Page 51 of Pieces of Us

“What is she? Like your maid or something?”

He chuckled. “I wouldn’t exactly label her as that. Leann is like my house mother. She makes sure everything runs smoothly while I’m away, and sometimes, she’ll cook if I keep late hours at the hospital.”

“House mother sounds like you’re running a brothel.”

He chuckled again. “Nah, Leann’s like a mom to me and my sisters. She takes care of all of our homes and gets in our asses when we do something we know will get on her nerves. She’s been a nice sub since Queenie passed.”

“You know…using words likehouse motherandsubwould give people the wrong impression.”

His eyes smoldered when he looked at me, and my panties instantly flooded. Nehemiah had always been fine to me, but the older version of him was beautiful. The facial hair, the tattoos, his chiseled face and refined muscles had me swooning even more than I had been back in the day. That one look let me know that he was yearning to damage my insides.

I knew it was wrong to want him while I was still married, but I was on the road to divorcing Justin’s ass. I would still feel wrong if I let Nehemiah have me. I may not have been a saint, but I did respect the Word enough to know not to eat from the fruit of Nehemiah’s tree, even though that tree was very tempting.

“You ain’t ready for this grown man dick, Morgan. The shit I’d do to you would have you paying for the papers to be signed by morning.”

“Hemi,” I whispered, closing my eyes and thighs tightly.

He stepped closer to me, taking my chin between his fingers and tracing his tongue along the line of my bottom lip.

“You…You can’t talk to me like that.”

“Why?”

“I’m not strong enough not to want to experience the grown you,” I admitted.

He smirked. “At the end of the day, the day gotta end, Mo. And its gon’ end with you on this dick.”

“Oh God.” My head fell into his chest as I laughed.

“Come on before my daughter comes looking for you and find you touching your toes in this hallway.”

I laughed as I followed him down the hall.

Nehemiah

Meeting my daughter was like a breath of fresh air. I hated that I had to meet her in her teens, but she made things feel so effortless. When they first arrived, I was nervous about how she would react to me; however, she made me feel as if no time had passed between us at all.

After dinner, we went into my game room and played air hockey, hot shot, and virtual reality games on the Meta Quest 2. I may have been grown, but I was still a kid at heart. It was why I became a pediatrician in the first place. There was something about a child’s innocence that made me see life through their eyes and appreciate the moments when I was able to be a kid.

Sometime during our game of GTA, Morgan had disappeared with Leann, leaving us to our vices. Once I beat her for the third time, she gave up and we decided to go get dessert. We were currently in the kitchen making sundaes while Morgan was still missing in action.

“Did you always want to be a doctor?” she asked, scooping ice cream from the carton and putting it into her bowl.

“Yup. I always loved helping people, mainly children.”

“That’s so cool. My dad is a sports attorney. I was able to meet some of the celebrities he worked for.”

My heart sank as I swallowed the pain that hit my chest. She shouldn’t be calling that nigga her daddy. I was her father. But as it stood, I couldn’t do anything to change what she was accustomed to.

“That’s what’s up,” I replied after a long pause.

Her eyes came to me as she laid her head on my shoulder. “I know you feel a way about me calling him my dad. But I can’t stop calling him that because he’s all I’ve ever known.”

I shook off my emotions and turned to face her. “Listen, baby girl. I would never try to come in between what you and him have established together. He’s been there when I couldn’t be. Do I feel cheated? Yes. But the fact that you’re giving me a chance to make up for the time we lost makes me very happy.

“Don’t ever feel like you need to filter yourself when you’re acknowledging him. Don’t mind me. I’m just trying to sort everything out and be the best father I can be to you.” She smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around me. “Now, the next time you come to visit me, I want you to meet your grandfather and your aunts.”

Her eyes lit up. “I have aunties?”

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