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  Rion laughed. “What? You look adorable.”

  She stood to her feet. “Well you've had your dinner Orion. You should leave now.”

  Rion smiled and grabbed her arm pulling her down onto his lap. “Come here.” He looked into her face.

  “You play way too much,” she whispered.

  Rion ran his hand along her leg and hip. “You were adorable then and you're adorable now. If we were thirteen I'd still be all on you.”

  She grudgingly smiled before he brought her mouth to his and kissed her softly. She pulled back and touched his face. “Is this our third date?” she whispered.

  He nodded. “Uh...huh.”

  She smiled wickedly and began to kiss him again until his phone rang. Rion froze for a moment because he'd thought he'd turned it off before entering for dinner. The ringing continued until he pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen then quickly sent the call to voicemail.

  Tauri watched him as he shut the phone down and placed it back in his pocket. She got to her feet slowly.

  “Goodnight Orion,” she said frostily.

  “Tauri...”

  “Leave now so you can call her back.” She folded her arms.

  Rion leaned forward. “I'm not calling her back and how did you know it was a woman?”

  Tauri looked confused. “Try that guilty ass look on your face?”

  Rion studied the patterned carpet for a moment. “She's not important.”

  Tauri sighed. “She's not important, she doesn't mean anything, she's from my past,” she recited to him.

  “Goodnight Orion. When you have my evidence I will move forward with your case.”

  Rion clasped his hands between his legs as he bent over. “I'm not leaving Tauri. Not like this...never like this.”

  She lifted a brow. “Oh, you're leaving Orion. Don't make us the headline for the news tonight.”

  “You're going to listen and I'm not leaving until you do,” Rion promised.

  Tauri's face was filled with anger. “Listen to what Orion? Listen to how you lied to me hours ago saying that you weren't attached to any other woman?” she questioned.

  “I didn't lie to you.” He stood and looked down at her. “Not to sound redundant but no, she's not important, she doesn't mean anything and she is from my past.”

  Tauri gave a short laugh. “Who has your current number and feels free to call it?”

  “It's been over a year since I broke up with Rhonda.”

  “Well it looks like she's ready to get back together. I wish you both the best.”

  Rion pulled her taut body to him. “Stop! I'm not that man. I would never pursue you with another woman in the picture.”

  Tauri placed her hands against his solid chest. “I don't want you to pursue me.”

  He stared into her eyes. “Do you think I'm going to stop?” Rion caressed her cheek.

  “Three days Tauri,” he whispered. “Three days and you've invaded my mind and my dreams. I couldn't stop pursing you even if I wanted to...” He pulled her tightly against his body. “And you don't want me to because you feel this just as much as I do.”

  Tauri stared up at him. “I'll fight for you in court Orion, but I won't fight to be in your life,” she told him. “No matter how this feels.”

  “You will never have to Tauri.” He lowered his head to kiss her and she pulled back.

  “Have you heard of the 'Blocking' feature on your phone?” she asked pointedly.

  Rion laughed. “It's done. I should have done it before.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes, you should have. I want to at least get my fourth date before I have to put you in the rear.”

  Rion tasted her lips. “You will get plenty of fourth dates goddess, I promise you.” Tauri gave in to his kiss and they both allowed the fiery currents to flow through their bodies.

  *********

  “Where the hell is Rion?” Lance asked putting his phone away. “I've called his ass three times and it just goes to voicemail.”

  Brandon looked at his menu. “He's with Tauri.”

  Corvus frowned. “He just met this girl and his ass is gone. She put it on the brother.”

  “She is fine though,” Khalil inserted looking at his own menu. “A lot of brothers would beg her to put it on them.”

  “Didn't he know we were meeting here tonight?” Lance grumbled. “I could be out with one of my own women.”

  “He'll be here,” Brandon assured the group before turning to Khalil. “How are things at the community center Khalil?”

  Khalil looked up from his menu. “Things are going well.”

  “How's Kyros?” Brandon asked.

  “He's adjusting. I have to start thinking about his schooling. This public school education is not what it should be and although we all went to public school that was a different time. Now it's basically the pipeline to prison for most black boys. It’s just one system feeding another and profiting off of black bodies.”

  “What are you thinking of doing?” Corvus asked.

  “For right now, just explore all the options,” Khalil explained.

  They all looked up as Rion joined them taking a seat at the table. “What's up Negus?” he asked smiling.

  Lance looked at his watch. “What's up is that your ass is late.”

  Rion smiled. “Don't worry Lance, I don't think the females you deal with can even tell time.”

  Everyone laughed and Lance frowned. “This from the lion who's been tamed in three days?”

  They all looked to Rion who slowly picked up his menu.

  “Khalil, I saw Khayla earlier,” Rion opened the menu. “Man, she is beautiful. I'm surprised nobody has wifed her up yet.”

  Khalil frowned heavily looking up. “I'm waiting for a brother to step to me asking about Khayla. He'd have to be Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey and Bobby Seale all wrapped up into one or else he's getting straight bodied.” Khalil went back to his menu and everyone else looked at Lance.

  Brandon shook his head and looked at Rion. “So Rion do you have any updates for us?”

  “My friend in LA called and he's sending out some of his people in the next few days to work on getting this evidence Tauri needs.” Rion told him.

  “So what's up with you and her?” Corvus asked.

  Rion looked at him. “Uh, none of your damn business.”

  Corvus laughed. “That girl is boss, I give her mad props. She got you turned all the way out.”

  Rion reached for his glass of water. “Momma's not here. Don't get hurt.”

  Lance laughed and Corvus looked over at him. “What? Your Momma do be saving you all the time,” Lance admitted.

  Brandon decided to cease the antics. “Rion, you know this won't be over quickly. Once you have the evidence, the soonest we can get a trial on the docket could be three to four months away.”

  Rion nodded. “I have six months to complete this deal or I lose the opportunity completely, so one way or another I have to make it happen.”

  “You got enough funds?” Lance asked.

  “I'm straight on that. With my investment, the Negus and my LA investors, money's not an issue.”

  Everyone nodded around the table. “It's time for this to happen. We have to show our young gods what is possible.” Rion told them.

  “You're coming to talk to the youth next week right?” Khalil asked.

  Rion turned to him. “Yeah, and I'm teaching them about baseball so make sure you stay your ass in your office. I don't need your fight the power speech while I'm talking.”

  Khalil laughed. “As long as you're teaching them accurate black history, I'm cool.”

  Rion looked to his brother. “You and Lance should come with me. Lance said you've been schooling the young warriors on the streets and I know they look up to you both.”

  Corvus nodded. “I'm down.”

  “Me too,” Lance agreed looking at his watch. “Are we eating or what?”

  Rion shook his head
. “I had dinner already with Tauri's grandparents.”

  Everyone turned to him. “You met the fam?” Corvus asked. “Damn, y'all ain't playing.”

  “It was dinner Corvus,” Rion explained.

  Lance turned to Corvus. “They're going be married next week!” The two burst out in laughter.

  “She probably pregnant with twins right now!” Corvus cracked.

  “So we got jokes?” Rion asked frowning.

  Corvus looked at his big brother's face and sobered instantly. “It's all good Bro. I just never expected you to go down so fast.”

  Rion looked at his brother and thought to himself...he hadn't expected it either. Now he had to see where it would lead. He stayed with his brothers while they had dinner then returned home to his apartment. He showered and laid across his bed staring out at the dark water while remembering last night and how he'd slept outside with Tauri in his arms.

  The incident earlier with Rhonda could have been a disaster. Thinking of that he reached for his phone on the nightstand and added her to his 'Blocked List'. There was no reason to keep avoiding her calls since there was nothing else to discuss. He'd moved on and hopefully she would too. While he had his phone in his hand, a call came through.

  Tauri's face appeared on his screen and he smiled at her. “Well this is a pleasant surprise,” he said lying back across the bed.

  “I wanted to see how you survived my grandparents.”

  Rion smiled at her. “Your grandparents are very entertaining and your granny must have some hella panties.”

  “Don't talk about my Granny's panties!” she chastised smiling.

  “I'm more interested in her granddaughter's panties.”

  Her hazel eyes darkened. “Did you enjoy the rest of your evening?”

  “Let's see,” he said softly.

  “See what?” she asked confused.

  He grinned lazily. “You.” There was a pause. “What are you wearing?”

  “My nightgown,” she answered softly.

  Rion placed his hand behind his head. “You're in bed?”

  “Yes, I am. I left my grandparents a while ago and came home.”

  “Show me your nightgown,” he requested.

  She looked surprised. “What?”

  “Take your camera and start at the top,” he instructed.

  Tauri paused for a moment then took her phone and lifted it above her face. “Are you watching?”

  “Ummmm...hmmmm,” he murmured.

  She slowly lowered the camera from her face to her neck then lower to her breasts encased in the black silk nightie.

  “Pause right there...” She stopped and waited. “Okay.”

  Tauri continued moving the phone down her body past her stomach to where her gown ended on her honeyed thighs. Slowly she lifted the gown to reveal the triangle of a sexy black thong against her glowing skin.

  “Yeah...that right there,” he said softly.

  She brought the phone back to her face and looked into his eyes. “Now it's your turn,” she whispered.

  Rion smiled and quickly whipped his white undershirt over his head. He showed her his dark rugged chest sprinkled with light silky hair before moving down to his navy designer underwear.

  He brought the phone back to his face. “You like what you see?”

  Tauri licked her lips remembering his sexy chocolate frame. “Yes...you?”

  “I can't wait to see it in person and touch it... and taste it.”

  Tauri sighed. “Orion it's been three days. What are we doing?”

  “Three days, three years...there's no set time for knowing you've found the person meant for you. I don't care what people think or say. I know what I've been looking for and it's you Tauri.”

  “You don't know anything about me,” she whispered.

  “Then tell me. Tell me whatever you want me to know. I have all night,” he told her.

  Tauri stared at him through the phone. “Well I guess you've already figured out that I'm not a virgin thanks to my Granny.”

  “Yeah...I got that. It doesn't matter.”

  She sighed. “I've had two relationships in my twenty-eight years, one in college and one a few years ago. They both ended because of my career.”

  “Well I'm glad you chose your career because I need the best prosecutor available right now,” Rion interjected. “And I'm also glad you chose your career or else you'd be married to one of those fools.”

  “I wouldn't have married them,” she told him softly.

  Rion heard something in her voice. “Why not?”

  “I didn't love them,” she answered honestly. “I couldn't love them.”

  Tauri closed her eyes and lowered her head while Rion waited patiently watching her.

  “In all the time I was with them they didn't make me feel...the way you do in three days. I keep telling myself this is crazy and it's going to go away just as quickly as it appeared, but you keep saying it won't.”

  “It won't go away Tauri because it's the real deal. I've been all over the world and my goddess was waiting right here for me at home and she's the key to all my dreams coming true.”

  Tauri lifted her head and looked at him. “You really believe that?”

  “I have no doubts. The stars have revealed it to me.”

  She sighed. “I swear you're so crazy sometimes. Like when you told my Granddaddy you were the young god.”

  Rion laughed. “He was ready to whip my ass for real.”

  “You have to give people some warning Orion. You like shocking people, especially me.”

  “I'm so used to just being who I am, I forget how I live is foreign to a lot of people,” he explained. “I do like to shock you though. You're sexy as hell when those eyes flash.”

  Tauri laughed. “See when you push me too far, I won't be held accountable.”

  Rion traced her face on the screen. “Three days Tauri and I'm crazy about you.”

  “Or just plain crazy.”

  “That mouth, it's so hot...so wet...and so sweet.”

  Tauri ran a hand down her neck. “You know that turns me on when you talk like that.”

  He smiled at her naughtily across the screen. “Girl, I want you so damn bad.”

  She crossed her legs and squeezed tightly. “Three days Orion.”

  “I don't want to hear that anymore because the next time I see you, I'm going to make love to you like we've been together since the creation of time and space. We'll travel to the heavens where we'll share passion and ecstasy until we both explode, giving each other a tiny piece of our souls, uniting us throughout eternity.”

  Tauri dropped her head again. Yep, just hand him the panties...

  “I see that you've gotten a lot of panties,” she told him looking back at the screen.

  “I'm done with panties...I'm focused on creating a solid foundation for a beautiful goddess to come build with me.”

  “What are you building with her?” she asked.

  He stared at her. “A family, a home and a life.”

  She looked away. “My only family consists of my grandparents.”

  “What happened to your parents?” he asked softly.

  Tauri shrugged. “I never knew my father. My mother hated Detroit. She didn't want to live here so she moved away. She was supposed to come back for me, but days turned into weeks which turned into years. Finally, I realized she wasn't coming at all. Granny and Granddaddy have always taken care of me.”

  “Your grandparents are the truth. I have a lot of respect for them and I see why they love you so much.”

  She smiled. “They have loved me and I'd never leave them.”

  “I'd never ask you to. I want our kids to be connected to their roots.”

  “Boy...what did I tell you about that?” she warned.

  Rion laughed. “Okay when they're all running around asking about their ancestors I'm going to send them to you.”

  Tauri raised a brow. “All?”

  “Yeah...all f
ive.”

  “Boy bye...you're smoking,”

  “What?” he asked.

  She leaned into the phone. “There is no way in hell five babies are exiting from this body. Understand?”

  He smiled. “You'll like the way we make them though. It might change your mind.”

  “I can't with you sometimes...seriously.”

  Chapter 7

  Rion stood in the luggage area at Detroit Metro airport. He was waiting for the two men arriving from LA. His friend Ray had assured him these two would take care of everything he needed. He hadn't seen Tauri in three days as she had some extremely important court dates for her cases. At first, Rion had thought that maybe she was trying to pull back in their relationship, but she had called him every day and they'd talked for hours on the phone.

  Rion was smart enough not to push regarding her work. The last two brothers had gotten their walking papers for that very reason and Rion had no plans to join them. Besides, he was secure in his mind that Tauri was going to be his for the rest of his life, so there was no reason for him to be tripping.

  Rion had used his free time working diligently on closing the deal for the new franchise. Not only did he need the support of the city, he also needed the current teams' owners to vote in his favor. He'd already shown he had the resources, talent and experience to run a major league team, but he still had the color of his skin as a strike against him.

  He watched as two men approached him. They were of similar height and both wore serious looks as if they were coming to handle business. He could tell that one was definitely younger maybe around twenty while the other looked like a well-trained killer behind dark sunglasses.

  “Orion Shaw.” The man in the dark glasses greeted him. “I'm Agent Marcus Graham, FBI.”

  Rion shook hands with the man then turned to his partner who extended his hand. “I'm Trent Harris.”

  “It's nice to meet you both. Thanks for coming to assist.”

  Trent smiled. “Ray told us what you're trying to do and that's so cool. You're making history, dude.”

  Rion nodded. “Thanks man.” He looked at both men. “After you grab your luggage I thought we'd go to lunch.”

  Both men agreed and went to retrieve their suitcases before heading out to the parked car. Rion drove them to Lance's restaurant and heads turned as the three men entered. Trent and Marc received lots of female attention, as they were new faces to the establishment. When they were seated, Khayla came to greet them and she gave Rion a brief hug before turning to the visitors.