Her head shook as she rejected him calling her his wife… again. “But you… You divorced me so easily. I didn’t think you wanted to be with me anymore.”
Hendrix scoffed and scratched between his brows as he stood and made his way next to her. His scent immediately engulfed her. It was different from the cologne he used to wear—fresh yet spicy. Leather and citrus. A complex mix of things she wouldn’t otherwise expect to blend so perfectly, but it smelled good asfuckon him.
“I didn’t want to hurt you any more than I already had. That’s the only reason I pushed for a speedy divorce. Your needs were important to me. As much as I wanted to draw things out, I wanted you to be able to live the life you wanted and deserved.” He looked around her immaculately clean sitting room. Just like when they were married, Nobu took her daily cleaning seriously. It didn’t matter that she cleaned for a living; she loved cleaning her own home too. It was during that time that she listened to affirmations and repeated them for hours in her head. “Did you… ever have that baby?”
Nobu’s head shook as she smirked. “I didn’t. As adamant as I was about starting my family, I realized I only wanted a baby with you. I’ve dated other men and even had one propose last year but none of them compared to you. None of them were worth going half on a baby with.”
Hendrix’s hand lifted to her cheek, and he used it to pull her closer. “So we got a divorce just to be unhappy with ourselves trying to make each other happy?”
It was a sad truth that made her laugh as she nodded in agreement. “Unfortunately, that’s what it sounds like. It doesn’t matter how great other areas of my life are…”
“My heart still craves you,” he added, taking the words right out of her mouth, and she kissed the words right off his lips. Kissing became groping that led to Hendrix lifting her and carrying her to her bedroom, where they made love—deep, raw, and hard—until they both fell asleep.
ChapterTwo
Hendrix
Every few seconds, Hendrix would smile and shake his head. When he agreed to be Santa Claus, he didn’t expect to see Nobu, but he shouldn’t have been surprised. It was her favorite holiday and now that Hendrix was mindful of it, he knew she’d probably be at the church every Thursday. What had surprised him, though, was the fact that her home hadn’t been decorated yet. When they were married, she started celebrating Christmas as soon as Halloween was over. Hendrix couldn’t help but wonder if them deciding to divorce right before Christmas had anything to do with that.
Divorcing Nobu Jakes Cane was the hardest thing Hendrix had ever done in his life. His ego made it difficult for him to believe marriage and children could give him the same fulfillment and satisfaction climbing the ladder of success was giving him. The rush Hendrix got each time he signed a new recruit and received a bonus was addictive. There were days he wouldn’t come home until close to midnight because he was on calls or with potential clients at restaurants or country clubs. Hendrix convinced himself what he was doing was okay because he wasn’t cheating, but he'd had three years to realize the error of his ways.
It was easier to cut all ties with Nobu. If he kept in contact with her, Hendrix wouldn’t be able to let her go. Staying in two different states was the only thing keeping him from showing up at her doorstep every day. It was ironic that while they were married Hendrix was okay not spending time at home or dating his wife, but the moment they parted ways, he ached to have her closeness. Hendrix didn’t believe he deserved a second chance to make things right with Nobu, but he promised God if given the chance, he’d love her the way she deserved. The way he vowed to.
The sound of Nobu shuffling into the kitchen had Hendrix looking over his shoulder from the coffee bar. They both had to have a cup of coffee before they were able to converse with anyone. Nobu had showered and dressed in his button-down shirt. It was still open, exposing the low-rise red panties she had on. She’d thrown her bra strap length burgundy hair up into a bun. His wife was just as beautiful now, if not more, than she was back then.
She was tall and curvy with a medium build. Her smooth caramel brown skin was blemish free. Like always, she had on long acrylic nails. This time, they had a red, white, and silver Christmas design. Nobu’s eyes were dark and shiny, and she had the deepest dimples that made Hendrix cave every time she smiled. He used to work hard as hell trying to make her smile just to see those dimples.
“Mornin’,” she grumbled, plopping down on the bar stool behind the island that separated the kitchen from the living room. “You making me a cup?”
“Mornin’ beautiful, I am,” Hendrix agreed, grabbing a second espresso pod.
“I’m surprised you’re still here.”
“Why is that?”
“Just figured you’d be gone by the time I woke up.”
“I haven’t had you for three years, Nobu. If I could, I’d spend every day of this month with you.”
When she didn’t reply, Hendrix looked back to find her smiling as she stared at him. “What are you doing in Memphis anyway?”
As he continued to fix their coffee, Hendrix told her, “I’m vetting and interviewing candidates for a new office here in Memphis. The execs want me here until the start of the new year to ensure the new hires are right for their positions before they open on the first.”
“Oh. So… Are we going to talk about you being Santa Claus?”
Hendrix chuckled as he went to the refrigerator to grab her brown sugar and caramel macchiato creamers.
“Your mother-in-law insisted. She said it’s the least I can do for the church since I’ve been gone for so long.”
With her elbow resting on the island, Nobu palmed her forehead as her head shook.
“Are you just going to act like we haven’t been divorced for the last three years, Hendrix?”
He waited until he was setting her cup in front of her to reply. “Legally, we are divorced. Spiritually and emotionally, you’re still mine.” His eyes scanned the top of her frame. “Physically too.” Hendrix licked his lips as his dick hardened just at the thought of the night they’d spent together. “How long is it going to take for you to accept that?”
“Last night got a little heated, that I can admit, but it took a lot of work for me to get used to not having you, Henny. I don’t want to mess up the work I’ve done to heal. If you’re going to be here for the month, I’m okay with us hanging out and having sex, but it can’t be any more than that.”
Confining his laugh to a snort, Hendrix shook his head emphatically as he displayed a wide grin.