Chapter 15 #2
The two of us shook before Cast and I left. I didn’t miss the fact that Martinez realized I’d had the final say. The only way he could bypass Medina’s promise to me was to kill him, and he would never take it that far. His disloyalty would only extend so far.
Dumb fucker. How often do I have to prove I’m smarter than you’ll ever be?
“They’re going to make O’Neal an example.”
“They are, but that’s his fucking fault.”
And the poor fucker was innocent. At least with this. I decided to keep that detail to myself.
“And The Families?”
“I didn’t kill him. They can’t say shit to me, and even if they did, I wouldn’t give a damn. He fucked himself. Saulo was there at the last meeting. He saw what I saw, and that was that O’Neal wasn’t fit to be in charge of such a huge part of their operation.”
I left it at that. Cast would fly home within the hour. I was done with business, and the next twenty-four hours here in Miami would be dedicated to reminding my wife just how important she was to me.
I stood in the doorway of our bedroom, watching Nari sleep peacefully.
I had only been gone for a few hours, but based on what I saw, she hadn’t left the bed after I woke her that morning to let her know I was going.
I didn’t mind because even if she wasn’t experiencing the worst that pregnancy seemed to bring most women, she was extremely exhausted all the time.
I wanted her to rest as much as possible with the understanding that no matter how hands-on I planned on being, our son would rely primarily on his mother for the first few months of his life.
Nari was hot and cold. She would be sweating one minute and freezing the next, and currently, the covers had been tossed to the side, exposing her beautiful brown skin.
My eyes traveled from her ankle up to her thighs, pausing at the curve of her hip while her hand rested on her stomach.
The other was tucked beneath the pillow, and her hair was a spiraled mess that crowned her head, sprawling across the pillow in a sort of soft, brown chaos.
She was beautiful, and not just because she was mine.
Nari was the type of woman men would sell their souls for and give their last to keep close.
I was in that number. This woman owned me, controlled me, and with little to no effort.
She was considered in every fucking move I made.
As I entered the room, I began stripping out of my clothes, and once I was down to nothing, I pressed my knee into the mattress and eased my hand between her thighs.
My thumb stroked her nub a few times, and she moaned softly, still partially asleep.
I grinned as I watched her body awaken before she was able to.
Pushing one finger into her sex, followed by a second, I began a slow, steady rhythm that had her eyes slowly peeling open and connecting with mine.
“Good morning,” she mumbled, adjusting so she was on her back and her knees landed gently outward, providing me better access.
“Good morning,” I returned, hooking my fingers and applying more pressure with my thumb just before I lowered my head and added the third element . . .
My tongue.
It didn’t take long to get my intended result because she seemed to be in a heightened state of arousal lately.
While she attempted to recover, I got comfortable behind her, lifting one leg to enter easily.
Nari was ready for me. No matter what happened in my life, if I could come home to this, to her, to our son, my world would feel complete.
After providing my wife with several orgasms, I allowed my first to take flight then slid to the side of Nari, forcing her into my chest.
Easing my hand between her legs, I grinned when she flinched because her body was still sensitive from the damage I had done.
“We have plans for lunch. Are you going to be able to leave this bed anytime soon?”
“How do you do that to me then expect me to be functional?” she mumbled in a lazy tone that had me smiling harder and kissing her shoulder.
“It’s a late lunch, so you have a few hours.”
“Mmmmm,” she groaned under her breath, snuggling closer to me in the process. “How was your meeting?”
I thought about how I left things with Medina and O’Neal. If I had to bet every penny I was worth, I would be willing to wager double or nothing that O’Neal was currently in a lot of pain if he wasn’t already dead.
“Good, but we’re not about to discuss that. We’ll be flying home tomorrow, so this is our last day. What would you like to do?”
“I’m a cheap date. As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter.”
The two-point-eight million I spent on the pieces I gifted for her birthday would certainly contradict that statement.
However, Nari would never know the bottom line of how much I spent.
She would likely demand I return the jewelry, but that wasn’t an option, considering I enlisted Gian to custom-make the pieces for her.
“You’re anything but. However, we can keep things simple if you’d prefer.
How about we start with lunch then see how you feel?
” My fingers glided across the smooth skin of her stomach while I kissed the back of her head.
Her shampoo’s key lime and coconut scent gave me the euphoric scent of home. She was definitely my safe space.
“Mm-hmm, now can I go back to sleep?”
“You can do whatever your heart desires as long as it includes me.”
“Good, I sleep better when you’re with me.”
So do I.
I landed one last kiss on her shoulder, allowing Nari to drift again. I found myself doing the same. Hopefully, I would be up in time to make our scheduled lunch date, but if not, I would send my apologies and regards. My only priority was my wife. Everyone else could wait.
“Your home is lovely. Thanks so much for inviting us.”
“No, thank you for coming. My husband would have pouted for weeks if you two had declined.”
“Grown men don’t pout, baby.” Troy kissed his wife on the cheek, handing me a glass of cognac. It was a unique blend I sent him every so often. He pretended it was too expensive for his taste, but I was sure he simply appreciated it more when I gifted it. His net worth mirrored mine.
“Then I don’t know what else to call it because you seem more disappointed when you can’t see this guy than when you miss me.”
I chuckled, lifting my glass and taking down some of the smooth liquor while he shrugged. “You’re beautiful, baby, but look at this guy. How can I not be disappointed when I miss the opportunity to see that pretty face of his?”
“Easy, Troy,” I warned, forcing a smile from my old friend and business partner.
“You two have an odd bond.”
“Don’t be jealous, baby. You’ll always and forever be my first love,” he teased, bringing Nicolette into his chest.
“So you say.”
“Aww, I see she’s finally realized you’re full of shit. Took her long enough.”
Troy shot me a dirty look before grinning. “I might be, but she already has my last name, so she’s stuck with me.” He winked at Nic, and she rolled her eyes.
“Nari, would you like wine? I have a bottle I’ve been dying to open for months now, but I needed a good reason. You two being here feels like the perfect occasion.”
Her eyes quickly shot up to me, and I offered mine in return. I didn’t mind sharing the news about our son, but it had to be her decision. She was more private and reserved where the baby was concerned. I was ready to formally announce to the world that I had been lucky enough to expand our family.
And forever tie me to the woman who wants to run every chance she gets.
“Uh, no, thanks. No alcohol for me for a few more months now,” she offered, allowing her hand to rest protectively over her stomach. Her loose-fitting jean shirt hid evidence of our son unless she brought attention to it like she was currently doing.
“Oh, wow, are you . . .” Nicolette paused and grinned wide. “You’re pregnant?”
“We are,” I confirmed, and she lunged at me, offering a tight hug.
“Congratulations, Caid. Wow, first, you’re married, and now a baby’s on the way.”
“Shit, man, congratulations. You should’ve told me.” Troy was next in line.
“Thanks. We have been waiting for the right time to make a formal announcement.”
“Yeah, to people who don’t fucking matter. I’m family.” His words were light, but I sensed he felt a bit slighted by being out of the loop. I was sure Nari also picked up on it because she attempted to smooth things over.
“Kincaid was only honoring my wishes. I wasn’t quite ready to share the news with the world. It was something I wanted the two of us to share in private for a bit longer. I’m positive he would have let you know if I had not insisted on keeping the news between us.”
I kissed her cheek after she lifted her eyes, offering me a soft smile.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Now we know. This is exciting news, and so soon. First, we find out that you’re married, and you’re already working on the little ones.”
“Things moved rather quickly with us, and no, she didn’t marry me because I got her pregnant. We did things the good old-fashioned way. Kind of. I think she actually likes me, but the jury’s still out about that one.”
Nic and Troy both laughed, and Nari blushed. “Nah, man, she more than likes you. I see the look in her eyes. That’s love.”
“I certainly hope so.”
“Wow, Kincaid’s having a baby. Yeah, I need to open that wine.”
We spent the next few hours catching up.
Troy and Nic apologized for missing the reception, but I understood.
He was out of the country on business. They did, however, send a gift, which wasn’t necessary.
Nari seemed to relax around them, which I appreciated.
Nic and Troy weren’t like most people I had introduced her to.
They had no idea of the full scope of the life I lived.
They were simply good people to whom I’d grown partial over the years.