Page 25 of Defending the Post (The Complexity of Love #3)

I paused, not expecting him to reveal himself to me. Silence lingered between us because I knew he meant it. Marquise nestled his body upward, pulling me toward his muscular build.

“Erin, I love you,” he said again and with the palm of my hand, I wiped away a tear. “I’m not down with hiding you from the world. Last night was the first time I made love to a woman. And it was the best sex of my life. I’m not giving it up, Erin.”

Pushing him away seemed to be an impossible task as my attempts failed. I knew I loved him because I had rearranged my life, prioritizing him over my dream job. He pushed me away, tested my boundaries, and I still shared my temple with him.

“Talk to me, Weirdo,” he requested.

I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck. A moan slipped from my mouth as he caressed my back with his warm hands.

“I love you too,” I said into his neck.

He tightened his grip on me as if I would fly away

I sat next to Jhae on the way to the game with my tablet.

The wedding planner made it perfectly clear she needed everything back this week.

Without these decisions, there would not be an October wedding.

Jhae told you more information in passing than sitting down with you.

For some reason, she thought she had more free time than she actually had.

Some of it was due to my creative scheduling and filtering through bullshit offers.

“Are you sure?” I asked her for final decisions on the flowers, cake design, and food menu.

The wedding was going to be held outside on Malcolm’s family property in air-conditioned tents. It was mainly family, and the team was invited. Neither had much family, but they still wanted to celebrate their union.

“Yes, you did an excellent job getting the things in line for me to pick,” she said.

I scrolled through her schedule and penciled in her taste testing after the finals.

Things were constantly moving with the team being in the playoffs.

The entire timeline could move up depending on the game tonight.

I preferred the playoffs because Marquise was home more, but tonight was do-or-die for the Western Conference Finals.

We exited the SUV with security, due to the playoff atmosphere and Jhae’s album.

Things were getting crazy with her album still trending.

I’ve turned over a few of her messages to the police department.

Entering the stadium, the cameras flashed, but we stayed with security.

They were also sitting next to us at the game because Jhae wanted to sit courtside instead of in the box.

Malcolm and Marquise put their foot down for the finals.

We were sitting in the box with security.

The crowd was electric during the team shoot around.

Ball in hand, Marquise walked to the sideline, bouncing it between his legs, staring at me.

“I swear he plays too much,” I whispered to Jhae as I squirmed in my seat.

He continued to stare at me until the people surrounding us caught on.

“Come here,” he mouthed to me, and I denied him with a headshake.

Marquise tossed the ball to the assistant and walked through the chairs. I faced Jhae with widened eyes, but she shifted away with a smile.

“Weirdo,” he said to my side profile.

With no other option, I obeyed his unspoken demand to face him.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Letting the world know you are my heart. You showing out tonight with the boots and tight ass jeans. I will step off this court and beat some dude’s ass,” he said.

I rolled my eyes, amused by his comment.

“Give me my good luck kiss,” he said and moved closer.

I studied his face, pecking his lips twice before he returned to the court.

We’re officially a month strong, but Marquise said it’s three for him.

By the second quarter, both Jhae’s and my social media page were on fire.

The video of us kissing had gone viral within minutes.

I tried ignoring the messages, deleting and blocking immediately.

“If I get another, ‘ I’m coming to you as a woman’ message,” I told Jhae.

She tried to suppress her laughter but failed miserably, unable to lend me her eyes. I toggled over to social media when I shouldn’t have.

She fat. . . diet bitch

He gave this up for this wannabe industry chick

I mean it’s whatever

Plus size. Bitch grow up, gross.

Jhae’s hand landed on top of my phone. “No, don’t you fall into the comparison trap. They want your spot and will say whatever to get it. He picked you,” Jhae said.

I mouthed thank you and tucked the phone in my bag.

Malcolm passed Marquise the ball midair, and he slammed, shaking the backboard.

When he landed, our eyes met, and we pounded our chest in unison.

His energy transferred to me, leaving me unable to sit down.

Malcolm and Marquise were unstoppable, dominating the paint and the three-point line.

Leaving the arena, we were surrounded by cameras. The constant flashing blurred my eyesight. I held on to Marquise as we followed behind security.

“Marquise, is she Weirdo?”

“Marquise, women are uploading videos and text messages.”

“BrittanyShaw-Jefferies312 uploaded a video saying you cheated on her with the mystery woman.”

The security guy pushed away a reporter for us to enter the car. My heart raced as we landed on the leather seats. Marquise snuggled me into his chest.

“It will die down, baby. Our relationship is new to the world,” he said.