Page 51 of Essence of his Soul

It had been two years, and I was ready to explode with need. I wanted one man and one man only. Mark. I couldn’t deny it anymore. I’d made up my mind. The next time I saw him, I would tell him how I felt. A sly smile curled on my lips as I felt warmth spreading through my body at the thought.

Friends with benefits.

That way, Mark would get part of what he wanted, I’d get mine, and Tyler would have both of his parents around. It seemed like a perfect setup. Mark could visit from Maryland as often as he liked. I pulled the covers to my neck, hugging my legs to my chest. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made.What would Mark say?

I clicked off the lamp and snuggled into my pillow, feeling more at ease now that I had decided. Sleep came quickly, and before long, I was dreaming. In my dream, Mark was there, showing me exactly how much I meant to him in the only way he knew how. But then my phone rang, dragging me out of my dream.

“Hello?” I answered, my voice still groggy with sleep.

“Essence,” Mark’s deep, rich voice vibrated through the phone, instantly warming me. “Did I wake you?” he asked, sounding more tender than usual.

I sat up in bed, fingers running through my hair as if trying to shake off the dream. “No, I was... um, reading.” There was a long pause between us, thick with the unspoken.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, sensing his hesitation.

“Yes... no, not really. I wanted to see if you’d have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

I was about to decline out of habit, but then I heard my sister’s voice in my head: “Do it, Sis! Do it!” She constantly pushed me toward the things I was too scared to want. And I had already decided I wasn’t denying myself anymore.

“I’d like that,” I answered, hearing the pleasure in my voice.

“Good,” Mark replied, his warmth wrapping around me through the phone. “I’ll call you in the morning.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Sweet dreams.”

Even after he hung up, I still held the phone, smiling like a fool. His words and tone all lingered, wrapping around me like the coziest blanket.

Chapter 15

I pulled up at Essence’s house in my father’s brand-new Lexus LS 500, the engine purring like a cat that had just found the perfect spot on a sunny windowsill. The deep blue paint gleamed under the streetlights, starkly contrasting the snow gently falling, dusting everything in a blanket of white. I took a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel too tightly. I needed this night to go just right. I couldn’t afford to mess this up.

I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror, noticing the nerves written all over my face. That wasn’t the look I was going for. It felt like the first time I’d taken her out all over again. I smoothed down the lapel of my coat, trying to get a grip. After all, how hard could it be to pick up a woman for dinner? But this wasn’t just any woman. This was Essence, the mother of my son. After that heart-to-heart with Kelly, I knew I had to switch up my game—stop pushing hard and let things flow naturally. Tonight was about showing Essence that I was here for her and my son, plain and simple.

As I approached her door, the biting cold cut through me. Before I even had a chance to knock, the door opened, and there she was, looking like a vision in that deep green sweater dress that hugged her curves just right. Her eyes lit up like the Christmas lights in Rockefeller Center.

“Hey,” I said, my voice rougher than I’d planned.

“Mark,” she greeted, her voice smooth and sweet, like honey dripping off a spoon. There was a hint of surprise in her tone, maybe even a touch of nerves, which made me smile.

“You look amazing.” For a second, I forgot about the cold, my nerves, everything. It was just her.

“Thank you,” she replied, her eyes locking onto mine. There was a softness there, an openness that hadn’t been there before, and it gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, I was finally getting through to her.

“As much as your beauty warms my soul, it’s kind of nippy out here,” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, blushing as she stepped aside to let me in. As I closed the door behind me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight was the beginning of something new, something I’d been waiting for without even realizing it.

“You look fabulous,” I said, my dimples deepening as I spoke. “That color on you takes my breath away.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she flirted back, innocently batting her eyes at me.

That was my cue to get this evening started. “You ready?”

“I’m ready,” she nodded, then entered the closet for a long wool coat I helped her into. She locked up, and I took her hand and led her down the steps to the car.

“It belongs to Pop,” I commented when I noticed she was looking for my Denali.

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