Chapter 24
As I sat at my desk, I watched my phone ring. The media were like vultures, and they didn’t give up, even when a person blatantly told them to get lost. I literally wanted to change my number, but I knew that, somehow, it would get leaked all over again, and it would all be for nothing. Samuel was still in the wind, and people were accusing me of knowing exactly where he was. His bullshit had me under the microscope. My chief had been up here twice this week already, “checking on things.”
As if my family blaming me wasn’t enough, the community and city officials thought I had something to do with it as well. If it got out that Samuel had indeed said something to members of the council about appointing me, I would be out of here on the first thing smoking. I would be guilty until proven innocent, simply because of his actions. He didn’t even see how his actions affected everyone else. Somehow, I was the bad guy though.
Work had been uneventful… not a fire or emergency call in sight. My week was filled with paperwork and equipment maintenance. I checked the time to see it was already five thirty. Thankfully, the time had still gone by pretty fast. The only downside to getting off was being bombarded by media. I’d gotten some sympathetic looks from my fellow firefighters, but I’d also garnered some hateful ones as well. The stress of it all was crippling, but I knew I had to keep showing up. If I didn’t, the allegations would spread like wildfire.
Just as I was gathering my things and shutting down my computer for the day, Bransford appeared in my doorway. Out of all the people against me, I knew he would be leading the way. He hadn’t said much to me, but he’d given the sympathetic looks and smiles I needed. I gave him a soft smile. “Hi, Bransford. How can I help you?”
He stepped inside and cleared his throat. “I needed to come clean about my behavior before you were promoted. I couldn’t do so before.”
I frowned slightly and gestured for him to take a seat. I was curious as well. I thought he was just a jackass, but now, since he brought it up, I was the only one he treated that way. He only treated Micah that way when she was with me. I’d witnessed their one-on-one interaction, and it was never as heated as it was when she was with me. I couldn’t believe it took all this time for me to realize that. I probably wouldn’t have realized it had it not been for his statement.
After he sat, I said, “Okay. I’m listening,”
He nodded. “I’ve known about your brother for a while. Not many people know, but Lieutenant Gamble is my cousin. He told me about all the issues he was having with Samuel. He believed Samuel was involved in something, because his write-ups would never get him anywhere, like Samuel was his superior. He could never find proof of anything though. So, I took his disdain with your brother out on you. I truly apologize.”
My eyebrows had lifted, and my lips had parted. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“My cousin asked me not to. He wasn’t supposed to be sharing that information with me. He had suspicions but no proof to back any of it up. So instead of being neutral in the situation, I took it out on you because I made the assumption you were as dirty as he was. At least that was what I thought at first. After working with you for a while, I realized you were nothing like him. I realized how dedicated you were to this job and helping people. That didn’t change my behavior, though, because again, I was taking my frustrations with him out on you.”
I was in shock. Not only did Samuel’s actions threaten my job, but they affected my work relationships as well. I swallowed hard.
“Thank you for telling me that. I had no idea. When he was implicated in all this mess, it hurt me to my soul. I would have never thought he was capable of corruption at this level. However, what hurt even more is that my character is being called into question by everyone, including my own family. People I work with are accusing me of being a part of this mess, and my family is accusing me of throwing my brother under the bus for Judge Patrick. I just…”
I closed my eyes and gently rubbed my temples until I felt his hands on mine. He pulled them away from my head and held them in his. “You are an amazing human being. Just keep being who you are, Chief. All this will blow over soon. No one knows who to trust in all this. As far as your family goes, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. They should know you better than anyone.”
He gently caressed the tops of my hands with his thumbs then released them. “Thank you for that.” I stood from my seat, and he did so as well. “Will you be at the meeting tomorrow night?”
He frowned. “What meeting?”
“A mandatory meeting was called with city workers and officials.”
“I didn’t hear anything about it. Was it emailed?”
“Yes, about an hour or so ago.”
“Oh. I haven’t checked my email yet. I guess I’ll be there then,” he said, then chuckled.
I smiled at him as my cell phone vibrated on the desk. Closing my eyes without even looking at the caller ID, I huffed.
“It’s Micah this time,” Bransford said, then gave me a smile and left the office.
I smiled slightly and answered. “Hello?”
“Hey, boo. How are you?”
“I’m okay, considering. How are you?”
“Sick of being in bed. I’d rather run into a burning building,” she said, then giggled.
I rolled my eyes. “You do that anyway sometimes, Micah. The gist of it is you’re supposed to rather do something you wouldn’t normally do.”
I chuckled as I listened to her laugh. “Okay. Well, I’d rather kiss Bransford’s ass.”
That produced a laugh out of me. When I calmed down, I said, “Actually, he’s alright with me now. I’ll explain it in person. How are you really?”
She sighed and remained quiet for a moment. “I’m okay. I’m just nervous. I have preeclampsia. They are treating it and caught it pretty early, but I’m just hoping I don’t have lasting effects of it or my baby.”
“Is Kevin helping at all?”
“Yeah, he is. He’s been great, actually.”
“Good. Well, try to stay calm. You being nervous and stressing about it can only make it worse, right?”
“Yeah. How are you and the judge?”
“We’re great. I’m about to head home to him now. I’m glad you called to check on me. I didn’t want to bug you with my issues, and now that I know your condition, I’m glad I didn’t. What are you having? Did you cave and ask the technician?”
“I did indeed cave. The suspense of it all was driving me crazy. I’m having a little princess. Hopefully, she won’t have my attitude. With all the trouble she’s causing, it will probably be worse.”
She chuckled, and I laughed with her. “Well, congratulations! I will call and check on you tomorrow, and I’ll try to go see you over the weekend.”
“That would be great. Love you, Genesis. Keep your head up.”
“Thanks, and love you too. Talk to you soon.”
I ended the call and took a deep breath, preparing to deal with the hoopla outside, then grabbed my things and headed out. When I got to the door, I quickly walked out, power walking to my car, only to realize no one was out here. I looked around and saw the crews on the street, but no one was at the door. When I turned back to the door, Bransford was standing there. “Have a good evening, Chief.”
I nearly wanted to cry. After swallowing hard, I said, “Thank you, Bransford. You too.”
He nodded and went back inside once I got in my vehicle. I drove away, thanking God for small favors.
When I turned in the driveway, I saw that Kyrie had beat me here. I was shocked that he didn’t text or call. Usually, if he got off early, he sent a text to discuss dinner plans. I supposed I had better mentally prepare to cook something. It was after six o’clock already, so I had better get a move on. Maybe we should go out for dinner if he was up to it. I didn’t know what type of day he’d had to endure. That was probably why he hadn’t communicated. It was probably horrible.
As I got to the back door and fished in my purse for my keys, I smelled food. I frowned. Kyrie didn’t really cook like that. It smelled like Ms. Carolyn’s cooking. Once I got my keys out, I quickly unlocked the back door and walked in to find my man standing in the middle of the floor, shirtless and with a single red rose in his hand.
The tears sprang from my eyes out of nowhere. He looked so amazing. I didn’t know if my appetite had increased for the food or him. His beard was glistening under the recess lighting, and his skin was oiled, begging me to trace the tattoos on his chest with my tongue. His lips looked moist and ready to be kissed as his gaze penetrated my core.
My eyes slid down his body to the black dress pants he wore and just how tight they were becoming, down to his bare feet. Jesus. The man was truly blessed in the looks department, but it was the parts of him that couldn’t be seen with the physical eye that kept me fiending for his time, attention, and touch. His heart was gold, his soul was pure, and his mind was brilliant. I loved all three components that made him him.
I slowly made my way to him, dropping my things to the floor along the way. His eyes never left me, and I couldn’t dare tear my gaze away from him either. It was like he was silently summoning me to him. When I got close, I stood there silently staring into his eyes as he extended the rose to me. “Hey, baby,” he said in a soft voice.
My eyes closed just as I took the rose from him. He leaned over, nuzzling his nose in my neck. “Hey,” I whispered.
He kissed me right beneath my ear then grabbed my hand and led me to the bedroom. My heart was so full, I knew if I said another word, I would break down emotionally. Once inside, he turned to me and began taking my clothes off. As I stood quietly, I could hear the faint sounds of jazz coming from my bathroom. God, what was he doing to me? How did he know I needed this?
Once he’d fully disrobed me, he slowly scanned my body and licked his thick lips. When his eyes made their way back to mine, he said, “You’re so beautiful, baby.”
“Thank you. You are so handsome… inside and out.”
He licked his lips again and bit the bottom one as he pulled me closer to him, my breasts pressed against his chest. Lowering his head, he kissed my lips slowly, pulling my bottom lip into his mouth. I slid my hands up his chest and circled my arms around his neck as his hands slid down my back and rested at the small of it.
When he pulled away, I followed him part of the way. I needed him in the worst way. He grabbed my hand and asked, “How was your day?”
“Who cares?”
He gave me a one-sided smile and led me to the bathroom. “I care. How was it?” he asked as he opened the door.
I was stunned into silence. There were candles lit, soft jazz was playing, and there were rose petals in my bubble bath. There was also a glass of wine on the side of the tub. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling if I wanted to. I turned to him and said, “This is beautiful, Kyrie. Thank you. My day was okay, actually. Not nearly as bad as it has been. What about yours?”
“Good. Like you said, who cares? This evening is about you. I’m glad you like it. While you relax, I’m gonna go make sure dinner is done. I’ll be back to bathe you.”
He was about to leave, but I grabbed his hand. “And like you said, I care. How was it?”
“Shitty, but we can talk about that another time. I don’t want anything to ruin the ambiance I’m trying to create.”
I nodded as I looked around the bathroom again, loving the ambiance so far. However, my mind had gone elsewhere, trying to figure out what could have happened today.
“Look at me, Genesis.”
My eyes slid over to his, and he continued. “Don’t think about anything that doesn’t have to do with me and you. Think about how badly I want you but how I’m willing to cater to your every need, putting yours ahead of my own. Think about how much I love and cherish you. Think about how happy we are together. Things like that should keep your mind right where it should be tonight.”
I nodded then leaned in with puckered lips. He obliged me and softly kissed them. “I’ll be right back.”
He assisted me in the tub, and after I was seated in the hot water, he left me alone. I lay back on the bath pillow, thinking about how perfect Kyrie was for me… how I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him. I wondered if he was thinking about forever like I was. There was no way he couldn’t be thinking about the future with as passionate as he was with me. While we hadn’t been together a long time, our spirits felt like they’d known one another for years, especially the first time we were intimate in New York a little over six months ago. Nothing about that moment seemed weird.
When I heard the door open, I turned to him to see he had shed the pants and was only wearing his black boxer briefs, his erection teasing me. He went to his knees and grabbed the glass of wine, putting it to my lips so I could get a sip. Once he set it down, he grabbed my loofah and squirted some Dove bodywash onto it. Before he started washing me, though, he slid his fingertips down the side of my face.
He took a deep breath and began washing me, taking his time as if I was his prized possession. He thoroughly cleaned every part of me, and when I stood, he rinsed me off with the sprayer on the side of the tub. Neither of us had spoken a word, but our stares were intense. He grabbed a towel to wrap around me, then led me to the bedroom where he proceeded to pat me dry. There was lotion and oil situated on the nightstand and a fresh towel on the bed for me to lie on.
When I turned around to look at him, he said, “Lay down so I can give you a miniature massage, then we’ll go eat.”
I frowned slightly. “You actually think I’m going to be able to make it through all of this without trying to attack you and take what’s mine? I’m so turned on right now my bath water should have been boiling from the heat my body is emitting.”
He smiled playfully. “Mm hmm. You don’t have a choice.”
“Lies,” I rebutted. “You’re suffering just like I am.”
As I lay in the bed, he put oil in his hands with a slight smile on his lips and began rubbing my upper torso slowly but firmly. My eyes fluttered shut, and a moan left my lips. I couldn’t contain it. His touch was driving me insane. Once he’d done my front, I turned over on my stomach, and that was when things took a turn. He rubbed me firmly still, but he paid extra attention to my backside.
A smile made its way to my lips because that was one of his favorite parts of my body. He’d once told me that when he stared at it for too long, his mouth watered. He stopped briefly, then I felt his body slide on top of mine. I looked over my shoulder at him. He pecked my lips and said, “I only want to hear your moans. No I told you so’s.”
I giggled as he kissed my nose, then my ear and neck. “I love you, Kyrie.”
He pushed inside of me before responding. “I love you more, girl.”
He stroked me slowly and passionately, moaning as he did so. His moans were heating me up beyond belief. I loved to hear his moans. It let me know just how much he loved making love to me. Moans from a man signified what was in his heart. I was in his heart, and it felt so good to him for me to be there, he could only moan in response. Sex with him had so much meaning. We weren’t just having sex; we were making love.
“Genesis, damn, baby. I love the way you feel… not just physically, but the way you feel to my soul. Even when I was running from you, I knew you were the woman for me. I knew you would be the woman to show me what it truly meant to love a woman. Everything in me is in awe of you. I want to continue feeling that for the rest of my life. Damn!”
My orgasm had surfaced during his words to me, and I knew those words played a huge role in why it surfaced so quickly. I screamed out my intense pleasure as he continued to stroke me at the same pace. I wasn’t sure how he was able to do that without letting the intensity of the moment take over, but he somehow accomplished the feat.
When my body had begun to relax again, Kyrie said, “This is sooooo good, Genesis. Damn.”
My eyes became watery, and I couldn’t even explain why. It was like he was making love to my soul. He kissed my cheek then my shoulder then rolled over to his back next to me. I lifted my head to stare at him. He licked his lips and said, “Mount up, baby. I want to stare into your eyes.”
My body trembled at his words, and I did as he said. I straddled him and slid down his pole like I’d been called out for a fire and began rolling my hips. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I enjoyed every stroke.
“Open your eyes, Genesis.”
When I slowly opened them, I noticed he had something in his hand. I frowned slightly until he opened it. The tears sprang from my eyes once again as I stared at the platinum beauty. I brought my hands to my mouth as audible cries left my lips. Somehow, Kyrie kept making love to me, touching my G-spot in ways it had never been touched. My orgasm was rising to the surface once again as he asked, “Will you agree to be my forever, baby?”
My orgasm grabbed ahold of me and refused to turn me loose. “Yeeeeesss!” I practically screamed out.
Kyrie set the ring on the bed and wrapped his arms around my waist and plummeted my goodness until he released in my depths. I lay on his chest, feeling our hearts beat in sync while trying to get my breathing under control. The tears wouldn’t stop falling, but they were happy tears. I was beyond happy to have him in my life.
“Kyrie, I love you so much. I will gladly be your wife. You showed me love in ways I didn’t think you were capable of. I’d be a fool to want to live the rest of my life without you.”
He continued to hold me and kissed my forehead. “Even in all the turmoil, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, and I refused to go another day without taking a step toward making us official.”
“Your timing is perfect. I can’t wait to be Missus Kyrie Jameel Patrick.”