Page 16 of Caught Stealing Your Heart
Eagerly, I bobbed my head and slid the bag over to me. The contents inside made the tears I’d been trying to keep at bay cascade down my cheeks like a flowing river. When I say that man listened, he did.
Through tears and sniffles, I asked, “How did you know I wanted these when I didn’t even tell you?”
“I have a secret to tell you.”
“And what is that?”
“I go back and watch your lives when I miss them. You’ve mentioned this brand more than once in your lives, so I thought I’d get them for you. Since I’ll be gone for a few days, you can test them out and let me know how you like them when I get back.”
I swear, this man was full of surprises. His words made my heart gallop like a stallion in a race. My feet dragged across my floor as I made my way over to hug and kiss him. What I intended to be a sweet peck turned into me desiring to suck his lips off his face. Banks was a skilled kisser. Kissing was sensual, but there was something about the way Banks did it that almost made me believe he truly cared for me. It almost made me believe that what we were doing wasn’t for play, but I had to tell myself not to overthink it.
“I appreciate you, Banks. Thank you.”
He hunched his shoulders. “No biggie. How’s your day been?”
“It’s been good, quiet for the most part. I know that’s about to change since I posted us.”
His brows sunk. “You did?”
I nodded and went to check the chicken. “Go look. I tagged you in it too.”
While Banks scrolled on his phone, I got the chicken out and started plating our food. I always cooked in small portions since it was only me, so I made a mental note to go out and get something else to cook for tomorrow. What I made would’ve easily lasted me two or three days, but with Banks, I put extra on his plate.
“You got almost ten thousand likes on this picture. I like it. Send it to me.”
“Te-ten thousand? That’s crazy. The most I’ve ever gotten was like five on the painting you bought for Paisley.”
Banks waved his finger at me as we sat at the table with our plates and wine. “Speaking of that painting, what were you feeling when you painted it?”
I cleared my throat before taking a nice gulp of my wine. For some reason, I was nervous to tell Banks about Brandon. He was my past, so I didn’t see the need in bringing him up, but I also felt Banks had the right to know.
“My ex. He made his presence known on that particular live and changed my entire mood for what I was creating. I switched to what I was feeling and created one of the best pieces I have in all my career.”
Slowly, Banks nodded his head. “How long were y’all together?”
“Two years.”
“Why did y’all end things?”
“Life. We outgrew one another and started down separate paths. Us ending things was a mutual agreement, but it doesn’t take away how badly it hurt me.”
“It still hurts you, doesn’t it?”
Forcefully, my fork pierced a sweet potato as I pondered on his question. “Not as badly as it did, but at times, I wonder.”
“What if?” he asked, and I nodded. He ate a few forkfuls of asparagus before continuing. “If the opportunity presented itself, would you get back with him?”
“No. We’ve moved on, and I don’t believe in going backwards in life. He’s my past. That’s where he needs to stay.”
“I hear you.”
“What about you, Banks?”
“What about me?”
“Have you ever been in a serious relationship?”
Banks chuckled. “Never. Not even in high school like most people. I was too focused on baseball to ever take anyone serious.”
