Page 15 of Caught Stealing Your Heart
Down boy.
She turned around to face me after she unlocked and opened her door. “Same time and place tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. See you then.”
I grabbed her arm when she tried to walk inside. “Never leave without giving me a hug and kiss.”
“Banks, we’re alone. We don’t have to put on.”
“Doesn’t mean we should stop. It needs to be natural no matter what.”
Her body crashed into mine before her lips did. It would be hard for me to keep my hands off her whenever we were together, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
The one-week markof Banks and me “dating” had come, so I picked one of the pictures we’d taken together at his last game and posted it on FameVsYou. While the blogs had been posting us, neither of us had said anything ourselves. I hadn’t gone live all week to avoid the questions, but I figured there was no better time than the present to do so.
“Best week of my life.” I read the caption as I typed it out with blue heart emojis.
I studied the picture of us and smiled. From the outside looking in, we truly appeared like a happy couple. The picture was beautiful. It was one Paisley snuck and took of us on the field before his game. The sun was brightly shining behind us, illuminating us and the field. Banks gently held my chin,smiling down at me as my arms were wrapped around his waist, returning the smile.
Crazy thing was the last week with him had been nothing short of amazing. Banks showed he was very attentive and intentional. He was the first person I talked to in the morning and the last person at night. Whenever I mentioned something I liked or wanted in the moment, I would have it, whether we were together or not. I assured him he didn’t need to get me anything, and he was quick to let me know he did so because he wanted to.
I posted the picture and locked my phone before going to check on my dinner. Before I could make it to the kitchen, my doorbell rang. Confused as to who would be visiting me unannounced, I went to the front and retrieved my gun from its hiding spot before looking through the peephole. My heart melted upon seeing Banks standing there with a bag and bouquet of sunflowers. I put my gun back in its rightful place and opened the door.
“Well, isn’t this a nice surprise.” I gushed, pressing my lips together, trying not to blush. It was inevitable, especially when Banks puckered his lips up for a kiss. Happily, I stood on my tiptoes and pecked them before accepting the sunflowers. “I can’t believe you remembered.”
“I’m a listener if you haven’t noticed. I’m about to be gone for a few days, so I wanted to come kick it with you for a while.”
“Come on in.” I stepped aside to allow him access into my home.
I’d seen Banks dressed up and down, and seeing him dressed down was definitely my favorite. He made anything look good. The yellow T-shirt complemented his melanin perfectly. It fit his frame to a tee, showing off every vein and muscle he possessed. I yearned to be wrapped in those strong arms, so I tapped him on the shoulder with my arms out. Eagerly, he accepted my embrace. I’d quickly learned physical touch was his lovelanguage. Even though we’d mostly seen one another at games and in the vehicle, Banks made it a point to touch me, and I loved it.
I held onto him, resting my head on his chest. We hadn’t seen one another in two days, and I had to admit that I missed him. Would I say it out loud? No, but I hoped my actions silently told him what my words were too afraid to.
“What you got in here that smells good?” Banks questioned, squeezing me then letting me go.
“I’m cooking dinner. Baked chicken, diced sweet potatoes, and asparagus.”
“You got enough for me?”
I nodded. “Of course. Do you want some wine?”
“Sure.”
Our fingers laced together as I led him to my kitchen, giving him a short tour of my three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. It was nothing compared to where he lived, but it was mine, and I was proud of it. My parents helped me with half the down payment and closing costs. My house wasn’t too far away from there, more in the suburban area of Camden Cove. The one thing I loved about my neighborhood the most was that none of the houses were too close together, and everyone respected each other’s space and privacy. But oh, what I would do to be ducked off outside of the city like Banks.
With a quick sniff, I put my sunflowers in a vase with water before grabbing two wine glasses.
Banks set the bag on the counter. I didn’t pay it any mind, but the logo on it looked familiar. I had to do a doubletake, almost spilling the wine. My gaze went from Banks to the bag and back to Banks. My eyes burned, so I set the glass down and fanned them.
“Banks.”
“Leilani.”
I blew through the circle my lips formed. “That’s a Brush to Canvas bag.”
“I know.” He chuckled. “Do you need me to pour the wine while you look inside?”
