Chapter Thirteen

Charice

So far, it had been calm around the house. Ryan had been really tense at first, demanding that I stay far away from Lincoln. Hell, he was preaching to the choir. If I could physically move him myself, I would. Fortunately, since the famous afterschool center visit, there had been no more surprise visits from Lincoln, and outside of the occasional drive-by in the neighborhood, we hadn’t seen him. That was wonderful. Maybe we could all coexist without drama.

Who the hell was I kidding? Both my husband and Lincoln were locked into five-year contracts with the Giants. The pay was too good and the team was too awesome for either of them to walk away or risk being traded. Another four years of being forced to interact with Lincoln was going to bring about the inevitable. He’d find out about Lexi sooner or later, and I prayed that it would be at the end of Ryan’s contract, so we could move to another team and get the hell away from Lincoln, at least for another year.

What I couldn’t understand was why he was acting like I was stolen from him instead of him leaving me. I was ready to give him all of me—hell, I had—and he said he didn’t want it. Even after I begged him like a fool, he denied me. It was him, not me. He’d given up his chance, and I wasn’t giving him another one. It was no use crying over spilled milk now, so whatever residual feelings he had, he could light it up and smoke it. Fuck him and anything he had to say about it.

As I turned off my alarm clock to get ready for my early morning workout, I could’ve kicked myself in the butt. I was pissed that I’d spent my last ten minutes of good sleep thinking about Lincoln’s raggedy ass. I had a long day, and I knew this was the last few minutes of good rest I’d have.

Since it was finally warming up, I decided to jog in the neighborhood instead of driving all the way to the gym. After putting on my nylon pants and sport tank top, I grabbed my iPhone and water bottle then headed out the front door.

A good fifteen minutes into my awesome jog, I heard a faint noise behind me, so I pulled out my earbuds and turned only to see none other than Lincoln Harper jogging. Great. And of course, as soon as he spotted me looking over my shoulder, he called out to me. The absolute last thing I needed in my life was to be bothered by him, so I put my earbuds back in and increased my pace. Now, why did I do that knowing he was in the NFL? He could’ve run circles around me, and sure enough, within a few seconds, he was next to me.

“Why you make me run for you?” Lincoln asked, a little winded from his mini sprint.

I pulled out my earbuds and laughed. “Somebody needs to condition a little more. You sound like you’re going to huff and puff and blow my house down,” I joked.

“Maybe I’ll sign up for your dance class,” he laughed cynically. “Why are you out here by yourself?”

I rolled my eyes but made sure to keep them looking forward. I wasn’t even going to address the comment about my dance class. “Not that it’s any of your business, but this is my ‘me’ time,” I answered. Just for shits and giggles, I asked. “And you?”

He looked over at me, which I refused to acknowledge. “This is my workout time.”

Note to self: go to the gym all the time.

We jogged side-by-side in silence for a few seconds more, and I began to feel really uncomfortable. I refused to give Lincoln the satisfaction of thinking we were even remotely cool with each other, and I damn sure didn’t want him to feel as though I had any lingering feelings for him. That chapter in my life was closed, and never again . . . no more was I reopening it.

“Well, nice chat. Have a good one.” And with that, I placed my earbuds back in my ears and jogged ahead.

I felt a hand on my arm. “Can’t we just jog together?” Lincoln asked with desperation.

“No.” I pulled away without breaking my stride.

“Why not?” he yelled.

My blood pressure was beginning to boil. Unbeknownst to him, he’d already ruined my last ten minutes of good sleep, and I refused to let him ruin the first thirty minutes of my day. I turned and jogged backward. “Look, man, this is my ‘me’ time. That means me and me alone. Nawimean?” I said sternly, mocking his New York accent.

He laughed. “Look at who is picking up the New Yitty accent and slang. It’s kinda cute to hear you speak. You sound like a born and bred New Yorker.”

I shook my head in frustration. “And you sound like you’re getting on my nerves. Be gone, Lincoln.” I turned around and began to jog forward again.

“Charice, I just want to talk to you.”

Now I was pissed. Pissed. What part of being left alone didn’t this fool understand? It was the same way he had asked me to leave him alone, so why in the fuck couldn’t he do the same?

I stopped jogging and turned to face him with my hands on my hips. “I wish you’d respect my wishes the same as you requested of me. Ten months ago, you asked me to leave you alone, so please abide by your own request. Leave me alone.”

He put his head down as if I’d taken the wind out of his lungs. He took a deep breath and looked up with eyes full of sorrow and regret. “Charice, there’s so much I should’ve told you that night. So much I regret—”

I didn’t need or want to hear this shit. We’d crossed this bridge long ago, and I wasn’t taking any trips down memory fucking lane just to relive that heartache.

I threw my hands up. “Why does it matter now, Lincoln? What could you possibly have to say to me?” I asked with an attitude.

He jogged up to me and stood right in front of me. His overbearing presence was too much. I bit my lip, unable to move. I knew I should’ve run for the hills, but it was as if my legs were cemented to the ground, and my heart was racing a mile a minute knowing he was about to say something that I both dreaded yet longed to hear. He stood so close to me that the sweat that dripped off the tip of his nose landed on my T-shirt. My God, Lincoln was still as fine as ever. Even in the early morning before the sun rose, I could see the chiseled jaw line I’d caressed many a night, that masculine chest I’d lain on more times than I could count, and those powerful arms I’d been held in. Those massive thighs had locked around my legs during lovemaking too many times to remember. And those lips. Those kissable . . . LL Cool J lickable . . . lips. Those lips had been on every inch of my body.

The intensity in his eyes was so real it was as if he’d waited for this moment for a lifetime. “I need to tell you that I am so sorry, and I . . . I still love you. I love you so much.” He struggled to get his thought out, and his voice was filled with emotion.

Before I knew what happened, I was in his arms, being kissed with wild passion. My knees buckled, and I swooned from the pleasure he unleashed. Instantly, I thought of Ryan and pushed him back.

“Bastard!” I gasped for breath and wiped my mouth. “How dare you kiss me? Have you lost your fucking mind? I’m married.”

He put his hand to his chest apologetically. “I’m sorry, Charice, but I’ve waited so long to apologize to you. I just couldn’t help myself. I never stopped loving you,” he confessed hurriedly.

Tears threatened to fall from my eyes as I shook my head. “Why are you doing this to me? Was it not enough for you to ruin my life one time, so you have to try to do it again? Please stop this. What did I ever do to you besides love you? I have a life that I’m happy with and a husband who loves me as much as I love him. Stop interfering in that and leave us alone. Leave me the fuck alone, Lincoln.”

He shook his head as if he couldn’t, nor wouldn’t, do that. His eyes pleaded for me to just listen to him. “Charice, there’s something you need—”

“No!” I shouted, interrupting him with a finger point. “Nothing. I don’t want to hear nothing else. Leave me alone, Lincoln, and if you ever force yourself on me again, I will hurt you.”

He threw his hands up. “Charice, I’m so sorry—”

“Save it,” I said angrily and jogged off.

I was so distraught that I couldn’t finish my workout and went straight home to shower. I had to wash Lincoln’s scent off my skin. I couldn’t believe he had tried to push up on me. I washed everything from my hair to my toes and let the warm water from the multiple showerheads rain in a fury down my body. I touched my lips with my fingertips; I could still feel his kiss burning there. His scent was etched in my nostrils, even after scrubbing my skin. I closed my eyes, and a vision of Lincoln came over me. All the memories I’d fought so hard to suppress started to invade my thoughts. I remembered the first time we made love and how he slept, so peaceful and naked, in my bed. I remembered how we made love on the terrace in Paradise Island. I could almost feel him standing behind me in the shower like he used to, slowly making love to me through the back door. Still to this day, he was the only man that was able to make me enjoy anal penetration. I was so lost in the thought that I moaned.

“Thinking about me already?” Ryan whispered in my ear from behind me.

I jumped. “I was . . . I was . . . umm . . . you scared me.” I trembled, refusing to turn around out of fear that he’d sense something was wrong.

He snickered softly then kissed my neck. “I just wanted to give you something to think about today,” he sibilated in my ear as he stroked his manhood up and down my ass. “Let me try the back door,” he urged, breathing huskily.

Lost in my erotic thoughts about Lincoln and our anal moments, I consented. He grabbed the KY Jelly and smeared it on both of us, and my back hole twitched with excited anticipation. Once I felt the head of his erection making its entrance, I directed his path and moved to show him the direction to wind. He followed suit and slowly penetrated me, going deeper until he reached the destination. I stroked my clit as he glided lovingly in and out of my back door.

“Oh, shit. Ricey, you feel so fucking good,” Ryan moaned.

“I’m about to come,” I mumbled, flicking my finger back and forth over my throbbing bud.

Ryan held my waist tight as he buried his dick deep in my ass. I flattened the palms of my hands on the shower wall. “I’m ’bout to explode,” Ryan said, winded. He couldn’t hold off his climax any longer, and he shouted my name as he came.

With my eyes closed tight, my climax erupted as the last time Lincoln and I made love like this invaded my thoughts. “Oh gawd. Oh gawd. Oh, Lincolnnn,” I yelled, quivering uncontrollably.

“What!” Ryan screamed.