Chapter 15
Drake
Instead of sitting at my desk, I turn my camera off and mute my mic. I get up and lie on the couch while listening to the boring meeting about last quarter. I already know how we did, and it’s the best quarter we’ve had in almost a decade. That’s because of my leadership, but instead of feeling pride in my work, all I want to do is close my eyes and sleep for a few hours.
I don’t intend to fall asleep, but I don’t fight it when my eyes get heavy, and I close them. Then I hear my office door open and close.
“What?” I say much sharper than I ever speak to anyone at work. I know whoever it is, it’s not Nia. She’s at a meeting with my mother about the Paradise Foundation. She’s also coordinating a toys and clothes drive for kids this Christmas. She won’t be in this building for at least another two hours, and she’s only coming here today to check on me .
“I never thought I’d see the day. Someone by the name of Paradise slacking at ten o’clock in the morning on a Monday,” my best friend and legal counsel says. I don’t tell him that’s because I barely slept last night. Knowing my plans on sleeping the morning away are a distant memory now that he’s here, I stand and groan like a man fifty years my senior. “Well?” he asks.
I know exactly what he’s asking, but I’m not in the mood to think about that mess, much less discuss it. “I’d rather not talk about it.” I gesture at my computer and the meeting that’s still going on. “I’m tired of thinking and talking about it,” is all I say. I open my mouth to kick him out of my office, but the meeting ends, and Wyatt sits down and waits.
“I wish he’d never left anything.” I groan again and rub my hands over my face. “I feel like shit. My father was shit. His letter was shit. His video was shit. Do you see a pattern?”
“Well, shit,” he says with a smug grin.
“There’s nothing to say. You know why he did it. At first, he said it was because of class,” I begin, and Wyatt snorts at that. “Then later he admitted the truth. That it was all about race. Worse than that, he kind of made it about him and how much he missed out on Carter’s life. He had her followed for the first two years after his birth. There were dozens of pictures included in the file. Nia was pissed, but she tried to hide it to not upset me. It was a shitty weekend. Now I have to dust myself off and make sure my wife and kids have a wonderful holiday. And get this. I must have looked so pathetic yesterday that Nia’s father noticed. He interrogated me, and I guess what I said made him feel so sorry for me that he invited me to have beers with him and Ray.”
“Well, that’s not all bad. Maybe he’s willing to fully accept you now.” I would be happy if that were the truth, but I never know with Nia’s father. What I do know is that he’ll do anything for his daughter, and I thought being courteous to me was the best it would ever be between us.
“Wouldn’t that be grand?” I ask with a bit of a sarcastic bite. “And now I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this letter and video. Do I tell my mom and siblings? Do I show it to them? My gut says no, especially after he said that if this had happened to Langley, he could accept it, but not me. He’s already caused enough problems between me and Langley with his favoritism.” My brother and I are finally in a good place and the last thing I want is to upset that. I like having him in my life again, and I’m not going to let my father upset that from beyond the grave.
“You know what I think you should do?” he asks.
“You’re going to tell me whether I want you to or not. Go ahead so I can go back to feeling sorry for myself.” I gesture for him to hurry.
“I think if your father wanted them to know, he would have left a letter for them too. I also think you should have a great Christmas with your wife, kids, and extended family. And since you’re so against seeing a shrink—”
“You’re damn right I am. Besides, I don’t have time for that shit.”
“You should focus on what you have, which is all. You have it all . Stop feeling sorry for yourself or I’m going to kick your ass all over this building.”
“You’re so wise,” I say, sarcasm oozing out of me.
“You know? Your beautiful wife who adores you even after you pulled that stunt. Your son and daughter. The love of your mom and siblings. Your nephews. The respect and admiration of everyone in this building because—"
“Because I sign their paychecks, dumb ass,” I finish for him.
“Because you’re a great leader. You were smart enough to hire me.” When I roll my eyes at him, he says, “Go home and kiss your daughter. Make love to your wife if you need to.” I look at him and shake my head.
“That’s the only decent idea you’ve ever had in your entire pathetic life.” Wyatt stands and goes to my window. I’m still getting used to being in my father’s office, but I’ve made it my own. There are pictures of my family throughout, and I changed all the furniture. “Oh, God. What now?” I ask when he remains quiet for far too long. He’s never quiet.
“I got a call from Howard Banks this morning.” I sigh. “He said he heard from Dan Foley and that Scarlett was attacked a few days ago in prison.”
I shake my head, unsure of how I’m supposed to feel about this. She helped my dad perpetuate this lie. She kidnapped Carter and set fire to a daycare. I don’t have it in me to feel much empathy.
“Is she okay?” I ask only because I feel like I should.
“Her face was slashed and she sustained three broken ribs. She’s in the prison infirmary for now. Her father intimated to Howard that your father-in-law might have had something to do with it.”
At that, I throw my head back and laugh.
“Tell Howard to tell Dan never to utter those words again, or I might get angry. Nia’s father would never. I guarantee you that Scarlett is the last person on his mind.” The man has a career and a family he loves. As far as I know, I’m the only person he’s ever held a grudge against.
“That’s what I said, but he said Dan’s going to have him investigated.”
“Tell Dan if he makes a single phone call about my wife’s father, I’ll have him investigated.” I stand, suddenly exhausted by this. “Tell Howard to fuck off, and that they are free to handle Scarlett however they see fit, but to leave us the fuck out of it. She made her bed, so she should lie in it. Whatever happens to her in the slammer has nothing to do with us, but if they think they’re going to use this to get her released early, they have another thing coming.” I grab my coat and open my office door. Wyatt follows me, and after letting my assistant know I’ll be working from home for the rest of the day, I leave.
Despite having about half a dozen staff members at the house it’s quiet. When I tiptoe into Priya’s room, she’s on her back in the middle of her crib sound asleep. She’s still taking two naps per day, and the nanny keeps her on a strict schedule. I stroke her cheek before walking out.
Instead of going to my office like I planned, I go into my bedroom, strip out of my suit, and put on a pair of sweatpants and a tee. I eye the bed and text Esther to tell her to contact me if there are any issues. Before I get a chance to climb into the inviting custom-made bed, the door swings open, and my wife walks in, moving toward me without saying a word. When she gets close enough to touch, she stops, looks me in the eyes, and bites her bottom lip.
My body awakens instantly. I crave that look, and I know what it means. It’s the same look she gave me the day we met and every day since. She reaches for my shirt and tries to lift it over my head, except she’s too short to get the job done. I help her and toss it to the floor before I start to unbutton her shirt. She pulls down my pants, and within moments, we’re both naked. I lift her off her feet and toss her on the bed. She bounces, and I dive on top of her. Her hands go into my hair, and I kiss her soft, full lips. Each kiss is like our first and our last. Each time our lips touch is like the beginnings of a volcano that erupts with the culmination of our lovemaking.
“I need you, baby girl,” I say against her mouth, right before I suck her bottom lip into my mouth. “I need to be inside of you. I need what only you can give me.” My hand glides up her side, and I cup her breasts. They're fuller, and I know how sensitive they are this early into her pregnancy.
I squeeze it but not as hard as I would when she’s not pregnant. She whimpers, but I know she likes it, so I exert pressure again. I let go of her breast, climb on top of her, and suck one of her pebbly nipples in my mouth. She tastes so good that I flick my tongue on her nipple. She groans and pulls my hair.
“You know I love you,” she says.
“That’s the only thing that’s keeping me going right now. You and our family.” I cover her mouth with mine, swallowing whatever she was going to say next.
I put my arm under her knee and raise her leg. If I didn’t know her body so well, I’d check to make sure she’s ready for me, but I know her body almost as well as she does. I lift her leg a bit higher, and I slide inside of her.
She’s wet, she’s hot, and she fits me perfectly because she was made only for me.
“Don’t hold back,” she says moments later. “Give me all you’ve got. I can take it.”
So, I give it to her rough and fast, which is just what I need right now.