by Tina Martin
Desmond watched her look around, wishing he hadn’t just told her that he wanted to forego lovemaking for two weeks. He’d never let a woman step a foot inside of his bedroom before, not even in his house, and with her here now, in his bedroom, he had visions of her laying in the center of his bed, waiting for him.
“Desmond?”
“Yes? Did you say something?”
“I asked if I could look inside of your bathroom.”
“Sure. Go right ahead.” When he saw her take steps there, he followed her, watching her look around in amazement. There was his-and-her sinks, a standup shower with water jets to hit you at every angle, a Jacuzzi tub, and walking further into the bathroom, there was another door that opened up to a walk-in closet – a closet so big, it looked like a bedroom. His shirts were neatly organized by color and so were his suits. His shoes had their own wall, and she’d guess there were about thirty pairs of dress shoes and about the same number of sneakers and casual shoes.
“Very neat and organized,” Sherita said, turning around to see him, but instead of standing in the doorway, he was immediately behind her, grabbing her into his arms and clamping down on her lips. Moans escaped her throat while flutters rolled down her stomach.
Desmond couldn’t fathom why it hadn’t bothered him for her to be in his house, his space like this. All he knew was he liked her. He stopped kissing her then stared, watching her lick her lips.
“Do you have anything else you want to show me?”
His lips curved into a wicked smile.
“House related, Desmond,” Sherita said, then giggled.
“No, well unless you want to take a peek in the guest bedrooms.”
“I do. Show me the way.”
After viewing the two guest bedrooms upstairs and the two down, Desmond showed her around outside. In the backyard, there was an in-ground pool, a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen area with two luxury patio furniture sets and a top-of-the-line grill.
“You have a beautiful home, Desmond. Just beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t you get lonely out here all by yourself, though?”
“No. I’m not here a lot, and when I am, I enjoy my solitude.”
So he doesn’t want kids. “I see. What about animals? No dogs or cats?”
“No. I don’t have the patience for animals.”
“Oh.”
“What about you? You have pets?”
“No. It would just be another mouth to feed. I’m barely able to feed myself as it is.” She laughed.
“What?” Desmond asked, frowning.
“Don’t take that literally,” she told him. “I’m just kidding.”
He nodded, but made a mental note to check into her finances. And he also wanted to revamp her website. And if he recalled correctly, didn’t she need a new laptop?
“So what are we going to do now?” she asked him.
“Relax. I want to feel you in my arms for a while. Come on.” He reached for her hand and when they were back inside, he led her into the family room, where he sat down in the corner of the couch, leaned back, then motioned for her to get comfortable on top of him. She snuggled in place, then he powered on the TV.
Sherita closed her eyes when she felt his strong arms around her. This was the most mesmerizing feeling she’d ever experienced. She felt Desmond’s hand migrate to her hair.
“My hair is probably still wet. It’s so thick, it takes forever to get dry, well when I let it air dry, that is.”
“I can still play in it, though, can’t I?”
She smiled. “Yes. You can play in it.”
She closed her eyes, feeling his strong fingers massage her scalp.
A few minutes later, Desmond heard the slightest whimpers emerge from her mouth. She’d fallen asleep.
After she’d been sleep for roughly ten minutes, he eased up, lowered her back onto the couch, then went down to the basement. He dug around in her purse looking for some clue on who she banked with. When he saw her planner, he was sure he’d find some indication there. He flipped to the present month, July, and for Saturday, (tomorrow) she had scribbled in a note:
Leave for Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach? She hadn’t mentioned to him that she was leaving this weekend. Would she actually leave without telling him? He also saw a note:
M/D Mortgage. Call B & C Bank for a loan if necessary.
Necessary for what? He flipped to the planner, looking for a login name or a password for her website and found that, too. He placed the planner back inside of her purse, at which time he saw a flash drive labeled, for website. He took it, then left her purse where he’d found it. He returned upstairs, grabbed his keys then walked out of the front door.
He took out his cell phone and called Dimitrius.
“What’s up, Des?”
“Hey, Dimitrius, I need a favor.”
“Shoot.”
“I need you to find a way to pull up Sherita’s bank records for the last…let’s say three or four months.”
“You know who she banks with?”
“B & C.”
“Okay. I’m on it,” Dimitrius said, no questions asked, just the way Desmond wanted it.
He jumped in his jeep, drove to the nearest electronics store. His princess needed a laptop.
CHAPTER 22
Sherita was working today, sitting on the barstool behind the register at Emily’s Boutique. She still couldn’t believe Desmond surprised her with a laptop last night, and he’d redone her website in two hours. Two hours! She was amazed by his talent, how organized everything was on her website, and she couldn’t thank him enough.
She’d been smiling a lot lately, and it was all because of him. She recalled how they’d sipped on wine in the hot tub while they talked about their lives, shared pleasant conversation and deep, mind-blowing kisses.
This morning, they showered together and Desmond had let her help him shave. After doing so, he lifted her to the countertop where he took a deep, early-morning, toe-curling kiss.
“What are you smiling about over there?” Emily asked Sherita, walking from the back office.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about something.”
“Some-thing or some-one?”
“Some-thing,” Sherita said. Her smile remained.
“So, I haven’t heard you complain about Desmond in a while. How are things going?”
Sherita shrugged it off. “Good. I’m in the basement apartment while I’m there, minding my own business, so I’m not sure what he’s up to.”
In the basement apartment…
She hadn’t stayed in the apartment in a week. Since the day Desmond told her he wanted to know more about her, she’d been snuggled up with him, in the center of his bed, encased in his strong arms every night, talking about their lives and learning more about each other. It took a lot of self-restraint on his part, she knew, but true to his word, he hadn’t attempted to initiate lovemaking. He genuinely wanted to know her.
“Hey, are you still heading to Myrtle Beach tomorrow?” Emily asked.
Sherita hadn’t mentioned anything to Desmond about leaving since she wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave or not. It’s not like she couldn’t use the money.
“Not sure yet. I need to, though.” My parent’s mortgage won’t pay itself.
Sherita looked up when she heard the chime of the door and there was Thane, walking inside of Emily’s Boutique. Sherita felt her heart drop to her knees.
“Good evening, Sherita.”
Emily looked at Sherita and whispered, “Umm, who is he, and why are y’all on a first-name basis?”
“What are you doing here, Thane?” Sherita asked him.
Oh, so that’s Thane, the heartbreaker, Emily thought quietly to herself. Her pleasant smile suddenly disappeared.
“I came to talk some sense into you,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
“Sherita, we could be so good together, baby.”
&
nbsp; “First off, I’m not, nor will I ever be, your baby. I suggest you move on with your life and when you have visions of what you want your future to look like, don’t include me in them. I’m done, Thane, and if you keep bothering me, I’m getting a restraining order. This is your last warning. Do not call me. Do not text me and do not show up to my workplace.”
“I think you need to leave now,” Emily told him.
“All right. I’m out. And by the way, Sherita…tell your broke father to stop calling me for money.”
Sherita closed her eyes and shook her head.
“He’s a jerk, Sherita. Don’t worry about him.”
“That’s not why I’m upset, Emily. It’s my parents…excuse me for a moment. I need to make a call.” Sherita stepped into the back office, dialed her mother’s number and when she answered, she said, “Mom, did you tell Thane where I worked?”
“Yes. He said he wanted to see you baby.”
“How many times have I told you and Dad that I don’t want him? Thane is not a part of my life, Mom, so do not ever tell him where I work or anything about my personal life! Do you understand?”
“Now wait a minute, Rita…don’t take that tone with me—”
“I’m going to take this tone with you because I need you to listen to me! Listen to me, Mom! There will never be anything between me and Thane. How dare you tell him where I worked? What’s wrong with you?” Sherita felt a tear slide down her face. “I don’t want to do this because it’s a huge inconvenience to me, but I’m changing my number, and I’m not giving it to you or Dad because I’m sure it’s going to get back to Thane.”
“Sherita—”
“And if either one of you ever calls Thane again for money, you will never hear from me again. It’s me or him. Make your choice!” Sherita ended the call, dropped her phone on the desk and shook her head. Snatching a Kleenex from the box on Emily’s desk, she dabbed her eyes. She hated to talk to her mother this way, but it seemed to be the only way for her to know she was serious. Thane would not be a part of her life no matter what they said. Besides, she’d already given her heart to another man – a more difficult version of Thane. That was enough frustration to deal with all on its own. After everything she felt for Desmond, he would never love her. He could never fully commit himself to her. She was wasting her time, yet again, on a man who wanted to play games with her heart. A man who wanted to keep their relationship a secret. What was the point of dismissing Thane if she would turn around and date another man who was much worse?
CHAPTER 23
Sherita wasn’t home when Desmond jumped on his motorcycle and left to go to Dante’s house, so he hoped she remembered their deal – not to leak anything about the state of their relationship. He didn’t want his brothers getting the wrong idea. Settling down wasn’t for him, and he was tired of trying to convince his brothers of that.
The men were playing an early round of pool while Melanie and Emily prepared dinner.
“I’m going to go grab some beers since Dante forgot to stock his mini fridge,” Desmond quipped. He was walking towards the kitchen when he heard Emily talking to Melanie.
“I hope Sherita can make it tonight,” Emily said.
Desmond stopped in his tracks when he heard Sherita’s name. He stood there and listened instead.
“Why wouldn’t she? Is everything good with her?” Melanie asked.
Emily sighed. “Did she ever tell you about a guy named Thane?”
“No.”
“He’s her ex-boyfriend. Apparently, he’s been trying to get her back. He even came by the store today,” Emily said.
“Does she want to get back with him?”
Emily shrugged. “I’m not sure. She was upset when he came by the store today. She threatened him with a restraining order, but, then again, she told me at one point that she was considering getting back with him…said may have been her last chance at happiness.”
The frown in Desmond’s forehead nearly became permanent. Instead of listening on further, he continued into the kitchen and said, “Excuse me, ladies…just need to grab some beers.”
“No problem, Des,” Emily said.
Desmond quickly grabbed three beers then left out of the kitchen, returning to join the fellas, only he wasn’t in the mood to shoot pool or do anything else. Only thing he wanted to know was where Sherita was, and if she was with Thane.
Did he not make himself clear about Thane? He shook his head. She told him she didn’t want Thane, but seemed she had told Emily something entirely different.
“Like I was saying,” Emily continued after Desmond left the kitchen, “She had told me that maybe Thane was her last chance at happiness, but that was before she moved in with Desmond. Today…gosh, Melanie, she was so upset. I’ve never seen her break down like that. I’m really worried about her.”
“Hey everybody,” Sherita said from the front door.
Emily and Melanie walked swiftly to the foyer to greet her.
“Where are my babies?” Sherita asked.
“Oh, they’re in the family room, sleeping,” Melanie said.
“Can I help set the table or something?” Sherita asked.
“Sure,” Emily told her.
“I’ll go get the guys,” Melanie said.
Sherita dropped her purse in the foyer, washed her hands, then set plates on the table along with silverware. Melanie came back, holding Dimitrius’ hand, then kissing him before he took a seat at the dining room table.
After placing the last place setting on the table, Sherita looked up and caught Desmond’s eyes. She’d gotten to know him a little more and by the look on his face, she could tell he was disappointed about something, only she didn’t have a clue what it was.
She shot him a slight smile, remembering what he’d said – that he didn’t want the family to know about them. Even after dealing with Thane, arguing with her mother and having just left the cell phone store to get a new number and phone, she still managed to smile at Desmond. But he didn’t smile back.
Once everyone sat down, they wasted no time diving into their meals.
“Let’s not talk work tonight,” Dante said. “Let’s talk vacation. Me and Emily were thinking we should take some sort of exotic family vacation. What do y’all think?”
“It’s cool with me,” Dimitrius said.
“Me too,” Melanie responded.
Sherita bit her tongue. While they were talking family vacation, she was thinking about where she would move in three and a half months.
“What about you, Desmond?” Dante asked.
“Yeah. It’s cool.”
“Sherita, are you cool with it?” Dante asked.
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be long gone before you guys go on your vacation. I’m not necessarily family.”
“What?” Melanie said.
“As far as we’re concerned, you’re family,” Emily said.
Sherita smiled and resumed eating her food. She decided not to comment further surrounding a family vacation because she knew she wouldn’t be with Desmond long enough to join them on a family vacation. Desmond had already told her that what they had was temporary, which she also knew was the reason why he hadn’t wanted her to say anything to the family about their relationship. It would be easier that way – easier for him to walk away.
She looked up at Desmond, watching him take a sip of water. Being with him this morning, sharing laughs and helping him prepare for work had been a good feeling. But that’s all it was – a feeling. A fleeting, hopeful moment of sharing precious time with a man whom she loved. She was creating memories with him, beautiful moments she would never forget only for the purpose of torturing herself later when they decided to go their separate ways. Correction – when he decided he had enough of her, and it was time to move on to his next victim.
She hated to think about him in that manner. When she was with him, she felt something totally different. When she’d fallen asleep in his arms, she was in heaven. Now, sh
e was being tortured by the war she was waging between her head and her heart. And it was all her fault. She walked up on the snake. Did she really expect not to get bitten?
She inhaled a breath and shoved all of those feelings aside so she could have a shot at enjoying the evening. She took a sip of water, glanced up at Desmond again, watching him chew slowly as she stared at her.
“Hey, Sherita,” Dante said.
Pulling her attention away from Desmond, she looked at Dante.
“You know about our Grieving Hearts Connect Resort on Pleasure Island, don’t you?”
She nodded. “Yes. Pleasure Island is popular wedding destination. I’ve done a ton of photos there…never been to the resort, though.”
“You do know that’s where Emily and I were married,” Dante said, looking at Emily, reminiscing on how beautiful Emily was, standing there on the beach along with plenty of other brides in the mass wedding they had there.
“Yes. I know the story,” Sherita said smiling, remembering how Emily had told her everything Dante had done to make sure he got her. He did a lot of scheming to get his woman, but it all paid off in the end. Must be nice to be loved by a man who would do anything for you…who would create a fake profile just to get to know you. Well, that was a little stalkerish, but still, he did it. And then, even after Emily had tried to end things with Dante, he spent eight million dollars to make sure she didn’t lose her boutique. Even as she sat at the dining room table, looking at Dante and Emily staring into each other’s eyes, she could feel the love they still shared.
“I wanted to offer you the job of being our photographer this year. It’ll just be for a weekend, the last weekend in August. If you’re not already booked, I would love for you to work with us.”
