Page 32 of Breaking the Rules
She covered her mouth to stifle laughter and hummed. “You know, your mom might be on to something. Keep it close to ya. Barney might roll up on us.”
“Clock it,” Areli said with a head nod and followed every move Savanhi made.
Almost fifteen minutes later, a knock sounded at the door. What Savanhi saw when she looked up damn near stole her breath away. Areli leapt up and down.
“Unc-Unc!”
“That’s your uncle?”
“Yep,” Areli shouted, taking off toward the door. “Deucey!”
“Hold on, let me open it,” Savanhi objected in a nervous voice. Unsure why.
Yeah, their night together still played in her mind, and at times her body reminded her of what it felt like when that spot was hit with precision. She even hated to admit that on the nights she couldn’t sleep, she tried to find it herself to no avail.
She opened the door for him and stepped back. His eyes on hers like they’d been star-crossed lovers in a different life. It seemed like every time she saw him, the gaze was more intense.
“Unc-Unc, I watched you on TV last night. Big win! Remi gave me candy for it,” Areli shared, ending the stare down with a leap into his arms and a tight squeeze around his neck.
Now, with his eyes off of hers, Savanhi could breathe without feeling like air was in limited supply. She could also appreciate how damn good he looked under full fluorescent lighting. Tall, muscular body clad in a white Ameechii tee, jogger shorts, fresh sneakers. His hair was freshly cut and tapered along with his beard. Skin moisturized, diamonds in his ears shining. The few necklaces he wore were tucked underneath the collar of his tee. The same three she pulled and held on to when he had her legs pinned over her head.
“Shit,” she grumbled, and quickly moved over to her things stowed in the corner. “Get it together, Vanhi.”
“How much I owe you for being late?” Noble’s voice rumbled, making her core quake.
She steadied herself before looking over her shoulder at Areli hanging off his thick neck. “Nothing, I should be paying Areli for her protection.”
Noble balanced his attention from his niece to Savanhi. He was mesmerized. A common reaction to being in her presence. That wild, big, wavy hair flipped to the side and brushing over her shoulders. She was free of the extensions she wore in his first encounter with her. Those large eyes danced as she was trying to avoid his eyes. Impossible at this point.
“She kept you protected?” Noble questioned with a slight furrow of his thick brows.
“Babygirl keeps that thang on her. And it’s my favorite color so extra points for her. Areli, I’ll see you in a couple days.”
“Uh uh,” she sounded off. “Grand Slam fest. I’m going with Unc-Unc.”
Savanhi made note of the huge baseball event the Royals were hosting this year, examined him again, and nodded. “Ohh, have fun.”
“Can you come?” Areli asked. “You’re fun.”
Savanhi laughed, flattered by the compliment, but shook her head no. “I’ll be here dancing.”
She threw her bags over her shoulder, a silent signal she hoped Noble caught on to. She needed to get out of his space before her imagination kicked up. Noble, in three strides, closed the space between them and took the bags from her possession.
“We’ll walk you to your car,” he spoke evenly. It wasn’t an ask, it was a gentle demand. “You got everything?”
Savanhi attempted to reach for them, but Noble moved toward the door. “Um, yeah. But I can take those. I’m good.”
Noble flashed her a look that read he was taking them, and that was the end of the conversation. Savanhi tucked her lips, not wanting to go back and forth in front of Areli. She turned off the lights, followed them out, and locked up.
“Where you at?” he questioned.
“That way,” Savanhi pointed down the block where the streetlights were starting to pop on two at a time. She was hoping that he would let it go and let her walk to the bus stop in peace.
“Aight, get in. We’ll drive you down there.”
“Noble, it really isn’t necessary. I’m packing too. I’ll be fine.”
He moved toward the SUV with the dealers’ plates still on it. With ease, he secured Areli in her seat, opened the door for Savanhi, and placed her bags in the trunk. Savanhi stood stuck for a moment. Noble, waiting by the passenger door, looked at her and her uncertainty.
