex was made up of a bunch of duplex buildings. Her car was parked outside, and we would be able to see Brian’s car on the way in, if he was there.

  When we pulled up, sure enough, his car was there. “Grief,” Dilayla grumbled. “When you’re finally done with someone, and they won’t let go…”

  “It’s the worst, isn’t it?” I agreed as I looked at her. I thought of my earlier exchange with Trinity. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I wouldn’t sacrifice my chances with Dilayla to keep her comfortable either.

  “At least she gave you a few tears and kept it moving,” Dilayla said quietly. “I don’t know what Brian will do. If she’s talking about the same Tyson I know—he’s a local promoter, right?”

  “Green eyes and shit?”

  She nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, that’s him. He and Brian are best friends. They’re both drama queens when they don’t get their way.”

  My heart thumped in alarm. I wasn’t interested in a dramatic confrontation, but Dilayla had a spell on me, and besides, I had some pull when it came to Brian.

  Unlike with Tyson, or Brian, I was a respected vet at the Dolphins. Brian was a benchman. If he got crazy, it was nothing but a matter of phone calls. He’d be in the office begging not to be cut or traded before he could blink.

  “I wouldn’t worry about it, mami,” I assured. “I meant everything I said. His crazy ass couldn’t keep me from you.”

  Even in the dark, I could see the glow of her beauty as she blushed from my words. I meant everything I said. She wouldn’t lose me that easily, especially now that I knew she wasn’t kicking it with him.

  “Pull into this spot,” she suggested. “That blue Mustang is my car. I own this extra space for visitors.”

  I listened to her, parked, and instructed her to wait for me. I walked around to her side of the car, opening the door for her and helping her out.

  “Let me walk you inside.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Brian was tall and muscular, but I didn’t care. We were eye to eye, but there was no way in hell he could take me if it came to that. I could smell the weed on him, and it was clear he was high as fuck.

  “What’s up, man?” I held out my hand. “Anything I can help you with?”

  He waved me off. “Fuck out the way, man.” He looked at Dilayla. “Girl,00 stop playing and send this dude home.”

  “Brian,” Dilayla said. “We’re done.”

  “Done?” he scoffed. “We’re done when I say we’re done. Don’t let this old motherfucker make you lose your grip on reality. I was your first. You’ll always be mine.”

  His words pissed me off. Yeah, I was jealous he was her first, but even more, I was furious he thought he could talk to her crazy, especially about his sexual prowess. Even if he were great, King Kong had nothing on me.

  “Babe, go inside,” I urged, before turning to him. Stepping up in his face, I looked him eye to eye. “Motherfucker, let me tell you something. You ain’t nothing but a little boy playing man. You think you’re running shit because you’re cute with a bunch of little baddies pumped full of silicone on your dick cause you rock a Dolphins jersey? Brother, I am the Dolphins. One phone call and your ass will be in Cleveland. Have some fucking respect.”

  I stepped back and grabbed Dilayla’s beautiful ass by the waist, pulling her to the side. Since she didn’t want to listen and go inside, I would make it clear she wasn’t going back to him.

  I would also be crystal fucking clear on my intentions with her.

  “And as for that dick game? You might have a few stroke skills but that ain’t shit I promise. Anything you can do to her body, I’ve already perfected. Don’t fuck with a masterpiece if you can’t handle its beauty.” Adding fuel to the fire, I pushed harder. “You broke her so she came to me, and I’ll make her forget you ever existed.”

  I squeezed that plump ass for effect, making her gasp in shock. My dick wanted to jump, plunge itself between her legs, but the rest of me was focused on proving my point.

  Brian
and I stared each other down. Dilayla’s ass trembled in my hand while she stood to the side of me. Her arm leaned onto me for support and I hugged her closer.

  Brian noticed the way she curled into me, vulnerable yet safe in my arms and sneered.

  “Fuck both you motherfuckers,” he spat before walking off. He brushed past me hard, but I let it slide.

  “Stay away from her, or you’d better hope I don’t tell them to drug test your bum ass,” I called after him.

  He threw up a finger but kept moving. I watched him until he was out of sight. It was clear he was nothing but an arrogant knucklehead.

  “You good, love?”

  I turned to her. She looked up at me as she nodded. “Yes, thank you.” Her eyes were wide with shock. “I can’t believe how much of a dick he is, or that I couldn’t even see it until now.”

  “Sometimes, we’re so desperate for love that our ego chooses the lie instead of truth,” I said.

  “Deep,” she commented. “Where’s that from?”

  I shrugged. “Some quote on love my mother read in a book.”

  I thought about what I said as I followed her inside. That quote was never truer than it was in that moment. I was never victim to the wrong woman, but many women were victims to me, and the woman I was losing my cool over was a victim to someone who honestly couldn’t do shit for her.

  Dilayla

  “You thirsty?”

  I turned to Nick, stopping right at the door. The sweltering heat, and the confrontation with Brian, had me desperate for a bottle of water. I’m sure he felt the same with his bold, brave ass.

  Nick shook his head, pulled me close, and cupped my jaw. “Baby girl, you know what I want, and it ain’t no damn bottle of water.”

  His hungry gaze melted me, the desire was intense and my pussy threatened to leak down my legs. I leaned forward, reaching around him to lock the door, and our lips met in a hungry caress.

  He pulled back, and his eyes caressed me from my head to my toes and back up. His hazel eyes paused when they came to my cleavage.