Prologue #2
It was past midnight when I heard the key turn in the lock of my condo.
Nazir was the only person with a key, so when I heard it, I knew he was home.
Although, if you let him tell it, he refused to call this his home.
He said he would never feel comfortable living under a roof paid for by another man.
He was prideful like that. Even though I told him I didn’t need the money, he still gave me some each month to pay my father.
Unbeknownst to him, I kept the money in my account, never touching it.
Despite having more money than I knew what to do with, he refused to let me spend it.
When we went on dates, I wouldn’t dare insult him by trying to reach for the bill or dig inside my purse for money to pay.
I didn’t know what Nazir was into that allowed him to spend money the way he did, and I had learned from my father never to ask.
There was no reason to ask questions that I secretly knew the answers to.
As I lay on my silk pillow, I could hear him take off his boots, set his keys down on the kitchen counter, and shimmy out of his coat.
I had spent a lot of time studying Nazir.
He was someone I wanted to be with forever.
I hoped to be his wife someday and tell our children how we met while I was in college — how their father had a plan to be more than what life had initially afforded him.
Stopping in the doorway, Nazir leaned against the frame and took a breath.
Even in the dark, I knew his features as well as my own.
He was 6’4” and muscular. Working out was the one thing that gave him peace and clarity.
While I always felt like I was fighting for my life whenever I exercised, he did it effortlessly.
His brown skin glistened as he licked his thick lips.
He had a few tattoos, but had mentioned more than once that he wanted to cover his entire body in them.
His hair was cut short, but his curl pattern was still visible.
His beard was thick and unkempt, a testament to his dedication to his mission.
To me, his outer appearance didn’t matter as much as what was on the inside or his efforts to make money to take care of us.
“You’re not sleep?” his deep voice grumbled, tiredness woven into his words.
I sat up in bed, and when he heard me sniffle, he moved closer.
“I can’t sleep,” I answered, my voice cracking.
Nazir sat down and pulled me into him as he softly kissed my lips. “What’s the matter, Tata?”
He was the only one who called me that nickname, and every time he said it, I felt an intense warmth spread through my body. I’ve always been Tati––or Tatiana when my parents wanted to make their point clear. They had never given me a nickname, so Nazir giving me one made me feel special.
Cherished.
I took a deep breath. The last thing I wanted was to break his heart—and mine.
The life we planned together wasn’t just something I wanted––it was something I needed.
A simple life where the man loved me the way I deserved to be loved.
I didn’t need jets, yachts, or all the frivolous things I had access to growing up.
None of those things mattered when you’re unhappy deep down inside.
My mother always looked tired and worn out, and she couldn’t hide the sadness in her eyes from me.
I knew her too well. I can’t remember a time when she and my father kissed or laughed as he playfully smacked her on the butt.
Moments like that never happened in our home.
Or maybe they only did those things in the privacy of their bedroom since my mother was on the conservative side.
For years, I believed that until I was old enough to realize my parents had a master suite with two sides––one for her and one for my father––like British royals.
“Let’s run away, Zir.”
With a confused look, he replied, “After you had me buy those damn concert tickets you wanted? We’re not running nowhere.”
Nazir was trying to lighten the dark mood, but when he saw it wasn’t working, he became even more concerned.
“Please,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face.
I couldn’t tell him that my father was trying to force me to marry another man. It would be too painful to say those words to him. I just needed him to know I wanted to be with him.
“Tata, why you wanna leave?”
“I’m tired of trying to live up to my parents’ standards and the expectations they set for me. I want something new. I want simple. Isn’t that what you want, too, baby?”
He wiped the tears from my cheeks and gently kissed my lips. “Yes, Tata, but that’s not the way to do this. It would hurt your parents.”
“Please, baby,” I pleaded. “I can make things right afterward. Right now, I just want to leave and figure out life somewhere else––get married.”
I desperately wanted him to agree to run away with me. If I left with him, my father wouldn’t be able to force me into marrying someone I didn’t know or love.
He exhaled deeply. “I’m working on some things for us, baby. I want to give you that simple life, but I also don’t want to tear your family apart in the process.”
“Please.” I kissed his lips and slowly removed the silk pajama top I was wearing.
His eyes took me in as he pushed me back onto the bed, hovering over me. He pressed his lips roughly against mine while sliding down my pajama shorts and pulling off his pants. I craved his body as much as he craved mine.
“I’m gonna fuck this pussy good,” he growled near my ear. “Then you gonna fall asleep in my arms. We’ll figure the rest of this shit out tomorrow.”
“Yessss, Zir. Fuck me,” I begged.
Every part of my body responded to him. His words were like strings, and my body moved with his every command.
Pushing my legs apart, he shoved himself deep inside of me.
I’ve been handled like fragile glass my entire life, so I welcomed his aggressiveness.
Arching my back, I took all of him. Then he slowly pulled out before slamming inside me again as I whimpered.
I needed this. It had been an emotional day, and my mind had been racing ever since I stepped into my condo after flying back.
But whenever Nazir plugged me up, everything always went silent.
The world seemed quieter, and it was just the two of us in that moment.
“Fuck, Tata. You know you my world, right?”
“I know, baby. I… I…” I moaned.
“Say what you mean and mean what you say, beloved,” he grunted, reciting his favorite saying.
His strong, long strokes made me feel them in my eyelids, and I screamed in ecstasy.
Because my father bought the two empty condos on either side of mine, I didn’t have to worry about anyone hearing my cries of passion. My wish was to turn this entire floor into my dream condo, and since I got everything I wanted, he planned to make that happen for me.
“Where your mind at, Tata? Tell me. You not feeling this dick in your guts? Tell a nigga something, baby,” he grunted.
Raising my upper body from the bed, I started sucking on his lips.
In response, he shoved his tongue down my throat and his dick up my vagina.
I swear he was touching my intestines. It felt so good, his ass had me panting like a rabid dog.
I was right there. The orgasm was slow-building, like ice cream churning inside a machine.
Just as I was about to explode, he flipped me on my stomach, entered me from behind, and smacked my ass, causing it to ripple.
“Zir...God…please…I’m going to...” I moaned, rocking to meet his thrusts.
Sex between us was always so special. Nazir, who was usually gentle with me, turned into someone else.
He treated me the way I wanted to be treated in the bedroom––never handling me with white gloves.
Yes, we made love, and during our lovemaking, he would handle me as if I were the most precious jewel in the world.
But when we fucked? He made sure to fuck me properly.
And after the day I had with my father, I needed this more than he could have known.
With a firm grip on my hips, Nazir slammed me against him until I felt his body stiffen and his semen coat my walls. Then he collapsed beside me and pulled me on top of him, holding me tightly.
“I love you, Tata.”
“I love you more, Zir,” I said blissfully, then kissed his chest and closed my eyes, falling asleep to his scent that always brought me comfort.