Page 29 of That Fire

“Well . . . if she’ll agree to that. I want to be sure. I don’t want to find out later that I have a kid. If it’s mine, I want to be in his or her life.”

“You can go to the clinic in Nome and leave a sample. We just did that shit a few hours ago. If you go now, you can catch Bali before she leaves. I’ll call her.”

“Thanks, man.” He glanced at Aaliyah, then back at me. “I just want to be sure.”

I nodded, and he walked away. When I turned back to the door, Aaliyah was gone. I walked to the door and went inside. “Liyah!”

She didn’t respond, so I went to the couch to see her lying on it, crying. I sat next to her feet and pulled one of them. “What’chu crying for?”

“I don’t want anyone else to be able to claim my kids. I know the shit is partially my fault, but I’m just tired of it. I don’t want to lose you, Royal. I don’t even know how he knows where I live. He’s never been here.”

“Come here.” She sat up, then lay against me. “Lareesa was in the car waiting for that man. She must’ve told him you were pregnant.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Wow. She could have at least given me a heads up. She’s his cousin?”

“I have to assume so. Let me call Bali before she send that nigga packing.”

I quickly pulled my phone from my pocket and called. She answered on the first ring. “I was about to call you. Who the fuck is Vaughn? I almost cussed that nigga out.”

“A nigga that need convincing he not gon’ be a father. Can you take his sample and send it with ours? Bill it to me.”

“Yeah. I got’chu.”

She ended the call, and I pulled Aaliyah closer to me. “Baby, look at me.”

After she did as I requested, I continued. “When I told you that you were mine, that meant I accepted everything that came with you. You told me there was another nigga involved. I’m not tripping. I know what I signed up for, and I hope you do too. I love you, Liyah, and there isn’t a muthafucka alive that can make me renege on that shit but you. Okay?”

“Okay. I love you too.”

I pulled her closer, hoping that what I told Bali was right. If that nigga somehow was the father, I was gonna need a day or two to recuperate from that blow. One thing was for certain though. Aaliyah Anderson was still going to be mine. I loved her beyond that shit and planned to for the rest of my life.

Chapter 10

Aaliyah

Iknew what Royal said yesterday about him being here with me regardless. I just hated going through this shit again. If I could have alcohol right now, I would drink myself into a stupor. Instead, I got a bottle of alcohol-free Stella Black and came home. After letting it chill, I cracked it open and drank it straight from the bottle, trying to sike myself into believing it was alcohol.

Bali had sent off the test today by courier to assure they got it today. She said we should have the results by Friday. The company had all our email addresses and would be sending the results that way and by mail. I just wanted to know as soon as possible, so I could stop worrying so much. Royal had been at work all day, and my mind had been racing from the possibilities.

Just as I took it to the head, Royal walked through the back door. He frowned hard. “Aaliyah! What the fuck you doing?”

I almost spit the shit out from laughing. I turned the bottle where he could see the label, and he brought his hand to his chest like that damn Denzel Washington meme. I literally had to spit the wine in the sink so I wouldn’t choke to death. “You so damn silly!”

He laughed and came to me and hugged me, then kissed my neck. “Damn, you smell good.”

“Mm. I’m glad you think so.”

He smiled and went to the table as I took another swig and started warming the food I’d cooked earlier. “That shit must be good if you drinking it from the bottle. Let me taste it.”

I swallowed, then licked my lips and went to him, standing between his legs. I brought the bottle to my lips as he rubbed my ass, then leaned over him as he opened his mouth and tilted his head back. I slowly let the liquid leak from mouth to his. He gripped my ass tighter as his gaze penetrated every part of me. He brought one of his hands to my hardened nipple and fondled it through my shirt.

“It’s good, but I believe that’s because you put your special spin on it. Give me some more, Liyah.”

This man was so fucking sexy. I had to step away from him to turn the stove off before I burned dinner, then pulled my shirt over my head. When I got to him, he pulled my maternity leggings down my belly and rested his head against it for a moment. He kissed it as the babies moved around, shifting my belly like they were wrestling under the bed covers. He bit his bottom lip as he stared at them.

God, please let these children be his.He loved them so much already. As I got carried away in my thoughts, he slid his hands to my breasts. I stared into his eyes for a moment, then took in some more wine and let it leak out of my mouth, sliding down my chin, neck, and breasts. His tongue caught some on my belly, and he licked his way to my nipples, then chest and neck. I poured more in my mouth, then released it into his mouth.

He gripped my hips and pulled my leggings all the way down, then grabbed the bottle from me. He set it on the table, then had me rest my palms on the table as well. He stood and walked towhere he was behind me, then quickly dropped his pants and slid his big dick inside of me.