Page 38 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings
Cambrie could damn sure hear him, but she just laughed it off and went to the sink to finish loading the dishwasher.
“That freelance agency sent her,” I replied, laughing with him as we moved through the arched entryway to the dining room. “Crazy part is I ran into her last night at the grocery store with the kids. Rogue almost got his ass beat, but she knew how to deal with him. She just happened to show up here for the interview this afternoon. Her references are legit too.”
“So is that body. Gahdamn!” Brick declared. “I don’t know about having that kind of temptation around.” He shook his head.
“It ain’t about that. I think she’s a good fit for the kids. We agreed to a 30-day trial.”
“Right, right… a good fit for the kids. Nigga, if she was ugly, she wouldn’t be here.”
“Shut up.” I nudged him playfully and reached for a slice of supreme pizza from the box.
“A stack says you smash that shit before the trial is up.” Brick bit into a slice of pepperoni.
The vibe in the house had already changed off her presence alone. A lot of women nowadays were always so hard and going off about not needing a man and all that feministic bullshit. It was rare to find a woman who was soft and nurturing, but Cambrie embodied that, and it was sexy. Resisting her was damn sure going to be a task, but I’d always been up for a challenge.
Ivo
“What you thinking about?” Pecking Emerald’s shoulder, I hugged her tighter in my arms while spooning her.
For years, I wondered what it would be like to be with her like this. I’d been folding her like lawn furniture for the last two hours. We moved in sync, never missing a beat. By my count, she came at least five times before tapping out. Wiggling out of my arms, she sat up on the side of her bed with her back to me. Her room was simple, with just her bed and a dresser with a mirror attached. There was a calendar on the wall near the door where she kept track of bills and appointments or games for her brother, but other than that, she didn’t have a lot of personal touches. A basket for laundry sat in a corner, and beside it a small, purple accent chair that she tossed clothes on.
“You have to go.” Emerald gathered the wrinkled sheet and wrapped it around her.
“What?”
“I can’t do this, Ivo. You need to leave,” she cried, covering her mouth and shaking her head.
Trembling with tears building in her eyes, she went to the door and yanked it open.
“Em, what you mean?—”
“No! This is wrong!” she shrieked, still shaking her head.
Jumping up from her bed, I met her at the door.
“Calm down, aight.” I grabbed her by both arms and drew her closer.
“Calm down?” She pulled away. “You are married. You got a whole wife at home probably waiting on you and happy about the fact that you found a surrogate to carry a baby that she’s been wanting for who knows how long. It’s not right! I can’t do this!”
“I can’t just walk away from you.”
“You don’t have a choice,” she whispered, pain flickering through her bright hazel eyes.
I could tell she was fresh with the emotions, especially after consummating what had lingered between us for so long. I didn’t want to come down from the levels of dopamine she provided just being around her, but she was forcing me into some harsh realities right now. When my phone went off, I snatched my slacks off the floor and fished it out of my pocket. Wifey flashed across the screen, and a nigga felt like shit. I loved Jordan, and she’d been there during some of my darkest times. She probably should have been left me with some of the shit I put her through, but she thugged that shit out. I wasn’t always good to her, especially in the beginning of our marriage. I’d grown to love her and depend on her in ways I hadn’t realized over the years though.
When Staten left and I had to take the reins beside Justus, that shit took a toll on me. Being under my father’s watchful, scrutinizing eye all the time could be a bit much. Alcohol was an escape for me while my brothers preferred weed as their vice. Jordan helped ground me, gave me reasons not to go off the deep end with her constant support. She breathed life into me and got me into working out more and eating better. I didn’tdrink as much anymore, but it was still a bit of a slippery slope for me.
“See.” Emerald studied the screen too.
Lifting my gaze, our eyes met, and my heart suddenly felt like it had been ripped right down the middle. She swiped away a single tear and sniffled before stepping off to the side and leaving the doorway open. I quickly gathered my shirt and suit jacket so I could get dressed. Emerald cowered beside the door and slowly sank to the floor. I hated seeing that far-off, glossy look behind her eyes. Pulling my blazer over my shirt, I checked my wrinkled appearance. I ignored Jordan’s call, deciding I would check in with her when I got to my car.
“I can’t just leave you like this.” I knelt so that I was closer to her face, but she turned her head so she didn’t have to look at me.
“You have to. We can’t do this. It was a mistake.”
Reaching out, I cuffed her chin, forcing her to turn to me.
“Nah, nothing about that was a mistake. Every stroke, every flick of my tongue was intentional, Em. This shit ain’t over. I’ll figure this out. I just need you to hold tight, aight? Don’t ever think no shit like that about us.” Her warm gaze softened from my words, and I couldn’t help myself; I stole a kiss. “I’ll check in with you later, okay?”
