Chapter 4 #5
My father loved me in the rational sense, but there was a father-shaped hole in my heart that was starved from his lack of attention and affection. Meeting Corey had come at such a vulnerable time.
“So, BLVCKJVCK living up to its reputation by your standard?” Ezekiel was curious to know.
“And then some, this whole setup is gorgeous. I’ve only seen three areas, but this suite is my favorite.” The Spade Suite was perfect for those introverts who got dragged out for a night on the town and wanted a moment to breathe.
“Happy to hear,” Ezekiel said. “This is my favorite spot here, too.”
He seemed like the life of the party. I would’ve guessed he preferred the Club Suite.
“You ever…go to the Heart Suite?” I dared to ask.
Ezekiel shrugged. “Yeah.”
Of course.
Ezekiel chuckled and nudged me. “I go in there to make sure things are in order and everything is straight. As I told you, I mostly run this place, and if I was going to have sex in my club, why wouldn’t I take her to my office before slumming it in the Heart Suite?”
I could only assume the Heart Suite held beds or furniture more appropriate than an office. “What would make the office more suitable?”
Ezekiel’s gaze held mine. “Well, for starters, there’s the desk.”
“The desk,” I repeated, intrigued.
“Yeah, I’d rather take someone to the office and bend her over my desk. It’s perfect for giving nice, hard back shots.”
I swallowed. “Hard?”
The light conversation had evaded us, as a much heavier one took its place. “Only way to do it.”
His words weren’t surprising. It seemed like men only knew one way to get down, and it was always self-serving.
“Oh yeah, never soft, just fast and rough,” I said dryly. “I bet you don’t even bother with foreplay and oral, huh? You just like to get right down to it?”
Ezekiel settled back and looked around the roof as he took a sip of his beer. “Head? Depends on if you’re worth it.”
Now he sounded like Corey, who never seemed in the mood to return the favor.
I narrowed my eyes. “But I bet you just love and demand yours, huh?”
He seemed offended as he came back to me. “Nah, my shit nice. I don’t even gotta ask. One look will have you wanting to take a lick.”
A tremor radiated through me and my body felt hot. Something about the matter-of-fact way that he spoke did something to me. “Sure.”
Ezekiel sat up straight, leaning close as he sized me up slowly. “I’m picky on who I give it to and who gives it to me, which I’m sure you are, too. Now, my appetite all depends on your aura, your vibe, but when I eat, Nastasia, I devour.”
The thing that was painfully obvious about Ezekiel, was that he oozed confidence.
It rolled off him in intoxicating waves.
He didn’t have to try, he just was. He was so at ease with himself as he spoke and just existed.
I envied it and the way I couldn’t control how it turned me on.
His energy and heat were overwhelming, intimidating, and I squirmed just a little as I crossed my legs.
He noticed and I bit my lip, trying to let the cool air hit me.
Peabo Bryson was on and the night seemed to get warmer, darker, casting a feeling deep in my gut I couldn’t shake.
There was a miniature me on my right shoulder, dressed in a revealing red jumpsuit and sporting Devil horns, encouraging me to “Get the dick!” While the other me on my left shoulder, dressed in a virginal—ha!
—white gown, complete with a golden halo above her head, had her hands clasped as if in prayer. “Don’t do it, chile!” she begged.
I could feel Ezekiel without touching him, and I wondered if it was the same for him. The energy between us held a fierce charge and I wanted to experience it naked, with our bodies colliding together creating sparks.
I needed some dick in my life.
But I was a coward, so I simply decided to go home where I would help myself.
So, stupidly, I stood up, tossing Ezekiel a sad smile. You suck, Nas! “I should let you get back to your birthday.”
Ezekiel frowned as he stood and hovered over me. He dug his phone out of his pocket and merely glanced at the screen before shoving it back into his pants. It was the fifth time I’d seen him do that.
Ezekiel gave me his full attention. “Why you say it like that?”
“I mean, this is nice and all, but you could probably find a sure thing down there instead of settling for movie mumbo jumbo with me.”
“I was having fun talking ‘movie mumbo jumbo,’ ” Ezekiel said.
Who didn’t like getting laid on their birthday? “Ezekiel.”
He gave me a bitter smile. “So, it’s a no?”
“Unfortunately.”
He took a step closer and I could smell his cologne: Climb into My Sheets No. 5. “All right, I’ll accept that. But it is my birthday.”
“So it is.”
“And I don’t want a sure thing downstairs,” Ezekiel said. “I didn’t get my one wish tonight, but I’d feel better if I could at least get your number.”
He was handling my rejection easy, and now he came back swinging with a request for my number.
He was twenty-eight with no kids, and a proud cat dad. A good-looking cat dad.
I liked the way he talked, the way he carried himself, the way he looked out for me in taking me out of Corey’s eyesight.
Even if I didn’t sleep with him tonight, I could always give him my number for another opportunity.
I couldn’t lie. I definitely got a little wet when he talked about his preferred method of fucking.
And I did want to see all that shit I’d heard.
“Or, I could give you mine and you could call me when you watch The Godfather,” Ezekiel went on when I took too long to respond.
This was easier. Because I did have more incentive to finally watch Coppola’s masterpiece.
I gathered my phone and waited as he recited his number digit by digit. When it came to his contact, I typed in his first name. “What do people call you?”
“Any and everything—E, Eazy, Eaze. Whatever’s cool with me.”
A man of many names. “I like Ezekiel, and Zeke.”
“What about you?”
“Nas.”
“Nas? Like Nasir Jones?”
I started rapping Nas’s “Made You Look,” and Ezekiel joined in, finishing the first verse before I could.
He reached out, slapping his palm against mine and locking our fingers. “Aw, shit, you nice.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I’m a’ight.”
I saved Ezekiel’s number in my phone and pitched my empty cup as Ezekiel returned the wineglass to the bartender.
Together we boarded the elevator once more and descended back down to the Diamond Suite.
“Okay, Nasty Nas,” Ezekiel joked, sizing me up as we stood outside the VIP entrance.
“Okay, Freekey Zekey,” I shot back.
He grinned, just all gorgeous and shit. “Dipset dope.”
“As is Nas.”
Ezekiel ran that pink tongue of his over those nice-ass lips, and if I had any guts at all I would’ve taken him to the Heart Suite and fucked him for my own peace of mind.
Three words. One-night stand.
I was definitely going to regret turning him down in the morning. I internally scolded myself for not taking Paisley’s advice.
Paisley and Cesar were sitting with the Dymonds and their crew by the time we entered the Diamond Suite.
As if we shared telepathy, Paisley took one look at me and came over to us, knowing it was time to go.
Ezekiel shook hands with her again, closing his over hers. “I mean it, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
In Paisley’s hands was a VIP pass. Cesar had made good on his word in securing her own golden ticket.
Paisley pointed at Ezekiel with her pass. “It was great meeting you, too. Thanks for looking out.”
“Never a problem. I wanna do business with you. I’ve been wanting to do business with you. Thursdays are thematic, and you gotta host a Ladies’ Night for us,” Ezekiel said. “We can talk later, though. You can get my number from Nastasia.”
“How much you talking? I need to know now before I consider calling,” Paisley let him know.
Ezekiel didn’t break a sweat, coolly switching to business mode. “You would promote it on your show, as would we on our socials, and I’d curate an all-female playlist, for five.”
“I’d heavily promote it on my show, as you would on your socials, I’ll stay for three hours, and I’ll curate an all-female playlist for seven.”
Ezekiel smiled and tucked his hands into his pockets. “You can get my number from Nastasia. I’ll run things by Pops and draw up a contract so we can cut a check.” He tipped his head toward me. “Have a nice night, Nas.”
Paisley led the way out of the room, and like heated daggers, I could feel Ezekiel’s eyes on me as we made our exit.