Sweet Taboo Page 8

  “So why let her stay?” Tegyn’s voice was barely a whisper.

  “Because in North Carolina, the courts tend to side with the mother. To lose custody, a mother practically has to shoot up heroin in the courtroom while addressing the judge.” I threw my hands in the air.

  Her brow furrowed. “Really? I had no idea.”

  “Yeah. It’s that bad. They say there’s no preference, but it’s not true. So, I’ve been biding my time. I knew Camilla would screw up eventually and I needed to be there to pick up the pieces for Keyon.” I angled myself on the couch so I could better see her. “She brought a man home. They were going at it on my kitchen table when I walked in.” I stopped because her face turned three shades of red and I realized my mistake. “It wasn’t like with us.”

  “So, it wasn’t the table part?” She bit her cheek as she waited for my response.

  “No, it wasn’t the furniture. It was that she agreed not to have guys over. She had some guy fucking her on the table I eat at while my son screamed his head off downstairs.” I rubbed my face with both hands.

  “Okay. I thought maybe the idea of fucking on a table suddenly grossed you out.” She sighed and stared at the flames.

  I stiffened. I’d hit a nerve. And she obviously didn’t understand us, didn’t know what our time together was about. Slowly, I slid across the couch until I was centered on the cushion that had previously separated us and turned completely to face her even if she was doing everything in her power to avoid looking at me.

  “Tegyn, I’m right here,” I murmured.

  “Oh, I know where you are.” She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I can feel you.” She blew out a breath and waited a moment before speaking again. “I could always feel you before you even touched me.” Then she finally opened her eyes and turned her face toward mine.

  I could see her eyes shining with unspent tears. “Oh, baby,” I whispered as I reached out to cup her cheek. “You don’t even know.” I leaned forward and pulled her into my arms. I felt her stiffen and fight it, but she had to hear me out. So, instead of holding her, I moved until we were nearly nose-to-nose. “We never fucked, Tegyn.”

  She swallowed hard. “We didn’t?”

  “Nah, baby. You know we didn’t. You felt it. I know you did. Every time I was with you, I was making love to you.” I stared at her lips. Damn, I wanted to kiss her.

  Ever so gently, Tegyn reached up and pulled my hand from her face. “You’re right. I never knew.” She shook her head again.

  “What’re you thinking? You can tell me anything.” I still held her hand. She might have pulled it off her face, but she had yet to pry it out of my grip.

  Tegyn stared down at our hands. She seemed torn. “In some ways, it would be so easy to fall into you again, to let myself give in to these feelings, but I can’t as long as you’re married because losing you devastated me. I gave up. I took Trent back. I know that part isn’t directly your fault. Hey, we might’ve broken up anyway, right?”

  I frowned. “No. No, we wouldn’t have. And if you ever take me back, we never will.” I shook my head vehemently. “I will never let you go again. And I don’t mean that in a scary, threatening way. I mean that what’s between us is real.” I smoothed her hair back with my free hand. “You’re the marrying kind. And I plan to marry you.”

  She licked her lips and mesmerized me with that act. “I see.” Tegyn leaned back into the corner of the couch. “I think we have a lot more keeping us apart right now than we do holding us together.”

  “Not really.” I laughed. “Just your husband and my wife. Practically nothing at all.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah. Plus, my stalker. Apparently, someone wants to kill me.”

  “You don’t think it’s Trent?” I asked seriously. If this was one of the obstacles keeping us apart, I’d at least tackle the one I could manage. Security was my area.

  “No, I don’t. He wants me back. The whole time we were married, he systematically pushed away all my friends. I suppose I let him, for the sake of peace. So, now I have practically no one I’m close to or trust. And he’s trying to make the divorce so difficult and so costly that I give up and decide it’s cheaper to keep him.” She smirked. “Now, I’m not, but I’m ready for us to come to some kind of agreement and end things as peacefully as possible.”

  “Any dates set?” I asked a little too quickly, making obvious my interest.

  “Well…” She tilted her head as she thought. “I have a mediation coming up this week, actually.”

  “And you don’t think he’s trying to scare you away?” I frowned.

  She yawned. “No. This is too subtle. If he wanted to scare me, he’d get right in my face. Trust me.”

  “I do.” I watched her and she yawned again. “Tegyn, you need some sleep,” I murmured. “Where do you want to rest?”

  She blinked a few times and looked around. “My room is going to be freezing and not exactly safe.” She sighed. “The spare bedrooms are on the back of the house and I’ll feel too exposed.” Tegyn wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. “Here. I guess the only place I feel safe and comfortable enough to sleep is right here.” She had a sad look in her eyes and I suspected her concern.

  “Take the couch, baby. I’ll take the chair. Just tell me where I can find us some blankets.” I stood, ready for her response.

  “Right there in the ottoman.” A half smile spread across her face.

  I tugged on the top and it opened up like a car trunk. “Nice.” I laughed as I pulled out some of the throws she had folded inside. “Which do you want?” When she reached for the beige one, I spread it on top of her.

  “You don’t have to stay in the chair,” she murmured as she stretched out and rolled onto her side. “This is big enough. You could sleep at that end and use the ottoman. It would be more comfortable,” she argued.

  I nodded. Anything to be close to her. I just wanted to be able to reach out and touch her, know that she was okay. So I settled into the corner, with the other blanket over me and casually reached out a hand to hold her feet. Tegyn didn’t object, so I left it there. For the next few hours, I dozed on and off, while waking to the crackle of every tree branch, and the groan of the house expanding and contracting with the temperatures. Apparently, I was bothering Tegyn because she eventually sat up and murmured, “It’s okay.”

  I had to laugh at her trying to comfort me. That was my job. Eventually, I gave up on sleep. Before the sun broke over the horizon, I was already up. After making sure I hadn’t disturbed her, I snuck into the hall bathroom to pee and prepare for the day. I’d barely managed to flush when Tegyn started yelling for me.

  “DeSean!” She wailed.

  I rushed out to see what had happened, only to discover her standing near the patio door, pointing. “What?” I asked with a frown.

  “It’s open. Only half an inch, but the lock is broken. If not for the wood I use to block it, it could’ve been completely opened.” She swallowed hard.

  I moved closer to inspect. Sure enough, the door had been tampered with. I had checked everything the night before. I pushed the handle to completely close it, then removed the wood. When I opened it again, I realized there were footprints in the dusting of snow. “Call the police,” I urged.

  She grabbed her phone and made the call. While she worked on that, I paced and considered her options. Tegyn ended the call and announced, “They’re on their way.” She wrapped her arms around her body and stared sadly out the window.

  “Tegyn, you know what you have to do,” I murmured.

  “What?” she asked with a sigh.

  I took a deep breath. “You have to come stay with me.”

  10

  Tegyn

  * * *

  “I can’t,” I said simply.

  “Oh, but you can and you will.” He took a step closer and crossed his arms over his chest. I’d seen this move a lot lately and it was the equivalent of him putting his foot
down.

  Unfortunately, D hadn’t gotten to know the new Tegyn. Tegyn 2.0 was a ‘take no shit from anyone’ kind of girl. She didn’t get pushed into doing things she didn’t want to do. She didn’t take orders. Period.

  I shook my head. “Last night was hard enough.”

  “What are you talking about? Hard enough?” He groaned and his hands dropped to his sides. “Girl, you don’t even know what hard enough is. I sat up all night next to the woman I love and I did nothing but protect her and love her from afar. Being near you but not with you is killing me, but I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” He turned away and muttered under his breath, “Hard enough.”

  I thought he was through. I watched him take a few steps and I wanted to say something. Obviously, this was the time in our argument when I should, but I’d frozen up the moment he used the ‘L’ word. Actually, I’d damn near passed out. He’d never said it before. He’d hinted around, but he’d always told me that he couldn’t tell me his feelings until he was truly free. My heart raced and I was torn between running away and throwing myself in his arms.

  Finally, D turned around and looked me in the eyes. “I’m going to try this one more time. Maybe I didn’t explain myself well enough the first time. It could happen.” He shrugged. “Here’s the deal. I have a spare room. You can sleep there. I’m not trying to seduce you. I’m trying to keep you safe.”

  “I understand that,” I admitted. “That’s not the problem here.”

  “There is no problem here other than you being stubborn.” He huffed. “We’re out of options. We tried it your way. I stayed here last night. This is the first time I’ve never come home and damn, I have hated coming home. You don’t even know.” He shook his head a few times. “I have a son, Tegyn. I need to take care of him too. Don’t make me choose. Because one way or another, I’ll be there for both of you, but I’d rather not uproot him. He has had enough going on in his young life. The last thing he needs is to be in a strange home, especially when that home isn’t safe.” His brow shot up in challenge.

  I shrank back. “I didn’t ask you to protect me,” I grumbled.

  “That’s the thing about a man, baby. You don’t have to ask. When he cares about a woman, he’ll step up and do the right thing every time without her having to ask.” D stepped closer. “You couldn’t get rid of me right now even if you locked me out. I’d just be sleeping in my truck, bundled up with my baby boy.”

  My eyes widened and I sucked in a breath as I pictured him doing just what he’d described. “You mean it, don’t you?”

  “What? The camping in my truck part?” He chuckled. “Yeah. I do. Even if you are the most obstinate, pig-headed woman I know. Trying to exert your independence all the way to the hospital, or maybe the morgue even.” He shuddered. “You aren’t weak when you need help. You’re weak when you refuse help being offered.”

  My shoulders slumped. I knew he was right and I kinda hated it right now. “For the record, I don’t even like you at the moment.”

  D grinned. “That’s okay, baby. I love you enough for the both of us.”

  My cheeks flamed. “Fine. I’ll go. But you should know I’m not happy about it. And we’re definitely not having sex. You just keep your perfect hands and your amazing penis far away from me.”

  “How about my lips?” he joked.

  “Those too. Just…step back. I can’t think when you’re this close.” I shook my head. “That’s not true. I think. But I think stupid shit like…why can’t he be divorced? Why can’t my divorce be final? Why don’t I just give in and allow whatever happens to happen?” I sighed.

  He moved until he stood barely a hair from me. “Why don’t you?” he asked, his face positively shining with joy.

  I narrowed my eyes. “I tried that once, DeSean. Look where it got me!” I stomped my foot and stalked off to my bedroom.

  “Where you going?” he called after me.

  “To pack. Are you fucking happy now?” I growled.

  His laughter followed me. “More than you could ever imagine.”

  A moment later, as I filled suitcases with clothes and personal belongings, he peeked in the doorway. “Now, you don’t need to strip the place,” he teased.

  “Oh, are you one of those guys?” I asked, my brow arched angrily.

  “I don’t know. What guys are those?” He frowned.

  “You know, the guy who wants you to stay, but worries you might actually put down roots,” I grumbled as I emptied my underwear drawer into the nearest open piece of luggage.

  “No.” He shook his head adamantly. “I’m the guy who would hire movers to get your possessions into my house, right after I carry you over the threshold.”

  I swallowed hard. Why did he have to say all the right things? “We’ll see,” I mumbled.

  The doorbell rang and I jumped.

  “I’ll get it. When I get back, let’s load your stuff into my truck,” he suggested.

  “I can do it,” I argued.

  With a sigh, he moved closer, wrapped his arms around my waist and planted a kiss on my cheek. “I know you can, Tegyn. You’re tough and strong and resourceful and pretty much absolutely amazing. But by now you should realize I’m a gentleman. And I’m going to do everything I can to help you.” After he pressed his lips to my cheek once more, he released me and exited the room to answer the door.

  Meanwhile, I stood there tingling. Every bit of me felt alive. Still terrified, but absolutely alive and awake in ways I hadn’t been for so long. And I wished more than anything I could let go and let him in, but until I was sure I wasn’t going to get tossed aside for his wife again, I refused to let my guard down.

  In the living room, I could hear D and the police talking. Soon the front door closed again and when I heard voices a few seconds later outside my plastic covered window, I knew they were taking pictures from the night before and probably investigating whatever was going on out back. Trembling slightly, I continued to fill my suitcases and then moved into the bathroom to grab my toiletries. As I was zipping them up, D wandered into my room again.

  “Cool. I got these. You work on the office and any necessities from the rest of the house.” He grabbed the bags before I could even haul them off the bed.

  “Wait.” I laid a hand on his shoulder and he immediately froze.

  “What’s up, baby?” He studied me seriously.

  “Can I bring my favorite blanket and pillow?” I shrugged. “I know it’s silly, but…”

  He grinned. “Bring them. I want you comfortable.” He started to turn away and paused. “And safe.” Then he rushed from the room with both arms full.

  "I’m done loading the truck," D announced. “As soon as you're done talking to the police, come to my house. I'll text you the address."

  "But what about my window? And what about the spray paint on the siding?" I asked.

  He rubbed the back of his neck before answering. "Don't worry. I've got a guy for that. He's getting a lot of business these days." He laughed.

  I bit my lower lip and stopped for a moment. "Okay. I guess I'm out of objections."

  "That's good to hear. About time." He shook his head. "I'll see you soon. I'm leaving the garage door open for you. Park inside, and then close it with the button after you turn the car off."

  "Are you sure you want me parking in the garage? I don't mind parking on the street." I shifted nervously.

  "Oh, I'm sure. Using the garage is a security procedure. Part of keeping you safe is accomplished by no one knowing where you are." He moved closer to me. "This is all going to work out fine."

  "I'm glad you think so," I mumbled.

  Together we walked down the hall and he exited through the front door after giving me a tiny wave. I continued into the office where I grabbed my computer bag and started to load up. After loading the laptop and all the necessary cords, I turned my attention to my planner still open on my desk. I turned the page to start the week and discovered that my mediation for
the divorce was scheduled for Tuesday. I sighed in disgust, knowing there was nothing to look forward to about that. The last one had been a complete waste of time, since Trent was dragging his feet and fighting everything. I leaned hard on the desk a moment, lamenting my situation when my phone vibrated. I peeked at it, half expecting it to be a text from D already, but instead, it was Annie and I smirked.

  * * *

  Annie: You still alive?

  * * *

  I shook my head. Subtle wasn’t her thing. Still, I responded because it was easier than dealing with her later, and I had to wait on the police to leave anyway.

  * * *

  Me: Yup. Never dull here.

  Annie: What’s that mean?

  * * *

  I could picture her face, eyes sparkling as she waited on some good gossip to break up the monotony of her life. For now, I didn’t mind entertaining her.

  * * *

  Me: Yeah. A broken window and a threat spray painted on my house. So, police last night.

  * * *

  I sent the message and started a second one with more details when she interrupted.

  * * *

  Annie: What? Did they arrest anyone? Do you need to stay with us?

  * * *

  I hadn’t even considered it…mostly because the thought of staying with her and her husband made me want to break out in hives. The tension between them killed me, even if they seemed to thrive on it.

  * * *

  Me: No, but thanks for the offer. I’m going to stay with a friend.

  * * *

  Annie: I’m a friend. You could stay with me.

  * * *

  I laughed, fully expecting that response. She lived across the street from Trent. How would that even work?