Page 54 of His to Have
Keem smirked, already moving to yank Jeremy to his feet. “Get up.”
I stepped outside, letting the cool night air brush against my face. It temporarily eased the simmering rage. But it wasn’t enough to settle my mind or the gnawing questions circling in my head.
Who the fuck is pulling the strings?
What I’d pieced together so far was Roland’s familial ties to Orlando and Bianca through marriage — Bianca’s nephew. The Moccasins used him as a pawn. Roland used Jeremy as a pawn, and there was a large unknown backer using their money and influence to position the pieces on the board. Yet, the endgame remained elusive.
Sophia still hadn’t tracked the Moccasins physically, only their financial movements. Seems they’ve been dabbling in real estate. Could be fronts. Could be legitimate. But every move wassuspect until I figured out who paid these niggas to fuck with what was mine.
By the time I made it home the only thing I could think about was a hot shower and slipping into bed... with my woman by my side. She was still sleeping in the room I provided her and not our room. I wanted to change that. And while I wanted to indulge in adult activities with her, that’s not even what I wanted from her tonight. All a nigga wanted was to come home to something soft, and comforting. Something I never had, yet craved only from her.
“You’re still up.” My voice broke the quiet as I stepped into the kitchen, my gaze locked on Ayanna, who was laser focused on her computer. I hadn’t expected her to still be awake, but I couldn’t say I was mad at it.
“Couldn’t sleep,” she said softly, pushing her red frames up the bridge of her nose; an accessory I missed earlier since she’d been wearing her contacts all day. I always loved when she wore her glasses, it made her look even more attractive… like a sexy professor. Even at this hour, with her scarf tied around her head, a bare face, and her cute little glasses on, she looked good enough to make a nigga forget my own exhaustion.
“You didn’t enjoy yourself?” I asked, still leaning against the open doorframe.
Clubbing wasn’t really her thing anymore, but knowing Sophia, I figured she’d managed to pull her into a good time. Sophia didn’t believe in a bad party.
She turned, finally giving me her eyes, a broad smile crossing her face. “I did actually. It was fun. Your sister is a trip. We allprobably had a bit too much to drink though,” she giggled. “As you can see, I’m trying to sober just a bit.”
Her head nodded toward the open water bottle sitting next to her laptop. “How about the boys... did y’all get into any trouble?”
There was a hint of worry, something I’d rarely heard from her. Which could be because she never knew the intimate details of my moves over the years. Only what I allowed her to see, which most of the time was nothing. But now, here in our home, and in my city, it was hard to ignore.
I smirked, pushing away from the wall, and moved behind her. Leaning down until my chest was almost flush with her back, I murmured. “It’s cute that you are worried. Never thought I would see the day.” I kissed her neck and watched a shiver pass through her.
“Any decent human being would be worried, Teo.” She resumed gliding her mouse over some random woman’s picture on social media, returning her focus to whatever had her up this late tonight.
Kissing her neck again, then her ear, I mumbled, “Right.”
Resting my hands on the table, my palms flat on both sides of her body, I effectively caged her in. Instinctively, she tilted her head just enough to allow my chin to rest comfortably on her shoulder.
Taking in the woman on the screen, I asked, “Who is Karley White?”
“The girl selling my stolen things from my store.”
“Hmm.” I took note of this information.
Quickly, I took in ol’ girls features, profile picture, and location tag on her latest post. Sliding my hands from the table, I kneaded the tension in her upper back. The oversized tee-shirt she wore slipped slightly, exposing enough skin for my fingers to trace gently along her shoulder blade.
“It’s after 3 A.M. Amore. You should try to get some rest. This will be here in the morning.”
Her head dipped forward, allowing my thumbs to press deeper into her tense muscles. A satisfied sigh escaped her perfect lips, and her exhaustion was evident. However, I could tell that whatever she was searching for consumed her thoughts. It’s why she wasn’t in her room, sleeping the night away.
“Mmm, that feels nice,” she moaned, her eyes fluttering close.
“I know.”
I ran the palm of my hand down the spine of her back, then used my fingers to gently work on the pressure points around the base of her neck. Her shoulders loosened, but her mind was still somewhere else. She didn’t offer another response, since she was too caught up in the way my hands moved across her back, tracing gentle patterns over her skin.
“Amore,” I murmured, leaning close to her ear, “whatever’s got your mind running laps, we can deal with it together. But not tonight.”
She shifted slightly, her body relaxing more into my hands as I continued to massage.
“So, it’s settled then? You ‘re ready for bed.” It was more of a statement rather a question.
“Just let me finish—”
