own.â
âBut what if it isnât? What if DNA proves otherwise?â
âDo you plan to stay with him . . . if the kid is his?â
âNo. No way. Thatâs not happening.â
âThen itâs settled. I can be that childâs father. We can be together. And you will never have to worry about me not treating you well. Youâre my lady now, Kiara.â
âOkay then,â she whispered. âIâm your lady.â
She waved at him and drove off in a daze.
Love could be beautiful but wasnât it also risky and unpredictable? Yet Kiara needed love. She told herself not to be afraid, and to get to know Eddy on an even deeper level; because in spite of her reservations, she could picture herself falling deeply for him. And if that happened, she would have to conquer her demons and claim him as hers before another woman did; for she definitely didnât want him to be the one that got away.
Chapter 4
Coming with the Territory
A ll Thanksgiving weekend, while Kiara hung out with Eddison, Nicole Greene was determined to bond with Myles.
When Kiara first banned Rashad from their house, he stayed at the Hampton Inn for a couple of weeks. It cost over two grand, and even with a forty-two-inch flat screen and free wifi, his room felt lonely, freezing cold, and sterile, and he wanted to punch holes in the walls. So when Nicole told him he was crazy for staying at a motel and assured him that sheâd cook his meals, wash his clothes, and save him a lot of money, he quickly took her up on her offer.
Rashad was now shacking with Nicole in her rented house on the west side of Houston. It felt good for her to wake up with her future baby daddy in her bed, something she planned to experience permanently. And early on Black Friday, instead of shopping at the mall, Nicole had spent hours cleaning the entire house until it was spotless.
Mid-morning, when the little boy arrived with his dad and stepped inside the corridor of Nicoleâs home, she graciously welcomed him as if he were the Prince of Wales.
âWell, hello there with your little handsome self.â She warmly greeted him and practically curtsied. Myles gave her a curious stare then strutted into the house, eyeballing everything.
Nicole followed him and anxiously held her breath. It would be his first time staying overnight with her and Rashad and she wanted everything to go well.
When Myles had been shown to his room and began to unpack his overnight bag, Nicole wrung her hands and could barely keep still. She already knew Myles was very observant and outspoken. Even though she was the adult, she felt she had to be on her best behavior.
âHowâs it going, Myles? I hope you like the room youâre staying in,â she said to butter him up.
âIâm good.â He tossed his clothes on the bed. âIâm sure Iâll like it.â
âOkay then. If you need anything, be sure to ask me or your father.â
âI know that already.â
âAll righty then.â She grinned so hard her cheeks hurt. Myles abruptly raced from the bedroom and went to look for his father, who had carried into the house a kidsâ plate meal from Steak ân Shake.
âTake your shoes off please,â Nicole called after Myles, but she wasnât sure he heard her.
âIn time,â she assured herself. âThis fairy-tale type of shit takes time.â
A couple hours later, Myles screamed that he was hungry again. Nicole was about to remove the half-eaten turkey and a container of dressing from the refrigerator. But Rashad informed her that he was sick of holiday leftovers. She dropped everything she was doing and rushed out the door on a fresh grocery run. She returned home and made Myles a grilled cheese sandwich to tide him over. Then she baked some chicken and prepared fresh cauliflower and broccoli and wild rice.
Once she fixed all of their plates, everyone sat at the long table with