Yield to Love

by Chanta Jefferson Rand

  “One thing I’ve learned about you is you never let others control you,” Marlowe said. “You take charge, and if something is in your life, it’s there for a reason.”

  “This is the one exception. I should have done something by now. It seemed easier not to deal with Natalyn and all of her shenanigans. Now that I have you, I have a reason to make change.”

  “Newsflash, Roque. You don’t have me.”

  She was not making this easy. Roque was out of excuses. He made one last attempt. “I’m not perfect, Marlowe. I make mistakes, too. Believe me, this is one mistake I wish I could go back and fix. If you forgive me, I’ll never give you a reason to doubt me again.”

  “There are three types of men I don’t screw with. Losers, liars, and husbands. You hit the mark on all of those. Don’t call me again. Or else next time, I won’t be so nice.”

  SIXTEEN

  Marlowe blew her nose. She’d gone through a whole box of tissue wasting tears on Roque. Since yesterday, she hadn’t talked to anyone. She’d called Penny this morning and told her she wouldn’t be in, but she could be reached for any meetings, via cell phone. She just didn’t feel like facing anyone today. Both Candace and Ronnie had called to check on her. She’d lied so smoothly, she felt bad. She’d told them she’d gone out of town with some girlfriends and caught a cold. Thankfully, they fell for it.

  She couldn’t believe how stupid she’d been. She’d let Roque fuck her when all the time he knew he was married. Thank goodness, he hadn’t called her today. Maybe he’d finally gotten the message.

  She lounged on her couch, flipping through channels until she landed on some random daytime talk show. She hadn’t even bothered to change out of her nightgown. She lay curled up in a fetal position, surrounded by wadded up Kleenex.

  “So, let me get this straight,” the talk show host said to a young girl wearing enough weave to start her own salon. “Your man cheated on you with your mother?”

  “Yep,” the girl answered.

  The audience booed.

  “Ugh, that’s just nasty,” the host egged them on.

  The young girl nodded. “But I’m over it now. You know they say the best way to get over your old man is to get a new man.”

  The audience cheered.

  “So true,” the host agreed. “But how do you move on after a betrayal like that?”

  “Oh, I didn’t move on. I moved in—with his brother!” The girl gave a classic neck roll and pursed her heavily glossed lips.

  The audience went wild.

  “Oh, no you didn’t!” the host joked.

  “I figured since my ex liked keeping things in the family so much, he shouldn’t have a problem with it.”

  Marlowe shook her head. This show was trash, but she was riveted to it. Maybe that’s what she needed to do. Get someone new to forget about Roque. Too bad he didn’t have a brother. But she knew plenty of men who would love to distract her from her problems.

  She jumped up and whipped out her cell phone. She scrolled through the ridiculously long list of contacts. There had to be over fifty possible candidates here. She frowned as she scanned the names. William was too short. Curt was too immature. Dante had an annoying habit of grinding his teeth. Hank sucked in bed.

  In fact, let me delete his number right now. No use in keeping a brotha around who can’t satisfy me.

  Derrick had baby-mama-drama. Robert talked non-stop about his job. Fred was too loud-mouthed. Malik was too mild-mannered. James had a crooked smile.

  Now you’re just nitpicking!

  The more names she scrolled through, the more depressed she became. She eliminated them all for a variety of reasons. When she compared them to Roque, there was no comparison. She tossed her phone on the end of the couch.

  “But there’s a new development,” the host announced. “You’re pregnant by his brother?”

  “Yep,” the girl answered. “And now, that fool wants me back.”

  Marlowe’s stomach sank. Pregnant. She’d forgotten all about that. She could be preggers with Roque’s baby. Maybe they could all move in together. Her, Roque, the baby, Jade, and Natalyn. Then, they could have their own reality show.

  She laughed out loud and kept giggling until her laughter turned to sobs.

  This shit is not funny.

  She reached for a tissue. She felt like a total idiot falling for Roque. She was supposed to be smarter than that. She’d had her heart broken once, and now she knew why she avoided close relationships. She never wanted to know that type of pain again.

  A knock on her door made her jump. Her stomach flip flopped. Could it be Roque? On shaky legs, she walked to the door and peered through the peephole. Her heartbeat slowed when she saw Toye standing on her porch.

  “Hi,” Toye said when she opened the door. “I heard you were sick. I brought some chicken soup.”

  “Thanks.” Marlowe accepted the warm pot and walked it into the kitchen to put it on the stove. Once again, she felt bad about lying.

  “I knew you were gone,” Toye said, “but I didn’t know where. I was hoping it wasn’t with Roque Coleman.”

  Marlowe’s heartbeat quickened at the mention of his name. “Why?”

  “Girl, I’ve been doing some investigating on him, and—”

  “What? Why have you been doing that?”

  “I wanted to make sure he was on the up and up.”

  “How is that any of your concern?”

  “I’m only trying to help. I think you’ll want to know what I found out.”

  “Why would I care?”

  “Because I saw y’all lip locked. Shit, you might be thinking of giving up the drawers to him.”

  “Damn, Toye. Who I screw is none of your business.”

  “So, you did give up the drawers?”

  Marlowe’s jaw dropped. “Toye, you need to leave. I don’t feel well, and I don’t have time for this shit.” Marlowe ushered her toward the door.

  “Girl, that man is living foul,” Toye blurted out. “I found out he’s married. I bet he didn’t even tell you that.” It was all Marlowe could do not to punch Toye. She had that triumphant look on her face, like she knew something no one else did. “I bet you didn’t know. Did you know?” Toye demanded.

  “Yes, Toye, I did know.”

  She looked at her like she’d grown a horn in her forehead. “Wait. You knew, and you’re still messing with him?”

  “I am not messing with him, Toye.”

  “If you’re screwing him, you can tell me. I won’t judge you. I’ve slept with a few married men before. But it was on accident.”

  Suddenly, Marlowe had a raging headache. Her cousin was making her head pound. “Toye, please go.”

  “Girl, you know if he’s married, there’s no telling what other secrets he may have. Do you really trust him enough to sell LaReesa’s property?”

  Marlowe shook her head. “One thing has nothing to do with the other.”

  “I’m just saying. He seems shady. I knew there was something up with him at the wedding when he didn’t even look at me or Olivia. Well, Olivia, I can understand. But me? Who could resist this body? These eyes? I thought he was gay or something, until I saw him kiss you.”

  Marlowe wanted to scream. She counted to ten instead. “Toye, I really think you should join a dating website.”

  “Why? So I can show these men what’s they’ve been missing?”

  “No, so you can get some motherfuckin’ business of your own!” Marlowe finally snapped. “Goodbye, Toye!”

  She didn’t feel bad watching the tears that watered in Toye’s eyes or seeing her hurt expression. Marlowe was hurting too. She didn’t have time to entertain her cousin’s bullshit.

  ###

  Three weeks passed, and Marlowe still hadn’t managed to put Roque out of her mind. She did get her period last week, so at least she didn’t have to deal with an unwanted pregnancy. She should have been ecstatic, but she wasn’t. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She�
�d been moping around, uninterested in anything. Not even the excitement of helping Gabe plan his annual gala could lift her spirits. For the past few weeks, she’d simply been going through the motions.

  Her sisters thought she was still suffering from the emotional trauma of dealing with Reesa’s house. Marlowe was content to let them believe it. Anything to keep them from the truth.

  She was lonely.

  For the first time in her life, she felt a gnawing emptiness that she was helpless to stop. She knew what it was. She missed Roque. And she hated herself for it. There was no logical reason for her to be so miserable without him. He was a fraud. There was no room in her life for frauds—no matter how well he sexed her.

  Candace and Toye approached. Toye was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “You outdid yourself this time, Marlowe.”

  She and Toye had made up a few days after Marlowe’s outburst. Marlowe figured family should come before any man, unless he was her husband. And like Toye said, she was only trying to be helpful. Although she had a crazy ass way of helping people.

  “Yes,” Candace agreed. “Look at this crowd! It’s even bigger than last year’s event.”

  Marlowe didn’t need to look around to appreciate her handiwork. Tonight’s formal event was being held at the Eden Roc Hotel, the place where Gabe and Candace fell in love. The invitation specified formal attire. It was a chance for Gabe’s clients to play dress up for a night. It seemed as though the women were competing to see who could show off the longest ball gowns, the deepest plunging necklines, and the most outrageous jewelry. The men rocked tuxes in every color and style. This was Miami, after all. Residents were known for their wild fashions.

  Marlowe was wearing the stunning royal blue gown she’d bought a few weeks ago. Normally, she lived for these types of events. But tonight, her heart wasn’t in it.

  “Thanks,” she replied dully.

  “I’ve got the dirt on who’s single and who’s not,” Toye told her.

  “Not interested,” Marlowe replied, briefly scanning the room. She planned on staying only as long as required without raising suspicion. Then she was outta here!

  “You gotta get back on the horse, cousin.”

  The thought of riding a horse made her think of Roque. It had been almost a month since he’d shown her the wonders of Costa Rica. Her body still warmed every time she thought of their weekend together.

  “Champagne?” a white-gloved waiter carrying a tray of tall flutes filled with the bubbly liquid asked.

  She shook her head. “No thanks.” The champagne reminded her of the Dom Pérignon she and Roque sipped in Costa Rica. “Damn, why can’t I get him out of my brain?”

  “Who?” Candace was staring strangely at her.

  “No one,” Marlowe muttered. She couldn’t believe she’d just said that aloud.

  “Are you okay?” Candace asked.

  “Yes. I just have a headache.”

  “Ever since you came back from your trip, you’ve been acting strange.”

  “I told you I was sick,” Marlowe kept up the lie. “I must have caught a bug. But I’m better now.”

  “Come with me. I want you to meet someone.”

  Great. Marlowe didn’t feel like meeting anyone. She was ready to hightail it back to her condo and watch some mindless program on TV. Anything to take her mind off her misery.

  “He’s a new investor,” Candace continued. “Gabe is doing a retail shopping center project with him. And Three Sisters is going to help. It’ll be the biggest one we’ve ever done.”

  Marlowe wished she could catch the wave of her sister’s excitement. Maybe in a few months, she might feel different. Tonight, she wasn’t feeling it.

  She followed Candace to a corner where Gabe was conversing with a stranger. The man’s back was to her. Gabe caught her eye and waved her over.

  “Here she comes now,” Gabe announced to the man. “Marlowe handles all of our PR events.”

  The man, dressed in an all-white tuxedo, turned. Marlowe’s heart slammed against her ribs as she took in the familiar blue eyes and dark goatee groomed to perfection.

  “Marlowe,” Gabe said, “I’d like you to meet Roque Coleman, one of my new investors.”

  “Marlowe,” Roque murmured, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it. “Good to see you again.”

  “Again?” Gabe asked. “You two know each other?”

  Marlowe stared at the exquisite man she’d missed for so long. He was regal in his white tux. He outshone every man in the room. No wonder she couldn’t forget him. Her body instantly reacted, tingling everywhere. Heat flooded her veins and settled deep in her core. Damn, she’d missed him!

  His hungry eyes swept the length of her gown. “Yes.” His deep voice caressed her. “I’ve had the pleasure of Marlowe’s company.” The way he said the word ‘pleasure’ sent goose bumps down her spine.

  No! I will not let him wrangle his way back into my life. New investor, my ass!

  He’d planned this. With all of his money and connections, it would have been easy.

  Marlowe spoke to Gabe but kept her gaze on Roque. “Yes, we know each other. But Mr. Coleman still needs to learn that there are some things in life that cannot be bought.”

  She watched the hopeful smile on Roque’s face falter before she turned on her heel and walked briskly away.

  “Marlowe!” he called out.

  She kept walking. She could not handle him right now. She fled to the nearest restroom. Seconds later, she burst through the elegant wood door and paced back and forth in front of the mirrors in the spacious sitting area.

  “How dare he?” she fumed. “He had no right to show up here!” She’d told him not to contact her again. Did he think he could have anything he wanted? The man was unbelievably full of himself.

  A moment later, the bathroom door opened. Marlowe heard footsteps. She moved to the bathroom section where the stalls were located. The footsteps followed.

  Roque appeared from around the corner.

  Marlowe gasped. “You can’t be in here!”

  He held out his hands, palms up. “Marlowe, I’d follow you to the ends of the earth. A women’s restroom can’t keep me from you.”

  “Nothing you can say can convince me to see you again.”

  He pulled a white envelope from the breast pocket of his tuxedo. “This is my divorce decree,” he said. “I made Natalyn sign it.”

  Her heart raced. She couldn’t think straight. He was getting a divorce? “You didn’t have to do that for me.”

  “I did it for me. I’m a selfish bastard, remember?”

  “If the shoe fits…”

  “It does.” He closed in on her. She took a step backward. “I’m so selfish, I don’t want to be without you, Marlowe. From the day I met you, I fought my attraction to you. But it was useless. You made me yield to love.” His blue eyes sought hers. “I want you to be my wife, Marlowe. I love you.”

  Roque loves me?

  He was here in the women’s restroom, professing his love for her. He was divorcing his wife. She realized this was what she’d wanted all along. She wanted his heart. His love. Still, she had to be sure it was real.

  “I’m not pregnant, Roque. You don’t have to marry me just so you can take care of your responsibilities.”

  “Did you hear me? I’m marrying you because I love you. You know you love me too, Marlowe.” He backed her up against the counter of sinks. His hard body pressed against hers. She didn’t move away.

  God help me, I still crave his touch.

  “Don’t deny me, Marlowe,” he pled. “I’m going out of my mind without you.”

  He kissed her tenderly, capturing her lips in a searing kiss, and Marlowe felt the familiar smoldering heat begin to spiral inside her. He could make her body bend to his will with just one stroke of his skillful tongue. As he nibbled at her lips, he moved with a slow sensual thrust, grinding against her. She felt the evidence of his erection pressing through his tuxedo pants ag
ainst the abdomen of her gown.

  Oh, no! I’m falling for him again.

  Her pussy lips throbbed in anticipation. She was still mad at him. She couldn’t let him do this.

  “No,” she murmured against his lips.

  “Yes,” he murmured back. He hiked her dress up, exposing her lace panties. Then he lifted her by her waist and set her atop the cool marble sink.

  He dragged his lips from hers. “I need you, Marlowe. I need you so bad, it hurts.”

  He stroked the crotch of her panties with two fingers. She gasped with pleasure.

  “Yes,” she agreed, eager to have him inside her. “Yes, yes.”

  He yanked her panties down and unzipped his pants and thrust his hard dick inside her. Marlowe moaned with delight as she welcomed him inside. Instantly, she felt herself succumbing to his deep, erotic strokes. Her purrs mingled with his groans as the two frantically fucked in the bathroom. Her tailbone hurt from pushing against the hard sink, but she refused to stop. She wrapped her legs tighter around Roque’s midsection. In minutes, she was soaring toward her first orgasm. If Roque had his way, it wouldn’t be the last one tonight. A white-hot explosion rocked her. It consumed her, igniting her from head to toe, before scorching her with its intensity.

  She screamed out Roque’s name. A second later, he ejaculated, driving forcefully into her.

  “I love you, Marlowe,” he repeated over and over. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she answered, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. “And did you realize we did it unprotected again?”

  He nodded. “Yes. But it doesn’t matter. You’re my woman now. I’m taking care of you.”

  He helped her get down from the sink. Once on her feet, Marlowe adjusted her dress. “I never agreed to be your wife,” she argued.

  “Oh, yes, you did. I heard you say yes, yes!”

  She laughed. “That was not in response to your proposal.”

  He zipped his pants. “Too bad. I’m not leaving this bathroom until you say yes.”