Page 22 of Loving a Libra (BLP Signs of Love #7)

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Devyn and I stood facing each other after exchanging our vows and rings, our hands and eyes connected for the entire fifteen-minute ceremony.

I wasn’t sure why she looked at me so intensely, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her if I tried.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, and I couldn’t believe she was mine.

“Baby, what are you waiting for? Kiss me.”

I was so taken by how beautiful she looked, I didn’t hear the justice of the peace give that command. I released her hands and cupped her face. The look of anticipation on her face would make one think we’d never kissed, and it made my dick hard.

When our lips connected, it felt better than every other time we’d kissed, and I knew it was because this time, it was my wife I was kissing. It took a minute to snap out of the daze I was in, and even longer for me to tear my lips away from my wife.

“Okay, Son. Let’s not get carried away. Other people are trying to get married today,” my father said, grabbing my shoulder.

“I finally present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Tariq Thompson,” the justice teased.

We turned to face our handful of guests.

Of course, my parents were present, along with Ginae, Thomasina, and her husband, Daniel.

I invited a few people I thought were solid from ERL .

Tony and Rick, two security guards, and Timothy and Sandra, the cooks, graciously accepted my invitation.

The photographer and the videographer rounded out our guest list. Hugs, kisses, and congratulations filled the room, and shortly after, we were shuffled into the hallway before we finally made it outside.

After taking pictures at Millennium Park, we headed to Devyn’s Soul Food for an early lunch.

Devyn and I were the only ones who’d dined here before, so our guests were in for a treat.

Once everyone was settled in their seats, my father blessed the food before it was served.

Devyn and I were seated beside each other, and she spoke first when we stood to address our guests.

“I don’t want to get emotional, so I’ll make this short.

As y’all can see, our circle is small. If you’re here, you mean something to us, and we appreciate you accepting the invitation to be a part of our special day.

If I’ve learned nothing else, I’ve learned that God’s timing is perfect. Your turn, baby.”

“Let’s not pretend y’all had me and Devyn getting married on your bingo cards for this year.

” Everyone laughed and mumbled something in agreement with my statement.

“We didn’t either, but here we are, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

It was never my intention to fall in love with her, but when something is meant to be, you can’t control it or avoid it. As she said, God’s timing is perfect.”

There were glasses of champagne on the table when we arrived, and after I picked up my glass, everyone else followed suit before standing.

I looked at Devyn with her glass and wondered if she forgot she was carrying my seed.

Without warning, I removed the glass from her hand and replaced it with a glass of water.

“I was only gonna take a sip,” she fussed.

“Nah. Water is fine for you.”

“To many years of love, happiness, and prosperity,” my father said before raising his glass.

After the toast, we took our seats, and the servers began serving our food. Devyn wanted a simple but beautiful celebration, and she got exactly what she wanted.

“I’m not ready to go home,” Devyn announced as we relaxed in our cabana on the beach. “I’ve never been so relaxed in my life.”

“We can extend our stay, baby, but eventually, we’ll have to go home.”

“I know. If we extend our stay, we’re just prolonging the inevitable.”

“Don’t sound so sad. We might not have this beautiful scenery and weather in Chicago, but we’ll still have each other.”

We were lying beside each other on a full-size daybed, holding hands. I lifted her hand to my mouth and pressed my lips against the back of it.

“That’s the upside. I’m looking forward to a beautiful life with you, our son, and however many other children God blesses us with.”

It seemed her stomach had grown overnight, and I couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked growing my seed. I sat up, leaned over, and planted kisses all over her stomach before finding my way to her lips.

“You want me to keep you barefoot and pregnant?” I asked with my mouth hovering less than an inch above hers.

“I think I could do this a few more times.”

“Say less, baby. We can have a house full.”

I kissed her again before moving out of her space. I closed my eyes and listened to the waves along with the chatter of the people around us. I’d been on many vacations, but none as relaxing as this one.

“This muthafucka!”

My eyes popped open, and I turned my head to look at Devyn. Her face was buried in her phone, and her angry expression matched her tone.

“What’s wrong?”

“Maurice couldn’t leave well enough alone. He stole pics of us from my page and posted them on the account for ERL .”

“Let me see.”

She gave me her phone, and I studied the screen. On the Flikstagram page for ERL , he’d made a few posts with different pictures we’d taken over the past few days while in Aruba. The captions were disrespectful as hell.

“Whoever said Libras were loyal can suck my dick. Don’t believe that shit. I might go live tonight and tell my story.”

“When you find out the woman you wanted to marry is for everybody. SMH!”

“Which one of my other homies fucked my girl? I know she’s a ho now, you can tell me.”

“She said it’s not my baby, but she was fucking me and my best friend. Should I make her get a DNA test? She’s a ho. That baby could belong to anybody.”

Before returning her phone to her, I blocked the account and made her page private. I was positive this wouldn’t be the last post he made about us.

“What should we do?” she asked as she took her phone.

“ We shouldn’t do anything. I’ll handle it.”

“Tariq—”

“Baby, this ain’t up for discussion. Don’t worry your pretty little head about Maurice and his bullshit. I got it.”

I knew exactly how to respond to Maurice without actually responding at all. I’d heard that since I’d left ERL , things hadn’t been going well. Tony and Rick mentioned they were looking for work elsewhere, and Timothy and Sandra inquired about working at Devyn’s Soul Food .

The owners at Devyn’s were looking to stay open later and add some entertainment. Although I was a silent partner, they asked for some ideas. If they chose to do what I suggested, they would need security and cooks.

I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contacts. By the time my phone call was over, I’d set some things in motion that would fuck up Maurice’s world.

“I didn’t know I married a genius,” Devyn said after listening to my phone conversation.

“I told you I’d take care of it. Now, it’s our last full day on the island. Do you want to spend it talking about your ex or riding my dick with this beautiful view as the backdrop?”

“Hmm.” She pretended to ponder as she straddled my waist. “I think I’ll pick door number two.”

Sex on the beach had a whole new meaning by the time we made it back to our villa.

“He should’ve left well enough alone,” I told my father.

It had been a month and a half since Devyn and I returned from our honeymoon.

As soon as we returned, I met with the owners of Devyn’s Soul Food , and they agreed to do a trial run of a few of my ideas.

Tonight was the first night of Soulful Jazz and Lit Vibes , where up-and-coming jazz musicians, poets, and authors would come to showcase their work.

A condensed and alternative menu featuring smaller versions of customer favorites would be available, along with a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Those attending had to RSVP, and every available spot was filled within thirty minutes of the announcement on social media.

With referrals from me, Tony, Ricky, Timothy, and Sandra were able to find jobs at other lounges in the city, while also working at Devyn’s Soul Food a few times a week.

From what they shared, Maurice crashed out when they quit because they didn’t give any notice.

He had to close ERL for a week to find replacements for them.

“You took his woman, and now his livelihood might be at risk. That’s what I call hitting him where it hurts,” Pops replied.

“Devyn’s heart never belonged to him, so I wouldn’t say I took his woman. As far as his business goes, if he doesn’t pivot and change how he treats his employees, he’ll ruin everything he’s built on his own.”

“We’re ready!” my mother announced as she and Devyn exited our bedroom.

“Damn, baby. You look beautiful,” I exclaimed.

She smiled as she caressed her stomach, a far cry from the attitude she had just two hours ago. I was nowhere near prepared for the meltdown Devyn had when she couldn’t fit the dress she’d chosen for tonight. I had to call my mother for backup.

“Do I? Are you just saying that because I’m your wife?”

“No, baby. I wouldn’t lie to you. Haven’t I always told you how beautiful you are?”

I approached her, and when I was close enough, I put my hands on her stomach.

“Yeah, but that was?—”

“Devyn, you’re carrying my legacy. You’ve never been more beautiful than you are right now. I love you.”

Her smile became brighter, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“Let’s go,” Devyn said, as if we hadn’t been waiting for her for the past hour.

The first night of Soulful Jazz and Lit Vibes was a huge success.

The owners of Devyn’s Soul Food asked if I was interested in being a not-so-silent partner.

It sounded appealing, but I asked for time to think about it.

I went to bed that night grateful for all of God’s blessings and looking forward to all He had in store.