by Nicole York
Keesha heard her daughter’s giggle from the kitchen. Beth and Renee proceeded to cluck like chickens at each other until Keesha stepped around the corner. They both fell silent and blinked innocently at her.
Keesha scowled playfully at them. “There’s no harm in being prepared.”
“Where do you think he’s going to take you, out of state?” Renee asked.
“No,” Keesha said defensively. She walked behind Beth, who sat in her highchair eating bite-sized pieces of pancakes, and settled into her own seat across from her mother. “But Marcus doesn’t have much experience with children. He won’t be able to plan around having a little one with us, so I have to make sure everything is in order and—”
“Butter?” Renee slid the butter dish across the table as well as the maple syrup. “Forget I asked. I’m sure you have everything you need and then some. What time is he coming to pick you two up?”
Keesha glanced at the clock. It was half past ten. “Half an hour.”
“Plenty of time.” Renee smiled.
It didn’t feel like plenty of time to Keesha. Her nerves were tangled up in tight knots that she couldn’t seem to undo. Her stomach was a mess of butterflies and she couldn’t remember a time she felt this excitedly anxious about something.
Probably not since the first time I ever stripped in front of a live audience.
That had been a long time ago.
Now she’d hung up her emerald green stripping outfits and traded them for the slick black outfits the bartenders at Kadia wore. Marcus was whipping her into shape and had agreed to move her into a safer position with more authority at the club. She liked working the bar. It was fast paced and still allowed for great tips, but it was more respectable. Sometimes, she felt a pang of jealousy when she saw the other girls dancing, but she knew this was better for her and for Beth.
Hell, it was better for everyone.
Marcus was less distracted and they had better boundaries in place at work. Keesha mostly worked with Zak and Dean, who was still the head bartender at Kadia. He kept her in line and was showing her all the tips and tricks of mixing drinks and making crazy money off of customers. Soon, she’d be making just as much in tips as she was dancing and there was little to no risk of rolling an ankle or covering herself in bruises from gripping the pole.
She liked the change of pace.
And on the nights where she really missed the stage, the lights, and the feeling of dancing, she would give Marcus his own private show.
That, in itself, was even more rewarding than performing for a greedy crowd with thick wallets.
She really couldn’t believe that four weeks had passed since that night in the tunnels. It simultaneously felt like it was a lifetime ago as well as a couple days ago. Time seemed to have all blended together. One day bled into the next and so forth. Perhaps it was because of the new job and how good things were with Marcus.
Perhaps it was just what happened with time when a person was happy.
And damn, was Keesha happy.
As she enjoyed her mother’s pancakes, she tried to tell herself that she didn’t have anything to worry about today. Her time with Marcus and her daughter would be excellent. Then things would really get rolling between them.
After all, even though this thing between her and Marcus was real and committed, nothing could be set in stone until he had the seal of approval from Beth.
The little girl ate ravenously. Her chunky cheeks were sticky with maple syrup but not nearly as saturated as her little fingers.
Once she finished eating, Keesha wet a cloth and wiped her down. “You’re a little gremlin, kid. You know that?”
Beth grinned and wiggled in her highchair. “Up, Mommy.” She stretched her arms out and her fingers grabbed at the air.
Keesha picked up her little girl and balanced her on one hip as she wiped the highchair tray down.
Renee waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll clean it up.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Keesha had been surprised at how willing her mother was to accept her decision to stay at Kadia. After all her talk about quitting stripping and moving on to bigger and better things, she expected her mother to be sorely disappointed. That wasn’t the case. Renee admitted she would prefer that her daughter worked someplace else, but she was glad she’d be behind a bar instead of on a pole.
A win was a win, Keesha supposed.
Since the money was still so good, Keesha was able to contribute to her mother’s rent and utility bills. Renee appreciated that immensely. She was also able to start a decent savings account that collected interest, and for the first time in her life, Keesha truly felt like she had her shit together.
The low rumble of an old car engine alerted Keesha to Marcus’s arrival. Renee’s neighbors likely already hated him and his loud car. He killed the ignition and Keesha knew he’d be knocking on the front door shortly.
She rushed to her room for one last thing. In the top drawer of her dresser, she found the little pink bag she was looking for. She crammed it into her purse for later and rushed back out down the hall to collect the bag she’d set by the door. She slung it over one shoulder, balanced Beth on her hip with expert ease, and opened the front door just as Marcus was about to knock.
He grinned at her.
He’d cleaned up well. He wore dark-wash jeans and a white Henley shirt under a new Letterman jacket—one that was bullet-hole free.
Keesha smiled and bounced Beth on her hip. “Sweetheart, this is my good friend Marcus. Do you want to say hello?”
Beth promptly buried her face in her mother’s hair and played shy.
Keesha kissed her cheek and smiled apologetically at Marcus. “She’ll come around. She’s always shy the first time she meets someone.”
Marcus slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Don’t worry. I have a good afternoon planned. We’ll be best friends in no time.”
Keesha appreciated his confidence and wondered why she had ever doubted this would go well. Her mother came out of the kitchen to say hello to Marcus and tell them to have fun. Marcus spotted Beth’s car seat on the floor by the door and leaned inside to pick it up.
“Be careful,” Renee called after them as they made their way down the hall to the elevators.
“Always,” Keesha called over her shoulder.
Marcus pulled to a stop in a small parking lot that ran parallel to a park with lush green grass and trees with deep emerald leaves and mossy trunks. Their roots jutted up out of the ground, making the terrain uneven, but there was a winding gravel path that wove through the trees and headed down to the water.
They were just outside of Manhattan. The sky was clear, save for a few puffy white clouds off to the east, and the sun was warm. The shady spots beneath the tree leaves were a bit cool and Keesha was glad she’d worn a cardigan. She tugged it tighter around herself with one hand while she walked along with Beth holding the other hand.
“This is a pretty spot,” Keesha said.
“The best part is up ahead at the end of the path,” Marcus said. He shot a look down at Beth, who continuously cast curious looks up at him. “Do you like hot dogs, kiddo?”
Beth gave him a shy nod.
“Me too,” Marcus said. “I load ‘em up with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions. What do you like on your hotdogs?”
Beth looked at her mother.
“Go ahead.” Keesha smiled. “Tell him what you like.”
Beth was a pretty vocal little girl when she wanted to be. Her communication skills had always been a little more advanced than other children her age but her shyness held her back sometimes. Keesha understood. She’d been a shy child too.
Beth finally found her voice. “I like ketchup.”
“Just ketchup?” Marcus asked. “You don’t need any of that other nonsense to enjoy it?”
Beth giggled. “None of that nonsense.”
Marcus threw his head back and laughed. The sound was contagi
ous. Keesha started to giggle and Beth followed suit, realizing this was fun banter and silliness.
“Mommy puts nonsense on her hot dogs,” Beth said matter-of-factly.
Marcus arched an eyebrow at Keesha. “Does she now? Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
Keesha rolled her eyes. “Don’t you two go ganging up on me now. Otherwise, nobody gets hot dogs.”
“Bully,” Marcus muttered.
Beth giggled.
And then she reached for his hand with her free one.
Marcus stared down at her outstretched little fingers with surprise. For a moment, Keesha hardly recognized the man walking alongside her. All his hard edges were gone. If not for the teardrop tattoo, nobody would have known he’d led such a rough life.
Marcus took the little girl’s hand in his own.
Or rather, he let her wrap her fingers around his one forefinger.
Keesha’s heart exploded. It might have been her ovaries but she couldn’t be sure. She grinned like a fool at him when he glanced over at her, and he smiled back, the expression carefree and wholesome.
I love this man.
They reached the end of the path. It crested down a slight slope in the grass and they picked their way over tree roots. Together, Keesha and Marcus both lifted Beth in the air by each of her hands and carried her over the roots while she squealed with delight.
They met concrete where the grass ended and followed the sidewalk along the water’s edge to a small dock that jutted out into the river. There were no boats, but there were a couple of businesses on the dock, an ice-cream parlor, a tourist shop, and a hot-dog stand. There were also a couple arcade games under a red-and-white-striped canopy off the back of the ice-cream parlor.
“I didn’t even know this place existed,” Keesha said as they stood in line to get their hot dogs.
“You’re missing out.” Marcus watched Beth as she crouched down and peered through the cracks in the dock and down at the water below as it lapped at the dock posts. “I discovered it a short while after I moved to New York. This guy makes the best fu—” He broke off, catching himself before he swore. “Food.”
Keesha laughed and side eyed him. “Good save, champ.”
He tipped his chin. “Thank you. That was close. But this guy does have the best hot dogs. Montreal style.”
Keesha cocked her head to the side and frowned. The line inched forward and she tapped Beth on the shoulder to follow them up a couple paces. She did and immediately found another crack to peer through. “Montreal style?”
Marcus stared at her incredulously. “You’ve never had a Montreal-style hot dog?”
“No. Like Montreal, Canada?”
“Yes.”
“They’re known for hot dogs?”
Marcus laughed. “Woman, you surprise me every day. I’m going to take you up there for a night. We’ll stay in Old Quebec. There’s a hotel there I think you’d like.”
“And hot dogs.”
“Obviously.”
Keesha snickered to herself. “All right. I’ll take your word for it.”
The line continued forward until they reached the end. Keesha ordered Beth’s hot dog for her, just a half size with ketchup and fries. Marcus ordered his, as well as one for Keesha. She was so overwhelmed by all the toppings she had no idea where to start. You name it. They had it.
The hot dogs came in blue plastic baskets along with the fries. Marcus balanced all three baskets on his forearms and carried them to a picnic table at the end of the dock. There was a breeze blowing off the water that tugged at the paper lining the baskets, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
Keesha got Beth settled in her spot and they dug into their meal.
The flavors were unreal. Keesha made a mess of hers. Her fingers and hands were sticky with runoff from the hot dog and she smiled as Marcus fetched a wad of napkins and used them to clean her up.
“And here I thought Beth would be the messy one,” he teased.
Beth plunged a fry into her ketchup and crammed it in her mouth. “I’m not messy.”
“Sure you aren’t,” Keesha said.
It wasn’t long before Beth leapt off the bench of the picnic table and started peering through the cracks in the dock again. She stayed close, as per her mother’s request, and bumped into a little boy sitting a couple tables down. The two of them started looking down together, talking and pointing and giggling to themselves.
“I’m glad we did this,” Marcus said.
“Me too.”
Did he have any idea how much this meant to her?
“Beth is a chip off the old block,” he said.
“Uh oh. Is that a good or bad thing?”
“Seeing as how I’m in love with the old block, I’d say good.”
Keesha bit her lip and grinned like an idiot. “Are you just sweet talking me because you want something later?”
He chuckled deeply. “I always want something later.” He stood up and moved to join her on her side of the picnic table. He put a hand on her thigh and squeezed. “I always get it, too.”
“Behave.”
“I’m reaching my limit,” he muttered, leaning close to her ear. “I can only be good for so long.”
“Marcus.” She pushed gently at his chest. “Don’t tease me like this.”
“Why? Is this bothering you?” His hand ran up her thigh to her hip.
She pushed away from him and gave him a menacing glare. She couldn’t keep her features sharp and serious for long. Her scowl melted away and she smiled. “Save it for when we drop Beth back off with my mother. Then you can be as depraved as you want.”
Marcus rubbed his hands together. “I can do that.”
“I should hope so because Beth is going to be around a lot more and you’re going to have to learn better self-control.”
“I love when you talk Mom to me,” he muttered.
“Shut up.”
He grinned like the devil himself. “I’m going to make sure to properly punish you for speaking to me that way later.”
Keesha’s panties were done for, but she smiled nonetheless. “Do your worst, baby.”
29
Marcus
The streetlights flicked on as Keesha slid into the front seat of his car and pulled the door closed. They’d just dropped Beth off back at Renee’s apartment for the night. She’d been dead tired after their day down by the water eating good food and playing arcade games.
She was a cute kid, and Marcus already had a soft spot for her.
Part of him was still uneasy about inviting Beth into his life. No matter what, there would always be danger and the thought that his lifestyle might one day have a negative impact on the child scared him to death.
But he and Keesha had talked it through and they were going to do everything in their power to stop that from happening because Marcus also had the resources to protect her and keep her safe from danger.
He was a double-edged blade and always had been.
Always will be.
Keesha cracked her window open and reclined the seat a little bit. “Where to now?”
“Anywhere you want, baby.”
She hummed low and soft, considering her options. “Anywhere, you say?”
He nodded.
“Well,” she said thoughtfully, “there is a certain something I’ve been thinking about all day.”
“What might that be?”
“Wine.”
Marcus laughed. “You tease.”
“What did you think I was going to say?” she asked innocently.
“Manipulative woman.”
“You love it.”
That was true. He loved all of it, from the top of her fiery red head to the end of her quick and sometimes mean tongue.
“Somewhere for a drink then?” He put the car in drive and slid into first gear. The clutch came up as he pulled away from the curb and pointed the front end of the car toward downtown.
“Or we buy a bottle and bring it back
to your loft,” she said nonchalantly.
Now she was speaking his language. Wine, privacy, and a king-sized bed made for fucking? “Sign me the fuck up.”
They drove through the city and stopped at a convenience corner store with a flashing neon sign that read, “LIQUOR.” Keesha found a bottle with a pretty label and claimed that was how she selected all her wines. Apparently, she didn’t have much of a palate for it. She just liked the way it made her head buzz and her body feel.
He slapped her ass as they stood in front of the clerk to buy the bottle. “You don’t need the wine to make your body feel good,” he growled.
The clerk, a young kid no more than twenty-two with pimples and glasses, stared at them with wide blue eyes. He could hardly speak to tell them the total, and he flinched when Marcus slapped a twenty-dollar bill down on the glass counter. Beneath the glass sat rows upon rows of lotto tickets.
Keesha peered down at them. “Should we buy a couple scratch-offs? Just for fun?”
His hand still rested on her ass. He squeezed. “I already won the lottery with this ass.” He loved the way the kid grew more and more uncomfortable.
Keesha swatted his hand away, but as soon as they pushed out the door and into the parking lot, his hand was back.
“You’re a menace, Marcus.”
“What did I do?” He opened her passenger door for her and she slid in.
“You know exactly when you did.”
He leaned on the door as she reached back and put the bottle of wine on the floor in front of the back seats. “I can’t help myself, woman.” He leaned in the car and put a hand on her thigh. He pulled her legs apart forcefully and her eyes widened as she looked wildly around. Fuck, he loved that doe-eyed expression of innocence on her pretty face.
“Marcus! What are you doing? There are people—”
“Hush, baby,” he cooed, reaching between her legs and rubbing her over the thin fabric of her leggings.
She licked her lips and continued to look around to make sure nobody could see her. Then she sank a little lower in the seat and rested her hand over his as he rubbed her.