Maurice pinched Kenya’s arm playfully. “She’s right, though,” he said. “We’re just a normal couple that’s going through an extraordinary mess.”
After an hour of telling the reporter their side of the story, Maurice and Kenya were tired and ready to head home. Maurice could still sense that everything wasn’t okay, despite Kenya’s smiles and laughter during the interview. As they walked down to the parking lot, Kenya was silent.
“What’s wrong?” Maurice asked.
“I’m not going to do this every time there’s a paternity claim or some other woman decides that she wants to get rich off you,” Kenya snapped. “I just . . . God, is this how our life is going to be?”
“What are you talking about? You watch too much TV, and you know that after all of this with Lauryn, you’re the only woman that I’m going to touch, and when you get pregnant, there will be no question that I’m the father. An hour ago you wanted to fight. Now you’re throwing in the towel?”
She sped up, walking three steps in front of him, and then she stopped and turned around to face him. “Mo, I’m scared. Why do you even want to marry me in the first place? Is this about love or redemption?”
He slapped his hand across his forehead. “I thought we’d gotten past this! I thought we had finally decided that we were letting the past go.”
“How can I let it go when, every five minutes, it’s in my face again? If I have to tell one more person how we reconnected, I’m going to vomit. You’re famous. I’m not, and nor do I care to be.”
“You want me to quit the league and move to some small town where they’ve never heard of me so we can live the simple life and act like we haven’t made mistakes?”
She raised her eyebrows as if to say, “We?”
Maurice nodded his head before she spoke, “Yes, Kenya, we. You act as if I’m the only person who messed up. You kept your pregnancy a secret, and more recently, you tried to seduce my brother. Do you see me throwing it up in your face every time things get hard?”
“I’m going home. I need some time alone,” she snapped, then stomped off.
As Maurice watched her get into her car and speed away, he thought, Am I ever going to make it to the altar?
What is wrong with me? Kenya thought as she slowed her car. I’ve let Lauryn get to me again, and I’m pushing this man away. I know Maurice loves me, but why can’t I get past this thing with him and Lauryn? I guess I got this from my mother. Can I really live like this? Questioning Maurice at every turn and believing the worst about him.
Kenya pulled over at a Chinese restaurant and sat in her car. She wasn’t hungry, but going home was not an option. She knew that when she got into her apartment, the only thing she would think about doing was calling Maurice.
This marriage isn’t going to work, she thought as she started her car again. I’m going to have to end this.
Chapter 30
Hours had passed since Maurice had heard from Kenya, and that wasn’t like her. Even when they had their quarrels, they still talked on the phone at night. She doesn’t think that I’m going to let her go this easily, he thought as he grabbed his car keys and headed for the door.
Hopping into his car, he sped to Kenya’s place, ignoring every posted speed-limit sign and not giving a damn about the possibility that a police officer would pull him over. Luckily, he made it without inspiring the ire of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. When he spotted Kenya’s Mustang in the parking lot, he released a sigh of relief. At least she was at home. Now it was on to the hard part. Taking the stairs two at a time, he ran to her door and banged on it as if he were mad.
“What?” Kenya snapped when she opened the door. “Maurice, is there some sort of emergency?”
“Yeah, there is,” he said, stepping inside without being invited. “See, I’ve got the feeling that you think we’re over or that we’re going to have some sort of drama every day of our lives.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to do this. I just want to curl up with some files and then go to sleep.”
“Why not curl up with me and go to sleep? Kenya, I can’t let you walk out of my life, and I’m not about to let you throw our relationship away.”
“All we do is move from one crisis to another. If it isn’t Lauryn, then it’s my parents. And now I have to deal with Lauryn’s book and this media blitz that you’re going to have to do to convince your teammates that you’re not gay.” Kenya slapped her hand against her forehead. “It’s tiring. Once all of this dies down, I think we should quietly go our separate ways.”
Maurice shook his head and stood so close to her that their lips nearly touched. “Nope, because we tried that nine years ago, and look how that worked out. The next time I head to an island for a vacation, I want to know you’re there, because you’re going to be by my side.”
Kenya’s eyes became glossy with unshed tears as she took a step back from him. Maurice could feel her defenses breaking down. “I can’t get over what happened in the past, and that means we don’t have any type of future,” she said.
“You won’t give us a chance,” he said, nearly pleading with her. “Kenya, I love you too much to let you walk away from me again. I was a fool back then. I let my libido take over when I should’ve listened to my heart.” He drew her into his arms and spoke against her ear. “You tell me that you don’t love me and I’ll walk out that door and never come back. I won’t call, and I won’t bother you ever again.” He pulled her closer to him and felt her heart beating overtime against her breastbone. Maurice knew that he wasn’t leaving her apartment, because as much as she tried to deny it, she loved him too much to throw away what they had.
Kenya pushed away from him. “I hate it when you do this,” she said, turning her back to him. “You say the right things, and I want to believe you, but . . .”
Touching her shoulder, he said, “No buts, Kenya. Nothing matters but me and you and how we feel about each other. I love you, and, damn it, you know you love me. Hell, your mother is going to give me a chance. How can you just deny what we have and tell me that these last few months didn’t mean anything? Or that being together is too hard and you don’t want to try?”
Kenya turned around and shook her head. “Please stop it!” she exclaimed. “Do I love you? Yes, and I’ve never stopped loving you, but love isn’t enough.”
“How do you know? Have we even tried? You’re making a snap judgment because of what happened nearly a decade ago, when I was an immature punk. You’ve grown, I’ve grown, and . . .”
“Lauryn is still out there,” she said. Kenya pointed to her head. “And she’s in here. I can’t get the image of you and her out of my head.”
Maurice led Kenya over to the sofa and took her hands in his. “Please tell me that you’re not going to let her win. Kenya, I want you and no one else. What do I have to do to prove that to you?”
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
Maurice didn’t have to be told twice. As he pulled Kenya into his arms and gently kissed her, hoping to ease all of her doubts and eliminate her fears. Soon his kiss turned fiery and passionate. She melted against his body, and Maurice took the opportunity to slip his hands underneath her thin tank top and cup her breasts, massaging them until her nipples perked up underneath his fingertips. A soft moan escaped her throat as one of his hands slipped between her thighs, pushing her cotton boxer shorts aside. He felt the wetness of her arousal as he slipped his finger between the folds of her skin, stroking her mound of sensuality until her legs shivered.
Kenya leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck as she ground against his finger, imagining that his manhood was buried deep inside her. Her lips grazed his neck as she felt herself about to climax. Maurice removed his finger and pulled her shorts off.
“I want to taste you,” he murmured as he leaned back on the sofa and lifted her hips to his lips. “You’re mine, and you’re going to know it by the time we’re done.”
Words failed
her as his tongue took the place of his finger and he lapped her sexual juices, making her dizzy with delight. Kenya cried out as Maurice deepened his kiss, sucking her pleasure point until she lost all control. Pulling back, Maurice rose to his feet, then lifted Kenya and took her to her bedroom so that he could make love to her with the fervor she deserved.
Once in the bedroom, Kenya pulled her shirt off and lay on the bed, totally naked. Maurice stared at her flawless body, smiling because she was going to be his wife and this would be what he’d come home to every night. After a hard practice, he’d be able to unwind with her. After she tried a tough case, he’d massage her tension away and feed her dinner that he’d order from her favorite restaurant. When he looked at Kenya, he saw a bright future, which he’d never give up.
“I love you so much,” he said.
“I love you, too. And I do want to be with you forever,” she said. “I’m scared.”
He joined her on the bed, wrapped his arms around her, and buried his lips in her neck. “You don’t have to be. The only thing that can stop me from being with you is death. No other woman can even compare to you.”
Maurice kissed her reply out of her mouth before she could speak. She was sweeter than sugar, more addictive than any drug sold on the street. With shaky hands, she pulled at his clothes, stripping him until they were both naked.
“Don’t let me run from you again,” she whispered as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“You’re not going anywhere but down the aisle,” he said, slipping his erection into her. She was hot and tight and felt damned good. Maurice didn’t even care that he hadn’t bothered to pull the condom out of his pants pocket. He wouldn’t mind making a baby with her. It would be his redemption for allowing her to suffer through the loss of their child so many years ago. Maurice had so much to make up for; so many mistakes that he’d made had caused Kenya a lifetime of pain.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he felt his climax creeping up on him.
“Sorry?” she asked breathlessly.
“For everything that I’ve ever done to hurt you.” He collapsed against her breasts, kissing each one gently. “Marry me.”
“I’ve already answered that question.”
“But how many times have you changed your mind?”
Kenya thumped him on the top of his head. “Shut up.”
The next morning, Kenya and Maurice woke up wrapped in each other’s arms. Smiling at Maurice, Kenya reached out and stroked his smooth cheek. He opened his eyes and smiled at his future wife.
“You’re just going to lie here when we have a wedding to plan?” she quipped.
“I don’t see you moving, either,” he said, grabbing her hand and kissing it.
“Let’s just get married in bed and stay here.”
Maurice flipped her over and straddled her body. “Don’t give me any ideas. As much as I hate to get up, I do have to head over to my office. I told James that I was going to give him as much help as I could on this project.”
“You’re actually going to do some work?” Kenya said, then kissed him gently on the lips. “I think I’m impressed.”
Maurice smirked at her. “Want to go have breakfast before I go in to be bossed around by my brother?”
“Sure. As long as you join me in the shower,” she said as he rolled over onto his side. Maurice didn’t have to be told twice as he followed Kenya into the bathroom.
Following their shower and a quick romp in the bathroom, on the counter, they headed to the Coffee Cup. Kenya stopped at a newspaper box and purchased a copy of the Charlotte Observer. She knew that Maurice’s story was in the paper, and she hoped that this would shut the town and everyone else up.
“I’d almost forgotten about our story,” he said as they took a seat in the crowded restaurant.
“I still say we should sue the—”
“Maurice Goings,” Smitty said, then slammed a copy of the paper on the table, in front of Maurice. “You stay in the news, don’t you?”
“Get out of my face, dude,” Maurice growled. His face was a knot of anger.
Smitty threw his hands up. “I’m not here to fight with you. I know how you feel. Some women will say anything and not give a damn about how it will affect you.”
Maurice raised his eyebrows at his teammate, not knowing what to make of his support. The two had never been friends, and when Maurice took his starting spot as wide receiver for the Panthers, the animosity between them could have been cut with a knife.
“Thanks, man,” Maurice said.
“Stuff like this is enough to take a man out of his game,” Smitty said.
Maurice nodded. This was the antagonistic bastard that he was used to. “Don’t worry. Your spot on the bench is secure.”
Smitty laughed. “Whatever.” Then he walked away.
“Nice guy,” Kenya said. “He’s not coming to the wedding, is he?”
Maurice shook his head and laughed. “He’s a jealous jerk,” he said as he waved for a waitress.
Kenya opened the paper and turned to the sports section. The story about Maurice was on the front page of the section, underneath the headline SCORNED EX SLINGS MUD.
“What the?” Kenya read part of the story aloud. “In a case of he said /she said, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Maurice Goings and his ex-fiancée, Lauryn Michaels, exchange verbal jabs in the media. She says that he’s gay and that he encouraged her bisexuality, and she is planning to write a tell-all book about her years with the football star. He says that she’s a liar and a gold digger, who has tried to extort money from him as he plans a new life with a Charlotte attorney.” She tossed the paper aside. “I thought you said that this guy was your friend.”
Maurice picked up the paper and continued reading the story. “Goings, who was rejected at the altar by Michaels, said the only person confused about their sexuality is Michaels. ‘She was having an affair with a woman and using me because she wanted to get rich.’ Michaels, on the other hand, said Goings is the one having a sexual identity crisis. ‘I can’t say that I saw him in bed with another man, but the signs were there.’ When asked what those signs were, Michaels said to read her book. So, who’s telling the truth? The new fiancée, Kenya Taylor, who has known Goings and Michaels for years, said that she knows Goings isn’t gay. ‘Lauryn is crazy, and she knows that in the testosterone-driven NFL, the best way to discredit a man is to call his sexuality into question.’ Goings and Taylor were high-school sweethearts, and both attended historically black Johnson C. Smith University. Then Michaels came into the picture.”
Kenya threw her hand up. “Please spare me,” she said. “I’ve heard enough.”
“It isn’t that bad,” Maurice said as he scanned the rest of the article. “All I want is for people to know that Lauryn is a liar and I finally got the right one.”
Kenya leaned over the table and kissed Maurice on the forehead. “Do you think this is going to shut her up?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I hope so, but it doesn’t matter,” he said. Before Maurice said anything else, the waitress walked over to take their orders. As Kenya rattled off her request for the breakfast special, Maurice looked at his watch.
“I’ll have what she’s having, but make mine to go,” he said.
“You’re leaving so soon?” Kenya asked once the waitress walked away.
“James is already going to kill me because I’m late,” Maurice said. “He’ll just have to get over it.”
“That doesn’t sound like a brother who’s willing to work,” Kenya teased.
“Yeah, whatever you say,” he said. “I’m going to sit in on some meeting and get up to speed on our housing project. Your attorney is coming to meet with us in about twenty minutes.” As he rose to his feet, the waitress came over with his boxed-up breakfast and Kenya’s plate. As Kenya dug into her breakfast, she waved good-bye to Maurice, who then dashed out the door.
After finishing her breakfast, Kenya headed to her office, much ha
ppier than she had been when she’d left the previous day. “Good morning, Talisha,” she sang as she walked into her office.
“Miss Taylor, there’s someone here to see you. A Lauryn Michaels.”
Kenya’s smile was quickly erased. “Where is she?”
“In your office. I tried to stop her.”
Kenya held up her hand. “I’ll handle this, but keep security on standby.” She walked into her office and found Lauryn sitting on the edge of her desk. “What in the hell are you doing here?”
“Swanky digs, Kenya. Who knew that you would turn out this way? Nice little article that you two have in the paper today.”
“If you don’t tell me what you want, I’ll have security escort you out,” Kenya said forcefully.
“Fifty thousand dollars. That will make me and my book disappear. Mo isn’t going to do this unless you convince him to do so.” She twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. “If you don’t help me, then it’s going to be on your head when some defensive lineman tries to take Maurice’s head off because he thinks Maurice was looking at his package.”
Kenya grabbed Lauryn’s shoulder and yanked her off the desk. “You extortionist! You’re not getting your grubby little hands on a dime from me or Maurice, and if you write that book, it will never see the light of day. Now get out of here.”
“You don’t get it, do you? It doesn’t matter if my book is the truth or a lie. Maurice’s reputation will be ruined, and you’re going to spend your entire marriage wondering and fighting rumors. Is he on the down low? Are those nights out with the boys sex parties? When is my HIV test going to be positive?”
“You’re a fool,” Kenya said. “Are you sure you graduated from college? You’re not going to profit from lies, and I will personally file a lawsuit to stop you and will spend every waking hour of my day trying to bury you.”
“And what’s going to happen to Maurice as you fight to bring me down? He’s going to be so busy proving his manhood by sleeping with every woman that looks his way, and once again, you’ll be crying and running away.”
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