Page 7 of Caught Stealing Your Heart
If only you knew how you made me feel…
“You tell me, Banks. I’d love to hear about it. Or is this how you swoon all the women you encounter?”
Was I flirting? Did that man really have me batting my eyes and shit?
Indeed, he did, and it had nothing to do with his caliber. He was simply attractive as hell, but he screamed player. Most men in the league were. I wasn’t familiar with baseball, but Banks had definitely highlighted some of the blog’s headlines. His reputation wasn’t the best from what I saw. I wasn’t the one to judge, so I would continue to entertain him.
Banks ran his hands over his low beard and chuckled. “Oh, you think I’m one of those type of men?”
“I never said you were anything. I simply asked a question. Are you giving me Boss or Banks?”
“Your mouth is slick. I like that. Let me find out you got something in your life I need.”
I tipped my head to the side and hiked a brow. “Exactly what do you mean by that?”
Before Banks could answer, another slew of his fans came rushing over. He winked at me, placed his sunglasses on, and grabbed Paisley’s hand to whisk them away. Someone had already taken her painting for her. I watched Banks until he was out the door, no longer in sight. Willow was at my side within seconds, bouncing on her toes.
She whistled and said, “That man wants you, Lei.”
“Whatever.” I waved her off. “He screams trouble, and that’s not something I need in my life.”
“You need some dick in your life, that’s what you need, and Boss looks like he has a third leg.”
“Willow!” I squealed, shaking my head. “I don’t need anything but to sell this art, so help me. We can talk about this later.”
And I couldn’t wait.
Banks plagued my mind for the rest of the day. His words replayed in my mind like a scratched record. No matter how I tried to shake them off and chalk them up as him being a man, I couldn’t help but to think there was some hidden meaning behind them. Like Itrulypossessed something he needed.
I stoodin front of my wall, trying to figure out where to place the fine line sketch I’d anonymously bought from Leilani. It matched the art my mom had bought for me when I first moved into my house, so I thought it was the perfect way to support Leilani while slowly remodeling my home.
My house was my first big purchase with my first MLB check. I could’ve easily allowed my parents to buy me one, but I wanted to do it for myself. It was located on the outskirts of Camden Cove, away from the busyness of it all. Contrary to others, I preferred to be to myself and out the way. My peace meant everything to me, but it was tough having it when I was in the spotlight.
So, when my house hit the market, Justin sent it to me, and I put an offer in without a tour. The location and five acres had me sold. If the house needed any work, I could easily put time and money into it. The realtor hit me up for a tour the next day, and I closed by the following week. Five bedrooms and four bathrooms were more than enough for me in my farm style home, a home I one day wanted to fill with a family of my own.
The vibration against my thigh indicated a notification. I pulled it out to see Leilani was live on FameVsYou. Without thinking, I tapped on it to watch her. I plopped down on my white sectional and kicked my feet up on my wooden coffee table.
Leilani was in her element. The camera was placed directly in front of her, showing off her breathtaking features. She was beautiful on the screen, but in person, she hit differently. When I met her at the pop-up, I couldn’t stop staring at her from the moment I walked in. I didn’t mind giving my fans love, but I wanted to be close to her. Seeing her up close and personal had me replaying the moments over and over again in my mind.
Her overall covered body swayed to the sound of GIVEON playing in the background. With her locs piled on the top of her head in a messy bun, Leilani strategically dragged her pencil over the paper. A box of crayons and colored pencils were next to the cup of red wine on her oversized table. She seemed oblivious to the people flooding her comment section, asking her questions as her healthy, heart-shaped lips mouthed the words to the song.
Her head shot up at the sound of me requesting to join her live. Leilani stalled for a moment with her lips tightly pursed together. She tapped her fingers along her table before finally accepting.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I greeted, smiling.
“Good morning, Banks. To what do I owe the pleasure of you joining my live?”
“I think the pleasure is all mine to virtually be in your presence.”
She waved her finger at me with a gentle shake of her head. “Don’t you start that and throw my vibe off.”
“Start what?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You never answered my question from the other day. You basically left me on read in person.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Are you always this quick and funny?”
“Are you?” She pointed her pencil at the screen, lips curving upward. “See how you’re still avoiding the question.”
