Chapter 20
I watched Phileigh adjust her dress in the mirror for the fifth time. She hadn’t said anything, but I already knew what it was. She was seeing changes in her body. Her fingers smoothed down the sides of the dress and the small pouch that seemed to appear overnight. The burgundy dress she wore hugged every curve of her body and complemented her brown skin. Hell, she looked fucking beautiful. If my mom hadn’t ordered us to attend this function tonight, I would have been ripped her out of that dress and bent her over the bed.
“You are gorgeous,” I assured her as I walked up behind her, kissing her bare shoulder. Her skin was warm, and she smelled sweet. It was taking everything in me not to get sidetracked.
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” She smiled softly, meeting my gaze in the mirror.
“It’s the truth,” I said, wrapping my arms around her waist. “You’re glowing.”
Her hand drifted to her belly. “I don’t look too… I don’t know... fat? You can’t tell I’m pregnant, right?”
I leaned closer. My lips brushed her ear. “You look like a woman who has a man that don’t play about her.” I kissed the corner of her mouth. “Are you ready? We’re going to turn heads as it is. Let’s not add being late.”
“Let me just grab my purse.”
“Actually…” I walked to the other side of the bed and pulled out the box I’d stashed earlier. “I’ve got something for you.”
She raised an eyebrow with curiosity and confusion as I handed her the Chanel box. When she opened it and saw the sleek black bag inside, her eyes widened and watered at the same time.
“Kellon… this is gorgeous. You didn’t have to do this.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” I said, kissing the side of her neck. Then I picked up the smaller Tiffany box I’d hidden with it. “And this too.”
Her mouth fell open as she opened the box, revealing the diamond Cuban link chain and the heart pendant necklace that cost me over fifteen bands. I removed the necklace from the box and fastened it around her neck.
“Kellon, this is too much,” she whispered.
“There’s no such thing as too much when it comes to you, Phee.”
She looked at herself in the mirror again. Her fingers brushed the pendant and the soft leather of the bag in her other hand.
“Thank you again. I love them.”
“Good,” I said, kissing her shoulder one more time. “Picture?”
I took out my phone, but she held up her hand to stop me.
“I got you something too.”
She ran to the closet and back, smiling big when she returned.
“Here.” She handed me a bag. “I don’t have your pockets, but I think you may like it,” she said shyly as I opened the black and white shopping bag.
I recognized the bag from the bags my mother had brought here earlier, claiming they were clothes from some custom order Phileigh had gotten from a boutique. Those two had been plotting on me. My mouth dropped the moment I pulled the jersey out of the bag.
“Phee.” I gasped at the custom jersey, which had my Warhawks jersey on one side and my brother’s 49ers jersey on the other.
“I hope you like it,” she said shyly.
I pulled her into a hug. I could buy myself anything I wanted in this world, but this was thoughtful. This said she got it. She knew what I needed.
“I fucking love it.” I kissed her lips. “I’m going to frame it,” I told her, pulling back to fold it up nicely and put it back in the bag.
“Come here. I want to remember this moment.” I grabbed her close and snapped a few selfies of us. “Those are perfect. Let’s get outta here.”
“Oh, wait, let me just spray some more perfume.” She ran toward the dresser where she’d unloaded all her girl shit.
“I’ll be at the door,” I said, heading toward the living room as I swiped through the pictures of me and Phileigh. Damn, she looked good as hell on my arm. Being spontaneous, I opened the Picsgram app, and with a deep breath and a grin, I typed a simple caption and posted the photo. We’d planned a post already, but this one seemed better. Phileigh was killing this dress, her locs were styled perfectly, she’d just given me a fresh cut, and I looked like the happiest nigga on the planet, grinning like a man who knew exactly what he had.
@KellonBarnes: Mine. No questions. @Phileighthebarber #ValentinesDay #someonespecial #softlaunch
“Done,” I said as Phileigh walked into the front room.
“What did you do?”
“You’ll see in three… two…”
Her phone buzzed. She checked it slowly. Her eyes grew big.
“Kellon… this was not what your mother approved.”
“I’m a grown man, baby, and it’s time the people know.” I shrugged. “Let’s go.”
I grabbed her hand and led her down the elevator and into the parking garage where I kept my cars.
“Wait. You’re driving?” She looked confused as I opened the door to my black-on-black Rolls Royce Phantom.
“Yeah. Is that a problem?”
“No. I just assumed you didn’t like it or something.”
“I don’t, but Monte and Doug have the night off for the holiday. So, here we are.” I rounded the car and got into the driver’s side, smirking a little when she pulled her seat belt a little tighter. She really didn’t think I could drive.
“I got you,” I said as I pulled out of the garage and headed toward the restaurant, which was luckily only a few minutes away. The ride was quiet as we both vibed out to the sounds of Coco Jones. We didn’t need words—just her hand in mine and a few stolen glances at each other. The silence said everything we were both thinking. We had each other. Whatever the night had for us, we were going to face that shit together, make the best of it, and fuck each other senseless when we got home.
We arrived at the private Valentine’s Day dinner spot a few minutes later, despite the traffic. I valeted my whip and then escorted Phileigh inside like the beautiful trophy she was. The dinner was being hosted at a luxury rooftop restaurant. The vibes were cool. The place was decked out with velvet, candles, and expensive-looking glass furniture. Phileigh seemed impressed as we made our way up the elevator to where the rest of the team was. The elevator doors opened, revealing a few of my teammates and their spouses. Their eyes immediately gravitated to us.
“KB!”
We were greeted warmly at the entrance. A few players clapped me on the back, but all eyes were on Phileigh. Everybody wanted to know about the beautiful woman on my arm, especially since I hadn’t brought anyone around since the breakup with Ari. Phileigh smiled shyly, shaking hands, giving them the quiet confidence that drew me to her. Cam’s wife, Elli, waved us over to a table where several of my offensive linemen were already seated with their ladies. Cam and Elli stood and greeted us both with a hug.
“Y’all look amazing,” she said. “And glowing, especially you, Phileigh.”
Phileigh smiled shyly, and I squeezed her hand. She was clearly unsure how to respond. Cam and Elli were the only two people here who knew our secret. I was about to step in and change the subject, but Phileigh muttered something about skincare, redirecting the conversation all on her own. Elli winked at us as she returned to her seat. I nodded at Cam as a small token of respect for them keeping our little secret. Cam nodded back as he pulled Elli in close and whispered something in her ear.
“Yo! Kellon, you trying to break the internet tonight, huh?” Javier, one of my teammates, called out with a smirk, holding up his phone and showing the post I’d made before we left. It already had thousands of likes and comments and had already been reshared by Hollywood Tea Room.
“I just thought I’d let the people know.” I shrugged.
“I respect it. It’s good to have you back in the club,” he said, referring to the unofficial club of players who were taken.
“It’s good to be back. But it’s even better that I have her by my side.” I kissed Phileigh’s cheek, and all the women at the table cooed.
“Phileigh!” Elli called her name. “I want you to meet the other girls.”
She motioned to two women nearby.
“This is Jazlyn and Briana. They run the WAGs group with me.”
“WAGs?” Phileigh asked, confused.
“It’s a little support squad for us wives and girlfriends. All the NFL teams have them. We do brunches, interventions, charity events, and even group therapy if needed.”
“Oh.” Phileigh looked at me and then back at Elli.
“We basically help each other survive this crazy mess.” Bri laughed, and Phileigh joined in.
“Seriously,” Jaz chimed in. “You need anything from stylists and nail techs to vent sessions about travel schedules and loneliness, we’re the place to come.”
“We meet once a month,” Bri added.
“Thank you.” Phileigh smiled. “That… means a lot.”
“You’re family now,” Elli said, raising her glass. “A toast to Kellon and Phileigh.”
Everyone raised their glasses.
“May you all have a lifetime of love and happiness. And may this soft launch be just the beginning of your forever.”
I smiled as Phileigh faked a sip of her champagne, and the conversation flowed. The night was perfect. Phileigh fit right in, and I couldn’t wait until we made it back home so I could give her the final gift of the night and fuck her fine ass to sleep.
“Could tonight have been any more perfect?” Phileigh asked as she kicked off her heels and wandered to the bathroom, removing her dress along the way.
“It was a good night. Great way for us to pop out.”
I sat in the end chair, taking off my shoes, watching her move. She was so soft, beautiful, and confident in her feminine energy. I wanted her to stay there forever, smiling, humming melodies, and moving around without a care in the world. Anytime I could make that possible, I was going to do that. Hearing my phone vibrate again, I picked it up. It had been buzzing with notifications all night thanks to my little announcement.
I scanned through the notifications, gauging the general opinions about us. Some people were happy, and others commented on her looks. The majority, though, were just happy she was black as if there was ever any chance for me to give my generational wealth back to the same people whose ancestors had stolen mine. I got it, though. I swiped out of the notifications just as my phone started ringing in my hand.
I glanced at it. My face scrunched up from the number that flashed on the screen. Reggie? Yeah, dude had my number, but we mainly talked about business if he was in NYC or if I was in LA. This call, though, I knew what it was about. I had half the mind to ignore his ass, but I wanted to hear what he had to say. If for no other reason than to feel his temperature. Besides, he needed to tell his girl to leave Phileigh alone. She had blocked her, and now, Natalie was messaging her from fake accounts, commenting on her posts, and watching her stories. Phileigh was wrong for inboxing her, but now, Nat was tripping. I hated seeing her spiraling like that. Swiping the screen, I let out a deep sigh before answering the phone.
“Yo,” I said into the speaker.
“Aye, KB, man. I know we don’t be kicking it like that, but I can’t just leave my nigga in the dark. I figured I should call you like a man before you get too deep in some bullshit with that girl.”
“What girl?” I played dumb.
“Phileigh, nigga. I saw your little post. You really proud to be claiming her like that? She got a whole history, bro. I done had her already, nigga,” he said as if he knew something I didn’t.
“I’m hip. She told me y’all used to mess around.”
“She don’t be telling the whole truth, man. She a bop. She done fucked me and half the league. She good at flipping stories, making herself look like the victim and shit. Just a few weeks ago, she was claiming she was pregnant by me and was all on my girl line and shit, causing commotion.” He rambled on. He probably thought he was doing something.
Whole time, I didn’t give a fuck if Phileigh had fucked every nigga on the team. She was mine now, and nobody would ever have access to her again. That was what was wrong with some niggas. Worried about the wrong shit. I knew Phileigh, though, and I knew this nigga was capping.
“You done?” I cocked my head. I was ready to end this call. I could hear Phileigh turning on the shower.
“I’m just saying, KB. Don’t let her fool you, fam. She’s not a good girl. Probably just looking for the next baller to leach off of since I cut her ass off.”
“Let me make something clear real quick, bruh. Whatever you and Phileigh had going? That’s dead and in the past. Over. I’m not you, nigga, and you ain’t me.”
“I think you got it twisted. It ain’t about me?—”
“Yeah, it is. You’re not calling to warn me. You calling ’cause you salty I’m standing next to a woman you fumbled. One you had no business with in the first place, knowing you had Nat. And while we’re at it, check your fiancée. She watching Phee’s every move like a fan. Y’all obsessed over there?”
“Man, don’t come at my girl like?—”
“Naw, nigga, don’t come at my girl like that. Control your situation and leave mine alone. We’re good over here. Phileigh good. Your baby good. A real nigga stepped up. Don’t call my phone again, nigga. And don’t make any more pop-up visits to see her either.”
I hung up the phone before he could say anything else. I wasn’t buddy buddy with Reggie before, and I damn sure wasn’t about to be now. He could take his warning about Phileigh and smoke it. It didn’t even take a minute before my phone buzzed back to back. Glancing down, I shook my head at the screen. Now this nigga was texting me.
Reggie:
That ain’t a flex, bro. She a lying hoe.
She not the move, nigga.
That’s my seed nigga. Not yours.
A smirk appeared on my face as he continued to text me. This nigga was crashing out. I screenshotted his ass and sent it to my mom so she could get started on getting a restraining order for me and Phileigh. A real nigga was about to run off into the sunset with his seed and the girl he claimed he didn’t want, and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be able to handle it. Nigga, blocked. I flipped the phone face down on the dresser. I wasn’t about to entertain his ass tonight or ever. I knew a bitter nigga when I saw one.
“You coming?” Phileigh appeared at the bathroom door.
Her naked body was on full display. I didn’t respond. I just stood and undressed on my way to join her fine ass in the shower. Phileigh climbed into the shower seductively, begging me drop this dick off in her. The steam curled around her silhouette beautifully, and I stepped in behind her. My hands found her hips then her belly as I kissed the back of her neck. I needed to be inside her. I’d been thinking about her tight, wet shit all day.
“Come here.”
I tried to lift her from the ground, but she dropped into a squat in front of me and wrapped her hands around my dick.
“Let me take care of you this time.” Her voice was low and sexy as hell.
When she opened her mouth and sucked me inside, I damn near nutted right then and there. I couldn’t do anything but rest against the granite wall tile and stare at her in amazement.
“Just like that.” I groaned as she took me into her mouth slowly, opening it wide, and allowing me full access to the back of my throat.
“Uh huh. Good girl.”
I placed my hand on the back of her head and entangled my fingers in her locs, not to guide her but to steady myself. Everything about this scene was so beautiful. I wanted to savor every moment. She tapped my dick against her tonsils, making herself gag.
“Shit!” I pulled her head back and stared at her for a second.
Who would have known my baby was this damn nasty? I took it easy on her pussy last time for fear of hurting the baby. This beautiful face, though? I was about to show it no mercy. Pushing her head down, I dug into her mouth until I felt my dick at the back of her throat.
“Uh huh. Fuck!” I held her there, letting her spit and gag on my dick. “One… two… three…”
I pulled her up for a breath. Her eyes watered, and spit fell from her mouth just how I liked. If I did that again, I was for sure going to nut, and I needed to feel her insides first.
“Bring your fine ass here, mamas.”
I lifted her in the air without a second thought. Pushing her up against the wall, I breached her entrance, and her wet pussy immediately welcomed me home.
“Fuck…” We both cried out as I thrusted up into her, delivering deep, slow strokes to her pussy.
“Oh my God!”
Her head fell back from the pleasure, and she rolled her hips into me, fucking me back like she needed this as much as I did. The shower filled with the sounds of our moans, and the water ricocheted off our skin. I didn’t care what anybody had to say about Phileigh or her situation. She was mine and so was the life she was carrying.
“We’re family now.” I grunted as I moved in and out of her with precision. It wasn’t a question, but she responded with an answer as she should.
“Yes!” She rested her head on my chest.
“Good.”
I gripped her neck, finding a steady pace inside of her. Phileigh’s pussy felt better than any pussy. It was so tight and wet, and damn, that motherfucker was gripping. If this was what pregnant pussy felt like, I could see why niggas had fetishes. I gripped the sides of her waist to deepen my thrusts. The doctor said we were good to continue sex as normal, so I needed to make sure she knew who this pussy belonged to. She had been asked too many questions about my motives for me.
“Oooh… fuck,” she moaned. The water falling on us and her wet pussy made it easy for me to slide in and out of her insides. Shit, I could see exactly why that nigga Reggie had risked it all.
“Yes!”
“Good, wet ass pussy,” I grumbled.
“Ooh, Kellon. Don’t stop. Don’t stop!” A pleasurable cry escaped her mouth.
I followed her request as I plowed into her harder and faster. Her pussy squeezed me so tight I knew I was on the verge of nutting. I had to make sure she got hers first, though. I was a gentleman.
“Fuck me!” she exclaimed again as I bounced her in the air on my dick.
“Repeat it!” I dug my hands into her ass cheeks.
“Fuck me!”
“Like that?” I brought her body into mine. She wrapped her hands around my neck. Her body gave in to mine.
“Yes!”
“Say you’re mine,” I growled in her ear, moving steadily inside her. I could feel her tight walls contracting around my dick. She was on the verge of cumming, and so was I.
“I’m yours. I’m yours!” she screamed as she exploded on my dick. I gripped her tighter, continuing my thrusts. I wanted her to get another one.
“And who fucking baby you carrying?”
“Yours.” Her whimpers were so perfect. “I’m cumming…” Her body was shaking as she came again just like I wanted her to.
“That’s right. You and the baby are mine.” I held her in place, pounding inside of her, allowing her moans to cheer me on.
“I’m cumming!” She trembled in my arms, and her juices coated my dick. I stroked into her long and hard. I was about to cum.
“You’re fucking me… so good… so good,” she moaned, and I coated her walls without care. I stayed inside her for a minute, allowing us both to catch our breath.
“I’m going to be everything you and baby boy need,” I said, connecting my lips to hers.
“Baby J. I think we should name him after your brother.”
Her eyes closed like she was trying to fall asleep as if she hadn’t just made me the happiest man in the world. I turned off the water and exited the shower. Wrapping her in a towel, I carried her out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.
“Don’t fall asleep yet.”
I laid her on the bed, and she wasted no time curling up under the covers. I grabbed the last gift I had for her from my nightstand and tangled up with her underneath the covers.
“I got something for you.”
She opened her eyes slowly, staring up at me in confusion.
“Don’t panic,” I said, opening the small velvet box. Her eyes grew big as she stared at the gold, princess cut diamond ring.
“Kellon…”
“This is a promise ring, not an engagement ring. Not yet. But a promise that we’re family no matter what happens between us. You, me, and Baby J. This is real for me, Phee.”
Her breath hitched, and tears fell from her eyes.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say it’s real for you.”
She took the box from my hands.
“It’s real for me too.”
She slipped the ring on her finger, and I pulled her into my arms. Just like that, I had a woman and a baby on the way. Life was good.