A Los Angeles Passion

by Sherelle Green

  Carmen smiled. “Thanks, big brother! Now, how about Matthew and I get out of your way so you can continue your date.”

  Trey glanced down at Matthew before looking toward the kitchen. “I’m going to miss M-dog, but I’m anxious to get my girl all alone.”

  Carmen’s eyes widened. “Dare I say my big brother is falling in love?”

  Trey shrugged. “You can say that.” He hadn’t been prepared for her high-pitched squeal, but all he could do was laugh. Moments later, Carmen packed up a few of Matthew’s things and said goodbye to Kiara.

  “I’ll pick up everything else sometime this week,” Carmen said as Trey helped her to her car. “Go enjoy your night.”

  Once Carmen and Matthew were gone, Trey knew he had approximately twenty-four hours before Carmen was going to contact his mom while she was on her African safari and tell her all about him and Kiara.

  Trey walked to the kitchen with an extra pep in his step, ready to see what the rest of the night had in store. However, the moment his eyes landed on Kiara, he knew a carefree night wasn’t in their near future.

  “We need to talk,” she said, a seriousness in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. As Trey stood there observing her behavior, he thought back to all the screenplays he’d written with scenes such as this one. Anytime he wrote, his entire objective was to place himself in the character’s position to get a better understanding of how they would handle a situation. Whether it was real life or fictional life, no man ever wanted to hear the words We need to talk come out of a woman’s mouth.

  Chapter 17

  Kiara took another sip of her water, her nerves getting the best of her. She knew she’d caught Trey off guard when he’d entered his kitchen, evident in the fact that he stood for a few seconds simply staring at her. Finally, he poured himself a glass of water and took a seat across from her.

  “What’s going on?” Trey asked, concern engraved in his eyes. As much as she wished she could wipe that look off his face, she couldn’t. Tonight, you tell him everything. Don’t chicken out.

  “I wanted to talk to you about my divorce.” Kiara took a deep breath. “I’m finally ready to tell you about it.”

  Trey nodded in understanding. “I’m all ears.”

  Taking another deep breath, Kiara racked her brain on where to start. Goodness, his eyes are sexy. Trey had the type of piercing eyes that could bring a woman to her knees. They were so warm and hypnotizing that she almost wanted to take back the fact that she’d started this conversation. Almost.

  “I guess you could say on the outside, looking in, that Jerry and I had a great relationship. We were both successful in our careers and we had our entire future planned out.”

  “How long were you married?”

  “For two years,” Kiara said. “We’d been dating for three years prior to that, so we were together for five years totally.” She grew quiet as she thought about some of the good times they’d had before everything had turned sour. “You see, I may be the type of person who likes to have a plan, but Jerry was much worse than I was. His timeline was much stricter and it was something that hadn’t bothered me at all in the beginning.”

  “Until it did,” Trey said.

  Kiara nodded. “Yes, until it did. First, I noticed that he’d had these ideals that I hadn’t really detected before. I’d wanted to start LA Little Ones for as long as I could remember, but I soon realized that Jerry didn’t really want a wife to run her own business. He wanted her to be the housewife type.”

  Trey frowned. “Only weak-minded men think about limiting their partner’s potential with unidealistic and sexist views.”

  God, he’s amazing. “I agree,” Kiara said. “I obviously didn’t listen to his crazy notions, but I wish I had seen them for what they were. They were a sign that when faced with life-changing issues, Jerry was not going to be the type of man to stay by my side.”

  Kiara took another sip of her water. “Our true problems started a month into our marriage when Jerry wanted us to try and have our first child. According to his timeline, he needed to have one child before a large case he was working on was solved that would result in him being partner of his law firm.”

  Trey’s eyes widened. “Your ex-husband is Jerry Bishop? The one who won that politician’s case?”

  “Unfortunately,” she said with a nod. “Since his career has taken off in the past couple years, I’m assuming you’ve heard of him.”

  “I have,” Trey said. “Word is, he’s also been trying to join Prescott George, but the board isn’t having it. Something about him rubbing some of the LA chapter members the wrong way.”

  “He has that effect on people. Luckily, we divorced before he became too well-known. Our divorce was clean considering how things could have gone down.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Trey said. “I assume that since you’ve told me that you don’t want to have kids, that was part of the issue when Jerry decided he wanted to try and have your first child?”

  Kiara sighed. “Not exactly. Back then, I wanted kids more than I wanted my next breath.” She tried to disregard the way Trey’s lips curled to the side in a hopeful smile, but it was impossible to ignore. “Starting a family right away was a plan Jerry and I had in common.”

  “I had a feeling you wanted kids,” Trey said. “You’re way too good with kids not to be a mother.”

  Kiara winced at his statement. “I’ll never deny that, back then, I wanted kids and I wanted to be a mother. But I quickly learned that, sometimes, we can’t always get what we want.” Just rip off the Band-Aid, Kiara. It will make the rest of your conversation a lot easier. She clammed up, her mind racing with flashbacks of what she’d gone through and flash-forwards of a life she’d never have.

  She wasn’t sure when Trey had reached across the table and taken her hand in his, but she had to admit she appreciated the comfort.

  Leaning slightly forward and holding back tears she refused to let fall, she forced herself to get the words out. “It’s not that I don’t want kids, Trey. I would love to have a child of my own one day, but according to every doctor and specialist I saw back then, having children was never a possibility for me.”

  Based on the combined look of pity and concern reflected in his eyes, she knew he’d finally understood what she’d been trying to say. She didn’t want his pity, but that was always the first reaction she received from people when they found out.

  “Physically, I can never have kids,” she continued. “And as much as I wish that weren’t the case, it is. I had every test known to man, and the last year of my marriage, any hope was taken away from me when I experienced some unexpected bleeding and had to have an emergency hysterectomy. That surgery sealed my fate, which meant there was no way I’d be able to bear children because of it.”

  Kiara’s heart was beating so fast she felt like it was in her throat. “I don’t know how to explain it, but for any woman to lose a part of herself that is uniquely female and for the sole purpose of bearing children is a tough pill to swallow. For years, it made me feel like less of a person. I wouldn’t wish that type of pain on any woman.”

  Trey lifted her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on each of her fingers. “I am so sorry you had to go through that. I can’t imagine how you felt having to overcome those obstacles.”

  “It wasn’t easy,” she said. “And it still isn’t easy. But it’s my story whether I want to rewrite those chapters or not. As much as I hate that I’ll never have my own children, what hurts most of all is that I can’t even blame the men I dated for leaving me. My ex-husband left me because of it. My last boyfriend didn’t propose because of it.” And if history is indeed repeating itself, you’ll realize I’m not worth it, too.

  Kiara had always prided herself on being able to overcome her fears, but sitting at the table, talking to Trey about her least favorite topic in th
e entire world, was causing her fears to wash over her in waves.

  * * *

  That was not what I expected her to say. Trey had always been wordy. A trait that he admired since it helped him in his career as screenwriter. However, sitting across from Kiara and hearing her recount the details of one of the hardest experiences of her life, he couldn’t find the words.

  He’d known that whatever Kiara had been hesitating on telling him was something big, but he’d had no idea that she’d been keeping this to herself for as long as she had. Granted, they hadn’t known each other for a long time, but in the time they’d spent together, she’d become one of the most important people in his life.

  Trey scooted his chair around the table so that he was sitting beside Kiara. Her eyes were watery and he felt like, any moment, she’d release the tears she’d been fighting to keep at bay. There were so many emotions Trey was feeling while he listened to Kiara, and he wasn’t sure which emotion to act on first.

  “Kiara,” he said, opting to comfort her and take the pain away first. “You said once that you feared that what you had to tell me would result in my feelings changing for you. Is this what you were afraid to tell me?”

  She nodded. “Yes, it is.”

  He gripped her hands even tighter in his. “Then, baby, let me state for the record that I am not your ex-husband, nor am I your ex-boyfriend. Although it breaks my heart to hear about everything you’ve gone through, learning that you can’t have children doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

  “How can you say that?” Kiara asked, wiping away a tear. “I’ve seen how you are with Matthew, and I’ve seen the way you look at the kids in the youth center. You want to be a father, Trey. You want to have kids of your own.”

  Trey shook his head. “I’ve told you before that having kids of my own was never really something I considered before. Yes, I adore my nephew and the kids in the youth center, but I adore you even more, Kiara. In case you haven’t realized it, you’re my future.”

  By now, Kiara’s tears were starting to fall down her cheeks, and Trey wished he could take away every negative feeling she had about their future together. “Trey, you don’t know what you’re saying. You don’t understand the risks you’d be taking by being with someone like me. It’s easy to say you don’t want kids now, but what about five years from now? Or ten years from now? What happens when we’re old and gray and you start to have these regrets about the life you could have had with a woman who could give you everything you want?”

  “Baby, you are everything I want.” Trey cupped her face in his hands, brushing away her tears with his fingertips. “When I think about my future and the life that I want, you are the only person I see. Kiara, I’m not perfect. No one is. As individuals, we are more than the burdens that are placed upon us, and, sweetie, when I look into your eyes, all I see is the woman who has captured my heart. A woman who is as beautiful and kind on the inside as she is on the outside.”

  Trey placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Maybe you were given this burden because you have way too much love to give and bestow upon other children. Your business is a prime example of how much better the LA youth are because they have a person like you in their lives.”

  The room grew silent for a few seconds, but Trey noticed that Kiara’s tears seemed to be subsiding. “If you decide to be with me, I think you may regret it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Trey lifted her eyes to his, determined to make her see what he felt in his heart. “Kiara, I will never regret being with you. When I fell in love with you, I fell in love with all of you. My love isn’t circumstantial.”

  Her eyes widened at his submission, and all Trey wanted to do was continue to prove to her that what they had could withstand any obstacles. Within seconds, he’d lifted her from her chair and picked her up in his arms.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, her eyes filling with desire.

  “I figure it’s past time for me to make love to you in a proper bed.” Her response was a kiss that he felt all the way down to his toes.

  Once they were in his bedroom, he placed her gently in the middle of the bed and began removing her clothes. “I want you to try and relax,” Trey said when he tossed her bra and panties aside to join everything else he’d removed.

  Next, he took off his own clothes and smiled when he noticed even more of the tension releasing from her body. He went to join her on the bed.

  “The sooner you realize you can’t get rid of me, the easier it will be for you,” he said, placing kisses along her body. She laughed, and not long after, her laughter turned to sweet moans that were slowly becoming his favorite melody.

  He’d meant everything he’d told her tonight. He’d fallen in love with her, and the quicker she got used to the idea, the easier it would be. He had to admit that a part of his heart had broken when Kiara had told him about her inability to have kids, but it wasn’t for the reasons she’d assumed. Trey knew that he and Kiara would be okay. As a matter of fact, he was sure of it. However, he hated that she’d gone through what she had on her own, because from the sound of it, Jerry wasn’t a man at all. Neither was her other ex.

  “Relax,” Trey whispered in her ear before he kissed a couple of scars on her stomach that he now understood held more meaning than he’d ever thought before. “The men in your past never deserved you.” He kissed her inner thighs. “A woman like you should never feel as though she is less...only more.” Trey dipped his tongue in her center and was rewarded by her bucking off the bed.

  He placed his hand around her legs and brought her closer to his mouth. He’d been craving her taste since the last time he’d tasted her, and tonight, he wanted nothing more than to bring her the utmost pleasure.

  Kiara moved her hips to the stroke of his tongue, and moments later, Trey felt the buildup of her orgasm.

  “I need you,” Kiara said breathlessly, her hips still meeting his tongue. “I need you inside me right now.”

  He reached for a foil packet in his nightstand, but Kiara pushed his hands away.

  “I trust you and I need to feel you without it,” she said. When he noticed the worry lines return to her face as a reminder of their serious conversation, he went back to work on making her forget all her worries.

  Trey rolled his tongue around her nub a few more times before he felt her shatter beneath his mouth. Only then did he remove his mouth and ease himself inside while she was still convulsing as her orgasm neared its end. The moment he was embedded fully inside, they both released a sigh of satisfaction.

  “I love you,” Trey said as he began moving his hips to the rhythm they were getting familiar with. “Never forget that. You’re not alone anymore. I’ll be by your side through anything life throws our way.” She nodded her head, before tossing it into the sheets as he increased the movement of his hips.

  Trey knew the night had been an emotional roller coaster for Kiara, but he didn’t need her to say the words back just yet. Deep down in his heart, he knew she felt the same way. And after tonight, he would do everything he could to make sure she never forgot just how much she meant to him.

  Chapter 18

  I need to be sure that this relationship is something I want. Please give me a week to think and figure out some things.

  For the past three days, Trey had reflected on the words Kiara had told him during their last conversation, which meant he still had four more days left before he could see her or talk to her.

  Trey pulled at his cell phone and scrolled through his photos until he found the picture he’d taken of Kiara on the balcony of his villa when they’d been on vacation. He’d taken a lot more photos that weekend, but this one was by far his favorite. She looked so carefree in the photo. Not a worry in the world.

  Trey was less than thrilled about Kiara’s request for space, but he understood that the fears she had were a
result of what she’d been through in prior relationships. Even though he knew he’d never leave her, Kiara had to come to terms with it. Otherwise, their relationship would never work. Just in case she needed an additional reminder that giving her space didn’t mean he was giving up on them, he texted her every morning to let her know she was always in his heart.

  A call on his cell replaced the photo on his iPhone screen. “What’s up, Max?”

  “It’s Reginald. His health has taken a turn for the worse. Can you meet me at the mansion in an hour? Derek’s on his way, too.”

  Trey frowned. Just yesterday, Max had texted him and Derek that Reginald was having a good day. Apparently, that had been short-lived. “Sure. I’ll be there soon.”

  As soon as he disconnected the call, he saw an incoming call from Pete. “Hey, Pete. Tell me you have good news.”

  “Some good news. Some bad news,” Pete said. “You ready?”

  “Shoot.”

  Trey talked to Pete and got the recent details on his findings. Although Trey would have liked for more concrete information, he was appreciative of what Pete was able to find.

  An hour later, Trey, Max and Derek stood in Reginald’s massive bedroom while the nurse took his temperature.

  “Why the gloomy faces?” Reginald asked. “Never seen a man dying before?”

  “That’s not funny,” Max said. “You’ve got to slow down. Just because you have a good day doesn’t mean you can overdo it. Otherwise, you end up bedridden for the next few days.”

  “I know, I know,” Reginald said. “I promise to slow down.”

  Trey shuffled from one foot to the other as he observed his father. Growing up, he’d always thought of Reginald as someone larger than life, whether Trey liked him as a person or not. Seeing him look so helpless was difficult.

  Reginald coughed a few times before the nurse informed them that he needed his rest.

  “Before you leave,” Reginald said. “Did you give more thought about my invitation to join me for Thanksgiving?”