Page 61 of Mister Jeweler

“Cool. I’ll walk you to your car.”

And he did… while they were hand in hand. When they made it, Denali said, “I didn’t realize how much time had passed.”

“You know, they say time flies when you’re having fun.”

“Yeah, well, I wish I could make it stand still when I was with you. It never seems like we have enough.”

“Just let me know when you want me, I’ll make time for you.”

“Don’t tell me that,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Elite kissed her forehead, then her nose, and last… her lips. “I could get used to you.”

“Good, because I don’t plan to go anywhere any time soon.”

His head shook as he released her. “I fall quick and hard, sweetheart, but that’s not the type of time I’m on right now. I don’t want a relationship at the moment.”

“That’s too bad, but I’m glad you told me upfront so I could be careful of how I move with you.”

“I’m going to always be upfront with you.”

“Well… I guess I’ll see you around?”

“Most definitely. We can still kick it and shit, right?”

Denali scratched her eyebrow as he opened the door for her. “Yeah, I guess. I don’t know. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

Nodding in agreement, Elite closed the door behind her. He hoped his honesty hadn’t pushed her away, but if it did, it was for the best. As much as he liked her and enjoyed her company, he wasn’t ready to be in a relationship… especially with a woman with a baby daddy who didn’t want to let go.

??????

Elite’s eyes were on Denali as Cassie introduced her to Supreme and Nicole. It was their first time coming over so Supreme could speak to their father, and Elite agreed to come along. Though the two would speak in private, Elite really wanted to see Denali. She hadn’t returned his calls since they saw each other three days ago, so he wanted to see what was up with her.

Hey,” Denali spoke softly, giving him a quick wave and trying to walk away.

Before she could get too far, Elite grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chest.

“We need to talk.”

“Oh. Um… Okay.”

Denali smiled nervously, looking back at Cassie and shrugging as Elite led her outside. As much of a rush as he was in to get her alone, for a while, all he could do was stare at her. Her hair was in soft curls with a part down the middle. Today, her face was covered with makeup that accentuated her beauty. She was dressed in a yellow strapless maxi dress, and the way it highlighted her curves made it difficult for him to keep his eyes on her face.

“You said we needed to talk?” Denali reminded, placing her hands on her waist.

“I haven’t seen you in a while. Just making up for lost time.”

She smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s your fault.”

“How is it my fault? You haven’t answered my calls.”

“Well, I just… I… wanted to be sure of what I would say before we talked.”

“Say about what?”

“What you shared last time we talked.”

“About me not wanting a relationship?” She nodded. “Sweetheart…” Elite sighed and ran his hand down his throat. “I just got out of a crazy situation with my ex-wife. It’s nothing personal. I just don’t have the bandwidth for anything serious right now.”

---