Authors: Violet Williams
Do Not Disturb 2 (8 page)
Jake shook her outstretched hand. He still had another day on the hill, another day to collect himself before he saw his parents. But deep down, he knew that he'd never have enough time to prepare for the showdown. It was just a matter of minimizing collateral damage, and remembering that at the end of it all, they would leave, and he'd still have Keisha.
Chapter Eleven
Keisha
Maria bounced Caleb on her hip, repeating her disapproval for the fifth time that night. "Am I the only one that thinks this is crazy?"
To be honest, no, she wasn't. Keisha had carried her frustration for the past few days, trying to channel it into unpacking boxes and preparing their new home. The first floor was almost completely finished-she and Maria had painted the living room a deep mahogany, contrasting with the tan sofa and glass coffee tables, and put up muted art that decorated the room and really brought it all together. The kitchen had been easy, just adding a statement piece here and there, a pop of color, a vase of fresh flowers.
And as far as dinner, everything was damn near perfect. She'd managed to not overcook the rotisserie chicken, the mashed potatoes smelled divine, the green beans were blanching and the apple pie she'd made from scratch was cooling.
She'd put on her war paint, wearing makeup that she only put on for special occasions, and even donned a 50's style dress that she'd found thrifting. The cream color was conservative, yet accentuated her dark skin.
But when she stood still, and thought about the fact that she was letting a man who'd insulted her countless times and tried to derail her relationship, and his wife with her cold, condescending smile, she couldn’t stop the combination of anger and nerves that made her body shake.
Maria shot her a look. "Is that why Jake hasn't been seen all day? Why you've broken four plates today? Why you've got that painful smile on your face?"
Keisha licked her lips, the sides of her mouth aching. It was painful--and all she could do to not lose her shit. But they needed a cease fire. A truce. They had to come to some sort of middle ground because she and Caleb were a part of Jake's life now, but so were his parents. They had to find a way to coexist.
Almost on cue, the doorbell dinged...and Keisha lost it. Her heart raced, running a million miles a minute as her chest heaved up and down. Her hands felt clammy, sticking to the apron as she wiped them on the starch fabric, trying to steel herself. It wasn't working because she started shaking. What the hell had she been thinking? She couldn't do this. She couldn't face them.
"Why did I invite them?" Keisha wailed. "They hate me, they hate my son and-"
Maria took a step forward, her voice firm. "Esta bien." She took her free hand and placed it on Keisha's shoulder, steadying her. "You're a good woman, and a good mother. No matter what those rich pricks say, you're not lucky to have them—they’re lucky to have you."
"But-"
"No buts," Maria cut in. "You can do this." She gave her a mischievous smile. "And you'll thank me for this later, but I'm gonna go grab that door."
Keisha's dark eyes went wide with horror. "N-No I’m not ready. I’m not-"
But she was gone, sauntering to the foyer. Keisha had no choice but to get it together. She put on her game face, putting everything else on the back burner. She couldn't let them see weakness or they'd eat her alive.
The door swung open and Barbara breezed in. She was decked out in a crisp white shirt, blazer and jeans. Her gray hair fell in soft waves around her pensive face. She slapped on a smile as fake as Keisha's.
"Keisha, dear!" she gushed. "This place is simply beautiful." She pivoted toward Maria. "If you could assist my husband? He brought a couple of gifts for everyone."
Keisha had to stifle the laughter that rose in her throat, but Maria didn't hold back.
"Your husband can get his own damn bags." Maria looped the diaper bag over her shoulder and cast a final look over her shoulder. "Me and Caleb will be back later."
Barbara just stood in the doorway, confounded. She cradled a bottle of wine in her arms, watching Maria march past before turning her attention back to Keisha.
"That was my friend," Keisha said quietly. She bridged the gap between them, extending her hand for the wine. "She's watching Caleb for a little bit so we can all talk."
The older woman's high cheekbones flushed as she let out a giggle. "My mistake." She was quick to forget the offense, pushing past Keisha into the living room. She oohhed and aahhed, but Keisha knew in the back of her mind she thought she was slumming it.
"This place is, uh, really quaint!" she said cheerfully, panning in slow motion.
Keisha couldn't help but put her on blast a little, considering the drama she and her husband had dished out. "Oh? What do you like best?"
Barbara fidgeted, her hands toying with her pearl necklace. After a moment she cleared her throat, gesturing at the sectional. "That's a really pretty brown, uh, tan, cream color."
"Thank you." Keisha gave her a curious look as the woman began to hop from foot to foot, unable to stay still or meet Keisha's gaze. If Keisha didn’t know any better, she’d think Barbara was nervous. “Everything okay?”
“Y-yes,” Barbara said quickly, rubbing her hands together. She was still doing the rocking thing and it was looking more and more like the pee pee dance as time passed. Where was the icy, calm, and collected woman she’d met in Winterhorn a month ago?
When she took a step toward Jake’s mother, she turned several shades grayer. Keisha shook her head slowly, bristling at the woman’s reaction. “I’m not gonna knock you out, Barbara.”
The woman let out a gasp of relief. When she took in Keisha’s insulted glance, she pressed on. “I mean, I know you’re not gonna hurt me thought I would understand if you wanted to do me harm after what Conrad-”
The clap of the front door slamming shut cut into her explanation and a flare of anger rippled across Keisha. As hurtful as Barbara’s reception had been when they met, it paled in comparison to Conrad’s tireless efforts to put her relationship six feet under.
The man was dressed in a stormy gray shirt and olive slacks but with the look of consternation he might as well have been wearing camo. He unloaded his packages onto the dining room table unceremoniously and it solicited a desire to chunk a plate or two at his head. Maybe Barbara had a reason to be worried.
Barbara was the first to move, quickly trying to diffuse the ticking bomb as Keisha and Conrad squared off, each daring the other to make the first move. She pushed a silver tendril from her eyes as she sprung to gather the packages and straighten the placement and centerpiece Conrad upended.
“C-Connie! I was just telling Keisha how excited we were about dinner.” She fluffed a bow on one of the package. “And how we appreciate her reaching out so we can all find middle ground.”
Keisha expected him to say something, anything to make up for what he’d done, but he just stood there, infuriatingly stoic. She had to get out of there, take a breath. And besides, where was Jake? Fifteen minutes ago he’d claimed he was wrapping up an email. “I’m just gonna head upstairs and-”
Barbara whirled around, clapping her hands together. “Jake!”
For a moment, everything else faded to black when Keisha saw him. He was wearing the cerulean shirt she loved that made his deep eyes hypnotizing. But it was the hint of a smile that gave her strength. The curled lip that told her this was definitely crazy. And when he joined her side and placed a strong hand on the small of her back, it told her that thick or thin, even if this dinner became a self-fulfilling prophecy and ended disastrously, they’d weather it together.
She caressed his cheek and brought her lips to his, planting a kiss and drinking him in. When she took a step back, he pulled her back in with an aggressiveness that took her breath away and made her yearn for him. After another brush of the lips that left her body tingling, Conrad cleared his throat.
“We certainly didn’t come here to watch you two claw at each other like horny teenagers,” he grumbled.
His icy tone shook Keisha from her stupor. She bit back her retort and instead extricated herself. She flashed the sweetest smile she could manage. “I’m gonna check on the chicken.”
“No.” His voice was a whip, planting Keisha in place.
“Honey,” Barbara squeaked. “You said you’d try-“
He shook his head, all the poise and dignity melting away. He had the same eyes as her Jake, the same aristocratic nose. But where she saw only love in Jake’s opals, there was contempt in Conrad’s. Where she felt the curve of Jake’s nose as he nuzzled her, she saw only arrogance. She’d been nothing but respectable to the man and he treated her like gum on the bottom of his overpriced loafers.
“How dare you,” Keisha hissed, no longer able to hold her peace. “I invite you here, try to extend an olive branch, and you have the nerve to order me around?”
Barbara pushed forward. “Keisha, he didn’t mean-”
“Oh I can assure you,” Conrad snarled, “I meant what I said. I’m not gonna sit here and eat at this table and pretend this union is anything but a joke.” He turned his vitriol to Jake. “You’ve done some stupid things, but you have truly outdone yourself now. I will not allow you to destroy this family’s name for a warm hole.”
Tears of fury burned Keisha’s eyes as she clenched and unclenched her fists. She’d never wanted to hit someone, hurt them so bad. And he was ripe for the taking. Barbara had even shuffled to the side, moving out of the line of fire.
Keisha took a step forward, her hand shaking, every bone preparing. Waiting. She looked into his hardened face, his perfectly disgusted scowl. She saw Holden, when she told him she was keeping the baby. She saw her mother, telling her that a baby would ruin her life. She saw Carmen, bemused when Keisha told her she was working to get her degree. In his lines of anger, judgment, she saw every person that tried to keep her down and tried to control her. If she hit him, he would win. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. It would hurt more than any insult he could hurl her way.
She breathed in deep and when she exhaled, she squared her shoulders. “Get the hell out of my house.”
The surprise on his face was delicious. He quickly gathered himself, turning to Jake. “Are you gonna let her talk to me like that?”
Keisha gripped his hand. She had to woosah through it, but Jake was a hot head. The last thing she wanted, or his campaign needed, was Jake getting arrested for aggravated assault.
But instead of knocking him out, Jake calmly stood his ground. “You heard what she said. You’re no longer welcome here.”
A sob escaped from Barbara’s lips, but she didn’t try to dissuade him. Without another word, she gathered the boxes and spun on her heels toward the door. Conrad was still livid, but he realized it was a losing battle and followed his wife from the room.
She shoved him back playfully and turned to the remnants of dinner. “Well, at least we’ll have lots of leftovers.” She turned to the glistening chicken on the stove. “You wanna eat something now?”
“You’re everything to me,” Jake said softly. “In you, I found more than love. I found a family. A future. I see forever in you.” He licked his lips. “And I don’t wanna waste one more minute, Keisha. I want forever to start right now.” His eyes bore into her as he said four words that changed everything. “Will you marry me?”
About the Author
Violet Williams is a writer living in the Greater Sacramento area, saving the world via erotic tales…one e-reader at a time.
Join her in the gutter:
http://violetwilliamserotica.wordpress.com
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Available Works by Violet Williams for the Kindle
Taboo Erotica
Daddy and Me (A Taboo Collection)
A Taboo Tale Trilogy
A Forbidden Tryst (A Taboo Tale, #1)
A Family Affair (A Taboo Tale, #2)
A Family Fornication (A Taboo Tale, #3)
Brother Sister Sex Series
