Page 18 of Smoke N' Stroke

“No, not really. But I pride myself on being honest, especially as a grown man and I want to get to know you, Nala. Will you allow me?”

She gazed at me and I let her see how real I was being with her. I wanted this woman. She needed to know that.

“Let’s take it day by day,” she finally whispered.

“That’s good enough for me.”

I wasn’t quite sure if it was or not because I was sure I wanted all in but I would let her take us at her pace. I knew it would make things better in the end.

I was sure of it.

13

NALA

“Idid not expect it to be this cold out here. It’s April!”

The wind whipped around my face tossing my hair into my eyes. I pushed the strands away and found him rubbing his hands together.

“Shit, neither did I. How long before the Uber gets to us?”

Rolling my eyes in his direction, I pulled my hand from the warmth of my shearling pocket and exposed it to the crisp air. Damn, it was cold! Pittsburgh was cold, but this cold was different and as beautiful as the snow-capped mountains were in the distance, I wasn’t sure I would ever want to come back to this place.

I checked out the app and saw our driver wouldbe pulling up momentarily.

“We should see him in a moment. He’s driving a gray Jeep.”

“Cool. I’m ready to check in, shower, and get a little shut-eye before the mixer later.”

I was still looking down at my phone following the car move along the lines. It stopped for a while I assumed he was sitting at a light.

I looked up to find his eyes on me. “Youarecoming to the mixer, aren’t you?”

Dealing with someone who worked in the human condition would always be a challenge and this wouldn’t be the first time I would be reminded of that. He would always have the advantage of seeing deeper into me.

“I hadn’t planned on it to be honest. I’m tired. Rest is needed so I can focus on the seminars tomorrow.”

Besides, he’d been fucking me out of my sleep so much I was in sleep deficit. I wasn’t complaining about that part, mind you, but it was my excuse for trying to stay in my room.

“Mingling is a big part of making long-lasting connections, Nala. You know this as well as I do. You have to be there tonight. You never know who else will be there.”

I grumbled and he laughed.

“Here’s the car,” I told him before he could tell me any more truths.

His knowing eyes held mine for a moment longer before grabbing my suitcase along with his and guiding them to the waiting SUV at the curb.

The drive to the hotel took about fifteen or twenty minutes. Long enough to see mountains upon mountains set against a bright blue sky. That’s what was so different than our hometown. In Pittsburgh, the cold and snow usually meant cloudy gray skies but not here. If the fresh coat of white snow wasn’t coating the roadways and the temperature wasn’t just above freezing, it would seem like a summer day.

“What’s on your mind?”

I kept my eyes on the snow. The snow was pretty. But mixed emotions were not.

“How life changes so quickly.”

“It does.”

“That can be unsettling,” I admitted to him.

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