Alise reached her hand out and put it on mine in sympathy. “This is just out of your control, babe,” she said softly.
“That’s right. Rodney made the choice to be with her, and he should be the only one to have to deal with the consequences,” Jayne chimed in.
“You’re right. I can’t do anything about what other grown people choose to do,” I said in attempt to prevent the hurt my heart was beginning to feel for my babies. Yet my anger for Rodney was reignited since he was the self-centered bastard who put our children in this situation. “If their asshole of a father never messed around with the bitch, we would be having a very different conversation right now.”
“Once again, Tameka, girl, you can only work with what you can control. And anything Rodney did in the past will accrue a price that he has to pay. Not you, so don’t take that on as your burden,” Jayne iterated.
“How does the saying go, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference,” Kemara added.
“The serenity prayer,” I said, nodding my head in understanding of it.
We went back to our communion of sisterhood over some bomb French toast, scrambled eggs, crispy turkey bacon, and tasty fresh fruit. And, eventually, our waitress came to relieve us of our empty champagne glasses by delivering us another pitcher of mimosas. I thought about my hunk of a fiancé and my happy, healthy kids, and decided to enjoy the discussions about love and life with my girlfriends without letting Melody’s intrusion ruin my day.
***
Jeb
While Tameka was out having brunch with Kemara and her girls, it was finally my opportunity to plot out just exactly how I was going to ask her to elope. I hadn’t necessarily deemed it as eloping until Channing brought that to my attention. I would like to think of it as our very own private ceremony that would be more meaningful than involving crowds of people, some of whom may not have our best interest at heart. I kind of had a feeling Tameka would be uneasy about my plan, so I kept going through it over and over in my mind because this had to be right.
I had to show Tameka just how much I needed her and the kids to be a part of my life and that I was willing to take steps to make our wedding day perfect. I was determined to show her just how much I truly loved her.
The night would begin with dinner at her favorite restaurant, overlooking the city. The kids were each at their friend’s houses, and every moment was elaborately and well-planned out, down to the last detail, except where to hide the plane tickets.
I was working out where the hell I was going to hide those tickets when I heard a knock on the door. A very anxious-looking Rodney stood on the front porch when I opened the curtain. This guy seemed to materialize every time I was getting ready to tell Tameka about my Hawaii idea. I opened the door and glared at him, leaving no doubt in the air that his pop-ups were starting to tick me off.
“Yeah?” I said brashly.
He straightened up when he saw me and pulled at his collar. It was obvious that I was the last person on Earth he expected to open the door. He coughed to clear his throat and asked, “Um, are the kids home?”
“They’re not,” I replied. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Do you live here now or something?” he asked seeming to regain the confidence he’d lost when I opened the door.
“Yes, actually I do,” I said confidently.
“Oh,” Rodney said as he looked inside the house as if he were waiting on an invitation inside. “Well, is Tameka here? I’d like to speak with her.”
“Nope,” I said quickly and defensively. I just couldn’t shake the way I had observed him treat Tameka and the kids before. The Rodney I had ingrained in my head was unable to be separated from this new Rodney, who, although was making a complete fool of himself, appeared to be less of an asshole.
“Well, can we talk?” he asked.
I sucked in a huge breath and motioned for Rodney to come inside, and I shut the door behind him. He looked nervous as he walked into the foyer and then the living room. I watched as he drew his attention to the pictures of the kids and Tameka on the ledge of the fireplace. Standing behind him, I witnessed his cheeks rise into a smile at the sight of what used to be his family.
“So, you wanted to talk?” I asked.
He turned and took a step closer to me. “I was hoping we would have a chance to talk since I’m pursuing your lady,” he said.
I looked at him with furrowed brows, and he started giggling.
“A joke man…it’s a joke. Look, I know this is awkward for you, but imagine how it feels to wake up from a coma looking for your beautiful wife only to find out she’s your ex-wife, and she has a new man.”
“I can imagine how you feel, but now you know the truth,” I said sternly. “So you have to move on.”
“I do, and everyone has explained how I got to this reality.” Rodney looked down at the carpet then turned towards the pictures, specifically to the professional photo of me, Tameka and the kids that sat on the mantle over the fireplace. “But I’m sure you understand that I can’t let my family go that easily. I won’t go out without a fight,” he said.
“Excuse me? Have you bumped your head again?” I asked.
“No, but I have to fight for what’s mine. And this is not a slight to you,” he said as he put his hands in his pocket, gesturing that he meant his fight wouldn’t be physical. “I woke up in that hospital bed still married to the love of my life with a family waiting for me at home, and that means the world to me, so I can’t so easily let go—”
“She’s not yours anymore, Rodney. She’s mine, and there’s no question about that,” I barked.
“I have to fight for her love. It’s all I know,” Rodney said, standing face to face with me.
“It’s over, completely over. You’re stuck in the past. You were married to her, but you cheated on her and devalued her. You broke her heart and turned her ice-cold, and you know how I know? Because I was there to clean up the mess. I was there to pick up all the pieces of her heart and put it back together again. I’m the reason she’s whole again. She meant enough to me for me to hang in there with her.”
“Tameka means the world to me,” he murmured.
“Bullshit. When you had her, you didn’t treat her right. Now, the real daddy’s home, and I take care of your children and Tameka. I’ll be damned if I let you waltz in here and stake a claim on my future. But I understand why you would want to because Tameka is an amazing woman who’s smart and makes me happy. You walked out on that. So thank you. Because of you, I’m marrying her, and I’ll be there for her for the rest of her life, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Rodney looked astonished as he glared at me until the creaking sound of the floor captured his attention. I was so wrapped up in our tense conversation that I didn’t hear or see Tameka walk into the house. She had tears trickling down her face, and I walked over to her.
“Baby, are you okay?” I asked.
“I love you, Jeb,” she said to me then turned to Rodney. “You heard my man. We’re spending the rest of our lives together and there’s nothing you can do about it.” She touched my face and pulled my chin downward to kiss me. We embraced in that kiss until Rodney couldn’t stand to watch us any longer and walked out the door.
Chapter 3
Tameka
“I love you too,” Jeb said as the door closed behind Rodney. He stared down at me with those ocean blue eyes that made my knees buckle each time he looked at me that way.
“Thank you for saying those things about me to Rodney. It’s good to be appreciated.”
“Well, I meant every word.” Jeb paused as if he were thinking about something heavy then added, “I’ve been thinking about how I was going to propose an idea to you.”
“You already proposed, silly,” I said, hitting his shoulder playfully.
“I know, babe, but I have something spec
ial to ask you,” he said.
I was beyond curious now. “Oh, really? What do you want to ask me?”
He smirked cockily, and ooooh, it drove me crazy when he looked at me like that. “I want to take you to your favorite restaurant first,” he said.
“Tell me now,” I said, wanting to know the secret idea he had been keeping from me.
“We’ll go to the restaurant and talk about it afterwards, okay? I promise.”
“I guess I can go that long without knowing,” I said teasingly. “I just need a few minutes to change, and I’ll be ready for a night out.”
Jeb smiled after getting the green light on our date. He lifted me into his arms, carried me upstairs to the bedroom, and laid me gently in the center of the bed where he kissed my lips again. Damn, this feels so good.
“We’re not going to make it to the restaurant as long as we’re horizontal,” I said as his hands crept under my blouse, slowly lifting it up and off.
“I like horizontal. Horizontal is a good position,” Jeb said as he explored my breasts with his big hands then circled my hard nipples with his tongue, biting each one in the tender way only he knew how to do.
I loved the way his lips felt against my breasts, and my body got chills as he licked from my breasts to the fabric covering my gushy center.
I helped him out of his shirt, slowly moving from his chest to his briefs to feel his throbbing dick. He unbuttoned my pants and yanked them off then began to kiss my breasts again before kissing his way to my belly button. He teased every inch of my flesh until his greedy tongue slid down to my pussy and sent me into a fit of moans. As Jeb licked me inside and out, his strong hands pursued my nipples, stroking them as he ate me out.
“Jeb, fuuuuck,” I said as my climax built quickly.
He came back up for air and kissed me on my lips, and I kissed him back while whispering in his ear, “Don’t stop.”
“Never,” he replied.
After my legs started quivering, Jeb mounted me and thrust his way inside of me, stroking passionately as if we’d never made love before. I knew the first time we made love he was going to make me feel things I never allowed myself to feel until our bodies became one.
Jeb took his time with me, and he knew exactly what he was doing, exactly where to touch me. He had become very familiar with the erogenous zones he could trigger to make me go insane. As he slammed his cock in and out of me, I squeezed his broad shoulders to haul him even closer to me. I wrapped my legs around his sweaty body, deepening our embrace as he pumped harder and quicker into me.
I was about to cum, so I tightened my leg’s grip around his waist as he buried his face into my bosom. Our peak was on the horizon, and we fell over the cliff, climaxing together. I dug my nails into his back when he plopped his body down on mine as he dripped sweat everywhere.
“Tameka,” he said while trying to catch his breath.
“Yes, baby?” I asked sweetly.
“You got that good-good, baby,” he said and chuckled sexily.
I giggled as he kissed me again and again, making me feel as if I never wanted to move from this bed. Ever.
Chapter 4
Jeb
Today had been an insane day, but Tameka always knew how to turn those crazy days on their heads simply with her presence. I loved her, and my goal was to always make that clear to her. I gasped for air as I laid next to her after we had just made love. I loved the way she cuddled next to me after we had been intimate. It let me know she felt safe with me.
I was about to fall into a slumber when I realized Tameka had slid down to my cock and put her beautiful mouth on the tip. She licked me up and down as if she was simply enjoying the taste before she inserted my entire cock into her mouth. I loved the feeling of hitting the back of her throat, and she did just that until I came for a second time.
I had to shake my head every time she managed that. No woman could ever make me climax twice, and especially through oral sex. I pulled her up to me and laid her on my chest. As her soft body rested atop of me, I was coming to life for her again, and I couldn’t believe the strong desire to have her was flowing through me once more.
I dragged her chin toward my lips and kissed her. It wasn’t long before I’d flipped her over and buried myself inside of her. There was one thing I knew for sure, and that was I would never get enough of this woman.
An hour later, I stood in the bedroom looking into the bathroom as Tameka got dressed for our date night. She had the music blasting while she stood in the mirror, dancing and applying makeup. I watched her body move to the rhythm, and it should be a sin to move with such seduction and grace at once.
When she saw me glaring at her in the mirror, she paused for a second and smiled at me with her compelling dark-brown eyes. She didn’t know just how crazy she had me going for her as I stared into her pretty brown eyes.
“Pretty Brown Eyes.” Mint Condition’s song had come on at the club a few nights ago, and I asked the DJ the name of the band singing it, because ‘pretty brown eyes’ would be my new song for my beautiful fiancée. My manhood throbbed in my pants at the dark and sexy look in her eyes. She was practically beckoning me to have her again. I had to tell myself “down boy” because I was at full blood and ready to be buried inside of her.
I hoped the rest of the night was as beautiful as the beginning. I was going to show Tameka the airplane tickets to Hawaii, and I was nervous about how she would respond. She had been asking for clues about my idea, but I kept telling her she would find out soon enough. She had once gushed about her dream of frolicking on the island’s beaches, so I hoped her sentiment would be the same when I told her of my plan.
“Babe, I’m going downstairs. I’ll be waiting for you,” I told her.
She swatted me away. “I’ll be done in a minute,” she said.
I went downstairs and checked to make sure the tickets were still tucked away in the pocket of my suit jacket. I called Channing up and told him it was a go. While we were at the restaurant, he was going to come over and set up the flowers and candles I had bought earlier that day.
When I got off the phone with Channing, I glanced at the clock and noticed time was flying by. I put on my suit jacket and yelled upstairs, “Baaabyyy, we’re going to miss our reservation if we don’t leave in the next fifteen minutes!” I warned her.
“I’m almost done,” her sweet voice yelled back down, and I couldn’t even be upset that she’d been working on her makeup for over an hour.
I was a fucking nervous wreck. In my mind, Tameka was already my wife. I didn’t need a marriage ceremony to make that any more valid. But with all of the mess going on with Rodney popping up out the blue, the day wasn’t heading in the direction I had originally planned.
Rodney’s visit validated that eloping to Hawaii was a good idea. We didn’t need him trying to ruin our wedding, since he’d claimed he wanted Tameka and that he was prepared to fight for her. Don’t get me wrong; Tameka was indeed worth fighting for, and she deserved the world, but I was hell-bent on being the one to give it to her.
I snapped out the fog of my thoughts as soon as Tameka walked down the stairs. It was as if time had slowed down, and everything in the universe re-centered around her. She had donned a beautiful yellow dress that clung to her curves and summoned me from across the room.
I would have to take a moment to check my bottom lip for drool after she seemed to glide down the stairs and across the room. I gawked as I followed every step she took, fixing my stare on her glistening cocoa skin as she inched closer to me.
I gave a wide smile as I watched her eyes twinkle upon seeing me. Her smile was enough to make me weak. I felt my legs wobble simply from being in her presence. I was hooked, and I’m sure she absolutely knew. Tameka was a drug I always wanted to be high on. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, I still couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“You ready, babe?” she asked with a gleaming smile on her succulent lips.
I dre
w her close to me and went for a peck, catching the light smell of her sex-inducing perfume. She had me under her spell, and I loved every moment of it.
“Yes,” I said as I carefully placed my hand on the small of her waist, letting her lead me out the door as we began our night.
I hurried to the passenger side of the car so that she didn’t have a chance to reach for her doorknob. I opened it and admired the way she gracefully positioned herself into the car. I carefully closed the door behind her and rushed to get in the driver’s seat.
As we drove to our destination, we remained silent but in a trance as if we were in a love stupor, drunk on each other, and still not ready to sober up. I kissed her hand as our fingers interlocked. She glanced at me, and her face lit up.
It didn’t take long before we arrived at the restaurant. I found a parking spot and swiftly hopped out and opened the door for Tameka. She climbed out of the car, and I led her into the packed restaurant that she had raved about. She had gone on and on about how nice it was, so I had to bring her here. I hadn’t made an official reservation though, but I got a little help from a friend in securing a table since this wasn’t the type of place one could walk into and expect to be served. He hooked me up with a nice, candlelit table on the rooftop of the restaurant at the spare of the moment.
Our view overlooked the calm and peaceful small city. The weather was beautiful, not too hot or sticky, and offered just enough of a breeze to keep the air breathable and airy for our night of love.
As the hostess led us upstairs to the rooftop, I could see Tameka drawback at the sight of it. She gasped and squeezed my hand tighter when she noticed the view.
We sat down together and perused the menu. She talked about prices, letting me know that somethings she hadn’t tried because they were so expensive, but I squeezed her hand and said, “Get whatever you want, baby. Don’t worry about that tonight.”
“No, we’re saving money for the wedding,” she said, and her eyes lit up as she spotted and then ordered one of her favorites, salmon.
Safe Place Series Page 16