“Tell me your answer,” he said.
“Okay, I’ll give us a chance, whatever this is.”
Releasing her hands, he picked up the soap and started to wash her body. He’d won the battle, but he had yet to win the war.
****
Three weeks later
Lydia still hadn’t quit her job in the three weeks Donna had been dating Caleb. Donna finished serving the latest customer, who’d bought an engagement ring. Glancing at the clock she saw it was a little after three. In an hour Caleb would be by to pick her up. For three weeks he’d been attentive and giving. There were times she forgot about the way they’d met or how he’d behaved. The fear of pregnancy was still there. It had been four weeks and she still hadn’t gotten her period, but she’d never been regular.
After work she intended to go to the pharmacy to get a test. She hated not knowing, but, however, she didn’t want Caleb to be there when she told him.
Their time together had been spent doing pretty mundane things. He took her to the pictures to watch the latest movies, and she spent a great deal of time at the club in the VIP section while he worked. Henry kept his distance from her. She didn’t believe he approved of her involvement with Caleb. Donna did her best to stay out of his way. When she was at the club, Lydia and Darren joined them. She still didn’t know the full extent of Caleb’s business, but she’d seen the scars on his body.
Many of his scars were faded though some were still visible.
At night Caleb took his time bringing her alive. She had come to crave the nights when they were alone. He’d start by stripping her naked and kissing every inch of her body. Her cheeks heated as she remembered the way he opened her thighs and forced her to watch him lick her out. Caleb had taken a mirror and made her watch every moment of him devouring her.
Biting her lip she turned away from the window to glance at her friend. In the last three weeks all Lydia did was worry about her.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” she’d often asked.
The true answer was no, Donna didn’t have a clue what she was doing? When she was with Caleb the whole world faded into the background until they were the only two people in the world. Even Pearl, her cat, adored him. Many nights they were curled up on the sofa with her cat on his lap, demanding he stroke her.
Gone was the vulgar man he once had been. She noticed he tried to keep himself in check around her. He didn’t talk about his previous lovers or the women in his life. Donna learned not to ask, as he only ever evaded the question.
“Donna, I need to talk to you,” Lydia said, putting her phone back into her pocket. The shop was vacant of any customers.
“Sure, what did you want to talk about?” Donna stood up and stretched out her muscles.
“Caleb, he’s not all he seems.”
“Lydia, don’t. We’ve talked about this, and I know you’re not one of his fans. I like him.” She put her feet back into the pumps and wriggled her toes.#p#分页标题#e#
“He’s dangerous, Donna. I wouldn’t tell you about this if I wasn’t worried.”
She stared at her friend and saw the fear in her face
“What are you talking about?” Donna asked.
“I’ve been talking to Darren. I asked him to talk around. Caleb is not all he seems.”
Donna stood and listened to what her friend had to say even though it was killing her to know more.
“He’s a pimp, a drug dealing criminal.” Lydia looked around the store. “He owns half of the city. He’s the kind of man you don’t want to fuck with.”
“You’re wrong.”
Caleb couldn’t be a pimp or drug dealer, could he? The bruises on his knuckles and the respect he gained wherever they were suddenly made some form of sense.
“No, he can’t be. You’re wrong.” Donna shook her head even as she started to see things she wasn’t sure were possible.
One of the nights she’d been sitting at the bar, she’d watched the barman hand a little white bag of powder to a woman who handed him a wad of cash. She had been going to ask Caleb about it when he’d appeared as if from nowhere taking her onto the dance floor.
“He used to be a fighter back in the day, Donna, and when he got older, he and his friend Henry started their own business.”
“This can’t be true,” Donna said.
“Why can’t it be true? What do you actually know about him other than the fact he owns a club? Nothing, you can’t tell me anything. Darren found out more about him. He’s bad news, Donna, and I think he’s using you.”
She shook her head. No, it couldn’t be possible, could it?