Page 167 of Lavish
I let out a laugh, shaking my head. “Who would’ve thought?”
His thumb brushed along the edge of my jaw, tilting my face toward his. His gaze softened, the usual mischief giving way to something tender, something that still caught me off guard. “I love you, Sunny.”
“I love you too.”
He leaned in, pressing his forehead gently to mine. “Can’t get rid of me.”
“Don’t want to.”
That’s when I felt a buzz from my phone, and I leaned back to read the text.
Serena… When you have a moment, let’s talk. About everything. I owe it to you.
Mama.
A indescribable feeling filled my chest, and I slid my phone back into my pocket.
I closed my eyes, breathing him in, the scent of sunshine and cologne, the quiet steadying beat of his presence.
“Don’t want to.”
I laughed, a real, full laugh, and felt his lips curve against mine as he kissed me—slow, certain, like we had all the time in the world.
Erik
“I’m busy,” I called when someone knocked at my door. I was sitting in my office at King Enterprises, the bright sun shining through the windows trying to coax me out of the building.
Any other day I would have loved to be outside with the rest of town, getting some air, but…the mess in front of me. I had to fix it. That was my responsibility. And it was starting to feel like Mama was slacking in her responsibilities as president of the board more and more lately.
Fuck, will I ever get a break?
No. If it wasn’t Mama, it was Gigi. If not Gigi, then Laurene or the board or a fucking email with someone demanding something.
So, no, I didn’t have time for?—
Knock.
I didn’t bother looking up. “I said I’m busy.”
The door cracked open anyway, followed by the click of heels against the hardwood.
“I know,” came a soft voice. “But you didn’t come to brunch. So I figured I’d bring brunch to you.”
My head snapped up.
Noelle.
I inhaled, sitting back and watching her enter. She had on a bright yellow dress, with the straps and shit that go behind her neck, the color contrasting with her deep caramel-brown skin. Her dark auburn curls were twisted up, with messy, soft tendrils falling loose around her cheeks. Her hazel eyes met mine with that same tentative smile she always gave me when she wasn’t sure I still wanted her around.
As if I could ever stop.
“You came back,” I said thickly.
“Yeah,” she said gently. “I brought you a chicken caprese sandwich and a cappuccino. There’s no pesto. I know you hate pesto, and I double-checked before I left.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said still remembering our altercation, she’d been avoiding me. I didn’t like it when Noelle did that; it felt like someone stabbed me in the chest.
She shrugged, that beautiful mouth curving slightly. “I wanted to.”
