In the Ring: A Dario Caivano Novel

by Perri Forrest

  “What? He’s white ain’t he?”

  I looked at her and just shook my head. “I guess there won’t be any need for me to bring him around to meet you.”

  She threw a hand on her hip and shifted her weight onto one leg. “Why not? If you’re dating him, I want to meet him.”

  “Not referring to him like that you won’t,” I shot defensively. “I don’t even know why you think that’s cool to even say.”

  “Okay, I’ll refrain from saying it like that,” she chuckled like the shit was funny. “I wasn’t serious anyway; I just wanted to see if you were going to admit it to me.”

  “Why wouldn’t I? Your daughter came running to you, right? Let me guess; it was after she left my club—a place she shouldn’t have ever been in the first place.”

  “Yeah, she did tell me. She told me that you were up in her face again when she only came to hang out with some friends. You have to cut her some slack, Chanel. Y’all are sis—”

  “You know, Mama . . .” I started, full on agitated. “I really wish you’d stop with the whole peacemaker bullshit. It’s getting so old.”

  “And you needed to cuss at me, for what now?” she asked sternly.

  “I didn’t need to cuss at you. Just like you don’t need to keep trying to push that girl into my life. I’m getting real tired of it. You see how she acts and you still act like it’s do or die for me to be friends with her. We ain’t friends and that’s okay with me. It needs to be okay with you too because I’m gonna limit my time around if you don’t calm it down.”

  “Why the threats?”

  “Because you act like you don’t get it! Family is who you make it. Me and Rochelle have been over for a long time. Just leave it alone. If the day comes where we can be cool again, then it’ll happen. But for now, that shit is not on the horizon.”

  “The cussin’ is out of control.”

  “I’m grown, Mama. I’m not gonna apologize for being frustrated. I’m just not. You’re the one that keeps pushing and prodding and then feeling a way when I cuss out of agitation. I come over here to bring you magazines that you could’ve gone to get yourself or sent your man to get and I get bombarded with disrespectful questions about whether I’m dating a ‘white boy’, and then semi-lectures on what kind of sister I need to be.”

  There was awkward silence between us for a few long minutes before I turned on my heels and headed in the direction of my car.

  “I’m sorry, Chanel!” my mother called out from behind me. I turned in the middle of the walkway to look back at the woman who had given me birth. She still looked as youthful as she had when she first came back into our lives. She didn’t have a trace of wear and tear on her anywhere. God had definitely blessed her with a new beginning. “I’m sorry for the comment about your man! I’d love to meet him! And I’m sorry about trying to force-feed the relationship between you and Rochelle!”

  I nodded my acceptance and kept it moving. I didn’t feel like responding out loud; I needed to leave now so that I could make my way back to the happy place that I was in when I’d gotten out of my car. I had no desire to carry the mood she had led me to, as I made my way to my next destination.

  No ma’am. Not today.

  CHAPTER 29

  Chanel

  I should’ve known that attempting six-nine with Dario’s fine ass was a moot point. It started out well enough with me putting in superstar work and sliding my tongue up and down his girth and swallowing him then pushing him back out of my mouth as my head bobbed up and down over his thickness. My jaws were sore, but it was well worth the task judging by the sounds that my man was making.

  Just when I thought I was really doing something and close to having him explode, he put his entire face against my pussy while his tongue dove into me. He rendered me not just motionless, but speechless, as he proceeded to show me who was boss. The only damn thing that I could do was twitch like a confused gnat. I wasn’t in control—at all. Dario and his tongue owned me, as evidenced by the curling and uncurling of all ten of my polished toes. The sensation jetting through my body rocked me to my core and set off an internal symphony, sending me over the ledge.

  As the force of the first orgasm hit, I latched on to the closest thing to me—Dario’s dick. I wrapped my hands around the base and began to suck the life from him. The rush of my orgasm and having him inside my mouth made the moment even more sensual, powerful. I sucked and licked him like he was my favorite apple Blowpop. The arousal had me on a thrilling high that I just could not get enough of. And as the spasms continued through a series of powerful back-to-back climaxes, Dario caught up to me, with his body jerking forward, bringing with it a cum bath that splashed across my tongue, then trailed its way down my throat.

  “Oooh! Myyy! That felt sooo goddamn good,” I mumbled from my position, his flaccid penis right next to my face.

  I was well-fed and totally depleted of any energy I even thought might be left. It seemed as though I was fighting for breathing rights for minutes on end, huffing and puffing like I’d just completed a five-mile run. But Dario caressing and massaging my ass cheek made things much better. I felt like a baby being rubbed into comfort.

  “I love this view,” he told me. “Shit, it’s got to be the best thing since the sunrise of Maui.”

  “You’re so poetic, baby,” I kidded at his reference to my ass and all my woman parts being on display. “I think it’s time for me to turn around, don’t you?” I giggled.

  “That’s up to you. Trust me, I’m good.”

  “Dario, have I told you how much I appreciate you?”

  “I think you screamed it out a few times.”

  “You did not just say that!” I shrieked, reaching up to playfully swat his arm. “Oh my God!”

  “I’m just kidding, baby . . . kinda.”

  “Dario.”

  “Okay, okay. You did tell me, but it’s never too much to hear.”

  “Yeah, I guess it’s like that for conceited folk,” I laughed.

  “Conceited? Not me.”

  “Yeah, riiight!” I yelled out as I cracked up.

  “See, Chanel, all this time I thought you were nice. Guess not.”

  “Don’t even try it. I’m the nicest.”

  “That’s subjective,” he kidded.

  I smiled at him, perking my lips, then blowing him an air kiss. “You really are amazing. I still can’t believe that you came back after your fight instead of staying in Vegas to celebrate. I’m sure you wanted to.”

  I silently hoped that Dario wouldn’t grow tired of me making these kinds of comments. I was working toward ditching them because they made me come off highly insecure—which I was not. I guess a part of me just wanted to make sure he didn’t prefer a certain lifestyle over the one we had. I knew that being a celebrity came with more perks than he would ever admit to . . . and I knew that because of Tyler. And just when that thought about that person hit, I realized more than ever that I needed to stop bringing remnants of that situation into this one. One was no match for the other. Dario wasn’t him and he sure as hell wasn’t Dario.

  “Why are you still shocked by that? We talked about it.”

  “I don’t know,” I lied.

  “I don’t either, but I’ll say it again. What I wanted to do was get back here to you. That’s what I wanted to do.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did,” I said quietly, rubbing my finger up and down his arm.

  “I wish you could’ve been there,” he said. “The next one, I want—”

  “I’ll be there for sure. And not just for that one either.”

  “Good.”

  “And you know that Rai will want to come too.”

  “Of course he will. Him and Freddie both. There’s this huge debate about kids at fights. A lot of people think that it’s are no place for kids, but they’re pre-teens; I think they’d enjoy it.”

  “Ohhh, trust me, Rai will love it. You should’ve seen him when I came back into the living room afte
r I missed that knock out. He was jumping up and down like a crazy person.”

  He laughed. “I know he told me how excited he was. I had two text messages from him when I got to the jet that I replied to. I told him that I’d take him and Freddie to the Mayweather fight in May if that’s okay with you.”

  “Mayweather?! Pssh, you kidding? If I even thought of saying no after you’d already told him that you were taking him, I might not have a kid anymore. He’d emancipate like yesterday!”

  “Yeah, then I’d have to adopt him as my own and try to get you some visitation.”

  Dario and I laughed so easily together. It seemed like everything was easy with him. That part was never expected. I hadn’t really been hard-pressed to get into a relationship at all. Being single and free had worked fine for me. But I guess when the time comes to change the way we see things, it just sneaks the fuck up on ya with no warning. I guess it was just time to embrace change and go with the flow without trying to control the outcome.

  “And for the record, I appreciate you too,” Dario announced. “You add a whole new layer of something good to my life. For the longest time, it’s just been me, the octagon, and family as I can get to them, but now . . .”

  “What about the women?”

  “Chanel . . .”

  “What? I’m curious.”

  “The women came and went and were in rotation. I won’t lie to you about that. I’ve never had an interest in settling into monogamy—until now. My interactions always came with the truth, were always . . . always protected . . . double sheathed sometimes,” he laughed. “And never came with an ‘I love you.’

  “Okay. No more questions about that. Promise.”

  “They’ll come again and I’ll answer them as much as you need,” he assured me.

  “Thank you for that. But I promise it won’t happen again,” I smiled. “I like the place we’re in and I see it only getting better.”

  “I’m glad you do because I definitely think it’s time for you to meet the family.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  I did an air-swipe against my brow. “That just makes me all kinds of nervous.”

  “It’ll be okay. They’re harmless. And besides, they’ve been asking about you and I need them off my damn back. Rai met my aunt when we went to get Freddie, and so now it’s your turn.”

  “What if—”

  “Fuck the what-if’s. We’re not worried about those. You’re my girl and that means something. They sure as hell know that because the only girls they’ve seen me with are in the tabloids. And those weren’t even my women, so yeah . . . it means a helluva lot. You’ll be cool. And besides, I’ll be right by your side . . . the whole time.”

  “Let’s just make sure you are, too.”

  “Why’d you say it like that?” I had to laugh at her obvious threat. “You plan to beat me up or something if I walk out the room?”

  “Shit, I might. You can’t go leaving me in a room full of people who haven’t seen you with a girlfriend—especially when the girlfriend they do see you with . . . is a black girl.”

  “It’s not like that at all, Chanel.”

  “And how would you know if you never took a woman home to them? Huh, Dario? How would you know?”

  Instead of providing an answer to my question, Dario pulled me to him and gave me something much more exciting to think about. And once again, I was lost in bliss.

  CHAPTER 30

  Chanel

  “Nervous, baby?” I heard Dario ask me, on the way to his family’s house. He must’ve known that I was in a full-on seminar inside of my head. I mean, there were keynote speakers, sponsors, audience members and all that. It was going down in this head of mine!

  “You can say that. But what do you expect? Women are always the hardest to please.”

  “I’m sure everything will be fine. They’re nice and you’re with me, so they’ll be on their best behavior.”

  “Yeah, okay. You’re your Mama’s only son. She already has it in her mind that I’m not good enough. So, I’m already on trial.”

  Dario looked over at me, momentarily taking his eyes off the road. “Trial, Chanel? Don’t you think that’s a bit dramatic?”

  “No, I don’t. I think that you’re underestimating how this is gonna go. Why did they both need to be here and I couldn’t just meet them separately?”

  “Chanel . . . baby . . . relax. You’re getting yourself worked up for nothing.”

  “Dario, it’s not for nothing. I’m telling you.”

  “And you figure this how? Because you know that’s how you’ll be with Rai? That no woman will be good enough for him? So, since that’s how you know that you’re going to be, that’s what you assume will happen with my mother and my aunt?”

  “I’m not gonna do that to Rai. If the girl is worthy, then they’ll get my approval.”

  “And you are worthy, so you will definitely get their approval. Guaranteed. You’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re a wonderful mother, you’re a good lover—”

  “A good lover? Stop that!” I laughed. “That has nothing to do with anything, silly.”

  “It could, though. We have a little bit of time to spare and an entire backseat that can be pretty accommodating.”

  “You’re nasty.”

  “So are you,” he said, running his palm up and down my thigh. “Your nerves just have you in prude mode,” he joked.

  “I couldn’t be a prude if I tried, sir.”

  “Prove it.”

  “Not on your life. There is no amount of money, or gifts, or even you pulling that beautiful beast out of your pants, that’ll make me give into going up in there looking and smelling like sex. No and hellll no. Forget all about that . . . right now, tonight.”

  “Fine. Play hard ball then.”

  About ten minutes later, Dario turned onto a street that reminded me of one on Coronado Island in Southern California, where the houses were so large they damn near needed half the block to themselves. I knew that Larkspur was nice, but I had no idea that it was this nice.

  “Dang, this is where you grew up?” I asked in amazement at the stunning beauty of the designer homes that lined the elite development that overlooked the San Francisco Bay.

  “Nah, I actually grew up in Danville.”

  “Oh, Blackhawk, it’s pretty fancy there too.”

  “Yeah, it had its perks,” he said, downplaying it all. “You ready?” he asked when he drove his car inside of a massive multi-car garage.

  “Yep, I’m ready.”

  And I was ready. I figured that it was now or never. If they liked me they did and if they didn’t, then oh well, that would be it.

  CHAPTER 31

  Chanel

  It had to be just under half an hour into dinner, but it felt like hours. I was ready to get up from that damn dinner table and run for the mountains. And running for the mountains was only so that I wouldn’t have to snap on somebody! Dario, his father, and his uncle had already left me with the ladies in some slick move to allow us time alone to get to know each other. But I saw it coming from a mile away. It was hard for me to believe that the men didn’t know what was to take place with the ambush, ahead of time. Dario might not have known, but the husbands . . . they knew.

  The questions and the subtle side eye comments from Dario’s mother were pissing me off to no end. Dario had promised that he’d be right there and since he wasn’t, he better not even think about being angry if I had to unleash on these two women that he loved so much.

  “So, where is the father of your son?” Dario’s mother, Antonina asked.

  I produced a thin, forced smile. “I’m not sure where he is, and frankly I don’t care. My son is healthy, he’s intelligent and he’s loved.”

  “But . . . a father is very important to a child’s life. Surely, you want that for him.”

  Breathe, Chanel. Girl, breathe and do it deep and steady so you don’t disrespect this man’s mama.
>
  “What I want for my son is to know that he has a mother that loves him more than she loves life. And I think he’s gotten that message loud and clear in his twelve . . . almost thirteen . . . years on this earth.”

  “Well, Dario has his career ahead of him so being a father figure isn—”

  “I’m gonna stop you right there, Mrs. Caivano. Never did I say that I was with Dario in hopes of finding a father for my son. You seem to have very strong opinions on me and my son’s lives, without knowing anything more than our names. Let me say this. Was single parenthood something that I purposely fell into? No, it was not. But I did it and it was a decision that I will never regret. I graduated high school at sixteen and worked my ass off to get into college to further myself. I had my son at nineteen. Yes, a teenage parent at that, but I’m successful. I’ve done it alone since he entered this world, and I’ve never asked anybody for handouts.”

  I took a deep breath. I had to. I found my temperature rising—boiling—as I stared dead-ass into the green irises of both of these women during my enraged testimony. I mean, who the fuck did they think they were anyway to be judging me? Interrogating me like the police, and shit! There was slight discomfort and maybe even a bit of empathy in Veronika’s eyes, but her sister was determined to make it clear that she didn’t approve.

  “I was merely stating that, Dario—”

  “I understood clearly what it was that you were ‘merely stating’. It’s your disapproval. I get that. Your reception was forced when we first got here and quickly turned lukewarm once the three of us were alone. I won’t let you force me away because I happen to care about your son a great deal. I’m not looking at him as a way to get a baby daddy for my son as you would like to believe. Your son just happens to be a good man that I find myself attracted to, and if it leads to something more serious than it already is, then that’s what will happen. And by the way, Mrs. Caivano, does Dario know?”

  “Know what?”