Just a fancy way to avoid saying "The place with file cabinets, a desk and a wheely chair where Zori handles business".
Fumie - 7-11-2014 at 06:20 PM
Again with the apologies. She swore she would try to stop giving them, but here she was the day after the gala ready to give him an apology. It
wasn’t for her husband this time though. This one was all on Fumie. She’d kissed him. She didn’t know what came over her. She just...he was
so...She didn’t regret it. She was going to tell him how sorry she was for being so unprofessional. She was going to apologize for throwing herself
at him and probably confusing the shit out of him. WHat she wouldn’t be apologizing for was that kiss. It was wrong, but she meant it. With every
fiber of her being she had wanted to kiss Zori, so she indulged herself. Fumie kissed him and he kissed her back. And it was exciting. In the
last 10 years of her marriage, Fumie had not once felt the way she had last night when she was tasting Zori. Fuck…
She had to keep her shit together. She could do this. fumie closed the short distance left between herself and his office door. She knew how out of
place she looked in the gym, her heels clicking across the hardwood. Shit. The door was open. Half of her had been hoping he wouldn’t be here...That was good though. She was
going to make this quick. She would knock, say her piece, and go. And above all else she was not going to let herself be alone with him in that
office.
Fumie raised her hand to the door and knocked twice, poking her head in, her smile automatic when she saw him. He had been working. “Hi Zori-,”
She stepped into full view, standing squarely in the door frame. “I hope I’m not interrupting too much. I was hoping we could talk a minute.”
Zori - 7-11-2014 at 08:07 PM
Nothing about work had been easy that day. Matter of fact, nothing about nothing had been easy for Zori. He'd gotten to work thirty minutes late,
which was damn out of character for him. And on top of that, he'd broken his coffee maker and forgotten a meeting he was supposed to have with a
contractor about a new addition to the gym. He was out of sync and it was all because of last night. What happened between he and Fumie was on
him...heavy. He'd gotten stupid and...dammit. He shook his head as he sat at his desk, reading the same fucking sentence over again...for the
third time. Everything he was getting, the "nothing's going right" morning, the way his mind kept straying? Everything. He deserved it. Because
this was the kind of shit that happened when you kissed another man's wife. He scoffed, shaking his head at himself as he dropped the pen he'd
been drumming against his desk and leaned back in his chair. He couldn't get any work done. Not feeling the way he'd been feeling. Maybe...if he'd
gotten the chance to apologize for his actions. If he'd gotten the chance to explain himself. Maybe his conscious would've been cleared enough to at
least get half of the work he needed to finish out of the way. But that wasn't the case as Fumie didn't even give him the chance to speak after it had
happened, leaving him standing by himself, looking the fool he felt he was. He leaned forward with a heavy sigh, his elbows on the desk, rubbing the
furrow in his brow. He couldn't keep thinking about the situation that had happened between he and Fumie...or how it had possibly fucked up everything
that they'd been building...professionally, that is. When she was ready to talk with him, he'd apologize to her and they'd move
forward...professionally, forgetting everything that he'd let happen at the gala and putting it behind them. Shit, if he was lucky...
His head snapped up as he heard the knock on his door, his first thought defaulting to "what now"? The way the morning was going, he wouldn't have
been surprised to see Emma standing at the door, telling him the entire basement was flooded or that a customer had fucked up one of his priciest
machines, which would be a fucker and a half to...
Fumie. Sitting up taller in his seat, he felt his eyes widen at her appearance at his door. He definitely hadn't been expecting her. Not so
soon, at least, the shit from the night before was still fresh. But there she was, standing at his door...looking like her usual "million bucks". Even
dressed down, she looked...and THOSE were the thoughts that had gotten them where they were right now...where Zori was right now. Awkward,
embarrassed. Guilty.
"Hey..." He answered. his lips lifting into a friendly smile to hide his less than friendly thoughts.
"Nah, you're not interrupting me." He spoke over her words, his hand coming up to wave her into his office.
"Close the door...let's talk." He closed the file folder that sat on his desk, not thinking about his words until they'd already left his mouth.
"That is...if you want to. We can leave the door open, too. Whatever you're comfortable with."Fumie - 7-11-2014 at 08:45 PM
Fumie’s smile didn’t falter as Zori fidgeted in his seat. He was surprised to see her. That was understandable after last night. Shit! She
probably shouldn’t have come. This was too soon. He needed time to process what happened and here she was in his face again. She hadn’t thought
this all the way through. She knew she wanted to get down here and make things right with him, but she never considered what Zori might want in all
this. Maybe he wasn’t ready to see her...or maybe things weren’t as bad as she thought, his lips lifting into a smile as he told her she wasn’t
interrupting. That was a good sign. HOpefully he wasn’t faking being comfortable with her there. She could totally leave if that’s what he wanted.
With the way she’d assaulted him last night she wouldn’t blame him in the slightest.
Close the door...let’s talk. Shoot. She said she wouldn’t do this. She said she wouldn’t let herself be alone with him. She couldn’t
be trusted! Zori knew it too, a correction to his words coming quickly after. Whatever she was comfortable with? It wasn’t about her. She had been
the one all over him last night. She guessed if he was okay with being alone with her, she could be too...she would just keep her distance. Fumie
chuckled a bit as she stepped into his office, closing the door behind her. “With what I did last night, I would argue this is more about what
you’re comfortable with.” Her smile faded after her failed attempt to make light of a heavy situation.
“I came to apologize to you, Zori. I know I said I wouldn’t do that anymore, but...last night…” She needed to apologize. Above all else she
needed to ensure that he was still in for letting Kidd’s Kids use his gym for the summer. She would be completely fucked if she had ruined a
business deal because she couldn’t keep her emotions in check.
“I was unprofessional.” Zori - 8-11-2014 at 12:57 PM
What SHE did? So, she was in on the kiss by herself? That was interesting because from what Zori remembered, it'd taken two people to make that kiss
happen. Not one. He was to blame too. He could've spoken up, pushed her away...something. But, he couldn't. When her lips touched his,
something...felt right about it. Too much like right, if you asked him and that was probably enough to be the first one to end the kiss that shouldn't
have been happening in the first place. But he didn't end it. She had. He would've been content as hell to keep right on kissing a married woman and
that was why she wasn't the only one that was at fault. She needed to know that and she wasn't going to leave his office before she did. But, at least
she was open to talking, just as he was. He watched her close the door behind her, not moving towards one of the chairs two chairs he'd placed in
front of his desk. She wanted to stand? Okay, that meant the conversation would be quick and to the point.
He nodded slowly at her words when she finally said them. How she apologized for her actions, even though she'd told him she would stop apologizing.
This was fair game. They both had apologies to make. Her for her "lack of professionalism" and him, for his.
"And I owe you one, too." He said, the baritone of his voice taking on a more apologetic tone.
"I really am sorry for...last night. What I did was disrespectful and I want you to know that I...I truly respect you, your husband and your
organization, Fumie." He met her eyes, leaning over the desk as he clasped his hands together in front of him. He meant what he'd said to her. He did
respect her. He respected the way she hustled. She always dressed the part of kept wife, her pricey high heels and her expensive dresses. But she
didn't act it. She was a hard working woman and mother. A woman like that? She deserved respect.
"Crossing the line like that...it won't happen again. I mean it." Fumie - 8-11-2014 at 02:32 PM
Zori didn’t owe her a damn thing. That whole night had probably been a shitstorm for him and it was 100% her fault. She honestly hadn’t meant for
any of this to happen. She simply wanted...oh hell, she didn’t know what she wanted anymore! She was married, she couldn’t...even if her husband
could sleep around with no regard for anyone else’s feelings but his own, that wasn’t Fumie. Or at least she thought it wasn’t. After kissing
Zori? The horrible things she began thinking as soon as she closed that door? Why couldn’t she make herself feel differently about him? Most would
think that the kiss they shared would be enough to make her think twice about whatever dangerous game she was trying to play. But all it really did
was make her want more...dammit! She couldn’t be Shemar Kidd. It wasn’t fair to Zori...it wasn’t fair in general.
“Please don’t apologize-,” but he did anyway, his words falling over hers as his eyes connected with hers. He had no reason to be sorry. The
kiss was amazing. He was amazing. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Quite the opposite in fact. Zori was the only man in her life that seemed to want
her in his and that was an amazing feeling. Something she didn’t get from her husband and only occasionally got from her son. She liked it. Zori
gave her that feeling and she liked it. That was why when he said his crossing the line wouldn’t happen again, she felt like she needed to be
straight with him. Fumie stepped closer to the desk as he finished, placing her bag in one of the chairs beside her. She wanted to level with him. To
be honest, so that maybe, this time, she wouldn’t be acting on her emotions rather than telling them.
“Zori, listen...I like you. More than I should actually-,” she was a grown ass woman. What was the point in hiding that fact? She wasn’t 16 and
this wasn’t some high school puppy love crush. She liked him, as evidenced by the kiss they shared last night. “I wanted to clear that up so that
what I say next makes sense to you.” Fumie inhaled deep, her words coming with her exhale.
“I can’t promise that I won’t cross that line again.”Zori - 8-11-2014 at 05:39 PM
And there it was, the plea for him to stop apologizing to her. Zori had come to expect that from Fumie. Her inability to let him say "sorry" for
something that he shared fault in. Which in this situation, he did. He couldn't let her take the entire weight of the situation, not when he'd let
himself kiss her just as easily as she'd started it. He wasn't that type of man. The kind that avoided responsibility. He never had been. He knew the
weight of being responsible for his actions...and he could carry it. His momma had made sure that he was man enough for that job. That was why telling
him not to apologize never phased him and it still didn't phase him, even when Fumie asked him not to apologize in "that" voice. Like she was pleading
with him to let her be at fault. Not going to happen. Not while he was still the man he was. Not while he could still say "Regina Blount raised him
right".
He only smiled at her request, finishing his apology and meaning every word of it. If she wanted him to stop apologize, they probably needed to stop
getting into situations that needed apologies. Like the one they'd been in last night at the gala. Conversing. Vibing...alone. But was it
crazy that Zori just couldn't seem to stay away from her? Even though he knew her status from their first meeting and even though he'd met her
husband, who he respected but he could safely say he didn't care for...he still couldn't stay away from her. Their business meetings were just
that..."business". But Zori couldn't say that he didn't try to slip in a conversation or look for something that would make her smile or laugh. He
enjoyed the time that he stole from their chance meetings when she passed through to get something signed or check how local sign-ups for Kidd's Kids
Summer Sports Clinic were going. That was all that Zori would ever get though. And he knew just how important it was to be happy about that. Because
nothing good ever came of fuckin' around with things that didnt' belong to him...
I like you. And even though he knew how dangerous it was, the corners of his mouth lifted as Fumie spoke, telling him how she liked
him...more than she should've. And Zori didn't need to be a brilliant man to figure out what that meant. She liked him...more than the wife of Shemar
Kidd should've. She liked him more than a married woman needed to ever admit to a man that wasn't her husband. But Fumie had done that. And like he'd
done last night, Zori had failed to stop her in her tracks, which he should've the second she'd said those words.
"Fumie..." Zori stopped short as he called her name, her final words pulling him into a shocked silence. Wait. What was she admitting? That if the
opportunity arose, she'd kiss him again? Maybe more? Zori's jaw clenched as he looked away from her, processing her words. But no way that he thought
them through made them any more correct. Any more right. She was married. Zori didn't claim to know the details of her marriage, but the point was,
whatever their status was, she wore a ring that meant she wasn't Zori's. And no matter how attracted he was to her...there was a respect that wouldn't
stop yelling out warnings to him.
"Fumie." He said her name again, finally ready to respond to her words. "I'm a man that values respect. I've always prided myself on that. And you're
a beautiful...sexy, amazing woman. Any man would be lucky to have you. But...I can't disrespect you like that again. I just...I can't."Fumie - 9-11-2014 at 09:04 AM
There it was. Everything out in the open. Fumie couldn’t be trusted to keep her hands, lips, and anything else to herself when Zori was around and
she wanted him to know that before he signed off on the deal she hoped they still had for these kids. Fumie still needed to do business with him and
she could not guarantee that she would be on her most professional behavior with him. Was this right? Did she even really have to ask herself that?
She knew nothing about the situation she was putting herself in was right, but she...she liked him. She wanted more time with him. She wantd to get to
know him. And of course she had already told the Kidd’s Kids summer participants that they would be spending time in this gym. It would be awful if
she went back on her word with them...But Zori needed to be comfortable too.
He could tell her, right here, right now that he couldn’t do business with her and she would be okay with that. She would hire a liaison that would
get the time she wanted with Zori and she would deal with him not wanting to work with her. She would be fine. He would be fine. The kids would be
good. Those were the things that really mattered here...but she hoped he wouldn’t say that. As he said her name again and paused to gather his
thoughts, she hoped he wouldn’t say he couldn’t do this with her. That he couldn’t look at her everyday after what she’d done because she
wanted nothing more than to do just that. Look at him. Talk to him. Just be near him...Her therapist would have said something like not exploring this
was making her fixate on him. That was probably true.
She couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips as Zori told her that was was all of the things her husband spent most of his time telling her she
wasn’t. She chuckled to herself as he finished, her feet carrying her to the other side of his desk, beside him. Fumie was testing her limits as she
leaned against the edge, her legs crossing at the ankles before speaking, “That’s exactly what I’m talking about.” She looked at him then,
their eyes connecting again. Zori was too sweet. Too honorable. There was no way she’d be able to keep herself in line around him. But she was
practicing now. Trying her damnedest not let her daydreams about him bending her over this desk become a reality. She sighed.
“You’re a good man, Zori. That’s what makes me like you so much I think…-,” a short sigh left her again as she turned away from him, the
corners of her lips still upturned. “And you never disrespected me. The kiss was amazing. That I’m not sorry about.” God she was taking all
kinds of leaps today! She didn’t need to tell him that...but she wanted him to know. Full disclosure. That was why she came here.
“Like I said, I’m sorry about my lapse in professionalism. I could understand if you can’t work with me anymore after that and we can work
something out so that you can still help the foundation and...not see me.” Zori - 9-11-2014 at 11:47 AM
Zori was sure what he was saying was right. He was sure! He knew the kind of man he was, the one his mother taught him and raised him to be. You
respect the sanctity of a marriage, Zo...you don't touch what ain't yours. He got it. He remembered. He knew better. But seeing the curve of the
smile on Fumie's amazing lips at his words made him think different. And that was so wrong...because he shouldn't have been having thoughts, very
explicit thoughts he might add, about a married woman. Thoughts that were the opposite of everything he'd just told her. How he was a man of his word
and he meant what he said. How she was worth so much more than some random man she'd slipped up and kissed. How he respected her...and unfortunately,
her ass of a husband, who even though Zori could safely say he hated the guy, was still a factor in the way Zori was responding to his wife. Which was
with the utmost respect and...fuck.
The sliver of panic that Zori felt for a second was masked by the unreadable expression that covered his face...his saving grace as Fumie drew closer
to him, coming behind his desk and leaning against the edge of it. If only his eyes weren't betraying him, narrowing as they traced the length of her
legs in that skirt that he was pretty sure she'd worn on purpose. They stopped at her face, making eye contact with her. She wasn't lying. Everything
about her being in his office seemed to be pushing her closer to him and he couldn't mistake the fact that he noticed she wasn't doing much to stay
away. Because she didn't want to. She wasn't going to stop herself. And that made Zori wonder. Why the hell she was so sure that fucking up her
marriage was a good route to take. Because that's what she was going to do if she even tried to take what she'd felt last night in that kiss with Zori
any further. She was married. She had a family. Why was she so quick to want to give that up...for him? She didn't even really KNOW him.
Outside of the occasional visits on business and the quick, superficial conversation, what did she really know about him? Was it worth it? Was he
worth it?
The kiss was amazing. That, I'm not sorry about. Wow. Zori's eyesbrows lifted as he listened to her, almost in disbelief that she was saying
the things that were leaving her mouth. Did she hear herself? Yeah, okay...the kiss was...Zori hadn't had a kiss like that in awhile. But, again. Was
it worth it?
"Lemme get this right..." He rubbed his chin as he thought about what Fumie was really telling him. "You'd be willing to break what we've got going
professionally and let someone else handle what we've been working on for weeks because...you're not above crossing the line with me? Wow..." He
chuckled quickly, his smirk fading as he waited for her to rethink what she'd told him. Not that he saw signs of wavering. Matter of fact, he saw
opposite. Her steady eye contact. The look of "no bullshit" on her face.
"Do you work out?" He asked, his gaze on her constant as a look of confusion spread across her face.Fumie - 9-11-2014 at 01:26 PM
He didn’t understand. She could tell by the very suprised look on his face at her words. She didn’t regret that kiss and she would not apologize
for it. But he didn’t get it. How could Fumie Kidd, wife of Shemar Kidd, mother of two, and brains of an organization be willing to throw all of
that away on what he probably thought was a fling? He didn’t understand it because he didn’t know. He didn’t know Shemar stayed out six
nights a week with hookers, or strippers, or whatever pathetic girl he could get to tell him he was “the greatest of all time”. Zori didn’t know
that when Shemar was home he did nothing but terrorize his family. He didn’t know that when his temper got out of hand...Zori didn’t know any of
this, so he couldn’t understand how she could say all of the things she was saying to him right now. How easy and freeing it was to finally tell the
truth for two seconds and stop living her perfect wife, perfect life LIE. Ahh, the feeling was almost orgasmic! So yes, she’d just said everything
she’d been thinking since meeting him. She’d laid all of her cards on the table and even offered him an out if he wanted one. But God she hoped he
didn’t.
Lemme get this right...He was exactly right. That was what she was saying. She had people at the foundation that could run summer program
this year. Fumie kept meticulous notes and records, all of the hard work was really done, and she would of course be available to answer questions.
She could easily pass this project off if he wanted her to do so...but he didn’t. She could tell in the way his answer to her proposition had yet to
come, ending his summation of her words with a soft “wow”. Not a “yes, find me someone else”. This was a good sign and as he opened his mouth
to speak again, she was sure he would tell her something she wanted to hear...what?
Fumie’s brows knitted together in soft confusion as she tilted her head a little. Did she work out? What was that have to do with anything? It was
a curious question but she would humor him, her head nodding slowly as she spoke, “Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for about an hour. Sometimes two
if I’m lucky...Why?”
What? He was curious, now so was she. Zori - 10-11-2014 at 05:12 AM
Was his question a little...off-topic? Definitely. But he wasn't making some crazy attempt to change the subject...but he was trying to change her
mind. Not that her mind was made up. Zori figured it was the opposite. She was waiting for is decision. Would he chance them having another moment
like they'd had at the gala? Or would he be the man that he claimed he was and take the temptation out of the situation by cutting off contact with
Fumie? Both were unfair decisions to make. Because he liked her too. He liked the way she always smelled like...flowers. The scent was different
almost every time he'd met up with her, but the fact was she was floral. Sweet. The kind of hot, summery, dulling sweet that
was...intoxicating. He liked the way her voice rose when she was talking about something that excited her. He liked how she took charge, even now.
He liked her. And not seeing her wasn't an option for him. Not when he'd come to look forward to her drop-bys. But letting her fuck her
marriage up for someone she thought she wanted? No, that wasn't an option either.
"You, not working on a project that you put as much time and work into as you've done with this one? I can't let you do that on account of me.
This...means too much to you." He began.
"And that's why we're gonna make a deal..." A soft smile broke on his face as he spoke. "...because I really don't think this is just about me..." To
be completely honest, Zori thought she was...bored. She the wife of a wealthy, basketball "legend" and a mother of at least one kid. Her husband was
probably busy and she definitely was busy as all hell, the foundation taking up so much of her time that it surprised Zori that she got the chance to
even work out three days of the week. All she had was work...and work...and more work. Zori...and that kiss they shared last night was a change from
the boring.
But him? It wasn't about being bored. It was about...her. Call it selfish, but he didn't want to stop seeing her. Her walking into his office after a
day full of costumers' issues, payroll, repair requests, a radiant smile on her face? It was the highlight of his day. And he wasn't going to give
that up for the fear of her crossing the line.
"I just think...you need a change." He leaned forward. "So...if you keep your hands to yourself and keep partnering me on the summer camp deal...I'll
give you the something "new" that you're wanting. Let me be your trainer..." Fumie - 10-11-2014 at 05:18 PM
Make a deal? Fumie hadn’t even had time to process that Zori had decided to let her stay on this project before he said something that peaked her
interest a bit more. Her smile grew as his broke, his words continuing. Because he really didn’t think it was just about him...that was probably
true. Fumie has seen, talked to, worked with men she could have started an affair with. Hard working, paid, but just as self-centered as the man she
was currently married to. Nothing about Zori was like that. There were a number of things pushing her into his arms and his insight was one of them.
He was right, kind of. It wasn’t just about him, really. It was about her too. Her son had outgrown her and her husband had stopped caring about her
years ago. Occasionally she got in time with her daughter and she got to forget for just a little while how miserable she was, but...she was lonely.
Zori acted like he cared.
“Okay-,” she giggled a little bit. “I’ll bite; what’s the deal?” She kind of liked how this was sounding. Making closed door deals with
Zori Blount and his perfect smile. And he was trying to be respectful? By asking her to behave? Mmm...she grew less sure by the second that that was
going to work for them. I just think you need a change. That was for damn sure. What was he getting at though? Was virtuous, respectful,
honorable Zori about to change his mind about all of that? She wouldn’t be mad if he did...quite the opposite actually. But that wasn’t what he
was talking about.
“My trainer?” Fumie laughed again, leaning away from his desk and coming to stand. Now it was his trun to make excuses to spend time with one
another huh? He was cute. “And what exactly will we be doing in these…training sessions?” Oops. She could hear it in her voice when she
said it. The sex in her words. To be honest, it slipped out. She hadn’t meant to say it like that as she was sure Zori’s offer was 100% above
board, but it was already out.
Sue her. Zori - 11-11-2014 at 03:56 PM
Her trainer. That's exactly what he'd said and as far as he was concerned, it was a damn good deal. Fumie, still being able to do what she
loved and keeping her intentions in check and him...getting to see her a little more. Yeah, he knew it. He was walking himself right into a damn trap.
"Wearing gasoline drawers straight into hell" as his momma would've put it. Setting himself up for the fail. But, he couldn't help it. He liked
spending time with Fumie. He liked seeing her and having conversations with her that he wasn't having with anyone else. The only interactions he got
were from his employees or his customers...or Papa. And conversations with a dog weren't exactly something you bragged about. He didn't want to be
lonely. And she didn't want to be bored. They were both getting something in return, right?
"Yep." He answered simply, her laugh making him smile harder as he watched her lean away from his desk, looking down at him. His eyes met hers as she
asked him what she'd be learning from him, a little spice in her words. He chuckled, biting his lip at her flirty question. Not that... He
answered her..."question" mentally. Because what she was insinuation? That wasn't part of the deal.
"How do you feel about kickboxing?" He asked, letting her at least make a decision about what she wanted to learn. He was going to go with something a
little more...exotic, but he wasn't training her for a future in mixed martial arts. He was just trying to help her fill some time.
"You're already in...incredible shape." His words had moved faster than his damn brain had...and so had his eyes as they unintentionally made their
way from her toned legs and back to her face. He smiled again, shaking his head at how predictable he was. After years of avoiding anything that had
to do with the female form, he still couldn't resist it...especially when it was wearing the skirt that Fumie had on.
"And..." Hesitation reached his voice as he tried to figure out how to tactfully say what was on his mind. And his mind was racing, back to the night
before...back to the swollen lip he swore she was sporting underneath her flawless lipstick. Back to the Shemar's aggressiveness. Back to the
unexpected kiss.
"...meditation." He finally said. "T Because for a woman who moves mountains...you seem to be having a hard time balancing them." Fumie - 11-11-2014 at 05:34 PM
He wanted to train her. He was right, that was something different. She didn’t too often work out with anyone, usually opting to take a run around
her neighborhood or pick up the occasional pilates class. This would be...interesting, to say the least. She could imagine all of the chances for
error in this scenario. Zori’s hands correcting her form leading to a lot more positions that he...they weren’t trying to get into. It sounded
like fun though. Especially when she heard his suggest kickboxing. Fumie’s smile widened a little as she thought that over...again, interesting.
“Okay-,” she started, her teeth catching her bottom lip as he told her how she was already in good shape. And she hoped he knew she noticed his
eyes wandering. He did, a short chuckle leaving him after his eyes found his face again. Okay. Maybe she’d worn this skirt for him today. Shemar
would never allow her out of the house like this; plain white tee and a high low pencil skirt? No. She would be dismissed as basic and forced to
change, but she was comfortable like this. She felt better when she got to dress herself and for once not live by Shemar Kidd’s rules and impossible
standards...Lucky for her, he was barely ever home and he for damn sure wouldn’t be hanging around here. Of course she could spend more time with
Zori, she--meditation?
Fumie looked away from him at his half compliment. He wasn’t wrong. Her life stayed “off balance”. Hell, with Shemar smacking her in the head so
often, she was surprised it wasn’t more literal. “If only you knew-,” her voice had fallen as her thoughts turned darker, but she didn’t want
that. She wanted to be right here, in this moment...with just Zori. She looked back up at him, her hand extending in front of her for him to shake.
“You have got yourself a client Mr. Blount.”Zori - 12-11-2014 at 06:13 AM
If only you knew. If only Zori DID know, because what he thought he knew was enough. There were signs that he couldn’t shrug away last
night, none of them showing him anything positive about what Fumie was with her husband. Shemar Kidd was a jerk...a shadow of what Zori had previously
believed to be a “greater man”. That didn’t necessarily mean that he was any of those things when it came to Fumie. Assumptions were the kind of
thing that Zori refused to base his actions off of, so he stayed quiet about what he “assumed”, offering a sort of a friendship instead of what he
knew Fumie wanted. Or thought she wanted. This was safer. For her...and definitely for him.
“And you’ve got yourself a trainer.” He replied, smiling as he grasped her hand in a friendly shake. She was as warm to the touch as her smile
was. Zori’s gaze met her eyes as their agreement handshake lingered a bit too long. Dropping her hand, he smirked at himself. It was damn hilarious
that he truly believed he was going to come out of this thing lily white. He was playing with fire to them most dangerous degree. All because he’d
met a woman that interested him? That he couldn’t stop thinking about? It was amazing that he’d stayed out of trouble with women for as long as he
had. Obviously, he couldn’t get enough of it! He was fooling himself. Telling himself he was stronger than temptation, that he was more disciplined
and sold on his moralistic promise to himself. Look, but don’t touch. Other people’s property needs to stay that way. But how long was
that mantra going to play in his head? How long would it take the loud voice to become a whisper?Zori - 7-3-2015 at 08:41 AM
____________________________________________
The alarm went off on Zori’s phone for the second time that night, his finger swiping at the screen absentmindedly to silence it. He’d told
himself he wasn’t going to do this again. This, meaning staying in his office until after midnight, doing work that he couldn’t saved for the next
day. But work meant a busy mind and a busy mind meant he wasn’t thinking about Fumie. Because he was always thinking about Fumie. It’d been two
weeks since they’d had “the talk” at her house. No. Their house. “Their” meaning her kids and her husband, better known as the
invisible force that no matter how unseen he was, weighed heavily in Zori's thoughts, right along with Fumie. Because Zori had chosen the high road.
And no matter how many long nights at work he spent avoiding it, he resented his decision. Resented it so much that even his Momma could tell the
difference in him during their weekly call. He was serious, focused...boring. Their call last week had to have been the first time his Momma actually
made an excuse just to get off the phone with him and he could see why. That pointless ember of hope that he subconsciously held onto when it came to
Fumie was gone. Now that he’d told her “no” for the last time, outside of friendship, there was nothing to hope for.
“The fuck is that?” Zori heard himself say, a loud rapping on the glass front door of the gym breaking his concentration. The gym was closed, as
that was usually what “afterhours” meant. No one was coming in and he would be the only one going out when he shut it down for the night. So, what
the hell was someone doing beating on the door of his business like the cops? Something told him to keep the damn lights off in the weight room when
he’d closed it for the evening.
He got out of his chair as he heard the rapping again, more knocks coming this time. His eyes narrowed as he walked out the door of his office,
rounded the corner and looked out the front door and onto the street.Fumie - 7-3-2015 at 01:48 PM
She didn’t know where else to go. Fumie knocked desperately at the door of the gym. She didn’t know his address like he knew hers. All she could
do was hope he was still here. What time was it? She probably looked crazy out here, black scarf hiding her hair, sunglasses hiding her face. She was
sure she looked like a fashionable burglar and for what? To bother a man that wasn’t her husband with her issues? That was what marriage was
supposed to be for. For better or worse. But what was she supposed to do when the man she married was the absolute “worse” in her life? She
didn’t know anymore. She didn’t know anything anymore...but Zori...Zori made everything right. He made everything feel better and right now that
was all she wanted to do. She wanted to feel better...
Fumie knocked again, harder this time as she tried peering through the darkness inside. She thought she saw a dim light in the distance, but maybe she
was just hopeful. She wanted to see him. She needed to see him. She called out through the door hoping he could hear her, listening to her voice
break. She was still crying. She didn’t want to meet him like this. She thought she’d stopped this weak shit in the car. She just wanted to see
him. She didn’t want to talk about what happened, she didn’t want to meditate or workout. She just wanted to see him.
She needed a friend. Zori - 7-3-2015 at 02:23 PM
"...the hell?" Zori whispered to himself as he walked closer, seeing the silhouette against the darkness of the only person he wanted to see and
didn't want to see at the same time. Talk about mixed emotions. Part of him wanted to smile as soon as he saw of the body that he'd know in the dark
show up at his door. The other part, the part that noticed her scarf-covered hair and her shades and damn near eleven o'clock at night, cocked his
head to the side as he walked to the door, hearing his name through the door. She didn't sound right. Of course, he was hearing her...through a door,
but something was off about her voice, which made his last few steps to let her in quicken. "Puzzled" was surely the look on his face as he twisted
the lock on the door and opened it to her without hesitation.
"Fumie?" He asked, his voice sounding the confusion that he knew he felt as he grabbed on of her hands that was still pressed against the front door's
glass. He pulled her into the gym and instinctively positioned her behind him as he looked out the window, locking the door again.
"Are you okay?" He asked immediately, his voice flat as he scoped the outside of the gym. He didn't know what the hell was going on and as "off" as
Fumie sounded, he took a moment to make sure that whatever the situation was, it wasn't going to bring itself in his fucking gym. Turning around, he
looked down at Fumie, giving her a second to collect herself and finally give him some clue about what was going on.Fumie - 7-3-2015 at 04:22 PM
Fumie? She took a deep breath as he said her name, attempting to steady herself. She felt her lips pull at the corners as he held her hand in
his, looking for something outside of the gym...Oh! God, no. No one was after her or anything she just...she wanted to see him...when Zori was
satisfied that they were safe for the moment he turned back to her. He looked stressed out too. And what was he doing here so late? She never did
figure out what time it was...It was dark though. It was late. She knew that and she shouldn’t have been here. But she was.
“I’m fine Zo. I just…-,” she cleared her throat her voice still sounding off to her. “I just really wanted to see you.” His hand was still
holding hers but she shook herself free and hugged him. She honestly didn’t care how he felt about it right now. She just wanted to be held. Just an
hour ago she thought she might die, Shemar’s hands around her throat, squeezing as if he wanted to see her head pop. She’d earned that. She
shouldn’t have said all those things to him. She should have let him be after what happened with Koi. But she didn’t. She’d asked for that.
Now she was asking for Zori. “What are you even doing here?” Fumie pulled away from him, asking that as if he were out of place and not her. This
was his gym. He worked here. He had every right to be here...She was glad he was here. She’d thought about that before coming over here. After
dropping Eri off with Ipo (she couldn’t leave her at home; Shemar might have come back) and sitting in the KPD parking lot for an hour and a half
trying to decide if she should file a complaint, she thought of nothing but seeing Zori. He’d said it by her pool the day he came over, he was going
to be there for her. Well there was here and now and here she was too.
“I didn’t need to other you so late I just thought...I don’t know what I thought.” It was too late! What was she even doing here? Bothering
this man as if she had the right.He was probably busy. He was probably working late the way he promised he’d cut down on doing. “I’m sorry-,”
She shook her head, her hand snatching at her glasses so that she could rub her eyes. “I didn’t think about the time. I should probably...go.”
She made to move past him. Why was she all over the map today?Zori - 7-3-2015 at 05:14 PM
Fine? No, she wasn't. Zori wasn't at all convinced by her words as she cleared her throat that sounded like it was still heavy with whatever she'd
been dealing with before she he let her into his gym. This wasn't Fumie, at all. But lately, this kind of emotional breakdown was her regular. The day
after they'd had dinner at Spago was just like this. She was off. Yeah, she'd been a hell of a lot more pissed and withdrawn. That night, something
had her shook. She looked like she'd been through hell and she'd never come to his gym this late. Why was she at his gym? She knew he pulled late
hours some nights, but if she was looking for him, that was a bit of a gamble. But here she was, her arms going around his neck as she shook loose of
his hold. The sudden closeness surprised him, his arms hesitating going around her...but not for long. He closed her in his embrace, feeling her
tighten her hold on him as he did. Why was trembling?
"Fumie..." He made to ask how she was again...how she really was, but she interrupted him, almost as if she knew that he wasn't about to drop it. And
he could tell by how quickly she focused in on him that she wasn't in the place to discuss anything that had happened that night, the only thing on
her mind why he was still in the gym. An unintentional smirk crossed his lips as she pulled away from him, a look of concern on her face and he
would've answered her if she hadn't looked like ten thousand thoughts weren't speeding through her mind.
"What?" He asked, her words speeding out almost as fast as her thoughts seemed to be. She was leaving? No. No she wasn't. Not in the state she was in.
She looked like she wouldn't have been able to get her car out of the parking lot and back onto the road if she tried and it kind of amazed Zori that
she'd gotten to his gym like this all the way from wherever she'd come from in one piece. Where HAD she come from? It struck Zori that he still didnt'
know what was going on and no matter how many times he tried to ask, he was sure that she wouldn't give him a straight answer and that worried him
even more.
"You're not leaving." He said, watching her take off her glasses and rub her eyes. Almost as if she hadn't heard what he'd said, she tried to walk
past him, talking about the time and other things that didn't matter...until he stopped her. Not to keep her from walking out. Not to tell her "don't
leave" again. Not even to ask her about her night...because he didn't have to ask. Everything that he needed, he saw as she stood next to him. He saw
it...what she was hiding behind her glass.
"What happened...to your face, Fumie." His voice was even flatter than it had been before, his heart speeding up in his chest as he stared at the side
of Fumie's swollen cheek. He didn't even notice how tightly he was holding her around the waist until he saw her flinch. He let her go, standing in
front of her to block her from the door...his fingers going to her scarf, looping into the folds that gathered around her neck, pulling until he saw
her completely.
"What...the fuck...?"Fumie - 9-3-2015 at 09:27 AM
Why had she come here? No really. Outside of her own selfish, senseless need to see him, why had she come? Did she think there was anything Zori could
do? Of course not. He’d already told her, he couldn’t be more to her while she was still married to that man.The man that had just...she
couldn’t do this. She shouldn’t even be here! Zori was so sweet for opening the door to her in the first place. She was obviously a nut, but still
he at least pretended to care. She should leave him to whatever he had been doing before she imposed. She told him this, making to move past him, but
he stopped her, his hands holding her waist. What? Why wouldn’t he want her to leave? She...looked a mess, she was nothing but drama and trouble he
couldn’t...her thoughts paused as she realized how he was looking at her. The way his grip tightened on her waist.
“Zo…-,” he was hurting her. She winched a little and he let her go, the confusion clear on her face until…What happened? The fucking
glasses. She was an idiot and she’d taken them off without even thinking about it. Fuck! She didn’t want to talk to him about this. She didn’t
want to talk to anyone about it, she just...she wanted to...she didn’t know what she wanted. She wanted to be with him and alone all at once and
neither of them seemed possible at the moment. She was just...wrong. Everything about her was wrong right now and she didn’t want him to know her
like this. Weak. Bruised...Literally. But still her feet hadn’t moved. She stood still avoiding his eyes as his fingers came to her scarf, pulling
at it until it fell. What...the fuck…Fumie’s hand instinctively came to her neck, trying to cover what she knew was there.
“I fucked up…-,” her words came in a sigh, a soft whimper following them as she took a step away from him. She fucked up by trying to stand up
to Shemar, she fucked up in coming here after, and she was still fucking up in letting Zori know exactly what had her so shook up. She was just a fuck
up. “He told me to leave him alone, but I pushed. I always fucking push.” She did. Because that was her place. She was the fixer. When
she saw something wrong, she did what she could to try fixing it. But he’d told her that nothing needed fixing. And who was she to question him
really? She…ugh. None of what she was thinking made any sense to her! She wasn’t this person. She wasn’t a problem. She knew it
was him; she’d always thought that it was Shemar that was wrong in these situations, but...maybe it had been her all of this time? She was so
fucking confused.
“I shouldn’t have pushed him…”Zori - 10-3-2015 at 03:00 PM
Zori’s nose flared as Fumie’s hand came to her neck, the look on her face completely understandable now. He could still see the bruises as she
tried to cover them with her fingers, dark and purplish against her brown skin. Bruises were so foreign on Fumie. They looked out of place on her
body, out of the ordinary...so opposite the high-priced clothing she always wore, the delicate smelling perfumes she dabbed on in the morning...the
smile that always graced her lips when she was with him. Her tears? those bruises? They didn’t belong there. And nor did the words that were leaving
her...how SHE fucked up. How the things she’d been hiding behind her glasses and that scarf were her fault. Zori slowly shook his head at what she
was saying, his eyes finally leaving the bruises and meeting her own, tearful ones.
“Don’t…” He spoke, but she kept talking. HE told me to leave him alone… Zori scoffed sourly, his lip curling at the mention of the
man that he KNEW had done this to Fumie. It had to be him. Her son seemed like a handful, but he knew Fumie. And he knew that Fumie wasn’t crazy
enough to let her son put his hands on her like that. No, it was one person and only one person that had a big enough ego and the least respect for
his own damn wife to touch her the way that he had. This shit had Shemar written all over it. And Zori couldn’t stand to hear Fumie even make it
seem like she’d deserved this. Because no matter how much she’d pushed, prodded...whatever she’d done, she hadn’t deserved the bruises that
Zori saw on her face and neck.
“Fumie…” Zori called her name, an edge of warning in his voice. He couldn’t keep listening to her talk like this. She shouldn’t have done
what? Zori didn’t have the slightest idea what had gone down in their house. He didn’t know how high tempers were, how serious the situation had
been...but he knew what his Momma had told him a long time ago. You can’t call yourself a man if you’ve gotta hit a woman to feel like
one… And that was law. Nothing about Shemar was a man anymore. Hell, he was barely a man in the first place, carrying on like a little ass boy
at the gala and at dinner. But this shit? He wasn’t human anymore. An animal did this to Fumie. And to think that there could’ve been bruises
underneath her clothes, in the places that Zori couldn’t see. Bruises from her husband. The man that was supposed to love her. The man that
was supposed to protect her from shit like this. And even though Zori hadn’t heard their vows...the man that was supposed to cherish her all the
days of her life. But Shemar hadn’t. He’d made her his fucking punching bag.
His hands were clenched. Zori hadn’t even noticed it, but he could feel the tension in his palms, his hands tightened into fists. His jaw
squared, painfully, his teeth clenched in anger. He had to calm down. Now. Before he did something he was going to regret.
“Let’s go to my office.” He muttered, his mind turning to thoughts that were the opposite of what he was feeling. The hot blood pulsing in his
veins, his muscles were so taunt that it hurt. Fumie’s face came back into view through his anger, her confusion mingled with fear. She didn’t
need to be afraid of him.
“I’m too close to the front door.” He started, explaining himself. “If I stay here, I might leave out the door, find...him and put my foot up
his ass. So I think…” He swallowed, anger still rushing over him so hard that he barely kept his voice calm.
“...let’s go to my office.” Fumie - 10-3-2015 at 06:09 PM
He was angry. She was speaking, trying to tell him why she looked the way she did and he was changing. She watched his eyebrows furrow, his jaw
clench, and his fists tighten...He was angry. She had yet to decided whether or not it was with her. She’d offered to leave him alone. None of this
was his issue and he didn’t have to deal with it. She hadn’t even come here to ask him to really. She just...she knew Zori would make her happy.
He always did. He never had to put much effort into it either, his presence was enough for her and...she should have thought more about this before
coming here. She was horrible company to keep right now, for obvious reasons. She had come here selfishly and she shouldn’t have done that. A fact
that was becoming more and more clear as Zori grew angrier.
Let’s go to my office. Words muttered through gritted teeth in a way that made her wary. She shouldn’t have been. Zori wasn’t Shemar
right? He wouldn’t...it wasn’t him. Despite knowing that her body took a step back, her arms folding in front of her as she fidgeted a bit. She
didn’t want to go with him if it meant an argument. Another fight. She didn’t have the strength to fight anymore tonight and she especially
didn’t want to do it with Zori. She watched another shift in him as he noticed her new demeanor. Zori softened, only slightly as he tried explaining
his sudden decision to move to his office. Too close to the door? What did...Oh…
So chivalry wasn’t dead. If she’d have been able she might have smiled at the sentiment. He wasn’t upset with her and that was something else
that usually would have brought a smile to her lips. But not tonight. Tonight, she just turned, leading the way to his office, her arms still wrapped
around her, seemingly holding herself together as she wondered where this might go. This was too much. The drama. Zori was her friend, her trainer,
not her therapist. He’d said that before. He was nice enough to let her collect herself in the office, but after that, if he was as smart as she
knew he was, he would tell her to go and never come back here...She was fucking up again.
Fumie leaned against the front of his desk as he closed the door behind them. She was too restless to sit. She would only be up again in a few seconds
and she didn’t want to make too many sudden movements...she caught herself thinking it and for the life of her she had no idea why. Zori was
safe. He wasn’t going to hurt her and she needed to keep reminding herself of that. Her eyes connected with his again as she cleared her throat
to speak.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt…” he’d been working. Of course he had. What else would he be doing at the gym this late. She obviously meant to
interrupt. “I mean...you were working. I can…-,” she didn’t want to mention leaving again. He told her she wasn’t leaving and she was
listening for a change. Listening and telling herself that she was safest here. She was safe with him. Zori - 11-3-2015 at 05:39 AM
“Stop apologizing.” Zori said gruffly, his face as dark as it’d been seconds earlier as he closed the door to his office, turning to look at
her sitting on the edge of his desk. He hadn’t meant for his voice to be as flat as it was...emotionless. But he couldn’t help but wonder as he
looked at her. Wasn’t she tired? Wasn’t she damn tired of apologizing for shit that Shemar Kidd did, especially when she wasn’t at fault? It
wasn’t her fault that he did this to her. No words were worth the injury that Zori was looking at. And he wasn’t just talking about the physical.
She was broken. She looked...more fragile than Zori had ever seen her look, even more than that day in the sparring room. Looking at her was like
looking at the aftermath of a violent storm and knowing that even if you rebuilt, nothing would ever be the same. Fumie didn’t have to apologize for
that. She didn’t have to apologize for any of it.
Watching her for a second more, he looked away from her, walking around his desk. He opened the bottom drawer where he kept the staff first aid kit
and although he’d never really needed it for anything more than a few cuts or scrapes, he was glad he’d had it today. Pulling it out, he placed it
onto his desk, immediately reaching for the instant ice pack inside. He walked back to Fumie as he activated it, shaking the cold into the pack before
pressing it to her swollen cheek.
“Keep that there.” He told her, his hand lingering as she moved to hold the pack. The cold anger left his eyes, a softness taking its place. He
hated this. He hated seeing her like this. This incredible woman who basically lit up an entire room with her warmth and her strength and...she was
weak. And Zori couldn’t help but think if it’d always been like this. If she’d covered up all of the pain and fear he’d seen on her face
everyday, just to survive life with Shemar. He’d seen a glimpse of it the night of the dinner. How she played the role she had to just to keep
everything together. Was this what it looked like when it fell apart?
He stayed quiet, ignoring the way she kept insisting on leaving. He wasn’t letting her leave. He just... he couldn’t. No matter how much he knew
that it was probably not the best idea to get involved, he knew that pretending like it wasn’t happening wasn’t even an option. Because it was,
right in front of his face. She wasn’t his to protect. Her family...the kids...they weren’t his to defend. But who the hell would if he didn’t?
The cops? Yeah, Zori could’ve laughed out loud at that one. He’d seen enough abusive relationships to know that that was a dead end.
“The kids…” He said, his hand finally dropping to her neck, inspecting the bruises. “Are they alright?” Koi and Eri. The thought of
Fumie’s children floated into his head. Where were they? Were they safe?Fumie - 11-3-2015 at 10:11 AM
He told her to stop apologizing and she was quiet. She didn’t know what else to say but “sorry” at this point. Sorry she’d come here with this
drama. Sorry she’d started any of it in the first place. Sorry that she could be the kind of mother she wanted to be for the son that really needed
her. She was just...sorry. In every sense of the word. And Zori was sorry for her. She could tell in the way he watched her now, pity mingled with the
seemingly irrevocable anger that would not subside. She wished it would though…He’s not going to hurt you. Zori is safe. She had to tell
herself again. She was sure it was true, but she couldn’t help the way she felt. She was jumpy, unsettled, a hand continuing a slow nervous rub at
her arm. She wasn’t in any trouble now, but...the adrenaline she guessed...
Fumie snapped out of her thoughts as Zori made his way closer to her. She stiffened. Shit. She wanted to apologize again. She knew he’d seen her do
that, but she didn’t. She told herself to relax and watched as he moved behind his desk to get something out of a drawer. A first aid kit. Fumie
allowed him to cradle one side of her face in his palm as he pressed an icepack to her swollen cheek. She winced as he told her to hold it there, her
hand slowly coming to meet his. This was nice. Having someone take care of her for a change. Having someone else fix her broken, miserable fucking
life...or at the very least her face.
“Thanks-,” she whispered it to him, her voice weaker than it had been. Fumie thought about the last time she’d thanked him and they’d been
this close to one another...the last time she’d been close enough to smell him...to taste him. She snapped out of it as he spoke again, asking about
her kids. Zori’s hand moved from the ice pack to her neck, inspecting the bruises there. Everything in her wanted to cover them. This whole
situation was...so embarrassing. She was not this person! She was not a woman that allowed men to put their hands on her and keep coming back. She had
been raised to be strong, independent. To fucking take care of herself! When had all that changed? Probably around the time she lost control of
whatever it was she’d had with Shemar.
“Eri is...well enough.” She couldn’t necessarily say she was okay. She wasn’t. She was absolutely terrified since exactly what Fumie knew
would happen, had. She’d heard her father yelling, cursing. She’d heard Fumie’s screams. When Fumie had finally gotten herself together she’d
found the poor baby in her closet behind a dresser, crying her little eyes out. She wasn’t okay. No one in that house was. And out of it? “I
don’t know where Koi is. He’s not taking my calls after…-,” There was too much to explain, a lot of which she still wasn’t clear on. She
just...she couldn’t do it right now.
Fumie heaved a shaky sigh, blinking back the tears she could feel resting in her eyes. She didn’t want this any more. She didn’t want to explain
why her fucked up life was so fucked up. She just...she wanted peace. Radio silence in that head of hers. A moment to not think a damn thing. She took
the ice pack from her face, placing it gingerly on the desk beside her before looking at Zori again. Before she really registered what she was doing
she had risen on her toes, her lips taking his briefly before she pulled away.
“I don’t want to talk anymore.” Zori - 13-3-2015 at 07:43 AM
There was a hesitance in Fumie’s voice when she answered Zori’s question about how her children were and whether they were safe. Eri is...well
enough. He didn’t like the sound of “well enough”, but Fumie didn’t go into detail about what that could’ve meant. She didn’t have
to. She was protecting her daughter, still protecting...giving Zori just enough information, even though what she’d given him worried him. He
couldn’t help but wonder if she’d been there when everything happened, when Shemar… Zori hoped she hadn’t. He knew what it was like to have to
watch a man put their hands on a woman that seemed invincible and break her like glass. It was frightening...because it let you know how powerless you
were, too.
Zori kept his thoughts to himself and nodded as she talked about Koi, how she didn’t know where he was and...he wasn’t taking her calls? Her son
wasn’t talking to her, her daughter was very doubtfully just “ok” and Shemar had put his hands on her...all in one night? What the hell happened
in that house? And how long had it been happening? Long enough that it’d been going on right under his nose? When he was training Fumie, joking with
her, flirting, even when he knew he shouldn’t have been? He didn’t know, but his stomach turned when he thought about just how long Shemar
could’ve been putting his hands on his family and Zori never saw it. He only saw how hard he needed to push her away and protect himself when he
should’ve been pulling her closer to protect her. Even if it wasn’t his place. Even though when he’d met her, he hadn’t signed up for any of
this.
His eyes shifted back to hers as she sighed, blinking away the tears that had been seconds from spilling over when Zori mentioned her children. He
hadn’t meant to make her cry again, not that he thought that anything that he said or did could keep her from tears. But it didn’t surprise him
how even though he thought she would crack, how any moment he expected the tears to stop and refuse to end, she stayed strong...even when she didn’t
need to. Because Zori would be that for her. As long as she needed him, he would. Out of all the promises he’d made, he intended to truly keep that
one.
“You probably need to keep that on your ch- Fumie...” Zori shook his head softly, backing up as Fumie put the ice pack on the desk and moved away
from where she leaned against it, ignoring his words. She walked towards him, but he didn’t move...because he hadn’t stuttered. She wasn’t
leaving. No matter how much she thought she was interrupting him...and no matter how much she-
I don’t want to talk anymore.
Zori had leaned into her light kiss before he’d thought about it, watching her lower herself and look up at him expectantly. She kissed him
again. In the middle of her anger and her fear, she opened herself up...and she’d kissed him again. No matter how he’d said that he
wouldn’t betray her trust again, that he wouldn’t betray her marriage again.
But he wasn’t the only one that had done that tonight, was he? Anger still echoed inside of him as his jaw clinched, lowering his head as he
returned her kiss, drawing back to look at her. His own words were talking to him as his hands wrapped around her waist, his lips touching hers again.
Nah, mama. I can’t.. His lips covered hers. I couldn’t do that to your kids. Their bodies pressed against each other, tongues
caressing each other with each kiss. I can’t disrespect you like that again. His hands left her waist and moved down, softly gripping her
ass. Fumie - 13-3-2015 at 09:54 AM
She was so confused. Shemar had her emotions in overdrive and she seemed to be feeling everything at once. Anger, sadness, fear, worry, embarrassment,
and lust apparently. She’d kissed him again. In the middle of everything that was wrong, she did the only thing that felt right. Fumie
kissed him. Because as confused as she was about everything else in her life right now, the one thing she was still sure of was how much she wanted
Zori. She hadn’t come here to talk. She’d come to be held and Zori seemed willing to oblige, his lips meeting hers again as his hands rested on
her hips. Her hands cupped his face pulling him closer to her. She moaned into his mouth as his hands traveled her body, reaching around to grip her
ass as their tongues danced together.
She hadn’t really expected Zori to reciprocate her feelings. She remembered his words by the pool. How he wouldn’t disrespect her again. How he
couldn’t do “that” to her kids...There was nothing he could do that would be as bad as her relationship with Shemar was for her family. He
hadn’t known it then, but he only would have been doing she and her kids a favor by sticking around...Something that was probably becoming more
obvious to him the more he saw her and the crazier her life got...But she wasn’t thinking about that now. All she was thinking about at that point
in time was how soon she could get her jeans off. As their kiss continued, Fumie’s hands roamed as well, her fingers coming to the hem of his shirt and pushing it up. She wanted it
off and he was quick to help her with that, breaking the kiss momentarily to pull his shirt over his head. She took the opportunity to do the same,
her arms crossing in front of her to pull her shirt off tossing it away before their bodies returned to one another. It was all happening so fast. A
moment of passion that Fumie was tired of delaying. She wanted him right now and she’d waited long enough.
Another moan escaped her, her teeth catching his bottom lip and sucking at it. Fuck. He tasted like she remembered. Like a new beginning.
Like the last eighteen years of her life had been a nightmare and she was finally waking up. Her fantasies of Zori were quickly becoming reality and
nothing could have made her happier in that moment. Zori - 13-3-2015 at 03:11 PM
There should’ve been...hesitation in the way he held Fumie, his body pressing against hers again, his shirt on the floor. There should’ve been...a
thought...any thought that would stop him in his tracks, that would make Zori see that what he was doing was…wrong. There wasn’t. There
was only her shirtless chest pressing against him, her moan filling his mouth...her suck at his bottom lip. His hands tightened their hold on her as
he picked her up, her legs wrapping around him. They were doing it again. Flowing. Talking without words, her body moving in sync with his as
he placed her on an empty spot on the side of his desk...which wasn’t saying much as the only thing on his desk was a lamp, a phone and his laptop.
He liked simplicity...which didn’t describe anything about what was happening he and Fumie. Because if they did what Zori was thinking they were
about to do? Nothing would be simple...ever again.
He couldn’t hear that reason, biting his lip as his forehead met hers, his eyes connecting with hers. His fingertips pulled at the button that
fastened her jeans, undoing it...and pulling down the zipper as their lips teased each other, meeting and separating, Fumie’s tongue twisting into
the kiss each time. He pushed at the side of her jeans, her hips lifting as she let him pull them down, her shoes joining her jeans as he watched her
kick them off. And...she was more undressed than she’d ever been in front of him… He couldn’t help the way his heart sped up even faster than it
was beating in anticipation. More bruises. On her stomach...and the thigh of her left leg.
Without speaking, he moved back between her thighs, his body pressing against her as his kiss lowered her back to the top of his desk. He should’ve
stopped. He knew that now. He should’ve told her to put her clothes back on when he saw the other places Shemar had hurt her. How he’d treated her
like a piece of property instead of his wife. How he’d tried to damage her beyond repair.
But something in him wanted to prove Shemar wrong.
His lips touched hers as he stood up, letting his hands travel up her thighs...his fingers holding the sides of her panties as he lowered them, his
eyes almost glazing over with lust as he uncovered her. Fumie - 13-3-2015 at 04:22 PM
Fumie’s legs wrapped around him as Zori lifted her from the ground, taking her back to the first time they’d done this. There was no stopping this
time though. She wouldn’t let him come to his senses if she could help it...and she would. She could be his greatest distraction if he let her and
right now he was. Their kiss broke as he placed her on the desk, their foreheads still touching as he started undoing her jeans. Fumie grew impatient,
her lips continuing to tease him as she lifted her hips so he could get her pants off. She wasn’t sure where they landed, but they were finally off
and Fumie heard herself sigh in anticipation. She didn’t even think about what he might see with her clothes off. Marks from Shemars swift kicks
while she was down. She hadn’t thought about it before and she wasn’t dwelling on it now. Not with Zori between her thighs.
His kiss lead her to lay across his desk, her body writhing in anticipation as his hands trailed up her thighs and hooked under her panties. A whimper
left her and she bit her bottom lip, her legs opening to him as he tossed her draws away. One thing was missing...Fumie sat up on her forearms,
balancing herself so that she could reach out for him. Her fingers hooked into the waist of his jeans pulling him closer before she twisted at the
button of his jeans undoing and unzipping then in almost one swift motion. She sat up fully then, her arms falling around his shoulders as she licked
his lips before kissing him again. It didn’t last. She wanted something different.
“Fuck me-,” her breathy command was quick and she hoped it would be responded to even faster. Zori - 13-3-2015 at 05:21 PM
It’d been years for him. Four years of keeping away from all the things that distracted him. Liquor, anger, women, drama...sex. Although he was sure
that two out of five wasn’t the best score as since he’d met Fumie, three of those things were back with a vengeance. The thing that should have
bothered him was how he wasn’t trying to keep them away. He wasn’t fighting. He was falling face forward into everything he’d spent four years
running from. And even though it’d been years, he didn’t have to hear her breathy request to know what came next when it came to sex. His blood
pulsed at the thought of it, feelings that had been asleep for so long waking up at the sight of her.
Fumie’s hands had been at his jeans, undoing them much quicker than he had hers. Her lips pulled at his, arms tight around his shoulders. She was
telling him everything he needed to hear. She was ready. And with four years of waiting, the wedding ring on her hand, her children, their
professional relationship...the bruises...Zori still didn’t hesitate, quickly pushing his jeans and his boxer briefs around his hips. Leaning
further into her, he let his body move her thighs open, his uncovered length pushing at her, opening her to him.
Her moans made him bite his lip, his slow, shallow strokes making her wetness grow. He lowered his face to hers again, his tongue slipping between her
lips, his kiss covering her mouth as he pushed fully into her. A moan that he hadn’t heard himself make in years escaped him. He closed his eyes as
he paused inside of her, trying to calm himself. His breath had quickened and he felt the familiar sensation that it was honestly too soon for.
Not yet… He’d just started…
He moaned again as he flattened himself against Fumie’s chest, his hands moving to her thighs as he closed them tighter around his sides. He pushed
inside of her again, his thrust hard to control with how amazing it was to feel her this way...and not feel regret. To not give a damn about a husband
who treated his treasure like trash. To take away everything Shemar had said or done to her that night, just by being inside of her. With every
stroke, Zori felt free. Fumie - 13-3-2015 at 06:07 PM
Fumie’s hold on him tightened as he pushed into her, her moan filling the air around them. She’d waited too long for this and it was 100%
worth the fucking wait. A staccato of moans streamed from her lips in rhythm, his slow shallow strokes driving her to the edge much faster than she
should have been getting there. His lips covered hers, quieting her if only for a second. Zori’s stroke deepened and Fumie broke that kiss, her head
falling back as a loud moan escaped her. Fuckkkkkkkkk…Fumie had been with one man for 18 years, 2 months, and 13 days. Her husband was the
second man she’d ever been with (although he thought her first and only), and even before they stopped loving one another and the sex was good,
Fumie had never felt like this. A feeling that was only heightened when he moaned his pleasure. As if he knew exactly the spot he was hitting
Zori paused a second allowing her to adjust to him.
Fumie was delirious. Her night had gone from bad to worse to better than she had ever fucking felt before and she had just one person to thank for
it...And they hadn’t even really gotten started yet! If she had been able to form coherent thoughts, Fumie might have asked herself how she hadn’t
talked him into this sooner. She might have thought about the fit Shemar would pitch if he knew what she was doing right this very second. She might
have worried about Zo not wearing a rubber. But all of that shit was moot with his dick between her thighs. What she could do? Call his name and
God’s as he pulled out of her to push back in.
Her curse mingled with his next moan, his stroke starting again as he pulled her legs tighter around him. Her hips rolled, keeping time with his as
they quickly built a rhythm. It was like they’d done this before, her body simply responding to his...no. Not responding. Communicating. He
didn’t move first for her to follow. The two of them seemed to be in unison, his pull was her push and her push was her pull. They fit together,
better than Fumie ever thought two people could and if she was being two-hundred-percent real with herself, she could die one happy bitch as soon as
he finished her off.
Fuck.Zori - 15-3-2015 at 02:55 PM
Zori. His name mingled with moans met his ear, God slipping in there somewhere in between it all...and with every whispered moan and matching
thrust of her hips, Zori felt less and less concerned with anything around them. Everything was damn inconsequential. The fact that he had a married
woman on his desk. The fact that their bodies were more in sync that he'd believed they could possibly be, being the odd mix of strangers and friends
that they were. The fact that they were skin on skin, their bodies pressing together with barely anything between them. Because every second of them
together like this was the only thing on his mind.
She made beautiful sounds and almost equally beautiful expressions, his hands going back to her face, his thumbs gently stroking her cheeks as their
bodies kept a steady rhythm. He gazed at her, their bodies thudding as they met and separated, only to do the same thing over and over and... It felt
amazing. Four years of missing this and Zori couldn't help but be happy that...it was her underneath him. Taking nearly all of him with each stroke.
She felt like his...and Zori knew that was stupid considering that she would never be...but she did. And it was almost a little bittersweet knowing
that this was the closest Zori would ever come to knowing what it was like to have her. To taste her...
His thumb moved to her chin, his lips tracing a line to her neck, his lips kissing her softly as his rhythm changed...and she changed as quickly as he
did, her hands moving on his body. Part of him wanted to look at her...all of her. To remember the way she looked across his desk. But the friction
between them as his chest pressed against her, the way the light sweat on their bodies mingled, the way she pulled him to her. He didn't want her to
let go. He didn't want to let go... But he knew he would. He knew it would be over soon, his mind so caught up in her that it was hard to keep himself
from... He didn't want to let go.
His kisses left her neck as his thrust hardened, her body bouncing off of his slowly. He knew she was feeling all of him now...and he wondered,
somewhere between moving to her neck...biting there gently and whispering to her unrepeatable words that told her just how good she felt on him...was
he hurting her? He didn't want to hurt her. But damn it felt so good. And her body hugged his the way it did...every ripple of her caressing him
and...
His deep moan against her neck could be heard over the sounds of them , his hands moving quickly to her thighs, wrapping around them, pulling her down
harder on his thrusts.Fumie - 16-3-2015 at 05:04 PM
Despite the heat between them, Fumie felt herself shiver in pleasure. That’s what Zori was to her. Pure pleasure. She’d dreamed of this moment
since their kiss at the gala and now that it was happening, it felt..surreal. There was a kind of beauty to it, her infidelity. Her act of visceral,
carnal rebellion against her husband and his treatment of her. The simple feel of Zori’s hands at her thighs set her aflame like Shemar’s tough
never had. And the way that he could be tender, his fingers stroking her face, and powerful, his stroke steady and strong, all at once...The more she
let herself think about it, the more she realized that Zori was not Shemar. That he was different. Better. And not even just sexually, although he was
absolutely on the way to knocking the bottom out of her shit. Zori was better for her emotionally. He talked to her, he listened when she talked, he
was supportive, and she never had to pretend with him. Zori was just better...what they had was real.
Fumie moaned, her back arching up as his lips trailed down her neck and the rhythm changed. Fumie’s hips fell in time with his almost instantly, as
if this were routine for the two of them. As if she were his and he was hers and this was what the two of them were supposed to be doing. It was
right. The energy that they hadn’t allowed themselves to explore fully before had carried over to this and everything about it was easy. The same
way they were whenever they met up. It was--Fumie’s thoughts halted, a gasp leaving her as he went even deeper, his thrust harder.
She cussed again, louder this time, moaning his name as her fingernails dug into his back. Fumie wouldn’t lie, she liked a little pain with her
pleasure. Zori was doing all of the right things and hitting all the right spots and it was the perfect mix of “fucking” and “love-making”.
That’s not to say they were in love just...she couldn’t focus on that. She was so close so soon and she wasn’t ready for it to end. But that
choice wasn’t really hers as Zori bit her neck. Her face fell into a soft grimace as they moaned together, her sound much louder than his as his
hands came back to her thighs pulling her harder into him. She couldn't hold back anymore. She came, her body tensing as she let the feeling take her.
Zori didn’t stop and she didn’t want him to.
Ever. Zori - 25-3-2015 at 03:24 PM
__________________________________________
His breath was slow. Slower than it had been seconds before. He bit his lip, his fingers loosening as he untangled them from Fumie's hair. He hoped he
hadn't hurt her...or surprised her. Shit, he was just as surprised as she might've been. He hadn't seen that coming. He hadn't seen any of
this happening...but that? He wasn't ready. He hadn't been anywhere near ready. It just...happened. He exhaled, his breath making him more and more
aware of his body against Fumie's. The heat of his flesh still pressed against hers as he lay between her legs.
He'd felt her come. The strength of it nearly pushing him out of her. She rippled around him as he pushed against it, his hands refusing to
leave her thighs, pulling her into him as the wet of her orgasm made his eyes nearly roll back in his head. And goddamn the sensation that they'd made
together. Her body pulsing around him...her fingernails digging into the skin of his back. Leaving her mark there. Her moan, streaming from the place
where Zori touched her the deepest. Their voices mixed together as they groaned their pleasure. And he knew it. He knew that all those damn years of
celibacy and discipline were going to get the best of him. Because his hips quickened against his will, her body thudding off of his as his hands left
her thighs. One moved to her hair and with the other, he held her tightly...his grimace deepening and he...
...and there he was. Body pressed against hers, a left over tremor leaving him as he lay on her. His body was probably crushing her underneath all his
damn, exhausted weight. And even though he felt bad about it...he couldn't move. And if he hadn't been so damn guilty about how...this had
just gone down, he would've relished in it. Because it'd been amazing...for him. It'd probably just been short for her. Short...and suffocating.
"Sorry..." He huffed, his body lifting from hers as he propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes immediately meeting hers. And he knew it when he'd
met her eyes...he couldn't look at her. For more than just how quick it'd been...how long he hadn't lasted...even though he wanted it to. Even though
he'd nearly felt the pleasure drain from when he'd pulled out of her. Even though he'd wanted to enter her again as soon as he'd come.
He pulled his body away from her at that thought, pulling up his boxers over him self, his body resisting as he felt himself going hard again on the
spot. Damn that. He'd already... He shook his head at the thought as he pulled his jeans up, his fingers fastening his belt.
"Don't move..." He told her, finding his shirt so she could wipe the clumsiness he'd left on the inside of her thigh like a fucking fifteen year old.
Shit...Fumie - 27-3-2015 at 12:04 PM
Fumie heard herself sigh trying to steady her breathing after what she'd just experienced with Zori. She didn't know if it was the stress of the night
or the fact that she had finally fucked the man she'd been fantasizing about for so long, but she came. Hard. And faster than she probably ever had.
It was perfect. Quick and dirty to take the edge off what had been her most stressful night in a long while. Was her life still a mess? Maybe more so
seeing as she's just cheated on her husband, but had that soul shattering orgasm made things just a little better? Absolutely. She was
smiling for the first time since her ride home with Eri hours ago and with the way he thighs were still tingling, Fumie wasn't sure that smile was
going anywhere anytime... Soon? What was he doing?
Zori's apology brought her back to the present, the warmth of his flesh leaving hers. A confused pout settled over her features. Sorry? For what? He
came, she came. Seemed like what they meant to do. What was there to be sorry about? His eyes met hers and her fingers traced his jaw her smile
returning, however short lived with the way he was looking at her. What happened? They had been in such a good place! And now he was...Was he getting
dressed?!
Fumie propped herself on her forearms, her legs hanging lazily over his desk as they were no longer wrapped around his waist. “Zo, what’s the
problem?” Fumie’s brows furrowed as she watched him buckle his belt, the look on his face more troubling than anything else. He was...off. She
couldn’t tell what it was, but he was avoiding her eyes now and his words were quieter as he told her not to move. The guilt. It had to be
the guilt, hitting him now that his mind was clearer. Fumie was married (however unhappily) and she and Zori had just violated the sanctity of that
marriage. But there was no reason for him to fell any kind of way about this. Fumie was the one in the relationship. She was the one that had betrayed
Shemar...not that she could find any wrong in that seeing as Shemar had been fucking other women since the mid ‘90s.
Neither of them spoke as he found his shirt in the scattered mess of clothes they’d discarded when this began, but he didn’t put it on.
Instead...Fumie tried to stifle a giggle as Zori cleaned her up, wiping her thighs with his shirt. Was it bad that she wanted to “awww” at the
gesture? Hell, the most Shemar ever did after sex was slap her ass and roll over before taking his ass to sleep. Once again Zori was caing in a way
she didn’t expect and she couldn’t handle how cute it was.
“Zo-,” Fumie giggled a little, her hands finding his face as she focused his attention. “Babe please stop. Talk to me a second…” She needed
to know what he was thinking. How he felt after…this.
“We didn’t do anything wrong.” Zori - 12-9-2015 at 07:27 AM
He heard her call his name, Fumie’s warm palms pressing against his cheeks as she pulled his focus from her legs to her face. He could hear the
giggle in her voice as she spoke to him...and the airy, lightness of it made him want to pull away from her. Nothing was light about that moment.
Nothing between them should’ve been as gentle as the touch to his face, as warm as the way she looked at him...as carefree as the way was speaking
to him. Using words like “babe” with him. Words that were only used for lovers. Were they lovers now? Because friendship didn’t quite describe
the things they’d just done to each other...the things she’d let him do to her...
Zori gently pulled her hands from his face and looked away from her again, but his body didn’t move away. He was stuck there in here space, in the
weird “limbo” that the return of his damn brought him to. He knew it now, even if he couldn’t feel it when he was inside of her. What
they’d done was wrong. He was wrong. He’d made…goddamn it. He shook away the word before he could even process what he’d
just thought. They’d had sex. Right there in his office. On the top of his desk and the gym’s quarterly reports. He’d taken what wasn’t
his...in anger at Shemar...and in lust. He’d...he hadn’t kept his promise to her. To himself...and yet… There was this crazy warmth inside of
him as Fumie talked to him, urging him to forget Shemar, forget the guilt and just...be there...with her.
We didn’t do anything wrong…
Zori’s eyes returned to hers at her words, the confusion even deeper in them than before. How was what they’d done NOT wrong? What part of Zori
sleeping with a married, unavailable woman and Fumie letting a man that wasn’t her husband... what part of that wasn’t wrong?
“It...Fumie.” He exhaled deeply. “...how is this okay? You’re married...and not to me. And no amount of asshole that Shemar is changes
that...”Fumie - 20-9-2015 at 08:14 AM
What she wouldn’t give to know what he was thinking in that moment. Fumie could imagine that some of his thoughts mirrored the ones she was pushing
away in an attempt to stay in this moment as long as possible. What did all of this mean? What did it make them? Where did they go from here?
Questions that she wasn’t asking herself? How could she have done this? What about her marriage? Fumie would admit, her emotions were a
mess. She was angry, and disappointed, and devastated with the thought of how her life with shemar was affecting her children. One thing she was not
feeling about anything that had happened since her arrival to his gym though was regret. She did not feel bad about anything that had happened here
and she didn’t think she ever would. Why? Shemar was her husband in title alone. A title she was becoming more and more serious about taking from
him by the day. That was why Fumie was so comfortable in telling Zori that neither of them had done anything wrong. Her marriage to Shemar was an
illusion. What she had here with Zori felt real and she wanted more than anything to see where it lead. Zori on the other hand…
Fumie’s smile faltered as he removed her hands from his face. She could tell he wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. She knew him well
enough to know exactly what this was. Guilt. Confusion. Disappointment in himself for not keeping his promise to her about respecting her marriage. He
thought this was wrong. And he voice that opinion, his words coming slowly as he tried to make her see this as “wrong” too. He couldn’t. Yes,
she was married to another man and he seemed very caught on that fact, but Zori didn’t understand! Fumie was not going to let her estranged husband
ruin this moment without even being here! He had ruined too much tonight already!
It was her turn to sigh as her hand met Zori’s chest, pushing him away so that she could get off of his desk. She spoke as she picked up her shirt,
“I should go, I think…-” She pulled it over her head, taking a few steps and finding her jeans next. Certainly not because she wanted to go, but
she could tell that he wanted her to. He regretted this. She was a...what they’d done here was a mistake to him and Fumie didn’t have the energy
to convince him otherwise tonight. But it was okay. She understood where he was coming from and if her night befor this hadn’t gone the way it had,
she might have come clean about her life and her marriage and explained why them sleeping together wasn’t such a big deal. But she just couldn’t.
All of that was far too real for her right now and she wanted to leave Zori riding the high he’d just provided.
“I get it. You think this was a mistake and I know from experience how hard it is to change your mind once you’ve made it up.” She jumped a
little wiggling into her jeans. She turned to face him again, looking at him for the first time since leaving his desk. “I can’t argue with you
tonight, Zo. I can’t. I don’t want to.” She really didn’t! Fumie would have loved for him to take her to his place and for the two of them to
continue what they’d started here. She would have loved to do very minimal talking and spend the rest of the night with him. But he was making it
very clear that wasn’t an option.
“I’m going to go and let you process-” Fumie paused pointing between herself and him, “...this...” She stepped closer to him again,
closing the distance between them so that she could make just one thing clear to him.
“Trust me when I say though, I don’t think this was a mistake. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
Zori - 30-1-2016 at 06:57 PM
I should go, I think... And as much as Zori could have...should have agreed with her, he could've disagreed with her more. Confusion and
awkwardness clouded the air as he watched her start to get dressed. She shrugged into her shirt, covering the odd mix of marks on her skin...the
hateful, dark bruises from her husband's hands...the red, swollen passionate blemishes from him. Zori could barely place the moments when his teeth
and lips put those marks there, but he saw them now...the testament of what happened that night, a swirl of emotion filling him as he stared at them.
Regret. Fresh desire. He blinked away the swarm of feelings as Fumie spoke again, finding her jeans on the floor.
He didn't want to argue either. In some strange way, he understood her even if he didn't agree. He got the fact that she didn't regret it. He got the
fact that from the second they'd kissed each other at the gala, her mind didn't compute anything that happened between them as unwanted or dirty.
Wrong. He didn't know how she separated it...the things she felt for Zori and the truth of what her life really was. She was a wife...a
mother. She had a family that didn't in any way include Zori...and yet, she still wanted him. She'd let him inside of her...and she wouldn't regret
it. Refused to, even after hearing how wrong everything they'd done was from Zori's own lips. He got it...he just didn't agree.
But he couldn't make up her mind for her, just like she couldn't make up his for him. And the fact still remained...he felt like dirt. He knew her
husband. He knew Shemar. Zori had to start thinking his name, no matter how much he didn't want to. Because Shemar was real. Her family was
real. And no matter how much Shemar didn't deserve to place his feet on the same damn ground she walked on, he was still her husband. And no amount of
thinking or processing would change that fact.
Zori felt himself tense as she moved closer to him again, her warmth pulling at him as he looked away from her resist it. But her voice...that defiant
voice spoke to him again. He met her eyes and he just...stared. Stared into her beautiful face. Stared into her almond eyes and the mocha, sun-warmed
skin. And before he knew it, he'd pressed his palm against her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin.
He didn't speak, he only shook his head as his hand moved down to her neck, touching the bruises Shemar had left there.
"Don't go home tonight..." He finally said, his words coming out in a whisper. He smirked as he thought about the way they sounded...like an
invitation instead of a concerned warning.
"Shemar...he might...I don't want you to go home tonight. Not to him..." He lowered his eyes to the bruises that Shemar's choking hands had left on
her neck, hoping that she understood. Even if he needed to process and think...Zori didn't want Shemar's hands on. Not tonight. Not again...Fumie - 30-1-2016 at 08:04 PM
All she needed to hear from him was one word. Stay. She didn't care about the reason, she didn't care if it meant more confusion between the
two of them. She wanted him to make her stay. But she knew that wasn't going to help anything. Zori needed time to himself to get...a hold on what
this was...whatever it was. If she was being fully honest, Fumie could probably use that time too. She'd come here so she wouldn't have to think, but
she knew she would have to eventually. She would need to slip back to reality and what she'd done here would probably complicate things...Did that
mean she regretted it? Still, no.
From the second they'd shared that passionate kiss at the gala, despite her many apologies, she regretted not one second of her time with him. Because
it'd all lead to this. Every moment they'd had together had been building up to what had just gone down in his office and it was everything she could
have hoped. While the rest of her life was definitely in shambles, the world that she'd carved out for she and Zori was perfect and she could never
regret it. Marriage be damned. They'd done nothing wrong. That didn't change the fact that he couldn't look at her.
His eyes seemed to search the floor as she spoke to him, telling him that what happened here wasn't a mistake to her. When he finally did look back at
her she felt relief wash over her completely. Because for the first time since he'd pulled out of her, Zori wasn't looking at her like the mistake he
made. His emotion had moved from guilt to...she smiled as his hand cupped her face, his thumb caressing her cheek. She watched his features darken as
his eyes traveled down to her neck, Shemar's bruises coming back to the forefront of her mind.
Don't go home tonight...Fumie felt her brain stall at those words. What was he saying? Shemar...Oh. She smiled, a bit at how
foolishly she thought he was answering her prayers and inviting her back to his place to finish things and a bit at how much he cared for her despite
the confusion she'd caused.
"So do I come home with you?" her voice was but a whisper too. Did he really expect her to fight an invitation back to his place? With what they'd
done here? Sue her if she was interested in even the slightest chance that they could finish what they'd started. Zori - 30-1-2016 at 08:47 PM
His house? In all honestly, Zori hadn't thought his comment out well enough to even have an alternative to where Fumie was going to end up for the
night. She couldn't stay at the gym. All Zori had to off her her there was a ratty, beat up couch that he'd meant to get reupholstered for his office
and promptly forgot about. He could've paid for a hotel room for her, but knowing Fumie, she could've done that for herself. And she wasn't going back
home...he meant that. There was no way that he would've felt at all like the man his momma had raised him to be if he'd sent her back home. Because
from the looks of the bruises on her neck, Shemar wasn't playing and Zori would be damned if he gave that...her husband the chance to finish what he'd
started. So, the only option?
"No..." He answered, speaking before his jumbled thoughts settled. "I mean...I'm not coming with you...not yet." He saw her confused expression as he
walked around the desk and pulled out a note pad and his keys. He scribbled his address onto the paper quickly, took his house key off the ring and
handed both to her.
"I've got a dog...Papa. He's big, but he's harmless. Take the bedroom. The sheets are clean." He explained to her, shaking his head as she fixed her
mouth to either argue him or urge him to come with her.
"I'll be right behind you. I'm gonna clean up...take a moment." He fully intended on following right behind her, but before he did, he had to get his
head right. He wouldn't leave her alone, but he couldn't walk into his house with her, fresh from...this and try and finish what they'd started.
