Prince: Love Always Wins

Lesha

“So this is where we will be staying?” That was a rhetorical question.

“Yeah,” he acknowledged as we stopped in front of a large home. One thing was for sure: Prince had taste. Every home that I stepped foot in with him put mine to shame.

He hadn’t said much since we left the hotel. I was trying not to take it personally. After what happened last night, my nerves were all over the place. From being ready to claw Kiara’s eyes out for looking at him wrong, seeing his picture with his ex, to standing in on his meeting at the hotel, it all took a toll on me. I felt closer to him, and I hated to admit he was right. Being in a new element, if only for the first day, was freeing. It made me feel like I had a fresh start and I didn’t have to be anyone but me. Not the woman who had built up a brick wall after all the hurt I endured but the one I always wanted to be.

We walked inside, and my eyes pinged from side to side as I gathered the home's construction. It was very modern and sleek. I thought it was two stories from the outside, but there were no winding staircases. The extremely high vaulted ceilings had openings allowing the light to shine. I turned to my right and fell in love with the open-concept kitchen. There was enough room in there to fit a king-sized bed between the refrigerator and the countertop on the opposite side. There was an island, but it was slightly off to the side, not directly in the middle. The placement of the kitchen made so much sense. My feet led me in there, and the smell of bleach and Pine-Sol hit my nose. Someone had just cleaned.

“Yeah, I know Rem. I promise, I’m sure,” I heard Prince speak into his phone from the living room. It was work that was on his mind that made him so quiet. I saw from his face that he wasn’t expecting the homes to be in that condition. I applauded his determination because I was scared to bust a move to the right or the left when I stepped in. The place looked like a scary movie. I wanted to help, but I did not have a clue what I could do. I could appreciate anybody pursuing something worthwhile, and that was something that he was doing. Getting knocked a step back was something I knew all too well. I vowed right then that no matter what or how I felt, I wouldn’t do anything that would hinder his business. I was here now, and however we needed to move while this project was going on, he wouldn’t hear anything from me.

“You want the tour?” Prince appeared in the kitchen, slightly brighter than he had been earlier.

“What about work? Is everything okay?”

“Work will work out itself. Let me show you around.” I walked behind him as we toured through the house. It had three bedrooms and three full baths. The master suite was a damn house all unto itself.

“Wait a minute. This is your signature. You built this?” I gasped as I rubbed his signature engraved onto the right wall of the bedroom. The small sunken-in part of the room started to vibrate, and I hopped back, scared out of my skin. The wall opened up and revealed a door that was once hidden.

“I guess you see what it does now. Yes, I built this,” he said, ending his call.

“Restoring elegance, hiding treasures…” I mumbled, my eyes never leaving the newly revealed opening.

“You saw that, huh?” That crooked smile graced his lips. Sexy without trying.

“This home is beautiful. You are very talented,” I spoke more to myself than him. I was in awe to think that someone could do this. I’d met basic plumbers and construction workers, but no one that was this involved. Well, shit, I didn’t even know how involved he was. I needed to ask more questions.

He hit his signature again, and the wall started to move, and I hit it to stop it.

“Wait. I want to look.” I placed my hand on the door, and his hand quickly was placed on top of mine to stop me.

“Not yet.” Gently, my hand was taken away, and he made the opening close. Everything told me to push it, but for some reason, I was so damn scared to really figure it out.

“So do you just have houses everywhere?”

“Not everywhere. Just the places I need them. How you feeling, though? You want to grab something to eat?”

“Quite honestly, I would much rather cook. We are going to be here for the next six weeks so we may as well get things set up. Maybe we can Instacart some groceries, and I can get in that beautiful kitchen.”

His smile made me blush, and I immediately followed it with an eye roll because I could see the cockiness creep up. “You like that, huh?”

“It’s alright, nigga.”

“Don’t worry, I can make you admit it later.”

He walked out of the room, and I followed, trying to come up with a smart reply. I had nothing because, after last night, I wanted nothing more.

“Here.” He pulled a card from his wallet on the coffee table and extended it my way. “Get whatever you need.”

“Ooh, don’t tell me that.” I giggled.

“You can buy a car off that muthafucka if you want. We have to get you something anyway.” I laughed again but he didn’t crack a smile.

“I’ll, uh, just get a few things.”

“Cool. I’m gone look over a few specs. Let me know when it gets here so I can help you put everything away.” I nodded and started checking the cabinets to see if there was anything that needed to be thrown out. The cabinets, fridge, and freezer were all bare. I clapped my hands together happy as a kid in the candy store starting from a blank canvas.

Once the order came, we unpacked it together. I was surprised by how natural I was around him. I was doing everything I could to keep my guard up, but his presence made me comfortable. Once I started on dinner, he busied himself drafting ideas for the hotel. This man’s work ethic was unmatched, and I vowed to fill his belly with a warm meal. It was just something about a working man that made a woman want to feed him. Hours later, I put together chicken, parmesan, steamed vegetables, and salad. We were at the table making small talk. There was still something on my mind.

“So what happened? I’m sorry. That was so insensitive!” Insensitive? Who the hell was I right now? I shoveled some of my chicken parmesan into my mouth so I wouldn’t keep talking.

“It’s okay. I would love to share that with you. For us to do anything, you need to know me. We need to know each other.”

I sat up and waited for him to finish speaking.

“It was like I was on top of the world, and it all changed in a blink of an eye. I was married before this. To Rem’s daughter as I told you.” I shifted in my seat, hating that I had asked. He and Remy’s relationship was so much like father and son and now I saw why. “I met Remy years ago. I guess when I met his daughter, things clicked almost instantly. My business was thriving, and I was finally getting ready to launch legitimately and leave all my under the table jobs behind.”

“Oh so that’s where the name Patch comes from.”

He nodded his head and continued. “I got a call one day that she had gotten into a car accident. I’ll be honest, our relationship wasn’t the best before then. I was trying to hang on for our child.”

“Child?” Red sirens started blaring in my ears. He dropped his head and looked back at me with a look so full of despair it made me uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well we got into an argument before she left one of the sites I was working at. I was trying to suppress my feelings because she was starting to move differently. Shit started not adding up, and I knew the truth was missing. She didn’t want to talk, and she stormed away. I should’ve stopped her.”

I reached for his hand when I realized the end of the story before he spoke it. “You can’t blame yourself,” I tried to soothe him.

“I did, though. She didn’t make it, and to be honest, that wasn’t the most fucked up part.”

“Your child was with her? Prince, I am so sorry!” I felt myself getting emotional.

“Nah, The day it happened, I rushed to the hospital. A nigga came up claiming the child was his. I blacked out on his ass and ended up being arrested. I tried to fight it but DNA proved he didn’t lie. She knew the whole time and she didn’t tell a soul. The kid I bonded with for eight months was torn from me. The child I gave my name to. He told me she was on her way to him the day she died. I believe him. It was no reason to lie.”

“Oh my God, Prince! I mean, something like that would drive you to a lot of things.”

“Even still I never chose it—the drugs. I never chose it,” he clarified. I could tell that part was vital for him to say. “I fell into a depression and missed a few opportunities for my business. So I got a little heavy in the underground. I ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. Muthafucka came in and thought it was a setup since I was there. Wanted to make sure I wasn’t fed. He put a gun to my head and made me do a line before he would leave or do a deal with who I was doing work for. Had I been on my shit, I would’ve never ended up in a situation like that. I was depressed, but I wasn’t choosing death. That shit hit my body, and it was like, for the first time in months, I felt nothing. That shit was a different kind of freedom. My thoughts tortured me. I couldn’t stop thinking about what I lost, and one hit of that shit, and it all was wiped away. Numb. I took that shit as much as I could, and it wasn’t until I realized how much time I lost did I realize that it was destroying me.”

“Wow.”

I tried to digest everything that he told me. “That’s something to be proud of. You did more than a lot of people would. You got help, and you got better. That’s admirable by anyone’s estimation.”

“Thank you, but I am not worried about anyone outside of us two when it comes to how people feel about me.” He locked eyes with me.

“I’m proud of what you have accomplished,” I added quickly.

“Thank you, Le.”

“I feel like that was a lot to share. Is there anything you want to ask me?” I braced myself.

“I’m willing to listen to whatever you feel you are ready to say. Whatever you are comfortable sharing.”

“You never asked me why I started stripping. I mean, usually, that is the first question men ask.” I pushed my broccoli back and forth on the plate.

“The truth is heavy enough. No need to make it heavier with a lie.”

“Why do you talk like that?”

“What you mean?”

“You know what I mean. Like you know something I don’t know. It’s annoying,” I said honestly.

“I just don’t want you to feel obligated to force yourself to say things you aren’t ready to.”

I don’t know why I bothered because everything Prince said spoke to me.

“We lost my mother when we were young. My aunt took us in, but not too much after that, she landed herself in prison. We were young girls trying to make it, and I met someone. A person I thought would have been forever. I was young, but you know what I mean.”

“Devin?”

“No not him. We had broken up for a few months. We were kids, and of course, he was cheating. I should’ve known then.” I shook my head thinking of how I missed the red flag. I gauged him to see if he was still with me and he nodded. “With this new guy, things turned sour really fast. I had a lot on my shoulders because I was taking care of my sister as well as myself from what I was getting from him. He got abusive. I had to find a way out so when I saw the opening to get away, I took it. I ran, and my sister came with me. That’s how we landed in Michigan. I guess everything works out for a reason because at that very club we ended up meeting our best friend Satisa.”

“Things do work out for a reason,” he said flatly. His expression was neutral.

“Are you done?” I popped out of my chair, wanting to get away from that topic as soon as possible. I wanted to say so much more, but I couldn’t bring myself to it.

“Yeah, it was delicious. You keep cooking like that and you gone have my ass in the gym overtime.”

“Oh yeah I forgot you have to keep that pretty boy physique.” I raked the scraps in the trash and placed the dishes in the sink. I felt his body hover over me. I could feel his breath on my ear. “I ain’t close to a boy and I don’t need shit weighing me down at the wrong time.” I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. I couldn’t help but notice that throughout the day, he was being more flirtatious than ever; he was finally ready to fold, I could tell. I could play on that ground all day. My pussy clenched with excitement.

“I can do the dishes. That’s the least I can do.”

“No. it’s okay. I got them. You’ve had a long day. I heard you talking to Remy about some things you needed to draw up tonight.”

“Look at you ear hustling.”

“I mean, you act like we weren’t in the same house when you said it.” I faced him with a smile, but it disintegrated as soon as I saw those lust-filled, sleepy eyes.

“You like that? Us being in the same space? Ever since I landed, shit got me feeling different. Naw, different ain’t the right word. It has me feeling more.”

“Uh, I was thinking about making a few things tonight that you can take to your crew tomorrow,” I said moving away from him.

He laughed letting me off the hook. “Take? You better sell it to they ass. I guess them bringing those extra eggs gone come in handy,” he was dead serious.

“I can’t believe I did that!” I don’t know how, but on the order, I thought I ordered one twenty-four-pack but ended up ordering five. “But no, I was just trying to help out. It seems like you guys are going to have some long days.”

“We are and long days means long money. They hourly and they can pay for it.”

“You really think people will pay for my food?”

“Hell yeah, they will! You need to stop sleeping on yourself. Everything I’ve tasted from you has been good as hell! You could probably pull it off with one night of cooking. Nah, fuck that not a night. A day maybe,” he corrected.

“Something to think about.” I was sold on the idea but wanted the conversation to continue.

“I’m going to step into the shower. I’ll be back.” He closed the conversation before I was ready and walked away. Again, the off-kilter rhythm he had threw me off. What I’d encountered in the past were men who would hover around me, talking all day. Prince wasn’t like that. I did not doubt how he felt or what he wanted. He just had this decisive way about his movements—even the smallest things. I wondered if that was natural or something that came after his addiction. What a story he had.

I finished washing the dishes and packing the food away. The kitchen looked just as pristine as when I first walked through the door. That was one thing I played no games about. I was going to have and keep a clean house.

Prince’s phone started to ring on the counter and I saw Rem’s name on the screen. I trotted down the hallway to the master bedroom, the phone still going off in my hand. When I stepped inside I still heard the shower running. Should I go inside? Considering it was Rem the call could have been significant. The decision was made for me when the phone stopped. I laid it on the bed, and I realized we didn’t discuss sleeping arrangements. Prince was purposeful and I knew that wasn’t a mistake. I sat on the bed, testing it for comfort, when my eyes swiveled to the corner of the room.

That pushed me to my feet. My hand traced another one of his signatures. I know what he said but curiosity was getting the best of me. Prince didn’t strike me as crazy but what if it was some weird shit going on that he didn’t want me to see? I had to make sure I was safe right?

“It’s probably nothing in there,” I whispered, and the two angels on my shoulders warred. If it was nothing why did he close it so fast? I pushed the button to reveal the door. I looked over my shoulder to make sure I still heard the shower running. The nerves had me sweating bullets. I placed my hand on the handle and pushed it in. It was pitch black, so I ran to bed, picked up the phone, and hit the flashlight. I mean, I was in it now. There was no turning back. When I stepped one toe inside, I swiveled the phone to the right wall and found a light switch. I clicked it on. My mouth hit the floor. My body vibrated to its highest frequency. My breath got extremely short as my chest heaved up and down.

Though I had never seen this kind in particular, I knew exactly what they were. Restraints of many different sizes and shapes covered the wall. It had to at least be 100. Leather, linen, and even chain-like binds. He was crazy… and I liked it. I hadn’t even been to a sex store that had so many options. I mean, there were regular ones too, but most of them were specialized. I was so drawn to them. Most of them were leather. Binding devices that made me lose my breath. Then his words came back to me last night. Your hands would look so beautiful in something I made. My nipples drew into nubs. I rushed over to the wall to touch the ones within reach. The others were so high I couldn’t grab them.

I ran my hands along the outside. There was a brown one that mirrored the color of my skin that I pulled down. I rubbed my hand on the interior fabric. The silkiness of the feel made me want to surrender my hands to it. Then there it was. Prince’s signature on the right side etched into the leather. I slipped my right wrist into it, and when I tried to pull it back, it tightened around my wrist. Shit. The more I moved, the tighter it got. With my head down, I walked to the center of the room and stopped when I saw a wheel-shaped structure.

Was it a table? Its upright position didn’t make it seem so, but I saw what had to be a lever on the back of it. It was made of wood, but it looked smooth and splinter-free. I could see straps on each side that had to be meant for hands and feet. Feelings of excitement, anxiety, and jealousy swarmed me. Was this why he was holding himself back sexually? Well, Prince didn’t know me because I was down with all of this shit. But, right now I needed to get my ass out of this room and get this off my wrist.

“You hardheaded.” Prince snuck up behind me, and I jumped out of my skin.

I closed my eyes and started apologizing. “I’m sorry. I never should have come in here without your permission. You said—"

“Do you trust me?” he asked, cutting my words short. He walked in front of me. There was a towel draped around his waist, but the meaty mass was tenting it higher and higher by the second. Damn, that looked good enough to swallow. Yes, that was exactly what I would do with it. Gag on it until tears ran down my cheeks. Spit on it until it spit on me. “Up here, Le. Do you trust me?” he called my eyes back to him. I nodded, swarmed by urgency. He reached for me, and his hand went to the base of my neck, and I felt a jolt. He traced his thumb across my lips, and my mouth opened slightly. When I tried to suck it into my mouth, his hand went around my throat.

“In here, I need your words. You’re a big girl. Talk to me.”

“I..I trust you.”

“Good. Now that you do, there is one more thing. This shit is for my woman and my woman only. If you come into this room, it’s only you and me. None of that half shit. You mine, and I will put a nigga down for what’s mine. I really wish you knew how crazy I could get. I get active behind someone I love, but you are here now. I don’t think you want to turn back, and I don’t either. Do you understand?”

My weight shifted from foot to foot while a fire brewed in my belly. I felt so damn stupid with the restraint on one wrist just dangling at my side. Still, I knew my answer though. I nodded before I could think twice. A swift slap of his right hand landed against my ass, and the pleasure that riddled my body made me leak. More please.

“Speak to me, Le,” he demanded. I knew I needed to answer him, but it was going to take me a moment to form words. Instead of a verbal reply I could give him something else until that was ready. I went to the door and pushed it closed. I turned back to look at him when I finally could string at least two words together.

“I understand,” I whispered.

“Good girl,” he said, and his small compliment warmed me. He dropped his towel in front of him, and all ten of his thick inches saluted me. I dropped to my knees, ready to service him. I was ready to hide treasures, alright. The mushroom tip was so thick and juicy that I knew my walls would scream with pleasure once he broke my plain. I couldn’t figure out if I wanted to take off my clothes first or taste him. The dick won the moment it jerked when I got eye level to it. I reached out, and when my hand met it, I had to quickly add my other due to it not wrapping around completely. Prince had that grown man dick women dreamed of. His head rocked back, and he closed his eyes on contact. His eyes shot open as he looked down with flames in his eyes. He gripped both my wrists and tossed them away.

“Outside this door, you told me to ask for permission. In here, you do.”

I blinked a few times, reasoning coming to me. It was his domain, and I walked in and tried to take control. I knew little about this lifestyle, although I’d always been curious. There were levels to it I was sure. I sat and waited for his command, not believing myself. Within seconds, I felt like a totally different person. He reached out for me, and I willingly tilted my neck up to his grasp. It pleased him. I could tell by the smile on his face.

“Giving your vulnerability to someone is one of the most powerful things you can do. It’s a posture of ultimate control, but only if you trust the person you give yourself to fully.”

“I under… understand,” I fought to get out. Shit, I was tired of talking. I wanted this man to fuck me already.

“I got you. Let’s start simply—no safe words. Tell me to stop, and I will. Can you handle that?”

“Yes.”

“First rule in here. Never me first.”

He reached down and picked me up. His hand braced around my waist to steady me while he carried me like I weighed a feather with his right forearm. I wiggled out of my pants and then my panties. When I saw where we were headed, my eyes lit up. The life-sized wooden wheel structure that touted the four restraints. Two at the top and two at the bottom. He dropped me onto my feet, and he looked down and saw my thighs; his eyes were so telling. He appreciated the visual but he wanted to do that himself. Command that of me.

“Hands.” His voice was so deep and throaty. I offered them to him. He slipped my other wrist in the other side of the restraint. One firm tug down and one swift pull forward it came right off. He threw it to the side.

“You made those? You made all of this?”

“Yes,” he answered firmly, but he was done talking. He lifted my shirt over my head, and once I was completely naked, his lips joined mine. I clutched on for dear life and ground into him, trying to do anything to get to my explosion, which was right on the brim. I hadn’t even been touched but I felt like anything would send me over the edge.

I didn’t remain untouched long. First, he got a handful of ass, and his knee spaced my leg apart. He lowered his head and clasp unto my right nipple while his free hand fondled my other side. He bit down just enough to wake up the right pleasure-pain combination, and I threw my head back while I clasped his.

“I’m so ready for you, baby. Please fuck me.”

His response was a laugh, a bend at the knees, and tossing me up to his shoulders. Once I was up there, he bound my feet to the wheel. He pushed my torso up and bound my hands. He stepped back. I was fully suspended, and his hand wrapped around his dick, and his head went back. I watched his toes rise while he relished in the feeling momentarily before his eyes came back to me. Oh my God.

“You look so fucking good, Le. I wonder what I should do first?”

“Fuck me!” I suggested, and that cocky smile played on his lips. I knew he would take his time giving me a sweet, torturous climb. I admired his restraint, and it pissed me off all in one.

“Those fucking thighs.” He licked his lips. He came closer to the wheel and tapped it on his side. I yelped as it started to move forward behind my thighs. It was then that I realized how particular Prince was and what he would go through to see what and how he wanted. There were five different planks, and they all moved. One behind my head, one behind my chest, one behind my ass, the thighs, and the final one around the ankle. This nigga was a freak, and I was here for it!

My legs already widened, and he started to kiss my inner thighs. Losing my breath I did everything I could to buck forward to get him to go higher. He wasn’t buying it. He was going to do what he wanted when he wanted. He moved his kisses down to my ankles and planted kisses on the sensitive top of my foot. My toes wiggled, and he laid kisses on those, too, before taking them into his mouth one by one. My nipples tightened so much they hurt. My stomach was starting to ache with extreme need.

“Prince, baby,” I whimpered, and I felt the board move. My pussy came forward, and I could almost cry. In fact, I did. My lids started to cloud. I had never known this point of ecstasy before. My body heated so much. I raised my head off the board to get a good look at him. I waited so long for it I didn’t want to miss a thing.

“This my pussy. You hear me?” He looked up from eye level with my pussy.

“Yes, you can have it. It’s yours.”

“I wasn’t fucking asking, Le.”

His tongue barely grazed my clit, and I erupted. It was barely a touch, and my body detonated like there had been a full-blown assault. My cum coated his beard and lips. His tongue licked the remnants from his mouth.

“Like that? You need me?”

“Yes please!” I wiggled my hips forward while my hands wriggled in the restraints. His lips attached again. My pearl stood out proudly from its hood while he devoured her with licks and nibbles. Another button was hit on the side of the structure, and my body rose a few feet so he no longer had to bend to be eye level with my pussy. The board behind me protruded a few more inches, and his eyes shot to my wrist and feet to gather my comfort. The restraints were strong. They had to be, but the smoothness of the silk that lined the inside took the brunt of the tension. If ecstasy wasn’t flooding me like a hurricane, I could’ve given him the proper reverence for creating something so pleasurable.

He gave my pussy a few more smooth licks while he introduced two fingers inside of her. “I want you to be ready for me. Damn, your pussy is so tight. I can’t wait to feel your walls squeezing my dick. I knew it would be worth every moment I waited for you.”

He walked away, and my brows flew together in confusion. I could hear his footsteps behind me, but it was killing me that I couldn’t see his face. Without warning, the wheel tilted back, and I was lying completely horizontal. He stood beside the table and marveled at me. His appreciation made me feel beautiful. Not how men looked at me when I danced in front of them. This was more. What I thought I could have with Prince sexually was so much more, and I had to admit he was right. I tried to rob myself of this beauty. What would be even more beautiful than him gazing at me is him pounding me senselessly. My stomach knotted again and I grimaced.

“We have to work on your restraint. I can tell you are in pain. No more tonight.” His voice was deep as the ocean, and my body jolted with excitement as he loosened the restraint on my right leg. He straddled me while he captured my lips, and pressure at my opening made me buck forward. He paused, and the need flooded me so badly that the knot in the bottom of my stomach increased. With the tip of his mushroom head, he teased my opening in and out. I wanted my hands but all I had was one leg to urge him deeper. He gripped my thigh and brought it higher around his waist while his sleepy eyes caught mine. The brown pools were sexier than I ever seen. He was trying to stay strong but I could tell my pussy was doing exactly what I knew it would.

“What’s wrong, you can’t take it? You can’t fuck me without cumming?” I teased feeling my confidence come back. So far, he was in complete control, but I wanted to join the party, too.

“Just know yo’ ass getting off easy as fuck right now. You should be waiting hours on this dick. You ready huh?” He didn’t wait for my response as he slammed into me filling me to the hilt. My world tilted and my body convulsed violently. The pain. The pleasure. It overstimulated me to tears.

“Oh shit!” My eyes fluttered closed. I saw stars momentarily before he came back into focus. I was so caught up in bliss. In him. I barely heard his voice call to me.

“You know you fucked up right?”