Chapter 12
I sighed heavily as I entered my house. My uber had dropped me off after a four-day trip to the beach.
After I left Deuce and Salima’s house and the conversation with my girls, I had to get the hell away.
True, I was grown, but I knew I was gonna have smoke with my son about his daddy.
I guess I should say his daddy was going to have smoke with him about me.
Deuce was overprotective of me, especially when it came to Senior.
He’d been old enough to understand the many break up to make up acts we’d done in the past. He’d seen the tears of me leaving the man I loved, not because he wouldn’t do right, but because he couldn’t balance work and life. It wasn’t that I wanted him to give up a good cause.
I didn’t.
The street game, yes. But his organization, no. I loved that he took protecting those who didn’t have protection so passionately. There were too many sick muthafuckas in this world that got away with despicable things. Somebody had to hold them accountable.
I just wanted him to scale it back some. He didn’t need the money because money was always good and plenty. He had a team and he could delegate. He chose to be in the field because it gave him a rush. I couldn’t handle him being gone so much or out all hours of the night as we got older.
We had a son. He had other children. We needed him and while he was very much present for the kids, it just wasn’t enough for me. That’s why I turned down those six proposals. Until he was ready to be a family, he couldn’t have me as a wife.
I wasn’t hurt that when he started dating Tavia or Allison because I was dating too.
He was a single man, and I was a single woman doing whatever the fuck I wanted during that time.
I didn’t have beef with either of them because why?
People loved to call us sister wives because of the way we chose to raise our kids together, but that never fazed me.
Those kids didn’t ask to be here, and they deserved to be raised together with love. That’s what we did. Tavia and Allison became my best friends, my comfort, my sisters. They had been that for umpteen years, and it wasn’t going to change.
It was no surprise that they supported Senior and I possibly reconciling.
Shit, they didn’t want his ass. Deuce was another story.
He was and had always been vocal about that never happening.
The day I went over there after sleeping with his father, my son kept staring daggers at me any time we were in the same space.
It was like he knew something was up, but he didn’t say anything. Salima knew for sure and she let me know that the moment we were alone. No surprise, my daughter in-law approved. She was sweet like that and a hopeless romantic. She was the one kicking us under the table when we got too friendly.
It was too easy to fall back into old mannerisms with that man.
We hadn’t even made things official. I told him he had to date me.
He wasn’t mine just yet, but I had the strong urge touch and kiss him every time he came near me.
We were so close to giving ourselves away at dinner and Deuce noticed it.
Not only that, he called his father out on it. Senior played it off in a joking manner like he always did, but we both knew Deuce was serious. Him finding out was something I wasn’t looking forward to. Still… what was done in the dark would come to the light. Secrets didn’t stay secrets forever.
My daughter in-law was the only person that knew where I was the last four days.
Why? Because she knew how to keep her mouth shut about shit.
She understood needing space to get your mind right.
Her husband didn’t and that was a proven fact by the way he broke into her apartment when she tried to break up with him.
I mean, it wasn’t really breaking in if he had a key, but still. He didn’t let my girl breathe.
I turned on the lamp in my living room and damn near jumped out of my skin.
“Hey, baby,” Senior said, from my recliner.
“Senior, what the fuck are you doing in my house!”
“You’ve been ignoring me, so I had to see what’s up with you.” His gaze dropped to my suitcase. “Where you been, love?”
“Away.”
“Stephanie.”
“Stanley.”
He chuckled as he pushed off from the chair and stood to his feet. Slowly, he crossed the room until he was in front of me. Cupping my chin, he forced my eyes to meet his.
“We playing games?” he asked, stroking my hair. “That’s what we doing, my love?”
I swallowed hard. “No.”
“Oh really? Cause you been M.I.A for four days. I almost sent the calvary after you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stanley, please.”
I tried to push him away, but he pinned me between him and the door.
“Why are you running from me already?”
“I’m not.”
His hand dropped to my neck as he backed me up against the door.
“Bullshit, baby. Tell me why you’re running and make it good.”
I couldn’t form a sentence as he dropped kisses on my neck and collarbone while his free hand roamed my body. He bunched up my sundress until it was over my ass. His hand then slid up under it and his thumb grazed the seat of my panties. My body shuddered as he pressed against my clit.
“Senior… please.”
“I’m waiting on an answer.”
His hand dropped from my neck, to the breast part of my dress. I wasn’t wearing a bra, so when he pulled the front down, my breasts popped free, one then the other. He moaned as he sucked the right one while pinching the left one, all while stroking my clit through my panties.
“Why you wanna run from my love, Steph?” he asked, as he moved to the left nipple.
“D-Deuce. I don’t wanna fight with him about this.”
He peered down at me. “I don’t give a fuck what he has to say.
I’ve spent too many years of my life not having you and watching another man love you.
You deserved that, Steph. I wanted you to experience a great love, even if it didn’t come from me.
I said that and I meant it. I also meant it when I said I’m coming for what’s mine.
” He cupped my chin. “You’re what’s mine. Deuce be damned.”
He kissed me again with so much passion that it had my legs trembling.
“Stanley…”
“What’s my name to you, Steph?”
“Oooo…” I moaned as he circled my clit with his thumb. “Mpendwa.”
I called him beloved in Swahili. It started when we were younger, and he was just teaching me the language. I was so in love with this man that I thought he was my everything. He taught me the word, and I loved it so much that it stuck.
“That’s right. Mpendwa. You called me that and think you can run from me?” He moved my panties to the side and slid two fingers into me. “No more fucking running. Every time you get scared or start having doubts, you run from me. We ain’t even finna start that shit again. You understand me?”
I nodded.
“Used your words, baby,” he said, stroking my center.
“I understand… I understand. Stanley… shit!”
He lifted my leg, allowing his fingers to sink deeper.
Right there against my front door, this man made me come undone.
When he pulled his hand away, he sucked my juices from his fingers before shoving his tongue in my mouth.
He kissed me roughly with so much want and need that I was ready for him to pull it out and give it to me right them.
I stood there panting heavily when he pulled away.
“Come on here and let me run you a bath. You can tell me where you be hiding. I almost got Jaeda to track your ass down.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up, Stanley.”
He laughed as he grabbed my bags and led me to my bedroom. While I undressed, he did as he said and ran me a nice, hot, bubble bath. As I slid into the tub, he disappeared from the bathroom, returning shortly with a glass of wine and a lit blunt. He handed the glass to me and sat on the toilet.
As I soaked, I told him about my impromptu vacation.
I’d booked a last-minute flight to Miami.
The only thing I did the entire four days was eat, sleep, and relax on the beach.
I turned off my phone and just basked in my alone time.
Since Aaron died, I’d been doing that a lot.
I’d lived so much of life with that man.
We were always doing something whether it was going away for a weekend, taking a day trip, or finding something to do around town.
There were never any dull moments with him.
Sitting here with Senior made me realize we hadn’t had any dull moments either.
While life had been a little chaotic with him at times, I still enjoyed most moments I spent with him.
Once the bath water ran cold, Senior drained the tub and turned on the shower for me.
I wasn’t surprised when he stripped down to join me inside.
A little kissing and touching lead to me with my back against the wall and my legs around his waist with him deep inside me.
His stamina was nothing like our first night back together.
Tonight, he took me in the shower the bed, up against the wall, the kitchen island when we called ourselves pausing for a snack, the back of the couch, and back to the bed again.
Currently, I was laying against his chest, hair all over my damn head.
He lay with one harm behind his head, the other around me, and his eyes closed.
Soft music served as our background noise.
I stared up at him, admiring his features.
My nails gently stroked his beard. It was crazy that we were back here.
It was different this time. We were different.
There weren’t any kids to raise. No significant others.
No work getting in the way. For the first time in a long time, we only had ourselves.
“Why are you staring at me like a creep?” Senior asked.
“Are you not mine to stare at?” I countered.
One of his eyes opened and he peered down at me with a smirk. “You right.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead and wrapped his other arm around me. “Look at you claiming me like you didn’t abandon me for four days.”
I playfully slapped his chest. “Did you not make me apologize for that?”
“It didn’t have to happen though, love. We’re turning over a new leaf. We can’t bring the shit we used to do into this.”
The truth was, I ran because I was afraid.
I sighed. “You’re right.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I said you’re right, Stanley.”
He grinned. “That’s what I thought. Stubborn ass. You wonder where our son gets it from. You, woman.”
I rolled my eyes as I snuggled closer to him. For a while, it was quiet between us. He softly sung along with the music while rubbing my back. My body completely relaxed against him.
“Can I tell you something?” I said softly.
“What’s that?”
“Aaron low key gave us permission to be together if something happened to him.”
He chuckled. “Really?”
“He did. It was a few months before his death. He called me in his office to read over his will and remind me where all his important paperwork was. I said something about getting married so late in life and he reminded me that I could have been married if I hadn’t turned down six proposals from you. ”
“I mean, the man wasn’t wrong.”
“Shut up, Stanley. Anyway, he said you told him it would always be smoke behind me and he wouldn’t be mad if you picked up the pieces when he was gone.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew you would love and take care of me.”
“See, now we can’t disappoint a dead man. Not after he gave his blessing. I knew I liked that nigga.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, now you like him?”
“Aaron was my guy. It was always love when we were around each other. Was I jealous he had you? Absolutely the fuck yes. But if it wasn’t me, I was glad it could be him.
He was good to you and my son. You were happy and that was what mattered to me over all.
You know somebody is gonna start some shit when we go public right? ”
I huffed as I turned over so I could be the little spoon. “Probably Kathy’s ass. I’m gonna put hands on her at some point. I can feel it.”
“Nah, you too pretty to be fighting. Let Daddy handle it. I’ll show her a magic trick and make that ass disappear.”
I giggled. “Okay, Daddy.”
He pulled me closer to him and nuzzled his nose against my ear. “Come on and go to sleep. You and that Nyquil and I’m sleepy as hell right now.”
“Shut up, Stanley.”