Page 14

Bayleigh is in our sitting room when I finally arrive home.

“Where’s Riley?”

“In the Atlanta suite,” she answers softly.

When she designed each of the guest suites in our home, she used major cities in Georgia as the theme: Atlanta, Savannah, Helen, and Tybee Island.

The Savannah suite has a mural of the majestic Spanish moss trees famous in the area, along with a large fountain carved in the rear wall to emulate the Forsyth Fountain found in the park of the same name.

The Helen suite has a German theme, the Tybee suite has a beach theme with a lighthouse mural, and the Atlanta suite has a garden theme representative of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, with peach being its primary color.

“What did Madison say?”

“She tried to convince her to go to the hospital, but you know Riley,” Bayleigh explains with a resigned sigh. “However, she had a major point in that avoiding the hospital allows her to avoid having the police called since she knows that you were probably handling the situation.”

I nod, but there were ways around that too. I’m too tired to argue the point now, and I doubt it would do any good.

“So, Dr. Madison gave her a prescription. From her preliminary checkup, she couldn’t see any long-term injuries, any internal bleeding, or anything like that. But she is worried about Riley’s vision.”

“How is she mentally?”

“A wreck, as you can imagine. She keeps breaking down crying at the most unexpected times. She fell asleep while talking to me. Did she tell you what happened when you were talking with her in the car?”

I nod and drag my hand down my face. “She did, but that shit’s still not okay. I don’t care what she did to his car. I can’t say I blame her. I think I’d be vengeful as hell if I found another nigga driving the car that I was paying for.”

Bayleigh loops her arms around my neck. “Well, that’s something you’ll never have to worry about, my love.”

I place my hands on her waist and stop her from drawing closer.

“You’re not off the hook that easily.”

She leans in and licks my lips. I groan as my dick instantly reacts to her attention.

“No, Bayleigh. We have to talk.”

She sighs, drops her hands, and drops down on the settee. My eyes go heavy looking at the way her silk robe parts to give me a glimpse of those beautiful, luscious thighs.

“I know that I was wrong.”

“You were. Bayleigh, you can’t go off half-cocked around the city with a gun like you’re about to do something to somebody.”

“That is my sister, Zaire.”

“I don’t care if it was your mother. That’s what you got me for?

” I thunder, slapping my hand against my chest. “You put everyone at risk with a move like that. If something happened to you, what are the boys and I going to do? What will happen to your sister then? Or how about your parents and brothers? How are they supposed to feel? Did you even consider where that might leave your staff if they lost you and their jobs?”

Bayleigh drops her face in her hands and groans. “I know. You’re right.”

I sit down beside her and lift her thighs onto my lap.

Gripping one tightly, I massage it. “Listen, that could have gone all kinds of wrong. You kill Kenny or vice versa. You’re risking drawing unnecessary attention my way, which you know is some shit that I don’t need.

If things had gotten out of control, you know the forces of hell would be waiting to rain terror down on my ass.

Everyone knows you’re my woman, and they know how I feel about you.

You left us in a vulnerable position, baby, and I can’t have that. ”

“You’re right. I didn’t think about that.”

“Right, and that’s not you. You’re a smart, beautiful woman with class and strength.

I know we come from that, but we’ve worked our asses off too hard to get away from that.

What I do in the streets is one thing, but I do what I do so that you and the boys don’t have to.

I do what I do so that a certain lifestyle is no longer yours.

Coming out of the hood was hard, but it’s easy as hell to fall back there. Don’t let that be us, Bay.”

“You’re right,” she replies softly, resting her hand on mine.

I turn our fingers over and intertwine them briefly before unlinking them and tracing the diamond that she wears on her left ring finger.

We’re not married by law, but we are by heart and soul.

“Come here,” I demand, reaching for her.

She swings her legs off my lap and gets up so that she can straddle me.

“It took me a while to calm down so that I could get back to you. All I wanted was to come home and get inside of my woman.”

“I’m here for you, Zaire. You know this.”

“Show me.”

The kiss is soft and gentle but hungry. Bayleigh pulls a groan from somewhere deep within me before she begins to climb off me.

“What are you doing?” I ask when she begins to kneel.

“Taking care of you.”

“How about I take care of you tonight?” I ask, grabbing her hand and pulling her to stand.

“I like that,” she answers as I swoop her into my arms and lay her on the bed.

“Mm, no panties.” I palm her mound. “You were really trying to work your way out of a punishment, huh?”

“No. I like the punishments. You being mad at me? Not so much.”

“Don’t worry, beautiful. I’m not mad at ya.”

I spread her legs wide and slick a finger against her wetness. Bayleigh bites her bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth as her gaze pins me in place, daring me to take more.

I slide a finger inside of her and then another to scissor her.

“Zaire,” she moans, dragging her gown up and around her hips. She grips her breasts and kneads them as she watches me.

When I pull my fingers out and give her a taste, she purrs contentedly.

“How do you taste?”

“So damn good.”

“Let me see.” I slide down to connect my mouth to her pussy. I don’t tease her but dive right in, tasting, sucking, and licking her. My baby rocks her hips up and pumps into my mouth, rolling her body and satisfying my need to consume her.

With one finger in her ass and another one in her pussy, I suck at her as if I’m trying to pull the soul and spirit out of her body. My fingers dive in and out of her, and she shrieks with pleasure.

“Zaire. Oh my. Baby, damn,” she moans.

The ability to make her feel this way, the way no other man can, is a potent drug. I watch as her lips part slightly, and for a mere fraction of a second, her breath departs and then slams back into her with such mighty force it seemingly catches her off guard.

Those beautiful eyes open again, hooded with the depths of lust, as she watches me take another sweet lick of her before I plunge my tongue in once more and then suck gently at her nectar.

My woman feeds me and nurtures my spirit and my mind.

And again, I think about the ongoing battle between us.

The one that hasn’t allowed me to give her my married name.

The desire to protect her if everything should fail.

All that we own is in her name. Some things are even in my oldest son’s name.

I’ve worked too hard to let everything that I’ve developed and created be taken away from my family.

Besides, there is so much pain, drama, and scandal associated with my name.

She gives me everything that I need. Now, I need to find a way to give her the one thing that she wants most in this world.

I roll my tongue inside of her and then suck at her clit as she cries out, releasing her orgasm onto my tongue.

“I love you, Zaire,” she whimpers before falling asleep.

“I love you too,” I mutter, though she can’t hear me.

Bayleigh is my reason for why I do this shit. Well, she’s the reason that keeps me going. She didn’t start out being my reason.