Page 75 of His to Have
I watched her… admired every bit of beauty she possessed.
The slow rise and fall of her chest synced perfectly with mine. She fit comfortably against me, like her body already knew where it belonged.
Placing one last kiss on her temple, I allowed my mind to slow down long enough to fall asleep. Tomorrow the chaos of our daily lives will resume, but tonight I will savor this quiet moment.
twenty
Ayanna
“I’m telling you, this one is warmer,” I said, holding the paint swatch higher to catch the overhead lights. “It’ll look better once it dries.”
Teo leaned back on his heels, arms crossed, face set in a deep frown. “They all look the same, Yanna. It’s white.”
“No it's not.” I turned toward him, my gaze narrowed. “This is eggshell, that one’s alabaster, and this one’s winter frost. Big difference.”
He blinked once, pushing the half-empty cart down the narrow pathway that made up the hardware store. “All made-up shit for white.”
I bit back a laugh.
Getting to know him in this capacity, outside offamily business and our pining young adult days, things have been interesting. I was seeing a side of him I never expected to experience, one that’s surprisingly domestic.
“Don’t you have better things to do than harass me on this fine Saturday morning? Maybe business with my brother or Keem?”
“Probably,” he shrugged, now looking at the walls lined with an array of color samples before turning back toward me. “But they not as pretty as you. Don’t nobody wanna be around them niggas today.”
“You don’t even like shopping. Weren’t you the one saying ‘Amore, we got staff for that.’” I mocked, sounding just like him. Well, at least in my mind, I did, and he just grinned.
“We do have staff for this. However... I like helping you out.” That came with a megawatt smile, and a quick peck on the lips.
It was all bullshit. He didn’t like shopping for anything, let alone light fixtures, but he liked being around me, and making me happy. Since I spent most of our youth denying our truth, he was making up for lost time. Doing some of the most mundane things like shopping for my boutique with me when we both had more pressing matters. Honestly, his presence made me happier than I cared to admit.
“But you ain’t even picking up nothing,” I whined, playfully turning toward him with a pout.
“I’m picking you up when this is over. Probably bending you over too.” He said it with a casual shrug, like that was just regular Saturday morning talk.
I choked on a laugh, rolling my eyes as I turned back to the display. “Oh my God, Teo.”
He came up behind me, arms sliding around my waist like it was second nature, chin resting on my shoulder. “Admit it... you like it when Ihelp.” His lips brushed my skin.
“Mmhmm. When you actually help,” I said, trying not to melt in his arms in the middle of this very public hardware store. “Standing here looking pretty don’t count.” I waved my hand in his direction.
He chuckled low, his chest vibrating against my back. “Pretty? Nah, Amore, I’m handsome as fuck.” He kissed my neck, then backed up, snatching a blush-colored swatch off the display. “How about this one?”
I sucked my teeth, pretending to be unimpressed. Even though the man picked the exact shade I’d been leaning toward.
“That’s cute or whatever,” I muttered, slipping it from his fingers and waving an associate down.
A smile appeared over the woman’s face, and I returned one as well. “Could we get a sample of this one?” I asked, holding up a sample of the paint.
The associate nodded and headed off to grab a small can for us to try out, while Teo grinned smug as hell beside me, clearly proud of himself. “You gotta quit acting like I don’t know you. Or that I ain’t got good taste.”
“Your taste is alright... at best.”
The last word barely left my mouth before he yanked me into his chest, his grip firm around my waist. Every part of his touch was intentional, even as his dark eyes smoldered. “My taste is impeccable.” His minty breath hit my face. “You forget... you’re my taste? Hmm?”
His gaze dropped to my mouth like he was already picturing the way he’d kiss any comeback completely off my lips. “My taste is perfect,” he growled lowly.
Heat coiled in my belly, stealing the air from my lungs, and traveled straight to the apex of my thighs. Wetness had for sure flooded my panties. I hated and loved how easily he could unravel me. It was alarming how quickly I was coming to crave him and his mannish ways. Or how PDA from him was becoming my new favorite thing.
