Kenya had moved into her dorm room at Clark Atlanta University. Luckily, she didn’t have a roommate, thanks to her mother’s string pulling. Sitting on the twin bed, she’d become violently ill. She’d vomited all over the floor before dashing to the bathroom, where she’d continued to vomit. Then she’d felt blood between her legs. The next thing she’d remembered was waking up in the back of an ambulance.
“Ma’am,” the technician had said, “you’re on your way to Grady Hospital. You’re having a miscarriage.”
“What?” had been her reply before she’d blacked out again.
Waking up in the hospital had allowed the reality of what had happened to sink in. Kenya had suspected that she was pregnant. That explained her weight gain. But she had been too afraid to take a pregnancy test, knowing that a baby would have complicated her life in ways that she’d never recover from. Then finding out that Maurice had been cheating on her had solidified her resolve not to tell him about her suspicions. Then there was her mother. Angela would have been devastated to know that Kenya had done the very thing that she’d promised she wouldn’t do.
The doctor had walked into the room. “Miss Taylor, I’m sorry for you loss,” he’d said as he sat on the edge of her bed. “Would you like for me to call your parents or the father?”
“No,” she’d said. “I’ll be fine.”
“You shouldn’t go through this alone.”
“I didn’t even know I was pregnant. You can’t miss what you never knew about.”
He’d pulled out a pad and had written down the name of a counselor. “I can’t make you go see this doctor, but I think you should talk to someone about your loss, if not your parents or the father. Please talk to someone.”
Pain had shot through her body as she’d tried to sit up in the bed. Lying back, Kenya had looked at the doctor and told him that she’d be fine.
But she’d never been the same since. She’d never been able to reclaim that lost part of her soul. Losing Maurice’s baby and his love had scarred her for life, and hiding those scars had forced her into her life of solitude.
For the rest of her days in college, Kenya had turned down more dates than she could count. When she’d be out and see a young couple with a small child, her heart would lurch. That could have been her and Maurice. And whenever she’d thought of Maurice, she’d wondered what his reaction would have been to her pregnancy. Would he have accused her of trying to trap him and cash in on his potential NFL salary? Would he have left his new relationship to be with Kenya and his child, or would he have harbored resentment toward her for forcing him into something he might not have been ready for?
I wasn’t ready for motherhood, and maybe that was God’s way of saving my child from a hard life, she thought as she shut down her computer and prepared to go home. Everything happens for a reason, and I can’t question it or wonder what if. Maurice doesn’t have to know.
When Kenya arrived in the lobby, she found Maurice standing at the security desk, signing an autograph for the guard with one hand and holding a bag of Chinese takeout with the other.
“Mo?” she said.
Looking up at her and smiling, Maurice said, “I figured you were still here, so I came to collect on my dinner rain check.”
“Not tonight. I have to get home. I still have some unpacking to do, and I stayed here later than I’d expected,” Kenya said.
“Maybe I can help,” said Maurice.
Oh no, she thought as she looked at him. You and me alone at my place spells trouble, and you’re not going to just eat and leave. I know that much.
“I got it. I just have to unpack some boxes and set up my entertainment center,” she said.
“Have you eaten dinner or even lunch? Basically, I’m not going to take no for an answer. You can say yes, or I’ll just follow you. I can’t let this food go to waste. It’s already gotten cold,” Maurice said, flashing her a smile that made her heart melt.
“If she doesn’t want that food, I’ll take it,” the security guard said. “It sure smells good.”
Maurice opened the bag and handed the man an egg roll and a carton of fried rice. “I still have plenty for us,” he said, looking at Kenya as if to tell her that they were going to share a meal tonight whether she liked it or not.
“Fine,” Kenya said, resigning herself to the fact that she was going to be in his company tonight.
They walked to the parking lot in silence, stealing glances at each other. Kenya wasn’t surprised to see Maurice was driving a 1968 cherry red Mustang. When they were younger, that was all he had talked about. As she slid into her Lexus SUV, she thought about the raggedy cars that they’d driven when they were younger, happier, and carefree, and how she’d had their wedding planned and the notes hidden in the trunk of her rusting Camaro.
To be young and stupid all over again, she thought as she started the car. Driving to her condo in the Southpark area, Kenya wondered if she should have allowed him to follow her home. What if Imani was right about him? Could he be faithful when he was in such hot demand?
Why am I worried about him being faithful? she thought as she wheeled into the lot of her complex. Maurice and I aren’t in a relationship, and we’re never going to be. He can try all he wants. I’ve been there and done that. Besides, I’m sure he can have any woman in Charlotte. So why does he want to spend his time with me?
Kenya hopped out of the SUV and waited for Maurice to park his car. “Nice,” she said once he got out. “You always wanted this, didn’t you?”
“There are a lot of things I always wanted and don’t have.” Maurice had a lustful tone in his voice and a dangerous gleam in his eye. It seemed to scream sex and the pleasures that she’d dreamed of since the moment she’d left the island.
“Guess we’d better get inside and have dinner,” she said.
“Yeah,” he said as he followed her up the steps to her second-story condo. “This area of town is nice. I’m surprised you didn’t move uptown.”
“I work there. I don’t want to live there, too. It’s quiet out here, and I love that. From what I hear, the residents of this area fight development tooth and nail to keep things quiet and peaceful.” She opened the door and pushed a box of art aside to give them a clear path to the sofa. “It’s a mess in here.”
Maurice didn’t notice, because he was too busy watching Kenya kick her pumps off and remove her jacket, revealing a sleeveless satin tunic that highlighted her toned arms. He marveled at how she’d changed but yet was the same woman that he’d loved all those years ago. She turned around and looked at him.
“You can set the food on that coffee table,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
As Kenya walked into her bedroom, she prayed that Maurice wouldn’t follow her. She needed to breathe in and not smell his masculine aroma. Standing in her crowded living room was too much. She was going to have to eat fast and get him out of her house.
“Where’s your entertainment center that you need to put together?” he called out.
“In the corner,” she replied. “I don’t have any tools, though.”
“I have some in the car. I’ll be right back.”
When Kenya heard the front door close, she felt comfortable enough to take off her clothes and change into velour track pants and a tank top. As she slipped on a pair of socks, she heard Maurice reenter the house.
“Kenya,” he called out.
“I’ll be right out,” she said as she took a deep breath and walked into the living room.
Maurice stood in the middle of the room, with a green toolbox in his hand. She recognized it as his father’s toolbox. If Maurice hadn’t become a football player, Kenya was sure that he would have been a mechanic. When his father left, Maurice lost visible interest in working on cars and fixing bikes. Memories of their youth flashed in her mind. Days of sitting on the front porch and playing tag seemed like yesterday.
Shaking her head to rid herself of bygone days, Kenya pointed Maurice in th
e direction of the entertainment center. “I’ll heat up the food,” she said, watching him as he removed his white oxford shirt. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to get my shirt dirty,” he said. “Problem?”
She looked at his torso, which was hidden behind a tight Under Armour tank top that hugged each rippling muscle, enhanced the look of his six-pack, and made him seem nearly naked. “No,” she replied as she bounced into the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she could’ve sworn she saw Maurice smirking.
Kenya brushed it off as she walked into the kitchen and fished a pair of plates and some mismatched flatware out of her boxes. Then she placed the food in the microwave, ignoring the feelings that were stirring between her legs. “How’s it going in there?” she called out.
“Uh, it’s coming along. This thing has a lot of pieces. And you were going to put this together with no tools,” he replied.
“I would’ve managed,” she said as she pulled the steaming food from the microwave and dumped it on the plates. When she walked into the living room to survey Maurice’s work, she wasn’t surprised at how little he had gotten accomplished, because he had tossed the instructions to the side.
Just like a man, she thought. It would be so simple if he read this. Kenya reached down and picked up the instructions. “Why don’t you read these as we eat? And then you can finish.” And get out of my house, because I can’t take being this close to you without touching you, kissing you, and having you inside me, she added silently.
Maurice nodded, took the instructions from Kenya, and then sat beside her on the sofa.
They ate in silence, commenting only on the taste of a dish. Kenya stole glances at him as he ate, thinking about the last time those lips were on hers and on the most intimate places of her body. Rising to her feet, Kenya had to get away from Maurice before she leaned over and ripped his pants off.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked as she headed into the kitchen with their empty plates.
Maurice followed her and pressed her against the wall as she dropped the dishes in the sink. “I want something.”
Before she could protest, he captured her lips, kissing her fervently. Her knees shook, the room seemed to spin, and she didn’t even notice that he was slipping his hands into her pants until she felt his finger at the crotch of her lace panties. Every rational thought in her head was to push him away, but she gave in to the kiss, allowing her hormones and heart to take over. She grabbed the buckle of his pants and pulled him closer to her body. Feeling his every throbbing muscle against her made her melt into a pool of lust.
She allowed him to strip her clothes off and kiss her breasts until her nipples swelled. Then he eased down her torso, kissing and licking her navel as if she held the sweetest nectar there. Kenya held on to the wall as he parted her thighs and kissed the wet folds of skin that hid her desire. She shivered as his tongue grazed her clitoris, nearly causing her to climax. With one hand, she grabbed the back of his neck, pushing her hips into his lips. Moaning from delight, Kenya whispered his name as he alternated using his tongue and his finger to stimulate her.
“I want to be inside you,” Maurice declared as he looked up at her. “I’m burning for you. Tell me you want me, too.”
“I want you,” she replied. “I need you.”
Maurice hoisted her up and toted her off to her bedroom. The bed wasn’t made, and there were boxes everywhere, but it didn’t matter to either of them. They were half naked, hot, and desperate to feel each other.
He gently laid her on the bed and began nibbling on her body again, starting at her neck. Kenya felt as if she was about to explode when he slipped one hand between her legs. Clenching her muscles, she took his finger into her wetness and nearly brought herself to a climax. Maurice spread her legs and fought the urge to enter her without a condom. He had to protect her, though he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to watch Kenya’s belly swell with his child.
My child? he thought as he reached for his discarded pants to retrieve a condom. I’ve never wanted any woman to have my baby. But Kenya isn’t like any other woman. She should’ve been the one standing at the altar with me.
Kenya stroked his face gently. “What are you thinking?” she asked.
“About how good you feel,” he replied as he slipped the condom in place. “How I never should’ve let you go. Kenya, I need you in my life, and not just as someone I sleep with when the feeling hits. I want you to be mine.”
She sighed, her breasts heaving as she exhaled. “I’m afraid,” she said. “I don’t want to be hurt again.”
“I won’t hurt you,” he said as he entered her awaiting body.
Kenya felt a ripple flow through her body as he ground his hips against hers. She met him stroke for stroke, pushing her pelvis into his, making sure he touched every tender spot inside. When he melted into her G-spot, Kenya screamed in delight. How could she keep doing this and not let her real feelings show? This wasn’t casual sex, and he’d said he wanted more from her. Was it true, though? Could she risk her heart again when she knew that Maurice had already broken it once?
Grasping his shoulders, she pulled him deeper inside her, unable to think or speak because it felt so good to have him there. He made her juices flow like a river. Kenya tightened her thighs around him, as if she was trying to make him lose himself in her or to weld their souls together.
Maurice shuddered as Kenya bucked and feverishly ground against him, taking her sexual satisfaction into her own hands and making him feel sensations that he’d never felt before.
“Kenya, I love you,” he exclaimed. “I love you.” Then they climaxed, their hearts beating in sync. As Kenya collapsed in his arms, she didn’t think about Lauryn, as she had the first time they’d made love. She felt comfortable this time. Maurice was hers; now she could be his.
Looking up at him, she smiled, then said, “You’re going to have to find a new lawyer.”
“What?”
“I don’t sleep with my clients, and I definitely don’t have relationships with them,” she replied. “But it’s up to you. You can have me or my services.”
“Who were some of those other attorneys that you suggested?” he said, without hesitation.
Gently, Kenya pushed Maurice over on his back. Then she straddled his body, immediately reviving his sex organ. She kissed him on his earlobe as she ran her hand down his chest. “I’ll make sure you get that list in the morning,” she whispered. “But right now, I don’t want to talk about business.”
Maurice wrapped his arms around her waist. “Let’s not talk at all,” he said before sinking into her hot, wet valley.
Chapter 15
It had been two weeks since Maurice and Kenya had made it official: they were a couple again. Kenya couldn’t have been happier. Maurice was more attentive, more loving, and more caring than he’d been nearly a decade ago. Still, in the back of her mind, she wondered if things were going to be different when football season started and he was on the road with all of the groupies and the other women who would surely be after him. Then there was Lauryn. Kenya figured that she’d resurface at some point. After all, she was going to marry Maurice, and Kenya figured the gold digger would run out of gold sooner or later.
Stop borrowing trouble, she told herself as she headed downstairs to meet Maurice for lunch. Just be happy.
Happiness. Could she and Maurice really have true happiness, and had she really forgiven him for what happened all those years ago in that dorm room? And would he forgive her for not telling him about the loss of their child? A frown clouded her comely features as she stepped on the elevator. When Kenya saw her reflection in the steel doors, she plastered a smile on her face and vowed not to ruin their date.
“Hello, beautiful,” Maurice said when she stepped off the elevator.
“Hi.”
“I made reservations for us at Bentley’s on Twenty-seven. It’s a beautiful place, with a view of the
city that’s almost as breathtaking as you are,” he gushed. Proudly, he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her out the door. “How’s your day been?”
“Normal. Contracts, negotiations, and people wanting stuff yesterday. It’s amazing. When I was in Atlanta, I was in court almost every day, but here people love to settle. It’s like no one wants bad publicity,” she said.
Maurice nodded in agreement. “You see how fast the city came down on the price of that land we wanted once they heard that we had your firm working with us. You all must have some reputation.”
“Well, we try. But from what I can tell, no one in Charlotte wants to look bad. This city is all about image, getting a good one and keeping it.”
Maurice was strangely silent. His image had taken a hit after his failed attempt at marriage to Lauryn. He wasn’t looking forward to training camp, because he was sure that his teammates would have a lot to say about him being left at the altar for a woman. He’d purposely avoided them during the off-season, something that he didn’t normally do. He was the guy who organized team-building activities, welcomed the rookies into the organization, and planned the parties for the veterans. He hadn’t even spoken to his good friend Homer. They usually played golf and traveled together during the off-season. Maurice tried to pretend that he was busy with his business, but that wasn’t the case. He’d left the running of Brothers Reality to James. He could’ve easily said that wooing Kenya was why he hadn’t been in contact with his teammates, but he knew the truth was that he was embarrassed. What did his woman leaving him for another woman say about his manhood?
“What’s wrong?” Kenya asked, noting his silence.
“Nothing. Just thinking about the upcoming season,” he lied. “We’re going to have to work extra hard, because everyone is going to be gunning for us.”
“To be the best, you have to beat the champs,” she said and grinned. “I’m excited. I may have to come check out a few games.”
“You’re going to have to check out all the games. You’ve always been my good luck charm.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I can put you on my family list, which I’m going to have to update immediately.”
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