Love In the Red Zone (Connecticut Kings Book 1) (47 page)

She nodded. “Okay.”

I turned for the house, needing to grab my bag so I could bounce. I had practice in just over three hours that I had to be mentally and physically ready for.

The moment, I closed the car door and Tyheem pulled off, I took out my phone and started with a string of calls I needed to make.

“Yeah, Trent,” Ezra answered.

He was the first call that would set everything else in motion. I used little consideration for my next few words. None were needed. If I thought too long, I’d use more than necessary to express what was needed to set the balance of my life.

“I’m ready to marry her.”

There was a pause. I didn’t like it. Ezra never paused, never hesitated. But I was determined. I was ready.

He spoke to someone in the room with him. “Excuse me, Geoffrey, I have to take this and need privacy.” A few seconds later, I heard him clear his throat. “What can I do to help?”

My face wrinkled and I pulled the phone to my face quickly before returning it to my ear. “That’s it?”

“Yes, Trent. That’s it. I’ve known for some time this day would come. I just need to know what you need from me to make it happen.”

That shit freaked me out. Ezra was sharp with knowing people and even predicting shit, but his ease in this wasn’t what I was expecting. He’d been warning me all this time to be careful that I feared doing the wrong thing. I was expecting a few questions of caution before he’d be cool with it.

“Look, Trent, I trust you. This may be happening at a more rapid rate than you ever thought it would, but I do believe you to be a man of God. And we men of Christ are wired in a manner of knowing where to go for direction and strength.”

I balled my mouth, absorbing his heady words. I still felt doubtful.

“But you may not after I tell you my plans,” I warned, body tightening from head to toe.

“Try me.”

“Really?” I heard the harsh doubt in my tone.

“Trent, my job is to edify you spiritually, not to condemn you. If you’re walking in a destructive path, yes, it is my role to make you aware, but we’re nowhere near that. What I’ve learned recently is that in some instances, love doesn’t come with a timeline. It doesn’t take months and years to cultivate. It hits when two people who share the same level of passion for each other meet and interact just enough for it to be revealed. Yes, it can be so explosive, we have to set parameters to stay on top of it and not let it get ahead of us. However, in your situation, it may be best to legalize it spiritually to protect it from the traps of worldly interference you’re running the risk of subjecting it to, considering your lifestyle.”

I nodded, understanding his point. As a ballplayer, I had a high-risk lifestyle. I had little privacy to protect the delicate thing most important to me. This thing we had going was vulnerable. The only protection we had against the world was discretion, but that took way more energy than was fair. Look at what StentRo did. He damn near waited until the end of his career to marry Zoey. Intentional or not, that bypassed a lot of the traps and vulture attacks.

I sniffled and swiped my nose, readjusting myself in the backseat.

“Yo, peep thi
s…
” I went on to detail my plans to take things to the next level with my infuriatingly jealous girl.

My next call was to Azmir Jacobs, but I got his voice mail where I left a message, asking him to hit me back. Who knew when that would be. Divine stayed on his grind. I believed he had two cells from being that busy.

Elle Jarreau, my publicist, was my next call because I had no idea who else I could call to assist with the task.

“Hey, Trent,” she answered right away, sounding just as preoccupied. “How can I be of service to you today?”

That was a polite greeting.

“Two things: I need a wedding coordinator and jeweler.”

Things went quiet on the line, similar to how it had with Ezra. This time, I didn’t hold my breath, fearing admonishment. Elle was on my payroll. She was a business associate and not a friend, unlike her man. She should have some contacts. Elle stayed on top of her game. A true pit-bull in a skirt.

“
O
-oka
y…
” she chirped, trying to recoup. “Is there a timeline I need to be aware of?”

“The jeweler is needed asap. I need a ring before the weekend. The wedding coordinator will need to be in place next week.”

“Okay.” I could still hear the shock in her delivery. It could have also been doubt, but I didn’t care. “I’ll get right on it.”

“And Elle.”

“Yes.”

“I may be a cheap son-of-a-bitch, but I’m willing to splurge a little on my lady.”

“Uuuup,” she sputtered. “I’m glad to hear that, Trent. I’ll get on it right away.” Her tone was still hesitant, but Elle kept it professional.

“’Preciate that, Elle. I’ll holla.”

“Okay. Bye.”

The call ended just in time for Divine to ring me back.

“Divine,” I answered.

“Peace-Peace.”

“What’s good?”

“Ain’t much. Puttin’ in that time with the fam.”

“Oh, you’re home?”

“For the week. Yeah.”

“That’s what’s up. Family first, man.”

“Indeed.”

“And it makes my cash in relevant,” I noted.

“Pardon me?”

“My cash in. The deal we made for my signing with the
Kings
.” I understood A.D. was a mogul, probably making deals every day.

“Oh! That one.” His recollection was audible. “Hit me, duke.”

“I need the yacht.”

“The yacht?”

He’d recently purchased a tricked out yacht. He threw a party on it last summer. An invitation I declined, after recently being released from the pen.

“Yeah.
The
yacht
,” I repeated with a bit of edge in my tone.

“For what?”

I quickly thought of a phrase he’d used last fall at his gallery opening. “My pussy, your yacht.”

I gave him a minute to read between the lines.

“How soon do you need it?”

“Bye week.”

Without hesitation, he returned, “Indeed. Email me the chart destination A.S.A.P. In the meantime, I’ll procure the crew and get her juiced up for you.”

I nodded, feeling the wheels spinning on my plans. A smile burst through my face.

“Good looking.”

“Indeed.”

I disconnected the call and sat back in my seat, letting go of a long sigh.

“Word, TB?” Tyheem asked, peeping through the rearview mirror.

“I’m in the damn red zone, bruh.” I leaned back into the headrest. “It’s my time to score.”

That had been the theme of my conversations with God. I had to make good on what I had control over, and leave the rest to Him. 

I missed him. Terribly. God, I missed him, and it had only been days since I rolled over and he was in bed with me. This was past scary. How could I be so attached to this man? I wasn’t the only one. It was a Friday evening and Kyree was spending the night over at Lashawn’s because he didn’t want to be bored another weekend without Trent. I couldn’t blame him. It was bad without him. So, I dropped him off this afternoon, after school. When I was done, I went over to the new apartment to see if the landlord was done with the painting.

The place was small, but ideal for the impending dwellers: Ky and me. Sure, he would miss the luxurious accoutrements of the mansion in Alpine, but I had to do what was best for him. I’d been drowning in Trent. As I slid open the tiny closet in the main bedroom, I realized the signs of losing myself. It was from having a storybook summer of vacationing and hanging out as a family. I’d happened upon a man who enjoyed spending time with my son more than his father had.

We enjoyed Trent and he’d had fun with us, but now his world was resuming. His first game back on the field and his team won. Sure, we were a great distraction for him: I’d fucked him into a folly, hoping it would secure me a place in his heart. It was low and desperate, but I would never regret it. It had been a great year, and I would walk away with things I’d hold dear to my heart forever, but I had to be real about this. Trent no longer had time to handle my insecurities. He barely had time to himself anymore.

The Bellville apartment was the average I’d seen in this area. This was a garden apartment with a functional community park on the premises. Kyree could play outside after school if he wanted to.  I sighed at that thought while I headed out to the truck. I choked on a cry when the innocuous question of would the place be big enough for Trent rang in the back of my mind. Crazy, but on lonely days, I regretted his job, his passion. I didn’t care that it afforded him the mansion and other homes across the state. I wanted to take him everywhere I went. The small space would strangle him, but in my eyes, he’d be welcome wherever I was. The tears fell. My decision had been made. I exhaled, tucking in the back of my head the task of contacting the school district for enrollment information. This was it. We were moving on.

I stopped at Target to grab a few things for the house before heading in. The improvements were moving smoothly. I still had to figure out what to do with the bedroom furniture in the master suite. The new set would be delivered next week and I didn’t want it to clash with the old still being here. I also had to get it out of here so the carpet could be pulled up and floors could be done. I was at the register, waiting for my things to be rang up when a text came through on my phone. The name brought flutters to my belly.

Trent:
I have an important question to ask

I frowned.
Weird.

Me:
Okay

Trent:
You wanna be my girl?

My head fell to the side.

Me:
Really? Your girl? And what would that entail?

This sounded really weird because I lived in the man’s house, slept with him exclusively, and had already professed my love for him. But it also reminded me how Trent and I were not in a formal relationship. That disturbing fact upset me. Reminded me of my rash behaviors again and why I should be moving on. I was the cow, giving this man my milk without any commitment from him. I realized that could be the cause of my insecurity here. I wasn’t even his girlfriend.

Trent:
We can talk details when I see you. I just need a yes or no

Me:
Yea
h
…
I guess.

My stubborn ass couldn’t make things simple no matter how bad I wanted him, missed him.

Trent:
LMAO OK. See you soon shortie

My heart sped in my chest.

Me:
Wait! When?

I hit send then thought to qualify and tried again.

Me:
When will you see me?

Trent:
In a couple of days

A couple of days?

My shoulders dropped. I was hoping he’d say this weekend. It’s what he’d told Ky. Now I would have to be the bearer of bad news when he got back tomorrow. I sighed.

Me:
Okay.

A tear slipped out my eye as I scanned my card to pay for my things.

Back at the house, I pulled into the garage and grabbed the bags from the back of the truck. It was getting dark and I hadn’t thought to stop and grab something for dinner. I wasn’t thinking with good sense at all today. Wracked with disappointment, I unlocked the door and disarmed the house. The sun was setting and I needed to start closing down the place. I decided to put away the things I bought first. After completing that task, I went around the main floor, closing curtains and making sure all the doors were locked, something I forgot to do last night after putting Ky down. Sometimes he’d go out onto the deck to play and not lock the door when done.

As I climbed the stairs for the second floor, I sighed when I remembered something I forgot at Target.  I would have to run to the store some time tomorrow to pick up hosiery for church on Sunday. I rolled my eyes at the thought of going alone again because Trent wouldn’t be available.

When I neared the master suite, I noticed the doors were closed. Weird, considering the only time they were closed was when Kyree and Trent were home and I was engaged in adult activities with the latter party. As I neared the door, I detected sounds coming from the roo
m…
music and a glow creeping from the seam of the doors and underneath them.

My heart rate hiked.
Who could be here?
I recalled disarming the alarm. I didn’t stop to think. With quickened movements, I advanced to the room, turned the knob, and pushed the doors open. I jumped back, expecting to encounter an intruder. What I found was less frightening, but beyond confounding. The room was eerily empty. No furniture in sight, only the carpet remaining. The walls were bare and the ginormous space was lit with about a dozen candles, all varying shapes and sizes. In the middle of the room was a cot made up of familiar blankets and comforters. The volume of the music increased slightly, causing me to leap toward the bathroom where I saw movement.

Trent stood, shirtless, wearing a pair of loose sweats, falling to the muscular swelling of his pelvis. They were so low, I could see the beginnings of his pubic trail. I swallowed hard and licked my lips. My pulse pounded beneath my shaken skin. I didn’t understand what was going on. How had I left this place this morning, filled with furniture and return to it being empty. Barren. In this state the space felt depressing. All of the memories created here seemed to have vanished with the bed and dressers.

He walked out to the middle of the room, near the homemade pallet and offered his hand. I took it, still trembling from his sudden appearance and the stripped room.

“Dance with me.” He spoke so calmly, the embers from the candles dancing against his butterscotch skin.

I glided into his arms, and he slowly removed my leather motorcycle jacket; I hardly identified the unequivocal vocals of Stevie Wonder, though I couldn’t place the song. When he was done, I rested my cheek against his hard chest, not minding the soft abrasion from his chest hairs. Trent’s scent and body temperature lulled me from the initial panic, though I still had questions I was unable to speak because my throat had closed up during my near anxiety attacked. His arms tightened around me. His hard and sinewy frame towering and engulfing me provided a comfort I never had and could never replace. It was so powerful and incredibly mending that I forgot about his bizarre presence. I could only think of how I’d just decided to give up on him and wondered had he sensed and almost intercepted it. A deep, belly wrenching, and guttural cry fled my lips. My shoulders trembled and eyes squeezed, fighting against my budding emotions.

He had to be sick of me. I’d become needy.
I
was sick of me. No matter what he said or did, I never felt close enough to him. I understood Trent was just a man; I recognized his frailties right away and secretly pledged to protect him from anyone wanting to exploit them.
Gosh!
That occurred after knowing him for mere weeks.

Now, a year later, I drowned in desperate need to keep him in my bosom. I wanted to hide him there as a reserve for just Kyree and me. A man. Yeah. Crazy, I know. But there had been something soul binding lurking behind Trent and me this past year.  It was a ring of familiar spirits being pulled together. It was the very thing that thrilled me and frightened my good senses. As I rocked in his arms in the glow of the room, swaying helplessly against his big virile frame, I felt secure and lost to him at the same time.

This was it. This was our parting moment. The bridge that connected our past with our future. This moment was padded with timeless passion that I would record in the recesses of my heart to reflect on twenty years from now when I told myself I’d once experienced love. When he used his index finger to lift my chin to meet his warm and soft lips, I opened to him with all I had. I let Trent have my mouth as he pleased and anticipated him joining whichever body part he wanted to use for his pleasure. My arms clawed at his bare back as I stood on my toes to meet him. When his fingers slid into my hair and gripped my tracks, I didn’t flinch or allow it to distract me from opening to him totally.

He pulled my sweat shirt from over my head and I weaved my fingers on the back of his neck, hooking him for better access to his mouth. The one I’d miss. When his hands went to unfasten my jeans and only slipped in my pants to brushed against my swollenness, I hissed through my teeth. He used one hand to yank my hair, angling my face to take my mouth again. The other went to pushed my pants and panties down. I kicked out of my boots to assist.

Trent kneeled down to remove my pants and panties, licking a trail from my neck to my sex. I held onto his brawny shoulders and he took me at the back of my thighs, pushing my quivering lips to his face. His tongue swiped my clit and I whimpered, so lost in emotion. Making love to Trent would be bittersweet. Tonight may be our last, depending on how he took the news of my leaving. The stiffness of his tongue had me sagging into him.

When he stood, he stopped at my breasts and while freeing them from my bra, he sucked them one by one through the lace material. My nails brushed against the spikes of his short hair as he explored them, driving me crazy with the cleverness of his tongue. With his imposing weight, Trent motioned for me to sit on the cot of blankets, and I did. I peered up to him with a tear stained face and a chest heaving from heavy anticipation. Trent’s eyes were locked on me as he bent to pull down his sweats. He was bare beneath and when he stood clearing the view to his veiny manhood, tightened skin encasing it as it bounced in the air, I licked my lips, wanted to taste its thin and soft skin.

Trent lowered himself and pushed me at the shoulders, urging me to lay back against the pillows. When the air from his mouth hit my slickened valley, my back bowed and right leg suspended in the air, giving him ample space to worship the one visual piece of me made available to him for the taking since I moved in. As his tongue roved over me, exploring and exploiting me where I was weakest for him, he held my left thigh over his shoulder and made love to me with his mouth.

It was planned. He knew I missed him and traveled all the way from another state to once again placate my insecurity of losing him to his sole passion. I envied it.