CHAPTER 40

 

 

“Hey, just got off of the phone with Dante,” Emily said, holding her cell phone to her ear with her left shoulder while changing Ezra’s diaper. “He’ll be here in an hour. I’ll come pick you up, okay?”

“Okay,” Sherita said. “Just call me when you’re outside.”

“Will do. Hey, is Desmond there, by the way?”

“No. He left about an hour ago. Why?”

“Just curious. Anyway, I’ll call you when I pull up.”

“I’ll be waiting.

 

* * *

 

“So that’s why I decided to stay,” Sherita said.

She was sitting across from Emily at a restaurant, had just finished a salad and was filling Emily in on the events of the day.

“Okay, first of all, they’re your babies, too. You don’t have to cater to Desmond. Don’t get me wrong…I don’t want you to leave but if that’s what you want to do—”

“I’ve already made up my mind, Emily. And I don’t feel like he bullied me into this. I just think it’s the right thing to do. I had both of my parents in my life, and I want the same for my children.”

Emily nodded.

“I’m just not sure if living with him is a good idea. He wants me to sleep in the bedroom that’s closest to his room like he wanted me to be near him in case anything happened. In case of an emergency. I just…” Sherita shook her head. “It baffles me how he can go from not wanting children to wanting to see my stomach grow.”

“Aw,” Emily said, covering her heart with her right hand. “Desmond said that?”

“Yes.”

Leaning forward, Emily asked, “Desmond Champion said that?”

Sherita giggled. “Yes, he did.”

“I knew it. I knew he wanted children of his own. Men are crazy, girl.”

Sherita laughed. “Some more so than others.”

“But he loves you, though,” Emily said.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because he said he did. Like I told you before…that’s probably the first time he’s ever said those words to a woman, and you shot him down cold.”

“I only did to him what he did to me.”

“But two wrongs don’t make a right, you know,” Emily said.

“I know, Emily.”

Emily took a sip of water. “I’m just happy he wants to be a part of their lives.”

“Honestly, I am too…just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Girl, everything is going to be fine. You just focus on staying healthy, getting your rest and making sure those babies are well fed.”

Sherita smiled. “I will.”

 

* * *

 

Emily pulled up into the driveway at her house and saw Desmond’s motorcycle parked out front. “Oh snap…looks like your man is here, Sherita.”

Sherita looked up and saw Desmond’s motorcycle, feeling her heartbeats become rapid. She stepped out of the car and walking inside the foyer, she followed Emily to the kitchen where the men looked to be in deep conversation.

Desmond broke away from his conversation with Dante briefly to lock eyes with Sherita the moment she came into view. Earlier, when he returned home and didn’t find Sherita there, panic set in. He searched the entire house from – from her new bedroom to her old basement apartment. Then he called her phone, only to find that she’d left it on her nightstand. He was worried.

Pacing her bedroom floor, he finally dialed Dante and found out that Sherita was with Emily. He felt relieved. Seeing her now brought him even more relief.

“Sherita,” he said, hopping off of a barstool, walking closer to her.

“Yes?”

“I need you to keep your phone with you.” He took her phone from his pocket and handed it to her. “I had no idea where you were when I arrived home and when I dialed your number, I heard your cell phone ringing from your bedroom.”

Was that worry in his eyes? Sherita held his vision and said, “Sorry, I meant to grab it. It just slipped my mind.”

He stared at her for a moment, aching to touch her, stroke her hair, make some sort of contact before asking, “So what are your plans now?”

“Emily is going to drop me off at home. She just had to stop by here for a second.”

“Well, you could ride home with me…save her the trip.”

“But you drove the motorcycle.”

He smiled wide. “I did.”

“Then I’m not riding with you. I don’t even have a helmet.”

“You can use mine.”

“How? My head is not as big as yours.” Sherita grinned.

Desmond did too. “It’ll fit just fine, Sherita.”

“And what will you wear?” Sherita asked.

“Nothing. I’ll be fine until we get home.”

“Des, you don’t have to do that,” Dante told him.

“Yeah,” Emily agreed. “It’s not a problem. I had already planned on dropping her off anyway.”

“It’s okay guys,” Sherita said. “I’ll be okay with Des. Plus, I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before, and in a few months, I won’t be able to, so why not?”

Desmond’s lips slowly curled into a smile.

“Desmond, you better take care of her,” Emily ordered.

“I’ll protect her with my life,” Desmond replied.

Sherita followed him to the foyer. Before securing the helmet on her head, she said softly, “I’ll help you on the motorcycle, and I need you to hold on tight to me, you know, like you do when we make love, Sherita.”

If she was made of glass, she would’ve shattered. Desmond always knew what to say to make her lose her senses and apparently her footing as she stumbled to stand up straight again.

“Are you all right?” he asked her.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, Desmond. I’m sure.”

He secured the helmet on her head and, outside now, he helped her onto the bike, then straddled onto it, gripping the handle bars. He reached back for her hands, pulling her arms around his torso, then said, “Hold on,” loud enough for her to hear him.

Sherita leaned forward, resting her head against him, closing her eyes while the current of him, the manliness of him took over her senses along with the rumbling of the motorcycle. And while she held on to him, feeling his hard abs with her hands and the thick muscles of his back against her chest while smelling his scent – one in which she had grown to love – she wondered how she would ever love another man. He’d ruined her chances of that.

Desmond slowed to round a curve, and she squeezed him tighter, her thighs pressing firmly against his. And then came a flashback – the first time they made love. She’d willingly given him her innocence. He, in turn, had given her a part of him that he’d never given another woman, his seed, his babies, and after she gave birth to them, their relationship, their marriage would be no more.

Turning into his driveway, Desmond drove the motorcycle inside of the garage. He helped Sherita off of it then watched as she pulled the helmet off of her head.

“How was it?” he asked her.

“It was okay,” she said, sadly. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”

“Sherita,” Desmond said, but she kept on walking.

In the kitchen now, Sherita took a bottle of water from the refrigerator then pushed it shut.

“Sherita,” Desmond said, stepping into the kitchen.

“Yes?”

“Are you okay?”

No, I’m not okay! “Yes. I’m just tired. See you in the morning.”

“Can I have a hug first?” he asked.

Sherita walked over to him and wrapped her arms tight around him, same as she had done on the motorcycle.

“Thank you for trusting me,” he told her, his chin resting on top of her head as he held her in his loving embrace.

“Thank you for the ride,” she said, pulling away from his embrace and continuing on to her bedroom.