Page 12 of Defending the Post (The Complexity of Love #3)

Chapter Seven

Crossing the Lines

Marquise

I entered my bedroom this morning disappointed I didn’t find Erin. She remade the bed better than the cleaning lady. I dropped my bags and texted her phone.

Me

WEIRDO

I focused on the clock, giving her three minutes to respond before I went looking.

Weirdo

WHATTTTT

The all-caps made me laugh because Erin was serious about returning my energy.

Me

Your location.

Weirdo

I’ll block you.

I opened the bedroom door to hear laughter coming from the front of the condo. Erin sat at the table across from Malcolm, with Jhae sitting on his lap.

“Look at him,” Erin said with a smirk on her face.

Malcolm shifted his head backward, bouncing his brows. I couldn’t hide the intensity on my face as I glared at Erin. She wasn’t in this condo when I came in this morning.

“Where have you been?” I asked, and the room giggled.

I sucked my teeth as my face tightened with anger. Erin slouched her shoulders, tossing her head backward, taking in the ceiling.

“Good morning,” she said, and nodded toward the bedroom.

She begrudgingly stood from her seat and passed where I stood.

On the walk to the bedroom, I couldn’t keep my eyes off her plump ass.

Those tight jeans brought attention to the curves of her body, hardening my dick.

Erin opened the door, entering the room and standing.

I wanted to pull her tongue into my mouth, sucking the attitude out of her face.

“Where were you this morning?” I asked after I shut the door.

“Hi Erin, how are you?” she said before she flopped down on the bed. Nasty thoughts of laying her on her back and tasting her pussy pulled at me. I pushed away the thoughts but promised to address them again at a later date.

“Erin.”

“Marquise.”

The smug expression and crinkled nose amused me. I leaned down, trapping her with my hands, pausing my face a few inches away from hers. I studied the shape of her lips, almost forgetting my point.

“Erin, you were not here this morning. Where were you?”

She erased the small space between us, bringing our noses together. She narrowed her eyes and smiled before answering. “I was in my own bed.”

I attacked the open skin of her neck with kisses, causing her to squeal. “Marquise, stop it. I’m ticklish.”

She playfully tried to break free from my hold, but she couldn’t. When she turned to her side, I hovered over her curled body, kissing her ear one last time.

“Next time, you stay in my room until I make it home,” I said.

My fucking heart sank this morning when she wasn’t in my bed. I wanted to slide in bed with her and sleep the day away, then possibly play the game.

“Okayyyyy, stop kissing me,” she said between giggles.

I wanted to kiss her again, but I settled for tickling her one last time instead.

Erin reached for a pillow and blindly threw it in my direction.

She missed me with her weak throw. I bounced my brows as a game on signal.

She attempted to retreat but I caught her leg before she could make it across the bed.

“Marquisseeee,” she said with hard laughter, but I ignored her pleas, pulling her to me instead.

“I’m sorry,” she said, cackling louder than before but it was too late. I had secured a pillow with my free hand.

I held one leg, keeping her in place and tapped her with the pillow. She rolled a few times but came to the conclusion that surrendering was her only option. She lifted both hands in the air and paused the pillow in the air.

“You win, Marquise. This is not how you treat a lady,” she said. I twisted my lips upward, releasing her leg and dropping the pillow.

She smirked as she exited the bed and walked to the bathroom. The infectious sound of her giggles filled the space as she fixed her hair and adjusted her clothes.

“Alright, what are we doing today?” I asked, standing in the doorway.

Erin gave me the side-eye but didn’t answer my question. I moved into the bathroom, and she giggled, shielding her underarms.

“I have to work, Marquise. Your schedule does not dictate my day,” she announced.

Pursing my lips upward, I relaxed them once she cackled. She knew damn well Jhae wasn’t doing anything but lying under Malcolm. In some ways, my schedule did dictate her schedule.

“Jhae gave me my marching orders. It will only take me a few hours, which means you need to find something to do,” she said.

I scoffed at her statement because she was my something to do.

“I'll babysit you until your work is done. Then you belong to me. We will try this lesson again with my home game this week,” I said.

Erin rolled her eyes before nudging me out the doorway.

It was the third quarter, and I knew something was off about Erin.

She’d been mean-mugging me since the shoot around.

During halftime, she gave me one-word responses, further pissing me off.

The entire family row was tense, with Pops sitting between Mom and Jhae, along with Toni’s leaching ass.

Next to Erin was a case manager from the homeless shelter Malcolm and I fund and her guest. Monica was given the tickets as part of her bonus.

She went above and beyond for the families in need, and we had already decided to give her a raise.

I exited the press conference, forgoing the medical treatment, to see what the fuck was wrong with Erin.

Standing in the arena, I knew it was some bullshit when Erin separated herself from the group.

She was hyper focused on her phone and her body language was tense.

Malcolm nudged my elbow, hipping me to what I already caught on to.

I crowded Erin’s space, hovering over her, but she moved away, causing me to grip her elbow.

“Marquise, are you okay?” she asked, as she shuffled away from me.

The light tone of her voice didn’t match the intensity in her eyes or body language.

“Yeah, I’m good. Are you good?” I asked with raised brows.

Erin shook her head yes, but her stiff shoulders continued to confirm my suspicion. My eyes followed her as she cut in front of me and positioned herself next to Jhae. Malcolm and I glared at each other, peeping her mood. He moved forward with introductions as I stood beside him.

“Jhae and Erin, please meet Monica and...”

“Amber,” she interrupted Malcolm with a soft smile aimed in my direction. Erin chuckled as if she solved a puzzle. If I weren’t stuck on the short, thick girl with the attitude, I would’ve been on Amber. She was attractive and willing to hand over the pussy with not much effort.

“Monica runs the shelter Marquise, and I fund. This month alone, she placed ten families in stable housing,” Malcolm said.

Jhae hugged my brother as she glared up at him with an approving smile. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Erin tapped his hand, but she wouldn’t recognize my presence.

“Thank you for inviting us, and the limo ride was amazing,” Monica said to us.

Amber’s eyes roamed my body, not hiding her intentions. I diverted my eyes over to Erin, but she retreated to the comfort of her phone. The tense atmosphere introduced an uncomfortable silence as we stared at one another. Monica tapped Amber’s elbow, but she froze.

“Jhae and I have plans for tonight, but thank you ladies for coming out,” Malcolm said.

“The driver will take you ladies home. Thank you for the hard work you do,” I followed.

Monica gave Amber widened eyes, but I rounded Malcolm to get Erin’s attention. I tugged on her elbow to distract her from her phone. She peered up at me with anger-filled eyes.

“Bestie, you cool,” she said, removing my light grip of her elbow.

I shook my head because privately we were going to discuss this issue.

Malcolm and Jhae glared over at us as Erin put more space between us.

The heat radiating off my body could light a bonfire.

I followed behind the group, staying within reaching distance of Erin.

Putting two and two together, some conversation happened, and my name was slandered.

If Erin opened her mouth, I could properly defend myself.

Climbing onto the elevator to travel down to the parking garage, I gave Erin her space.

We entered the parking lot and I tossed my hands up at a few teammates.

With my brother going out tonight, I paid for an additional driver. Although we lived down the street, it’s getting around the paparazzi that made the ride longer. Before I passed Malcolm’s car, I called out to Erin, “we are in the white SUV.”

She ignored me and continued to stand next to Jhae and Malcolm. My brother dropped his head in laughter as Erin refused to acknowledge me. I brushed my beard, as I lingered at the hood of Malcolm’s car.

“Erin, bring yo short, thick ass to this car,” I yelled but she turned her head in the opposite direction. “So, you gon’ ruin their date because you’re upset with me. Can I at least know what I did wrong?” I asked with folded arms.

The lights from the camera flashes grew closer the longer we played this cat and mouse game.

“Erin,” I called her again, but this time she rolled her eyes. Malcolm covered his mouth to mask his laughter. I’ve never begged a woman to leave with me. It’s usually the other way around.

“Do you want to be on USPN with me carrying you to this car?” I asked.

The movement of her chest suggested she exhaled a hard, annoyed breath.

Before departing, she hugged Jhae and rounded the car with a chip on her shoulder.

I followed her with my eyes as she walked around me.

She had climbed in before I took my first step.

The driver snickered as I joined her in the backseat.

I examined her closed off position as she sat with her legs crossed.

I unbuckled her seat belt and pulled her into me before she could object. Caressing her waist, I nudged my nose against her temple before she motioned away. She tried moving her body towards the door but I tightened my grip.