Chapter 9 #2
“We’ll be here. I’ll have Chef come by at five to get started. We can have dinner by seven.”
“Then it’s a date,” she offered with a soft smile and nod.
“Good. I look forward to the evening.” I began a trail of kisses down my wife’s neck to her shoulder, speaking against her soft skin. “You ready?”
“Yep.”
I stepped back, allowing her space to move, noticing she lifted a jean jacket from the counter before telling her mother goodbye and heading out of the kitchen. I lingered behind to have a few words with Endia.
“Floyd and Conner are out front. Eli is still lurking, which could potentially be an issue. He may attempt to use your family to reach the two of you. I don’t know if this needs to be addressed, but—”
She shook her head softly before she held her hand up to stop me. “No. I understand, and you don’t have to worry. I have no interest in speaking to or being around my family. She’s all I care about.” She motioned toward the entrance to the kitchen.
“Understood. I’m just making sure we’re clear on expectations. Have a good day, and we’ll see you tonight.”
“We are. Take care of my baby,” she warned playfully, like a loving parent would.
“Of course,” I assured Endia. She seemed comfortable with my response and returned to her book and tea.
Nari chose the location where we dined, a bistro in Buckhead Alisha recommended that I had never heard of.
Since it was just the two of us and no security, I wasn’t too keen on unfamiliar places, but I decided not to object.
Today was her day, and it turned out the food was pretty good, and the place was relatively empty.
We both had omelets and fresh fruit. While Nari sipped hot tea, I chose black coffee.
It was an indulgence I didn’t engage in often, but occasionally, I craved a good brew.
“Do you know why I run so much?”
“Excuse me?” The question caught me off guard. For the most part, our conversation was light and about random things. I attempted to keep the mood light after having such an intense discussion about our relationship the night before.
“You said, ‘I run; do you know why?’”
I kept my expression neutral but maintained steady eye contact. She was sharing, and I needed her to feel a connection so she felt comfortable doing so. These moments from Nari when she was exposed were rare but appreciated.
“I have my assumptions, but I would love to hear your thoughts.”
Her fingers continuously brushed across the cloth napkin that sat beside her plate. She was nervous and it was cute.
“You’re always so poised and in control.
It’s like nothing upsets your balance. You know what you want and don’t hesitate to stake your claim.
I’m a prime example of the practice.” This time, her nervous energy was expressed by way of shifting in her chair.
I remained quiet, not interrupting, so she could say what she needed, and she continued. “I’ve only been with a few men . . .”
My eyes narrowed, but I decided not to react, even though the last thing I wanted was to hear about her past relationships, especially if this would turn into a confession about their physical nature.
I briefly understood my wife’s low tolerance when it came to my past sexual encounters, which was like a proverbial slap in the face.
I relaxed when she exhaled and kept going after faltering from my stern glare.
“Well, not really men, per se. I wouldn’t truly classify them as such. Especially not after experiencing you.” Nari grinned, but my expression remained neutral until I was sure where she was going with this. It was inching dangerously close to a topic I wasn’t prepared to explore.
My wife having sex with another man.
“Sweetheart, I don’t think I’m prepared to discuss the men you’ve been with.”
Her eyes rolled softly. “Imagine Kincaid Akel having an insecure moment, but that’s not where this is going. I just wanted you to know I’ve never experienced this before . . .” Her hand lifted and she flicked her wrist between the two of us.
“This?” I questioned, still unsure what we were discussing.
“A serious relationship. You’re my first.” She shrugged with a slight grin. “First with a lot of things, apparently, and that’s intimidating because you have it all figured out and I’m simply fumbling through all of this.”
I snorted at the thought. “Not even fucking close,” I found myself mumbling. My wife was frustratingly unpredictable, which kept me second-guessing. I might not have been fumbling, but I struggled to understand the woman I married.
“We both know I don’t mean first sexual experience, same as we clearly know I’m nowhere near close to yours. I do, however, mean my first with all the other heavy stuff. Even if you don’t have it all figured out, it appears that you do. The men I’ve been with—”
“Boys.” I smirked and she shook her head.
“The boys I’ve been with didn’t put much thought into me and you put too much thought into me and us.”
“Is that so terrible?”
“Yes and no. For me, it’s intimidating as hell because I always feel like I’m struggling to keep up with you, your life—shit, even with sex. You’re so confident with everything.”
“Nari, sweetheart, no one’s keeping score. This isn’t perfect. It would be foolish of either of us to expect perfection. I simply want you to be happy.”
“But that’s the thing. You want me to be happy, which is a lot of damn pressure because I feel like I’m going to fail when it comes to you being happy.”
Ahh, finally. Some truth.
“You are all I need, baby. If I have you, I’m happy.
I’m not putting pressure on you to be anything other than who and what you are.
I don’t want you to put that type of pressure on yourself either.
” I paused for a minute, relaxing my shoulders.
“I’m at an advantage. I’ve lived and experienced things you haven’t with relationships and life.
You’re still young, and part of my responsibility is to give you space to grow and figure things out.
All I ask is that you’re confident in your role in my life.
We’re both going to fuck up. I’m sure, in time, I will.
. . far more than you. However, right now, I know I have the advantage.
Trust me. You’ll get there as long as you stay in this with me. ”
“I don’t want to make a big deal out of it since, after last night, we’re in a good space, but I felt like you needed to know why I run.
I’m not necessarily insecure with you, but more so with this entire thing.
A part of me feels like you’re too much for me, but I want this, and I deserve this .
. .” She paused her gaze, pinning it to mine. “I deserve you.”
Oh, sweetheart, far more than I deserve you! My biggest fear is that you’ll one day realize the truth.
“You deserve better than me, but it’s too late because, as you’ve stated, I’ve staked my claim, and there’s no going back.”
“Good, I kinda like being claimed by you.”
“Kincaid . . .” An overly animated voice almost sang my name, forcing me to peel my eyes from Nari to see who it belonged to.
“Gwen.” I offered a smile and hers grew wider.
“My God, I’d know this body and handsome face anywhere. It’s been a few months. How are you? Today must be my lucky day running into you.”
Over the fucking top. All that wasn’t necessary, but I was sure it was aimed at Nari, who sat patiently, watching our interaction.
“Great, actually. Let me introduce you to my wife . . .” I paused and motioned across the table, watching as my Nari sat up straight, squaring her shoulders while peering smugly at Gwen. She didn’t, however, get a word in because Gwen spoke up immediately.
“Your wife? Wow.” She fumbled over the words.
It was a shock, considering she and I had a few dinners with the intention of getting to know each other before my engagement to Aila.
She saw us out one night, noticed the ring, and threw a bit of a tantrum after I explained my inability to offer my time any longer.
It should have been evident with the unanswered texts and calls.
I supposed women had their own version of what certain things meant, just like I could see her mind working at the present moment, attempting to make sense that Nari wasn’t Aila. Hence, the confusion on her face.
“Yes. His wife. Nice to meet you, Gwen.” Amusement danced in my expression when I noticed Nari purposely lifted her left hand, resting it on the table.
That wasn’t a coincidence, which Gwen also picked up on because her regard remained on the ring longer than it should have before she finally found her voice.
“Same, although I am a little confused, Kincaid.” Her unsettled eyes landed on me. “This isn’t the woman you introduced to me as your fiancée.”
“But I am who he introduced as his wife. Now, if you don’t mind, my husband and I would like to finish our breakfast. Enjoy your meal. The omelets are phenomenal if you’re undecided about what to order.”
Easy, sweetheart. No need to show your claws to prove ownership of what already belongs to you.
Gwen’s lips parted slightly before they pressed together firmly and her eyes bounced between us. I decided to make it clear that it was time for her to keep it moving—no point in leaving room for her mind to wander down the wrong path.
“Take care, Gwen.”
She scoffed and walked away gracefully, or at least attempted to. I was simply grateful she didn’t push. It wasn’t like she had a reason to, but most women didn’t need a reason to overstep their bounds.
“Gwen seemed overly excited to run into you.” Nari’s fork dove into her fruit and a strawberry slipped between her lips. I chuckled at her chill demeanor. Not what I expected.
“I assure you, I didn’t sleep with her, so relax whatever twisted thoughts are going on over there.”