His confession made my belly lurch forward. I had just left my baby girl with that lady. What the hell did he mean she lost custody of him.
“What did she do?” I asked, trying not to sound panicked.
I felt his body quake as he chuckled softly. “Relax, habibti. She’s had her nose clean for a while. She started selling, trying to keep food on the table for us after my dad walked out. Eventually, she started using. I was probably eleven or twelve, but I had to pick up the slack. For years, I sold just enough to keep the lights on, food on the table, and clean clothes on our backs. I wanted to keep the landlord and DFACS from knocking on our door. It was just me and my mom against the world. Addiction is a monster no one should have to face alone. I tried to stick beside my mom because her philosophy had always been we’re all we got. I didn’t think anyone else had our backs. Little did I know, she was just hiding her addiction from her family. When she went down, I went to live with my uncle Darrell, her big brother. He was a hard man, but he loved us. He taught me how to make it out of my circumstances alive. He taught me how to use what I need to get where I needed to be. He taught me how to make it out alive and with my freedom.”
“That’s your uncle who’s in prison now?”
“Yeah, but not because he didn’t follow his own rules.”
“Oh, OK.”
“Anyway, my uncle helped me combine the things I learned on one side of the game with the legal side and flip my dirty money into legal businesses and investments.”
“So, is all of your business legit now?” I asked, holding my breath as I prepared for whatever answer he had for me.
“Why are we talking about business right now? We’re supposed to be unwinding.”
I sighed but nodded my head. “You’re right.”
“All I need you to know is that I’m not pretending to be someone I’m not.”
“Life used to be so simple before I had Bella. Her dad keeps telling me that I’m not ready to move on. He thinks Bella’s too young for me to worry about bringing someone into our lives. Sometimes I believe him, but more than anything, I want him to be wrong. Whether it’s work or love, all I want to do is keep my daughter safe. I want to do what’s best for her, if that makes sense.”
“Makes perfect sense,” Nicholas said, shifting until he was hovering over me. His palms pressed into the blanket on either side of my head. “For what it’s worth, I respect every move I see you make. You’re a great mother, Jameela. As long as you keep fighting for your life, it will reflect in how you raise your daughter.”
I grabbed Nicholas’s face, bringing his lips to mine. For months, I’d tried to convince myself that I didn’t need or want anyone in my life. Nicholas came out of nowhere, sweeping me off my feet and making me reconsider everything. I heard the hum of the helicopter returning and looked up to the sky.
It was up too high to land, but as it idled, I noticed something floated through the air. I reached up and caught one of the delicate pink rose petals before it floated to the ground. Pushing up on my elbows, I giggled like a little girl as rose petals floated to the ground from the helicopter. I reached for Nicholas, running my fingers through the short carpet of waves on his head. He was full of surprises. I never knew what to expect from him. I kissed him, then pulled back.
“Uhibbak. Te amo. I love you,” I vowed, kissing him between telling him that I loved him in both languages that he was teaching me.
My fingers slid under his sweater as he pulled my dress up over my hips. Nicholas pushed up on his knees and removed his sweater before helping me out of my dress.
“You’re so perfect, Jameela.” He mumbled against my skin as he kissed his way back up.
My breathing was ragged as he climbed up my body until we were eye to eye. Nervous excitement took my breath as he drove into me. The blunt force made my body lurch forward, letting him snake his arms under my back and hold onto my shoulder.
Searing pressure quickly built at my core as he slammed into me hard and fast. I tilted my pelvis to meet him, greedy for more of the heady pleasure. He was relentless, pushing one of my legs up as he locked eyes with me. His jaw went slack as his brows drifted closer together.
“Cum, Jameela. I need you to cum with me, habibti,” he mumbled.
I didn’t know how the hell he did that, but right on command, I came undone. My body tensed just as Nicholas dropped his forehead to mine and roared from deep in his diaphragm. He thrust his hips into me, holding himself in place as he continued to rock into me slowly with his fingers buried in my ass.
He shivered like he was freezing as he collapsed next to me, pulling me into his arms. His hands still caressed my body as we fought to catch our breath. I wrapped my arms around myself and stroked his arms, causing him to shudder.
“I want to make sure you’re dressed by the time the helicopter gets back, but I don’t want to pull out.”
“Stop playing. You better not let that man see me naked, Nicholas.”
“I got you, but make sure you keep my seed in you, Jameela. I need my son to know daddy was here.”
“Boy, shut up.”
“I’m not playing. I have to imprint on the prince.”
Once we were dressed, I lay in Nicholas’s lap as we watched the helicopter approach.
“I didn’t plan on falling for you, Jameela. I knew that I would like you, but I never expected to fall in love.”
