Page 22 of Desire

I was aware of Aziel’s dating habits, so this post didn’t surprise me. Even though it stung a bit, I ventured into the comments.

angeleyes24: I’m from OC, and that man gets around.

udontknowme7: Damn, if our mayor looked like that, he’d forever have my vote.

imnotthe12or3: He ain’t the committing type. I feel sorry for the woman he married.

idoitbetter247: That man ain’t got a faithful bone in his body. He was dating two of my friends at the same time.

The comments seemed never-ending, and I had to stop myself from going further down the rabbit hole. Aziel had no control over what people said or thought about him. Instead of addressing what I’d seen, I turned my phone off.

The day seemed to go on forever, although it was late afternoon when we pulled in front of Aziel’s home. It was a mini-mansion, and I was impressed. However, I couldn’t focus on the beauty of his home because my attention was elsewhere.

“What’s all this?”

About eight news vans were parked on the street in front of Aziel’s house. One of them had the audacity to block the gate for entry.

“Looks like the news of our nuptials might have gotten out.”

“Umm, is that good or bad? I can’t imagine it being reason enough for all this.”

“Onyx City is the biggest city in the state, hell, in all of the southern states, period, and I’m the mayor. This is big news.”

“Okay, so are you going to talk to them?”

“Not today. I have a press conference scheduled for tomorrow morning. They’ll have to wait.”

“On a Sunday?”

“You don’t think Sunday is a good day?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea, but it seems strange.”

“Sunday wouldn’t be my first choice, but it has to be done sooner rather than later.”

He leaned forward and whispered something to Mark, his driver and security, who got out of the truck and addressed the person in the van blocking the entry. By the time Mark returned, the van had driven away. The gate opened after he entered the passcode, and we drove onto the property.

“Your house is beautiful. I can’t wait to see the inside.”

“This is our house. If you don’t like what you see inside, you can make any changes you see fit.”

He led me inside, and I was even more impressed than I was with the outside. Before going to our bedroom, he gave me a tour. There were six bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, a dining room, a formal living room, a family room, a small theater room that could also be used as a game room, a massive eat-in kitchen, and an office.

“I love it,” I told him as I headed to the bedroom we would share.

“You didn’t see anything you want to change?”

“Not really. Your designer did a great job.”

“She charged an arm and a leg, so she better had. However, let’s see if you feel the same about our bedroom.”

We entered, and I looked around while he waited for my reaction. The room was massive, and the bathroom and walk-in closet were each large enough to fit the bedroom inside my apartment. The décor was too dark for my taste, but it was nice.

“It could definitely use a feminine touch, but?—”

“Whatever you want to do, do it. This is your home now, and I want you to be comfortable.”

We’d discussed our living arrangements while laying out by the pool in Turks and Caicos. I didn’t know why I thought I’d go back to my apartment, and when I mentioned it, Aziel shut those thoughts down immediately.

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