Heart So Reckless

by K. C. Mills

  “I’ll holla at her about it. I’m about to meet her for lunch.”

  “Wonderful. She can let me know what day you’re available to meet with the stylist. I’ll wait to hear back before I schedule so that you and Dax can share an appointment.”

  Stylist? The fuck? I wasn’t even sure if I was going. That wouldn’t be determined until I had a conversation with Peyson, but I could dress my damn self. However, arguing that point with Audrey Cross was going to be a waste of my time. She was a determined woman who didn’t hear no often. I could attest to that from what Peyson told me about her mother and the one interaction I had with her.

  “Oh, and I just finalized the details so please don’t assume that Peyson is withholding. I haven’t sent out any hold the dates, nor the official invites, and she and I haven’t seen much of each other over the past few months. With Dax and I traveling back and forth to New York to get our newest location open and well, her situation with you, I’m sure she hadn’t even given the fundraiser a second thought.”

  I suppose that was her way of making sure I knew that Peyson wasn’t keeping secrets. It was my first thought, but I wasn’t about to stress it.

  “Aight well if that’s all…”

  “Yes, that’s all, for now. I hope to see you soon. Maybe dinner for the family…” she paused. “Since the last one was interrupted.”

  “I’m down. Just hit Peyson up.”

  Not that I minded her reaching out, I just didn’t want her to make a habit out of it. I had a feeling she was the type to place a lot of demands, and I wasn’t trying to get caught up with her like that.

  “I most certainly will. Kiss my granddaughter for me, and we’ll talk soon.”

  I ended the call and groaned to myself at the exchange. Peyson’s family was going to take some getting used to. It was a new element for me and a huge contrast to what I was used to dealing with, but me being with Peyson meant me accepting her in her entirety. That entirety included her family which seemed to be bullying their way into my life.

  Peyson.

  “Where she at?” Was the first thing out of Red’s mouth after he released his hold on me. After he opened the passenger door for me, I eased in while he waited for my answer.

  “It was nap-time. They have her on a schedule, and bringing her to lunch would upset that.” I pouted a little because I was actually looking forward to seeing Reid just as much as I knew Red was.

  “I’mma check on her when I bring you back,” rolled off his tongue smoothly before the door shut, and he rounded the front of his truck.

  My eyes were glued to him, bringing a smile to my face. Perfection! Red was dressed simply in dark jeans and a burnt orange t-shirt with no markings other than the Fendi printed on the sleeve. It looked good against his dark skin, but everything about Redmon Stokes looked good. Maybe this should be more than just a quick lunch date. I shook the dirty thoughts that filled my head well aware that I could still feel the effects of our session from this morning.

  About twenty minutes later we were a few blocks away and seated at a corner table in one of my favorite spots. I had a Cesar shrimp salad in front of me while Red was working his way through a burger that had me regretting my choice.

  “You talked to your mom?”

  The question was strange, so it took me a minute to answer. “No, why?”

  “She called me.” Oh great. He didn’t appear to be upset so hurricane Audrey must have not been so bad, but then again, when wasn’t she? My mother had a tendency to be a bit, much. And that was putting it mildly. Truthfully Red didn’t seem to have any emotion about mentioning a call from my mother which was worse than him appearing annoyed by it. The fact that his eyes were locked on mine and I couldn’t see anything in them wasn’t helping.

  “What did she say?”

  “Ask…”

  “What?”

  “She didn’t say much, but she asked if I was coming to your families fundraiser thing?”

  Shit, shit, shit. I hadn’t even thought about that damn Gala. Why the hell would she invite him before speaking to me?

  “I would have invited you.” Flew out of my mouth in record speed. “I hadn’t even thought about it.”

  That damn stare was on me again, and Red didn’t say anything. We were finally in a good place, and I surely didn’t need him assuming that I wouldn’t want him there. The first thought that popped in my head was the night we met, and Red expressed how I wouldn’t want to take him home to my parents or have him by my side for work shit or fancy dinners. The gala was definitely a fancy dinner.

  When a smile eased onto his face, I relaxed but only a little. “You sure you haven’t thought about it, or you just don’t want me there?”

  “It really hasn’t crossed my mind. With everything going on I just hadn’t realized it was that time. My mother hasn’t mentioned it either, so I’m a little annoyed that she brought it up to you.”

  “You look like you’re about to fucking cry.” Red’s smile grew.

  “I wasn’t. I just don’t want you overthinking it. I wouldn’t go without you.”

  His brows hiked just a little, and his smile dropped. “You would skip your parent’s thing? She made it sound like a big deal.”

  “It’s a really big thing. They pick a charity every year and donate the money we collect from the event. Tables start at fifteen hundred dollars and go up, so we bring in a lot of money. If you didn’t want to go, then I wouldn’t force you, and I wouldn’t want to be there without you.”

  It would kill my mother if I didn’t attend, but if Red didn’t want to go, then I would just make a donation, and she would have to accept that.

  “I’m not trying to change your world Peys. I’m just trying to find my place in it. I told your mother that if you wanted me there, I would be there.”

  I felt my smile growing just that fast. “I do want you there. I think it will be the perfect place to introduce you to everyone.”

  “Oh, so you want to show the kid off?” Reds expression was sexy, the way he barely smiled with his mouth, but his eyes stared lustfully at me had my body reacting.

  “Absolutely not. I’m not trying to show anyone anything about you. On second thought maybe we shouldn’t go. Those women will love you, and I’m not interested in watching them drool over my man.”

  My man? It was the first time I had openly admitted that out loud. Red found it amusing laughing lightly under his breath.

  “And I’m not interested in anyone but you, so they can soak the damn floor drooling, and it wouldn’t mean shit to me.” He winked and my uterus contracted.

  “Then I guess we’re going.”

  “Now what’s the deal with this stylist thing? Your mom mentioned that shit when she called.”

  I rolled my eyes and then shook my head. “It’s her thing.” I used air quotes to drive my point. “Typically my dress will match my mother and Pree’s. The same design and colors but different styles. My father usually wears a tux but will have accents that match our dresses. It’s for the pictures. My mother is big on pictures. There will be several hired photographers there and a videographer.”

  I could see his mind working, and it didn’t look like he was happy, so I followed up with… “You can wear whatever you want. My mother won’t care as long as you’re actually there.”

  He smirked and then shook his head. “So she made sure to mention that I needed to share an appointment with your dad, but you don’t think she’ll care?”

  “I mean, yes but she’ll care more about you being there so I can guarantee that she’ll compromise one for the other.”

  That smile of his was back just that face. “It’s cool. I can rock with it as long as it’s a tux and not some weird ass shit like those short pants and bright ass colors. I’m not with that shit. To each his own, but that’s not me.”

  This time I was the one smiling because his entire face was tight. I assured him that it would be a classic tux just tailored to fit him. My fa
ther felt the same as Red and short pants and bright colors weren’t an option. He definitely wasn’t with that shit. Dax Cross was fashionable, but he was old school with his appearance and style the same as I knew that Red was. The two had much more in common than I figured either of them realized. Alpha males by nature and not compromising on it.

  “Aye, so I was thinking about a few things, and I might need your help with something?” It flowed so effortlessly that just the sound of his voice already had me willing to agree and I had no idea what he was about to ask.

  “Sure, what’s up.” Red leaned back and smiled before his tongue moved across the top row of his teeth.

  “You’ve been around me too long. I see I’m changing you already.”

  “Changing me how?”

  “You almost sounded halfway hood when you said that. Sure, what’s up?” He mimicked me imitating my tone as best he could. It sounded nothing like me.

  I rolled my eyes which pushed the smile on his face a little higher until it reached his eyes. “I’m just me but I damn sure don’t sound like that.”

  “True and that proper ass voice of yours gets my dick hard so don’t be rolling your damn eyes at me.”

  “What do you need my help with?” I felt the lust in my voice at him mentioning his dick being hard. This was not the time or the place, so I moved right on past that.

  Chuckling he lifted a hand and raked it through his hair. “I need to invest some money. That’s your thing right?”

  “Yeah, that’s my thing.” I put a little extra on my delivery just to mess with him.

  “Aight so if I give you money you can tell me what to buy, like stocks and shit. I need to start accounting for the money I have, and I needed it to grow. I figured investing would be a good way to do that.”

  Shit, he wants to invest drug money. Could I do that?

  “Like the money you keep in the safe?”

  Red laughed and then nodded slowly. ‘Yeah, that money but I’ll move it through my bank account first. Lobo and I own his mom's place. At least on paper, so that helps. That’s her shit though.” He grinned and then continued. “But she had everything moved to our names so that we could start doing something with the money. I also own a few properties that I purchased last year. Some I’m still paying on because I couldn’t just drop stacks like that, but my goal is to have them paid off by the end of the year to use as collateral. My credit is good, so I want to purchase something major next year. I just haven’t figured out what yet. I figured if you could help me invest, then I could account for the money to buy a little faster.” I swear I just had multiple orgasms listening to him explain all that but wow! How the hell did I not know all this about him? Do I even really know who Redmon Stokes is.

  “Who you are is not defined by every choice you make. Isn’t that what you said?”

  Was he reading my damn mind?

  “Yes, and I meant that. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I didn’t know you owned anything.”

  “That goofy ass look on your face gave you away but seriously though, you damn near live at my house, you’ve been to my grandmother's house, and I just drove us here in my very expensive truck. I own shit Peys. I’m a street dude, but I’m a smart one.” He smiled, so I knew he wasn’t offended, which I was grateful for.

  “I know you own stuff, I meant like a business. And I know you’re smart because you choose me.” I added knowing that it would grant me a smile which I received.

  “I won’t argue with that. One of the best decisions I made in a long time.” He winked at me before continuing. “So you think you can help me out without getting me locked up by the Feds?”

  The sound of Red’s laugh had my face tensing. “Why the hell are you laughing?”

  “Because you almost lost your damn eyes because they stretched so wide. Them bitches were in danger of popping out. I’m just fucking with you. I wouldn’t let you touch shit if it wasn’t clean.”

  I felt my breathing regulate before my eyes rolled again.

  “I can help, but I really think that you should speak with my father. You could be one of their investors, and there would be a bigger return.”

  “Nah, I’m cool with you. I don’t think that’s a good move.”

  He blew it off quick, and I understood why. “He knows what you do. I’m sure he would be more than happy to help you secure his granddaughter’s future and to get me permanently off of his payroll.” I smiled to soften the mood.

  “I thought you had your own money since you were turning down mine when I offered?”

  I guess we’re not going to let that go I see.

  “I do.”

  “Then you’re not on his payroll.”

  “Until there’s a ring on it. I will always be on his payroll. That’s just how my father functions when it comes to the women in his life.”

  Red tensed for a minute dropping his head briefly like he was thinking and then lifting his eyes to me again. “You want to get married Peyson?” The stare he gave me was so intense that I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to answer that question. Was it a trick question?

  “Yes, but not like right now. I’m not pushing for that.”

  “To me?”

  “Huh.”

  “You said yes, but not right now. That was generic as fuck. Do you just want to be married or you have an idea of whose last name you want?”

  A smile inched across my face growing slightly wider by the second. “Do celebrities count because I could name a few who I wouldn’t mind—”

  “Aye don’t make me embarrass you in front of all these damn people in here.” Red’s entire face tensed causing me to smile harder.

  “Fine, I guess Stokes wouldn’t be so bad.”

  “So bad? That shit is fucking legendary, but it’s off the table. You fucked that up asking if celebrities count.” He shrugged and leaned back in his seat removing cash from his pocket. Our meals were paid for at the counter, so I assumed he was leaving a tip.

  “Your loss. Peyson James, it is. That has a nice ring to it.”

  Red tossed two twenties on the table and then stood. “Man yo ass better not be talking about Lebron ole cry baby ass. That long head nigga is gonna be bald in the next two minutes.”

  But that doesn’t have a damn thing to do with his body sir. I may have had a real live walking orgasm on my team with Red, but Lebrun could get it. Even if it was just in my head.

  “I’ll make sure he wears hats.” I shrugged as I slipped out of my seat.

  “Bring your ass on before I leave you here on principal alone. Fucking Lebron James. That nigga can’t fuck with me and you ain’t ’bout to be fucking with me saying some dumb shit like that.” He eased his arm around my shoulder before his lips grazed the side of my face and his teeth pierced the tip of my earlobe. I shut my eyes briefly at the rush of electric that jolted through me. Lebron who?

  Red.

  The sound of my doorbell had me on alert. I was home alone chilling with Reid after convincing her mother to let her stay with me today. Since Peyson was working, it made it harder to breastfeed, so she got the okay to switch Reid over to formula, which made things easier for me. Daycare was cool, but I missed my baby girl. Fuck their schedule, she was chilling with her daddy today.

  “Who is at our door, Reid? Daddy is not trying to show you the bad sides of him, so it better be somebody who has the right to show up here.” I spoke to her in a voice that had her smiling even though she had not a damn clue what I was saying.

  I lifted her from the floor where we had been chilling and secured her in one arm while we made the short journey from the living room to my front door. With my phone in hand, I pulled up my security stream to check the cameras and stopped cold when I noticed it was Sasha standing on my front porch.

  The fuck she doing here? And how the fuck did she know where my house was?

  Back when we were kicking it, I lived in an apartment in Buckhead. She had never once been to this house, and I hadn’t
planned on her ever knowing where it was. Especially now that Peyson was damn near claiming it as hers. We split time between my house and her apartment, but she could move in here any day, and I wouldn’t have any fucks to give. I would actually prefer it, but I wasn’t pressing the issue because I wanted it to be on her terms.

  Knowing that Sasha wasn’t a threat to Reid or me, I stepped to the door dropping my head briefly to try and calm my nerves, but that didn’t work for shit. In fact, it got worse the second I opened my door. There she was looking like a sad ass puppy and trying to hide it behind a fake smile.

  “The fuck you doing here?” I looked past her to make sure she was alone, and after verifying that her car was empty, my eyes landed on her again, but not in a way that would have her feeling welcomed.

  “This.” She held up an MCM duffle bag that I recognized as mine. I know good, and damn well she didn’t just hit me with I wanted to give you back your stuff bullshit. She didn’t have anything of mine that held value, and it had damn near been a year, but sure enough, she fixed her mouth to deliver exactly that.

  “I had a few of your things and decided that I should return them.”

  Strike one!

  “How the fuck do you even know where to return them?” I damn near growled at her. When she jumped, and Reid wiggled against my chest,, I inhaled and released it slowly. “You have never been to this house, and I have never talked to you about it, so how the fuck you know where it is?”

  “I…the condo…I still have the mailbox key and went to make sure there wasn’t any old mail for me there. I also checked the security station, and the lady there told me that all mail and delivers with your name on it from that box were forwarded here. She gave me the address.”

  Strike fucking two!

  “So you were on some conniving shit trying to see me when clearly you knew I didn’t want to be seen?”