Page 62 of Kandi's Crush: A BWWM Sweet Billionaire Romance

She knew Chadwick. Yes, he had a complicated past with women. But he had shown me nothing but kindness, openness, and love. I needed him.

I needed my mother, but in a different way. Growing up, my mother and I were inseparable. We had a bond solidified by years of us being together all the time. I knew that no matter how angry she was with me, she would be by my side. I may have disappointed her, but I knew she loved me.

Chadwick and I sat at the island and ate our breakfast in silence.

“What’s on your schedule for the day?” I asked.

“Rachel will bring some folks by. She also wants to talk in more detail about an offer.”

“Woot! Woot!” I raised my hands and shimmied my hips. “You’re kicking ass. I knew you would do it.”

At seven forty-five, I gathered my bags and headed to the elevator. Chadwick took the bag from my hand and escorted me to the garage. We lingered at my car as he licked his tongue across his bottom lip, pulling me closer to him with a hand on my hip. I moaned as I stood on my tiptoes, and my face moved closer and closer until our lips met. In my mind, I wanted a soft, sweet kiss, but I needed a kiss that would rock me to my core. His hand moved from my hip and traced up my arms to my face. He lightly stroked my chin with his thumb while I simultaneously rubbed circles with my finger along his back. After at least five minutes of kissing, he pulled himself away from me, his chest heaving rapidly.

“Go to work,” he groaned. “Have a good day. Be safe and bring that sexy ass back to me.”

“I will.” Neither of us moved. We stood and gazed at each other until I broke the moment and opened the car door to slide in. I pulled at the seatbelt, and he fastened me in before giving me a quick, chaste kiss.

“Call me. Let me know what’s going on.” He pressed two fingers to his lips and blew a kiss my way. I puckered my lips in response.

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you.” He closed the door.

I shifted the small sedan in reverse. He walked backward to the elevator entryway before swiping the entry key and entering the vestibule. I pulled down the ramp to the street below, the morning sun blinding me as I made my way to the Scrub-A-Dub office.

I drove the six miles to the storefront. My heart raced knowing that my mother and auntie weren’t aware that I was coming. I didn’t know what to expect. If Mama was unkind, I prayed I wouldn’t cry.

They were smiling and chatting when I walked through the door. It hurt that they could laugh when I’d been in such pain. The door chimed, and both sets of eyes looked up at me. Auntie smiled and rushed over.

“Kandi. You’re here! We didn’t expect you. What are you doing here?”

“Good morning.” I leaned in to hug her. I walked to my mother’s desk, and I leaned over to press my cheek against my hers. “I’m here to take on more responsibility. Makes little sense for me to work around the loft.” I smiled tentatively at Mama, hoping it would thaw the chill between us. She sipped on her coffee, avoiding my eyes.

“I’m surprised you aren’t here to find someone to clean your place,” she said dryly.

“We can handle it ourselves.” I pulled out the chair to my desk. They piled several stacks of file folders on the white-lacquered surface.

Auntie smiled and nodded, her eyes gleaming. She had been a constant supporter throughout the years. I knew she was excited for me and my marriage. She loved me, and she loved Chadwick. But she was crazy for us together.

“As you can see, we need all of those invoices filed. ?Then,? someone needs to take an inventory of supplies and call about overdue payments. Can you handle that?”

“I’m Kandi-baby.” I snapped my fingers and wriggled my shoulders. I walked over to the coffeemaker and popped in a pod. I waited while the coffeemaker dripped hot coffee into my black and gold Saints mug.

“We haven’t had Sunday dinner in weeks. I would love a bowl of your shrimp etouffee,” I said. My mother avoided eye contact, preferring to stare at her computer screen.

“We had dinner at my house on Sunday. It was a last-minute decision. I figured you were probably out and about with your?husband,” Mom sneered. My cheeks flushed from embarrassment, but I stayed strong.

“How long will this go on?”

“What did you say?”

“How long are you going to treat me like shit? I get it. I got married to a man?you do not approve of. I eloped in Sin City. But at some point, you need to get over it.”

“At some point in your life, you’ll learn that everyone may not approve of your choices. I don’t have to. Kandi, I like Chadwick. I like him a lot, but he isn’t what I had in mind for you. He has lived a life that I don’t think you’re ready for. He has slept with a lot of fast women. You aren’t that.”

“I don’t care about his past or the other women.”

“You should. Why do I care more about this than you?” She let out a breath in a huff. “I care about how all of that?will blow back on you. What happens when you get a pair of underwear in the mail? You know those whores will do anything to sabotage your marriage.”

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