Page 23 of Another Constant

“None. Baby girl is due any day, so I kinda gotta play it close to the house. What did you have in mind?” I turned and put the puppy I had become obsessed with in the enclosure with his siblings and Aja.

“Dinner. Me and you after I drop shorty off with my brother.”

My eyes left him momentarily and landed on the little girl. She was having the time of her life in the enclosure with the dogs.

“Nothing out. I’m cooking tonight, you can come over for dinner. That is, if you want to.”

His lip was tucked between his teeth as he nodded.

“So that’s a yes or no?” I asked in a somewhat teasing manner to hide the fact that I had shocked the shit out of myself inviting this man over to my home. Not that I didn’t trust him, but shit, I didn’t trust me.

He laughed. “Yeah, but since you’re overthinking shit I’m only coming over to eat, shorty.”

I giggled…shit, I had to under his gaze. “I don’t believe I invited you to do anything else.”

“Not with your words you didn’t, but nah Harlem, you don’t want these problems. I’m hood as fuck and I complicate shit.” He glanced around my office, checking on his niece before those eyes found their way back on me.

The tension between us grew with each passing second, me standing a few feet from him and him leaned back against my desk giving me that look.

“Like how?” I found myself asking.

He spoke only loud enough for me to hear. “Like the fact that I liked the feel of your lips against mine. Been craving them since that night. You gonna let me kiss you?”

“What’s stopping you?”

He didn’t say another word, but instead his hand firmly gripped my neck and pulled me in close enough to land his lips against mine. When they made contact it was like water meeting earth for the first time, shit, like the sun rising in the morning.Fuck.

When we parted I felt caught up under his sight. It was inebriating…he was intoxicating.

“What are you cooking tonight anyway?”

“Chicken dish. I thought you weren’t picky.”

“I’m not, but I am about some things. We’ll see though. Now how much you finna charge me for lil homie over there?”

I followed his line of sight with my own. My eyes landed on Bleu who was currently playing with his sister.

“Nothing, because he isn’t for sale. I’ve told you this already.” I had since removed his price off the site. Matter of fact, I had removed the entire listing for him.

He chuckled. “Sell him to me and you’ll be able to see him whenever you want.”

I shook my head. “I think not. He’ll be yours and not mine. Imagine me showing up to your place just to see him in the middle of the night. Might mess up your action.”

“Only action you fucking up is the fact that you saying you’d only be there for him Damn.” His hand went to his chest while he faked being affected.

“You know what I mean.”

“Nah I don’t. I ain’t fucking with it. If you come to my crib, then you are coming to see me.”

“Kinga, I don’t even know you.”

“And that’s why you’re getting to know me. What time do you want me to come through?”

“Seven or eight is fine.”

I nodded. I was about to speak but unexpected contact halted it. Those lips were against mine again. It was a welcome contact.

We parted and I couldn’t look anywhere but at him.

---