In Love with Ezra (Love Unaccounted Book 2) (27 page)

Alexis was doing what she typically did when things went awry; she tried to aid. If she could think of a solution to make it all right—even at her expense—she’d make it happen. I gave a curt nod. My mother pulled out her phone and the horn blared my father’s impatience. That’s when I could feel my temperature rounding from my belly. He was taking this too far.

“Here!” Alexis grabbed the phone and typed her number in. “Call me with the information,” she added anxiously then handed back the phone.

“Okay, honey.” My mother’s lashes blinked excessively while she hugged my wife. “I’ll call you, too,” she murmured to me while embracing me next.

Alexis followed her out, her face painted with anxiety. I remained in the foyer while she waved them off. I was perplexed and slightly embarrassed. While my parents were, by no means perfect, I hadn’t seen my father blow up in that manner since returning home. I don’t know if I assumed he no longer caught compulsive fits or that he’d gotten better at concealing them. Nonetheless, I never wanted Alexis exposed to it. It didn’t matter that she held strong through it all. 

I watched as she slugged back in, shoulders weighed heavy as she absorbed my mother’s woes.

She motioned to speak, but I didn’t want to talk. I had no interest in rehashing my father’s explosive demeanor. I yanked her at the arm, causing her to shriek in surprise as I pulled her into the living room. Alexis gasped when I pushed her into the wall, grabbed her arms to collect over her head, and held them tightly with one hand. The side of her face met the wall as I pushed the front of her body into it. I quickly unfastened my pants with my free hand, allowing them to drop to the floor. Alexis’ breathing turned as ragged and loud as it did when I had her bent over, anticipating a lash. With a rough hand, her long dress was hiked and panties pushed to the side while I tested her pussy, priming it for me. But as always with my kitten, Alexis was already considerably aroused. When I plunged my finger inside her sweet, hot valley, pulling out was like releasing the dam. She was so wet and tight and anxious for me.

“Ahhhhh…,” she breathed, as I thrust unceremoniously into her, being keenly cognizant of her volume.        

I didn’t give her pliant walls a moment to acclimate to me. I began plunging into her with wild abandon, chasing my need of escape. Dashing for my flight inside of her sanctum. Alexis was mine, sent for my recreational departure when needed in my demanding world. Her body was my playground to release tension and be fulfilled after being zapped by inexorable responsibilities. I didn’t need a preamble to elude the stressors of my mind. Alexis’ body always yielded to my insatiable need, even if her mind had not caught up yet.

But those sounds
...

Those quiet yet sharp sighs and soughs of tortured pleasure she emitted drove the beast. They made me buck harder and punitively into her core, using her body as equipment, reminding me of one of many reasons I coveted her lofty body. Alexis was soft and yielding as many women, but was also strong, ample, and durable to sustain my impassioned brutality.

She was
mine
to condition, not my father’s.
I
was her shepherd, the one she was gifted to for
my
needs. He couldn’t touch her to govern. No one could but me and our Creator. I knew this as I pushed her breasts into the wall, cuffed her wrists with my palm, and beat ferociously into her pussy.

And she took it all, never mumbling a cry of displeasure, no matter how rough my impaling.

The jingle of the security system sounded, alerting of one of the doors of the house being open. Alexis’ heavy eyes flew open. I bit down on her earlobe, feeling perspiration saturate my shirt.

“Lexi?” Ms. Remah called out from the back of the house, near the kitchen. Not quite ready yet, I tightened my arm around her waist and plundered her core. “Lexi?” I could hear her nearing, closer now, but didn’t slow. Couldn’t slow.

I wanted her to go. To leave us alone, because
I
needed my wife in the moment. I needed her to shield me from the roaring winds of my calling that held me gripped by the throat. I needed her to enclose me in her treasure to provide the respite required to survive ‘the calling.’

Alexis pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes closed. I could feel her heart beating from her chest as I lay my weight on her back. It appeared as if she were afraid of getting caught. Was I? I was almost thrown off rhythm when she arched her spine and pushed back onto my cock for more. My kitten was enjoying the sensual stealth. It hardened my dick even more. I didn’t know if Ms. Remah went deeper into the house or gave up all together, but I knew I couldn’t stop or slow. I couldn’t control my frenzied thrusts inside of her sweetness. And I knew she couldn’t resist reacting to them when her posture slipped and her torso shook beneath me. Her shoulders jerked and hips vibrated as she released. I could feel the rush of her juices flooding me.

“That’s right. Just for me,” I praised, breathing into her ear as she bit her lip, stifling her cries. “You only yield for me. No other man. You are mine, Alexis. Do you understand?”

It wasn’t her soft whimpers as she came down that pushed me over. It was when she nodded her head emphatically that snapped my stamina and had me lifting from my toes as my body tightened and all of my senses blasted to my groin before explosive sensations sprouted back into every corner of my frame and my essence shot into her with unbelievable force. As my seeds invaded her core, my chest expanded. Now unconstrained, stressors released. Alexis’ head collapsed back onto my shoulder, revealing how in some inexplicable way, when I released, my bliss was transmitted to her, almost like a subsequent orgasm. This confirmed my undeniable connection to my kitten. She was created just for me.

To endure the beast. 

~Lex~

“Okay. So now that we have your work attire knocked out, we can focus on your casual wear. I still can’t believe you’re a size 10-12!” Elle gasped with wide eyes.

I nodded, less enthused. “Yup, I am. It’s because of my extreme height. People think I’m small, but I’m really not. I pack a lot in these damn near six feet.”

“Wow! I mean…damn!” she continued to appraise, approvingly. “By no means am I a fashion designer, and I guess that’s why I’m blown away. I love your height! You’re tall enough to grab attention, yet short enough to fit underneath your man,” she enunciated sensually. Then her eyes fell and she looked the other way as she rubbed her neck, blushingly.

I laughed. “It’s okay, Elle,” I assured as I tried catching my breath.

Today was my first time meeting her. Ezra was so insistent on paying for a new wardrobe to fill my side of his closet. I didn’t feel comfortable with it, but he convinced me by saying it was his way of congratulating me on my new job, considering I’d searched so diligently for one. I didn’t totally buy his sentiment, but did agree to it.

Apparently it was perfect timing. According to her, Elle had just moved back to New York. She’d been in L.A. for the whole summer on business. We’d been at it since this morning with a long ass sit down to discuss my style preferences. We’d had quite a few mimosas and had even been sipping on bubbly here at a boutique, just off of Fifth Ave, that she found fit my style. I’d never had one-on-one style services before. It was actually odd, considering she was a public relations rep. I wondered how Ezra was able to pull this off. The resources this man had boggled my mind.

When I was done with my cackle at her silent inquisition, I supplied, “He’s very human…in a carnal sense,” I tried throwing her a bone.

Elle’s eyes popped out of her head. “Really? I mean…I grew up in church all my life and never did anyone whisper a word about sexuality. It was as if the shit was forbidden, which is why I never looked at ministers as an option. Not to mention those in my church was old as fuck.” She got lost in her thought, gazing into the distance as we waited on my selections to be pulled from the back storage area. “I still don’t think I can imagine that from Ezra. I’ve been seeing him for a few weeks now.”

“Well, that’s good!” I winked. “Then I have no worries.” I partially joked. Elle was gorgeous, mixed with something. I didn’t know if she was involved; she didn’t wear a wedding band. My recent insecurities regarding Ezra hadn’t slowed, especially since we’d been attending
RSfALC
and I’d gotten a dose of how women responded to him. Elle cracked a modest smile. “Nah. But with Ezra, his sexuality is…extremely…rare”—I hesitated, not knowing how to explain it—“but positively clear.” I winked again. “But counseling. Is that how you know him?” I was glad to be getting answers regarding my enigmatic husband.

“Mmmm…hmmm.” She nodded. “Almost as soon as I got settled into my new place, I reached out to him for counseling. He said he’d cut back, but that he’d carve out some time because of our mutual affiliations. I think he was just being nice, though.”

“Nice?” I peaked a brow.

“Yeah. We had a few words in passing last spring. He said some things to me that could have only come from God himself. I was so…fucked up at the time, swimming in some shit…” Elle’s eyes turned uneasy, sweeping the floor. “I was almost embarrassed and definitely in denial for a few months after. It didn’t click until I was out in L.A.—like I told you earlier—and his words came back to me and slapped me in the face. I needed to…get myself together.” Then her eyes appeared again. “And that’s what I’m doing. I believe what you say about him being a normal guy when it comes down to sex, because the man drips swag in his style alone. I noticed his fashion sense the first time I saw him. But you don’t have to worry about me seeing him as anything more. He’s really good at what he does…never passing judgment or resembling what I know of church leaders. I’ve even been visiting your church. I’m thinking about joining.”

“For real?” I asked, surprised that the man I share a bed with could be so influential to this stylish diva I’d been hopping in and out of stores with all day.

“Yeah. It’s time. I’ve been running from my spiritual beliefs for so long. And Ezra’s dope with his sermons. I’ve been at a Sunday service and Bible study.” I nodded in agreement of Ezra’s messages. They were delivered with substance, eloquence and simplicity, so unlike his father’s. Then Elle’s amber eyes slanted. “But shoot! Pastor Carmichael need to be concerned about you!” she provided with passion. “I’ve seen how sexually aggressive men can be with a woman of your height and frame.”

“Girl, I can remember when it started. The moment I was done with puberty, it was like a damn curse. I hated the attention! Then again, I hated the teasing from before it when I was a long pole with no curves or hair. That was a nightmare.” I rolled my eyes.

“It was worth it.” She smiled wryly. “You’re a Nubian beauty, Lex. I can see why he’s drawn to you, well, men in general.” Her eyes were sincere as the compliment jarred me.

Me?
A Nubian beauty?
Get the fuck outta here!
I mean, I didn’t think I was ugly, but Elle was…

Her phone rang in her hand. I noticed as her eyes lit up at the caller I.D.

“Hang on.” She couldn’t fight a giddy smile. “I gotta take this.” She stood from the small suede bench we shared and stepped away for privacy. “Hey…,” she sang into the phone en route.

Elle’s fit posture had changed that quickly. She maintained a poise that told she was aware of her feminine qualities, but now off to take her call, she was…soft. Her hand went to her neck again, rubbing the muscles more tensely than she did with me earlier. There was no doubt in my mind that the caller was a man—her lover. It made me unusually curious as to who he could be. Elle packed a lot of feminine allure in her little frame. She appeared high maintenance. Like…really. When I met her at the bar at
DiFillippo’s
, I swallowed hard, afraid I’d be spending the day with an ethnically ambiguous, bourgeois beauty.  But when she opened her mouth, she was completely eager, open, and engaging. 

To be honest, a pang of jealousy zapped me when she revealed she’d spent time with Ezra. She was gorgeous and not even Mister Morally Superior could ignore her exotic features. Don’t get me wrong, I was over the light skinned girls are prettier than darker ones. That was some shit I struggled with as a child. I was also over women like her with blonde-stained, silkier coils in her natural mane being more appealing than those like my coarse, natural dark brown, wooly—as Ezra referred to my hair—texture. It didn’t bother me that Elle’s light eyes sparkled unlike my dimmer pupils. But when you add her undeniable fashion sense and striking feminine posture, it was hard to not be affected.

So when she sincerely declared my beauty and got so caught up in a call from an
apparent
man, so much so that her neck massage dropped lower and lower to the point of exposing a glaring purple-reddish bruise on her pale shoulder, it gave me more confidence that she hadn’t received it from my husband. It also was made clear that Elle was affected by the love bug. As corny as it sounded, she had to be. I mean, Ezra fucked the shit out of me, totally banishing the desire for another man past his death, and I didn’t liquidate like that when he called.

Because he wouldn’t have it.

The door sounded and I turned in the empty boutique to find a man dressed in a courier uniform entering.

“Elle Jarreau?” he asked loudly with no finesse whatsoever.

“Jackson!” Elle gasped. “No, you didn’t!”

Yup!
It was definitely the man she’d turned mushy for in seconds flat when his name appeared on her phone. Her smile was gooey and helpless as she signed for the huge bouquet of flowers that were just as exotic as her features.

Hmmmmm
… 

I watched as she smelled the flowers, her eyes rolling contently to the back of her head as she held her cell clutched to her shoulder. Elle’s smile held hard and long.

I took a long gulp of my champagne.
Must be nice, being in love...

My thoughts went to Lilly, who smiled similarly and whose voice turned completely soprano when she spoke of big Thad. They were feeling things about these men, for these men. Was I not feeling the same way about Ezra? That thought gave me pause because I damn sure had been feeling things…giddy, girly things about my husband. Things I believed were inappropriate to the terms we’d agreed to when we wedded. 

“Okay,” Minnie, the shop owner breathed as she and her assistant marched toward us holding mountains of our selections. “I think we have everything. Now, let’s pray they fit well. If not, we can tailor most of them,” she strained en route.

“Angel, I have to go!” Elle whined into the phone like a real baby, behind me at the counter where her face was still buried in the vase of flowers. “I’m with Mrs. Carmichael… Yes, his wife. She’s easy because she’s gorgeous and built well. This feels like a spa day to me.” She giggled. “Okay. Now, bye! You better believe it…seven-thirty sharp.”

She ended the call and took a deep breath, trying to snap out of her gooeyness and back to business. She stood straight, hardening her posture and strutted over to me in her tall brown
Givenchy
layered boots, exposing her light, toned thighs under a pleated mini skirt, paired with a blouse and suede cropped jacket.

“Great,” she sighed, “Let’s start with those
Erika Erceg
denims, Lex. I think they’d fit those lovely hips well. You know, they were designed for women of your curvy stature specifically?”

I stood, preparing to strip for sizing, and shook my head. “No. I didn’t.”

“Yup. They’re not too pricey, which I’m sure you’ll love, but they have an exclusive quality that your husband demanded when he reached out to me. He can be such a divo, that pastor,” she remarked, twisting her thin lips.

“Yeah.” I rolled my eyes and sighed. “More than you know.” I shook my head as I made my way over to the small dressing room. 

It was just after six when I closed the door to the house. My hands were filled with brown paper shopping bags. I had several more in the car I couldn’t manage in one trip. I sighed at the fact of there being more coming because I left some behind for altering. The house was quiet and lights turned down. I’d spoken to Ms. Remah just before I started for home and she told me she was taking her meds and turning in early, so I knew I wouldn’t be seeing her this evening.

Ezra, on the other hand, was likely in his office reading or working. I didn’t know if he was home for sure because I didn’t park in the garage. One thing was for sure, I’d be talking to him about the digits he blew today. The women didn’t talk numbers to me until all was packed and ready to go. Six thousand, eight hundred, thirty-two dollars, and seventy-eight cents worth of clothes in one day.
Goddamn! I can’t believe I’m even thinking this.
Couldn’t believe that’s how much he’d spent on me today—and that was under budget! Elle slipped and said he’d asked to be topped off at eighty-five hundred!

What the holy fuck!

My limbs were tired from trying on so many clothes and straining to keep still for measuring. Shopping was a damn job. I would be good for years to come with what I’d gotten today. I would think about how I’d say thank you during my bath. I couldn’t wait to drop these bags in the closet and head straight for the bathroom. As I trudged up the stairs, I thought about what I’d wear tomorrow, my first day of work. I didn’t want anything too fancy. Didn’t want to give off the wrong impression. Besides, folks in social work should really dress the part of the people they’re servicing. We shouldn’t appear unreachable. I just wanted to make an impression on Princess Precious, who’d emailed me informing we’d be meeting later in the morning for my first day of orientation.