Chapter 17
T reason lay next to me, looking so sweet and peaceful. I found myself counting the silver curls of hair sprinkled throughout his beard. There were just enough to show he was seasoned but still in his prime.
Only a well-seasoned man could deliver words that made it hard to rest at night.
“Let me take care of you.”
“This can be terrifying… or the most freeing shit you’ve ever felt.”
“Scream for me, Blue. Show me how pretty you are when you cum.”
I should’ve said no, but it was impossible to resist how Tre praised and begged. The way he dragged his teeth over my earlobe caused a change of plans. My walls came down so fast I admitted something I never said out loud.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had an orgasm before you.”
I scolded him about working on his iPad when he shouldn’t have been. Tre claimed he had an election to win, so he could set me free. Maybe it was the distraction that made me comfortable admitting it.
His eyes didn’t leave that iPad, but his smile warmed the room so much I pulled the comforter down from my shoulders. “If you gotta think about it, you haven’t. You don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
That was the problem. I’d had a taste of sex, if you could even call it that.
The real kind fueled by passion. Nothing was one-sided, and on the days it was, it was always in my favor.
I thought Tre was bullshitting like most men when he said he just wanted to please me.
Whether his dick or tongue, he proved it every time he entered me.
I watched him lying next to me with a pillow stuffed under his chin.
The muscles in his arms brought on memories of them keeping my knees apart like stirrups.
The swipe of his tongue. Sensual pulls on my clit that drove me fuckin’ crazy.
So crazy that I was lying here envisioning our future together.
Then I was pulled from visions of our future together by his snoring, and the cycle repeated itself until the sun crept through the blinds, waking Treason.
“Damn, that was some good sleep,” he smirked, rolling on his back, “Morning.”
“Good morning.”
He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t know what to say. Instead, we sat in the silence, exchanging goofy ass facial expressions. When Treason had had enough, he grabbed the pillow and swung it at me.
“Stop looking at me with those damn eyes, making me helpless and shit.”
“Got a taste and now you don’t know how to sleep alone anymore.”
“You trynna’ kick me out your spot?”
“Snore like you did last night, and you’re getting out.”
“I kept you up?” He smiled over his shoulder after swinging his feet to the floor.
It wasn’t the snoring that did it. The peace on his face made my mind wander to the darkest corners of our arraignment as if some of that peace would rub off on me.
Or did Treason mean the shit he spewed when eyes weren’t watching us?
There were so many sides to him, I wasn’t sure which one was genuine because he was so damn convincing.
“Yeah, you did, and I have a lot to do today thanks to you,” I lied because lying was my first language. Emotions were a language I never mastered. There was no room for them in Sloane’s home, so I learned early to soldier on, while that was a lot harder for Rayven.
“What did I do now, Blue?”
Treason never let it bother him. He just focused on the subject, rather than the emotion or lack thereof that stemmed from it.
“Since the news reported me helping Shira, there’s been an influx of women needing The Green Ribbon Project’s help. Oh, and Miss. Dot has started leaving me messages with your assistant.”
“Good, she’s keeping you busy. You get in trouble when you’re idle too long.” I squinted, flipping my middle finger. “Come on, I got something for you.”
Treason climbed to his feet and padded to his bedroom, and I followed. He pulled the drawer open, and I smiled at the half-eaten bag of Haribo.
“My very own black card,” I gushed, taking the card from him and tossing it in my hand. “It's a little lighter than I’m used to, but it’ll do.”
My sarcasm always seemed to amuse him.. “How often did you hold the cards you stole from?”
“It was for a good cause.”
He shook his head, standing up to get another long day started, “That doesn’t give you the right to take people’s shit.”
“Now, I don’t have to. Thanks, Tre.”
“Told you I got you, Blue.”
Getting ready didn’t take as long without the distraction of good lighting and additional counter space. Standing in the mirror, I slipped the earrings in, and they added the perfect touch to my outfit.
“Where’s the coffee you ordered?” Treason asked at the sound of my heels nearing the kitchen.
“I didn’t. You’re switching to tea.”
Ward’s laugh filled the room while Treason looked at me like I was insane.
“No, the fuck I’m not.”
“As long as I’m living here, you are,” I maintained before turning to Ward, “And don’t make any coffee runs for him either.”
“Ward doesn’t work for you,” Treason fussed, while I rested my hip on the counter, watching his tantrum.
“Should’ve slept in your bed, maybe you wouldn’t be so grumpy,” I taunted, causing his top lip to curl.
Ward was startled by my bluntness, while Treason peered back, letting me know he had one nerve left, and I was tapping on it.
“I need to holla at you about something. Hit me when y’all are done,” Treason announced.
“He wouldn’t need to if you’d stop hovering. Where’s all the trust we talked about?”
“You tell me. Do we trust each other?”
“I don’t need Ward chauffeuring me,” I reiterated.
“Guess we don’t have trust after all.” Treason smirked, “I didn’t think you’d have a problem. You don’t give him your ass to kiss nearly as much as you do me.”
Treason stood in front of me, looking down firmly with his hands in his pockets. My eyes rolled, but his nearness created an overwhelming tingle in my stomach.
Then he gathered me into his arms, “Can I?” he asked, leaning in a fraction.
We were past the boundaries of asking for affection, but Tre was an asshole.
Whenever he got the itch to remind me of how far we’d come, he asked just to hear me say yes.
He didn’t hesitate, swooping in to capture my lips.
I couldn’t disguise my body’s reaction to drinking his affection while swapping spit.
“Save that shit for later. I have a job to do,” Ward cut in.
He leaned over, kissing the tip of my nose, then headed for the kitchen.
“Have a good day. I’ll see you later.”
Nodding, Treason let me go with a pat on the ass. I grabbed my purse and walked to the elevator with Ward behind me. The drive was quiet, which Ward and I both liked, until he parked along the curb.
“I’ll be out here whenever you’re ready,” Ward announced over his shoulder.
I might’ve changed my mind if I had waited for Ward to open it.
I quickly climbed out before I could and walked inside at Daige’s suggestion that I attend the Women’s League meeting today.
They were the social club of Madison Pointe, claiming to be deeply invested in supporting causes in need.
Following the signs to a floral-themed room, it looked like an excuse for bored wives to commune, drink, and talk shit about others.
“Hey Navie.” I turned to my name, and Yassah walked over.
“Hey,” I replied, slowly because I didn’t know her, but she said my name like she knew me.
“Sorry, I’m Yassah Langston. Jaleb’s sister,” I nodded, connecting the dots, “Fallon told me you would be here. You can sit with me, if you want.”
Searching the room, Yassah was the only semi-familiar face in a sea of fake smiles and shady conversations. Daige wasn’t here yet, so I accepted her invitation. She eventually excused herself to make rounds, leaving me to the vultures eager for details on my relationship with Treason.
Their questions made me realize how much we hadn’t discussed our relationship. I wasn’t an amateur, so they couldn’t tell when I gave vague responses. Nearing my max, I searched the room for the vice president, Jazmeen Douglas, so that I could get out of here.
“I can’t believe it. Navie Dixon, here in the flesh.” I didn’t recognize the woman who walked over, saying my name so comfortably.
“Excuse me.”
“Evina Strathmore.”
Lorenzo’s new wife.
“I’m looking for Jazmeen Douglas,” I replied, sticking to the point of my visit. Her announcing herself didn’t mean a fuckin’ thing to me.
“I don’t care what scheme you’re running with Treason. Just keep Lorenzo’s name out of it.”
I knew the depths of Lorenzo’s manipulation, so I tried not to judge Evina. He had a gift that made her see me as a threat to whatever lie she wanted to tell herself. Accepting the truth would make her see herself as a victim too, and I knew how hard that was to accept.
“I wouldn’t piss on that nigga if he was on fire, let alone bring him into a conversation. That’s the media, baby. I’m the least of your worries.”
“Do I have to worry about you feeding them your lies?”
“ Lies ?”
“Is everything okay, Rie?” Another woman approached. Reading Jazmeen’s name tag, she was who I was looking for.
“Yeah, I’m good. I think I made myself clear.”
“I came here because there’s women and children in need of help, but if you want your ass beat, I can give you that too,” I warned, because Sloane might’ve raised a manipulative con artist, she didn’t raise a bitch.
“Your mother is Sloane Bishop,” Jazmeen pointed out.
From the contempt in her tone, I knew this wouldn’t be a friendly walk down memory lane, so I didn’t reply.
“She’s conned so many men you don’t even remember,” Jazmeen laughed, shaking her head, “Richard Douglas. He was her fourth husband. Or third, it’s hard to keep track.”
Third , but I didn’t bother correcting her. Richard was nice but had a cigarette habit so severe that my stomach still curled at the scent.
“What is your point?”
“Your conniving ass mother got in his head. He changed his will, leaving everything to her instead of his flesh and blood.”