Chapter 16

Sixteen

Neo

A Few Hours Later

I was starvingand couldn't wait to finish dinner. Fasting for Merc wasn't in my plans, but I felt led to do it. Merc had been nothing but good to me since the night we met, and seeing him in so much pain because of Aries and his son cracked my heart. So I'd been fasting, and it was finally over. I wanted to break my fast with something light, but I'd been craving bread for the past two days. As I lightly seasoned the marinara sauce that was simmering on the stove, I felt Merc's eyes on me. He'd been staring at me all googly eyed today, and I wasn't sure why.

Turning to face him, I chuckled. "You're being weird."

"Me?" he confirmed, making me laugh again.

"Yeah, you. Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face?"

"Just beauty."

With a bashful roll of my eyes, I turned and stirred the sauce. I was going to top it with loads of parmesan and mozzarella cheese and eat it with homemade garlic toast before getting started on dinner. Merc always cooked for me and others, so I wanted to cook for him. I wasn't sure what I was going to cook yet, but he had chicken thighs, ground beef, and shrimp thawed, so it would be something with one of those.

"Don't flirt with me," I requested softly.

"Why not?"

"Because we're just friends."

He stood and made his way behind me as I removed the toast from the oven.

"Were we just friends when you were cumming on my dick and asking for more?"

Just the thought had my pussy leaking. It had been hell abstaining from food and him, but I was sure it was worth it. Besides, I didn't want us being confined here to blur the line of friendship drawn between us more than it already was.

"That was a onetime slip; it won't happen again."

"What if I want it to?" He turned me to face him. "Again and again."

Between the heat from the stove and the heat from his body, my breathing grew ragged.

"I'm not sure what's going on with you, but we agreed to be friends."

"Things change."

When I tried to walk around him, his arms gripped the oven handle and locked me in place. Closing my eyes, I pulled in a deep breath.

"You're right, things do change. And now, I never want to be with a man who has children who aren't mine again. So… cut whatever is on… off."

Merc chuckled and licked those sexy, juicy lips. Lord knew I was trying my hardest to maintain control, but the longer he stared at me with those tight, dark eyes, the more willing I was to submit to whatever it was he wanted.

"I ain't nothing like that nigga. I ain't been a cheater, and I for damn sure won't start with you." Finally, he dropped his arms and put some space between us. "You were patient with me, though, so I'll be patient with you."

I would accept that for now because I was sure when we were able to go our separate ways that whatever he was feeling would wear off. I stacked the toast up and put it on a plate then put the sauce in a round foil pan and topped it with the cheese. After a few minutes in the oven on broil, it was perfect. Once I had everything set up on the island, I poured us both a glass of wine. He said grace for what we would eat now and later, then we dug in.

"If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?" I asked between bites.

"Orlando with my son. What about you?"

"Heaven Can Wait." His brows wrinkled, causing me to laugh softly and elaborate. "It's a vacation property in Knysna, South Africa."

"Oh, okay. Have you been there before?"

"No. I went to Africa on a mission trip when I was a teenager, but it was with family and a few members of my church. It's been popping up on my TikTok and looking like the perfect escape from everything back home. Have you been to Africa before?"

"Yeah, I've been to Zimbabwe. I want to take Marz eventually, but this Heaven Can Wait place sounds cool too."

I grabbed my phone and showed it to him, and he was just as amazed as I was. "Can you imagine going to sleep and waking up to a view like this?"

"Damn. I'd never want to leave."

"I know, right?" I agreed with a giggle.

We continued to talk about the places we'd traveled to and experiences we had, which led to us talking about future plans, goals, and motivations. I admired the fact that he wanted to distance himself from not just illegal organizations but dangerous security jobs too. Even if it was for Marz's sake, everyone in Merc's life would benefit from it, because they'd have the peace of mind that came from knowing his every day job wasn't putting his life on the line.

"So what do you plan to do now?" I asked as we wrapped up our little snack.

"I want to open a training academy. I have a group call scheduled with a few of my guys tomorrow, actually. If I can get them to agree to teach a few classes, I'll be able to bring in more students at a time. Even though I can do it all on my own, community is big to me, so I'd like for them to be a part of it too."

"That's really cool. I'm sure it's going to be great. And Marz will be happy to have more of your time I bet."

Merc chuckled with a bob of his head. "If he'll be in Memphis, yeah. He understood I had to work, and we had a good schedule in place, but not all of my jobs were as easy as Rey's. With some clients, I had to be with them twenty-four-seven and would miss days or months away from my little man. So I'm excited to finally be done with that and moving into something more stable. He's getting older now, and I want him to see me as not just a provider but as a present father too."

It was crazy how different the person made your perception of a situation. With Steven, him being a father was an inconvenience most of the time. My intuition was telling me something was off, but I didn't think it was him cheating with Asia. With Merc, I loved and admired the love he had for his son and enjoyed hearing him express his devotion.

"What do you plan to spend your time doing when we get back to Memphis? How'd you end up in Massie Manor anyway?"

With a chuckle, I stood to wrap up the bread and sauce. "I genuinely don't know, Merc. I was driving and so deep in my thoughts I just… didn't stop. The snow getting so bad is the only reason I stopped when I did. I guess I was going to drive until I needed gas then head home. And as far as what I'm going to do when I get back… I'm not sure. If I reopen the store, I'll need to find a new business and get new inventory, which means I'll have to get a loan. I have money saved now, but my parents stressed to me the importance of not living above my means. As quickly as I want to reopen, I won't do it by draining my savings account. I have to move with order. So, I'll stay with them until I find my own place, and once I have that secured, then I'll focus on the store."

"Have you considered drop shipping until you can get another storefront?"

"I have… but I love the experience of my store, you know? I wasn't just selling vinyl records. I loved talking to my people, listening to music, and allowing my space to be used for open mic nights and concerts. I'm just like you are about community, and music is what tied me to mine. So I could operate online, but it just wouldn't be the same."

"Well…" Merc licked the corner of his mouth as he stood. "I pray God gives you clarity and understanding on what it is you need to do when we get home." He closed the space between us, and when my head lowered to hide my blush, he lifted it and cupped my cheek. "I pray He keeps in the forefront of your mind that you have the liberty to reinvent your life right now, and there's no need to rush into one particular thing. And I pray He gives you opportunities to not only reopen your store but reconnect with your community and highlight local artists so you all can do what you love… what you were purposed to do."

My mouth opened and closed, but all I could do was chuckle because those were the exact words I'd used in my prayer for him earlier. Either we were more in sync than I'd realized, or he heard me… and that was why he'd been acting all weird today.

"Amen," I said. "You heard me earlier?"

With a smile, Merc tilted my head and gave me a sweet, quick kiss. "I did."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Even though it was about me and my situation, I felt like that was a moment between you and God. But I meant every word I just said, and I'm truly grateful for you not only praying for me but fasting for me as well. Knowing that I can trust you spiritually when it comes to myself and my son means more to me than you will ever know. And that's exactly why I don't care about you not wanting to be with a man that has kids, because you're mine."

"Mercury… I…"

Groaning, I watched him leave the kitchen. He had a way of making it clear he was done with a situation or conversation that couldn't be denied. I wouldn't stop him from trying to pursue me, but I really didn't see my mind changing. What happened with Steven was too fresh. As much as I liked Merc, I didn't see him being able to do anything to change that.

After dinner,we watched a movie together before showering and getting in bed. This was the most relaxed I'd been in a long time, and Merc said the same for himself. Even with the weight of everything that awaited us when we got back home, I was grateful for this brief intermission that came because of the snowstorm.

Everything in Massie Manor was shut down. The roads kept icing over because the temperature was so low at night. It was projected that we'd have another two or three days here before the ice started to melt enough for us to leave, and I was okay with that.

"What you wanna watch now?" Merc asked.

As much as I wanted to say his dick sliding in and out of my pussy, I held those words back. I'd been craving him since I ended my fast, and I wasn't sure why. I felt like it was the desire of my flesh amplified because I was finally able to indulge if I wanted to, but I was trying not to. Having sex with him would only make me like and want him more.

Before I could answer, my phone vibrated on the nightstand. The sight of my mom's picture made me smile. I accepted her FaceTime request and greeted her with, "Hey, Ma."

"Hey, baby. I was just checking on you."

"I'm good. What y'all doing?"

"Getting ready to eat some soup I made yesterday. It's not snowing here, but we had a cold front from the snow y'all got in Massie Manor. How's Merc?"

"He's fine."

"Tell 'im I said he better be taking care of my baby," Daddy said in the background.

"I always will," Merc replied.

"Well, I'll let you go," Ma said with a cheesy grin. "But we need to talk when you get back home."

Chuckling, I slipped further into the bed. "About what?"

"How you keep getting caught up with that man you're in bed with. Y'all sleeping together… or sleeping together?"

"Maaa," I dragged, causing them all to laugh. "Goodbye."

"Bye, baby," she said through her laugh. "And bye, Merc."

"Bye, Mrs. Tina."

I disconnected the call quickly. "Ugh. She's so embarrassing."

"You asked," Merc said with a snicker.

"Yeah, and I shouldn't have. She probably would have said more if I let her."

Merc took my hand into his and kissed it. "I don't think it's a coincidence that you came here to me. You might not want to accept it because your heart is hurting right now, but you were led to me for a reason."

Swallowing hard, I looked over at him with watery eyes. "I'm not sure what that reason could be."

"I am." Merc hovered over me and pulled me closer. "It's so I can heal that pain with my love."

When he lowered his lips to mine, I happily accepted the kiss. Suddenly, watching another movie was the last thing on my mind. We spent the rest of the night kissing, cuddling, and talking… and by the time we went to sleep… my heart was full.