“Don’t get wrapped up in our past. Just know that we both love you. We will always support you. But we’re human and we make mistakes. I probably shouldn’t have brought Lynette over to the house so soon.”
“Yeah, that would have been nice.” Eminence wanted to tell him that because of that moment she stopped trusting men, stopped trusting Keys.
Like her father had said, she needed to quit blaming others for her judgmental nature and learn to listen.
“Your mother and I should have sat you down and talked to you about what was happening between us. As our daughter and a member of the family, you were owed that. For that, I am sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Eminence smiled. “Only if you’ll forgive me for being so stubborn and pigheaded.”
“You can’t help it. You get that trait from me.”
Eminence laughed with her father, a wonderfully intoxicating feeling that she wanted to bottle. “Thanks for the advice, Dad. I need to have a conversation with someone very important to me. I made a mistake. He needs to hear my side.”
“I’m always here for you if you need me.”
“Thanks, Dad. I don’t think cookies and milk will fix this problem.”
“Wouldn’t hurt.” He released a long sigh. “So will you come here for dinner tonight?”
Eminence wanted to say “no.” She had trained herself to close herself down to being hurt again. She had to learn to open up for her heart’s sake. She had to try. “What about tomorrow night? Would that be okay?”
Her father laughed. She could almost imagine his beaming smile.
“Yes, more than okay. Come at six. Or get here first thing in the morning and spend the day. I would love it.”
The way her heart pounded, Eminence would have loved it to, being able to reconnect with her father again.
“I love you, Dad.” She meant every word.
Years of distrust and hate melted as soon as she spoke to him. Everyone had a story. Eminence had to learn to listen once in a while.
“I—uh love you, too.” He choked up on his statement and quickly ended the call.
Eminence had to wipe her eyes from the tears that freely flowed. How could she have been so stupid? No more. She ended her situation with Keys on a bad note last night.
Now if she could get Keys to listen to her and forgive her, she could really be happy. From this conversation, she learned a great lesson. Eminence had to be honest with both Keys and herself. No time like the present.
Eminence grabbed her purse and ran out the door to do what she had been making Keys do their entire relationship: put herself on the line and stop him from leaving this time.
****
Stalking had never been Eminence’s thing, but she didn’t know what else to do. As she sat outside of Keys’s home, she thought about everything he’d said to her their last night together, how he’d called her a hypocrite.
She didn’t care that he had started his own business. Deep down she knew Keys had it in him to do great things in life. Owning a security company seemed right up his alley. In one form or another, he’d protected her, Jordie, and countless other people. The fact that he still loved her shocked her to her core.
Although she wanted to deny it, she loved him, too. He had been dead on with his assessment that she wanted an excuse to leave him. As she thought about the boyfriends she’d had after Keys, she’d done the same thing to them. First she left them if they came with any kind of drama—children from other relationships, being a mama’s boy, having too many female friends. Yes, some of the reasons made no sense, but she didn’t want to be attached and have her heart broken.
Now she was unattached and heartbroken. Keys meant the world to her, then and now. She just had to show him that before more time passed.
A large semi-truck rolled down the street and parked directly in front of Keys’s house, blocking Eminence’s view. Damn, Keys would be leaving soon. The driver and passenger got out and started heading up the driveway. After a couple of minutes, they came back to the truck and opened the back portion. They grabbed a couple of hand-trucks and headed back up the driveway.
Eminence could no longer wait. She jumped out of her car and started to go across the street. Before she hit the driveway, a car stopped in front of Keys’s townhouse. A tall, thin, beautiful woman stepped out of it. Her obvious honey blonde wig swung around a face that held small, delicate features with exception of her full, bow-shaped red lips that looked great against her dark skin. In her overcoat, Eminence couldn’t tell if she wore anything underneath. In her stilettos, her legs looked a mile long.
The woman looked at Eminence as she stepped onto Keys’s driveway. When Eminence noticed the woman also walking up the same driveway, she halted her gait.
“Who are you?” Eminence asked.
The woman stopped and turned to Eminence with a cat-that-ate-the-canary small smile. “Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Keys.” Although the words came out of Eminence’s mouth with confidence, she didn’t think Keys would call her a friend right now.
“Oh, okay. I’m called Pet. I’m here to see Master Tank. He played with me a couple of nights ago, and I’m hoping to get a repeat performance.” From the way the woman giggled, she apparently hadn’t put together that Keys and Master Tank were the same person.
Eminence glanced up at the house. When Keys had played with her, they had had sex directly afterward. From the way this woman looked so anxious, she guessed Keys probably did the same with her, and only a couple of days ago.
“Have fun.” Eminence turned in the driveway and headed back to her car.
“Thanks! I’m sure I will.”
With each step back to her car, Eminence’s heart shattered. As an attractive man, Keys had every right to see other women, especially before the two of them got back together. Eminence had hoped, though, that he would have waited a while to find a replacement for her, and so soon.
As soon as she touched her car, Eminence froze. At this age, hadn’t she learned anything? With breakthroughs with her father and her breakup with Les, she thought she had learned to be more trusting, to listen. She thought her days of running away and avoiding people had been behind her.
Eminence took a deep breath and turned around. She spotted Keys standing on his porch at this point.
“Not a scratch, got it, fellas?” Keys screamed from his porch.
The movers mumbled a response back as they moved back to their truck. Before Keys could see her, Eminence strolled back to his house, hot on Pet’s heels. She easily passed the woman as she headed to Keys.
Keys did a double take as he first glanced at Eminence, then peered behind her to see the other woman in his life, potentially. No matter. Eminence would state her mind in a calm, rational matter. Then she could put a period on whatever they had between them.
At that thought, her pussy twitched as reacting to the idea of never having sex with this man again. The idea of that crushed Eminence’s heart. She made this bed of distrust filled with jagged, little pieces. She would have to lie in it.
****
Tank didn’t know who to address first as he watched the love of his life and this one-time plaything heading his way. One thing he knew for sure. He had to take control of the situation.
“We need to talk.” Eminence stood in front of him.
Her stare never broke from him. A deeper level of confidence flowed through her that he didn’t remember from when they were in high school or even in their brief encounter last night.
“Wait for me in the house.” He glared at Pet. “I have something to take care of.”
Eminence split her attention between Tank and Pet before stepping into his home. He didn’t care if Eminence got out of earshot before he laid into Pet. No one intruded into his life and made demands on him. He made sure of that.
“Pet? What are you doing here? I didn’t call for you.” Tank stared at the statuesque woman as she strolled toward him.
/> “I know. I hope I’m not here at a bad time.” She stood in front of him with her hands resting on her belt. “You said you weren’t seeing anyone.” She peered over his shoulder probably to look at Eminence. “I hope she’s the understanding type.”
This woman’s gall had him blinking as he stared at her. Where did she get off thinking this behavior would be acceptable? The fact that she even looked at Eminence in his presence had his heart pounding in anger.
Tank knew that at any moment, she would have that belt open and her coat off and dropped to the floor to show off her nude body. With movers there and Eminence in his house, he didn’t have time for this complication.
“As I said before, I didn’t call for anyone to come over. I am busy. As you can see, I’m moving.” Tank went to the door. “You have a good day.”
Pet stood in her same spot at first, still with her self-satisfied smile gracing her face. Tank had had enough drama to last him a lifetime. He didn’t need this right now.
“Leave! Now!”
The movers, heading into the house, stopped moving. Pet’s smile melted.
Tank turned to the workers. “Keep working.” Then he turned to Pet. “I need for you to go. I will be talking to Edgar about this.”
Without a word, Pet sauntered back to Tank first. She stared at him for a moment as though she wanted to plant another kiss on his cheek. To discourage that feeling, he moved back to allow her to turn away and disappear from his life. He would have to remember to tell his friend about his aggressive bottom. For now, he would consume his thoughts with moving, his company, and Eminence. The last item broke his heart.
While he had her in his house, his mind ran over several questions. After their last night together, why had she returned? Did she really care about him? Did she love him? If so, why did she have a boyfriend? Too many questions. He had to keep his head clear. Like he said to Eminence, one night together. One last fling. They would walk away. Tank just didn’t know it would hurt this much.
Eminence stood in the middle of the living room as she waited for him. Tank stared at her as he kept walking.
“I hope you didn’t come here to fight again. I don’t have time for it.” Tank’s voice echoed off the bare walls.
“I didn’t come here to fight.” Eminence kept her head up and her shoulders back, a different stance from the woman who had left him with her head hung low.
“What are you doing here? I thought our last encounter would be our last time seeing each other.” He crossed his arms over his chest when he stopped in front of her.
Displaying a cold countenance might make it easier for her to run again. She had been a master at that. Then again, Eminence had just walked up to his home next to a woman who looked to be down for anything, playing or sex. Eminence hadn’t run.
When that idea hit him, Tank lowered his arms, but put them on his hips to still show he would be running this situation. He would always be the boss.
“We were pretty rough on each other.” She cleared her throat as she looked around the two of them. In a lowered voice, she said, “And I don’t mean just the playing part.”
Tank headed to the kitchen area. “Come on. The movers are heading upstairs first.”
He pulled out a chair for Eminence and waited for her to take a seat. Just because their relationship had severed, that didn’t mean he lost his gentlemanly side.
Eminence sat down. She waited for Tank to move to the other side of the table.
As he stood behind a chair, Eminence asked, “Aren’t you going to sit?”
Tank shook his head. “I have a feeling you won’t stay long.”
She sighed.
Before the sound and her expression could further damage his heart, Tank barreled through. “So tell me what’s going on? Why are you here? Does your boyfriend know you’re here?”
The dig, meant to crack her tough exterior, only made Eminence sit up taller. “I broke up with him. Truth be told, we had only been out on a few dates, and we hadn’t had sex. I wouldn’t call what we had a relationship. We were getting to know each other. I knew before I came to the club that I didn’t want to be with him. He seemed like the type I should be with because he was stable and safe. That’s what I wanted. That’s what I thought I wanted.”
Eminence’s honesty had Tank wanting to take a seat now. He continued standing, but he did brace his hands on the back of the chair in front of him.
“So why are you here? It’s obvious you don’t trust me. You don’t believe in me.”
She shook her head. “I used to think everyone else around me had problems. I’m learning now that I’m the one with the issues. I need to work on myself and stop thinking that people around me will always disappoint me.” She leaned onto the table to get closer to him. “I am so, so sorry for what I accused you and Jordie of doing, for all the years wasted, for doubting you and losing trust in you. That is the biggest mistake of my life, and I will never, ever live it down. All I can ask for right now is that you forgive me. If you say no, I’ll understand. It will hurt.” She raised her hand to stop whatever he would say, “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. For the years of pain I’ve caused you, I would deserve the same treatment.” She stared at him. “I just hope one day you can forgive me.”
Tank got lost in her brown-eyed gaze for a moment as he allowed her words to sink into his brain. After all these years, he wanted nothing but to hear those words from Eminence. Now that he had her apologizing to him, he didn’t know where to go.
“Thank you for the apology,” he began.
“It was long overdue, just like my conversation with my father.” She smiled. “I talked to him today, too. Trying to mend a lot of bridges.”
“Why? Why now?” Tank’s gut tightened as he awaited her answer.
“It was because of you and Jordie.” She lowered her head, then shook it. “No, it was because of me. As soon as I got around you and Jordie, I got a good reflection of myself and what I was doing. I knew I had to change.”
Tank gripped the chair and took a step back to ground himself. “I am surprised that after you saw that other woman here that you stayed.”
Eminence’s somber expression deepened. “I didn’t, not at first. I did what I always did. I ran. In that one moment, I reverted back to that girl who couldn’t express myself. Then I saw my reflection in my car window. I didn’t like what I saw.” She stared at him for a moment. “I love you, Keys. I’m not saying that because you said it first after all this time or because I’m trying to keep you.” Eminence stood. “I’m trying to be a better person.”
Tank fought against pulling Eminence into his arms and smothering her in kisses, then taking her upstairs to his bedroom and doing a full play session. He could care less if movers milled around his home. He liked the woman Eminence had transformed to, the woman he had always imagined her to be. As he took a step closer to her, Eminence stood and moved back.
“I should go.”
“No.” Tank’s forceful tone came from his Dominant side more than a man wanting to keep his woman. “Stay here. Let’s go to dinner and talk more.”
“You’re busy.” She glanced around his home. “You’re moving.”
“I can send them away.”
She shook her head again. “No, I need to go. If I stay—” She continued staring into his eyes before she scanned his body. She crossed her arms over midsection before sighing. “I still need to work on myself before I can be any good to anyone else.”
“I want to be a part of that journey.” Tank stepped around the chair to get closer to her. “Let me help you.”
She smiled. “Keys. Always the protector.” Eminence moved back toward the door. “I need to do this on my own. I can’t ask you to wait, and I don’t expect you to, either. You’ve done enough of that. Once I get my life together, it would be great if we could be friends again.”
Tank regarded her for a while. He couldn’t tell her how much she’s influence him in his life an
d decisions. As he watched her slipping from his life again, he felt powerless, a foreign feeling. He felt incapable of holding onto her.
“Why does it feel like we’re finally starting over only to be separated again?” Tank moved around the table.
Eminence remained in her spot this time. “We’re finally talking to each other like adults. I think we’re finally seeing each other.”
After their last night together, Tank had been determined to forget about Eminence, push the memories of her from his mind. Now his body craved her. The wall around his heart crumbled.
“I want to kiss you.” He held his hand up to cup her face.
“God, no. If we kiss, I won’t be able to think clearly. I’ll want to make love to you.” Eminence got a faraway look in her eyes as though recalling how he pinched her nipples and delved in deep into her core. “We’re out of the closet, Keys.” She laughed.
Tank heard every word she’d said but his heart knew what it wanted. He reached for Eminence again. This time he managed to snake his arm around her waist. As soon as he touched her, his heart thudded. An electric current ran up his arm and made his head and lips tingle.
“Keys, please.” Eminence tried pushing him away with a hand on his chest.
Tank powered his way to capture this woman. He could convince her that they should be together now. He could help in her transition. In his eyes, Eminence didn’t need to do anything else to improve.
As he lowered his head to kiss her, Tank didn’t expect to feel a hand over his mouth. He looked down at her and registered the absolute fear in her eyes. She didn’t want this. Like everything else in his life, he’d tried muscling his way to get what he wanted, never considering how the other side would feel.
Tank removed his arm from her waist and took a determined step back.
“Goodbye.” Eminence started to go toward the door.
“No. Don’t say goodbye.” He shook his head. “Not again.”
Without a word, Eminence ran from his home, nearly knocking the smaller of the two movers over in her need to escape.
Damn. So much for one last call.
Scandalous Heroes Box Set Page 135
