by Cachet
“I live in Hampton. Just jump on the freeway, and I’ll guide you there when we get off,” he told her, still wondering if it was a good idea.
Chapter 7
Dominique drove for close to fifteen minutes in complete silence. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she didn’t say anything at all. If sitting beside each other in the bar was awkward, riding with Kaleb in her passenger seat was even worse. She could feel the tension in the air. It was so thick; you could cut it with a knife. Not able to take the silence any longer, she lifted her arm and turned on the radio. When Jazmine Sullivan’s, In Love With Another Man, off of her Fearless album started to play through the speakers, she quickly hit the FM button. Dominique had forgotten that she was listening to that song earlier that day while she was, once again, lost in her thoughts of Kaleb. After changing the station to a hip-hop one, she sat back in her seat embarrassed, hoping that he hadn’t figured out that the song was for him.
“Once you get off the freeway, turn right,” Kaleb spoke. “Then at the BP, you make a left.”
“Okay,” Dominique replied, as she got off the highway.
Ten minutes later, they were pulling into the front of Kaleb’s apartment. Dominique shifted the gears and put her car in park as she looked up at the tall building. It looked to be about twenty stories high and had a dark colored awning in front of the entrance. Dominique could tell that it was expensive just by looking at the outside. There was beautiful shrubbery decorating the building, and she could see that each unit had a balcony. She was so caught up in looking at the structure; she didn’t realize that Kaleb was staring at her until she turned her head.
“What?”
“Nothing, just thinking,” he responded, still watching her.
“Thinking about what?” Dominique asked, even though she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer.
“Do you want the truth or a lie?”
Without thinking, she blurted out, “The truth. You already know I can’t deal with the lies.”
“Why did you just shut me out like that?”
Dominique dropped her head. She already knew that this was what he was going to say. Unable to come up with the words, all she could do was shrug her shoulders. She knew she was wrong dead wrong to disappear on him without even attempting to give him an explanation. It was no doubt selfish of her to do so and unfair to Kaleb, who deserved to at least know that she was going to try to make things work with Deondre. It wasn’t his fault that she was confused as hell. At the time, Dominique thought that by ignoring his calls, somehow he would come to the conclusion that she was ending things between the two of them. Not once did she think that since she had done it on numerous occasions, that it wouldn’t mean anything. She didn’t believe that Kaleb figured that she was just doing her thing as usual and continue to call.
Finally, she whispered, “I don’t know. I guess it was my way of running away from the obvious.”
“The obvious?” Kaleb asked, shifting in his seat. “And what is that?” He wanted to give her his undivided attention when she gave him her reasoning behind what she had done.
Dominique picked her head back up and stared him directly in the eyes. His stare was so intense that she almost looked away. “The fact that I’m in love with you and don’t know what to do about it.” The sound of someone beeping a horn behind her caught her attention.
“They must be trying to either pick somebody up or drop someone off,” Kaleb told her, as he turned to look out of the back window. “Why don’t you come up with me so we can talk?” he asked, turning back around to face Dominique. When he noticed her apprehension, he put his hands up. “I won’t do anything, I promise. I just really want to talk to you.”
“I don’t know. Won’t your girlfriend feel some kind of way with me coming up there?”
“Nah,” Kaleb thought for a second. He started to make up a lie, but decided to just go ahead and tell the truth. “We broke up. Tiera left not too long ago. She said she was tired of being put on the backburner.”
Dominique’s eyes got wide. “Did she know about us?”
“She didn’t, but she figured something was going on.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. That was all on me,” Kaleb told her, placing his hand on her shoulder. “So, will you come up and talk to me?”
“Yeah, I guess.” She said quietly. “I mean, I don’t see why not.”
“Thanks,” Kaleb said, happy that she agreed.
Once Dominique put her car back in gear, he guided her around the building and to one of his available spaces in the parking garage. Pulling into the spot beside his truck, Dominique killed her engine, all while wondering if going up to his apartment was a good idea. Her panties were already moist just being in his presence, so she was scared of what would happen once they were alone in his place, because every time they were alone, they ended up having sex. Dominique knew that with what she had planned, sex was something that she should avoid with Kaleb because it only complicated things much more than they were already. Even with that being said, she had told him she was coming up and wasn’t going to go back on her word, no matter how nervous she was. After taking the elevator up to the penthouse floor, Kaleb stepped off, followed by Dominique.
“Come on in.” Kaleb waved to her when he noticed that she was still standing by the door.
Dominique slowly did as she was told. When she stepped into the foyer, she followed Kaleb’s lead and removed her sandals, before she placed them on top of the rug that sat in the corner. Now standing barefoot, Dominique allowed Kaleb to slide her purse off her arm. Taking her keys and her cellphone, she dropped them both inside. He walked a few steps and hung it on one of the hooks by the door, right before he tossed his keys into a crystal bowl on the nearby table. He then walked further into his apartment, with Dominique following closely behind with her feet sinking into the plush carpet with every step that she took.
As they made their way down the long hallway, Dominique glanced at all of the art that adorned the walls. When they rounded the corner and she was able to see the living and dining room, Dominique’s mouth dropped open. The place was beautiful! A tan leather sectional sat in the middle of the living room floor. There was tan, white, and blue throw pillows strategically placed, which complemented the rug that lay on the floor. The white marble end tables stored blue and tan lamps, while the matching coffee table held a tray and large glass surrounded candles. There was a flat screen television mounted on the wall and surrounded with wooden cabinets. Dominique wasn’t sure if Kaleb had decorated his apartment by himself, but whoever had done it had good taste.
“It’s nice out. We can go outside on the balcony if you like,” Kaleb said, pulling her from her thoughts.
“Sure, sounds good.”
Kaleb led her past the dining area and over to the sliding doors. Pulling it back, he turned to look at her. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Ummm, I guess I’ll take a glass of wine if you have some,” Dominique told him, hoping that the alcohol would calm her nerves.
“Okay, I’ll get you some. You can have a seat. I’ll be out soon.”
As Kaleb walked away, Dominique stepped out on the balcony in awe. It wasn’t your ordinary outdoor space, and the view was amazing. There was a wicker set with consisted of two chairs and a U-shaped sofa. The cushions were blue and matched the night sky, and there was a small table in the middle. Opting to the sit in one of the chairs, instead of on the sofa, Dominique took a seat. It was where she was more comfortable because she knew that Kaleb couldn’t sit as close to her there. Not long after, he emerged through the doors. In his hands, he held her glass of wine and a beer for himself. After handing her the glass, he walked over to the fireplace on the far side of the balcony and pushed a button. Immediately, the fire began to blaze. Although the space was already nice, the color of the blaze gave it a much nicer tone.
“This is really beautiful,” Domin
ique told him, taking a sip of her drink.
“Thank you.”
“Did you decorate it yourself?” She asked already believing that Tiera had.
Taking a seat on the sofa, Kaleb placed his arms on the back of it. “Nah, my mom’s did everything. This place was nothing but some rooms with plain ass walls when I bought it. She did it all. I mean, she added doors and all kinds of shit. All I did was cut the check.”
“Wow, that’s what’s up.” Dominique nodded her head surprised as she looked around the area once again. “How is your mom doing anyway?”
“She’s doing alright. I told her I ran into you and she told me to tell you hello.”
“Really?” Dominique smiled. “Tell Ms. Kendra I said hi. I haven’t seen her in years.”
“I will. I know she’d love to see you.”
“I’d really love to see her t—” Dominique stopped short. There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Neither of the two knew what to say next.
Kaleb exhaled loudly. “Talk to me, Nikki. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“I don’t know.” She dropped her head. “I just don’t know.”
“Come on. You can’t tell me it’s nothing because I see it in your face.”
“I’m confused!” Dominique blurted out, looking up at him. “I don’t even know what the hell I’m doing right now. I shouldn’t even be here.” Tears filled her eyes.
“Don’t cry,” Kaleb told her, standing up and walking over towards were she was sitting. He used his fingers to wipe the falling tears from her face, before taking a seat on the ground by her feet. “You know I hate to see you crying. That shit kills me.”
Dominique sniffed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Just tell me how you feel.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
For the next ten minutes, Dominique told Kaleb what had happened from the time she left him at the mall weeks ago, up until that very moment. She filled him in on the plan that she had to keep her family intact, and how much she wished that things could be different between the two of them. Kaleb listened while she shared her feelings, never once interrupting her. He wanted her to get it all out. When she started to cry again, he had to keep himself from jumping up and consoling her. He knew that she needed to release everything she was feeling and didn’t want to make her think that he was trying to take advantage of her.
“So, that is why I stopped answering your calls. I was trying to make things work with Deondre, and knew that if I spoke to you just once, I would keep doing the things that we’ve been doing.” Dominique wept.
“Can I ask you something?” Kaleb asked.
“Yeah.”
“Why stay with someone that you aren’t happy with?”
“It’s complicated.”
Kaleb looked up at her and shook his head. “It’s only as complicated as you make it. Nikki, you don’t have to be with dude for y’all to raise y’all’s son together. There is this thing called co-parenting. There are a lot of parents who do it. Staying in a relationship that you’re not happy in will only make you resent him in the end.”
“I know, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take,” Dominique sighed. “You just don’t understand. You don’t have any children, Kaleb.”
“You’re right, I don’t,” he agreed. Kaleb knew that she was right. Children do complicate things a bit more, but they didn’t have to make it as hard as she was making it. “I also can’t see myself staying with someone that I don’t really want to be with.”
Dominique raised her eyebrow at his comment. “What about your girl? You were with her and you didn’t want to be.”
“Nah, my situation with Tiera was different,” Kaleb revealed.
“And why is that?” she asked, placing her drink on the table and crossing her arms.
“Because before I ran back into you, I was happy with her.” When he saw the jealous look flash across Dominique’s face, he broke it down further. “What I’m saying is I was content with my relationship with her. That is, until I saw you again. It was then that I realized that I was still in love with you. Then everything between her and I was different. In a sense, I did exactly what she accused me of… I put her on the backburner and concentrated more on what we have.”
Dominique bite the corner of her lip and tears filled her eyes once again. “And what is it that we have?” she asked, as she let them fall.
“I don’t know, Nikki, you tell me.”
“I love you so much, Kaleb.” She cried.
“Shhhh.” Kaleb stood up and reached out to her. When she grabbed his hand, he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be alright,” he told her, rubbing circles in her back. “If you wanna work on what y’all have, I’ll fall back. I don’t want to stand in between you and your family.”
Hearing him say that broke Dominique’s heart, even though she knew that it was the right thing to do. Working on what she had with Deondre was what would keep her family together. This was what she had planned to do to keep her son happy. So, why did it hurt her so much to know that Kaleb was ready to walk away from her? Was she making the right decision to stick it out with Deondre? How would she feel to know that Kaleb had moved on and was in another relationship? These questions bounced around in her head as he continued to hold her right. The smell of his cologne intoxicated Dominique. No longer was she crying. Now instead, she was feeling frisky and ready to feel his touch; a touch that her body had been craving for the last few weeks.
Dominique unwrapped her arms from around Kaleb’s waist and she pushed him back a few inches. He looked down at her, confused by what she was doing. Immediately, he stepped back with his hands up, believing that she thought that he was trying to make a move. What she did next surprised him. Stepping in his direction, Dominique draped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her. Her tongue snaked back and forth in his mouth as she kissed him deeply. Knowing it was wrong, Kaleb didn’t do anything to stop her; instead, he kissed her back. At the moment, he was just as caught up as she was and didn’t want it to end. Lost in the love that he had for her, Kaleb closed his eyes and reached down to allow his hands to roam her body.
“Do you really want to do this?” he asked when Dominique reached for his belt.
“Yes,” she moaned, leaning in to kiss him again.
Kaleb hated to say what he was about to say next because he was sure it would ruin the mood. He knew it had to say it anyway. “I’m not going to play games with you, Nikki,” he told her, breaking their kiss. “If you plan on being with your dude, we have to stop this. I can’t keep getting hurt when you decide to walk away.”
“I know,” Dominique whispered. “I love you, Kaleb.”
“I love you too, but—”
“No buts. Just make love to me.”
With no other words spoken, Kaleb reached down and picked her up. Dominique wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and kissed him again. When he turned and started to carry her to the other side of the balcony, Dominique wondered where he was going. Once Kaleb slid the other set of doors open, she was surprised to see that it was also connected to his bedroom as well. Leaving the entrance open, Kaleb carried Dominique over to the king sized poster bed and placed her on it before lying on top of her. They both just stared into each other’s eyes, lost in the love that they had for one another. Neither of them said a word. After a minute or so, Dominique pushed Kaleb back again. Thinking that she had changed her mind, he looked at her with puppy dog eyes.
“I want to take a shower first,” she told him, making him feel much better.
“Only if I can join you.”
“That sounds like a plan.”
Kaleb stood up and grabbed her hand, and together they headed towards the master bathroom. When her feet hit the heated floors, Dominique couldn’t do nothing but give credit where it was due. She looked around and was very pleased with what she saw. There were double si
nks and a square shaped jetted tub that had wooden blinds over it. Since the blinds were open, Dominique could see that the tub looked out to his bedroom. If none of the things were there when Kaleb moved in, Kendra had done her thing and done it well. She had definitely transformed the place to something beautiful. Dominique wondered why she hadn’t taken up interior design since she was so good at it, instead of nursing.
Dominique watched Kaleb as he stepped over to the shower and turned it on. Water began to pour from the faucet that was inside. When he turned around, he walked over towards her and started to remove the dress she was wearing. Now, standing in front of him clad in nothing but her panties and bra, Dominique felt no shame. Gone was the shy girl that she had once been. Now she embraced everything about her body. Kaleb had told her on numerous occasions that she was beautiful and she believed him. She had no choice but to. The way he looked at her while she was naked let her know that he enjoyed seeing her that way, and because of that, she didn’t mind giving him exactly what he wanted.
When he unclasped her bra, grabbed her left breast, and placed it in his mouth, Dominique tossed her head back and closed her eyes. Slowly, Kaleb flicked his tongue back and forth across her erect nipples, driving her crazy. The sound of her pleasurable moans could be heard over the running water. Dominique was hot and ready. After a few more moments of sucking her breasts, he removed his mouth and bent down to slide down her panties. Dominique stepped out of them while looking down at him. Once she was naked, Kaleb stood and proceeded to take off his own clothes. Ready to feel him inside her, Dominique assisted him and in a matter of seconds, he stood there in all his glory.
“My God!” she said, glancing down at the beautiful stick that hung from between his legs.
Kaleb was the first to step into the shower, with Dominique following behind him. Before the water could fully wet their bodies, they were all over one another. Their lips locked and they kissed each other like there was no tomorrow. As they kissed, Kaleb’s hands roamed all over Dominique’s body. He gripped her ass, while she grinded up against him. Not able to take it anymore, he picked her up and placed her back against the shower tiles closest to the faucet. Water rained down all over the two of them, wetting Dominique’s hair completely. She didn’t mind one bit because she planned to wash it anyway. With her arms wrapped tightly around Kaleb’s neck, Dominique waited while he used his left hand to slide his dick up and down the middle of her southern lips. With the head aligned right outside her dripping hole, he pushed his hips into her, causing them both to grunt in pleasure.