Chapter 7 The Deal is Done #2
I thought of my brothers and the way I was sure they were going to gloat over this new revelation.
I’d already stopped Yacouba from coming up here because he was nosy as hell and wanted to bring Jasmine and baby Yasir up to check Asha out.
I wasn’t ready to share her with my world yet but knew it was inevitable.
“I’m sure you will soon.”
Her eyes narrowed behind the large square frames that covered her face.
I loved when she wore glasses. They’d been on when we’d caught her by surprise at the university but since then she’d had contacts in.
Combined with her wardrobe that flattered every curve, I’d had to cuss out more fellow agents than I cared to discuss in the last week.
Far too many were coming and asking me about her and I knew Alec was the one directing them to me.
“That sounds like a threat and not like an invitation to a nice dinner.”
I ignored her comment and glanced around the room.
“There are several things that we’re going to have to work through when it comes to your apartment.”
“Work through? What do you mean?”
“Security measures have to be increased because, as you said, they are lacking. We’ve got to improve them. Immediately.”
I could see the change in her eyes with my words. The flash of fear and then worry before she shored up her emotions and prepared to fight me every step of the way.
“I’m sure your being here has something to do with the negotiations I refused to be a part of and I’m not allowed to refute any of this. So, you might as well get the grand tour of your new home. I’m glad you knew I wasn’t leaving this place.”
I was surprised at her words thinking she would have put up a larger fuss. But then my mind touched back on the fear in her eyes and I realized that maybe she wouldn’t be so reckless with her life after all.
Instead of teasing her and putting an even further chasm between the two of us I only nodded and toed off my shoes. I never wore shoes in the house because I trekked through too many crime scenes and didn’t want to bring any of that into my home. I would give this place the same respect.
She led me through all seven thousand square feet of the penthouse.
I had the floor plan memorized but was happy to see the walls come to life through her eyes.
The color saturation that was evident in the great room continued throughout the house.
The hallways were a deep amethyst, with photos of her friends and family lining the walls.
There were five bedrooms, two offices, a full library done in a traditional English style complete with bookcase ladders, tufted cognac leather sofas and a large writing desk.
The walls and ceilings were color-drenched in emerald and had a decidedly masculine look.
This is where I’ll be setting up shop.
We walked back into the hall heading toward the entrance, which I was sure was her polite way of kicking me out. I paused at a picture of her and her twin studying their similarities but feeling my eyes staying fixed on the one I knew was Asha.
“If you’re going to tell me you prefer my sister to me, you won’t hurt my feelings. People have been doing it my whole life. It’s my norm, frankly.”
She spoke her truth as she moved further away from me, that mass of hair shielding her face from view. This was new. Not quite vulnerability but a confession of sorts, and I wasn’t sure where it was coming from.
“It must drive you crazy.”
I took a step away from the portrait keeping my footsteps purposefully heavy so that she knew I was coming up behind her.
That was something I knew she needed. A semblance of control, despite it being nothing more than a lie.
She knew it and I knew it but somehow she’d roped me into this game of feeding her delusions instead of confronting her on them.
A foie de deux, Only this type of madness between the two of us seemed imperative to her mental stability and I had to give it to her.
At least for now. Maybe when I knew her better, when we were on better ground, she might let me in more.
But I wasn’t rushing it. Because Asha was the type of woman who demanded and deserved reciprocity and I wasn’t sure if spilling my guts to her on how fucked up I really was should be done before I got papers on her.
That contract was one thing but a marriage license…
She turned, that fake-ass smile plastered back on her face and I was immediately annoyed.
Asha’s features were angelic, placid. Unassumingly delicate.
The cream of her cashmere lounge set complemented her dark nutmeg skin and black hair.
But it was clear she was going to say something to make me want to put my fist through the wall.
“On the contrary. I prefer my sister to myself most days.” Her smile brightened as though she knew she was shocking me and wasn’t ashamed of it.
When she turned her body to lean against the front of her desk I was momentarily distracted by how her hips spread creating the perfect heart shape with the pressure from behind.
Really wish we could get back to the part where she wants to fuck me into submission. That was fun.
I crossed my arms over my chest as a way to get myself back on track from where my mind had traveled into how good her walls felt as she—
“Why do you prefer her to yourself?”
That was some shit I hadn’t expected her to say and instead of trying to stroke her ego and tell her how wrong she was, because she was absolutely wrong and I’d never met her sister, I wanted to know the basis of her feelings.
“My sister is untainted, unvarnished and raw. She’s able to be in a way I never have. Not even before—”
Her words cut off abruptly, a sign that we’d hit on something she wasn’t going to elaborate on.
“You’re making assumptions that she’s perfect.”
“No, I’m observing the differences between how we turned out and realizing how I would’ve been had I been like her. If the world reacted to me as they did her in the positive ways and not just the negative.”
“What negative?”
The faraway look in her face disappeared her focus coming in sharply as she smiled sadly at me. “Close but not quite ready for that cigar, Agent Nakoa.”
“Are we back to that?”
“Had we ever traversed beyond it?”
I glanced around knowing that her allowing me in her home was monumental. Meant something that it was clear she wasn’t going to admit. “I would think your agreeing to be my wife would’ve at least earned us first-name basis.”
“And you know what they say when you assume, correct?”
“Am I making an ass out of us or am I simply trying to reach you on a level of intimacy that is too much for you?”
“Too much for me? I feel as though that is some type of innuendo to your dick—”
“—Thank God you’re not one of those British people who say cock—”
“My best friends are Black Americans and they got me out of the habit quickly.” Asha’s eyes were narrowed as she spoke.
Despite her changing the subject, I knew she was pissed I was happy for the change.
I was coming too close to something that she didn’t want to reveal and I’d already pushed her too much today.
“So you too have people that are cool with hanging out with you and you’re not the loner that you present yourself to be.”
“You met one of my friends already.”
“Who?”
“Margo.” I stared at her silently forcing her to give me a broader point of reference because I had no idea who the fuck Margo was. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes rolled in annoyance. “Dr. Morrison who brought you into my office.”
My brow furrowed at that name because she couldn’t be this fucking brilliant and blind about what was right in front of her.
“She’s not your friend.”
I stared at her unblinkingly hoping she’d heed my warning and not try to be a contrarian. From the way she was staring at me like she wanted to fix me a drink laced with cyanide, I was sure she didn’t appreciate me calling out the chick she worked with.
Aqua Tofana is making a comeback.
“Excuse me?” Knew she was gonna act like this.
“I don’t know what gave you the thought that she was your friend but she’s not. She’s got some type of odd fixation or attachment to you but she’s not your friend. She doesn’t do those.”
I could tell she was thrown by hearing me talk about her with such absolutes but I hadn’t gotten this far in my job to ignore the obvious. There were too many tells, especially amongst coworkers, that would let someone know how they truly felt about you.
“My goodness what does everyone have against her?”
I shrugged unbothered, because I expected her to be defensive but I was at least happy that other people had noticed the same behavior and commented on it.
If they were people she trusted at least she had multiple voices harmonizing the same doubt when it came to her coworker.
She could hate me all she wanted to but as long as I had other people on my side she might keep herself out of trouble.
When she notched her chin up angrily I knew that shit wasn’t going to happen and that confirmed I needed somebody watching her back when I couldn’t.
“If everyone is telling you the same thing perhaps you’re the one who is blind to see what is right in front of you.”
I knew she was pissed that I had a point but she damn sure wasn’t going to say that to me.
I wasn’t so arrogant as to think I was always the smartest person in the room and infallible.
My having foresight into her life already, after so quickly being put into this position had to be grating on her.
It didn’t sit well with me either but I knew I was the one who was going into our dynamic from a place of power she didn’t have.
And it was going to be a sticking point for us for a long time.
“I’m trying to understand what you want me to do with that information?”