Page 35 of Finding You

“One more thing,” he said. “I want you and the twins to move in with me.” Raven opened her mouth to reject the idea, but he lifted his hands out in front of him. “Hear me out. If you move in, you can take your time finding a place. That’ll give you a chance to learn the areas around town. Also, I have the space.” He shrugged. “You’ll have your own room, and the kids have the nursery. Lastly, you can stay as long as you want, and in the process, save money.”

Okay, now he had her attention. The proposition was great, but the problem was her. There was no way she could live with him and not want to experience being with him intimately again.

He reached over and held her hand, and as if reading her mind, he said, “I promise you nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen.”

She laughed. “Umm, you do remember that’s the same thing you said to me when you invited me to your hotel room in Vegas.”

The corner of Zion’s lips kicked up into a cocky grin. “I remember. I also remember nothing happened that you didn’t want to happen.”

Okay, he had her there.

As Raven searched his eyes, trying to decide if he was being serious about everything he proposed, she couldn’t help but get excited. It would feel good to share some of her responsibilities. More importantly, she trusted Zion.

She took a deep breath in, then released it. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Hey, babe. I know you’re donating these bassinets. Do you want me to take them apart?” Zion asked from the second bedroom of Raven’s apartment.

“Yes. That would be great. Thank you,” she called from the living room.

She smiled to herself, secretly loving whenever he called her baby or babe. It was such a small thing, but it made her feel special. At first, she thought she was being pathetic in needing to hear the terms of endearment, but she squashed that notion. If she was being pathetic, then so be it. After pouring herself into motherhood and her VA business, Raven had nothing left to pour into herself. She’d been emotionally depleted before stumbling into Zion’s world. Her love cup had been empty for a long time, but that had changed thanks to him.

Zion made her feel cherished, and she no longer felt alone. Normally an independent woman, she used to pride herself on being able to do anything and do it well. But being a single mom while starting a new business almost took her out. The past year was one of the hardest in her life. There’d been times when she hadn’t thought she could make it. Too many tears had beenshed. Some from sheer exhaustion, and if she was honest, a little bit from loneliness.

The last thing she ever wanted to do was be dependent on anyone, but now that Zion was in her life, that was changing. He had encouraged her to lean on him, saying that he always had a shoulder available to her, or even a hug if she ever needed one. She might’ve thanked him, but he would never truly understand how much that meant to her. How much she’d needed to hear that and to feel the compassion that he’d been showing her.

Raven told herself that she wouldn’t fall for him, but by the third day of them cohabitating, she’d done just that. His mother was right. Zion was a good man. Not only was he hard working, but he’d jumped into fatherhood as if he’d been a dad all his life. Raven also loved the way he catered to her every need. He had even brought her breakfast in bed one morning after the babies had woken a couple of times during the night.

Who does that?No one she knew.

She and Zion were growing closer than she could’ve ever imagined in such a short period of time. Raven might’ve been hesitant to accept his proposition, but agreeing to his offer had been the best thing she’d done in a long time. They’d gotten into a nice routine at home, and now they were elbows deep into packing up her apartment. This was just one other thing that she was glad she didn’t have to do on her own.

Raven strolled across the living room to the small bedroom that she’d used for the twins, her socked feet quiet on the plush carpet. She stopped in the doorway and watched as Zion boxed up baby items. It had been a busy day. Their flight had left Chicago at six that morning, and the moment they landed, they’d gotten to work.

Some of Raven’s things were going to a women’s shelter, and Teresa had agreed to pick up those boxes in an hour. Most of the furniture was going to an organization that helped familiesget back on their feet. Everything else would be shipped to Zion’s house, where Raven planned to store it in his basement temporarily.

She quietly leaned against the door jamb and studied Zion’s profile, glad she was catching him unaware. Was it possible a man could grow evenfiiinerwith each passing day? Yes. Yes, it was, because Zion was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Even more so today.

He kept his hair cut in a tapered fade, with the top being slightly longer than the sides and the back, but he didn’t shave every day. Which she was glad. She never knew she was attracted to a man with a little scruff on his face until now. He still looked well-groomed, but this look made him appear more edgy and bad-boyish.

Raven wasn’t sure if she’d made a sound, but Zion glanced her way. He was on one knee as he checked her out, and those fathomless dark eyes studied her. Silence stretched between them while an involuntary shudder ran through her body. With just a look, he had her nipples pebbling and her body stirring with a need that only he could fulfill.

That’s what happened each time he looked at her or touched her. Within seconds, an electric current crackled between them shooting heat to every nerve in her body. His unwavering attention made her feel desired, sexy, and more alive than she’d ever felt.

Yeah, the man definitely had an effect on her. Which was why when he asked her the other day to be his woman, she had been surprised but had said yes immediately. Whatever this was building between them was growing at lightning speed, but Raven wanted to see where it would take them. She could easily envision a happily ever after with Zion.

Just thinking about them being a couple had her giddy inside. Sure, she’d dated as recently as a year and a half ago,but compared to Maximus, Zion was a knight in shining armor. The man was everything a woman could ever desire, and she hated comparing him to her ex. Mainly because there was no comparison. She’d been settling when it came to Maximus and hadn’t even realized it until Zion came along.

He showed her by example that she deserved someone who cared about her unconditionally. Someone who wanted the best for her and the twins. Someone who made sacrifices to ensure she and her babies had a chance at the best life despite how it might inconvenience him. Zion was showing her daily that he was one of the most selfless people she’d ever met, and she wouldn’t take the generosity of his time and resources for granted.

As she sashayed across the room to him, Zion set the roll of tape on top of the box but didn’t stand. “What are you smiling at?” he asked.

Raven stopped in front of him. Doing so caused her breasts to be level with his face, and he slid his arm around her waist. At his nearness, her nipples pebbled and pushed against her bra, silently begging for some attention. Heck, her whole body craved this man, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could go without experiencing his lovemaking again.

Instead of telling him that, she said, “I’m smiling because you make me happy. Happier than I’ve ever been.”

“Is that right?” His enticing woodsy scent had her girlie parts sparking to life. Everything about him was like an aphrodisiac, arousing her to the point of making her want to throw herself at him. She had never been bold when it came to asking for what she wanted sexually, but if he didn’t make a move soon, she might start.

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