The Lies We Tell for Love (The Love, Lies & Lust Series)

by Mz. Robinson

  I reached down to cup the warm place between her legs with my free hand. “How do you know I wasn’t planning on having this for dinner?” I asked.

  “Oh, so I guess the smothered pork chops, turnip greens, macaroni and cheese, and fresh baked biscuits I made will all go to waste,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

  My stomach immediately began to growl, as anxious to have some of that as my dick was to have some of her. “There is no sense in that,” I said quickly. “You know me, baby. I’m always up for seconds—or at least for dessert.”

  She pushed my hand away playfully and laughed. “That’s what I thought,” she said.

  ***

  Good food and good conversation with a beautiful woman makes for a perfect evening, but good food and good conversation with a beautiful woman you love is priceless. After dinner, Octavia and I cuddled in our family room, talking about our day. Octavia lay with her head on my shoulder, stroking my chin with the tips of her fingers.

  “Kelly came to see me,” I told her.

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Said he had just left a job interview with the school system,” I said. “He got the job. He told me to tell you that after he finishes the garden, he will be working at Monrovia.”

  “Wow,” she said. “That’s great.”

  “Yeah, it is,” I said, tightening my arms around her. I was waiting for her to further comment, but she never did.

  “He’s going to be out of town for a couple of days,” I informed her. “Visiting some of his people.”

  Octavia nodded her head but remained quiet.

  “He also asked me to apologize to you.”

  “For what?” Octavia asked, clearing her throat.

  “Not telling you himself,” I said. “He said he thought it might be too uncomfortable and that you would know what he meant. So what did he mean?” I asked.

  Octavia cleared her throat again. It was the second time she had cleared her throat in less than five minutes. I knew from experience that the only time Octavia ever clears her throat while speaking is when she is nervous. The wheels inside of my head began to spin. I wanted to know what about our conversation about Kelly had my wife on edge.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe because I’m the one who hired him or something like that.”

  “You’re probably right,” I said. I decided not to address my concerns with Octavia. I had my way of finding out anything I needed to know, and if there was something Octavia wasn’t telling me, I would find out in due time.

  “Well, I’m glad he is going to have a career in his field,” she said. “Contessa will be proud.” She looked up at me then smiled. “Almost as proud as I am of my wonderful husband.”

  “Aw, thank you, baby,” I said sincerely. I slid my hand down her legs and began to rub and massage her thighs gently.

  “Mmm,” she moaned. “That feels good.”

  Pulling her up onto my lap, I slid my hands over her round ass. Her skin was as soft as cotton and as smooth as silk. “I bet I can do something that feels even better,” I said, kissing slowly along the curve of her neck.

  “I know you can,” she whispered, stroking the top of my head, “but first…” Pulling away, she stared at me with her beautiful brown eyes. “First I want my other present.”

  Laughing, I thrust my hips forward, pushing my hardness up against her open legs. “You don’t want this present?” I teased.

  Octavia slipped her hand down in between us and massaged my rod through my pants. “Oh, I plan to unwrap that shortly,” she said seductively, “and I’ll handle it with the utmost care.”

  “Promise?” I asked, squeezing her breast gently. I watched as her chocolate nipples grew hard with my touch.

  “That’s a guarantee,” she moaned.

  “Go grab it off the table.” I barely had the words out of my mouth before Octavia was off my lap and running barefoot back to the dinning room. I chuckled as I watched her. She looked like a little girl on Christmas morning, excited about a present under the tree.

  A few seconds later, she returned with the open envelope in her hand, waving the two airline tickets in the air. “Paris!” she squealed, jumping up and down.

  “Yes, baby.” I laughed lightly. “Paris.”

  Her face was beaming with excitement, and seeing how happy she was made me happy. She ran back over to the sofa and climbed back onto my lap. She gave me a long, passionate kiss on the lips that made my pulse race. “I love you, Damon,” she said, looking into my eyes. “You are so good to me.”

  “You deserve nothing but the best, baby,” I said, running my fingers through her hair.

  “You are the best,” she said. “You’re better than I could ever imagine a man being, and never could I have imagined that I would be this happy. I’m so lucky,” Octavia said. She looked at me, and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. Octavia has always been strong, and few things make her cry. If I remember correctly, the only time I’d ever seen her shed tears was when we had unbelievable make-up sex after a short break up when Beau sent me that sex tape, and also when she held our daughter for the first time. Although, she shares her thoughts and feelings with me often, Octavia seldom ever cries while expressing herself. Seeing her tears and feeling the truth in the words she expressed further fueled my desire to protect her from all hurt and harm.

  “I’m the lucky one,” I said, stroking her cheeks with my fingers. “Never forget that,” I said. “Never forget that you and Jasmine are my world and that without the two of you, I’d—”

  “Shh,” she said, cutting me off. “I know, and we’re not going anywhere,” she promised. “The three of us will always be a family, and you are stuck with me for life.”

  “Life?” I said, smiling.

  “Yes, life,” she laughed, “without parole.” She kissed me again, this time slipping her tongue in my mouth and finding mine.

  The two of us kissed until we were practically out of breath.

  “Why don’t you lock up down here?” she suggested. “Then meet me upstairs in the bedroom.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” I said. I held onto Octavia as I stood. She wrapped her legs tightly around my waist, pressing herself against my dick. The action caused my man to jump slightly. I gently eased her down onto the floor then adjusted myself through my pants.

  Smiling, Octavia lowered her eyes. “I’ll be waiting,” she said. “Just the way you like.”

  “And how is that?” I asked, although I was quite aware of what she meant.

  “Buck-naked, with my legs spread,” she said seductively.

  The image alone made my dick harder. “Promise?” I asked.

  “Guaranteed.”

  “Give me two minutes to set the alarm and lock it down,” I told her. “Then I’ll be upstairs to put it down.”

  “Promise?” she asked, batting her long lashes at me.

  “Guaranteed,” I told her.

  I watched as she turned on her heels and began walking toward the staircase with her wide hips swinging from side to side. When she reached the stairs, she turned to look at me then slowly eased the negligee she was wearing up her hips and over her head, revealing her perfect naked body. She blew me a kiss then winked at me before strutting up the staircase. All I could do was shake my head and smile.

  After ensuring that all the doors were properly locked and secure, I walked into the kitchen to make sure the patio door was locked. Once I saw that it was, I punched my pass code on the alarm keypad and flipped down the flat-screen monitor that was concealed underneath one of the kitchen cabinets. I had spent over $100,000 on the high-tech security system that ran throughout my home, and I made sure I was getting my money’s worth. All the cameras installed outside my home appeared to be working fine, with the exception of one on the south side of the property. There was a picture there, but it was slightly fuzzy. I made a mental note to check it out the first chance I got, but at that moment, all I wanted to do was get upstairs and insi
de my wife.

  ***

  Two hours later, Octavia lay with her head on my chest, running her fingers along the curve of my biceps. Running my index finger down the curve of her naked back, I closed my eyes.

  “Amel and Tarik are getting married,” Octavia said, breaking the silence.

  “That’s good,” I said sincerely. “Tell Amel I said congratulations.”

  “I will,” she said, yawning lightly. “She asked me to be her maid of honor.”

  “You accepted, right?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Octavia said quickly. “I also volunteered to pay for the reception.”

  Kissing the top of her forehead I smiled. I wasn’t surprised at all. In fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Octavia had ended up paying for the wedding. My wife is like that—always a giver who would do anything to help another person out. “That was sweet of you, babe,” I told her.

  “I figured it was the least I could do.” She sighed. “Amel is a great employee, and she’s been through a lot, so I just—”

  “You weren’t responsible,” I said, cutting her off. I already knew where she was going with the conversation. Octavia felt guilty, as if she was responsible for what happened between Amel and Beau, but the truth is that Amel was a grown woman, and her decisions were her own, as were the consequences that resulted from them.

  “I know, babe.”

  Octavia turned on her side so that her back was facing me.

  I rolled over and wrapped my arms back around her so that my chest was pressed against her warm, naked back.

  She looped her fingers through mine then yawned again. “Oh, I guess there’s some member of the media trying to get her next big break,” she said, laughing lightly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Amel said a woman came in to The Ambiance asking questions about Beau.”

  “Maybe she heard through the grapevine about Amel’s engagement to Tarik,” I said nonchalantly, “so now she’s trying to dig up old wounds.” Octavia had advised me that Tarik was starting to do security for some major players, from rappers to ball players. He had branched out from being just a local name and was now making connections across the country.

  “I didn’t consider that factor,” she said. “I guess because Amel told me she also asked about the incident at The Ambiance 2. And when I say incident, I mean—”

  “The shootings?” I concluded.

  “Yep.”

  “Did she give Amel her name or show ID?” I asked. I still had little to no concern about the fact that someone was curious about the murders. I had covered my ass and covered it well. I figured that whoever was snooping around must have been new to the city and didn’t have the right connections. By “right connections,” I mean they weren’t linked to anyone who worked for the city or state. If they were in the loop, they would know better than to even attempt to ask questions about the nights Beau and Kenny died, so I had to assume that whoever the person was, it was just an innocent civilian who liked to gossip.

  “Nope,” Octavia said. “She didn’t give her name or anything. Just came in for lunch and asked to speak to the manager. Amel said she went out to speak to her, and the woman complimented her on the food then started with her questions.”

  “You’re probably right,” I said, kissing her on her neck. “She was probably just some amateur-ass new reporter, looking for a scoop—hoping to blow up by finding a flaw in the system or some form of conspiracy.”

  “I’m sure that whoever she is, she’ll soon discover that we have nothing to hide. Not a thing.” She sighed.

  Chapter 23

  Damon

  My morning had started out with a bang. I was awakened to the warm sensation of my wife’s lips wrapped around my man, followed by what felt like the best nut of my life. After that, Octavia told me it was a freebie and she needed no pleasure in return. When I asked what I had done to receive such royal treatment, she smiled and held up the tickets to Paris that she’d kept on the bedroom nightstand.

  “Remind me to surprise you more often,” I teased.

  The two of us took a quick shower together, shared breakfast, then went our separate ways.

  I had a few client consultations scheduled for the morning, and I planned to take the rest of the afternoon off and spend some family time with my wife and daughter. However, the first thing on my agenda when I arrived at my office that morning was to make a phone call to Lawrence. I was just getting ready to make the call when Louisa buzzed me to let me know that I had a call from American Express on Line 1. After verifying my identity with the customer service supervisor, Angela, I finally got the chance to ask her about the reason for her call. As it turned out, Nadia had attempted to make a $30,000 purchase using my card. I didn’t give a damn what she was trying to buy; I was just relieved that I had set up alerts requiring major purchases over $500 to be approved by me. After I ended my call with Angela, I picked up my desk phone and dialed Nadia’s number.

  “Hellooo!” She sounded like she was singing on the other end of the phone.

  “Look, Nadia, I told you specifically that the AmEx card was to be used only for Donovan,” I spat without even bothering to say hello.

  “Yes, and that’s all I’ve spent it on,” she said. The happiness I heard in her tone changed instantly.

  “Really? What the hell could Donovan possibly need that cost thirty grand?”

  “It’s actually thirty plus,” she said, exhaling a sigh as if she was annoyed with having to explain herself. “I was going to pay the difference in cash, but since you refused to approve the purchase, I guess I’ll be jumping on public transit with our child.”

  “What’s wrong with the car you already have?”

  “Nothing,” she said, sucking her teeth. “I just want a new one. Is that a problem?” she asked.

  Nadia was really getting on my nerves from the other end of the phone. I decided I’d better wrap up the conversation before things took a wrong turn. “Not at all,” I said calmly.

  “Great. So you’re going to approve the purchase.” She stated, not asked, and I could hear the victorious smile in her voice.

  “No.”

  “What?”

  “I’m not buying you a car, Nadia. I’ll buy a car for Donovan when he turns sixteen, but you’re on your own.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Hell yeah I’m serious,” I said. “What would make you think I owe you a car when you already have a perfectly good one?”

  “Humph. I bet if your wife requested it, you’d do that for her,” she snapped. “Hell, you’d probably buy the whole damn dealership.”

  True, I thought to myself, but we’re not talking about my wife. “I’m not going to argue with you about this,” I said firmly. “If you want the car, you can pay for it out of your own pocket.”

  “Damn it, Damon! If I had that kind of money, I would have already paid for it!” she yelled.

  “Well, you don’t and I won’t,” I said.

  “In that case, don’t worry about it,” she said, sucking her teeth from the other end of the phone. “I’ll just get the money from Donovan’s grandmother.”

  My heart rate increased instantly. “Wait…what did you just say?” I asked, clenching my fist.

  “From his grandmother,” she repeated loudly. “Ilene.”

  Click. She hung up before I could respond.

  I had lost my focus and forgotten my reason for calling her in the first place; now my mind was set on letting her know exactly how I felt about her threat to contact my mother. I dialed her number again and immediately got her voicemail. I wanted to go completely in on the message and let her know exactly what would happen if she went through with her threat, but I knew that was not my best option, as I didn’t want that shit recorded. I decided to hang up, wait for a few minutes, and try to call the trifling ass again.

  “What?” she snapped.

  “Don’t you ever threaten me again,” I said through clen
ched teeth. “And stay the fuck away from my mother, or—”

  “Or what?” she dared, cutting me off. “Or what, Damon? You know, you talk big shit for a muthafucker who has so much to lose,” she continued. “Maybe I should reach out to your wifey instead. I’m sure she would love to know the truth about who she’s really married to.”

  There was a sarcastic tone in her voice that just grated on my nerves, and it was in that moment that I knew what I had to do. Nadia could have very well been bluffing, but it was a chance I was not willing to take. It was time for our secret to be revealed. “Do whatever you feel you need to do, Nadia,” I said. “As a matter of fact, you don’t have to bother telling my wife anything. I’ll tell her my damn self.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I can’t keep hiding Donovan like he’s some kind of disease. My son doesn’t deserve that,” I said sincerely. “Octavia will be angry, but I know our love is strong enough for her to forgive me.”

  “Congrats,” Nadia said even more sarcastically. I could hear her clapping from the other end of the phone, rubbing it in. “Good for you. But will she be willing to overlook your other dirty little secrets?”

  “And exactly what are you referring to?” I asked.

  “You think because you have money that you can make all the bad shit just disappear?” she taunted.

  “Again, what the hell are you referring to?”

  “L.A. is a big city, Damon,” she said, “until you become somebody. Then you find out exactly how small the social circle of the elite really is.”

  Sitting forward in my chair, I listened in silence.

  “Speechless? You?” Nadia asked, laughing lightly. “That’s right, Damon. People talk—especially women.”

  “If you have something to say, just spit it out,” I ordered. “Why don’t you tell me whatever it is you think you know and quit playing games?”

  “Well, for starters, I know that Alicia Green is more than a helpless damsel you rescued from distress.”

  “Alicia and I went to school together years ago,” I said casually. “So what?”