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    The Pleasure Package     DENISE ESSEX      #BLP      Copyright © 2023 by Denise Essex All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental .        Contents          B. Love Publications       Acknowledgments       Note from Denise         Chapter 1       Chapter 2       Chapter 3       Chapter 4       Chapter 5       Chapter 6       Chapter 7       Chapter 8       Chapter 9       Chapter 10       Chapter 11       Chapter 12       Chapter 13       Epilogue         Afterword       Also by Denise Essex       Connect with Denise       Thank You            For the dreamers and the creators       I also dedicate this book to the readers. Thank  you  for your support. I see you!           Visit  bit.ly/readBLP  to join our mailing list for sneak peeks and release day links!  B. Love Publications - where Authors celebrate black men, black women, and black love.  To submit a manuscript for consideration, email your first three chapters to  blovepublications@ gmail.com  with SUBMISSION as the subject.   The BLP Podcast –  bit.ly/BLPUncovered    Let’s connect on social media! Facebook - B. Love Publications Twitter - @blovepub Instagram - @blovepublications        Acknowledgments        I’d like to acknowledge:  My family: Thank you for allowing me to take up space as an author.  My publisher, B. Love the G.O.A.T., and the dopest pen sisters an author could ask for: Thank you for your advice, support, and encouragement.  CYN, Writing Coach Extraordinaire: Thank you for encouraging me to trust my pen and my skills and thank you for all of your feedback!  Editors and proofreaders: Angels sent from heaven. Thank you, Latisha, for the class, and the Facebook group! Crystal, thank you for taking time to create a video to help me with self-edits! Y’all dope AF! Thank you for your patience and all the invaluable information you share!  My accountability partners: Author Mya, Erika/Emerald B, Cecila, AJ, Odilla, Anne, and Stephanie. Thank you for motivating me with your inspiring goals and holding space for mine!  Me: Thank you for continuing to do it, despite your fears. I see you, Goddess!  Reader Groups: B. Love Publications Book Cove, Diem’s Diamonds, and last but certainly not least, Denise Essex Sweet Heat Seekers.  Readers: Thank you for taking time from your life to play in my world!          Note from Denise      Dear reader,  Thank you for your interest in my current release. There is a brief mention of domestic violence. Please take care of yourself if you find this topic triggering.  If you resonate with what you read, please leave a positive review on Amazon, Goodreads, and TikTok . Also, be sure to share it with your friends. If you’re interested in supporting me as an author, give me a like and follow on my Facebook business page, and sign up for my mailing list so we can keep in touch.   Facebook Business Page   Mailing list   With Love, Denise Essex             One                Malik’s sculpted abs and well-defined back didn’t happen by accident. His consistent six a.m. runs were responsible for his mellow demeanor and his shredded physique. It had been well over a decade since his college football days, but old habits died hard. The intensity of his workouts continued beyond graduation. Malik was at peace with the sounds of the singing birds, his breath, and the slap of his sneakers against the paved roads. The cool March air in his small Georgia town encouraged him to push himself harder before his real work began. Malik Malone was at war with the fact that at the prime age of thirty-five, he lived at home with his mother. In his gut, he knew he’d made the right decision to accept the voluntary layoff his company offered him during the pandemic. Malik took the severance and moved back in with his parents to save money to fund his business. As he rounded another bend on the winding country road, his thoughts drifted to his million-dollar idea. Malik had always been a muscular built man. And as a result, he struggled to find comfortable boxer briefs. If they fit in the crotch, they were loose in the thigh; if they fit around the