RONNELL POVBlair’s body shook like a leaf, her teeth clacking against each other as she tried to mask her terror with a forced smile, I grabbed her hands and pulled her close to me.The reason for her panic was clear as day.Tyler, the asshole whose lease I had terminated, had crashed the party, and he had brought with him Blair's mother, the woman who had abandoned her daughter years ago. I knew something was off when she didn't show, but this was a whole new level of wrong. I didn't see this coming, and I didn't like it one bit. A no-show at the bar was bad enough, but this? This was a total shock. I didn't expect this twist, and I definitely wasn't prepared."Don't worry, Princess. I've got this." I pressed a reassuring kiss to her temple. "No one is going to hurt you."I gave her to Mia and Sarah, who enfolded her between them without me having to say a single word. Then I stepped forward to intercept the two unwanted guests, Weston and Mathew, on one side of me, security guard
BLAIR POVWilliam stumbled out of Daniel's hospital room, looking more like a ghost than a man. "Can you believe it?" he muttered, rubbing his face. "Shot in the butt, and still acting like he's on cloud nine. They're taking him in for surgery, but he told them to leave the scar big and bold. He said, and I quote, ' Chicks dig scars.' That guy, he's... unbelievable____."He broke off, and Ronnell didn't hesitate to pull his oldest friend into a tight hug. Sarah stationed herself to the side, rubbing them both up and down their backs. Daniel was going to live. He had been fine. A gunshot to the ass wouldn't stop him for long. But there had been long, harrowing minutes of silence where none of us had known where he had been hit. Okay, firstly we thought it was his chest that got shot because all we saw was blood. So much blood. Daniel had passed out from the pain and blood loss, and I had watched William and Mia crumble. They had fallen to his knees and cried over Daniel's body. Mathe
EPILOGUETWO YEARS LATER“Ronnell, I’m fine___you don't need to follow me everywhere.” Blair muttered in frustration. “I’m sorry if I'm worried about the both of you like a husband and a father should…” Ronnell responded with a cute pout. Even after two years of being together, he still wasn't fed up of his wife, rather he even craved more of her as the day went by.“I know but I need to be free, not caged.” She joked, walking into the kitchen to grab herself more snacks. “The doctor said you will be ready to pop any day now and I want to make sure you don't wonder around and have a baby somewhere unpleasant.”“Pop? You make it sound like I'm carrying a balloon and I know what the doctor said, and I know where I'm going to go but you won't even let me outside the house.” Blair grumbled, grabbing herself some pickles , cheese, tuna, peanut butter and some fresh grilled meat . Ronnell looked at her with an arched eyebrow. “It's not me. It's your child who's making me eat these weird
BLAIR POVThe spring sun shines down like a sword aimed at my own personal gloom. I stepped into the grand adorned ballroom, my heels clicked on the marble floor, and I could feel all eyes on me but I ignored all of it because today was my best friend's engagement party. The chandeliers cast a mocking golden glow on me. A swift wave of insecurity washes over me as I search for my own seat among the set-up round tables.I instantly spotted Ella who stood around some guests, her cheeks flushed with so much excitement. Our eyes coincidentally met, and she gave me a smile and a wave, nearly hoisting a glass of wine in the process. “Blair! I'm very glad that you could make it!” she said as she threw her arms around me, the familiar scent of her perfume instantly easing most of my discomfort. I inhaled more while I tried to relax In her embrace, giddy energy emitting off of her. “Of course, I won't miss this special day of yours for anything. You look absolutely stunning!” I say. “I just
BLAIR POVAn unintentional blush appeared on my cheeks from my spicy thought but a familiar voice hit me out from the thought bringing me back to my present moment. “Blair! Where have you been? I have been looking for you,” Ella gushes, trudging towards us with her very high heels that may eventually cause her blisters. She stood in front of us, ignorant of the tension hanging thick in the air. “What are you both doing here? I have been searching the whole place for you two___the toast is about to start soon.” I blinked my eyes, trying to shake off whatever spell Ronnell had cast on me. “I was about to head back inside,” I say with an unnatural smile. Ella looks at both of us as her eyes tend to reveal her surprise. “You guys already met each other,” she says. “I was actually planning on introducing you both.” She turns her attention back to Ronnell. “I told you she was extraordinary. You should honestly consider her for your business. Trust me, I know exactly what I'm talking abou
RONNELL POVThe sweet smell of Blair's Fragrance stays on my skin, a haunting remembrance of the intimacy we had shared. I closed my eyes to inhale deeply and moved back to the feel of her soft body huddled against mine but she was gone. She had slipped out of the hotel suite earlier that morning, gathered her things, leaving a sweet and tempting kiss on my lips that only tended to tease me every now and then. The memory elicited an unfamiliar ache in my chest. Fuck_ I just can't afford to feel this way about her or any woman. With a frustrated sigh escaping my lips, I slipped out of bed and dragged myself into the bathroom. The cold floor offers a sharp contrast to the warmth I felt on the bed, a welcome distraction as I turned on the shower and stepped under the spray.The water washes away the evidence of our night together, but it also does nothing to ease the deep turmoil in my mind. I shouldn't have given in to the attraction between us. I should have known better but when sh
RONNELL POVI sat in my office, my thoughts still preoccupied with the benefits and drawbacks of hiring Blair. Sure, she has an impressive resume, plus, Ella kept vouching for her but could I trust her to handle the high-pressure world of contract negotiation for my security company? It could get dangerous at times.After all, our intimate night together gave me the impression that she was more delicate than I thought, a stunning sexual being rather than a hot head. And honestly, she seemed too nice, and soft. I could see rivals walking all over her. Ella's words replayed in my mind, snapping me out of my thoughts. “I know that you might be skeptical but Blair here is good at what she does, and you won't regret it!” she had said. So, I relent, exhaling deeply. I make the final decision to give her a shot, to perhaps prove herself. Blair joined me the next day at our meeting, dressed professionally with a determined expression that was work-related. I honestly did appreciate the fact
BLAIR POVThe moment I finished making the call, I walked back to Ronnell's office to notice that he had finished his conversation with Ella. I composed myself while he reviewed my work. Well, mostly. My cheeks still burn at the thought of our first night together, his fingers running through every angle of my body, and the sight of him sitting in front of me right now, looking very gorgeous, made my body quiver.I just couldn't deny the chemistry I felt between us, as much as I might want to. It was foolish of me to think one incredible night with him wouldn't impact things or make our working relationship awkward. Ronnell wheels something deep inside me, a craving I have never known. And it was one that threatens to consume me whole if I'm not careful. “Blair, are you here with us?” Ronnell's voice brought me back from my thoughts. I can't even remember what we had been discussing, and it all thanks to him, he was just too close to me and staring at me with those seductive eyes o
EPILOGUETWO YEARS LATER“Ronnell, I’m fine___you don't need to follow me everywhere.” Blair muttered in frustration. “I’m sorry if I'm worried about the both of you like a husband and a father should…” Ronnell responded with a cute pout. Even after two years of being together, he still wasn't fed up of his wife, rather he even craved more of her as the day went by.“I know but I need to be free, not caged.” She joked, walking into the kitchen to grab herself more snacks. “The doctor said you will be ready to pop any day now and I want to make sure you don't wonder around and have a baby somewhere unpleasant.”“Pop? You make it sound like I'm carrying a balloon and I know what the doctor said, and I know where I'm going to go but you won't even let me outside the house.” Blair grumbled, grabbing herself some pickles , cheese, tuna, peanut butter and some fresh grilled meat . Ronnell looked at her with an arched eyebrow. “It's not me. It's your child who's making me eat these weird
BLAIR POVWilliam stumbled out of Daniel's hospital room, looking more like a ghost than a man. "Can you believe it?" he muttered, rubbing his face. "Shot in the butt, and still acting like he's on cloud nine. They're taking him in for surgery, but he told them to leave the scar big and bold. He said, and I quote, ' Chicks dig scars.' That guy, he's... unbelievable____."He broke off, and Ronnell didn't hesitate to pull his oldest friend into a tight hug. Sarah stationed herself to the side, rubbing them both up and down their backs. Daniel was going to live. He had been fine. A gunshot to the ass wouldn't stop him for long. But there had been long, harrowing minutes of silence where none of us had known where he had been hit. Okay, firstly we thought it was his chest that got shot because all we saw was blood. So much blood. Daniel had passed out from the pain and blood loss, and I had watched William and Mia crumble. They had fallen to his knees and cried over Daniel's body. Mathe
RONNELL POVBlair’s body shook like a leaf, her teeth clacking against each other as she tried to mask her terror with a forced smile, I grabbed her hands and pulled her close to me.The reason for her panic was clear as day.Tyler, the asshole whose lease I had terminated, had crashed the party, and he had brought with him Blair's mother, the woman who had abandoned her daughter years ago. I knew something was off when she didn't show, but this was a whole new level of wrong. I didn't see this coming, and I didn't like it one bit. A no-show at the bar was bad enough, but this? This was a total shock. I didn't expect this twist, and I definitely wasn't prepared."Don't worry, Princess. I've got this." I pressed a reassuring kiss to her temple. "No one is going to hurt you."I gave her to Mia and Sarah, who enfolded her between them without me having to say a single word. Then I stepped forward to intercept the two unwanted guests, Weston and Mathew, on one side of me, security guard
BLAIR POVI had been more of a wreck than I had suspected. It had taken me several minutes to clean up the black tear tracks from my cheeks. Once I was good as new and there was no chance of more tears, I left the restroom, eager to find Ronnell. Hopefully, he was finished with the security. I didn't think I had properly thanked him for the name of the building. Then again, the way I wanted to thank him was better left behind doors. My dress swished around my legs as I strode down the hall. The clinking of glasses and din of conversation swirling with the music from the string quartet grew louder with each step, but as soon as I reached the mouth of the hallway, a man stepped in front of me, stopping me dead in my tracks.“Hey, Blair.”The last time I saw Tyler, he had been making a scene in front of Ronnell's company. We hadn't heard from him since, so I had assumed he had slinked back into the slimy hole he had come from. Apparently not,“Tyler, you shouldn't be here. Ronnell told
BLAIR POVI walked back into the kitchen to find Daniel holding the monitor, and the others were gathered around, intently watching the live feed from the nursery.“Are you spying on my baby?” I teased. “Yes,” Daniel responded unabashedly. “This is cool as hell. You can just watch your kid whenever you want to?”“Of course, I can. I’m not as neurotic about watching him as I used to be, though.”Mia laughed. “Let me guess, Ronnell is?”I grinned. “Uhmmm, he finds it soothing having the monitor really close by.”William shook his head. “Yeah, I can see Ronnell as a total hover father.” When he realized what he had said, that he called Ronnell a father, he clamped his mouth shut. “Hey, it's fine,” I assured him. “He is absolutely a hover father, but I like it. It makes me feel not so crazy.” Daniel turned the sound up to listen in on Ronnell and Emmanuella talking. “Can I be aunt Emmanuella already?” “Yeah, that would be alright with me and Blair.” Emmanuella sighed. “I think you s
RONNELL POVDinner was easy and totally stress free. Frankie was babysitting Nathan upstairs, and as much as I loved my son very much, I had to admit having adult time was a very nice change.After we ate, Blair went upstairs to feed Nathan before we left for the party while the rest of us cleaned up. There wasn't much to clean up since we had ordered in, but there were a few dishes and utensils.Emmanuella held up a plastic container. “Do you recycle or do you keep these for spare storage?”“You can recycle.” I opened a cabinet to show her the stack of take out containers we had kept. “we have tons of collections.”Her eyes flared. “Oh my God. Ronnell! Don't tell me you do not cook for my best girl? Don't you know that you are suppose to cook for your girlfriend. I and my Fiancee are terrible cooks, but he's marginally better, so he insists on doing most of the cooking. Blair deserve that amount of treatment too.”“She does deserve it, you are right.” I lifted a shoulder, unbothered.
BLAIR POVThe day of reckoning finally arrived. Smith was due in town, and we had to confront him with the truth: Ronnell, not him, was Nathan's father. We'd exchanged a few text messages over the past week, but each day had brought a growing unease. Something about this whole situation felt... off.Perhaps, I was nervous because I had left him believing that he was the father of Nathan. Ronnell came into the room carrying Nathan. He had learned to blow raspberries recently and hadn't honestly stopped showing off his new skill. Anyone who came within arms reach of him instantly became drenched in his saliva, but nothing dettered Ronnell. When he saw his new trick, he proclaimed him a super genius and didn't even blink when he drenched his shoulder with his drool. “He hasn't replied yet?” Ronnell questioned patting Nathan softly on the back. “No.” I held up my phone. “I guess he is busy saving the world to reply but he's a notoriously bad texter, so…”I hadn't heard from Smith for a
BLAIR POVRonnell offered me my job back, and I happily accepted. I was relieved to learn he hadn't let go of his new assistant; instead, he transferred her to another department. I sat down at my desk, unable to keep the satisfied smile off my face. Being in love and being loved back made my mundane, everyday tasks feel a lot less tedious.I was so excited to be back to the office and my desk. As I pulled my belongings from the neatly stacked box, I noticed a small tear in the cardboard. To my surprise, the tampon inside had been jostled loose and was now upside down and facing the wrong way.My palms were sweaty as I picked up the envelope. The papers inside were scattered and rumpled, and a cold dread washed over me. Someone had been searching through my things. The only person who had been in the office and could go through my stuff was Ronnell. Had he found my papers?But…but… he hadn't even mentioned it to me, and we had barely even spent a second apart from each other yesterda
RONNELL POV I didn't want to miss more of this so I wrapped my arms around her middle as my shoulders shook, I clung to her with a franticness that didn't make sense but felt real nonetheless. “Fuck, Ronnell,” she whispered. “You don't need to feel bad because everything is okay. We understand each other now.” Lowering herself to the bench, her knees on the outside of my hips, she held my face in her hands gently. I should have been mortified by the tears I had let loose, but she pressed her lips to each one, never asking where they had come from or why they were even there. She kissed them away. Just like that.My Blair. My princess.Her fingers stroked through my wet hair, and her lips slid along my cheeks, soothing me, caring for me in the way only she could.“I love you, Ronnell.” She murmured. “I have cared for you for a long time, even when you drove me mad, but I think it started to turn into love when I walked into my bedroom after you let me sleep all night and there you