Page 23 of Inadmissible
For the last year, I could admit I’d closed myself off to love and friendships. I stopped being open and vulnerable because I didn’t want to trust the wrong person. I wanted to care and connect and have genuine relationships, but the potential pain didn’t seem worth the risk. Until Tristan, I didn’t believe I had the capacity to open my heart again. With him, I wanted to try.
I cut my car on and shot Tristan a text before driving away.
Me: Actually, I do want to go out. Just give me the details, and I’ll be there.
Tristan
Iwas surprised when Taj agreed to have dinner with me. I expected the journey to and through her heart to be long and difficult, but something about her assured me it would be worth it. Whether it was my intent or not, I claimed her a year ago. Now that she was back in my life, I had no plans of letting up off Taj Sanders.
From the bits of information I knew about her relationship with Destin, I could understand why she was resistant to a relationship. Him randomly popping up and triggering her didn’t make it any easier. If I had to, I’d ban him from the office if that would make things easier for her, but I was hoping I could help her work through the lingering issues she had. When it came to him and other men in her past, I wanted her to be indifferent and feeling nothing for them at all. That would mean her heart would have more space for my love.
After ringing her doorbell, I took a step back. The sound of male laughter pierced the door before it was opened, and a man who had features that mirrored my sweetheart’s came into view.
“You must be AK?” he asked with a smirk, causing confusion to fill me.
“AK?” I repeated.
“Tyler, go away. You’re gonna have that man thinking I’m seeing someone else.”
So she acknowledged that she was seeing me? Good to know.
He laughed and extended his hand for me to shake. “I can’t remember your real name.”
“It’s Tristan. But who is AK?”
“You,” Taj answered, opening the door wider so I could see her. “And please don’t ask him why.”
“We’ll talk about it another day. Trust me.”
I chuckled as her brother stepped out of her home. “Aight, bro. I’ma hold you to that.”
The chuckle from her brother’s antics turned into a wide grin at the sight of her. Dressed in a peach silk, ankle length dress, Taj looked naturally sexy. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun on the top of her head, giving me an unobstructed view of her beautiful face. The freckles, the lips, those honey brown, shiny eyes.
“I want a daughter that looks just like you,” I confessed aloud, though I’d meant to only say it in my head.
“Are those for me?” she asked sweetly, referring to the big ass bouquet of red and pink roses I’d gotten from Mali’s botanic garden.
“They are. You look beautiful, Taj. Damn.”
“This is just a house dress, angel.”
“If this is how you look every day around the house, I can’twaitto wake up and go to sleep next to you.”
“Tristan,” she cooed, blushing and allowing me to see the redness of her nose and cheeks. It looked like she’d just gotten out the shower. I would have assumed she was crying if her eyes weren’t so clear. Plus, her and her brother were in good spirits, so that couldn’t have been it.
“Let me admire you,” I insisted, pulling her hand down from her face when she tried to cover it. “God. You know you’re beautiful.”
“Tris—”
“You’re my crown. Let me make you shine. I can’t wait to take you out so I can show you off.”
“Ugh,” she groaned, holding the bouquet up and over her face. It was so big I couldn’t see her behind it, making me laugh. “Just get in here, sir.”
“Oh wait. Is it okay that I brought a few people with me?” I asked, motioning for the private chef I hired and her assistant to get out of the car. Taj lowered the flowers and peeked around me. “Service is my love language, so I wanted to serve you as thanks for agreeing to have dinner with me tonight. I don’t know your hobbies and interests, likes and dislikes, so I was hoping we could talk about that tonight so I can plan a proper date.”
Her shoulders hiked as she smiled. “Yes, that sounds good.”
“Perfect. They have everything they need, and your kitchen will be clean when they are done.”
