Page 62

“You’re so beautiful, E,” Maximus rumbled, taking in her glow and freedom. “So fuckin’ beautiful.”

Eden’s eyes fluttered open, tears slipping out of the corners, musing over his glistening tattooed skin, the fresh tattoo etched over the left collarbone bone ‘Poppi’s Girl’. “So are you. What you trying to do? Huh? Make a home out of me?”

“Yeah. Sanctuary,” he rumbled, feeling their climaxes rising. “You been my home, E.”

She pulled him down by his chains, licked, sucked and kissed his lips. “Make it forever. I want to be your home forever.”

That statement made way for their joint climax. He filled her as she covered him. Though he’d made a home out of her weeks ago. Maximus nestled between her thighs, head on her midsection, and his phone ringing in his pants pocket across the room.

“Someone needs you,” Eden muttered.

“They can figure that shit out, I’m trying to rest up for round two. You said something about fuckin’ the shit out of me,” he teased.

“I watched that video a few times. I'm trying to recreate it.”

“Oh word?”

“Mhmm,” she buzzed, her phone ringing now. “Max...”

He groaned, removing himself from her body and the bed. “It better be something in-fuckin'-portant. I swear.”

Eden lazily watched his naked body stomp away to retrieve his ringing phone. His voice followed, the irritation prevalent.

“Who the fuck is this?” Maximus boomed. “The fuck you mean someone broke in my shit...who the fuck is it? Nah, keep her right there, I’m on my way...I said I’m on my fuckin’ way!”

Now Eden was out of the bed, grabbing her clothes to go wherever he was. Maximus, still covered in Eden’s honey, stomped back in with anger scribbled over his face. “What’s wrong? Who's at the house?”

“Don’t get dressed,” he grunted. “It’s your birthday. It's a whole bunch of shit planned for tomorrow. Stay.”

“Maximus, what is happening?”

He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, quickly resetting himself so he wouldn’t raise his voice.

“I extended my mother's rehab stay when we got back from Ocean City. She was still on some bullshit when I went to see her. Apparently, she checked herself out and found her way to the house. I need to get over there before they carry her ass off to jail.”

“I’ll go with you-”

“Eden. No. You’ll stay here and enjoy yourself. I got this shit. I’ll be back once I get her settled.”

Eden retreated and nodded. “Okay.”

“I know if I need you, you’ll come runnin’. But I got to handle this on my own, E. Hear me?”

She nodded again, “Heard you. I love you.”

He kissed her quickly before finishing dressing. “I love you, too. I’ll be back.”

With that, he whisked out the door, leaving her in a beautifully decorated hotel room, wrapped in a robe and worry etched over her forehead. “God, please.”

She scoffed at herself. “After what I just did to that man, I shouldn’t be asking you for nothing. But please just keep him safe and keep his mind. Please.”

Eden barely slept, finding herself dressed first thing in the morning and in the private dining room downstairs.

Maximus texted her a schedule for her day.

Breakfast, spa, shopping, and a promise to be back by lunch and to make up for leaving her in the middle of the night.

She accepted it because, after all, taking care of his mother was a priority.

Regardless of their history, he was a man who housed a little boy still needing his mother’s love.

She knew that void and that pain would never impede on him from doing what he needed to do for her. So she sat in the nook, pushing her fruit across the plate, not wanting to eat, thanks to the taste of metal in her mouth.

“Is this seat taken?” A soft voice flowed, hitting Eden’s ears. She looked up, finding the owner of the St. Harlem.

Samyra St. Harlem-Steele.

Eden straightened up. Considering Staysha’s history with her COO, she didn’t know how this would turn out. “No, I'm solo for right now.”

“I promise I won’t take up too much of your time,” Samyra spoke softly, taking a seat. “I was craving the salmon and grits and just happened to see you sitting here. How have you been?”

Eden offered a professional smile. “I’ve found my footing again. You? Expecting baby number two?”

Samyra smiled. “Yes, he sure is making up for lost time. Listen, I wanted to extend you an apology. You and your sister, despite the way everything was handled, it wasn’t right. The way we retracted our business once MRA sent us a letter about misconduct on your behalf.”

Eden nodded and winced. “That letter must’ve been typed up and ready to go, the way I was dropped from everything within a day of the news breaking.”

“I cannot speak for any other business or brand. Only us. Poppi did a lot of business with my father. She helped build this place, and the way you were treated was unacceptable. Please forgive us for that.”

“Actually, Samyra, life has been so good as of late, I’ve let all of that go.”

Samyra smiled softly. “That’s good to know. But it doesn’t negate the fact that we were on the wrong side of this. I wanted to offer you and your sister brand positions.”

“I’m not sure your COO or his wife would want Staysha in their space.”

“I fired him. His extracurricular activities were tainting my brand. And if a woman can be ridiculed for sleeping around, so should a man. Especially when it’s a string of women he’s trying to keep silent with my money.

Or the businesses he was buying with it.

I won’t have it. The coffee shop near your apartment was obtained through the accountant’s funneling of my money.

So I’m restructuring. Or as you said, finding my footing again. ”

“I'm sorry to hear that."

“No," Samyra hummed. “That's not why I'm telling you all of that. I’m saying that because, with your influence and power, we’d like to extend a place on our board for creative direction. You and your sister. And if you’re up to it, a line of coffee at forty percent return to roll out with a relaunch.”

“This is generous.”

“I'm a girls’ girl, Eden. I also believe in giving men who try to silence women and take their power the middle finger. I’ll let you and Staysha ponder over this.

Here’s my card. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Enjoy your breakfast. Oh, and try the watermelon salad, it’ll help you in the mornings,” Samyra shared, sliding her card over and leaving Eden alone.

Another fifteen minutes or so passed before the group of women who’d taken Eden in as their own arrived. Staysha led them with more flowers and balloons, just like Poppi would’ve done.

“Happy day after birthday!” Staysha squealed, hugging her sister’s neck. “We have been charged with accompanying you through the day until your man takes you from us.”

“And we are going to take your phone and your wallet,” Daysha chimed. “The whole day is on us.”

“Can I at least buy y’all a coffee, champagne, something?” Eden whined.

Davina shook her head. “Not a thing.”

They settled at the table, ordered the meals, and talked amongst themselves. Eden leaned into her sister and spoke. “Guess who just left here and offered you an apology and forty percent of a coffee shop rebrand?”

Staysha’s brows fused. “Who?”

“Samyra St. Harlem. Seems like that COO was doing some shady shit.”

"Damn. I saw his wife the other day while I was out, and I apologized to her because I was dead wrong. Surprisingly, she forgave me and said that I opened her eyes up to how he was treating her. Apparently, she thought he wouldn’t do to her what she did to his ex-wife to get him. Karma is a bitch with a long memory.”

“She is. See what happens when you do right.”

Staysha smirked like a weight fell off her shoulders. “I do.”

“What do you say to the offer?”

“I say we do it. Just like Poppi taught us.”

“Like we, Poppi’s daughter. Max is going to eat that shit up,” Eden spoke with laughter. “I hope everything is okay.”

“He’s fine, let that man move through this. Think about how we’d feel if Anzel popped back up.”

“I’m not going to lie to you. I’d be mad as hell. But let’s not even entertain the idea, please.”

Staysha sighed, knowing that sooner-than-later, she’d have to tell Eden that Anzel was lurking too close for comfort.