Page 131 of A King’s Obsession

A shaky laugh escaped me at the mention of my perfume, but the tears were still coming. Ezra shifted closer, then stopped when I stiffened.

“Can I hold you, baby?” he asked quietly.

I looked at him for a moment before nodding. The second his arms wrapped around me, I buried my face against his chest and cried. He held me without interrupting, rubbing my back while I finally let go of everything I’d been trying so hard to keep together.

When I pulled away, he brushed a tear from my cheek. “I can’t change what happened, Jru. But I can do better. You want counseling, we’ll go. You want a lawyer to review that marriage paperwork, I’ll pay for one. Whatever it takes to make this right, I’m willing to do it.”

I studied his face, wanting desperately to believe him. “I love you, Ezra. I never stopped. But I don’t want to lose myself loving you.”

“Then don’t, baby. I fell in love with Jru Sinclair, not some woman who’s gonna sit around waiting on me to tell her what to do.” A crooked smile appeared as he added, “Besides, you wouldn’t listen to my ass anyway.”

I laughed, wiping the last of my tears. “And I’m not promising to move back today.”

“Aight. I heard you.” He raised his hands before I could argue. “Look at me, learning how to listen and shit.”

I shook my head, smiling despite myself. “You’re so damn stupid.”

“Yeah, but you love me.” His grin softened when I reached for his hand, and for a moment, we simply sat there looking at each other.

Then our daughter kicked.

I caught his hand and placed it against my stomach before he could ask what was wrong. When she moved again, his eyes widened, and he stared down at my belly in disbelief.

“Hold the fuck on. That’s her?” he asked, looking up at me.

I nodded, laughing at his expression. “That’s your daughter.”

He kept his palm against my stomach, waiting until another little kick pressed against his hand. His smile slowly faded into something softer as he leaned down and kissed my belly.

“Daddy here now, princess,” he whispered.

I swallowed hard, watching him. I’d imagined this moment more times than I wanted to admit, and seeing him so completely fascinated by our daughter made my chest ache.

When he lifted his head, I reached for his face, brushing my thumb along his beard. “I missed you, Ezra.”

He covered my hand with his, his eyes searching mine. “Missed you too, baby. Every fucking day.”

I leaned forward and kissed him. He responded slowly, one hand settling against my cheek while the other remained on my stomach. When I pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine, giving me a chance to change my mind.

“You sure?” he murmured.

I smiled, slipping my fingers into his beard. “Yes, Ezra. I’m sure.”

He kissed me again, and this time I didn’t hold back. I let myself enjoy being close to him, the familiar warmth of his body and the way he held me like he’d been waiting months to do it. Eventually, I took his hand and led him toward my bedroom.

That night, we found our way back to each other without pretending everything was fixed. There were still conversations to have and trust to rebuild, but neither of us was running from it anymore.

Later, I lay against his chest while his fingers moved lazily along my arm. He looked down when I lifted my head, already smiling like he knew I had something to say.

“Let me make one thing clear, Ezra King. You ever pull some sneaky shit like that again, I’m divorcing your ass.”

He laughed, tightening his arm around me. “Damn, woman. Can I enjoy being married for five fucking minutes?”

“Not until I see that restaurant paperwork,” I replied, raising an eyebrow. “And no more secrets. About anything.”

His smile softened as he brushed my hair away from my face. “You got my word, baby. No more secrets.”

I studied him for a moment before settling against his chest again.