by Tina Martin
Sherita smiled. “Oh…ah…umm…I may be booked that weekend, but I’ll check my calendar and get back to you.”
“All right.”
“Thanks for thinking of me.”
“No problem, sis,” Dante said. He glanced at Desmond, wondering why his brother had been so quiet during dinner. Earlier while they were playing pool, he’d been himself. Now, he was withdrawn and he hadn’t taken his eyes off of Sherita since she’d sat down.
Desmond pulled in a long breath. He couldn’t help but think of what he’d overheard Emily say – that Sherita was thinking about getting back with Thane. Had Sherita lied to him? She told him it was over with Thane, that she didn’t want him because he’d hurt her. He’d broken her heart. Now, she was considering getting back with him.
Desmond dropped his fork in the plate in front of him. He’d barely touched his food, not like him at all. Usually, he’d chow down and burn it all off at his home gym. Tonight, his unsettled stomach kept him from eating. All he could think about was another man’s arms around Sherita. Another man holding her. Kissing her lips. Submerging hands inside of her hair and—
He pushed away from the table and disappeared down the hallway. The moment he was out of sight, Dimitrius looked at Dante and said, “What’s with him?”
Dante shrugged his broad shoulders. “I don’t know. He was fine earlier.”
He was fine this morning, too, Sherita thought to herself. Now he was disengaged. He’d flip-flop occasionally – reminded her of the time when they were babysitting. They were having a decent conversation and he just got up, walked away and avoided her for a week.
“I hear my babies,” Sherita said, giddy-like, pushing away from the table and rushing off to the family room. She took Grace from the Pack-N-Play and bounced her up and down. Melanie had dressed Grace in a pretty, pale pink dress with the matching socks.
Emily came in, took Ezra into her arms and said, “Look at mommy’s big boy. You love your mommy don’t you?” She kissed his cheeks then lifted him in the air, watching him smile again.
The women returned to the dining room with the babies, at which time Sherita noticed Desmond had returned to his seat. She sat in the same chair as before, in front of him, holding Grace saying, “Hey pretty girl. Goodness, Melanie. She has the most beautiful eyes. And so does Ezra, Emily.”
“Those are the eyes of a Champion,” Dimitrius said.
Sherita smiled. “And I love her cute little outfit. It must be so much fun to shop for little girl clothes.”
“It’s fun to shop for little boy clothes too, thank you very much,” Emily chimed in.
“I know, but girls seem to have such a wider selection,” Sherita said.
“Well anytime you want to come shopping with me, let me know,” Melanie said. “And when you have a little one, I’ll go shopping with you.”
“Well, you’ll never go shopping with me, then,” Sherita said, rubbing Grace’s silky-smooth hair.
“Why not? You don’t want children?” Melanie inquired.
“I do, but I have to find a man first,” Sherita said.
Dante looked up at Desmond the same time Dimitrius had.
Desmond’s face tightened. Darkened. If he had to sit here and endure anymore of this, a blood vessel would burst in his head. He stood up, pushed away from the table and said, “Sherita, can I see you outside for a moment?”
And all eyes were on them…
Sherita looked up at him, confused. He wanted their relationship, or whatever they had, to go unnoticed by the family, but yet he was requesting she step outside with him. Alone. She could only imagine what his brothers were thinking. What Emily and Melanie were thinking. “Yeah, okay,” she said lightheartedly. She handed Grace to Melanie then followed Desmond through the kitchen and out of the back door.
Standing on the patio with his hands in his pockets, a dark sky overhead, he asked, “Why have you been ignoring me all night?”
Sherita frowned. “I haven’t been ignoring you Desmond. I’m doing exactly what you requested of me. You said you didn’t want the family to know about us.”
“I didn’t say to ignore me. You can still talk to me. But you’d rather take passive-aggressive shots at me instead.”
“I’m not taking shots at you.”
“Really, because Melanie just asked you if you wanted children, and you told her you had to find a man first? That’s not a shot at me?”
“No. It’s not,” Sherita replied. “You’re not my man. How can you be my man when I can’t even claim you in public? When you don’t want your family to know you’re slightly interested in me?”
His lips tightened. “Guess that’s why you’ve been thinking about getting back with Thane, huh.”
“What?” Sherita asked, her eyes blazing with anger from his accusation. “I’m not getting back with Thane. What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the reason you got here late tonight, Sherita. You think I’m stupid? Actually, I must be to believe anything you’ve ever told me.”
“Desmond—”
“Tell me something…when you’re with him, do you think about me?”
“Desmond—”
“Do you whisper in his ear? Play with his hands?”
Sherita shook her head. Since she couldn’t get a word out, she decided to say nothing.
“Do you?” Desmond asked.
Sherita’s lips trembled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Desmond.”
Raising his voice, he took a step closer and said, “I’m talking about the fact that you lied to me when you told me there wasn’t anything going on between you and Thane. Yet, you show up here, late, and can barely make eye contact with me. You’ve been avoiding me all night, Sherita.”
“Because you told me to!” she snapped, yelling at the top of her lungs. “What’s wrong with you, Desmond?”
“What’s wrong with me is, I don’t like being made a fool of.”
Something broke inside of her when she heard him say those words. She felt tears slide down her face. “You don’t like being made a fool of?” she asked with trembling lips. “Wow. That’s amazing. The bachelor, the player, the womanizer who openly admits he can never love a woman doesn’t like to be made a fool of.”
Too angry to look at him, she looked away while brushing tears away from her face. But why was she looking away? She hadn’t done anything wrong. So, boldly turning back towards him, meeting his gaze, she said, “I was late tonight because I went to get a new phone and a new number so Thane couldn’t call me anymore. My parents…” she stopped when her voice cracked. When more tears fell from her eyes. “My parents gave him my number without my permission, so I went to get a new phone. That’s why I arrived late.”
Sherita panted and took a breath. “If anybody is a fool in this situation, it’s certainly not you. It’s me, for falling in love with yet another man who doesn’t want me.” She wiped her eyes.
“Sherita, I—”
“I know what you’re going to say, and you’re absolutely right. You did tell me what this was upfront, so I guess I should be thanking you, Desmond Champion, for not wasting two years of my life like Thane did. You’ve only wasted two months, but I will not waste another day of my life with you. I’m done playing by your stupid rules and listening to your lies. I was never special to you. All I am to you is another dumb woman you slept with…that you can mark off your list. So go ahead and draw a line through my name because I’m done!” She pulled the diamond ring from her finger and threw it at him. “You can keep this meaningless piece of crap and the laptop you bought. I don’t want to keep anything that reminds me of you.”
Sherita wiped her eyes, walked away from him. Back inside, she breezed through the dining room and on to the foyer to grab her purse.
Everyone looked stunned when they saw tears flowing out of her eyes.
Dante frowned.
A look of confusion washed over Dimitrius’ face.
&
nbsp; “Sherita, what’s wrong?” Emily asked, standing up with Ezra in her arms, heading to the foyer.
“Nothing. I have to go,” Sherita said, hurrying out of the front door with her purse.
“Sherita, wait,” Emily said, rushing to catch up to her, still holding Ezra.
Melanie handed Grace off to Dimitrius and went to catch up with them.
“Sherita,” Emily said. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t do this anymore,” Sherita cried. “Tell Dante I’m sorry. I can’t keep up the charades with Desmond, and I can’t live with him.”
“What happened?” Melanie inquired.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Melanie. I just know I’ve had enough. I’ll come back and visit you guys when I get settled.”
“Get settled?” Emily said, disappointed. “Sherita—”
“I’m sorry, Em. I have to go.”
“Then let me drive,” Emily said. “You don’t need to be driving right now. You’re too upset.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll call you later.” Sherita pulled the door handle, quickly jumped inside of her car, then drove away using her hands as wipers for her eyes.
Emily climbed the stairs, walked back inside of the house and handed baby Ezra off to Dante then said, “Where is he?”
“Emily,” Dante said, seeing wetness in her eyes that made him angry at whomever caused his wife to become upset to the point that she was near tears. He had a feeling it all had to do with Desmond. “We shouldn’t interfere, sweetheart.”
“I am interfering,” she said. “Where is he?” she asked, rushing to the back door. She opened it and saw Desmond leaned against the railing, looking out into the backyard. “What did you do to her?”
Desmond looked around and caught Emily’s fiery gaze. “This doesn’t concern you, Emily,” he said as smoothly as a calm breeze in the summer night air. “Actually, it does,” he corrected. “I overheard you say that Sherita was considering getting back with her ex.”
“And?” she frowned.
“So it’s true?” he asked.
“Whether it’s true or not, what’s it to you, Desmond? It’s not like you want her.”
Desmond narrowed his eyes at her. “How do you know what I want?”
“I don’t know what you want,” Emily said, shouting. “I know what you don’t want, and that’s her, especially considering the way you treat her!”
“Whoa,” Dante said, walking over to Emily, placing his hand flat against her back. “Baby, why are you yelling?” He looked up at Desmond and said, “What’s going on, Des?”
“Nothing,” Desmond said. “I was just about to leave.”
“Yes, she told me she was considering getting back with Thane,” Emily blurted out. “But that was before she agreed to this marriage arrangement with you, Desmond. And she’d only said it because she was angry. She felt like no one wanted her…felt like she needed to settle for him since, according to her mother, he was her last chance at happiness.” Emily’s lips quivered. “Now, thanks to you, she’s moving away.”
“Moving away?” Desmond said, frowning.
“Yes. She told us she would come back and visit whenever she could.”
Desmond released a heavy sigh. “I have to go.”
“Des,” Dante said, stopping him. He took a hard look at his brother, seeing something he rarely saw in his eyes – sadness. It didn’t take a genius to see Desmond had it bad for Sherita. Why couldn’t he see it himself?
“I have to run,” Desmond said. “Sorry about dinner. Sorry about everything.”
He rushed inside of the house, grabbed his helmet from the foyer and rushed out of the front door. After securing his helmet, he jumped on his bike and rushed to get home. He had to get there before Sherita had gathered all of her things.
CHAPTER 24
Her car was still in the driveway. That was good. He snatched off his helmet, got off of the bike and saw the passenger side, rear door open on her Honda. While unzipping his motorcycle jacket, he glanced inside, saw clothes stacked on the backseat and shoes in a box on the front seat. That wasn’t good.
His heart sank. He rushed inside, nearly ran down the hallway and down the stairs into the basement apartment where he saw her filling another box.
“What are you doing, Sherita?” he asked evenly with feverish eyes.
She looked up at him with her pinkish eyes and puffy eyelids. “What does it look like I’m doing?” she asked with a fragmented voice. She picked up the small box and headed for the stairs when he stepped in front of her.
“Put the box down, please,” Desmond said, feeling stabs to his soul by her current state. By the sadness in her eyes and her pink nose that she’d rubbed excessively. He’d caused it. All of it. “We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t,” she sniffled. “I’m done talking. Excuse me.”
“Put the box down, Sherita,” he demanded.
“No. Get out of my way,” she said, pushing forward, pressing the box against his stomach. “Move!”
In a fit of rage, he grabbed the box from her grasp and tossed it to the floor, its contents spilling out. He reached for her, but she swatted his hands away.
“Don’t touch me,” she said, tears falling from her eyes yet again.
“Sherita—”
She shook her head while backing away from him. “No. I’m not going to let you do this to me anymore. I’m done, Desmond!”
He took a few steps forward. “You’re not leaving me,” he said with arrogant eyes.
Her lips trembled. “I am leaving. I can’t do this anymore.”
He reached out to touch her again, and she pushed his hands away.
“Stop, Desmond.”
“You’re not leaving me.”
“Watch me,” she said, grabbing her purse from the bed, and before she turned around, Desmond had circled his arms around her, restraining her from behind, pulling her to him.
“No,” she cried. “Let me go, Desmond.” She dropped her purse and attempted to pry his hands away from her, to free herself, but she was no match for his strength. “Let me go!”
“No. I will never let you go, Sherita.” He slowly turned her around so he could see her face. “Look at me,” he said, holding her arms.
“No,” she said, trying to wiggle out of his grasp as more tears spilled out of her eyes. She gasped when she felt the warmth of his fingers glide underneath her shirt and up her back. “Stop. I don’t want this anymore.”
“Sherita, look at me,” he said calmly, gliding his fingertips up her sides, feeling her body shiver.
“Stop,” she whimpered, feeling weak and helpless in his strong arms.
With glassy, troubled eyes, he swallowed back his emotions and said, “Look at me.”
“No.”
“Look at me!” he erupted, palming her wet face with his hands, forcing her attention.
She connected her eyes to his and when she did, she saw his golden, glossy eyes, filled with sadness.
“I will never let you go,” he said, blinking back tears, and before she could say no to him again or push him away, he leaned forward and kissed her lips, feeling her tremble in his arms.
“Desmond,” she managed to say in one last, breathless retort, and then she felt herself being lifted from the floor as he took her up the stairs to the main floor and on to the second level – to his bedroom. He lowered her to the Egyptian cotton sheets on his bed, his body firm and heavy on top of hers.
Desmond ravenously took her lips again, kissing her. The wetness on her face had broken his heart. Ripped through his soul like a jagged knife. He planned to repair all the damaged he’d caused – not to himself, but to her. This was all about her. He traveled to her neck, kissing her softly there while feeling her cry and whimper.
“Desmond, don’t do this to me,” she begged with a distorted voice. “Don’t make me love you. I don’t want to love you anymore. Please just let me go.”
He stopped kissing her n
eck, connected his vision with hers, seeing even more tears escape her eyes while he felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time – a single tear slide down the length of his face. The last and only time he’d cried was when he lost his parents. And now, on the verge of losing a woman he cared about, the woman he’d married, the woman he’d let inside of his heart, a tear escaped his eye.
“I can’t do that, Sherita,” he admitted, his soft voice trailing off. He gave her a long, penetrating gaze before he lowered his mouth to her face, kissing her tears away.
The sensation of his lips against her face had her gasping for air with a wide-opened mouth. And he took the invitation to kiss her again.
Tasting the saltiness of her own tears on his tongue, she gave in to him, yet again, her hands migrating to the back of his head as he deepened the kiss.
He pulled away from her and stared deep into her eyes to make a request of her, a request he’d never made of any other woman. “Make love to me, Sherita.”
Confusion, love and submission blended together in her eyes. When she slid her hands underneath his shirt, pulling it up over his head, she knew her heart was winning this battle. She maneuvered her body, sidling onto his lap, securing their connection in one, long, sweet surrender. How he’d managed to get her to wave the white flag, even when she was angry at him, was beyond her.
She tugged at his hands, gesturing to pull him up to a seated position and when he sat up, she wrapped her legs tight around his waist, feeling him descend deeper into her sensitivity.
“Des,” she whispered. She watched him look at her again. Staring into his intoxicating eyes – eyes she remembered being sad a few moments ago, she took a small kiss from his lips and said, “You’re all the man I could ever want.”
Touched by her words, he leaned forward, connecting their mouths, kissing her again, devouring her sighs like the late night snacks that they were.
Sherita wrapped her legs around him even tighter, pulling him in closer. She kissed him with the same intensity and fervor as he kissed her.
He grazed her back with the slightest touch of his fingertips before circling his arms around her, pulling her into him more, if that was even possible. He listened as her moans thickened along with the ragged breaths she was able to take. He felt her body tighten around him, all of her, until she crashed against him, waves of passion forming one after the other. Rising, then falling. Cresting.
