“Only because you need to eat.”
I hugged him. “Thank you.” Taking the bag, I groaned as the smell of sweet mango and granola wafted to my nose. He handed me a cup of orange juice and I giggled with glee. “You know me so well.” On most days, I didn’t have time for breakfast. Fresh fruit and yogurt was my go-to morning meal. I pulled the yogurt parfait out of the bag and ate my first bite. “This is good. Not as good as pancakes, though. And bacon.”
Duke snorted. “You should go home and make some.”
“Ha ha,” I mumbled around a mouthful of granola. I sipped my juice. “I’ll get some Thanksgiving weekend.”
“Whatever.” He eyed me warily. “You good?”
I paused, cup to my lips. “Yeah,” I lied. “I’ll be fine. You can go.”
“What time does your plane leave?”
“Around two.”
He glanced at his watch. “I have a meeting at Pure Talent, then I’m on a flight to Detroit. I’ll drive you to the airport.”
“Thank you.”
He placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. “You asked me to tell you the truth.”
Oh shit. “Like you said, I already know what it is.”
“You’re better than this.” He searched my eyes, his light brown eyes all-knowing but soft. “Take care of your shit at home and focus on you. Not Tristan.”
I swallowed. “I know.” I thought about home and stopped him before he walked out of the room. “But… I could use a favor.”
ChapterThree
KING OF SORROW
Duke
Inever had to work hard to fuck. That reality was probably why my mother made my father sit me and Dex down to talk about the mechanics of safe sex at an early age. I lost my virginity to the babysitter on my twelfth birthday. At seventeen, I was getting my dick sucked by the babysitter’s mother. By the time I was twenty, I’d mastered the art of seduction while simultaneously avoiding committed relationships. It was simple. I liked pussy, but I loved women. I’d spent a lot of time observing them. Nine times out of ten, they just wanted to be respected—for their time, for their contribution, for their mind, for their body, and for their heart. In my experience, they preferred cold-heart truth over flowers and candy any day. Which meant I didn’t have to pretend to want forever just to get down. If I wanted someone, I told them. At that point, the decision to move forward was theirs alone. And then there was…
I knocked on the heavy wood door and waited. Seconds later, it swung open. An elderly woman, grey hair and grey eyes, opened the door. “Hi, Mr. Young. Thank you for coming. She’s excited to see you. I’m Ola.” She held out her hand. “Great to finally meet you.”
Shaking her hand, I said, “You too. To be honest, though, I’m not convinced this is a good idea.”
“I understand.” The woman let out a sigh. “Before you come in, I feel the need to let you know—”
A familiar voice called out, “Duke?” Carolyn Fuller walked toward me. “You’re here.” She smiled. “You look good.”
“You called.” I stepped inside. “I came.”
To some, Carolyn was a woman who lived a quiet existence in her high-rise apartment overlooking the Detroit River. To many, she was a businesswoman, the founder of one of the largest black-owned businesses in the Country. To others, she was the former owner of one of the largest escort services in the metro Detroit area and the gateway to their forbidden pleasures. To me, she used to be everything.
She pulled me into a hug. “You are a sight for sore, tired eyes.”
I ran a hand down her cheek. The years had been kind to her. While the slight droop in her eyelids was noticeable to someone who’d studied her face for hours, her brown eyes were bright and expressive as always.Not what I expected. There were more fine lines on her face, but her skin was soft. Her dark-brown hair had turned grey, but it was still thick and long. “You look beautiful,” I whispered, brushing my lips against her forehead.
She smirked. “You have to do better than that.” There was a time when I would’ve given her more than a forehead kiss. A long time ago, I would’ve carried her upstairs and had my way with her petite frame, to her delight. But things had changed between us.I’dchanged.
“You know that’s not where we’re at,” I said truthfully.
Carolyn’s smile fell. “Fine.” She glanced at Ola. “Is everything set up?”
Ola flashed a warm smile. “Yes, Carolyn.”
