Chapter 18
After Malyah told me about the stunt my mother had pulled, my first instinct was to call her and give her hell.
Luckily, my assistant interrupted me, and I had to take an important call.
By the time the call ended, I’d calmed down and decided talking to her now wouldn’t end well, and a different approach was needed.
I loved my mother, but I didn’t like some of her ways.
Her need to fit in and push a certain narrative about our family drove me crazy.
Anyone could do an internet search and read the history of Sweet, Savory, and Goode.
There was no use in pretending we were something we weren’t in order to be accepted by these families whose lineage dated back several generations.
I’d have a conversation with her, but it should be face-to-face, and my father needed to be present. I’d never intentionally disrespect my mother, but sometimes her actions brought me close, and my father’s presence would ensure that I didn’t say something I’d regret later.
Once I’d decided to put the conversation with my mother on hold, I called Malyah.
She let me go to voicemail multiple times, so I sent her several texts, which she ignored as well.
I didn’t do anything to her to warrant her ignoring me, so naturally, I became concerned with her whereabouts and safety.
When I realized she was fine and there was nothing wrong with her phone, I wanted to snap. Instead, I shared her location to my phone so it wouldn’t be a problem in the future.
“Honestly, there’s nothing I want to tell you about Callie because she’s he last person I want to waste my breath talking about. But since she won’t go away, I should probably give you some insight into our history.”
“Are you in love with her?” she asked with a quiver in her voice.
“Not at all?”
“Have you ever been?”
“Never.”
“She’s clearly in love with you.”
I shook my head. “Nah, she’s not. She may be a little obsessed with having someone she’s been told repeatedly she can’t have, but she’s not in love.”
“Well, she definitely has your mother in her corner.”
“Which means absolutely nothing. Up until a couple of weeks before I met you, me and Callie messed around for a few years. We weren’t in a relationship, and I never stopped dating and sleeping with other women, which she knew, but she thought she was special because whatever we were doing lasted more than a few times. ”
“Maybe she is special, and you don’t want to admit it.”
“Nah. My feelings for her are no different than they are for someone I fucked once and sent on her way. She’s persistent and easy.
When I didn’t feel like putting in the effort to bag someone else, she was always there, waiting and willing.
When I tried to cut her off for good, she popped up a few weeks later with an ultrasound, saying she was pregnant. ”
She gasped before saying, “Was she lying?”
“Hell yeah, but before I found out she was lying, I spent more time with her than usual.”
“How long ago was that?”
“About two years ago.”
“But you said you were with her recently, so if her goal in doing all of that was to remain in your life, she did exactly what she set out to do.”
“Maybe, but she’s never been with me the way she wants to be.”
She rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t matter to her. As long as you keep giving her access, she’ll think she’s winning. Now that she has your mother on her side, she probably thinks it’s only a matter of time before she has you the way she wants you.”
“It’ll never happen.”
“What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without seeing her?”
I shrugged because I wasn’t sure. “A month or two.”
“I don’t know what you’ve told her, but your actions prove that she holds a special place in your heart. I guess only time will tell exactly how special.”
“Callie means nothing to me, baby. Please get that out of your head.”
“Is there something else you want to discuss, because you’re playing in my face now?”
“How am I—”
“Kenzo, I appreciate you being candid about your relationship with Callie, but if I have an inkling of a suspicion that you’re still fucking with that bitch, I’m gon’ fuck you, her, and your mama up.”
I was taken aback by her words and couldn’t talk for a moment. Not to mention, her threats had my dick hard.
“Malyah—”
“If there’s nothing else you want to talk about, I have a few errands to run.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“We don’t need a chaperone. Don’t you have work to do?”
“Nothing pressing. It can wait until later or tomorrow. And who is we?”
“If you don’t mind being the third wheel, I’m sure Gramps wouldn’t mind. You can be our chauffeur.”
“You have errands to run with my grandfather?”
“Yes. He wants to pick up some things before my lessons start next week.”
“Oh. I’m sure he won’t mind. Let me change into something more appropriate for the occasion.”
I had no idea when I asked to accompany my wife and grandfather on their errand runs, I’d be going in and out of high-end stores that sold essentials for chefs.
I’d never seen either of them so enthusiastic about anything, and their shared excitement over something as simple as bakeware was a joy to watch.
After hours of going in and out of stores, I was tired, hungry, and down a few thousand dollars poorer. We didn’t have much bakeware in our apartment, so my grandfather insisted Malyah get everything she could possibly need during their lessons, which she insisted would take place in our kitchen.
“Are either of you hungry?” I asked as we left what I’d hoped was the last store.
“I could eat. What about you, Gramps?” Malyah responded.
“I have some leftovers I’ve been thinking about all day. You two drop me off and go somewhere and enjoy each other’s company,” Gramps said.
“Are you sure? We don’t mind—” Malyah began.
“You heard what the man said. We’ll drop you off, Gramps.”
Malyah hadn’t engaged with me very much this afternoon, and I assumed the conversation we’d had about Callie was the reason. I thought being honest with her about my relationship with Callie was best, but maybe I told her too much.
On the ride home, I felt like a hired driver, especially since they sat in the back chattering away like the best of friends. When we arrived, my grandfather insisted on helping us take everything inside, and he was quite capable, so it wasn’t an issue.
When I returned from relieving my bladder, my grandfather had gone upstairs to enjoy his leftovers. Malyah’s back was to me as she faced the island, and I trapped her between my arms. I buried my face in her neck for a moment, leaving a kiss there before letting my chin rest on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry for whatever I did,” I said.
“You didn’t do anything, and in the future, you should always know why you’re apologizing.”
“You iced me out all afternoon.”
“That’s not true. I did what I promised your grandfather I would do. You decided to join us, and since you have no interest in what we were doing, you felt left out.”
“You barely talked to me.”
“Did you want to talk about the kitchen torch, the cake leveler, or the dusting wand?”
“Huh?”
“Exactly. Where are we having dinner?” she asked, turning her head toward mine, which was still on her shoulder.
I stole a quick kiss, then said, “I don’t want to fight with you.”
“We’re not fighting, but if I don’t eat soon, we will be. Can we go?”
She definitely had an attitude, and I knew exactly how to fix it. I slipped one of my hands into the front of her leggings and found her clit right away, since she wasn’t wearing panties. I gently pressed against it with my index and middle fingers, then slowly massaged in a circular motion.
“What are you—”
I covered her mouth with my other hand because the only thing I wanted to hear was her moaning my name while I fucked her from behind.
“You’ve been giving me the middle finger since this morning, and I’m not having that shit anymore.
I’m getting attitude and energy from you that I don’t deserve, so I’m gon’ give you some dick, we gon’ go to dinner, and when we get back, I’m gon’ eat your pussy for my dessert.
When I uncover your mouth, I don’t want to hear shit but you begging for this dick. You understand?”
She didn’t hesitate to agree, nodding her head quickly as she opened her legs to give me better access to her pussy.
I slipped my fingers between her folds, and they were immediately covered in her essence.
I slowly removed my hand from her mouth, grabbed her ponytail, and pulled her head back while pressing my thumb against her clit and dipping my fingers inside her wet hole.
“Let me hear it,” I whispered against her ear before biting her earlobe.
“Baby, please.”
“Please, what?”
“I want it.”
I released the hold I had on her hair and used my free hand to pull my dick from my joggers and underwear, then pushed the back of her leggings down with the same hand.
“Tell me what you want and how you want it, beautiful.”
I grabbed my dick and rubbed the tip, which was leaking precum, up and down her ass crack.
“I want you to fuck me, hard and fast. Make me cum all over your dick.”
“Say less, baby. Bend that ass over.”
She leaned over the counter, and I put my hands on her hips. I slipped my dick into her hole and pounded into her, while she threw her ass back. Thank God this wasn’t meant to be long, because watching her chase her nut had me ready to bust all over her ass.
“Oh my God, Kenzo. I’m about to cum!”
“Fuck! Me too!”
The pulsing from her pussy and throbbing from my dick were enough to have a nigga on the verge of screaming like a bitch, but I bit my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood and maintained my composure while I filled her with my seeds.
“Oh, shit,” she said, gasping for air and throwing her arms across the island.
I slowly took a step back, causing her to hiss while I removed my dick from her womb. I was still hard, and seeing my dick wet with our combined fluids, and my nut still seeping from the head, made me want to plunge right back inside of her.
Instead, I leaned against her, pressing my dick against her bare ass cheek.
“We good now?” I asked, smacking her ass and watching it jiggle.
“We were good before.”
“Nah, but if you wanted to get fucked, you should’ve said something. I always got you.”
I kissed her cheek and headed to the bathroom to clean myself up. When I returned with a wet, warm towel for her, she hadn’t moved.
“You good?”
“I’m fine, but I don’t want to go out with your cum leaking and sitting in the crotch of my leggings.”
I chuckled. “I’ll go pick something up while you shower.”
She lifted the upper half of her body from the island, took the towel, and placed it between her legs.
“Sounds great. I’ll eat whatever you bring back.”
I watched as she waddled away and disappeared into our bedroom. When I heard the shower start, I grabbed my phone from the counter and left, returning thirty minutes later with two Italian beef sandwiches and all the trimmings, fries, and fresh-squeezed lemonade.
While I washed my hands, Malyah put our sandwiches and fries on plates and took them to the kitchen table. Before I sat down, she’d already taken a bite of her sandwich.
“Damn. You ain’t gon’ bless the food or nothing, huh?”
“The Lord knows my heart and how hungry I am. He’ll forgive me.”
“Do you forgive me for whatever I did to upset you today?”
She finished chewing and leaned back in her chair before responding.
“Your mother pissed me off, and I kinda took it out on you.”
“And what else?”
“When I came to your office the other day, I overheard your conversation with Callie, and I didn’t like what I heard.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. Shit is right, and I honestly have no right to be upset, but even though this isn’t real, you promised you wouldn’t embarrass me and have me looking like a fool to everyone. You promised you wouldn’t cheat.”
“And I will keep my promise. I have no desire to cheat on you with anyone, especially Callie.”
“As I said earlier, time will tell.”
“You still don’t trust me?”
“It takes time to build trust, Kenzo, and it’s probably only been a week since the last time you asked me.”
“Since the moment we met, I’ve stood on my word. Everything I’ve told you I’d do, I’ve done. You should have a little more faith in your husband.”
“Maybe one day I will, but today isn’t the day.”
Her words stung a bit, but I understood her position, and I had no choice but to respect it.