Page 17 of A King’s Obsession

I barely had time to lock my phone before her name flashed across the screen. I shook my head, already knowing she was about to start talking shit, and answered.

“Hello to you too, Malachi,” Ashlynn greeted sarcastically. “Damn, do you know how to speak to a woman? No hey, beautiful. No how your day going. Just you still coming like I'm one of your little employees.”

I leaned against the side of my truck, smiling as she continued fussing. “You done?”

“No, actually, I'm not. I've been texting you, and you ain't said shit all day. What if I needed something?”

“You need something?” I asked, glancing toward the warehouse.

She paused. “Well, no, but that's not the point.”

“Then what is the point, Ash?”

“The point is you could've checked on me. You know, made sure I was alive and breathing. Something romantic.”

I chuckled, dragging a hand over my beard. “Woman, I talked to you last night. You was alive then.”

“See? This exactly why you need me closer. Somebody gotta teach your ass how to act.”

I laughed, shaking my head as she continued talking. That was Ashlynn. Loud, beautiful, spoiled, and full of enough personality for three women. She flirted like breathing and had a way of turning damn near everything into a joke. Somehow, underneath all that, she'd worked her way into being somebody I genuinely looked forward to hearing from.

What we had was simple. I took care of her, we enjoyed each other's company, and neither of us had started the arrangement expecting anything serious. No titles or unnecessary promises.

At least, that was how it started.

Lately, I'd been wanting her closer. I was tired of flying her back and forth every time I wanted to see her, and she'd already been talking about leaving Rosemont anyway. Moving her to Westhaven made sense. She got the fresh start she'd been looking for, I got her closer to me, and I stopped spending money on flights every few weeks.

Everybody won.

My faith had always shaped how I viewed relationships differently too. I was Muslim, and although I wasn't perfect, I understood there were parts of my life that didn't line up with the man I knew I was supposed to be. That was between me and Allah, and I carried the weight of it whether anybody else knew it or not.

Marriage was something I'd thought about more than once since meeting Ashlynn. So was having more than one wife. Not because I wanted an excuse to collect women, but because I understood that marriage came with responsibilities beyond simply providing financially. Being fair, being honest, and standing on the commitments I made were things I took seriously.

Whether Ashlynn would ever entertain some shit like that was a whole other story.

I damn near laughed thinking about it.

That woman would probably cuss me out before I got through the explanation.

“What you laughing at?” she asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Nothing.” I straightened away from the truck and glanced at my watch. “You packed?”

“Basically.”

I closed my eyes for a second.

Basically meant no.

“Ashlynn, your flight leaves tomorrow. What the fuck does basically mean?”

“It means I got most of my stuff together,” she replied, sounding annoyed that I'd even questioned her. “Stop acting like my daddy.”

“Then stop acting like you need one. Last time I flew you out here, you almost missed your damn flight.”

“And did I miss it?”

“You got on the plane while they was damn near closing the door.”