15. Solomon
Two Days Later
I had been on an emotional high since the moment the words I do left my mouth.
It was bad enough that I was already crazy about Temple, but now I was completely obsessed.
The fact that she matched my sex drive had me head over heels in love with her. Those years as a dancer had done her justice. Her flexibility and the way her body contorted had me turning her every which way but loose.
When we had finally come up for air, I took her on the shopping spree I promised her. I didn’t even blink at the sixty-thousand dollars she’d racked up at every high-end boutique she could find.
Of course she didn’t spend it all on herself. She got her sisters, aunt, and grandmother some things too.
Before we boarded the jet this morning, I’d already added her name to my spare account and had an extra card mailed to my home. Once we got settled in at home, I would open a joint account and add money into it to start her off.
To say I was already in love was an understatement. I was already trying to contact a realtor to see about building us a home as soon as possible.
While in the back of the Uber, heading to my penthouse, Temple lay with her head on my shoulder uploading photos of us and the places we’d been while in Milan. She’d erased all the sexy photos of her in her dance attire, completely removing herself from her past life.
As much as I didn’t want to introduce her to my parents, Urina had called while we were in Italy, and Temple answered. Once Urina caught wind of me having a woman, she insisted that as soon as we got back, we come to dinner at their place.
I did kind of miss them, but I wasn’t ready to share Temple yet. Nevertheless, Temple agreed to stop by their place once we got some rest. I just prayed this dinner went well or they wouldn’t hear from me for a while.
“I have to find a job come Monday,” Temple said out of the blue.
I kissed her forehead. “You know you don’t have to clock in to nobody’s job, but if that’s what you want to do, I won’t stop you.”
She looked up at me and smiled. “I know I have a rich baby daddy now.” She laughed. “But I’d always liked to make my own money. Besides, I don’t want my new in-laws to think I’m a gold digger.”
“I don’t care what anyone thinks about you. My opinion is the only one that matters.”
“How are they? And don’t lie to me.”
I sighed and cleared my throat. “They are good people. Just very nosy. They will have questions, a lot of them. And you can be honest, choose to answer, or not answer. If it becomes too much, I’ll shut it down ASAP.”
“You make them sound bad.” She laughed.
“They’re not bad people. My moms just . .
. do too much, but it’s expected for your parents to annoy you occasionally.
” I wouldn’t taint her image of them. I wanted her to see how they were for herself and make her decision based on her own opinions if she wanted to accept them.
I, however, would rather they never meet her.
They scarred me from when I brought Arya home for Sunday dinner that one summer I felt like having a fling.
Never again.
I spared them then because Arya meant nothing, but I wouldn’t spare them when it came to my Beauty.
The Uber pulled up to my penthouse forty-five minutes later, and I had the doorman load our luggage and bags onto the carrier.
We headed inside and rode the elevator up to my spot. Once we got off, I used the key fob to open the door, then swept Temple off her feet and carried her over the threshold.
Her girlish giggles made my heart smile.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Matthews.”
She kissed me as I set her on her feet. “This is definitely a bachelor’s pad. I see I’m going to have to add some color in here.”
“Do what you want, baby. We won’t be here long anyway. Let me get the bags. Go ahead and explore.”
I kissed her again, then went back out into the hall to unload the bags.
I hadn’t realized how much we’d accumulated while in Italy.
The trip was well-needed and deserved. I had been working like a Hebrew slave this past year to keep myself busy.
Living alone and not having someone to come home to gave me too much room to think.
I didn’t like having an idle mind, so I threw myself into work until it was time to come home, eat, shower, pray, and sleep.
Now that Temp would be here as my wife, I wouldn’t mind coming home early or not going in at all if I didn’t have to.
My cell buzzed in my pocket as I lugged the first suitcase inside. I pulled it out, seeing Karon’s name on my screen, and smiled.
“Cuddy, what’s good?” I answered on the second ring.
“So, you out here caking and ain’t tell me, nigga?”
I frowned slightly and laughed. “Who told you that?”
“Nigga, you all over the ’gram. Dom told me you fell in love with a stripper and out here on your T-Pain shit. Not to mention your moms called mine a minute ago, talking about you got a girlfriend. I just had to call and confirm this unbelievable shit.” He laughed.
I looked around to make sure Temple wasn’t around before I lowered my voice and asked, “How does Dom know she was a dancer?”
He laughed again. “You really asking that question, my G? Dom’s girl is a party host. She’d hosted at Lucid plenty of times, and his ass be in there all the time. He saw her post y'all on Instagram. No lie, she's a good look for you physically, but her rep precedes her.”
“Elaborate.”
“Not like that, Cuz. Just that she was the headliner. I don’t think she was out there like you’re thinking.”
I didn't know how to feel about Dominic knowing about her. I knew her past wasn’t pretty, but she wasn't just a stripper to me. I saw beyond what I was sure most people saw of her.
“She doesn’t dance anymore. I don’t know how I feel about ya mans seeing my lady’s body parts.
” I chuckled to play off the embarrassment I felt.
Not of her, but of her past profession. I hated that they knew what she used to be, but it was done, and there was nothing I could do to erase what they knew.
Only to make sure they forgot and saw her the way I did.
“Aye, it comes with the territory, my baby. Anyway, when you bringing her by? You ain’t gotta hide her, nigga.”
“I’m not hiding her. We just got back in town. Gotta hit the parents’ big mouths crib before I bring her around the other family.”
“Fa sho, fam. Sky’s sister’s birthday is tonight. G-Lo throwing her a little private party. I know you down with G.O.D and whatnot, but come show her some love, even if it’s for a little minute.”
“I got you, Cuddy. Send me the info, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“No doubt. In a minute.”
“You got it.” I hung up and then continued the task of bringing in our luggage. Once I shut and locked the door, I checked my mail while going to search for Temple.
“Baby, where you at?”
“Right here.” I looked down the hall and found her standing by my secret room. “What’s in here?”
I leaned my shoulder against the wall and smirked. “Open it and see. The key is on top of the doorframe.”
She reached up and grabbed the key from the frame, then unlocked the door. I moved closer when she opened it and walked inside.
“Oh my!” She gasped and looked around the room.
I smirked. “Welcome to Death Row.”
“That is so not funny because it’s literal as hell. You really are a freak.”
“I never denied that fact, beloved.” I stepped in behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. In the center of the room, there was a king-sized bed with white silk sheets.
The room was lit up in blue to indicate it was not in use.
Along the back wall was a display case of every vibrator except for dildos.
On the other wall on display were nipple clamps, whips, paddles, edible panties, handcuffs, restraints, and much more.
Then the fun items, as I’d like to call them, were the swing, restraint table, and fuck bench.
Memories flooded my mind, and I shook my head to shake it off.
“Come on. We’ll explore another time.”
“How many women have you brought in here?” she asked.
“Baby . . .”
“No. Tell me.”
I didn’t want to. I could tell that her envisioning me with other women would become a problem.
She didn’t like it. I knew that much from her questions in Italy.
There was no way I wanted her harping on things I couldn’t change or thinking about how many women I brought into this very room she stood in.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because it doesn’t matter, love. You’re the only one that matters from here on out.”
“Whatever.” She pushed past me, but I caught her before she could walk away.
“Don’t do that, baby.”
“Do what? Ask my husband how many women he fucked in his sex den?”
“Watch your mouth, beautiful. You don’t want the answer to that question, baby. I know me telling you how many women I’ve bedded bothers you. I don’t want you to focus on a past that I’m trying to forget. You’re my future and the only woman who will be in here as far as I’m concerned.”
“Psh. I’m not fucking you in a room you probably had all two-hundred-four hoes in.”
I snatched her up, pinned her against the wall, and drove my tongue into her mouth. She tried to resist me, but that only worked for two seconds before her arms came around my shoulders, and she deepened the kiss. My hand went under her dress, and I ripped her panties from her ass.
A soft whimper filtered from her mouth as I continued to attack her lips while setting my mans free and slipping into her already soaking wet center.
She gasped when I pushed inside of her, nails digging into my back as I sexed her against the wall.
“Didn’t I tell you to watch your mouth, beloved?”
“Lo—”
“Nah. Answer me. Now.”
“Yesss, baby.”
“Are you going to listen to your man when I ask you to do something?” I asked, pounding into her.
“Mm-hmm, I’ll listen!”
“You promise?”
“Yesss, bae, I promise!”
I smirked and bit her bottom lip. “Good girl. Now, your baby wants you to cum on your pipe. You gon’ cum for me, Beauty?”
“Yes, baby! Right there. Don’t stop!” I grabbed two handfuls of her fat booty and helped her bounce on me. Not long after, her body tensed and walls contracted against me. I kissed her face until I captured her lips into my mouth and continued to slow-stroke her.
“You’re all I need, baby. You’re everything I ever wanted. My old life has ended, and my new life begins with you. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Those four words pulled the nut out of me, and I filled her up with our future babies. My forehead dropped to hers as we shared breaths.
“Twenty-five,” I said.
“What?”
“There’s only been twenty-five women in there.”
I set her on her feet while we fixed ourselves.
“I’m not being number twenty-six. It’s already bad enough I have to walk around the city on your arm, side-eyeing every chick that looks our way.”
“Those women were not from here. Only the twenty-five that I mentioned.”
“So you were just fucking hoes from different area codes,” she stated rather than asked.
“You promised me, Temp.”
“How do you expect me to feel, babe? This is all new to me. I don’t want to be jealous, but I am.”
I palmed her face and looked into her eyes.
“You don’t have to be, my love. I would never embarrass you or allow anyone else to do so.
” A slight smirk lifted on my face. “Your past is a bit jaded too. I have to walk around the city knowing niggas have seen you half-naked. The only difference is I’m not dwelling on it.
I know what you used to do, and that doesn’t make me not want you because of it. ”
“I’m not saying I don’t want you. We’re locked in now. So locked in, I want those broads' addresses so me and my sisters can run down on them bit—hoodrats.”
I smiled and licked my lips. “You’re so damn sexy, mamas.”
“You know what that word does to me,” she said, grabbing my manhood and sucking my bottom lip. We engaged in a heated kiss before I had her grabbing her ankles in the hall, giving her back shots. We eventually made it to the shower and went to take a much-needed nap before going to see my parents.
I just hoped things went well, or Urina and Dorian Matthews wouldn’t be happy about my decision when I cut them out of my life.