Chapter 4
Finding the master bedroom was easy, since it was the only room on the second floor. The space was expansive, and the photos on Airbnb didn’t do it justice.
His dark eyes finished sweeping the vaulted walls and cream-colored marble floors as he took a seat on the light blue silk covered bench that sat in front of the king-size bed. His mind ran rampant with thoughts of Iskyiah sprawled out on that bed, completely naked.
He shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts.
Over the past two decades, there hadn’t been a day Iskyiah didn’t cross his mind, but shorty had made up her mind when it came to him, it seemed.
She didn’t want anything to do with him, and if anyone could get whatever they wanted out of him, it was her.
Still, it didn’t stop him from creeping on her social media pages and making sure she was good.
Now, he understood that social media was a scam because nowhere on there had she ever mentioned a daughter or even that punk ass Charles had died.
Since Iskyiah had reappeared in his life, he planned on learning every little thing about her.
The new her. The grown her. He had done the same thing when they were kids.
What could be so hard about it now that they were grown?
Something told him he was being dumb and that being grown would, in fact, complicate things. She had clearly been through a few things, losing her bitch ass baby daddy, having a child, and raising the girl on her own.
Wait, what if she ain’t been raising her alone? What if she got a man?
Fuck that. That nigga would have to move all the way around. To Taiwan, in fact. That seemed like a good distance away from what was his. Iskyiah Nathans had always been his. His best friend. His first love. His only love. When it came to her, he was not ashamed to admit he was greedy as hell.
With a sigh, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed the one person he knew who could give him some direction.
After tapping the contact, he listened to the phone ringing in his ear while he looked around the room again.
In front of him was a fireplace. He pictured him and Iskyiah wrapped up in some blankets—naked—while he played in her sweet ass pussy with his pointer finger as his thumb caressed her silky clit. His lips suctioned around her nipple—
“What, Mo? You’re supposed to be on vacation.” Teyanna finally answered the phone with irritation filling her voice.
Moolah snapped out of his daydreaming and frowned. “Fuck wrong wit’ you? That nigga do somethin’?”
Teyanna chuckled. “Why you always so on go? You claim to love my husband but always ready to kick his ass.”
That was true. Teyanna got married a few years back, and her husband was a nigga Moolah actually considered a good friend.
Teyanna had met Julien in college. She went for her associates degree to appease her parents.
Moolah got his high school diploma and then his associates degree in prison.
By the time he got out, Teyanna had already fallen in love with that nigga, and Moolah wasn’t impressed.
Julien was a square ass nigga, but the longer he hung around, the more Moolah realized Julien wasn’t no punk bitch.
A square, yeah, but the nigga had heart, and he never let Moolah bully him.
Moolah respected it, and over the years, they formed a brotherly bond, but that didn’t mean Julien couldn’t get got if he fucked with Teyanna in any way.
“You gon’ tell me what’s goin’ on or not, Tey?” he asked impatiently.
She sighed loudly in his ear. “Nothing’s wrong. I just didn’t think I would be hearing from you for the next day or so. You out in Cali, ain’t you?”
Ignoring her question, he asked, “It’s a problem I’m callin’ you or somethin’?”
“Boy, no. I ain’t say that. What the hell do you want, Moolah?”
Moolah ran a hand down his face. “I ain’t even plan to call yo’ nappy headed ass, but you won’t believe who I ran into.”
“Who?” Teyanna’s voice perked up. If she was nothing else, she was nosy as hell.
“Iskyiah.”
A long pause tested Moolah’s patience as he waited for her to say something. Just when he was about to spazz, she spoke.
“Iskyiah Nathans?”
“Man, Tey, you know any other Iskyiah?”
“Don’t snap at me, shit. I’m just . . . shocked.”
Iskyiah wasn’t really someone he spoke about over the years.
While they were in high school, Teyanna kept an eye on Iskyiah, but they never really hung out after Moolah left.
Iskyiah had asked Teyanna on more than one occasion about Moolah back then, but she’d been sworn to secrecy.
Her loyalty would always lie with Moolah.
When Moolah finally came home, he talked about reconnecting with Iskyiah nonstop, but when it became clear she wanted nothing to do with him, he kept all his thoughts of her private.
Still, he knew he hadn’t fooled Teyanna.
She would bring Iskyiah up from time to time, mainly when she badgered him about settling down.
“Iskyiah can’t be the only woman you ever love, Mo. She’s from the past. It’s time you left her there,” she’d say.
Moolah never paid her any mind when she went on those tangents.
He understood that she was just looking out for him, but nobody seemed to understand that Iskyiah was it for him.
If he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want anyone.
He dated women here and there, but nothing ever lasted more than six months.
Whatever voodoo Iskyiah had, it never loosened its grip on him, so Teyanna would understand better than anyone why this was such a big deal for him.
“She already tryna run from me. I need your help.”
Teyanna snickered. “Iskyiah mothafuckin’ Nathans. That’s wild. You aren’t about to let up on her, are you?”
“You know I’m not.”
Teyanna sighed. “Alright, look, Mo. You can’t just force it, okay? I know you’re used to bullying your way through life, but women don’t like that shit. If you’re really trying to romance her, you need to treat her nicely.”
“I always treat Sky nice.” Moolah frowned.
“Duh, dummy. What I mean is treat her like a lady. Romance her. Do some nice shit for her. Take her on a date and get to know her again. And don’t rush the shit.”
Moolah nodded slowly. What Teyanna said didn’t seem that complicated.
Yeah, he wanted to rush shit. If it was up to him, he would take Iskyiah to the courthouse today and marry her ass and then adopt Brooke tomorrow, but he would chill as best he could.
This was Iskyiah, after all. He could be patient when it came to her, as long as she gave him a fair chance. “Aight, I can do that.”
“And, Mo? Don’t do too much. Something simple will do.”
Yeah, one thing Moolah didn’t know how to do was be simple, but he would definitely try. He had to do this right if he wanted Iskyiah to take him seriously, not just as a friend, but as her man.
It had taken everything in Moolah not to be up under Iskyiah all day, but he had a ton to do if he wanted to make their date a memorable one. When he mentioned a date to her earlier, she seemed kind of nervous, but she eventually agreed.
Now, as he looked at her come down the stairs with the black satin dress he picked out for her earlier, she looked even more nervous but also so damn gorgeous.
“Damn,” he muttered. Iskyiah Nathans had grown all the way up.
His eyes swept the length of her body. The slit in the dress gave him a good look at her short but toned legs and the black designer shoes he picked out to go with her dress.
Her waist synched, giving her the perfect Coke-bottle shape, and her titties damn near spilled out of the plunging neckline of the dress.
Her smooth brown skin looked like silk and like it was edible, and that pretty face of hers alone had his dick stiffening inside the black slacks he wore. He swallowed to keep from straight out drooling at the sight of her.
“Everything okay?” she asked nervously as she fidgeted with the small black clutch he’d also gifted her.
Moolah pulled her into him by her waist and breathed her in.
Taking things slow would be damn near impossible for him, but he promised himself he would try.
After embracing her, he cleared his throat and took a respectable step back.
He gazed down at her and realized the depth of his love for her felt dangerous.
It always had—simmering just below the surface, threatening to explode into an inferno of infinite passion.
That never scared him before, but now, as he looked down at the grown woman version of her, he realized she had the power to make or break the rest of his life.
She would either realize they were meant to be, or she would walk away from him .
. . again. He shoved that thought aside and gave her one of his rare smiles.
“Everything’s perfect.”
Her smile looked unsure as she took him in. “You look good.”
Her raspy voice dipped into a whisper laced with lust. Moolah’s dick twitched again, and he knew he needed to get her out of there if he wanted to remain a gentleman.
His hand found the side of her face and her caressed her cheek. Even without makeup, she was breathtaking.
“And you, my love, are stunning.” He felt her cheeks heat at his compliment, and his heart soared.
I have a chance with her ass. Baby’s feeling me too.
Deep down, he knew she had always had the same feelings for him.
The last night they shared together, though they were tender and young, was special and filled with passion.
That kind of love didn’t come from platonic feelings.
As he looked at her now, he realized that spark was still there.
That glimmer of love, though hesitant, was still very much alive.
He grabbed her delicate hand in his. “Come on.”
They walked through the home and out the front door. His driver waited for them in the same truck they’d arrived in. Once they were settled in the back, Iskyiah glanced at him and asked, “Where are we going, anyway?”
“You can’t let your man surprise you, Sky?” He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it as he silently cursed himself. He had to constantly remind himself to tone it down and take things slow.
Iskyiah snorted. “You keep talking like that . . .”
“And what?” He challenged her with the raise of his brow.
Her beautiful ebony skin tinted a shade darker, and she looked away with a grin settling on her face. “What am I supposed to do with you, Lah?”
“I can think of a few things.” Marry me. Take my last name and fill this void in my life once and for all. Give me a few babies.
She glanced back at him and shook her head.
Moolah hadn’t meant to silence her, but the entire rest of the ride was spent in complete silence.
A comfortable silence, at least. Moolah held her hand and stroked the smooth skin on her wrist as he wondered what she’d really been up to all these years. He couldn’t wait to find out.
When they made it to their destination, he looked over at her just in time to see her eyes light up. She gazed at him and giggled. “I don’t think I’m dressed for the planetarium.” She looked down at her satin dress and then back at him.
Moolah grinned and got out of the car before helping her out.
He opted not to respond to her as he led her into the planetarium.
When they were children, their elementary school used to take them on field trips to the planetarium.
Because they were in two different grades, they never got to experience it together, but Iskyiah had always been obsessed with the one back home.
She would talk his ear off about the constellations and everything she saw and learned while there.
As she entered her teens, she would take occasional trips there herself.
She never invited Moolah, and he was okay with that.
He figured it was a way for her to escape and get lost in the universe the planetarium provided her.
Tonight, though, he wanted to finally experience it together.
Once inside, Moolah bypassed the deserted ticket counter and made his way inside one of the auditoriums.
“Where is everyone—” Iskyiah’s sentence cut off as she took in the space around her. Suddenly, they were transported into the night sky. The only thing they could see, thanks to a small spotlight, was an intimate setting for two in the middle of the room.
Moolah had paid for the planetarium for the night so they could have it to themselves.
He also paid them to clear out the auditorium seating and get catering set up for him and Iskyiah.
As he looked around the room, he nodded in approval.
It looked cool as hell, and when his dark eyes fell back on Iskyiah, it had all been worth it.
She spun around in wonder as she looked up at the night sky above them, and then she gazed back at him.
“You like it?”
“You remembered,” she said instead of responding to his question. She didn’t have to. He could tell she did.
He chuckled. “All those days you spent at the one back home and ain’t ever invite a nigga? Yeah, Sky. I remember.”
She walked over to him and laid her head on his chest. He couldn’t help it. He needed to place his lips on her, so he pressed them against her forehead as he rocked her in place. They stayed in the embrace for a few heartbeats before she pulled away and looked up at him.
“This is beautiful. Thank you, but seriously, where is everyone?”
Moolah glanced up at the sky and then back at her. His grip around her waist tightened as he responded. “I don’t like sharing my Sky, so I made sure it was just us.”
He leaned down and kissed her cheek and led her over to the blankets in the middle of the room, saving her from having to respond.
The last thing he wanted was to do too much and push her away, but damn it, he couldn’t help but say what came to his mind whenever she was around, and he honestly wasn’t sure he wanted that to change.
He wanted her to know exactly what she meant to him so she understood all the reasons she should stay up under him, always.