Page 19 of Made to Love Ya

“Izael!” She shrieked, ran into the pantry, and grabbed a soda. As she shook it up, I shook my head.

“Ya li’l ass had better not do that shit, Chè,” I warned.

She lifted an eyebrow and twisted her lips as she shook the soda harder.

I grabbed the leftover tomato sauce in the large can, and the minute she sprayed me with that soda, I flung the tomato sauce at her. Tomato sauce went everywhere, including on her.

“I’m gonna kill you!” she screamed as she chased me around the island.

I grabbed the sprayer from the sink and turned it on her. I laughed as her little ass sputtered and threw her hands up as she tried to ward off the water.

“Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!” she shouted repeatedly.

I turned the water off and proceeded to clean the kitchen as she headed to the refrigerator. I had just finished soaping up the dishcloth when she pulled my shorts and underwear away from my ass and dropped a handful of ice cubes down them.

“Shit! Talia, I’m ’bout to fuck ya li’l ass up!” I threatened as I hopped around the kitchen like a frog from one lily pad to the next, trying to shake that shit out of my underwear. By the time I finished, she made a mad dash from the kitchen and headed for her bedroom.

I pushed the door open just as she attempted to close it, and Talia shrieked and ran for the bathroom. I grabbed her little ass up and threw her on the bed.

“Izael!”

I realized too late that I was lying on top of her. Her body went still, and her eyes widened. The loud beat of our hearts punctuated the intense moment as we attempted to calm down from the adrenaline and the passion that soared through us.

I held her wrists pinned to the bed over her head. I was vaguely aware of our chests heaving up and down, and I was positioned between her legs. My dick was nestled between her thighs. Our lips were mere inches apart, and she huffed out a breath.

“Izael.” There was a soft plea in her voice.

It was just enough to bring me back to my senses. Talia must have realized I was about to fuck up, and she didn’t want that. She didn’t see me the way that I saw her. It was all good. I didn’t expect the feelings to be reciprocated anyway.

“Quit playing so damn much, li’l hardheaded ass girl.” I pushed up off her body. Talia sat up and turned away from me. “Go get in the shower while I clean the kitchen, a’ight?”

She nodded, and I rushed out of her room. What the fuck was I about to do just then? I busied myself with cleaning the kitchen and setting the pasta sauce aside. I was glad we had it on simmer so it didn’t burn.

When I finished, I headed to my room to shower. I had managed to avoid her the last week thanks to managing my three restaurants and checking on the four I invested in along with my four Airbnbs. It was just easier to stay away from her place than to tempt myself the way that I had been these last couple of weeks that I had been staying here.

It was hard as hell not to touch her the way that I wanted to. It was really difficult not to kiss her when I had to sit still and inhale her brown sugar and maple scent.

When Talia fell her ass asleep with only a quarter of the movie left to watch, my ass had to pray to will my dick down because she had fallen asleep with her face in my lap. A man could only be tempted so much before he gave in, and I knew that fucking around with my best friend’s little sister was bad news for us both.

I wasn’t scared of Tahj, but I had no doubt that he would try to fuck me up over her, and I couldn’t blame him. Talia had always been a good girl. Sweet, smart, funny, and sassy as hell. She was innocent and needed the protection of the men in her life. Not because she couldn’t protect herself. She was definitely an independent businesswoman who ran some sort of online journal, but she was naïve when it came to the vultures in the world.

When I stepped out of my bedroom after I finished showering, I could hear her singing in her shower, and I wanted nothing more than to join her. I headed back into the kitchen to finish our dinner.

I turned on the sound system and put on a playlist that Talia had been listening to as I finished cooking. Giveon’s “Make You Mine” played, and I sang along until the doorbell rang.

I was curious about who it could be as I walked to the door. Talia hadn’t had any visitors since I had been here aside from Eve, her best friend, and Anneka, her PA and childhood friend.

I looked out the peephole and smirked. I shot off a text on my phone.

ME:

This nigga showed up again.

His response was immediate.

TC:

Who?

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