A Fight For Love (BWWM Interracial Romance) (3 page)

Soon enough, Taylor had Desiree screaming as he moved in and out of her.

“You. Are. Mine.” He grunted as he slammed into her, almost as if he was using his thrusts to prove his point. She cried out when she felt him thrusting deep into her one last time before collapsing on her. She panted as he held her. Desiree kissed the top of his head as she felt his grip on her wrist loosening. She lay under him motionless for a few minutes before she wrapped her arms around him. She waited to see if he would pull away but he didn’t. She did not know how long they were lying there before she felt his cock slipping out of her. He gave her a long lingering kiss before he pulled away from her and got off the bed. She raised her head as he walked to the bathroom and smiled, the first truly genuine smile that day. She was still looking at him when she noticed it, a scar or something on his back, something she had never noticed before.

“
If that was there previously, I could have seen it. I should have seen it by now,”
she thought as she got off the bed. She walked towards the bathroom and looked at him as he stood under the running water with her back to her. Now that she was that close she could see it. It was not a scar, it was a bruise. A fresh bruise and by the way it looked she could tell that he had sustained an injury that very day or the night before.
“No, this is not what you’re thinking,”
she thought as she pushed thoughts of his unfaithfulness to the back of her mind. There was no way he could hurt her like that…

“
Ericson, what is that?” Desiree asked as she looked at Taylor who was standing with his muscular back to her. Normally, just the sight of him standing under running water was a picture to relish but this time, her eyes never left the bruise.

“
I bumped into a shelf. I was just being silly and not looking where I was going,” Taylor said as he turned around.

“
You bumped into a shelf? Just how low was that shelf? And how exactly did you bump into it? The bruise is on your back!” she asked as she looked into his eyes.

“
I was carrying some supplies and the area was too small for me to turn around. I was doing the whole walking in reverse thing and there was this low shelf. It was one of those supply closets that look like the owner went on randomly adding fixtures until he was satisfied. And then, bam! It happened,” he said as he looked at her. She kept her expression neutral, but she was not convinced and she knew that it was all over her face. He took a step out of the bathroom and took her hand in his before drawing her into the bathroom. “Come here baby. Just stay here with me,” he said as he held her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her as they stood under the running water. “It is nothing for you to lose sleep over,” he said in a whisper. She closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder.

“
If you say so,” she said in a low voice.

“
Well, I do say so,” he said grinning. He slowly loosened his grip around her and caressed the sides of her body. His hands softly brushed against the sides of her breasts. “I am okay,” he said again before he wrapped his arms around her once more.

After they took a shower, all Desiree wanted to do was stay in bed all day and they would have done that too if Taylor didn’t complain of starvation. He wore sweat pants and she wore one of his shirts before they made their way downstairs.

“I don’t know what to call this. It’s too early for lunch and way too late for breakfast, let’s be continental and call it brunch” Taylor said as he took four eggs from the fridge and a bacon pack. Desiree smiled at him.

“
Brunch?” she asked. Taylor looked up at her.

“
My, we’ve become domesticated without even knowing it,” he said.

“
What? All we have to do is make the normal breakfast and some sandwiches. Just make sure you cut the crusts off and voila,” she said as she set the coffee maker.

“
Well, I never thought I would see the day that Taylor Mason Ericson ate anything called brunch,” he said as he beat the eggs in a bowl. Desiree turned around and looked at him.

“
Wait, your middle name is Mason?” she asked.

“
Yeah, why?” he asked as he looked at her.

“
How is it that I never knew that?” She asked as she took two mugs from the cabinet above her head.

“
Well, maybe it is because I am not entirely proud of that name. Mason was my grandfather, a drunk, ignorant, bastard. He was a bit violent from time to time but he was a war vet. People thought he was the best thing since sliced bread but they had no idea what the man behind uniform was like,” he said. “I was proud of the name until I found out what he was like. I kept it on the down- low and, even in service, I was only known as Taylor Ericson,” he said as he fried the eggs and bacon. She looked at him and smiled.

“
The man I know, the Mason who stands in front of me now, is one I am proud to call my man,” she said.

“
That’s a relief because if I was anything like him I would have had you dragged from my truck,” he said.

“
What do you mean dragged? Was he a member of the Klan or something?” she asked.

“
He always said no, but many of the views that he expressed in private were a bit too similar to what the Ku Klux Klan believed. In retrospect, I can’t believe that it seemed so normal at the time,” he said embarrassedly. “The only family I had was my mother and grandmother, and when they died, the military became my new family,” he said.

“
Brothers in arms,” Desiree said. Taylor looked up and smiled.

“
Yeah, brothers in arms. But I now have a new family, one that I would steal, kill or die for,” he said, looking at her intensely. She smiled and then pointed at the pan.

“
I would kiss you but those strips of bacon are about to become too well done,” she said before turning around to pour the coffee.. Taylor served the eggs and bacon onto two plates as Desiree made some toast, before they both made their way to the living room. “So, what’s your plan for today now that you’ve had two cancellations?” she asked as they ate.

“
Nothing much. I do have to run a quick errand but that’s about it,” he said.

“
Cool, I have nothing to do. Maybe I can come with?” she asked.

“
No, I might take a while, maybe a couple of hours even. You could just wait for me here or maybe…I could pick you up at your place when I’m done,” he said. Desiree looked at him and frowned.

“
Don’t you want me to come with you Mason?” she asked in a child-like voice.

“
Don’t call me that,” he said looking at her with mock severity. “But seriously though, you will be bored out of your mind. I am doing you a favor,” he said before he took a bit bite of his crispy bacon.

“
Fine. I’ll go back to the apartment and get a few things,” she said, sipping at the lukewarm coffee. “Do you know when you’ll be back?” she asked.

“
I will be done by nine latest. I’ll let you know if anything changes,” he said.

After eating, they both got dressed and got in the truck. After Taylor dropped her off he kissed her goodbye before he drove off. She was still thinking of Taylor’s bruise when she got to the apartment. Rochelle was still there, as promised, bumming out watching TV. She looked at Desiree when she walked in and smiled.

“You certainly took your time at the Royale,” Rochelle said as her sister walked towards her.

“
I took a detour after seeing Leon. I went to Taylor’s,” she said.

“
I thought you said he was working,” Rochelle said. Desiree took a long deep breath and sat down.

“
I thought so too, but he had cancellations,” she said as she caught a glimpse of the flowers she had asked Rochelle to dispose of earlier. “What the hell, Roch? I thought I told you to get rid of those damn flowers,” she said as she got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen table where Rochelle had put the flowers. She took the flowers, crushed them, and tossed them in the bin with a flourish.

“
Wow, someone is in no mood for flowers today, huh,” Rochelle said awkwardly as she looked at Desiree who was walking towards her. “What exactly happened with Leon? Because I could have sworn that you were in a more positive mood when you left,” she said. Desiree took a deep breath and looked at her.

“
Trust me, my mood is awesome. But it has nothing to do with Leon I think my warning has finally begun to sink into his tiny brain” she said.

“
What warning? Start from the beginning,” Rochelle said confusedly.

“
I went to the Royale. I saw him, and he…” Desiree’s words trailed off as she took another deep breath.

“
What? What did he do?” Rochelle asked, her voice a little too eager.

“
He kissed me,” she finally said. Rochelle’s eyes grew wide.

“
He what?” she asked surprised.

“
You heard me. He slipped his arm around me and pulled me to him and planted a great big smacker full on my lips on me,” Desiree said.

“
Holy shizzle!,” Rochelle said as she looked at her sister. “That guy is one daring playa. I can tell you that,” she said, grinning.

“
Stop speaking like that. I cannot tell you how pissed I am,” Desiree said. “I don’t know what the Hell is wrong with him, Roch. It’s like in his own twisted mind he actually believes that there is a future for us. Apparently that is why he is in the ‘penthouse’,” she added.

“
So, what? Is he getting a divorce or something?” Rochelle asked.

“
That’s what he said. And, as much as he hurt me when he lied to me, a part of me still feels really bad or the pain he’s in,” Desiree said as she looked at Rochelle.

“
So, what are you going to do?” Rochelle asked.

“
I told the delusional wacko I would get a restraining order if he didn’t back off,” Desiree said.

“
And will you? Or were you just telling him that to freak him out?” Rochelle asked. Desiree shook her head and shrugged.

“
I really wish it was just a threat but it’s not. I have to. It’s the only way to ensure that my relationship with Ericson is secure,” she said. Rochelle smiled at her.

“
You know I have not seen you like this since…Leon, and particularly not over a man who sounds like a brand of headphones” she added with a grin.

“
Yes, but it was all a sham, just a fantasy concocted in his mind, I will never be
that
woman’ Desiree said assertively.

“
I know sis. I remember how much you pretended that you were fine, even though I knew you were dying a little every day,” Rochelle said. Desiree smiled fondly at her. She knew exactly what Rochelle was talking about. She had sworn to herself that she would never let her sister see her weakness. That was the only way she could protect her. After all, she owed her sister that much, given their childhood experiences.

“
I had to be strong for you,” Desiree said.

“
I know,” Rochelle said smiling. The two sat there in comfortable silence for a while before Rochelle looked at her. “Can I ask you something?” she asked.

“
Sure,” Desiree said.

“
If Taylor wasn’t a factor. If you had never met him, would you go back to Leon?” Rochelle asked. Desiree shook her head.

“
No, that sick, scum-sucking son of a bitch lied to me. And I could never trust someone like that,” Desiree said. She had asked herself the same question a million times, however, and there were moments she thought that she might go back to Leon because she knew, more than anything, that she once loved that man. And there were days she woke up missing him, but these were intimate secrets, things she could never reveal, particularly not to a gauche young woman who tended to see things in the moral terms of the young. She looked at Rochelle and shrugged. “That’s a part of me that I regret and wish it had never happened, but I have to learn from my mistakes. And the best way to do that is not to think of it, but no, even if Leon and I were the last people on earth and the human race depended on us, I would rather the human race became extinct,” she said. Rochelle smiled.

“
Good for you,” she said, pretending to believe her for the sake of sisterly harmony. “So if you are serious about that restraining order, I know a guy down at the precinct who owes me a favor or two,” she added as she scrolled her phone.

“
A cop? What the hell kind of trouble have you been getting yourself into?” Desiree asked worriedly.

“
Did you think that maybe I might have dated a cop and that is how…no, wait, that doesn’t sound right. Just know this; I was not in any kind of trouble. The guy just owes me a favor,” Rochelle said as she gave Desiree her phone. “That’s his number. His name is Jesse. Just tell him I sent you,” she said. Desiree raised one eyebrow.

“
Do I even want to know?” she asked.

“
Well, depends. How much time do you have on your hands?” Rochelle asked.

“
So, one of those ‘long story’ situations?” Desiree asked as she copied the number onto her own phone.

“
Definitely
one of those. And now, if you will excuse me, Olivia Pope is about to find out that Millie Grant is keeping a grave secret from the president. She has a thing for Andrew, the future vice president,” Rochelle said as she fixed her attention to the TV.

“
Wow, you have been glued to
scandal
for almost a week now. Aren’t you tired with that crap yet?” Desiree asked as she made the call to the cop.

“
Hey, I had two seasons to catch up on,” Rochelle said sulkily. Desiree smiled and got up from the couch and then walked to her room. When the guy picked up, she said exactly what Rochelle had told her and, in polite terms, mentioned the favor. Normally, Desiree was sure that the process would have taken at least a week or two, but Jesse told her to drop by that evening and he would have the order ready. Leon, he promised, would be served in forty eight hours. When she hung up, she lay on her bed and closed her eyes. She was still a little sore from the rough fuck Taylor had given her earlier. She looked at her phone and sighed. It was only half past three and she knew it would be a while before Taylor came for her. She didn’t have anything to do, and she most definitely could not go to work seeing as they had practically forced the leave down her throat. She did not know when she drifted off to sleep.