Chapter 14
Fourteen
Elias
“ I ’m headed to the cigar lounge with Clinton and Evander,” I told Karla as I shut down my computer.
“Okay. Call me when you get back to your room.”
“Or I can stop by.”
“Did you forget I have the girls this week?”
“Of course I didn’t forget, but they’ll be in bed by the time I leave the lounge. I miss you.”
She sighed, but I could tell by her expression that she wanted to see me.
“Okay, but you can’t spend the night.”
“I’ll leave before daybreak.”
“And we have to be quiet. You can’t fold me up like a pretzel with my babies in the next room.”
“I don’t have a problem being quiet. You’re the one who calls the cavalry every time I hit your spot,” I teased.
“Shit. You’re right. Maybe you shouldn’t come over.”
“Nah, you can’t rescind your offer. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
She ended the FaceTime call, and I finished packing up my things.
It had been a crazy few weeks since Cairo found out Karla and I were dating.
Dropping the girls off a day or two early became his norm.
He also made himself unavailable for two or three days when it was his turn to have them.
A few times, he faked an emergency with the girls to interrupt my time with Karla.
I took everything in stride and supported Karla in whatever ways she needed. Although it was frustrating to make plans only to have to cancel or change them, I never let her see my frustration.
“You ready?” Clinton asked when he appeared at my door.
I nodded. “Let’s go.”
Twenty minutes later, Clinton, Evander, and I entered Smokin’ Dawg, a cigar lounge owned by Evander’s brother-in-law, August. Dominick, Juelz, and August were already seated in one of the back sections.
After we exchanged greetings, I pulled up the app to order some food before heading to the humidor to choose a cigar. When I returned, the fellas were in what appeared to be a heated conversation.
“What’d I miss?” I asked.
“Clinton told Mona he’d get a vasectomy after baby number three. Of course, she told Lariah, and now she’s on my ass to do the same,” Dominick shared.
I shrugged. “It’s not something you’ve ever considered?”
“Not even once,” Dominick announced proudly.
“What about the rest of you?” I asked.
“Norah got her tubes tied after number three. It wasn’t really up for discussion, and I didn’t argue with her. Our three keep us plenty busy,” August offered.
“Austyn wants more kids, and we’ve been playing Russian roulette for a while. If it happens, it happens,” Evander shared.
“We’re done, but neither of us has made any permanent birth control decisions. I’m not opposed to a vasectomy,” Juelz said.
“I’m probably not the one to give advice on this, considering I don’t have a wife or children.
I think you should always take your wife’s thoughts and feelings into consideration.
I mean, they are the ones who have to carry them, give birth, and possibly breastfeed.
It’s their bodies going through everything. ”
“I agree. Plus, none of us are getting any younger,” Clinton added. “Speaking of your relationship status . . . how are things going with Karla?”
I smiled at the thought of Karla. “Things are going well between us. She’s still a little gun-shy because of what she went through with her ex, so I’m moving at her pace.”
“Mona was the same way. We connected not long after her divorce, and after a fucked-up marriage, she had no interest in marrying again,” Clinton shared.
“She hasn’t mentioned being opposed to marriage, but I believe she’s concerned with finding the right person and staying married this time,” I said.
“That’s understandable because children are involved,” Evander added.
“True. I haven’t met them yet, but I almost did a few weeks ago. Her ex popped up at her house with them in the car at midnight. I’m sure one of them saw me when I answered the door.”
“The fuck is he doing coming to her house at midnight? Was something wrong with the girls?” Dominick asked, sounding a bit concerned.
“No. He said something about having a feeling Karla was on some bullshit. I guess he thought confronting her about it at midnight was a good move. To top that off, he dropped them off a day early, with no heads up. I had to sneak out so they wouldn’t see me.”
“Something about that doesn’t sound right,” Clinton said.
“He must’ve gotten wind that Karla’s dating again and wanted to fuck shit up,” Evander surmised.
“I assure you, he didn’t hear it from me. When you go over there again, check the bushes and the area around the house for cameras. Cairo is a tech guy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he installed cameras without Karla’s permission to keep an eye on her,” Dominick said.
“That actually makes more sense than what he said. Karla didn’t dwell on it, but she thought it was odd for him to show up when he did, especially with the girls,” I told them.
“Cairo’s dumbass aside, what are your intentions with Karla?” Dominick asked.
“Honestly, I’ve already fallen in love with her. I’m just waiting for her to join me.”
“I knew you were a goner when you approached Mona and me in Punta Cana asking for Karla’s number. I could tell by the desperation in your voice and disappointment on your face when Mona said she’d take your number instead of giving you Karla’s,” Clinton teased.
I didn’t realize it then, but Clinton was right. Karla had my heart the night we met. If I were a betting man, I’d bet I had her heart, too, but she needed time for the rest of her life to align with her heart.
I sent Karla a text letting her know I was outside.
When she responded with a thumbs up, I cut my engine, exited my truck, and got my duffel bag from the trunk.
As I approached her porch, Dominick’s warning about Cairo crossed my mind.
Using the light from my phone, I aimed it toward the bushes on the right side of the porch stairs.
“What are you doing?” Karla asked when she opened the door and found me digging in the bushes.
“I’ll tell you in a sec.”
I continued to fumble around, and just when I was about to give up, I found a small device that could’ve been a camera.
It didn’t take me as long to find what I was looking for in the bushes on the other side of the stairs.
Karla waited at the door and wore a curious expression when I finally went up the stairs.
She greeted me with a hug and kiss before letting me inside.
“Let’s go to my room.”
“Hold up. Let’s go to the kitchen first.”
She headed to the kitchen while I locked the door. I placed the two small devices I’d found on the counter, and of course, she had questions.
“What are those, and did you just remove them from my bushes?”
“I believe they are cameras, and there was one in each of the bushes by the stairs.”
“Why would there be cameras in my bushes?”
“I was told by a trusted source that Cairo might have installed cameras, and to check the surrounding areas of your house. I thought it was farfetched, but it does explain a few things.”
I picked one up and looked at it in more detail. It was indeed a camera, and I found a tiny button on the bottom to turn it off. After doing the same to the other, I looked at Karla and noticed tears had gathered in her eyes. I pulled her into my arms, and her head fell onto my chest.
“Why would he do something like this? I feel so violated,” she cried.
“I don’t know, baby, but it explains how he knows when I’m here.”
“Then he probably knows he’s been caught. Why is he concerned about what I’m doing? He cheated on me with multiple women. Now that he’s single, he should have his hands full and not be worried about the woman who wasn’t good enough for him to keep his dick in his pants.”
“Wait a minute.” I stepped back and forced her to look at me.
“His cheating had nothing to do with you. Where he put his dick had nothing to do with your worth. He fumbled an amazing woman, and he knows it. Now, he’s having regrets and knows there’s nothing he can do about it.
I don’t want to hear you blaming yourself for his actions again. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“And don’t let anything else he does cause you to shed another tear.”
I used my thumbs to wipe the tears that had fallen before pressing my lips against her forehead.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, baby. I’m here to keep your beautiful smile on your face. Whatever you need, if I’ve got it or can get it, it’s yours.”
“Actually, there is something I need.” She turned to leave the kitchen, pausing at the entrance. “C’mon.”
I followed her to her bedroom, closing and locking the door behind me. She was already in the bathroom with the shower running. I dropped my duffel bag and quickly stripped out of my clothes.
When I entered the bathroom, Karla was already on her knees. My dick hardened at the sight of her. As soon as I stepped into the shower, she wrapped her hand around the base of my dick and covered the rest with her mouth.
“Fuck!”
Her head bobbed back and forth as her mouth slid up and down my dick. I closed my eyes as the warm water pounded against my back. Karla’s tongue swirled around my length repeatedly before moving to the head and doing the same thing.
I had no words to describe how good her mouth felt on my dick. When my nut began to rise, I grabbed the back of her head to make sure she didn’t move as the tip of my dick played with her tonsils. My shit shot out so quick, I had no control, nor did I have time to warn her.
When she stood, nut dripped from the sides of her mouth, and I grabbed the front of her neck and smothered her with a kiss.
Our tongues fought for control as they dipped in, out, and around each other’s mouths.
I could’ve fucked her in the shower like I had many times before, but I had a strong urge to do something different. She gasped when I pulled away from her.
“What are you doing?”
“Let’s wash up. I want to take my time with you tonight.”
“Oh, umm, okay.”