Page 13 of Passion
His eyebrows lifted, then he frowned. “He’s your best friend? That happen after the kids, or has it always been that way?”
“It’s always been that way. I’ve known him since elementary school. We knew way too much about each other to pursue a relationship. I’m still young enough to have children, but I was afraid I would never find the man meant for me. One thing I wanted more than a husband was children. He agreed to be the father when I propositioned him, and here we are.”
He looked away for a moment, then he asked, “He doesn’t know, does he?”
I lowered my head as I shook it. “It was so stupid. I should’ve told him. It’s like I added unnecessary pressure to this by keeping it a secret. Had my parents not known, I probably wouldn’t feel as guilty. I told Vegas and his wife two days before the nuptials, and he told everyone else. Originally, only Yunique was supposed to be there.”
“Damn. Two kids, huh? Boys, girls, or both? How old are they?”
I smiled slightly. “My daughter, Kizzie, AKA Princess Tiana, is five, and my son, Dakota, is two.”
He gently rubbed my hand between his. “So, I’ll have a princess for a daughter. I’m honored.”
I giggled. He was making this awkward moment more comfortable for me, and I appreciated that. I pulled my hand away from his and stroked his cheek then slid my fingers through his beard. The man was so perfect. His smile was gorgeous, but so was his frown. Both made me wet with desire.
“So, umm, how do you think he will take the news? And what made you want children so badly?”
I lowered my head. “I’ve always wanted children. That need for them… to leave a legacy only got stronger after my major car accident. About ten years ago, I was hit by a pretty big pickup truck. I had to learn to walk all over again. I had a broken pelvis, ribs, arm, leg, and severe lacerations. For a while, it was touch and go. They didn’t know if I would make it. I went through extensive therapy. It took nearly three years for me to be back at one hundred percent.”
“Damn. So you felt pressed.”
“I didn’t want to leave this world without knowing how it felt to have the unconditional love of a child. We never know when our time will be up. Clayton was the only man I knew and trusted… still was up until now. I wasn’t desperate, but I wanted to eliminate the trial and error. I hate dating. As far as how he will accept this… I don’t know. He’s pretty cool, but he’s extremely protective of our kids.”
He slid his hand over his mouth as he nodded repeatedly. “I felt the scar near your pelvic area when we were fucking. That had to be scary. You were twenty-one when it happened then.”
“Yeah… well, almost twenty-one. I was getting ready for my turnup that weekend.”
“So, regarding Clayton… I will introduce myself and try to be as understanding as possible, as long as he isn’t disrespectful. Of course, I’ll be cool with you telling him alone before he meets me; that way, he can get out his raw emotions beforehand.”
I nodded. That made a lot of sense. Gentry was smart, and I appreciated how understanding he was of my situation. “So your turn. What one thing should I know immediately?” I asked.
He thought for a moment, then he said, “I don’t play games. I don’t fuck around. I know my worth, and it may come off as arrogant, but I don’t care. I can be the most understanding man in the world or the most ignant muthafucka you ever met. Who you get will be up to you.”
Damn. I didn’t know why that shit turned me on so much, but it did. I let him know it too. “I like that shit. I just pray I never have to meet that ignant muthafucka.”
He chuckled. “If you communicate and take my opinions, feelings, and shit into consideration, we should be good, baby.”
I leaned against him, and he put his arm around me. I felt extremely blessed to have him. “What do you like to do, Gentry?”
“You mean besides work and what I believe will be my new obsession?”
I chuckled. “What’s your new obsession?”
“Fucking you, girl.” He kissed my lips then twisted one of my braids between his fingertips. “I can’t wait until I can make love to you though. At the rate we’re going, I have a feeling it won’t be long. We were both so receptive… This has been seamless. I love music, though, and just having a good time.”
“I believe you will be my new obsession too. I just hope you’re ready for how clingy I may become. You dropped off some good dick earlier, so I know it’s good as hell in a bed and with more time.” I smiled as he glanced at me. “Who’s your favorite artist?”
“Well, I have different artists for different types of music. For rap, Kendrick is my nigga. For R and B, I have so many. Usher, Eric Bellinger, SiR, and BJ the Chicago Kid to name a few. Currently, I’m stuck on this song called ‘Red Light’ by Jack Freeman. When I saw you, that shit was on repeat in my head.”
I had to be blushing. This man was giving me everything, and I was ready to fuck his world up when we got to Honolulu. My phone chimed before I could respond, and I saw it was a message from Clayton. I sat up and opened the message to see a picture of the kids. I’d talked to them while I was alone in the dressing room earlier. He still thought I was at a conference for my job.
I showed the picture to Gentry, and he smiled. “She has her tiara on.”
“She always has it on,” I said and slightly rolled my eyes.
“You have beautiful kids, and I can’t wait to say they are mine too.”
I smiled at him as my phone chimed again. It was a video this time. I pressed play, and Gentry was just as engrossed in it as I was. When Clayton’s face appeared, he frowned slightly, but it was fleeting. “The kids miss you already, G. I know you’re probably at the airport, but if you have time before your flight leaves, give us a call. If not, we’ll talk to you tomorrow. Safe travels, baby girl.”