Chapter 4
My feelings were all over the place, to the point I didn’t know how I felt. Well, I didn’t know what I felt more. Even with me having the slight warning that Wicked was a free man, I hadn’t had time to process that, and now here he was . . . in the flesh.
At first, I was shocked more than anything.
Then, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness.
After that, I was angry. Angry that ten years had gone by and I hadn’t seen his face, heard his voice, or gotten anything beyond the letter he sent offering his condolences.
Wicked spent more time talking to my father before he passed than to me, and if we were to be honest, my father was the reason we couldn’t date while we were in high school.
While I didn’t blame my father too much for that because I knew he was trying to protect me, I did resent him for a short period because I felt like I was robbed of time to be with him.
Plus, if I’d been allowed to date Wicked, I wouldn’t have entertained Mario.
I truly believed everything happened for a reason, though, and that’s what allowed me to stop that pattern of thinking years ago.
I didn’t blame anyone for that day and Mario’s actions but him.
Well, I did blame myself for dating an older man behind my parents’ back, but I’d forgiven myself for that.
Here Wicked stood . . . in the flesh.
Wicked as a teenaged boy was handsome in that make me nervous around him kind of way.
Wicked the grown man? With his thick, muscular build, long hair in plaits, and dark chocolate skin?
Those blunt brown lips, dark eyes, and naturally arched brows?
Grown man Wicked had my pussy leaking, nipples hard, and body heating.
Chris may have hated Wicked, his family, and his motorcycle club, but I never could.
Not for the reasons he thought at least. The only thing I held against the man standing in front of me was him ignoring me for years.
He made me feel desperate for wanting to talk to him, and that wasn’t something his presence alone would make me get over.
So as happy as I was to see him, and as much as I appreciated finally being able to thank him in person, I was ready for his ass to go.
“Jelai,” he called, and though his voice was firm, it was still somehow gentle and nonthreatening.
“Hmm?” I hummed before clearing my throat. It was ridiculous how attracted to Wicked I was. You’d think a decade passing would have made my feelings for him fade away, but the opposite happened.
“I asked why you don’t have anything to say to me.”
“Seeing as you let a whole decade pass without talking to me, I’m not sure what we have to talk about now.”
His playful smirk made me tug my bottom lip between my teeth. As much shit as I was talking, I was also ready to bust it wide open if he even gave me a hint that he wanted my pussy.
“I did that for you,” he assured me, brushing his thumb against my cheek, making me shudder. “For us.”
“How could you ignoring me be for me?” I asked, shifting my weight to one leg.
“You’ve always been mine, bae. I knew if we talked, we’d get more attached to each other.
You deserved better than holding ya man down for a decade.
I couldn’t have been the partner you needed behind those bars, though I made sure I worked on myself so I could be him when I got out.
” He stepped in front of me, closing the space between us.
My eyes fluttered and mouth opened slightly in desire.
“But as you can see, I’m here now, and I’m willing to put in the work so we can explore what’s been between us for all this time. ”
“You’re very cocky to assume I feel anything for you anymore.”
He gave me that wicked smile. “Tell me your heart and pussy don’t belong to me, and I’ll never bother you again.
” My mouth opened and closed, but looking into his eyes, I was hypnotized.
When Wicked realized I couldn’t say that truthfully, his head bobbed before he lowered his lips to my ear.
“I’ll leave now, but I’m coming back for you, Jelai. ”
When he placed a gentle kiss on my neck, I had to bite back a moan and make fists to keep from reaching out to him as he walked away. I stood there for I don’t know how long after he walked away, not moving until he rode by on his motorcycle.
“Shit,” I muttered before running up the stairs.
I finished getting ready as quickly as I could, then quickly yet safely made my way to the restaurant.
By the time I made it, I was forty-five minutes late.
I apologized to Boris and Kayla since they had to cover my section before I quickly dropped my personal items in my locker and clocked in.
The first hour of my shift went by in a blur.
I was present, but I couldn’t believe Wicked was out and that he’d come to me.
I was so out of it I didn’t even notice my best friend was in my section until I went to her table.
She picked up on it immediately and said, “About time you noticed me. What’s up with you?”
For a while, I considered what I wanted to tell her. Back in the day, Ashley was all for my shenanigans when it came to boys. The situation with Mario changed both of us. I didn’t know how she’d react to Wicked coming to see me, so I decided to keep that to myself for now.
Plopping down in the booth across from her, I sighed. “It’s Wicked. He’s back.”
It took her a few seconds to process that, but when she did, she gasped and sat up in her seat. “What? Are you serious!”
“Girl, yes. Chris stopped by and gave me a heads up. He told me to stay away from him and all that jazz, but yeah. He’s out.”
“Damn, sis. How do you feel?”
Her question was the opportunity I needed to try and process my feelings, but I was still all over the place.
“Conflicted. Happy and grateful but pissed that he ignored me. At peace that he’s out and unsure if I want him around.
I mean, of course I think I want him around, but I don’t know.
What if he’s different now? What if it’s nothing like my fantasies?
What if he and The Wilted Roses are as dangerous as Chris says and something happens? I’m all over the place.”
“Well, it’s not like you have to see and deal with him or anything. Just process him being out and let that be that.”
All I did was smile.
She had no idea.
That man had already pulled up on me and claimed me, and I had a feeling I’d be seeing Wicked again real soon.