by Kenya Wright
“Did she believe you?”
Guilt sank inside of me. Right here was the moment when I could turn it all around. Change everything. The thought that I should stop Max and my game scared me more than I could ever admit. If this woman got me to the point where I no longer wanted to play, then what else could she do to me? She would own, hurt, or break me herself. I’d seen what broken hearts looked like. Watched despair glaze over many a woman’s face after I left them. I couldn’t experience that, especially not from Dawn.
No. I’ll win and get out of Miami before things get to be too much.
“She thinks the game is over,” I admitted.
Max nodded. “Good. I think this way is better. I can’t believe I told her the truth. We can’t ever do that again.”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you keep smelling your hand like that?”
I opened my eyes and froze. My fingers rested right under my nose.
When had I moved my hand? How long had I been sniffing like that?
“I’ll go over to her in an hour or so.” Max turned to leave.
I didn’t like him going to Dawn and even more I hated the annoyance that hit me at the thought of him even seeing her. “She’s going to sleep. We’ve been out all night. You probably should wait until tomorrow. Let her rest.”
“No way. As far as I’m concerned, if she’s in bed then she already did half of the work for me.”
Dear God, he’s a barbarian.
“I’ll offer to cuddle with her.” He laughed.
I didn’t.
He continued, “I can’t wait to spread her—”
My caveman brother didn’t end the sentence. Maybe it was the way I jumped to my feet and frowned. Perhaps, it was the scowl that had to have decorated my face, but my brother widened his eyes and stepped back a few feet.
“Let her rest,” I said through clenched teeth. “Give her a break.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Don’t be stupid. I’m not trying to argue with you. I’m just helping you out. Give her a day to relax.”
“Nope. I think I have my plan down.” He headed away. “I’ll have the plane this evening. I got Rodriguez to bring it over to Miami. We’ll be gone for a few days, but I’ll let you get two days.”
Rage so much rage. It bubbled in me as I followed him down the hall to his room. “Two days? Where are you going with her?”
“Why? You never care where I take the others?”
“She’s not the others.”
“No?” He glanced over his shoulder before he opened the door. “What is she then?”
I avoided the question. “Where are you taking her? I’d rather you not go off for two days with Dawn. I mean what the—”
“You’re acting weird, Bro.” He opened the door and entered his room.
His place was an explosion of color and no sense of style. Autographed Michael Jordan posters and other athletes he adored hung on one side of the wall. A massive photo of Tiger Woods and a blushing him sat above his bed. Scattered canvases in no particular style or order decorated every other wall.
He’d never decided on the carpet he wanted for his room so he just picked the top four samples. On the north side lay black and white polka dot. On the west, lime green stars surrounded by white. On the east section, a silver rug and right where I stood on the south part of his space was a Native American design done in earth colors.
It helped that he didn’t bring women in here because the place remained a mess. Shoes sprawled all over the place. Clothes were slung around. A discarded plate of food sat on the end table. Even though our maids cleaned our areas daily, he somehow managed to return his space to a pigsty by the evening.
“Did you hear what I said?” Max asked.
“No. What?”
“You’re acting weird.”
“I’m just asking you where you’ll be taking her. It’s no big deal.”
He rubbed the surface of his watch. That made me nervous. His little anxious tick meant that he was worried about something, or at the bare minimum agitated.
“Let me borrow some money,” he said.
“How much?”
“Hundred thousand.”
“Why?”
“I need it for my date with Dawn.”
“Where are you taking her?”
“I’ll tell you after you write the check.”
I blew out a long breath, left his room, and went back to mine. If money was what he needed to keep me in the know, then a check was exactly what he would get. He couldn’t do anything with Dawn without my being aware of all his plans. I couldn’t let him win.
Is that the only thing I’m worried about? Yes. Just the win, nothing else.
I couldn’t bring myself to evaluate that question too much, so I shook it out of my head. This wasn’t about anything more than the game. Dawn represented all the others. She was nothing special, nothing to be concerned over. In fact, I decided I wouldn’t even ask about this date. I would just give Max the money, take a shower, and go off to sleep.
Who cares what they do? Not me. Fuck it. Not ever. Let him have fun.
It was after that thought that I realized my hands was back under my nose. I sniffed and drowned in her all over again, as if she was right in front of me.
Maybe, it is a good idea to know what they’re doing for my own strategy. Nothing else.
My phone rang, once I arrived in my room. I wasn’t even going to pick it up until I spied the name flashing across the screen.
Dawn.
My heartbeats increased while my stomach twisted in knots. Anticipation at hearing her voice hit me hard, so bad I sat down before pressing the talk button. I needed to be off my feet when dealing with her. She could catch me in a lie just like that. It had already been difficult with her through the whole date.
I placed the phone next to my ear. “I told you to come home with me. Now you’re going crazy over there without me.”
“Are you done spouting nonsense?” She giggled.
“No. One more thing.”
She did a big show of sighing. “Go ahead, Mr. Ego.”
“Have you touched yourself with me in mind yet?”
She waited for several seconds. With each little instance of time, my cock slowly began to spring to life.
“I may have thought of you a few minutes ago while I lay in bed,” she admitted.
I got up, hurried, and shut the door. “Go ahead.”
“That’s it.”
“No. It’s not.”
“Trust me. There’s nothing else to report.”
“Oh no. We need to really analyze this. Did you put your hands inside of your panties?” I still stood by the door, but had leaned back against it.
“I don’t wear panties when I go to sleep.”
Damn you, Dawn. I should be over there right now.
“When can we schedule a slumber party?” I asked.
“That will take some time.”
“When you can trust me?”
“Yes.”
Guilt hit my heart. I tried to push it away. It wouldn’t leave. Blame crashed into my chest next. And then the fucked-up part of the situation I’d created came barreling down on me.
What the hell am I doing? Why mess this up? But what would I be messing up? What the hell was I ready to do with Dawn? Certainly not a relationship.
“I must’ve woken you up. You’re so quiet. I’m so sorry,” she said.
“No. I just have something on my mind.”
“What is it? Do you need someone to listen? You know I’m always here.”
Was she? Why? What did she get out of it? Why the hell would she care when she barely knew me?
“No, I’m fine. I’ve got it handled,” I replied.
“Well, I’ll be quick, either way.”
“I don’t want you to. I’d rather you take your time.”
She giggled. It was such a welcoming sound in my life. Her joy embraced me like a soothing h
ug. I yearned to be around her now, witnessing the satisfaction on her face.
“Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for earlier tonight,” she said.
“What? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’ve been rude to you, especially at the beginning of our date. I just had it in my mind that you would never change, no matter how much you said you were trying. I’ve been thinking about it since we’ve been separated and I decided that I’m just going to do it.”
I braced myself against the door, not really sure where this was going. “Do what?”
“I’m going to try and trust you.”
I swallowed down regret. “You’re going to trust me from now on?”
“Yes. I let my ex-boyfriend get the best of my life for these past years. I’ve kind of built this wall up, blocking me from all men, especially guys that reminded me of him.”
“I remind you of him?”
“You did. You both have that expensive lifestyle, that sort of one that feeds into a big ego and this sort of holier than thou sort of attitude. But that’s him, not you.”
My mouth went dry. My heart turned to this black mass of evil. I’d felt this way before in those instances where a female cried in front of me, due to my telling her that I wouldn’t see her anymore. It was easy to brush that sensation away in those moments. But this time, while I sat on the phone with Dawn, I couldn’t just move the cruelty of my life aside. And then it finally hit me.
I can’t pretend that I’m still clean and pure around her. She won’t buy it. That’s what Dawn does to me. She makes me have to be who I really am.
“So,” she said interrupting my thoughts. “Although I don’t a hundred percent think that you’ve changed, I have committed myself to at least giving you the benefit of the doubt, slowly trusting you more, and. . .only insulting you fifty percent of the time.”
Do I really want to gain her trust to only throw it all away? Why do I fucking care so much?
“Did you hear me, Freddy?”
At the sound of her saying my name, a shiver of pleasure ran through me.
She’s fucking tamed me. Here I am miles away from her, on a boat for god sake. As soon as she says my name, I have an erection.
“Yes. I heard you. I’m glad you’re going to trust me.”
“Good. Now do you promise to be a good boy during my probationary dating period?”
“Oh now you’re going to have me dating in phases?”
“Yes. I think that for now we’ll just take this date by date. Once you’ve been promoted to serious trustworthy level, then we can consider doing. . .other things.”
Thank God I was in the room by myself. As soon as she said other things, my hand flew to my dick. I clasped it in my fingers. My breath steadied in anticipation of the promise of more.
“Tell me about these other things,” I whispered.
“You told me that you’d show me how much you love whipped cream. That would be one of those other things.”
“I love that idea. I’m going to have to be extra good then.”
“Oh yes, because once I feel like my heart is safe with you, then I completely let go. I give it all.”
“I bet you do. According to you, your ex-boyfriend is still calling.”
“Forget about him.”
“Have you?”
“Of course. I’m on the phone with you, right?”
Yes. You’re on the phone with me.
I relished in that answer. This was something I could enjoy. This, whatever it was, represented something new and untraveled. I wasn’t ready to say love. It was too early for that, but I damn sure enjoyed her. I couldn’t get enough of her presence, even though I’d only known Dawn for a short period.
Game over.
It had to be. I wanted to explore that unknown concept of this. I longed to sample and savor it, learn what all these feelings with her were. But, if I hoped to do that, then I had to end this game that I’d continued with Max. It couldn’t happen anymore.
“Anyway, goodnight, Freddy.”
“Goodnight, Dawn.” In a last attempt to keep her on the phone, I blurted out, “Will you dream about me?”
“No because I’m going to fantasize about you right now before I go to sleep. I’ve been slipping my finger in and out of my pussy as we talked. It’s making me crazy.”
Oh yes. Game fucking over!
If I’d ever discovered that she said something like that to Max, I wouldn’t have been able to deal with it. No. They couldn’t date or see each other anymore.
This stops now.
She moaned. My breathing grew hard while my body burst in tense knots that needed release. I wish I was there. If not to be touching her myself, then at least watching her do what I craved.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about,” I begged.
“I’m imagining your tongue on this slick little button. I’m loving the way you lick it. You’re doing such a good job, Freddy. It’s like you love the way my pussy tastes.”
She’s hotter than I thought. Is this what trust gets me? If so, I’ll be the most fucking honest man she’s ever met.
“I do, baby. I do.” Unbuttoning my pants, I pulled my dick out. “Have I started sucking on her yet. She deserves to be sucked, gently.”
“She does?” she whimpered.
“Yes, baby. Where do you want me to suck? Tell me where you want me to lick?” I slid my closed fist down my length.
“Oh, Freddy. This feels so good.”
Banging came at my door. Max’s irritating voice sounded next. “Hey man. Are you going to give me the money or not?”
Fuck!
Dawn’s laughter fled over the line. “I think I should let you go.”
“No. Hell no.” I put my dick back in my pants. “Just give me a second.”
“No way. We’ll continue another time.”
“But I don’t want to continue,” I whined. “This isn’t fair!”
“Really, Freddy? Are you about to have a temper tantrum?”
Max knocked some more. I kicked the door to signal for him to shut the hell up.
“Will I see you tonight?” I asked.
She yawned. “Maybe, when I wake up.”
“I don’t like maybes. Let’s say nine this evening.”
“I’ll probably still be tired. I can’t do anything extravagant. You already kept me out all night long.”
“Then let’s do something traditional. Dinner and a movie or something.”
“You can come to my house and I’ll cook.”
I grinned. “Can you cook?”
“Yes. I’ve never had any complaints. In fact all I’ve received were compliments.”
A little jealousy seeped into me, but I tried not to think too hard about what guy may or may not have complimented her cooking. “Dinner sounds good. I’ll bring—”
“You’re not supposed to bring anything, since I’m inviting you over. Just come. I’ll take care of everything.”
This is new, a woman telling me she’ll take care of everything. I love it.
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
As soon as she hung up, I swung the door open. “What the hell, Max?”
“You said you were coming back with a check so—”
“Oh, yeah. The check.” I walked over to my desk and did my best to conceal the erection in my pants. “We need to talk about Dawn.”
He chuckled. “I’m not telling you where I’m taking her for the next two days.”
“No. Not that.” I yanked my check book out, wrote in two hundred thousand dollars, made it out to him, and signed it. “Here you go. The game is done. I’ll give you the win. I just need you to do one thing for me.”
He put his hand in front of him as if to say stop. “Wait a minute. What has gotten in to you, and why are you talking so fast and crazy?”
“The game is over. Is that slow enough?”
He scrunched his face up in confusion. “Did you just say the game is over?”<
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“Yeah. No more dating or anything when it concerns Dawn.”
“Why not?”
“Why does it matter? Just stay away from her.”
“But why?”
I averted my eyes. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this myself. “I’m interested in pursuing something with her.”
“What?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t involve the game.” I handed him the check. “So you win, but what I need you to do is stay away from her.”
He didn’t grab the check and gave me a blank expression. “You’re giving me two hundred thousand dollars to stay away from Dawn?”
“Yeah.”
“What if I don’t want to stay away from her?”
“That’s dumb. Take the money.”
He grabbed it. “She did something to you.”
“No she didn’t.”
“I wasn’t asking. I’m telling you. She did something to you.”
“How do you know?”
He formed his lips into a frown. “Because she’s done something to me.”
Here we go.
“Game is over, Max. Take the money and stay away from her. Okay?”
“Okay.”
But he had that odd expression, the one he used to wear back when we were kids and I played with a shiny new toy. That was the thing about my brother. He always had to have what others possessed. Never was satisfied. Never could make up his mind about something, so instead he consumed it all, just because he could. Being that he was the baby, I just handed over my toys to him and moved on. It was easier to just give stuff to him and shut his mouth up, then fight Max on it. Even the yacht we both traveled and live on was only mine, but I let him use it as if it was his, because I could never say no to Max when he really begged for it.
But Dawn wouldn’t be the shiny new toy that I ended up handing over. With her, I wouldn’t share.
“Game is over, Max. I mean it. Stay away from Dawn.”
“No problem.” He winked.
The wink wasn’t a good sign.
Fuck.
Chapter 9
Max
Freddy had handed me a two hundred-thousand-dollar check with the hopes that I would stay away from Dawn. I kept waiting for him to say the punchline. It never came. And that was when I realized that things were happening around me that I had no control of. This woman Dawn had not only messed with my head, she'd gotten into Freddy's skull too.
