Prologue

Sade

Then…

“Majesty—-”

It was ten minutes before showtime when the sound of my stage name jolted me to attention.

“Yeah?” I blinked.

Through the reflection in the vanity, I saw nothing but toffee colored ass and titties.

Silk stood at the door of the dressing room, smirking at me. “Your pastor friend is back.”

A lump formed in my throat.

I cleared it down quickly.

“Where?”

“In the lobby,” she replied, fixing her black and silver floss. “You know he ain’t going no further.” Her words gave me pause.

She was right.

So right, my smirk became bigger than hers.

“Tell him that if he wants to see me, book a private room.”

Silk nodded, leaving me alone while I went back to beating my face.

There were still three more steps to complete in my makeup routine, and I was cutting it close.

Minutes passed, and soon, the misting of setting spray and two layers of perfume signaled that I was ready.

Making money for my own salon was the only objective for the night. Even if everyone in the establishment thought I should be home. 

Forcing my jaw to relax, I pulled the mini red mesh skirt over my matching thong.

Didn’t matter who thought I wasn’t ready to come back to work yet.

One look at me, and they’d change their minds.

“I’m G-Ville’s finest,” echoed in my head.

The baddest thing walking. I don’t fold. I handle business.

As the mantras embellished my courage, reality shot it back down.

“Majesty—-” The door opened again.

Annoyed, my head whipped around.

But the look on Silk’s face made my stomach drop.

“He’s in room 7.”                                                                                                    

 

I turned the golden knob of room 7, holding my breath.

The music was on.

All along the walls hung gold-framed portraits of black bodies enjoying each other. Some kissing.

Some touching.

And some did things that should’ve made the man sitting in the chair before me blush.

But he didn’t.

He sat like he owned the room.

Long legs open, shoulders forward, hands loosely folded, pensive eyes dragging over me at his own pace.

My breath caught.

Out of all the men and women who’ve seen me dress like this, it was only he who made me feel exposed.

But he couldn’t know that.

This man came up in here smelling like crossed boundaries.

And crossed boundaries, he certainly did. Because I told them to stay out of Bawdy Gentlemen’s Club the first time he came sniffing behind me.

He wasn’t leaving without an intense reminder. 

I got into character.

As Majesty began to take over, K Camp sang about feeling like the girl of his interest owes him some pussy. I committed the lyrics to memory as my hand slowly dimmed the light.

It was already dark. But, still…

“If you wanted to see what I was working with, you should’ve made a house call, Pastor.” His sneakers slid back.

Muscles coiled, he started to rise—-

“Stay seated.” 

The rule at Bawdy was simple. You don’t listen, you leave.

If he didn’t obey them, he was out of here.

He hesitated, then his knees got wider instead.

Jaw clenched, he settled back into his seat.

“Dae—-”

My voice cut through smooth as wine. “I thought I told you not to come back here looking for me.” 

In six-inch stilettos, I crossed the floor.

Low effort. Just my buttery legs along with the illusion of sex.

The closer I got, the more he started to explain.

Eyes locked on my thighs, he licked his lips.

“I went by the house…”

Between his knees is where I stopped.

The thick muscle of his covered thigh rubbed against my skin.

“Why would I be there?” I grinned slowly.

I placed his hands on my waist.

His fingers twitched.

Conflict etched all over his handsome face.

Dark eyes narrowed behind his frames.

His bottom lip?

Softly tucked between his teeth.

“Dae, your dude just got pop—“

“I was there, baby.” Interrupting him, I backed up, running my fingers over his knees.

His hands dropped from my waist.

Capturing my own, he gazed into my eyes.

“I care about you, Dae,” he rasped tenderly. “Talk to me.” But I didn’t want to talk.

I wanted to feel… anything other than pain.

Slipping my hands away, I began to circle him like prey.  “Did you tell your fiancée how you feel about me, Pastor?” I stopped behind him, leaning over his left shoulder.

He smelled like everything I needed to relieve the pain in my heart.

He was perfect.

All that I’d ever want in a man.

But he wasn’t mine.

Couldn’t be mine, so— “I’m not a Pastor, Dae.”

“Mmm,” my fingers rubbed down his chiseled chest.

Closing his eyes, he released a low groan of restraint.

“But you will be.” I whispered in his ear. “And soon, you’ll have your First Lady.” When I faced him again, his eyes were heavy.

He was exhausted.

And it wasn’t just physically, either.

“You know they arranged it.”

His response earned him the back of me.

The parts he didn’t yet see.

“I only want you.”

Then he spoke again. “I’ll only marry you.” His words hollowed me.

The Weeknd’s “Gone” faded in.

I fought back tears and swallowed hard.

To the beat of the song, my hips wound suggestively.

Shoulders followed suit, my entire body getting into the chorus and riding the beat.

“Dae.”

I took my skirt off mid-dance.

“You should be home.”

My thighs opened wider, booty quaking like water as the strings to my bralette came loose. “I’m not here for—“ He was tongue-tied.

There was no other way for him to be at that moment.

I was bent over in his face, cheeks colliding with every pulse of the bass.

His hands were on me.

They weren’t aggressive.

More like he didn’t believe I was real.

“Dae,” his voice sounded strained.

I wanted to make him feel better, so I sat on his lap.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that feeling better wasn’t his problem at all.

I bit my lip and braced on his knees.

“You should be home.” He grunted when my soft met his hard. 

“For what?” I whispered back.

I didn’t hear music anymore.

Just our heartbeats as I ground on top of him.

“To process…” he breathed in my ear.

Our pulses syncing should’ve scared me.

But even then, I was aware of the unexplainable hold we had on each other.

“If I do, I’d be in the awful position of having to love that man back,” I explained, head falling on his chest.

“You want that for me?” I panted.

He didn’t answer right away.

Just slid his arms across my abdomen, pulling me closer.

My body ignited. My nipples tightened against him.

“I want you for me.” He murmured in my ear.

My eyes fluttered shut, but I steadied myself.

Swiveled right in his lap.

Legs straddling him, my hands locked on his knees.

I wound my hips against him. “Take me. Right here.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

He licked his lips, starting rubbing on my butt as I worked.

So I didn’t listen to him. 

I took things further.

“If you wanna touch something, touch this,” I whispered, moving one of his hands between my legs.

He felt the arousal I always got when I saw him.

I didn’t have to beg him to make me feel better after that.

We crossed the line.

I’d had sex with one of my brother’s best homies.

And to this day, nothing has ever fit inside me like that.

It was large.

And delicious.

And I was small and reckless.

Soaked, he still wasn’t in all the way.

I could tell he didn’t want to hurt me.

And that maybe it was a sign.

If he didn’t go all the way in, we would still be in the clear.

He was far too much man for the space between my thighs anyway.

But still—

“D-Lo… I need it,” I whimpered.

He shifted beneath me, lifted his hips, and I was full——straight through my chest. “Like that?” he groaned into my neck.

My head fell back.

Eyes rolled.

I wanted to tell this man, hell yes.

Wanted to scream it all the way to Beech Mountain. But he moved again, deeper, harder this time He stole my breath, and every thought with it.

His name fell apart on my tongue. “Dominiiiic…”

The music blurred. The room blurred.

There was only heat. The sound of skin colliding. And him.

He tongued me like he loved me.

Like he thought I was something special he’d waited his whole life to have.

“Let me take care of you.” He whispered against my lips.

My mouth parted.

Choked on a moan. “D-Dommm—-” He pulled back.

He had tears in his eyes.

“Come home with me,” he grunted, bouncing me to H-Town. “It’s where you belong.” Home.

That word sounded foreign all my life.

Until he said it.

Dominic didn’t rush.

Didn’t treat me like something to conquer or abuse.

He held me. Worked me. Moved with me until the pooling in my belly shattered.

And when it broke, the pleasure overtook us both.

He put me back together.

Kissed my lips like we weren’t in a strip club.

Like we had nowhere else to be.

Like we could be who we are, together, outside of the four walls.

Then, when he pulled me into his chest, those thoughts got louder.

I almost sat here and imagined it for myself.

And that’s when the fear crept in.

“Where you going?” he asked softly when I slipped from his lap.

“I’m—I have to go.”

He sat up, adjusting his pants, confusion shadowing his face. “We need to talk, Dae.” My legs trembled as I pulled my skirt back on. “This shouldn’t have happened.” It shouldn’t have felt that right.

I grabbed the nearest towel, wrapped it around myself, and headed for the door before I could look at him again.

Because if I did… I would’ve seen the hurt in his eyes.