Page 173 of Prickly Romance

But it’s what I’ve chosen.

I chose him.

Which means I chose this weird, tangled connection to his ex-wife too.

I come back to myself and step away from Sazuki’s protection. Niko’s eyes are on me and I don’t want her to be confused by adult things.

I kneel. The bottom of my knee scrapes the hard, uncomfortable tarmac, but I keep the discomfort from my face when she wraps her arms around my neck.

I close my eyes and, for a second, everything feels normal again.

Niko hugs me tightly.

I rock her back and forth, inhaling her little girl scent.

My heart quivers.

I don’t know how or when, but I fell in love with her long before I fell for her father.

She releases me and points to her hair. It’s braided. Long, neat plaits with beads at the ends.

I smile. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she signs.

“I wanted her to have a proper hairstyle.” Ashanti looks down on me. “The style she had before was a little… unsophisticated.” The emphasis on ‘unsophisticated’ is clear.

The smile on my face turns brittle, but I force myself not to take her words to heart. For one thing, those words might not have been aimed at me. For another, if I take everything she says personally, she’ll have all the power to manipulate my emotions.

I hate giving up control.

Especially to people who would love to see me squirm.

Inhaling deeply, I wrap an arm around Niko’s shoulders and then slide my hand around Sazuki’s waist. Ashanti’s face tightens when she sees me sidling up to her ex-husband and her daughter.

Wonderful.

“Who is this?” I look up at Sazuki, smiling innocently even though I know good and well who is standing across from us.

Sazuki studies my eyes for a moment.

I blink up at him frankly, unashamed.

This is his choice.

He chose a college student with a penchant for getting even.

I arch an eyebrow, daring him to call me out. Instead, he gives me a hot look that warns, had it not been for his daughter and his regal decorum keeping him in check, he would have kissed me harder than he did on the plane.

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Ashanti Miller. I’m Niko’s mother.”

“I’m Dejonae Wiliams, Sazuki’s girlfriend.”

Her lips tighten. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“All good things, right?”

“Mostly.” She brushes her dress down with a hint of distaste.

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