Page List

Font Size:

“Let me ask you a question, bro.”

“What’s up?”

“You do know you’re still young like us, right?”

“What you getting at, Keith? Shoot it straight with me.”

Keith expelled a breath and asked, “You know it’s time to let this shit go, right? You have a plan, and it’s time to act on it so you don’t have to live like this anymore. You can answer to yourself and no one else. Be real with me.”

“I don’t know how to be any other way.”

“What are you afraid of?”

Slowly, my hand raced down my face. “We’ve had this conversation before, man.”

“My point, so what’s good? We doing this or what?”

“We are bu?—”

Keith cut me off. “No buts, man. What does Korren think about it?”

“I haven’t talked to her about it.”

“Because you’re not ready. If you were, she would know.”

He had a point. A good one at that. Before I talked to anyone else about it, I needed to make sure everything was solidified. I didn’t want to bring something to light that wasn’t already in place.

“You’re right,” I admitted. “How about we make it do what it do and start on our first house?”

“Don’t play with me, Cage. You know I already got shit lined up. All I need to do is say the word, and everything is in place.”

“I’m not. It’s time I act on it. Set up the date and time. I’ll be there.”

“Say less. Don’t flake out on me when I tell you it’s time.”

“Trust me, I won’t.”

I chopped it up with Keith until Korren arrived. Before she came in, I dimmed the lights and lit the candles. Nema was put in her crate so she wouldn’t get into anything. Korren inhaled a sharp breath as her hands flew to her mouth. Her eyes were puddled to the brim. Slowly, her legs glided her over to me. She dropped her backpack to the floor, studying the small, inside picnic I’d made for her.

On the patterned gray blanket, I laid out the take-out food, dessert, lilies, and handwritten card. Lilly petals surrounded the blanket along with encouraging notes on index cards.

“Is all this for me?” she quizzed then puckered her lips.

I’d never get enough of kissing her. Gently, I cupped her face, and our lips connected. My tastebuds were satisfied, welcoming the fruitful but minty taste of her favorite lip gloss on my tongue. As the kiss deepened, so did our touch. With my hand on her lower back, I pulled her in closer to me. The feel of her hands on the back of my neck sent a tingling sensation down my spine. I was bricked, and from the way Korren sensually moaned into my mouth when I pressed myself against her, let me know she felt it.

Not wanting to take things too far, I pulled away and bit down on my lip. I took a step back, shoved my hands in my pockets, and warned, “Don’t do that to me, KoKo.”

“Why not, Cage?” Boldly, she took a step forward with her head tipped to the side.

“I’m not sure if you’re ready to cross that line yet.”

My gaze swept over her, inch by inch, from head to toe.

Even with her hair pulled up into a messy bun, she was beautiful.

Even with her dressed in an oversized T-shirt and leggings, she was beautiful.

Even with pouty lips parted, inhaling each breath I exhaled, she was beautiful.