Page 177 of Prickly Romance

A burning hot desire flares in me when he pulls back and his fingers skate over my thighs.

“Come on. I will help you pick something that my mother will like,” he says.

My knees are butter but, somehow, I swing them out of the car and join him on the sidewalk.

Sazuki undoes Niko’s seatbelt and helps her out of the car too.

Ashanti waits for us on the sidewalk, her lips puckered and her foot tapping on the cement.

“Let’s go,” Sazuki says, totally unruffled.

His intense energy is making me nervous. It’s one thing formeto put Ashanti in her place, but it’s another thing entirely tofeelhim choose me.

Sazuki isn’t big on PDA, but he sticks close to me in the grocery store. His hand comes up to brush my back when I choose the bouquet of flowers. His hips press against mine when I bend over to choose a box of chocolates.

Whenever I look at him, he’s staring at me like he wants to devour me.

My gaze turns dark and heavy, answering his need with my own. It’s like he’s trying his best to communicate, in every way he can, that I shouldn’t be shaken. That he’s with me. That he seesonlyme.

And I can barely contain myself.

My pinkie locks with his when we get to the cashier. I hold on for a beat and then release him, looking down to smile at Niko as she begs her dad for candy.

Sazuki says no.

I slide the candy into my cart when he isn’t looking.

By the time we leave the store, Ashanti is seething in the front seat, Niko and I are happily snacking on our banned chocolates and my spirits are lifted.

Ashanti can try her hardest to knock me off-balance tonight.

But Sazuki’s got my back and so does Niko.

Those two are the only ones that matter.

I’m not going to let her win.

* * *

“We don’t letoutdoor shoes inside,” Ashanti says, turning back to me as I step through the door. “Most Asian homes don’t.”

“Actually, not letting shoes inside isn’t an Asian thing. It’s a global thing. My grandparents don’t do it either. Something about not letting outside dirt into the house.” I sit on the bench.

Niko slides my matching pair of music-themed slippers over to me. I smile my appreciation and slip into them.

Ashanti’s eyes widen when she sees it. “Why do you have the same slippers as Niko?”

“Sazuki and Niko bought it for me when I first came over.” I rub Niko’s head. “We all have a matching pair.”

“Sazuki would never wear…” Ashanti’s mumbled words drift to nothing when Sazuki shoves his giant feet into the cheesy, plastic slides with the music note imprinted on the band.

The satisfaction that drowns me when I read the dread on Ashanti’s face proves that I have a lot more growing to do as a person.

She recovers quickly and tosses her hair over her shoulder. “I wonder if mother needs help with the filling for thegyoza.”

“Are we making dinner tonight?” I sign to Niko.

She nods.

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