Chapter 3 #2
“I would never put my work before you. Our time will be our time, and that means no phones, no friends, no family, no work. Once we cross over the threshold of our home, we’ll put the world on silent.
After a hard day of work, we’ll chill in our spot while I rub your feet, and you tell me all about your hard or easy day at work.
We’ll watch our favorite shows, pop some popcorn, and gossip about ya friends’ tacky lace fronts.
” I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I need to show you what I would have done had you not broken up with me . . . Show you how good I can make you feel. I bet that man don’t even know your favorite weird ass color. ”
I sipped my wine and looked him in the eyes. “Do you remember?”
“Affirmative.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll tell you if you agree to come to the house tomorrow night and have dinner with me.”
I tensed and looked away from him. “Emery, don’t do this.”
“Tell me you don’t want to fuck with me. Tell me you don’t remember how I gave you your first orgasm. How I had that lil’ pussy crying a river in my mouth. Tell me you don’t want to feel that again, and I may consider leaving you to be miserable with that cornball ass nigga.”
I didn’t speak as thoughts of the boy who had taken my virginity ran through my mind. He was so skilled in his performance that I had to tell my best friend, Carmen, about what he’d done for me. While I reminisced, I could still feel the way his skillful tongue sent shock waves through my body.
He stood from his chair and walked up to me. He lifted my chin for me to give him my attention. Out of nowhere, my eyes began to water.
“Don’t make me come for you, Yummy, because you know I will.” He planted a soft kiss on my forehead, then disappeared just as quickly as he’d come.
I couldn’t do this with Emery. I loved Liam, and I refused to hurt him. Even though he was right about him not catering to me as he should, I still couldn’t see myself hurting him. He may not have been available 60 percent of the time, but when we were together, I loved our moments.
I picked up my cloth napkin and dabbed the corners of my eyes. Even knowing what I knew about Emery, I couldn’t help the attraction I still had for him after all these years. It was why I was standing firm when I decided not to go back to his house.
It was for the best.
The two taps on my door had me looking up from the case files of my recent client to see my boss standing in the doorway.
“Grand rising,” she greeted.
“Hey. How are you?”
“Can’t complain. Are you busy?”
“Just looking over the Rawlings case.”
“Got a second?”
“Sure.”
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. I was kind of nervous about what she needed to speak with me about. I was sure it had something to do with my removing myself from the Aldana case.
“DA Collins informed me that you dropped off the Aldana case. Care to tell me why?”
I took a deep breath and looked at her. “I know the defendants.” Her eyebrows hiked as she pursed her lips.
“Oh . . . You have an emotional attachment to them?”
“I considered them family at one point, so yes, I guess you can say that.” I knew why she asked, and in all honesty, I could still defend Emil and Ellis.
They weren’t the ones I was deeply, emotionally attached to.
It was their brother/cousin with whom I had soul ties.
I didn’t want to put myself in a predicament to fall back in love with Emery Aldana.
Being around him brought on feelings that I wasn’t strong enough to ignore. When he showed up at LaBella’s last night, it was taking everything in me not to relent to his request. I couldn’t fall back in love with Emery when I was in love with Liam.
“That’s understandable. However, there is no one other than you two that I feel would win this case for them. If you’re not emotionally tied to either of them, or it won’t affect this case, I need you to reconsider. You’re one of my best, and we aim to please our clients.”
I sighed and reluctantly nodded. I knew what winning this case would mean for our team and me; I just had to woman up and stand my ground during the process. I’d only attend court and take phone calls. The less I saw of them, the better.
“It won’t affect me doing my job. I’ll meet with DA Collins this afternoon to go over the details for court on Monday.”
Salah smiled at me and headed back toward the door.
“I appreciate you, Clark. This may be your time for a promotion.” She winked and walked back out of the door.
She was laying it on thick. She knew I had applied multiple times to be a senior partner.
If we won this case, I was sure I would get that promotion.
Shit.
I officially hated Salah for dangling that steak in my face like that. Shaking from my daze, I reopened the file and continued my task on defending a woman who was accused of attempted murder.
My phone chimed, and I picked it up to see a text message across my screen. Thinking it was Liam, I hurriedly opened my phone since I hadn’t talked to him since last night when I got home from the restaurant. To my surprise, it was an unknown number.
734.566.0011: Dinner is at seven. Don’t be late.
I shook my head and blocked the number before placing it back on my desk. I knew it was no one other than Emery.
Emery, please. I refuse to get caught in your web.
It was after eight when I finally made it home after having drinks with Langston. I was currently on the phone with Liam, once again disappointed that I wouldn’t be seeing him tonight.
“This is getting out of hand, Liam.”
“What do you want me to do, Yumi? If you want me to be jobless and live off you or my parents, then say that. I’ll be your video-game-playing, broke ass boyfriend if that’s what you desire.”
“Stop being an asshole. You know that’s not what I want, but this has been going on for months, Liam.
We haven’t been spending any time together, and I’m wondering if you even really want to be in a relationship with me or your job.
” I kicked off my heels and tossed my keys in the bowl by the door.
I turned on the lights in the living room, then headed to the kitchen to pour a glass of wine for myself.
“You’re sounding selfish right now, Mimi.
I love you, and you know that. We both have demanding careers that have our schedules out of whack, and I think you’re being very dramatic about it.
There’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you right now, but I can’t, and I think you’re being very inconsiderate. Like, what’s with you?”
“Wow. You know what? I think we need to end this call now before we say something neither one of us will like. The fact that you think I’m being inconsiderate because I’m voicing my concerns in this relationship is insane.
If you think seeing each other two times a month is cool, then something is seriously wrong. ”
“You have never had a problem with it before. What is this about?”
“Nothing. Goodnight, Liam.”
“Yu—”
I hung up and tossed my phone on the counter. I had been patient enough throughout the six years we had been together. At first, we saw each other four times a week, but as soon as he started working as a PI, our time was reduced to once every other week.
I craved intimacy, sex, and cuddles at night. I craved the gifts, the flowers, and the ‘good morning, beautiful’ text messages. I had been patient with him for over three years, but it was becoming a significant problem because I needed love and attention.
I poured myself another glass of wine after finishing the first one, then headed toward my room to undress and take a long-needed bath.
I frowned slightly, not remembering closing my door this morning.
I pushed it open, walked inside, screamed, and jumped back, dropping the glass onto the floor as it shattered.
The fine ass, bulky figure sitting up in my bed with his legs crossed at the ankles, flipping through channels on my TV, had me grabbing my chest to settle my racing heart.
“Emery! What the hell?”