Gorgeous Nicole is about to get everything she's hustled for. She's having her rich, married lover Rashad's baby. And a lucky break has made her a media heroine - and the perfect new wife material. With one more deception here, a couple more little seductions there, she'll finally push Rashad's wife, Kiara, completely out of his life. With her formidable competition gone, Nicole will lock down Rashad's ever-wandering interest and be the next Mrs. Eason for sure.
But there are some temptations even this sexy schemer finds tough to pass up. Especially her first love, ex-con Ajalon, who's just walked back into her life. His intense hunger, chiseled body, and mind-blowing endurance are throwing Nicole off her game and reigniting emotions way too hot to control - or resist. But he's also handed Kiara, and another interested ex, the perfect ammo to expose Nicole and blow her world apart once and for all. Now the only guarantee for all involved is shattering scandal - and mutually assured destruction.
Release date:
September 1, 2016
Publisher:
Kensington Books
Print pages:
304
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Rashad Eason reached across the desk and handed the woman a fifteen-hundred-dollar cashier’s check. She had pasty, pimpled white skin, a buzz haircut, and a thick mustache. She was very unattractive. To Rashad, she resembled a proud butch lesbian, but that didn’t matter. He had extensively researched Lily Tangaro online. He admired her track record and needed a competent person to do the job.
“You think you can get me everything I want?” he asked.
Lily examined the check, then reclined in her leather swivel chair. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”
“More serious than a triple bypass.”
“But it hasn’t been that long since you physically separated from your wife.”
“I know that. But if I don’t do something fast, I may change my mind.”
“I see.” She paused. “We always recommend that the plaintiff think about the decision for six months.”
“I can’t wait that long. Thinking about this for six months would kill me.”
She nodded and secured the retainer payment inside a file folder.
“Sign these documents and we will get started on your case right away.”
Rashad eagerly reviewed several papers that Lily gave to him. He took a blue ink pen and scribbled his name and the date. Then he stood and shook her hand.
“Thank you, Ms. Tangaro.”
“Call me Lily.”
“Will do, Lily. And my son, Myles, really thanks you.”
“Seriously? He’s only six—”
“He’s seven. Myles knows what’s up. He’s seen a lot, unfortunately. And this is why I gotta do this. It may be the only way I get to spend quality time with him. Plus, I don’t want my son around his crazy mama any longer than he needs to be.”
“Totally understandable. We’ll be in touch.”
“No doubt, Lily. I appreciate this.”
Rashad drove away from his new attorney’s office feeling more hopeful than he had in weeks.
Rashad was lucky Lily agreed to meet with him in her office to sign his paperwork, especially since it was the day after Thanksgiving. It was a Black Friday indeed on this rainy morning in Houston.
Light drops of water drizzled from the sky. Rainy days made Rashad feel depressed. But it was time to go see Myles. And spending time with his son was one of the few things he could be happy about these days.
When Rashad arrived at the designated pickup spot, which was in front of Mama Flora’s house, he let the car idle next to the curb. Technically, Mama Flora could be considered his grandmother-in-law. She was his wife’s maternal grandmother, and the woman who raised Kiara. She was sensible and didn’t stand for drama. Rashad and Kiara both agreed that exchanging Myles for visits at Flora’s place would be the best option.
Rashad impatiently drummed his hands on the steering wheel. He listened to raindrops splatter to the ground. Minutes later, Kiara drove up and parked directly behind him. He observed her through the rearview mirror.
“Damn, I can barely see her, but the woman still looks good,” he admitted to himself. He hadn’t laid eyes on Kiara in weeks. And after all this time, she still tugged at his heart.
He saw her mouth moving and assumed she was talking to their son, whom he also hadn’t seen in a while. Within minutes, both Kiara and Myles emerged from the car. Wearing white gym shoes, the little boy ran behind the car then raced ahead of his mother. He fled into the street instead of remaining on the sidewalk. Soon he tugged at his father’s locked door handle and yelled.
“Hurry up, Daddy. I’m famished.”
Rashad laughed and popped the locks. He got out of the car and scooped Myles off his feet and hugged him tight.
“Really, Myles? You’re famished? Where’d you learn that word?”
“The Food Network.”
Rashad chuckled as he set him back down.
“Oh, so I don’t get a ‘hey, Daddy, how you doing? I miss you. I love you, man’?”
“Hey, Daddy, I missed you. Can we go to Steak ’n Shake for dinner?”
“Myles.” Kiara interrupted as she hurriedly approached them. She was wearing a short, purple, long-sleeved dress and four-inch wedge-heel sandals. “I told you about running in the street. Are you crazy? Do you wanna get hit by a car again? It’s raining and that makes it harder for drivers to slow down in this weather.”
Kiara eased up next to Myles. She thumped him on his forehead.
“Ouch, Mommy.”
“Don’t do that,” Rashad scolded. “My little man misses me, that’s all. It’s been a minute.”
“Whatever, Rashad,” she hissed. “None of that matters. He knows better than to do something reckless like running in the street. He doesn’t listen.”
“I do listen, Mommy.” Myles mostly ignored his mother as he happily gave his father a few daps. The little boy always seemed calm and sure of himself when he was in Rashad’s presence.
“You’re a chip off the old block, son,” his father said. He knew the danger if Myles didn’t look where he was going, but Rashad didn’t notice any cars coming down the street. He could tell how much his boy deeply missed him and that made him feel good.
“Damn, I’ve been dying to hang out with my little man. Has he gotten taller? What the hell you been feeding him?”
“That’s a stupid question, and you know how I feel about those.”
“I was just joking, Kiara. Lighten up.”
“Ain’t got time for jokes.”
Suddenly the air grew tense. Rashad felt himself getting agitated.
“Look, this is the holiday season. People are supposed to be merry. But you act like you on something. You been drinking? Can’t you ever be happy and just chill?”
“Lord Jesus. More stupid-ass questions. Don’t start.”
Kiara gave Rashad a sober look and handed him Myles’s backpack.
“Lucky for you, Mama Flora is away from her house right now. At the last second, she had something to take care of and she had to leave. So we both have to be mature enough to handle this without her.”
“That’s cool. I got no problem with that.”
“Anyway, all his things are in there: two pair of pants, some shirts, underwear, pajamas, favorite electric toothbrush, all that.”
“Hmm, seeing this makes me realize I gotta stock up on some stuff for him to keep at . . .”
He wanted to say he had to buy clothes for Myles to keep at his other place, a home he recently started sharing with his pregnant lover, Nicole Greene. Weeks ago, when his wife forced him to leave the house because she got sick of Rashad’s lies, Nicole instantly suggested that he come stay with her. On that short notice, he had nowhere else to go. So he took her up on her offer. And now he was adjusting to his “new normal.”
Rashad mentally switched gears as he gazed at Myles.
“Damn shame we couldn’t eat turkey and dressing together, and watch the Lions and Cowboys game. That’s what I did with my dad every Thanksgiving when he was still alive. I was always with my daddy on that holiday. Sitting up in that cold-ass living room. Eating good food and talking smack. I wish we could have done that, Myles.”
Rashad stared at his son but he was talking to Kiara.
“Um,” she responded. “We had the whole day already planned so he wouldn’t have had a chance to come by anyway. We went to the parade downtown. We ate a wonderful dinner. And then we drove down to see the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens. Myles ended up having a real good time with me and Eddison, didn’t you?”
“Uh huh,” he said.
“Cool,” was Rashad’s clipped response. “I’m glad for you.”
He acted like he wasn’t bothered. But Rashad hated that Kiara stopped him from spending time with his child two holidays in a row. She got to pick his costume and take Myles trick-or-treating. And she got to eat turkey with him, too. What gave her the right? Just because she made him leave the house, does that mean she could enforce all her own rules as well?
Rashad fought to hide his anger as he leered at Kiara on the sly. She was holding one of those huge pink-and-black golf umbrellas in her hand. Even on a dreary looking afternoon, somehow this woman managed to appear elegant and beautiful. Her eyes were full of spunk and passion. It seemed she didn’t have a care in the world.
And he hated it.
But at the same time, Rashad was strangely tempted to grab his wife in his arms and tell her that they were both acting silly. He wished they could get their emotions in check, work things out, save the marriage. He really didn’t want to file for divorce, but she was acting unreasonable. He wished she could get some sense into her stubborn head. Maybe she’d listen and let him come back home, where he felt he belonged. But that scenario was a hopeless fairy tale. He knew Kiara was still pissed and he didn’t want to risk getting swung at in public.
“All righty, then,” Rashad spoke up, anxious to leave. “Since I have less time than I originally thought, we need to make that move right now. I will have little man back here on Sunday night around eight.”
“Eight?”
“Okay, then. Seven.”
“Sunday afternoon, Rashad. I need him here by two so I can make sure he has time to take his bath, complete his homework, and eat dinner. Plus, if we decide to go check out that new movie he’s begged us to see, we will probably want him around noon.”
We.
Rashad knew his wife was referring to her new man, Eddison, when she said “we.”
“Back by noon?” he scoffed. “That means I’ll barely get to spend, hell, even a full twenty-four hours with him—”
“Sorry, but that’s just how it is.”
“You’re not sorry, Kiara. You’re selfish and controlling. I haven’t seen my son since God knows when. I have a right to be with the boy just like you do. And I will bring Myles back when I’m done with him.”
“Wait one second here,” she whispered in Rashad’s ear. “I find it sooo strange that all of a sudden you are so desperate to spend time with him. You should have thought about how important he was back when you were sacrificing time with your son to go lie up and bump your nuts on that whore.”
“W-what did you say?”
“You heard exactly what I said. If you hadn’t done what you did, we wouldn’t be out here on these streets doing this—exchanging a child like he’s a drug or a piece of currency. Do you know how mad this makes me? I did everything and I mean ev-e-ry-thing I could to make you happy, but no, no, no. Nothing I did was good enough. You had to go get yourself a damned side piece. Her pussy must taste like Skittles.”
“Kiara, you best shut your mouth.”
“So it’s true? Her coochie taste like Gucci?”
“I’m warning you.”
She suddenly noticed that her voice grew from a whisper to a shout. She was ready to attack Rashad with more angry words, but she grew alarmed when she noticed a frozen smile gripping her son’s face. He looked like he was scared something bad would happen if he moved an inch.
Kiara realized she’d gone too far. But she usually did when it came to Rashad. She hated that his whorish ways destroyed their perfect family life. She hated the fact that not only had he knocked up that heifer Nicole Greene, but Kiara had also discovered he’d been hiding a two-year-old daughter that he had with another woman who worked for her: Alexis McNeil, her own administrative assistant. Her hubby hiding baby mamas and side chicks who worked in her office was too much. Rashad made her look like a fool. The more Kiara thought about it, the crazier she felt.
She reached and grabbed Myles’s hand as if to snatch him back toward her car.
“What are you doing?” Rashad asked.
“Let me be clear. I don’t know if we’re ready for this informal custody sharing thing. I know it’s the decent thing to do, but hell, I’m not feeling very ‘decent’ right now. I think we need to take baby steps. So if you can’t bring him back by noon, then he’s going home with me right now. I’ll let you have him in two weeks. For a full weekend. Promise.”
“See, this is bull. I was supposed to get him last weekend, remember? You broke that so-called promise. Why you always got to be in control?”
They were still standing in the street next to Rashad’s idling sedan.
“Why you always try to run shit like I’m your child? Or your employee. Huh? I’m a grown-ass man.” He stepped closer to her. “Who the hell put you in charge of me?”
Kiara snatched Myles’s bony little arm and pulled at the sockets so violently that he screamed, “Ouch! That hurts.”
“Your crazy ass better let go of my son.” Rashad grabbed Myles’s other arm.
“Shut up! I don’t like how you’re talking to me.”
“I don’t like the fact that you fucked another nigga and now you’re pregnant. I guess we should go on the Maury show to find out who the real father is.”
“What the hell?” She couldn’t believe Rashad would spew such venom in front of their child. “That’s it. Forget this. Come on, Myles.” She yanked him again.
“Mama, I want to stay with my daddy. I want my daddy.” Myles inched closer to Rashad.
“I don’t care what you want. He doesn’t deserve you. We’re leaving. Come on.”
Raindrops poured from above as if the sky were crying. Kiara tried to hold her umbrella in one hand and drag away Myles with the other.
But the boy wrestled with her, pulling back from her, and tried to free himself.
“My arm. It hurts. It hurts. I don’t like this. Let me gooo.”
Kiara wouldn’t release Myles, but Rashad did.
He’d been taught that real men don’t cry. But right then, he was filled with uncontrollable rage and a lingering frustration that made his throat swell with pain. It wasn’t fair that since Kiara banned him from their house, he hadn’t played with his son, hadn’t looked him in his eyes, or helped him with his homework. He missed fixing Myles’s breakfast and shooting hoops with him in their backyard. Little things meant a lot. And Rashad resented the legal system that granted numerous women so much power when it came to a man, his money, and his children.
He stared at his wife, almost in disbelief that feelings of pure hatred were boiling up in him and making him flush with so much anger that he started sweating.
“Mommy, I want to be with my daddy. Let me go.”
“Stop all that yelling, Myles. I want you to come back home with me.”
Several cars slowly drove past them, which infuriated Rashad. “Look at this. You got people staring at you like you’re crazy.”
“The hell with them. I’m not crazy. I’m just doing what I have to do to protect my son.”
“He’s my son, too, Kiara. I don’t know why you seem to have forgotten that.” If his wife hadn’t been pregnant, there was no telling what Rashad would have done to her. He didn’t want to fight, but her unpredictable behavior drove him to respond in ways that he hated.
“All I know is, it’s damn near Christmas,” he continued in a choked voice. “I wanted to take Myles shopping this weekend. I-I-I have all kinds of plans for him, don’t you understand that?”
“I don’t give a damn about your stupid plans. You better learn how to speak to me like you have some sense. You can’t just say anything in front of a child.”
Rashad felt like his wife was a hypocrite. She clearly saw his sins but was blind to her own. But he counted to ten and calmly told her, “Kiara, I apologize if it seems like I was disrespecting you. But can we let go of this argument? Please. And let me give Myles the chance he deserves to hang out with his father . . . his real father.”
“Oh, hell no. I know you’re not trying to throw shade at Eddison, who’s been nothing but remarkable to us. Plus, that boy’s not stupid. He knows who his daddy is.”
“Mommy, you’re hurting me. Please let me gooo.”
Kiara then realized she had Myles in a death grip. She felt his fragile bones between her fingers. She heard the pain in his voice. She released him.
With tears in his eyes, Myles nodded and leaned against his father’s stomach.
“Kiara,” Rashad said in a gentle tone. “So you’re going to let him be with me till Sunday night?”
She hesitated and reached into her purse. “Fine. I’ll let him go since we’ve went through all this trouble in the first place. We can negotiate a fair time for his drop-off. But I want you to know that I bought him his own cell phone today. Whenever he’s away from me, he must keep it on him at all times. And we taught him how to use it. In case of an emergency.”
“You really don’t trust me, do you?”
“No, I do not. But that’s beside the point. I just want Myles to be okay. I just want him to be happy.” Kiara’s voice caught in her throat as she wiped tears from her eyes.
She kissed Myles’s little cheeks and allowed a brave smile to brighten her face. “Bye, baby. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Mommy. Come on, Daddy. My stomach is growling. Can’t you hear it?”
“That’s a damned shame. We’ll go eat right now, son.”
Kiara swiftly turned around to leave. The street was slippery and wet. In her rush to get away, her feet got tangled together. The wedge heels were narrow and clumsy. Her right ankle twisted and gave way underneath her. Her umbrella plunked to the ground. She slipped on a pothole and fell forward, but landed on her thigh. Her hand scraped the rugged, scraggly surface as she braced herself against injury.
“Ugh, ouch. Dammit.”
She lay on her side feeling totally embarrassed, wincing.
Rashad wanted to ask Kiara if she was all right, but he simply stared at her.
Rain water sprayed her hair and cheeks. Her hair became a matted mess.
“I can’t believe this. Rashad! Can you help me up? Are you just gonna stand there?”
He gaped at Kiara and wondered if she had just got what she deserved.
She’d made life so difficult for him recently. Rashad knew she was now seeing that man on her job, Eddison Osborne, and Nicole had told him that they’d had an affair.
Rashad could clearly see Kiara’s tiny baby bump. He wondered if the baby was his, even though she’d told him that it was.
“Rashad, did you hear me? I need your help.”
“Why should I?”
“Huh? I can’t believe you said that!”
“I don’t know whose baby you got inside of you.”
“Rashad, oh, my God. How can you go there?”
“Because you went there—with that other man!”
“Now is not the time. Help me up, please.”
He stared down at her belly. And so did Myles.
Kiara felt completely humiliated. She never wanted their son to see her like this.
“Rashad, show your son how to treat a woman!”
Rashad looked skeptical and remained unmoving.
“Myles, baby, please.”
Myles raced to his mother and immediately grabbed her outstretched hand. His tongue stuck out of his mouth as he struggled to help Kiara. Rashad suddenly rushed to the other side of her and held out his hand, too.
Wincing in pain, she got on her knees, and leaned on Rashad as he hoisted her to her feet.
“Thank you, baby.” She ignored Rashad. “You are my precious son. You must always remember to be a gentleman and help your mother. And always be good to a lady. Promise me.”
“I promise, Mommy.”
“Ha!” Rashad muttered.
“All right, okay. I can do this,” she said to herself. “I can make it to the car.”
“Bye-bye, Mommy. Don’t forget to pick me up on Sunday.”
“I can never forget anything that has to do with you.”
She watched Myles excitedly race around to the other side of the sedan as Rashad went and opened the passenger door for his son. Kiara waited until Myles was safely inside the car. She rubbed her hip and hobbled over to Rashad.
“You didn’t act concerned about our unborn baby for one second.”
“I don’t know whose baby that is.” He paused. “How many times did you fuck that dude?”
“How many times did you fuck both your baby mamas?”
“Oh, so you hooked up with him just to get revenge? Was his dick bigger than mine? I don’t care how big it was, no man could ever love you like me!”
“Oh, my God! Just be quiet with all that. I can’t believe I used to love your pathetic ass. And you best believe that part of my life is gone. I’m moving on, Rashad. And you acting like a dick and trying to shame me in front of Myles is unforgivable. You’ll never get this pussy again.”
She turned away again, this time moving more slowly than the first time. Then she quietly limped away, hair soaking wet, but head held high.
After Kiara slid into the vehicle, she slammed her door, revved the engine, and waved her middle finger at Rashad as she drove past him.
Eason vs. Eason had officially started.
Kiara drove away from Rashad reflecting on the dreadful path her life had taken. After being married for a little over ten years, breaking up with her husband was never part of the plan. Change terrified her, but she was up to the task.
After a pleasant half-hour drive, Kiara arrived in front of Eddison’s house. It was an immaculate two-story dwelling located in the Wilchester subdivision of Memorial West. Marked by towering oak trees and neatly manicured lawns, the neighborhood enjoyed a country feel in the big city. Kiara drove onto the horseshoe driveway and wasn’t surprised when the garage was already open.
Eddison met her inside the doorway. A beige towel hung around his neck. He was shirtless and wore a pair of mesh shorts. And his hair was longer; with his medium-length dreads, in Kiara’s eyes, he was as handsome as singer Eric Benet. As soon as she stepped out of her sedan, he reached for her purse and weekender duffel bag.
“What happened to your hair?”
“Long story,” she said. “I don’t even want to go into it.”
Kiara had stopped limping by then, knowing that she had exaggerated her physical pain in order to make Rashad feel guilty. Although her slipping and falling were genuine, she felt confident that her unborn child was safe within her protective womb. She was miffed that Rashad failed to express any sympathy for her, and his lack of concern encouraged her to forget about him and focus on her new life.
Like an airport attendant, Eddison carried her belongings inside the house. They proceeded to his first floor master bedroom. He placed the items on a chair and as Kiara sat down, he gently pulled her soaked shoes from her feet.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” she told him.
“Why are you wearing this type of shoes? They’re much too high for a pregnant woman. And your feet? Usually they’re very pretty. But now?”
“Oh, Eddison.” She tried to hide her feet. “Don’t look at my jacked-up toes.”
“I’m not looking.” He bent down to inspect them even further. “The paint is all chipped. And you look stressed as hell.” He rose up and began to caress her shoulders. “I have something in mind to make this situation better. I can’t have my . . .
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