"Too strong for too long,

and I can't be without you, baby"

~Be Without You (Mary J. Blige)

°~°~°

Sex deprivation aside, Giovanni missed his wife. He missed holding her and making her smile so hard she’d slap him and tell him to stop. He missed how sweetly they bonded even in the longest of silence.

Gio could remember how he wasn’t even a believer of marriage, how he felt obligated to at first, but to have yourself marry a woman such as Bernice and not fall in-love was near impossible. He never believed it himself when he said the words “I love you” then the “I do” and meant it with every fibre of his being. He was shocked, but he felt disappointment within himself on what he allowed to happen.

‘Once a cheater always a cheater’ she told him.

‘Once a bitch always a bitch’ he responded.

She had slapped him right across the face right then, her face tinged pink, the colour almost wanting to match the strawberry blonde of her hair. But alas, Giovanni didn’t care. He was happily married to Bernice by then and already in expectancy of a child, their Aiden.

Memory served him too well of her sapphire eyes, though wet with tears, they were ablaze with a passion of hate and determination he had never seen from her in his life. It struck a fear in him that day, so much it had him rush home to Bernice, asking her to get a bodyguard to watch her every move and protect her with every step she’d make. She got one just to give him a peace of mind, for a time.

It had been years since then. Years. And though Gio had seen no sign of his ex since then, somehow it never surprised him when she popped up five months ago. She looked great, beautiful. He couldn’t help remembering how they were together, how great a connection they had.

‘Would you like a drink?’ she had asked him when they finally met.

Sceptical, he eyed her from head to toe. She didn’t seem to carry ill will in that moment, and he simply thought what harm would it be to grab a drink with an ex. It wasn’t as if his wife would mind, she wouldn’t even have to find it. It was purely innocent.

Giovanni sighed at the memory and began to murmur in Italian as he made his way into the bathroom, “fucking stupid. Should’ve went home. She wasn’t worth it.”

He stripped from his clothing then simply stepped into the shower and turned on the water. The spraying droplets collided with his skin with a harsh cold he never minded. He liked the cold, but even so, the temperature would gradually increase to something more body temperature friendly, soaking him from head to toe.

Again, he sighed, still remembering the night he cheated. How drunk he allowed himself to get that he slept with his ex. He was so disappointed with himself, the way he touched her, loved her, fucked her as if she was his wife. He had even called her Niecy a few times if he remembered correctly. He was certain he did and the crazy woman only smiled at him— continued to ride him. It made him feel uncomfortable thinking back on it.

“Baby?” his wife’s sweet voice coaxed him out of his mental torture.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he slid the shower door just enough to stick his head out, water droplets blurred his vision having him wipe his hand over his eyes and down his stubble bearded face, “sì, bellissima?”

“Can I come?” Bernice asked as she bit into her bottom lip.

Giovanni’s eyes were now unblurred and blessed with the sight of his completely bare and pregnant wife. She clasped her fingers behind her back as she nervously tipped back and forth on her toes and heels, almost like a school girl before their disappointed teacher. His heart skipped a beat at that, “of course, mia amore.”

The shower door then went wider and allowed her to step. As soon as the door went back closed, he almost shut the water off seeing her straightened hair become wet and slowly shrunk with her natural curls. She only smiled, stopping him before he could, “that good.”

“Mi dispiace, mia bella donna.” He whispered, gently placing his soft hand unto her baby bump, “I’m so sorry.”

Bernice didn’t answer to that, instead she snaked her arms around his thick neck and pressed her body against his, “new way of apology.” She whispered to him, her full lips grazing his thinner ones, “fuck me. Aiden’s at school, Kenya’s gone with her best friend and well… I know you don’t care whether my cousin is here or not.”

“Are you sure?” he asked uncertain. It had been five months since they’ve had sex and even the night before she refused to do more than have him peck her lips.

“Don’t,” she kissed him softly, “question it.” She told him, warm water had fully converted her hair into wet 4b curls now.

After that, Gio bent his neck to have his tongue slip passed her lips, too eager to pace himself when he kissed her. As the water cascaded along their bodies, his hands did the same along her sides, to her hips then to her fat rear end and squeezed.

His wife’s moans and her own wandering hands had not taken long to rile up a raging hard-on from him. He almost lost it when she grabbed his shaft with a tightened grip, a demanding plea leaving her when his lips and tongue finally met with the side of her neck, “fuck me, Gio. Fottimi adesso.”

“Fanculo.” He breathed out shakily, then hoisted her legs to wrap around him as he pressed her back against the shower wall, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Just fuck mi.” she commanded him again. And in that moment Gio aligned his tip to her centre, and allowed his tip to intrude.

The man shuddered as if the water that pounded against his skin had suddenly become ice, but it was him finally getting to feel his wife in such a manner that felt so spine chilling. He held her firmly against the wall and buried himself inside her with a revelling pause in her warmth. Her wetness seep so vastly and thick it made his entrance a great pleasure, he could see himself busting right then and there, but he paced himself. Gio crashed their lips again, he sucked her lips and licked them, gifted her his tongue and accepted hers as he slowly developed a sweet pumping rhythm inside her.

He thrust his hips back and forth as he groaned and moaned for her and she whimpered and moaned for him. They weren’t sure how long they spent like that, but soon Giovanni couldn’t hold it any longer— his orgasm.

Bernice could feel him pulsing in her, it was too hard not to take notice. This was where she detached their lips, her dark brown gaze holding his light blue one, “you want to cum, baby?” she asked him through shallow pants as she held his face.

“So fucking bad, mia amore. May I cum in you?” he groaned out slightly picking up a tempo in his thrusts.

Bernice nodded, her thumb slipping into Gio’s mouth having him suck on it as his pace increased again. Bernice became louder and her head tossed back feeling him go even deeper inside her with more punctuated strokes, “cum in me, Giovanni.”

“Cazzo!” He groaned out harshly with a few more thrusts and released himself deep inside her.

Sighing, Bernice held his face to have him look at her once again, his eyes were hooded with lust and weariness, she almost laughed at that, almost, as she said, “you’re mine, Giovanni. I own you.”

“You own me.” He echoed, nodding his head and burying his face in the side of her neck, “you own me.”

“Don’t forget… never again.”

“Never.”

***

“Humph.” Leanna sounded in utter disapproval.

Bernice didn’t say anything, she only proceeded to scan through the racks of displayed clothing. The expensive materials felt as rich as their costs against her fingertips. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but she knew once she found it the angels would sing, in her mind at least.

“Humph.” Leanna went for the umpteenth time, Landon returning with her requested Frappuccino in hand which she aggressively took and sipped the heated thing as if she had no thermal nerve as she watched Bernice.

It had been like this ever since Bernice returned from her shower that morning. Lea didn’t need God to tell her that her older cousin had her husband grind out some of her brain cells. She could see it in the smile and the glow in her skin, the slightly awkward walk too. Lea wanted to clog her in the coochie for it.

“Weh yuh fuck the wutliss man fah?” Lea finally asked when she caught Niecy giving her quick side glance. The bitch felt guilty. It was all in the avoidance of eye-contact.

Niecy pursed her lips as her fingers finally met with a wine-red spaghetti strapped dress with the material shiny like silk, “this would look good on me, don’t? I would cut it to my knees though.”

“Bitch! Dou ignore mi!” Lea elevated her voice feeling completely annoyed. It was a good thing they took a private area or else a lot of eyes would’ve been on them in that moment, “you asked me to help you cheat on the man, only fi yuh fuck him same morning. One a dem day yah me really ago kick yuh in a yuh back enuh.”

Heaving a sigh, Niecy took down the dress and placed it over her front. As she walked over to the mirror, she spun to Lea when she was pleased with the sight of it, “I just wanted to bit of a reminder. I’m still gonna do it. That’s why we’re still shopping.”

“Ma’am… my aim is for you to get the greatest dickings in a yuh life that you alla get divorce. That is what I want.” Lea admitted handing her Frap back to Landon who sat in the couch beside her. Rising to her feet, she moved to Bernice and glided her fingers along the dress with an approving nod, “okay, this nice and with the split it ago show all a yuh sexy thigh.”

“I know, right?” she smiled in response and looked down at the gown.

“Mhm… but hear me out.” Lea sighed, “listen, I have seen that man’s dick print.” She admitted with a light facepalm, “mi know fi a fact that a part a why him tie yuh like him feed yuh some Jamaican stew peas. So, now me very intimidated!” Lea exclaimed with an exasperated sigh, then grabbed her cousin by the shoulders, “if you don’t at least start consider divorce after me done with yuh, mi fail enuh. Yuh know mi nuh tek failure as joke. You literally just make this harder. You were dick deprived for five months. So that woulda easy fi deal wid, but bitch your rejuvenated hole get stretch this morning. If the man nuh same size as Gio or bigger it makes no sense. Waste a fucking time. How much inches Gio be again and how thick?”

Even though Lea sounded as if she was being overly dramatic, it made sense to. The average man’s penis was six inches and though that was his exact length, his girth was a good three inch in circumference.

Bernice only laughed with a shake of her head, “mi naa tell you. So yuh better pray is a eight inch yuh find me.”

“Suh mi fi walk all round New York and shove mi hand down every good looking man crotches?” Leanna asked tossing her head back, but then the idea became more appealing as she suddenly turned to Bernice’s errand boy, “come Landon mek mi feel yuh up.”

“I—I—I… Y—you… W—wha—” he stuttered not being able to find his words as a heat crept up his cheeks.

Both women laughed, but Bernice slapped Leanna hard in the back, “mek yuh nuh leave him alone!”

“Ow!” Lea cried out, but she still couldn’t fight the laugh and humorous tears as she mocked Landon, “I—I—I… Y—you…”

“Stop it, me serious.” Bernice told her stopping her laughing, “it took me weeks to get him to actually talk. Mi naa mek yuh mash him confidence. Landon ignore her. She use to stammer worst than you when she younger.”

“I—it’s okay.” Landon whispered softly as he looked into his lap at the coffee he held for his bully.

Leanna sobered up from her laugh and plopped herself to sit beside him with her arm tossed over his shoulder, “you know I love you, Landon. That’s why me pick pon you… Bernie gwaan try on the dress, if you need help call me.”

“I—I like you, b—but you’re mean.” Landon whispered as Bernice went inside the changing room.

“You always get hard for me either way, baby boy.” She purred in his ear. He immediately felt his spine shiver and his fingers unintentionally tightened in the coffee cup when Lea licked and sucked at his earlobe. The heat wasn’t too much for him not to bare it though. In fact, the little pain pleased him.

“S—Stop.” Landon moaned out feeling her torturous hand gently caress his knee and began going seductively slow up his inner thigh. Dropping her lips to his sweet spot, she asked in a lust filled tone, “you know I won’t listen if you don’t address me correctly, baby boy. Do you really want me to stop?”

“N—no, Mistress.”

Leanna smirked at that and finally detached her lips from the poor boy’s neck then placed a soft peck to his cheek, “be good. Mi ago check pon, Bernice.”

“Yes, M—mistress.”

***

“What the fuck?” Ken asked as he ripped off the eviction notice sheet on his apartment door, “I didn’t even get a fucking notice or threat of an eviction!”

Pulling out his keys, he shoved it into the keyhole and twisted it in the lock only for it not to budge, “seriously?! Mr Weasle! I fucking know you hear me! How ya gonna evict me for no fucking reason?!”

“Dude, come on.” Bae told his best friend as he stood out the hallway with him, “don’t make a scene. Let’s just go. You can stay with me or take the live-in job they offered you.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Bae?” Ken asked his face tingling pink with rage, “this shit ain’t legal! All my shit are still in there!”

Ken was livid. This was his second time getting evicted for no clear reason in the passed three months. It didn’t make sense one bit. Last time he ended up sleeping on a bus stop bench. His legs went to bring him to the landlord’s apartment door, but Bae beat him to it by body blocking him, “you remember what happened last time you lost your cool?”

Ken’s jaw clenched at that, remembering all too well what he got like when angry and how his last fight almost landed him in jail. Fortunate for him, Bae’s father was the officer and only locked him up for the night without recording it.

“Fine. Am cool.”

“You need to get laid, man.” Bae informed Ken as they waited in the traffic line.

The man had been all sorts of tense for a while now. He hadn’t allowed himself to even entertain the presence of any woman. However, he had to admit he yearned for one, but he didn’t just want any woman to bed. It wasn’t like he was the ideal type for a woman either, “blow me, Bae.”

“Bro, stop being stubborn. We can get someone to blow you this weekend at the new BDSM club.”

“I’m not into that. I’ve only had sex like three times. I’m not so sure what I’m into, but I’m sure as hell not gonna be a sub or any shit like that.” He murmured.

Bae scoffed, “I didn’t say you’re a sub or into BDSM. I said someone could blow you there. Plus, there is more to it than sub and dom…. Besides, we know you’re a dom. Your last girlfriend at the time just couldn’t keep up. Just relax.”

“I’m not doing it. I ain’t going.”

This only made Bae chuckle and shake his head. He wouldn’t argue with Ken. They’d see if his mind would change by Friday night.