I watched the door to my office close behind Dream. Madi had left minutes ago while she waited for me to finish up. I didn’t mind the distraction, but now that Imani had walked her ass into my office, she was stuck to my brain. I could still feel her softness in my arms, the vulnerability she’d shown.

Madi reentered the room quietly, her expression more neutral than before. She slid back into her seat, and we resumed our meal. But something was different now. The air was thick with unspoken tension, and it wasn’t just the food sitting untouched between us—it was me. It was my thoughts on Dream.

The silence hung heavily for a while, and then Madi broke it, her voice easy but curious. “Is that your girlfriend?” she asked, her gaze flicking toward me.

I didn’t have to think about it. “Yeah,” I replied, not adding any more details.

She nodded, her lips curling into a small, understanding smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. We continued to eat, but the quiet between us felt suffocating. Every movement I made, every word I spoke, seemed to bring me back to Dream.

I let the conversation go silent, focusing on my laptop and trying to get back to business. As I scrolled through some messages, something caught my eye—a financial literacy class being held at Prince Bank in Beverly Hills. It seemed perfect for Madi.

“This might be something for you,” I said, turning my laptop to her. “It’s a class at Prince Bank, teaching financial literacy. The owner is a mentor of mine and a good friend. He’s got a program running, and I can get you a spot. Good pay and it’s right up your alley.”

She leaned over and read the details, her eyes lighting up as she absorbed the information. “You really think I could do it?”

“I know you can,” I replied, knowing she’d excel in this position. “Since you’re a math teacher and an economics teacher, it should be easy for you.”

Her smile spread across her face. “Thank you, Damier. I really appreciate this. I value our friendship more than anything—more than any potential relationship,” she said, her voice sincere.

I chuckled softly, leaning back in my chair, relieved. “That’s good to know.”

I was glad we were on the same page. Madi wasn’t looking for anything more from me. And frankly, I couldn’t juggle another woman right now. With everything going on in my life, I needed a clean break from complications.

Just as we finished eating, Madi walked out, and my mother walked into my office, her face alight with a smile that was rare for her. I knew she only came in with good news when she looked like that.

“Please tell me you got good news, Ma,” I said, already half-smiling.

“I do, by the grace of God,” she replied, her tone triumphant. “I got the club back. We’re reopening this weekend.”

A weight lifted from my shoulders, and I couldn’t hide the grin that spread across my face.

“Tell me more,” I said, leaning forward, eager for more details.

“I had to remind the city manager who the fuck I am. He wasn’t trying to budge, so I almost had to blow his damn brains out,” she said with a casualness that made me laugh. “Had to remind him how much I’m paying him. He got the picture after that.”

I chuckled, shaking my head, realizing where my own hot temper came from.

“I can’t believe you sometimes, lady.”

She grinned. “It’s the family blood. We don’t back down.”

After she delivered the good news, she left, and I was on the phone with my staff in no time, telling them to get ready to return to work on Friday night. Everything was falling back into place.

$$$$$

By the time I made it to my penthouse, the sun was setting, and I was hungry. I ordered wings and cognac to celebrate the reopening of the club. The day had been long, but I knew things were starting to shift. I was back on top.

Just as I was getting into my food, I heard my doorbell. I went to the door, and Dream was standing there, carrying her overnight bag with a determined look on her face. I couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my lips. She wasn’t leaving. I felt a quiet relief flood through me.

But then I noticed it—there was a bitterness in her expression, something I had seen lately. The tension that had built between us wasn’t just gone. It was still there, lingering like a cloud.

I let her in and greeted her with a hug. We sat at the island, and I set my wings aside, pushing them toward her. She picked at the meal, but her mind clearly wasn’t on food.

“I know we have to talk about what happened between us, but I have something to tell you. My brother has to go through chemo again,” she said, her voice heavy. “I visited him after I left your office, and he said he wanted to die. It crushed me, Damier, especially because my mother is thinking about letting him pass. The doctors said he’ll never get better.”

My heart sank. I reached for her hand across the counter, my throat tight with emotion. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m here for you, Dream. For your family, whatever you need.”

She broke down in front of me, her tears flowing freely. I wiped my hands and pulled her into my arms. I didn’t care about anything else we had been going through. She was hurting, and I would be there for her. I couldn’t fix everything, but I could damn sure be there.

“I’m glad I can cry in your arms,” she whispered between sobs. “I’m just... so tired of being strong all the time.”

“You don’t have to be strong right now,” I whispered back, holding her tighter. “I’ve got you. Don’t worry about anything.”

After a few moments, I let her go, but the weight of her brother’s condition stayed heavy on both of us. After knowing his condition fully and how long he had been suffering. I knew why he felt the way he did. I didn’t bring up what we were going through; I didn’t want to put any more weight on her. She had apologized earlier, and her being in my presence let me know we were ready to move forward and not argue.

We finished eating, the silence hanging between us like a heavy curtain.

I turned on some oldies, letting the music settle the mood, and rolled a blunt. Dream, in her usual playful way, began to pull out lingerie. She flashed each piece, and they all were sexy to me.

“Which one do you want me to wear for this makeup sex?” She smirked as she tossed the sexy red one onto my lap. I laughed, almost spitting out my cognac.

“You’ll be wearing all of them,” I said. “Because you’re not going home anytime soon.”

We spent the next couple of hours just vibing. The atmosphere was lighter now, though there were still moments of quiet between us. When Dream headed to the bedroom to take a bath, I stayed behind, drinking and smoking, my thoughts swirling. The weight of the day and the emotional strain of the past few weeks were catching up to me.

Dream stayed in my jacuzzi tub for an hour, and I dozed off on the couch. When I woke up, it was to the feeling of Dream straddling me in black lingerie. Her body pressed against mine, and I could feel myself instantly responding. My manhood hardened as she slid down and took me in her mouth, her tongue working me with a precision that made my toes curl.

“I’m sorry, baby,” she whispered between strokes with her hand, her voice sultry and apologetic. “I won’t ever pry into your mental again. I want you for who you are. I don’t want to change you.”

My body responded impulsively, but in my mind, it wasn’t just about the pleasure. It was about the connection, the bond between us that had been fractured and was now slowly healing. We made love, and it was like we were both trying to say everything that words couldn’t express.

$$$$$

Three Days Later

It was early in the morning when I heard a knock on my door while I lay on the couch with Dream. We had just gone to sleep an hour ago, so I was tired. We stayed up all night for the third time, talking about everything. The last three days were just us in the house, getting to know each other mentally and physically. We stayed wrapped up in each other, finding solace in the quiet moments, the intimacy, and the connection we shared. It was something we needed. We had closed out the world and focused on us. But all good things had to come to an end.

I rubbed my eyes and glanced at my phone. It was King telling me to open the door. When I opened it, he and Hocus stood there with smug looks on their faces.

“Pack a bag, nephew,” he called through the door. “Our flight to Canada is waiting.”

I looked over at Dream, still asleep on the couch. I had made my decision. I was going to take care of business, but when I got back, I was going to make sure we were good.

I walked over and kissed her gently on the forehead, waking her up. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t go nowhere. If you go to work, come back here.”

She looked nervous but nodded. “Okay. Be careful.”

I left my penthouse, hoping I would be gone for no more than two days, but as I closed the door behind me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to change again.