All the King's Men ( An Urban Love Story )

♟️Keeping you♟️

Desmond and Jaden sat on the barstools at the kitchen's island in their underwear, enjoying the dinner Jaden prepared.

"This food is fire by the way," Desmond told her between mouthfuls, "What time do you need to be at school?" he inquired before taking another bite of food.

Jaden stopped to think while chewing, "Tomorrow is Thursday right?" She started, "My first class is from nine to noon, then I have a break and my second class is from three to six."

"How many classes are you taking right now?"

"Three this semester. I'm still debating if I want to take one in the summer, but I'll have a full load in fall."

Desmond nodded, "So what's your normal schedule since you missed Saturday and yesterday for me?"

"Honestly, needed it. I never take breaks." she shrugged, "I go to school Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday."

"How about we stay at your place tonight, and I'll take you to school in the morning." Desmond suggested. "I can get the Acura looked at while you at school."

"You sure you wanna do all that driving back and forth? I know it's not the easiest drive"

"Anything for my woman," he winked. "Is that cool with you?"

Jaden nodded smiling.

Desmond took his last bite of food then decided to finally ask, "When you goin back to work?" Even though he didn't want her to go back, he knew he couldn't get in way of her making her money. He didn't want her to feel like he was trying to control her life, because that's the last thing he'd want.

Jaden looked down at her hands before answering, "Friday."

He nodded his head silently like a Bobblehead.

She curiously smiled, looking at him, "Can I ask you a question?"

He stood up and took both of their empty plates to the sink, "What's up boo?"

"What made you talk to me? Like all them fine naked bitches in the club, why me?" She half laughed and went back to playing nervously with her hands.

Desmond turned off the sink and approached Jaden, lifting her chin to face him, "I saw the baddest one in the club, and I had to have her." He said seductively before pecking her lips.

Her face went hot, as she smiled into the kiss.

He pulled away and looked into her eyes, "It was somethin bout you. Ion know how to explain it, but the way you looked at me, I had to make you mine." He confessed. He stepped back and leaned his back against the counter, rubbing his goatee. "Am I really the second person you...ever been wit... sexually?" Desmond asked, trying not to make her uncomfortable by the question.

Jaden sat quietly wondering if Jace told him, "Mm-hmm," she nodded her head innocently.

The way she take this dick, that pussy was made for me, he thought to himself smirking.

"I wasn't tryna listen to y'all conversation, but y'all ain't make it very hard to hear." Desmond walked back to the sink, "I almost put my brother through the wall for the way he was talkin' to you." He admitted as he went back to washing dishes.

"Jace is alright, he was just lookin out for his impulsive brother." She smiled.

"Did you know yo homegirl stole from Quis?" Desmond changed subjects.

Jaden shook her head in disappointment, "What she take?"

"Some credit cards. Tried to go shoppin."

"Fuckin' Mina man. That's my girl and all, but that's not cool."

Jaden knew her friend's boyfriend was not the baller Mina thought he was when she got with him. She thought she had come up with the scammer, but when them pieces stopped hitting he went for Mina's pockets.

"Quis might be a show-off, but he woulda made sure she was good. All she had to do was ask." He paused. "That's my dawg for real. I trust him with my life, literally. Bruh took a bullet for me and all." He disclosed, looking out the windows of his condo.

"You serious?" Jaden walked behind Desmond and wrapped her arms around his hard stomach laying her head on his back.

He nodded, "His crazy-ass jumped in front of a nigga that was tryna shoot me in the back when I was walkin away. Quis took one in the stomach."

He sighed deeply before continuing, "I plan to get out of this shit soon, Jae. Marquis wants to take over, but honestly, I don't want him to. I want him to get the fuck out wit me." Desmond admitted something he'd never said out loud until then.

"I know it's hard to accept, but you gotta let him be his own man and make his own decisions. I'm sure once he understands your plans, he'll see that he doesn't need that life anymore." Jaden tried to reassure him.

"How long will that take?" He turned around in her arms. His light brown eyes looking in her dark brown ones, "We got all this shit already. Cars, properties, businesses. What more do we need?"

"What you mean?" Jaden cocked her head to the side and scrunched her face at him confused.

There she go making that face again, Desmond thought to himself. Jaden was his girlfriend, so there was no use in keeping it a secret, "Jae, I own this place, this whole fuckin building. Me, Jace, and Quis are the only ones who live on this floor. Nobody else can even access it. All them cars in that garage downstairs belong to one of us. The other tenants have a completely separate garage and entrance." He confessed.

Jaden sat down with wide eyes, "Holy shit." She breathed out.

"We own so many businesses around the city that I sometimes forget we own them since Jace handles a lot of that with me."

The two sat in silence for a moment.

"So technically, you got a few jobs." Jaden chuckled, trying to make light of the information he was telling her. He narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. "Desmond, why was that a secret?"

"Cause, I ain't know what you was gon think." He sighed

"So you had no problem telling me you sell drugs, but telling me you're a legit businessman is too much?" she scoffed, "Boy you backwards."

"Legit? All this shit started with drug money." He sat down on the couch and dropped his head in his hands.

Jaden sat down in front of him and lifted his face, "You think me paying off my tuition with my stripper money makes it any less of an accomplishment, cause it don't. Money is money, who can even tell the difference anymore? You're creating generational wealth for a legacy you haven't even thought of yet." She encouraged him.

He looked at the naturally beautiful woman in front of him with admiration, "How the hell did I get you?" He muttered.

"You went for what you wanted, and you got it." She bit her lip and smiled.

"Imma do everything I can to keep you."

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