Page 36 of The Smoke Hour

“You knew I wouldn’t give you that money without conditions. Look, you weren’t a viable risk at all. No one else was willing to take the risk on you.”

“How do you know that?”

“People talk, Kaifiya. I have several connections in our business community. I was aware before you came to me that you were in trouble. The banker at your bank is my brother-in-law. He’s married to my sister.”

“Lloyd Rogers?”

“Yes.”

“He had no right!” I exclaimed and pushed my plate away from me.

We were in a private dining room at Rooftop, an upscale restaurant in Cherokee Springs.

“He didn’t, but it didn’t matter. In the end, family is family, and we talk business. A couple of other people you approached shared with me that you had approached them as well and informed me that I might want to look into your financial situation. Since I invested in other small businesses to build my portfolio, they thought that I might be able to help you. Your shop alone wasn’t worth the risk, but you, as a suitable partner, were. A man gets lonely at night and tired of going to dinner parties alone. I had hoped that we could build a beautiful union, Kaifiya.”

I sighed and blew out my breath. “So, you were preying on me before I even approached you.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it that.”

“Then what would you call it, Terry?”

“Valuation. Determining the worth of your company as an asset. But I found you to be a much more valuable asset on my team as an individual, and I was willing to pour into your company to make that happen.”

I shook my head and laughed dryly. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I muttered under my breath.

“Kaifiya, that’s another thing that will need to change.”

“What do you mean another thing? What needs to change?”

“Your dedication to your little hobby. We’ll hire some help to run the shop, and you can spend time helping me cultivate the business partnerships that I need. I’m on a shortlist to run for congress in a couple of years, and I need a wife to host parties and attend functions with me. Obviously, you’ll need to change your language. Once I’m elected, you can focus on growing our family. That’s your job.”

Terry stood up and dragged his chair around to sit beside mine. He stretched his hand out and cupped my face. When he leaned in and tried to kiss me, I turned away.

“You’re about to be my wife tomorrow, sweetheart. I haven’t kissed you, nor have I tasted you. That all changes tonight, Kaifiya.”

“You promised that we could wait until the wedding,” I replied, turning my head abruptly back to meet his gaze.

He sighed. “I changed my mind. I want to feel you tonight. A man has needs, and he can only hold off but for so long.”

“What’s one more night, Terry?”

“You’re testing my patience, Kaifiya. I’ve done a lot, and you’ve given me nothing in return.”

Terry palmed my breast and leaned in again. He pressed his wet lips against mine and tried to kiss me. My body instantly rejected him as I felt the vomit rise in my throat. I pulled back and quickly turned away. I grabbed my napkin and pressed it against my mouth to contain what had returned from my dinner.

“Am I that vile to you?” he asked.

“No. It must have been something that I ate,” I lied.

“Good. Because tonight, I’m making you mine.”

“I don’t really feel well, Terry.”

He smiled and wiped my lips with his thumb. “It’s okay. You don’t have to suck my dick tonight. We can save that for tomorrow. Tonight, I just want to bury myself between those beautiful thighs. Let me call the waiter so we can head back to my place.”

“Terry, you can’t just gloss over the things that you said by discussing sex.”

“What things?”

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