---

The phone rang and I jumped to answer it, even though it was three in the morning. I knew it would be DeSean, who everyone called D. Even as I pushed the button to answer, I was pulling my teal bathrobe over my jammies comprised of tiny black shorts with a silver Jolly Roger on the butt, and a tight white racerback tank.

“Hey,” I began breathlessly, certain the smile was evident in my voice.

“Hey, baby,” he murmured into the phone.

I shivered as his voice caressed me in unexpected ways. After all, I thought I’d never get over Trent, who I’d dated for a year and a half until his inability to commit ended us. “Hey,” I murmured again, momentarily forgetting I’d said that already.

Obviously, D realized my mistake as he chuckled. “So, I was hoping for a goodnight kiss on the way home…”

Without hesitation, I grinned and channeled my sexy side. “Come get it,” I murmured in my most seductive tone. Then I giggled as I ended the call.

We’d only been dating for three weeks, but he’d already made it a habit to contact me on his way home from his security gig at the club and even to stop by for the occasional kiss and heavy petting session on weekends. In turn, I had taken to sleeping with the phone so I wouldn’t miss one single moment, one sweet word.

Bounding from the bedroom of the apartment, I rushed past the kitchen, through the living room, and straight for the door. Despite his constant warnings, I didn’t even look through the peephole before unlocking both deadbolts and throwing the door wide open. Sure enough, he was standing there, looking dark and handsome. He wasn’t more than five feet eight inches tall, so I never thought of him as being particularly huge.

“Babe,” he began with a frown, “how many times have I told you to always check before you open the door?”

Already, I was on him, planting my mouth on his welcoming full lips, my hands on his face drawing him closer, into the apartment before I froze outside in the February cold. “Every time,” I admitted playfully when I paused in between kisses.

His hands were on me, wrapping my bathrobe tightly, glancing around before he entered and locked the door behind us. “If anything happened to you…” He bit his lower lip and shook his head sadly while moving straight to the couch to settle in.

“Nothing will,” I said with a shrug. “I have you to keep me safe and grounded.”

Collapsing on the couch, I straddled him, opening my robe as I settled myself on his lap. Pressing against him with obvious intent. It only took a moment of rubbing against him before I had him good and hard, which made my perch all the more comfortable in the best of ways. Seconds later, his holster and gun had dropped onto the floor in an angry metallic thud. His cold hands had found their way under my tank. D smiled just a little when I shivered at his touch. “Too cold?” he asked playfully as he teased my nipples. “I’ll warm them up.” D cupped my breasts and stared into my eyes with his dark chocolate ones.

We had barely begun kissing when his phone rang. I studied his reaction as he looked at it. “Wife?” I asked, quietly. Though he claimed he was getting a divorce, it wasn’t final yet.

With a grin, he replied, “No, Tommy.” A moment later, he set the phone aside and added, “Okay, same thing, I suppose.” His hands slid around my waist and he asked, “Now where were we?” Just as he leaned in to kiss me again, the phone rang once more. Lifting it so we could both see it was Tommy again, he frowned. “Babe, I guess I gotta take this.”

Sadly, I slid off his lap. Seconds later, he stood, collected his gun, and strode toward the door with the phone to his ear. Following him out, I half expected him to just walk away, but instead, he surprised me.

“Tommy, hang on. This is important.” Then he placed the call on hold and turned to face me. “Tomorrow night I’m working. Sorry, I can’t spend Valentine’s Day with you, but I’ll call, and we’ll go out one night next week.”

I nodded. It didn’t matter. I had grown used to not celebrating holidays. That’s what dating Trent had been like. Now, I had D, who treated me like gold...maybe platinum even.

Our last kiss...was toe-curling. Somehow, I would have to try to sleep despite the fire burning inside me he hadn’t had time to quench.

---

There was something sad about the way the door closed. I wanted to be with Tegyn. Shoot, I’d wanted to be with her from the first moment we met. I’ll never forget it. I was working undercover security at a popular local mall. She was running a travel agency in the building. As I made my rounds, we’d smile at each other. Things were ugly at home, so having someone smile at me instead of argue and fight seemed pretty nice. Not only that, but her teeth were perfect and she really looked at me. Her whole face lit up when I walked by. That girl had me before we even said hello to each other.

The first time we spoke was one afternoon when I found her standing at the exit, ready to leave. “What are you doing here, buddy?” I asked, trying to sound casual when actually being this close to her had my heart racing.

“It’s raining. Hard.” She laughed. “I’m just trying to work up the nerve to get wet.”

“Where’s your umbrella?” I frowned. I knew I didn’t have one. I wondered if we had a spare laying around in the security office that I could lend her.

She lifted her hands up. “Oh no. The south has made me soft enough. I’m not going to start carrying an umbrella. That’s like surrendering and completely wimping out.” She ended with a smirk.

“What’s your name, buddy?” I felt stupid asking like that. After all, it’s not like I had offered her my name. She was watching me, probably trying to decide if I was some serial killer or something. “I mean, I’m DeSean, but everyone calls me D.” Then I shrugged, feeling like a complete ass.

Her head tilted. She had short hair that she wore chin length around her face, slightly shorter in the back, and I wanted to feel it. I’d only ever dated black women, only married a black woman, and this was the first time a white woman had even caught my eye. Something told me if I got to know her, she’d catch my whole heart.

“I’m Tegyn,” she replied. “And before you get any big ideas…no one calls me T.”

I threw my head back and laughed. She was pure fire, this one. Damn if I didn’t want to get to know her better. I glanced at her left hand, which didn’t have a wedding ring. Then I stuffed my own hand in my pants pocket because it did.

“I saw that. I know you’re married. That’s why we’re only going to talk at work.” Tegyn grinned.

I smiled shyly at her, filled with regrets, but I understood. “You’re not that kind of girl. I get it.”

She licked her lips, her pink tongue darting out, completely enthralling me. “What kind of girl am I?” she asked as she stared at me.

“You?” I snickered. “That’s easy. You’re the marrying kind. And any man who gets close to you should know it in three seconds.”

She nodded. “You get it. Good.” Then Tegyn waved and bounded out the door. I followed her outside, but never stepped out from under the overhang keeping me dry. Still, I could hear her laughing all the way to her car.

Somehow, I managed to get up the nerve to ask her out a few weeks later. “How about we meet after work on Wednesday and grab a bite to eat?” I asked as I leaned over her reception desk. She was in between customers at the moment. I knew because I’d been circling like a damn vulture for the past twenty minutes.

Tegyn had been smiling like she knew it too. “You’re married,” she reminded me.

“We’re separated.” It wasn’t a complete lie. I lived in the second-floor master bedroom. My wife had taken the in-law suite in the basement. There was an entire floor in between us, which made us separated, until I could finally pry her ass out of my house.

“Right. That’s convenient.” Tegyn blew out a breath and frowned at me for a moment. I practically shrank in front of her. What was I thinking? I shouldn’t be doing this, but I was drawn to this girl. I had to get to know her better. For some reason, ever since we spoke, she had been haunting my dreams.

Finally, she shrugged. “Well, I have to eat. Why eat alone, yet again, when I can eat with you?”

Immediately, I pulled my phone from my pants pocket. “What’s your number, T…uh, Tegyn?”

She recited her number, like she must’ve done a thousand times. Then she leaned back in her chair and watched to see what I’d do next. So, I sent her a text. It was short and to the point.

---

Me: See you Wednesday. I’m off at seven. What do you like?

---

And that was what started our whole relationship. A relationship I’d barely been able to enjoy for two months. My wife had moved out of our bedroom after our last fight over two months ago and I hadn’t wasted a second before going after Tegyn. For once in my life, I wanted to have the life I’d always wanted and it felt like I could have that with Tegyn.

“What’s up, Tommy?” I asked in frustration. “I was with my girl. Tell me what’s so damn important I can’t do my own thing after the bar closes.”

“Well, your wife showed up at my house. She’s crying. You better get over here,” he grumbled sounding downright depressed. Of course, after spending all those years with Camilla, I knew how she could suck the joy out of a room.

“Great, man. I’ll be right there.” I ended the call and stewed the whole drive to the other side of town. Camilla being at Tommy’s place had me in knots. What the hell was she doing all up in my business? We were done. Why the hell couldn’t she leave my friends alone?

I came to a screaming halt in front of Tommy’s house. I was mad and didn’t care who knew it. I threw the truck into park, hopped out, slammed my door, and stormed up the front walk. Before I could even knock, the door had been opened by Camilla and Tommy was standing a few feet behind her looking nervous as hell. “What?”

She sniffled a few times before blurting out, “I’m pregnant.” Then she threw herself into my arms.

I peeled her off immediately, pushing her far enough back that I could read her face. Everything she’d done made sense now. She needed a witness. She had planned this, probably right down to the pregnancy, which was why she fucked me a couple months ago before she moved downstairs. Bitch was biding her time, waiting to see if it took. She knew I was done. She knew I wanted out. She agreed, then pulled this shit.

“We been married five long years,” I snapped. “You never wanted kids.” She averted her eyes. “I don’t think you want kids now. I think you just want me yours for eighteen years.” My eyes narrowed. My nose flared. I was mad as hell. “Fine, but you staying in the basement. We ain’t never gonna be better because you are one special kind of crazy bitch.”

“How could you speak to your baby’s mama this way?” She stepped back and turned to Tommy. “You see how he is.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and waited. Tommy and I had been boys long before Camilla entered the picture. I’m pretty sure he tried to tell me not to marry her. I shoulda listened.

“I see how you is,” he retorted. Then he met my eyes. “Sorry, D. I know you had plans.”

He did too. We talked about Tegyn all the time. She had brought back a spring to my step. She made me smile. With her, my heart felt right.

“Go home, Camilla,” I urged.

“I’m not tired.” Her hands fisted at her sides.

“Well, I am. See you, Tommy.” I waved and walked away. All I could think of the entire drive home was how I could still have Tegyn. The more I considered it, the more I struggled to accept there was no way. Camilla had made sure of it. I was nearly at my house when Tommy called. “Yo,” I greeted him, trying not to sound as devastated as I felt.

“Yo. You better watch your back. When you called her a crazy bitch, you wasn’t lyin’,” Tommy began. Then he cleared his throat. “Sorry. I know she’s your wife.”

“Yeah. Lucky me,” I grumbled as I pulled into my driveway and turned off the vehicle.

“I mean it though. She was talking crazy before you got here.” He sighed.

I was lost in my own world. “How do I tell Tegyn?”

“I don’t know, D. Think she’ll be cool with it?” His voice rose with the question.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “No. Not even a little.”

A second later, I jumped as Camilla banged on my window. “We need to talk.” She popped her hip and stuck out her chin.

“I’m on the phone,” I hissed after rolling the window down a few inches. “Go inside. I’ll talk to you when I’m good and ready.”

“Well, you bes’ be ready tonight. We gon’ have words about that white woman.” Her eyes narrowed angrily.

I studied her a moment. How did she know about Tegyn? “Go inside,” I muttered through my teeth.