Page 91 of A King’s Obsession

“Yeah?” I called without looking up, finishing the line I'd been reading.

The door opened, and Simone stepped inside wearing a belted coat.

I set my pen down.

“You lost?” I asked, leaning back in my chair as I looked her over. I couldn't believe this woman had the nerve to show up at my club after the conversation we'd had that morning.

She shut the door behind her. “I think we got off on the wrong foot this morning.” She smiled like we were about to have some friendly conversation.

“Nah. I told you to lose my number. Why the fuck would you come up to my establishment? Is you cool?” I stared at her, trying to figure out what part of our last conversation she'd misunderstood.

“You enjoyed yourself last time.” She untied her belt and slipped off the coat, draping it over the chair. Lingerie underneath. Apparently, she thought that settled the argument.

I looked at her. Pissing me off or not, I wasn’t gonna hold you. She had a body out of this world. Still, she had me fucked all the way up, though.

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Bitch, you came in here dressed like that thinking I was gonna change my mind?”

“Come on, Ezra.” She walked around the desk, reaching for my shirt with a smile that disappeared the second I moved away from her.

I stepped back and pulled my gun.

Simone froze, then snatched her hand back. Her eyes went wide.

“Bitch, I ain’t got too many more times I’m gonna tell you to get the fuck out my office.” I kept my eyes on her, waiting for her to understand that I wasn't playing.

“I thought we had something.” She backed up, her voice catching as she glanced between me and the gun. “I just wanted to finish what we started.”

“Ain’t shit to finish. I’m married. Unless you my motherfucking wife, get the fuck out my office.” I was done having this conversation, and I damn sure wasn't about to keep repeating myself.

The office door opened as the last words left my mouth.

Jru stood there, her hand on the knob. She looked at Simone, took in the coat hanging over the chair, then looked at me and the gun in my hand.

Her fingers tightened around the knob, and she stopped just outside the threshold.

Fuck.

I lowered the gun and put it away. Simone grabbed her coat, pulling it around herself as she hurried toward the door. Jru moved aside just enough to let her pass, her eyes staying on me.

I waited until Simone was gone, then stepped forward to close the door.

“Leave it open.” Jru's voice stopped me before I could pull it shut. There was something about how quietly she said it that made me look back at her.

I stopped with my hand against it. Jru stood near the doorway, arms folded tightly across her chest.

“So that’s nobody from earlier, right?” Her eyes moved toward the hallway where Simone had disappeared, then came back to mine.

“That’s somebody I told not to call me. She showed up anyway, and I told her to leave.” I kept my voice even, hoping she'd at least heard enough to understand that part.

Jru gave a short nod, pressing her lips together. I reached toward her, but she stepped back before I could touch her.

“Nah. You’re married, Ezra?” Her voice was low, but the way she looked at me made my stomach tighten.

I dropped my hand.

She looked straight at me. “This whole time, you’ve been married?” Her eyes searched my face, waiting for me to tell her she'd misunderstood what she'd heard.

“Yeah.” The word came out before I could figure out how the fuck to explain the rest.