Chapter 9
The rays from the morning sun beat down on my face.
My eyes slightly parted and I looked around the room, realizing that I wasn’t in my own bed. I felt around for Stephanie, but realized she wasn’t there. Sitting up, I tossed back the covers and swung my legs over the side. I went to stand but had to sit my ass back down for a second.
We had a time last night!
Steph drained me and I drained her. After three rounds in the bed and one in the shower, we’d finally gone to bed about three in the morning.
My ass was still tired. The sound of my phone ringing broke me from my thoughts.
I grabbed it from the nightstand and saw that it was Blake calling me. Swiping the screen, I answered.
“What?”
“That’s how you answer the phone after you ditched me last night?”
“Sorry I didn’t stick around to watch you grovel.”
He kissed his teeth. “Nigga, I don’t grovel. I see your ass did though. Where you at?”
“Where you think I am?”
He laughed. “Damn, I thought Steph had better self-control than that.”
“Blake, go to hell.”
“I’m playing, man. So… is this a thing again?”
“As far as I’m concerned, it is.”
“What about her?”
“Steph knows I love her—”
“We all know you love her. That’s why I’m confused how you let her marry that square ass nigga. No disrespect to the dead.”
“She did what she needed to do for her, just like I did what I needed to do for me back then. I can’t fault her for that. It’s not like I wasn’t with Maddie back then.”
“So, you telling me you didn’t break up with Maddie hoping she would call off the wedding? The same wedding you went to? No, lie, I was waiting on you to object.”
“I wouldn’t embarrass her like that. Besides, if I objected, I was gonna have to fight my son.”
“Yo’ ass might still have to fight him if he finds out you fucking his mama again. You know he doesn’t play about that woman.”
“Deuce is my son, not the other way around. And I don’t play about her either. He’s just gonna have to get over it, cause I ain’t backing down this time.”
“A’ight playa. We’ll see how this works out.”
“Speaking of working out. How did it go with Jeanie?”
“Same shit, different day. She walked up in there not long after you left with some nigga and I had to put my hands on him. Once they got me off his ass, she threw a drink in my face. My fucking eyes are still burning.”
I laughed. “I told you to leave that woman alone. Just sign the papers, Blake.”
“I ain’t signing shit. Jeanie gon’ fuck around and come up missing if she keeps playing with me.”
I shook my head. “You might be the one to come up missing.”
“Bullshit. This is ‘til death do us part. I’m yet alive.”
“And still doing the same shit that cost you your wife in the first place. I wouldn’t come back to your ass either. If you’re gonna be sorry, be sorry and stop doing the shit you have to keep apologizing for. You can’t love that woman if you ain’t trying to change.”
“Let me get off this phone because you are the last nigga that can give me advice on a woman.”
He hung up in my face. I chuckled to myself as I put the phone down and finally stood from the bed.
Heading into the bathroom, I relieved my bladder, washed my face then got dressed and went to find my woman.
I found her on the back deck relaxing on the lounge chair in her silk robe, drinking coffee and talking on the phone.
When she looked up at me, she smiled softly.
I slide behind her on the chair and wrapped my arms around her, kissing her neck.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” she said into the phone, elbowing me.
“Good morning, love,” I said, caressing her midsection.
“Huh? Girl, get outta my business.”
My hands crept up to her breasts, cupping them. Her nipples immediately hardened beneath the silk fabric.
“Hang up the phone,” I said, pinching her nipples.
She stifled a moan. “N-nobody… it’s just the TV.” She muted the call and turned to me. “I’m gonna fuck you up. This is Salima!”
“Tell Salima you will call her back.”
She unmuted the call. “I’ll be over there later. Give my babies love for me. Okay, love you too.” She sighed. “I love you, too, Stanley damn. You can never let me have a moment with my daughter. Get off the damn phone, boy.”
She hung up the phone and turned to face me. I didn’t give her a chance to fuss before crashing my lips into her. She turned in my arms and straddled my lap. My hands slid down her back to grip her ass beneath the silky fabric.
I smirked. “No panties?”
She returned my smirk. “What do I need panties for?”
“I’m with you when you right.”
I kissed on her neck as my hand disappeared beneath the robe.
“Stanley, wait?” She pulled back and peered down at me. “What are we doing?”
“I’m about to give you a morning round. Whatchu mean?”
I went to kiss her again, but she placed her hands on my chest to stop me.
“No, I mean, what are we doing?” She motioned between the two of us. “I’m too old to just be fucking around with you.”
I looked at her in confusion. “Didn’t I tell you last night that I was claiming what was mine? I’m not just trying to fuck on you. Pussy comes a dime a dozen, and I could have any woman for that. I want you, Stephanie. For real… forever this time.”
“What about Deuce?”
“Respectfully, fuck Deuce.”
She slapped my chest. “Don’t say fuck my son.”
“He’s my son too. He might not like this shit but he’s gonna have to deal with it. He’s got his wife, his kids, and his happiness. Why can’t we have the same?”
“First of all, I’m not having no more damn babies. Tavia will be the only one of us to have a baby later in life.”
“You ain’t said nothing but a word. I got a vasectomy, and you are menopausal. Now, we can go through with this adoption or fostering situation. I’m cool with that, but my days of creating kids are over. Besides with my grandchildren, whatever is in the water I don’t want that shit.”
“My babies are not even that bad.”
“You said they’re good with you. We’re gonna see about that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Can we keep this under wraps for a while?”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because I need to know that this is for real this time, Senior. I don’t wanna get my hopes up. We aren’t together. You can date me, but I’m not claiming you until I know you’re serious.”
“You ain’t gotta claim me. I claim you and you know what it is.” Cupping her face, I kissed her lips. “This is real as it’s going to get. Have I ever lied to you?”
“No.”
“Then don’t think I’m gonna start now. I’ll appease you, though. If you want me to date you, I’ll do that. And I’ll keep it under wraps for the time being, but I ain’t keeping secrets forever. We’re grown as fuck.”
“I hear you.”
“You better. Gimme some suga.”
She giggled as she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me passionately. When our lips finally parted, I slapped her ass.
“Come on here and let’s cook something to eat. I promised my baby I’d take her to the toy store, and you have a visit.”
“How are you getting back to the compound?”
“I’ll have a car pick me up. Wouldn’t want to get you caught up,” I added with a smirk. “Sneaking around might be fun. I’ve always liked a little role play.” I pecked her lips and my hand slipped beneath the robe. “Act like you don’t know me in public and all the while I’m fucking you in private.”
She moaned as I stroked her clit.
Her pussy was already wet and that shit excited me.
Yeah, we could keep this on the low for a little bit, but when we popped out, I was on her ass like white on rice.
“Where you been this morning?” Deuce asked, grabbing Darlyn from the back seat of my truck.
Baby girl had shopped ‘til she dropped, now she was knocked out.
“In my damn skin. Why?”
“I went to your house. Your truck was parked, but your ass wasn’t there.”
“And? I didn’t realize I had to check in with you when I wasn’t gonna be home.”
He gave me a side eye before turning and walking up the front steps.
I followed behind him with Darlyn’s bags and a smirk on my face.
Stephanie’s car was in the yard, and even though I’d just seen her a few hours ago, I couldn’t wait to lay eyes on her.
When I walked into the house, she was sitting on the couch playing with Maceo and Shar’s daughter, Charm.
Marino and Liam were in the playroom, fucking it up.
When they saw me, they came running over.
“Papa!” I placed the bags down and braced for impact as they ran and latched on to my leg.
“How y’all bad asses doing?” I asked, scooping them up.
“I’m a good boy,” Marino said, pointing to himself. “Him bad.”
Liam shook his head. “Set up! I not bad.”
His little speech impediment was cute. Baby boy had a hard time pronouncing words with the “sh” sound, but he was in speech therapy working on it.
“Be nice,” I said, kissing their cheeks.
Marino pointed at the bags. “For me?”
“Yeah, man. I got all of y’all something.”
Deuce shook his head as he came back downstairs. “That’s why all of them are spoiled now.”
“Shut up, Stanley,” I shot at him. “Y’all worry too much about what I do with my grandkids.”
He waved me off as he took a seat in the recliner. The boys ran back to the playroom after I gave them their toys. I made my way over to the couch where Stephanie sat. She peered up at me with a smile.
“Hey, Stanley,” she said, bouncing Charm on her lap.
“Steph.”
I leaned over and kissed her cheek, fighting the urge to kiss her lips. Plucking Charm from her arms, I tossed my baby in the air.
“Hey Fat Fat,” I said, blowing raspberries on her stomach. “How’s Papa’s big girl?”
Deuce chuckled. “Greedy as hell. She just swiped my sandwich. I almost had to fight her.”
Charm balled up her little fist at him. “I gon’ tell my daddy.”
“I ain’t scared of your daddy, lil’ girl. I’ll fight him too.”
“No you not, cause my mama gon’ get you.”
Salima smacked the back of his head as she came into the room. “Leave my niece alone, Deuce.”
“Lil butterball. Looking like her Uncle Smoke as a baby.”
I chuckled. “Smoke was a big baby.”
“He’s still big as hell.”
“Leave my boy alone. How you doing, Salima?”
She eyed me with a smirk as she made herself comfortable on Deuce’s lap. “I’m fine, Daddy. How are you?”
“I’m wonderful.”
“Mmm hmm. Did y’all have a good time last night?”
“If watching Blake make a fool of himself is your idea of fun, then yeah.”
“Good thing you had Mama Steph to keep you company.”
Stephanie rolled her eyes. “You’re married to my son. You know how aggravating their company can be.”
I played along, a frown forming on my face. “You didn’t enjoy my company but enjoyed them drinks at my expense. Woman wouldn’t even give me a dance.”
“Good,” Deuce spoke up. “I don’t need him having wandering hands to go along with his wandering eyes.”
I ignored him. Since before Stephanie’s wedding, he’d been on my ass about leaving his mama alone. I understood. That was his mother and he put her on a pedestal. I wasn’t a perfect man by far, but I’d never hurt Stephanie. I’d never cheated on her or disrespected her.
It just never seemed to be the right time for us, and that was largely in part to me still being heavily involved in the streets, then the organization.
I was away from home a lot. Always on the go.
Always in some shit, trying to build connections.
I think the only reason me and Maddie worked so long was because we worked together.
Steph was living a soft life. While she didn’t need a soft man, she needed one that could be present and that wasn’t me back then.
I wanted to pursue her when I first retired, but she wasn’t a single woman.
I’d already cheated on Maddie once with her, I couldn’t do that again.
When I came clean to her about it, she was ready to beat my ass like a nigga on the street.
I didn’t hit women, so I had to eat that shit.
She wanted to go after Stephanie too, but I wasn’t having that.
Steph didn’t owe her any loyalty, I did.
Was it disrespectful as hell for her to keep showing up to Sunday dinner knowing Maddie was going to be there?
Maybe. But Stephanie was family and she was welcomed wherever our son was going to be.
I cleared my throat. “Deuce, you know I’m grown right?”
“You ain’t too old for me to tap that ass, Senior.”
I chuckled. “I keep telling you. The day you grow the balls to fight me, is gonna be the day I send you to your heavenly father. You don’t want this smoke, boy.”
“Don’t start y’all’s shit,” Stephanie said.
“Please don’t,” Salima added. “Besides, baby. Both of them are single people. If they decide they want to get back together, that’s their business. I’m sure Dad doesn’t want to spend all his free time with fourteen grandchildren.”
The way she eyed me told me she figured out it was me on the other end of the phone this morning.
She clasped her hands together. “Now! Before we get into a battle of the testosterone, I’m taking the boys out back to play. They are getting rowdy in there and I’d hate to have to spank some ass because they start fighting. Liam! Marino! Y’all wanna play outside?”
They came barreling through the living room and ran past us, straight to the back door. Salima climbed off Deuce’s lap to follow them.
“You wanna bring Charm?” she asked me. “Darlyn is gonna be in that room with those new toys.”
I knew it wasn’t really a suggestion, so I stood and followed her. Once she opened the door, the boys took off for the playground out back. I followed Salima over to the swings and put Charm in. She was already grinning as I pushed the swing back and forth.
“So how long has this been a thing?” Salima asked, getting right to it.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby girl.”
She gave me a look. “Daddy, you can’t fool me, okay. I acted like your son wasn’t my man for the longest. I know when people are lying.”
I chuckled. “Is it that obvious?”
She giggled. “You oversold it, just a little. Plus, I clearly know your voice. You were all up in my girl’s ear. Nasty.”
“I’m no worse than my sons.”
“We’re just gonna say Smoke is the worst since he has five kids. He was there in spirit for Korri and Juri.”
We shared a laugh.
“Honestly, there was nothing before last night. Well… we kissed in the maze on Maceo’s birthday. You and your husband actually interrupted us.”
She gasped. “Oooo! Yall are lucky I turned Deuce around.”
“I’m not worried about that damn boy. It’s no secret how I feel about that woman. I’m tired of not having her, so I finally did something about it.”
“Good for you.” She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “I really want you two to be happy, Senior. For that, I’ll keep your son off your ass as long as I can. Once he finds out, my name is Bennett and I ain’t in it.”
I chuckled. “I appreciate that.”
“Word of advice, if y’all want to keep it a secret, you have to work on your horrible poker face.”
I laughed. That was easier said than done. Around that woman, my ass had heart eyes. I’d just be grinning and shit because I couldn’t help myself. All these years later, she still had that effect on me and it didn’t look like it was going to change any time soon.