Saint And Sinners (80 page)

He nodded vigorously, apologized once more and dashed away.
He seems unusually shy… What a strange man.

She made her way to her snow white Infinity G, slid onto the leather seat and sat
there for a moment. For some reason, she suddenly felt exhausted, as if she’d run
a marathon. Just moments prior, she had all the energy in the world, feeling amped
up for an evening of fun and pleasure with her family. Now, all she could do was dream
of taking a nap as soon as she got home. She started her car, and maneuvered out the
parking spot, frowning. A yawn came on, and then another.

I have to get home and get in the bed… Goodness, I must’ve worked harder today than
I imagined…

*

Koki moved the
glossy, ebony bishop with steadfast precision as he enjoyed a riveting game of chess
with Zoo. He could smell ‘the woman’ all over the man; their brief interaction had
apparently had left him stained with her essence. Sickening, yet beautiful all at
once. He surmised she wore expensive perfumes, and in some way, Saint had changed
her natural aroma. Lounging in his seat, he mulled over that notion, understanding
how soulmates tended to do just that…

He knew little of the woman, didn’t need to know much. Saint had literally written
the book on how to address him, bring him to his knees. He couldn’t believe his luck
when he landed upon the passages where the key to a ménage of magnificent delicacies
was dropped in his damn lap.

“What does she look like?” he questioned, more for conversation than curiosity.

“She’s black.” Zoo studied the board, seemingly afraid to make the wrong damn move.
After all, he had a hundred dollars riding on this.

“No shit, Zoo.” Koki grinned as he waited patiently for the man to take his turn.
“I read a few of his books, tried to study up on him a bit since I’d been out the
loop.” He shrugged. “That’s just his preference, it doesn’t mean shit. To me, pussy
is pussy; it has no color. Forget all of that though. Tell me about her …” He ran
his hand over his bottom lip and tapped it gently, strategizing his next chess move.

Zoo touched his white knight, but hesitated as he continued to scan the board, going
into the basement level of stealth mode.

“She loves him. It was all over her. She seems fairly happy, too.”

“Well.” Koki sighed and shrugged. “That makes this all the better. Ironically, she
wasn’t even in the equation for me until I figured out how to handle the situation
in a more, shall I say, diplomatic way.” A kinked grin broke across his face. “This
isn’t about her, but a man like Saint, I mean…you have to handle him with calculated
steps.”

“What do you mean?”

“He has to be chopped down little by little, Zoo…like a big cypress tree. He has built
himself up so high,” he said, raising his hand in the air, “one hack to the knees
just won’t cut it.” Koki bit into his bottom lip as he deliberated for a moment or
two. “He’s impressive, but of course, I
knew
he would be.”

“How’d your meeting go? You never told me, man…just instructed me to find his woman.”

“It went as well as could be expected.” Koki groaned. “It wasn’t a pre-discussed get-together
or anything like that.” He hunkered down, leaned slightly forward and surveyed the
board. “I knew as soon as I got there though, man, he was near. This morning I had
a feeling I’d see him, actually. He is on top of his shit, that’s for sure. This was
just a matter of time, really.”

Fact of the matter was, Koki had been avoiding the son of a bitch. Not out of fear,
but for his wish to draw the shit out, make the fucker squirm. Much to his surprise,
Saint was seemingly in no rush. He’d barely gotten a rise out of the son of a bitch,
and he found that both commendable and frustrating.

Koki waited a couple more minutes in silence as Zoo continued to deliberate over the
board.

“Shit…you fat fuck! What is taking so goddamn long?” Koki laughed lightly. “Either
shit or get off the pot, man! I got shit to do.”

“I got money riding on this, Koki. I have to be careful,” Zoo explained, as if that
was a new revelation, something to ease Koki’s concerns.

“So, what you asked me to do…” Zoo paused. “I’m a little confused.”

“You usually are, Zoo…but I like you all the same,” Koki teased, causing the man to
grin.

“You never really told me what your end goal was.” The man moved his knight, his brow
soon collecting sweat beads and glistening under the recessed lights.

“Oh…it will all play out. One thing, that you should know about me after all these
years is that I think long and hard about things before I take an action. I also never
tell anyone, not even my brother, everything I have planned. That’s how mothafuckas
get fucked up…too many witnesses. If someone gets nabbed and put under pressure, they
can make the entire floor fall out the damn scheme. Nah, I keep that shit to myself.
Everyone is on a need to know basis. These are the chopping to the knees I was talking
about. Little by little…little by mothafuckin’ little.” He smiled grandly. “See.”
He pointed to Zoo as he drove his point home. “I will tell you this much, though.
With a guy like Saint, it has to be
repeated
cutting to his spirit, in the same damn spot. I have to pick at the scab as soon
as it looks like it is about to heal.

“I’ve watched this mothafucka for years, man. He’s changed a lot…wiser, stronger…but
everyone can be chopped down—everyone, Zoo, and don’t you forget it.” He looked sternly
across the table at the big man. His eyes burned, turning blood red from the whites,
cornea, irises, the whole shebang.

“Even a cypress tree, multi-tiered Angel Child can be taken down a notch or two, cut
down to size, made to break away from its roots. And man,” he said, sneering, “I can’t
wait to yell, ‘Timber!’”

*

It was two
in the morning and all he could do was look at her. She’d been asleep for a long
ass while. He didn’t want to wake her, but his dick had other plans. Drawing close
to her form, nose to her neck, he inhaled her delicate perfume and the coconut conditioner
she used in her hair.

Damn, you smell so good. I want to taste your pussy, baby…wanna push my tongue inside
of you, turn you on…make you wet, make you cum. And then, slide my cock inside of
you…

“Mmmm…” he moaned, growing increasingly harder.

Tugging at the zebra print silk scarf wrapped around her head, he roused her. Her
eyes fluttered in confusion. She gripped her emerald satin pillow, her eyes fluttering
in confusion. Half her face was covered in fabric lines from the sheets.

“Hey, baby.” He scooted even closer. “How are you? You feelin’ okay?” A silky pale
pink baby doll nightgown clung to her body like a second skin, driving him crazy.

With a stretch and a yawn, Xenia sat up and leaned against the headboard, listless
and still in a daze.

“Yeah, sweetie, I just got tired is all. It probably caught up with me.” She smiled
wearily and rubbed her eye with her small fist. “I’ve been going in extra early, ’cept
for today, and not getting enough rest.” She brought her hand to her lips and yawned.
“I’ll be okay. How were the kids?” She peered at the alarm clock by his side of the
bed.

“Good. Dakarai even ate all of his vegetables.” Saint smiled as he pressed his leg
to hers and rested a hand on her upper thigh. Xenia grinned and nodded, her doze-factor
still high and in full effect.

“That’s great. Sorry I missed dinner…”

“That’s okay, honey.” He brought himself impossibly closer, fastened himself to her,
and nestled his lips in the crevice of her neck, kissed her slowly up and down, barely
giving her room to breathe. The woman squirmed in his grip.

“Saint,” she said, struggling, playing hard to get. “I’m tired, baby.”

“You couldn’t be…you’ve been sleep for over eight hours already. You know you want
it.” He grinned into her ear and lowered her down onto her back. “You always say that
when I wake you up early in the morning, and then before I know it, you’re fucking
the hell outta me.” He lightly laughed as he lifted her gown, exposing her pussy for
his viewing pleasure.

“Don’t…”

“You’re such a tease.” He ran his finger up the center of her valley, opening up her
folds just so. Without further ado, he dove like a deep-sea diver between her legs.
He flicked his tongue against her pussy, and then again. Her hand wrapped tighter
around him until he felt a hard tug at his scalp, and then another.

Damn…that kinda hurt!

Before he could inquire what the deal was, she screamed, blasting his eardrum.

“Stop it!” she barked angrily. “What the hell is wrong with you, huh? I said I was
tired, goddamn it! Get tha fuck off me!”

He ceased all movement and looked into her eyes. So cold…so dark…

He hated to admit the shit, but his damn feelings were hurt at that moment. Xenia
had
never
spoken to him like that before, shooting profanities at him. And the way she looked
at him…he felt like some virus, like a disease that had invaded her home, her personal
space, her body. Sure, she cursed from time to time, but this was downright diabolic,
her tone hideously acidic. He had no idea how to respond, what to say…

He slid away from her, landing on his back. He looked up at the ceiling for a minute
or two and crossed his hands over his stomach.

“Xenia.” He broke the silence with an even tone. “Did I do something? If I’ve upset
you, just tell me. I haven’t been reading your mind. I have no idea if I’ve caused
you problems for which I deserve this level of hostility. What’s wrong?”

She abruptly turned on her side, her back facing him.

“I’m just tired, Saint,” she mumbled. “That’s all. Go to sleep.”

Saint got to his feet and made his way to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
He was crushed, not because she didn’t give him any pussy candy to lick on and swallow
down, but because of
what
she said,
how
she said it, and how she
looked
at him. He leaned onto the vast marble vanity, his back bent low as he gripped the
damn thing. He’d been completely rejected by his Goddess, and had never felt so insecure
with her before in their entire time knowing one another.

There’ve been times when Xenia hadn’t been in the mood for sex. Albeit a rare thing,
it happened every blue moon, and he always respected her decision once she voiced
it, made it clear…but this was different. The way her body moved away from him, made
him feel like some walking perversion…as if he was violating her in some way, trying
to force her to consent to his sexual whims…horrified him. He’d made love to the woman
so many times, he knew her body like the back of his hand, even in the pitch dark.
He knew when she was approaching orgasm, when she was turned on and when she wanted
more. He knew when she was growing tired and didn’t have much more to give. He. Knew.
His. Woman.

And what he’d just witnessed was so unlike her. Xenia wasn’t a cruel, brusque, angry
person. He wondered what secrets she was keeping, what would cause her to treat him
that way. His imagination ran wild while he stood there, going through the motions,
trying to make sense of it all.

He was horny, angry, embarrassed and in love.

It’s cool. She probably really is just tired. Besides, the move was kinda rough. I’m
probably making a big deal about nothing. She’s just not herself right now—no need
to make it more than it is.

Opening the cabinet below their sink, he removed a bottle of lotion and sighed, as
if an unwanted chore had to be taken care of, and in a way, it did. Standing there,
staring at himself for a short spell, he yanked his navy pajama pants down, exposing
his hard cock. It sprung forward, staring at the long mirror before him with its one
eye as it hung over the basin. He looked down at it for a moment, as if to say, “I’m
sorry it had come to this…”