Page 23 of The Need to Know

So, I got back to Robert De Niro. “Anyway, Casino was good. At this point I like Robert so much it doesn’t matter if he’s playing a hero or villain, I’m rooting for him.”

Ezekiel chuckled. “Oh word, he’s playing a murderer? Nah, that’s okay, everybody don’t need to live anyway.”

I laughed, almost spilling my drink. “Exactly.” A couple of movies came to mind where even if his acting was incredible, his characters were still hard to root for. “He was amazing in Raging Bull, but I just hated the way he treated his wife.”

Ezekiel was quick to agree, a grave and serious expression on his face. “Oh yeah, Rob was great in that, but the way he and Pesci treated women was rough.”

“Yeah?” I prompted, curious to hear his opinion.

I could tell then he wasn’t putting on for me, the look on his face hadn’t dropped, but deepened. He was disgusted by the domestic abuse. “Yeah. I mean, my pops never talks to my mom like he’s stupid—and I wouldn’t let him. On principle, I don’t talk to women like I’m stupid or raise my hand to them, I wouldn’t let myself.” He leaned over, rubbing a hand behind his neck. “My pops could be tough as shit on me, but he was always a saint to my mom. He’s got her on a pedestal, and I learned from that, I really did.”

My parents weren’t toxic, they’d argue here and there growing up, but my father never called my mother out of her name or hit her. He wasn’t a complete wuss when it came to her, and vice versa, either. Neither were afraid to point out a mistake the other had made.

They said girls often grew up wanting to marry men like their fathers, and in a way, I’d ventured far from that. Corey wasn’t a thing like my father, in both good and bad ways. He was mean and callous with me, when my father would never be to my mother, and he was expressive and fun, when it seemed like my father was too straitlaced.

My father loved me in the rational sense, but there was a father-shaped hole in my heart that was starved from his lack of attention and affection. Meeting Corey had come at such a vulnerable time.

“So, BLVCKJVCK living up to its reputation by your standard?” Ezekiel was curious to know.

“And then some, this whole setup is gorgeous. I’ve only seen three areas, but this suite is my favorite.” The Spade Suite was perfect for those introverts who got dragged out for a night on the town and wanted a moment to breathe.

“Happy to hear,” Ezekiel said. “This is my favorite spot here, too.”

He seemed like the life of the party. I would’ve guessed he preferred the Club Suite.

“You ever…go to the Heart Suite?” I dared to ask.

Ezekiel shrugged. “Yeah.”

Of course.

Ezekiel chuckled and nudged me. “I go in there to make sure things are in order and everything is straight. As I told you, I mostly run this place, and if I was going to have sex in my club, why wouldn’t I take her to my office before slumming it in the Heart Suite?”

I could only assume the Heart Suite held beds or furniture more appropriate than an office. “What would make the office more suitable?”

Ezekiel’s gaze held mine. “Well, for starters, there’s the desk.”

“The desk,” I repeated, intrigued.

“Yeah, I’d rather take someone to the office and bend her over my desk. It’s perfect for giving nice, hard back shots.”

I swallowed. “Hard?”

The light conversation had evaded us, as a much heavier one took its place. “Only way to do it.”

His words weren’t surprising. It seemed like men only knew one way to get down, and it was always self-serving.

“Oh yeah, never soft, just fast and rough,” I said dryly. “I bet you don’t even bother with foreplay and oral, huh? You just like to get right down to it?”

Ezekiel settled back and looked around the roof as he took a sip of his beer. “Head? Depends on if you’re worth it.”

Now he sounded like Corey, who never seemed in the mood to return the favor.

I narrowed my eyes. “But I bet you just love and demand yours, huh?”

He seemed offended as he came back to me. “Nah, my shit nice. I don’t even gotta ask. One look will have you wanting to take a lick.”

A tremor radiated through me and my body felt hot. Something about the matter-of-fact way that he spoke did something to me. “Sure.”