Temptations: A Limited Edition Contemporary Romance Collection Read online

  My heart squeezes. My little boy is so sweet. I don’t think I can become anymore choked up, until I hear Parker speak up again.

  “Yeah, well, you’re my best friend too. We’ll have to see if your mama can handle how broken I truly am. If she’ll have me, I want to make her my wife and you my son,” Parker says, as if answering his own thoughts.

  “You mean your vision and your memory?” Isaac asks.

  There’s a pregnant pause, my brows furrow. My mind moves slowly to string Isaac’s comment together. It’s his next reply to Parker that crashes right into me.

  “So, you figured me out, huh?”

  “Yeah, sometimes, when we’re playing you forget things, and sometimes when we’re doing puzzles you slow down when your vision stops working,” Isaac says.

  Wow! How the hell did I miss that? Or did I?

  27

  Parker

  Lakia’s making me nervous. She’s been watching me closely all night. I feel like my skin is going to fall off if she watches me anymore closely. I peek over at her as we pull into the driveway.

  She rode over to her mama’s in her mama’s car, so we rode back home together. Today was a good day. I had a revealing chat with Isaac. That kid only confirmed I’m moving towards the right thing. I’m not getting any younger. I want Lakia as my wife and I want to have more children. Calling Isaac my son will just be a bonus on top of that.

  “I’ll carry him inside,” I say, as I open Lakia’s door, before getting Isaac out of his booster seat.

  I think I wore the poor little guy out today. He doesn’t even flinch as I place him on my shoulder and carry him towards the house. I kiss his forehead as I walk, wishing him sweet dreams.

  Lakia and I work together to get him into his Black Panther pajamas and into his bed. I remember when life was that simple for me. It seems like centuries ago now.

  “What are you thinking about?” Lakia whispers, as we make our way into the living room.

  “My childhood, things were so simple once,” I smile down at her.

  “Are things so complicated now?”

  “I don’t know about now, but they were once or twice along the way,” I admit.

  “Like when,” she bats those pretty lashes at me.

  I don’t think she knows how beautiful she is. She wraps me around her finger without even trying. I now know the hole that was once in my heart was waiting for her to come and fill it.

  “While my uncles were all in the military, my father had wanted to live the simple ranch life with my mother. After her death, things changed. I needed to get away and I ran right into the army,” I begin to tell her.

  “Uncle Wayne had hoped I’d join the Navy, but I wanted to rebel in every way. It was my decision, my choice. Today, I think it was the best decision I ever made. It’s the decision that led me to you,” I reach to tug her into my chest, before she can take a seat on the couch.

  “Is that right?” she beams up at me.

  “Yes, Ma’am. The army led me right to love,” I smile at her.

  “If you love me, be honest with me,” she locks eyes with me, looking into my soul. “Tell me why they discharged you. It had to be something bad enough to keep you from performing. What aren’t you telling me?”

  With a sigh, I lift her, coaxing her legs around me. I walk over to her favorite spot in the house, the window seat. I sit with my back to the window, caressing hers.

  “I had some damage to the nerves in my leg from the burns. They didn’t think I’d recover from that, but what sealed things was the sporadic loss of my peripheral vision. It comes and goes with no warning. I also had brain trauma. I lose pieces of my memory from time to time,” the words spill free, feeling like a weight being lifted.

  She nods, eyes searching mine. “The glasses. It dawned on me you never wore glasses the few times I saw you in the past,” she murmurs.

  “They’re supposed to help, but they haven’t done much,” I sigh in frustration.

  “Were you having trouble today?”

  “Yeah, I forgot where I was going and my vision went on the way to your mama’s. I followed the GPS to figure out where I was headed,” I admit.

  “That’s why you set all your destinations, even to the store down the road and back,” she muses, understanding lighting up her eyes.

  “I have a few things I do to adapt,” I nod.

  “Jake, Baby, none of that will keep me from loving you. I figured there was more. My son is just more observant than I am,” she clamps her mouth shut.

  I narrow my eyes and smile at her. “You were listening to our conversation?”

  “Maybe,” she bites her lip.

  “How much did you hear?”

  She makes the cutest face, wincing. “Well,” she drags out. “I may have heard a lot more than you would have wanted me to.”

  “Marry me,” I breathe.

  A gasp leaves her lips, her bright eyes fill with tears. I take her lips in a gentle kiss. Her fingers lace into my hair and lock there.

  “Marry me,” I say against her lips. “I want to call you my wife and Isaac my son. I want you to give me more children. Marry me, Baby Girl.”

  “Yes,” she says through her tears. “Yes.”

  I cup her face and devour her lips. I can taste the salt of her tears, mixed with the chocolates she had earlier at her mama’s. I groan.

  I’ll get to kiss this woman for the rest of my life. I will savor her like this, until I’m old and grey and can’t move to get my hands on her. Even then, she’ll know that I love her with everything I am.

  I swallow her small whimper. My hands are actually trembling, as I move them down her face, over her neck, still lower, until I grasp the sides of her ribs. Lakia lifts the blouse she’s wearing over her head, tossing it aside. I unclasp her bra, discarding of it as she did her shirt.

  I lift my arms as she tugs my t-shirt up. It hits the pile next. I take my time kissing her shoulders, running my hands up and down her back. She feels as soft as satin. My hands make another trip down, pushing her skirt from her hips. She stands, allowing the fabric to fall to the floor.

  I lift to stand, toeing my boots from my feet. We both work to get my pants and boxers down my legs. I’m already rock hard from the thought of making her my wife.

  “Come here.”

  She comes right to me. My arms going around her waist, lifting her back onto my mine. I sit once again, this time reaching between our bodies to toy with her button.

  Her face buries in my neck, one of her palms splay the window behind me. I bring her to climax, once, twice, close to a third time, but she has other ideas. Cupping my face, she rocks her hips over my hard shaft coating it.

  I groan as her slickness slides over me. I slide into her on the next pass, my hands cupping her face as she cups mine. We stare in each other’s eyes and I’m so grateful for the ability to have this sight.

  “If I lost my sight overnight, I would brag for years about the night I stared into the rays of the sun,” I husk out, as she rides me so slow, it feels like I’m being tortured, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “Jake, I love you,” she whispers, on a moan.

  “I love you too,” I groan. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

  She shivers. My name spilling from her lips. Both her hands press to the window behind me, her breasts push into my face. I pull a nipple into my mouth sucking and licking around it. I can feel her gush as I draw the tight bud deeper into my mouth.

  “Yes,” she gasps.

  She rocks her hips in circles, then up and down again. I’m right with her, meeting her stroke for stroke. Neither of us in control, both sharing in the load. I move my arms to band around her back, holding her to my chest. Her head falls back, her tight curls spiraling out around her head like a crown. It’s one of my favorite looks on her.

  I claw my fingers across her back, knowing I’m not going to be able to hold on like this much longer. I push Lakia right to th
e edge, watching the beauty of her going over.

  Standing, I switch our positions. I place her on the bench seat, lifting her legs onto my shoulders and clench her waist. I begin to increase the pace, hitting her spot over and over. Squeezing her legs together, I move them over one shoulder.

  Her hands go over her head, pressing to the cool glass. I place one hand over hers and with the other I find my own purchase against the window. I drill into her, lifting her body from the bench.

  I can see when she’s about to lose it and start screaming. I cover her mouth with mine, but I don’t let up. I slow again, when the slapping sound starts to ring through the room.

  “Oh, my God,” she whisper groans.

  “You drive me crazy,” I pant over her. “I can’t get enough of you.”

  I feel her clench around me and groan. I pulse inside her. Our bodies having a conversation of their own.

  “I think we both lost our minds,” she giggles. “Maybe we should move this into the bedroom.”

  I shake my head. Damn, she’s right. I shift her legs again, lifting her from the bench and start for the bedroom.

  “Welcome home, Baby,” she whispers in my ear as we enter the bedroom.

  My soul falls at ease immediately. I know for the first time in a long time that I have a home. It’s what I’ve been longing for. A home and a family. I have both now.

  28

  Toni

  I’m vibrating with anger as I watch this motherfucker carry my son into the house. That crazy bitch is really testing me. I’ll be pushed but so far.

  I sit fuming, waiting for this bastard to come back out of the house. I want to have a little talk with him this time. I’ve been in the mountains thinking, while waiting out my suspension.

  I came back tonight with plans to talk some sense into Lakia, but then she pulls up with this asshole. I’m tired of playing games with her. This is bullshit and she knows it.

  I wait, getting pissed when it takes too long for the asshole to come back out of the house. It doesn’t take this long to get Isaac to his room and get the fuck out. He has crossed all types of lines with my family.

  “What the fuck,” I growl, when the fucker comes into view carrying my woman.

  I grab the goggles to get a closer look. They sit in the window seat talking. My blood is boiling the longer she sits in his lap. I want to blow a hole right through the back of his head.

  I watch her nod at something he has said. I wish I had more time to get the audio set up in her place. I can’t hear a fucking thing and I don’t have an angle to read their lips.

  I watch some more, seeing him nod this time. I can see her biting her lip the way she used to do for me. I see nothing but red. I need to get closer. The right distance and angle and I can get audio and see their lips better.

  I hop from the car looking around. I move into the shadows closer to the house, shoving the earpiece into my ear. I would have preferred to listen from the safety of the car, but this will have to do.

  “Well,” her sweet voice drags out. My heart squeezes to hear her talk to him so tenderly. “I may have heard a lot more than you would have wanted me to.”

  “Marry me,” his voice comes through.

  My blood boils. I’ll kill him. I’ll fucking kill him.

  “Marry me,” he repeats.

  She better say no. I’ve played this game with her long enough. She better tell that motherfucker no and to get the fuck out.

  He continues and I feel the vein in my head start to pound. “I want to call you my wife and Isaac my son. I want you to give me more children. Marry me, Baby Girl.”

  I shove my fist in my mouth to keep from roaring, but her next words drive me over the edge. I’m cut in half by the betrayal.

  “Yes,” she says. “Yes.”

  I can’t tear my eyes away, as he cups my woman’s face, devouring her lips. I shiver with rage, when I hear him groan. It hits me that he sounds like a man that knows the pussy before him well. I can’t believe Lakia would give my pussy away. I taught her everything she knows.

  I fade in and out as I continue to watch them undress each other like filthy animals. The grunting and moaning is disgusting. My son is in that house and she’s going to just fuck this son of a bitch right in the front room.

  Neither of them have thought of how sheer the curtains are. I swallow hard when her naked body comes into view. Lakia really has been working out. All of that chocolate skin is gorgeous on that body. It’s been so long since I’ve fucked her, I can’t believe she’s about to open her legs to this nobody.

  “Come here.” His voice grates my nerves.

  It kills me to watch her reach for him, but I have to be sure. I have to know if she really goes through with this. I’ll forgive her if she walks away now. However, if she fucks him in that house with my son inside, we can never go back. I’m going to kill them all.

  My jaw works as I see her hand press to the glass. The grunting and groaning continues to fuel my fury. A whimper rips from my lips as she tears out my heart. I know the moment she allows him into her body. His groan says it all.

  The sappy shit that comes out of his mouth makes me sick, but her words. Her words are a sword through my chest.

  “Jake, I love you,” she whispers, moaning like a little whore.

  “I love you too,” he groans, pissing me the fuck off. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

  When his name falls from her lips, while she rides him with a familiarity I can’t stomach, my head feels like it explodes. Her hands press to the window again. Then that fucker sucks on the breasts that fed my son.

  “Yes,” she gasps, and I’ve had enough.

  I tear the earpiece from my ear, but I stand there with my chest heaving, watching her give my shit away. I see the kind of whore she’s become, allowing him to fuck her like a little slut.

  “You’re both dead, but she’s going to suffer first,” I seethe.

  29

  Lakia

  I’ve never been this happy in my life. Parker officially proposed about a week ago. It was adorable to see my big man so nervous. I guess it was with good reason. His memory failed him a few times, before it was all said and done.

  It was heartbreaking to see his frustration, but I was patient with him and his little buddy was there to help. Isaac was so adorable giving Parker cues and clues.

  We both decided on a small wedding, so Parker wouldn’t be under that type of pressure again. I do believe it’s stress that triggers things. I’ve gotten in the habit of running baths for him after work, so he can decompress. It seems to be helping a little.

  In fact, I dropped Isaac off and I’m planning a romantic night that includes a long bath, dinner, and a movie. I sway my hips to the music, singing along.

  Parker is on his way. He and Ryder went out for a bite. Ryder has some business he’s been trying to get Parker to back. Apparently, Parker has some money stashed away. I haven’t asked too much about that. I’m more than comfortable from my books.

  I’m just curious about this business. Parker tends to blush whenever I bring it up. I have to say, Parker blushing is sexy. He has the whole Clark Kent thing down.

  My phone rings, bringing a smile to my face. I turn down the music, entering my bedroom and flopping back onto the bed.

  “Hey, girls,” I chime into the phone.

  “She lives,” Dean sings out.

  I laugh, “Whatever, even a small wedding takes time to plan and I’m raising a four-year-old,” I sigh.

  “Tell me about it,” Kaye murmurs.

  “Again, you heifers aren’t about to sit on this phone complaining about in house dick. Shit, I can’t wait to come to this wedding and see what’s on the menu. I can’t keep writing these sex scenes without an outlet,” Dean grumbles.

  Kaye and I burst into fits of laughter. Dean is crazy as hell. I love her though.

  “What’s up,” I ask twirling a lock of hair around my finger.

  I look
at the lock and note I need to head in for a trim. Maybe I’ll get a blowout for the wedding. I don’t think I’ll wear one of my lace fronts. Oh, I have to get Isaac fitted for the new suit. I think it’s much cuter.

  “I have a friend that could help end that book for you,” Kaye whispers and I freeze.

  I know what Kaye is talking about. I made a joke a few times over the years about hiring someone to make Toni disappear. I sit in silence, stunned at her words.

  “Actually, a couple of friends that could give personal advice and solutions,” Kaye says nervously.

  I never told Parker about Toni’s last visit, but I did share the details with my girls. I don’t know what to say. I want to ask questions, but I know I shouldn’t.

  “I think I’m going to shelve that book for now,” I say half-heartedly.

  “Okay, but we’re here if you need input,” Kaye replies.

  “I say write the fucker and be done, but whatever you want, hun. We want your mind free and clear for the wedding.”

  “Why do I feel like you guys have been talking about me,” I burst out laughing.

  “Pleading the fifth,” Dean sings.

  I hear a noise down the hall and look up at the clock. Parker must have been flying. I’m not expecting him this soon. I go to tell the girls I’ll talk to them later, but something halts me.

  “Girls, hold on a minute,” I whisper. “I’m putting you on speaker. If you hear something funny, call the cops and Parker.”

  “Fuck them police, I’m calling Parker,” Dean says.

  I don’t have time to protest. I hear another noise. I take the gun from the lockbox by my bed. When I enter the hallway, I place the phone on the little table.

  With both hands free, I move up the hall. My heart is pounding. If it were Parker, he would have made his presence known by now. It’s a habit of his. I want to hope that he just forgot to, but I have the feeling someone else is in my home.