He knew he was bordering on what his boys would consider “going soft.” His cousin Tiny would shake his head and call him a punk-ass bitch, and Jerome didn’t even want to think about what some of the guys at work would say. Ironically, the only person he knew he could share his newfound happiness with was his father, who had been a forgotten ghost until ten years ago.
Jerome had always longed for a relationship with Parnell Kimbrough, who’d abandoned the family when Jerome was a little boy. During the first year after his father left, Jerome used to wait anxiously every night, hoping his father would walk back through their door. But when the second year rolled around, his hopes faded with his father’s memory.
Two days after the deadly car accident that had injured Jerome’s son, had nearly killed his mother, and had caused him to change his life, his father reappeared. He found out that his parents had never lost touch over the years, but because his father had been so heavily involved in drugs and dalliances with other women, his mother had told him to stay away and never come back. But when word got to Parnell out in California, where he’d built a new life, that Mabel had been badly injured and might not survive, he caught the first thing smoking back to the East Coast and had been there ever since.
In the years that his father had been back in his life, Jerome had learned many lessons from his dad. He’d learned that being a man meant owning up to your mistakes, taking responsibility for and protecting your family, and always living in your truth, no matter how hard it seemed or how much it hurt, because that was what separated the real men from the boys. Theirs was a relationship that was built on the present, not the past, and right now Parnell was the only person Jerome felt he could talk to about the delicate matter of his heart.
“That was amazing,” Erica said, pulling Jerome away from his thoughts.
Her dreamy after-sex voice made him want to start round two. He kissed her forehead. “Yes, it was.”
“I hope you’ll respect me in the morning.”
“Baby, I respect the hell outta you right now. You got skills,” he teased.
Erica playfully jabbed his shoulder, lifted her head, and looked at him. “I’m being serious, Jerome.”
“So am I.”
“I don’t want you to think that I sleep so quickly with every guy I meet.”
“I don’t think that. Besides, I’m not every guy, and you’re not every woman, right?”
She nodded in agreement. “I just want us to do things the right way, you know?”
“There’s no right or wrong when it comes to you and me. We just make it do what it do.”
Erica smiled, sat up, and gathered the sheet around her chest.
“Don’t cover up,” Jerome said, gently pulling the sateen fabric away from her skin, circling her left nipple with his right finger. “I like looking at you. You’re so beautiful.”
Erica blushed. “I want you to know that I do have moral standards.”
“Erica, I know what kind of woman you are. Why you sweatin’ this? Are you regretting what we did?” Now Jerome was sitting up beside her, looking at her with a mind full of questions. Erica was the first woman to voice such concerns after sex. In the past, if there were conversations, they were generally quick and involved only questions pertaining to their next hookup, and never their moral code of conduct.
“No, I don’t regret anything. I loved every moment we shared, and that’s my point.” Erica fiddled with the edge of the sheet. “I don’t want this to be a hit-and-run type of thing. I was serious about what I said during lunch today.”
“So was I. We’re on the same page, baby.” Although the room was dim, Jerome could see the doubt and questions in Erica’s eyes. He saw hurt, fear, and insecurity lingering where there should have been light. A profound awareness came rushing to him, and that was when he realized something that completely blew him away. He loved her. “Erica, don’t worry. I got you.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” She leaned over and gently kissed him.
“Now, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. You can hold me to that day and night.”
She looked at the clock on her nightstand. “Speaking of day and night, I can’t believe it’s almost eleven o’clock. We never got to eat dinner.”
“No . . . but we had some delicious dessert.”
“Yes, we did,” she purred. “You hungry? I took some food out earlier, and it’s still sitting on the counter. I can warm it up in the microwave.”
Jerome reached for her, pulling her back down to the mattress. “What I want to eat is right here.” He smiled and slowly slid down to the meeting of her thighs.
Chapter 25
Erica finished slicing the strawberries and then added them to the bowl of fresh blueberries she’d just rinsed in the sink. The English muffins popped up from the toaster just in time for her to place them on the two plates with cheese omelets she’d prepared. It was close to noon, but she was making breakfast because she and Jerome had slept in after making love into the wee hours of the morning.
“My baby’s in the kitchen, burnin’ this morning,” Jerome teased as he walked up to Erica, planting a soft kiss on her lips.
He smelled like the spring-fresh-scented Opulence bath gel that she had taken from the guest bathroom and had given him to use. His jeans and sweater from yesterday hung on him with a well-worn look that Erica thought was more delicious than the food she’d just made.
She was still floating on a mile-high love cloud from last night. She’d experienced passion, pleasure, and a type of sexual freedom that made her feel alive and completely uninhibited. Thinking back, Erica knew she’d had good sex in the past, and she could even venture to say that some of her encounters had been quite memorable. But never had she experienced what she felt last night—the type of sex that Ashley often referred to as “out of this world, make your hair go back, slap your mama dead in her face” kind of sex! But that was exactly what Jerome had given her.
Her body still trembled from his tender touch and gentle kisses. She loved that he was an unselfish lover, and that he wanted to please her more than he wanted to be pleased. “You come first, and that’s why I’m gonna make sure that you cum first,” he’d told her.
Along with his gentleness and desire to please her, Jerome had allowed her to explore a side of herself that she hadn’t known existed. For the first time in her life, Erica experienced what it felt like to let go of her hang-ups, taboos, and sexual insecurities so she could fully embrace what pure ecstasy really felt like. She’d always enjoyed sex, but there was a part of her psyche that had never allowed her to fully release into the moment. She’d limited herself with doubts, worrying if she was pleasing her partner just right, if the cellulite on the sides of her thick thighs was too unsightly, if her round ass jiggled too much, or if her partner would have issues with her aggressiveness if she did let go and get freaky.
But Jerome silenced all her fears and answered her questions by taking them off the table. Nothing was undoable. Nothing was restricted. Nothing was unattainable. With him, she was everything and anything she wanted to be. After so many years of searching, dreaming, hoping, and praying, and then eventually feeling hopeless about the prospect of finding someone special to share her life with, Erica was finally confident she had.
But even though she was in complete rapture, not in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined she’d be dating a man like Jerome, let alone falling into a deep relationship in just one week! Yet there she was, cooking her man breakfast after a night of lovemaking that had made her cry out like an animal in the wild and then sleep like a baby in his arms. He might not possess the degrees or material trappings she was used to, but it didn’t matter, because he gave her everything she needed.
“I know you’ve got to be hungry,” Erica said, receiving Jerome’s kiss as she balanced their plates in her hands. She walked over and sat them on the small breakfast table.
“I’m starving.” He smiled. “I need nourishm
ent because somebody wore me out last night.”
Erica laughed. “I think it’s the other way around, Mr. Kimbrough.”
She poured him a glass of the fresh orange juice she’d squeezed, then passed him the butter for his muffin. They enjoyed each other’s company as they ate their breakfast and talked about the day in front of them and the evening ahead, which was sure to be their first big step as a couple.
“I’m so glad you’ll be able to attend my brother’s event on such short notice,” Erica said. “If Ashley hadn’t texted me to confirm the time for tonight, I would’ve missed it, because I put it on my calendar for next weekend. My mind’s been in a whirlwind lately.”
“No problem. I’m just glad I don’t have any projects lined up this weekend. After I leave here, I’m going to spend some time with Jamel, then go home and get dressed so I can be back here to pick you up.”
“This is a big step for Nelson, and I’m so proud of him.”
After ten successful years as a political lobbyist for an international legal association, Erica’s brother, Nelson, had decided to run for a seat on the D.C. City Council. Tonight’s party was where he would make his official announcement to kick off his campaign.
“You’ll get a chance to meet my family and my friends all in one night,” Erica said with excitement.
Jerome gulped his orange juice down in just a few swigs, then took a sip of water. “How do you feel about me meeting your folks? You nervous?”
“No. . . . Are you?”
“Baby, let’s face it. The minute your family finds out about my background and what I do for a living, they’re gonna have problems.”
“Nelson won’t,” Erica said with confidence, although she wasn’t 100 percent certain of her statement.
“Maybe not, but the rest of your family and most of your friends will.”
“I thought you said the only people’s opinions that count in our relationship are yours and mine.”
“They are, but we also have to live in reality. Your family is a big part of your world.”
Erica took a bite of her omelet and then spoke. “I’m not concerned about what anyone else thinks. You’re who I want to be with. When they see how happy you make me, they’ll love you.”
Jerome smiled. “You’re so believing and trusting.”
“I take it you’re not comfortable with the idea of going.”
“I’m fine with it because I can handle myself in any situation. I just know how much you believe in people’s kindness, and I don’t want you to be disappointed when you see a different side of them.”
“You think my family will treat you badly?”
“Hopefully, not to my face. But I do think they’ll wait till you’re alone to tell you how they really feel.”
Erica thought for a moment, pondering Jerome’s words. She knew that her family and friends were of a certain social stratum, and that position and status were important to them. They had high goals and expectations, and they always strived for the best, which was a quality she admired. But she also understood the derisive underlying elitism that existed in their world.
“I’m not naive. I know that some people will raise their brows, but that’s their problem.”
“I hear you. I’m just trying to prepare you for the attitudes you’re gonna run into. I’m from the other side of the tracks, a whole other world away from your fancy upbringing.”
“That doesn’t matter to me.”
“Plus, you’re a Daddy’s girl.”
Erica put her fork down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jerome hesitated, looking as though he was choosing his words carefully. “You’ve told me how close you two are. You’re the apple of his eye.”
“Yes, and that’s why I know he’ll like you. Both my parents want me to be happy. They’ve always supported me in everything I’ve done, and our relationship will be no different.”
Just then their conversation was interrupted by the doorbell.
Erica wiped her mouth with her napkin as she rose from the table. “I wonder who that could be. I’m not expecting anyone.”
Jerome sat forward on the edge of his chair, as if on alert. “You sure?”
She saw the concerned look on his face. He’d been involved in crazy love triangles, so she imagined he was probably bracing himself for who could possibly be standing on the other side of her door.
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any drama here!” she said as she walked toward her entry foyer.
To Erica’s surprise and delight, a deliveryman from her favorite florist handed her a beautiful bouquet of vibrant-colored flowers that were beautifully arranged in a crystal vase. After she signed for the delivery and gave the guy a tip, she walked back to the kitchen. “Speaking of my father, look what he sent me,” Erica said.
Jerome looked up, still a little on edge. “What’s the occasion?”
Erica reclaimed her chair at the table. “Probably to congratulate me for resolving the issues I had at Opulence. He was too busy to really talk yesterday, so this is his way of saying ‘Job well done.’ He’s thoughtful like that, and has sent me flowers from time to time. Let me see what the card says.” She pulled the small envelope from the plastic holder, removed the note inside, and then began to read it aloud. “Dear Erica . . .” And that was as far as she got before she stopped. She couldn’t go any farther, because the note wasn’t from her father. It was from Claude!
Chapter 26
When Jerome heard Erica’s voice tighten into a cautious pause and saw anxiety flash through her eyes, he knew something was wrong. She didn’t have to tell him that the fragrant flowers she’d just placed in the center of the table weren’t from her father, because her expression said it all. He knew that the surprise gift was from a man who either had been with her, was with her now, or wanted to be with her.
He and Erica had talked about his checkered past but had only scratched the surface of her stumbles, which he actually didn’t think were many. He quickly analyzed the situation before him and came to the conclusion that the flowers had to be from her ex, the pompous asshole who’d lied to her and deceived her.
Jerome knew it had to be him. For one, he knew that Erica had been too busy over the past few months to start up anything new, and two, it was she who had called off the engagement, not her ex. Jerome knew that as fine and as sweet as Erica was, her rejection would not sit well with any man. They’d definitely want her back.
He watched as Erica finished reading the card in silence, nervously biting her lower lip. He could see her eyes dart to and fro with anxiety, as she knew he was watching for her reaction. He sat back in his chair, waiting, but she said nothing. He decided he would give her five more seconds to explain what the hell was going on before he started asking questions. Luckily, she spoke up.
“I was mistaken. These aren’t from my father,” she said in a low voice.
“I figured that. So who sent them?”
Erica swallowed hard. He could see her throat move. “My ex that I told you about. Claude.”
There was a long moment of silence between them. Jerome waited for Erica to be as forthcoming as he’d been about his past relationships. But instead, she took a small sip of her coffee and then placed the note back inside the envelope.
“You need to start giving me some kind of explanation,” Jerome said, trying to maintain a calm voice.
“I’m only silent because I don’t know what to say. I’m trying to figure it out myself. . . . It’s really very strange,” Erica replied, looking into his eyes. “I didn’t think anything of it when he called the other night.”
Jerome’s back went flat against his chair. “He called you? When did this happen?”
“A few nights ago, um, Tuesday. It was when I was waiting for your call, and I thought it was you, so I picked up without looking, and it turned out to be Claude.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you two recently talked?”
“Beca
use there was nothing to say. The conversation lasted just a few minutes. Honestly, I was shocked he even called.”
“So this guy just called you out of the blue, for no reason?”
“Yeah, kind of. I mean, after I saw him out last week I—”
“Hold up,” Jerome said, cutting her off. He was starting to feel heat rise to his head as he spoke. “Erica, why are you just now telling me this? We talked about your ex that first night on the phone, but you never mentioned that you’d just gotten a call from him.”
“Because it didn’t mean anything.”
“The man is sending you flowers. It damn sure means something.”
“Jerome, I told you, it doesn’t mean anything at all. As a matter of fact, he has a girlfriend. When Ashley and I were out at dinner last Friday night, we saw him there with his new woman. Then the next thing I know, he called me a few days later, and now he’s sending me flowers.”
“What did he say was his reason for calling you after he saw you?”
Erica hesitated. “Um, he claimed he wanted to see if we could get back together.”
“Well, there you go. That’s why he’s sending you flowers during the middle of the day. You must’ve told him something that got his hopes up.”
“The only thing I told him was that I wasn’t interested and that he should concentrate on his new girlfriend. I even hung up on him.”
Jerome shook his head. “Open the envelope and read the card out loud, please.”
Erica’s eyes bucked. “Why do you want me to do that?”
“Because I want to know exactly what that muthafucka said to you.” He looked at her with steely eyes, so serious she didn’t ask the question again.
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