Page 32 of Forgotten Deeds

“Magic.” He walks over to her with his tattoo covered by his sleeve; out of sight, out of mind because she doesn’t get upset this time. He reaches behind her ear, producing a key fob, and she giggles with delight. “This is for your mama,” he says, grabbing my keys on the console table and sliding it on my key ring. “We need to go,” he tells me. “Grab an overnight bag for you and Iris.”

“Why? What happened?” I ask nervously.

“Nothing happened,” he assures me. “We just have a reservation.”

“Darius, a word in the kitchen,” I say with a tight smile.

“Of course,” he says, snatching my hand and lacing our fingers together. He brings the top of my hand to his lips and places a gentle kiss.

“Are you going to kiss my mama?” Iris wonders.

“If I’m lucky,” Darius says, lowering our entwined hands with a smile.

“Kitchen,” I say, practically taking his arm off as I drag him into the other room. “You have got to stop—” I’m silenced when his lips crash against mine. I gasp in surprise, and he takes that as an invitation for his tongue to invade my mouth. He effortlessly picks me up by the hips and sits me on the counter.

I go to give him a little shove, but my hands seem to have a mind of their own. Latching onto his shirt, I pull him closer, letting out an embarrassing moan as he twirls his tongue around mine.

He smiles against my lips. “Lucky me—now I have a sound to go with the memory and the smell.”

This time I do give him a shove. “I am pissed at you.”

“Hold that thought until after dinner, and see if you haven’t changed your mind. Now, go pack,” he says, placing me on my feet.

“Darius—”

He gives my ass more than a playful smack. “Pack.”

I shake my head. “Not until you tell me how you got in here.”

“Fixed your blinds and the lock on your bedroom window. Anything else on my honey-do?”

My mouth falls open, and with an amused expression, he tells me, “I’ll take that as a no. Go pack, wifey.”

Where do I even start with this man? Placing a hand on my head dramatically, I sigh as I walk out of the room.

“And put the red dress back on. So sexy,” he calls after me.

Chapter Fourteen

Lily

I enter my bedroom and sure enough, Darius has fixed the blinds. The scary part? I didn’t even know the lock on the window was broken.

Grabbing my bag, I pack an assortment of clothes. If I don’t bring the right outfits, it’s his fault for not telling me where we’re going. My hand runs over the red dress hanging in my closet before I grab it and put it back on. I tell myself I did so because we still might be going out to a restaurant; not because Darius said he liked it.

Finished with my packing, I walk to Iris’ room and throw some of her things into her backpack. I return to the living room to find my daughter engaged in a lively discussion with Darius. “No, you can’t be a dragon,” Iris says, dramatically placing her hand on her head. He was right—she did get that mannerism from me.

“Ready?” I ask, sticking my computer and notebook in my backpack—just in case there’s time to squeeze in a few minutes of work.

“Ready,” he says, eyeing me appreciatively as he stands and takes the bags from me. I try not to flush beneath his heavy gaze.

We step outside—me locking the door behind us—and Darius hits the key fob, making the black SUV chirp.

“You have a nice vehicle,” I comment. Opening the back door, I inspect the car seat—it’s the right size and appears to be installed correctly. Securing Iris, I walk around and climb into the passenger seat.

“You have a nice vehicle,” he corrects me, sliding behind the wheel and backing out of my driveway. “This is yours.”

“It’s too much,” I protest.

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