Page 92 of The Switch: A Friends To Lovers Romance

Small pebbles crunched under his feet as Luke approached them. Ashanti spotted him first and beamed, looking more beautiful than any woman he’d ever seen. Including Michelle.

She leaned over and whispered, “Nai Nai is a legend, Luke. I have mad respect.”

“Ashanti’s not so bad either,” his grandmother said with a chuckle. “Why didn’t you stay in the car?”

Luke nudged Ashanti’s arm. “I figured you two would want some company.”

“Is that so?” Ashanti cooed.

“What?” Luke snorted. “You thought I came just so I could spend time with you?”

“Didn’t you?”

Nai Nai laughed. “Thank you so much for coming, Luke. Your grandfather is dealing with the mechanic so he’ll be out for a few hours.”

“Don’t worry, Nai Nai. I’m all yours.”

As Luke followed his grandmother and Ashanti around the market, he observed the way people responded when they realized the black woman and the Asian elder were together. There was a lot of staring, narrowing eyes, and rapid blinking.

Luke was bemused by the public’s expressions and, secretly, thrilled when no one made any racist statements. He’d heard a few—more than that really—growing up in a Caribbean country.

When someone from school couldn’t remember his name, he was Chino, Chini, Ching Chong Chang, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li. When someone needed an answer during a math test, nine times out of ten his was the paper they snuck peeks at.

His parents discriminated but, the truth was, the prejudice ran both ways.

Nai Nai and Ashanti’s amicable relationship was a breath of fresh air and, by the time he’d left the market loaded with plastic bags, he was more optimistic that people like his parents were the minority. At least in Belize.

“This was so much fun,” Ashanti said as he drove his grandmother home. She glanced over her shoulder to where Nai Nai was sitting in the backseat.

Before entering the car, the two women had been locked in a perpetual war of ‘you take the front seat’, ‘no, you take the front seat’. Luke had to strong arm Ashanti into the passenger side before they stopped.

Nai Nai smiled. “We should definitely do this again.”

A few minutes later, Luke parked in front of his grandparents’ colorful bungalow in a quiet, upper class neighborhood. He helped Nai Nai separate her groceries from Ashanti’s and then carried them inside.

On his way back to her place, Ashanti sighed. “Thank you so much.”

He glanced at her and then focused on the road. “For what?”

“Introducing me to your family. Nai Nai reminds me so much of Grandma Flora. It’s like a part of her is back with me. It… means a lot.”

Luke reached over and took Ashanti’s hand. “You’re welcome.” Her gaze turned mischievous and Luke narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“Have you always been this handsome or am I just starting to notice?”

What was he supposed to say to that? “Uh…”

Ashanti brought his hand to her lips and kissed the back of it, keeping her gaze on his so he had no doubt to her intentions. “You’re extremely handsome, Luke Zhang.”

“And you’re distracting. Keep that up and I might get into an accident.”

Since Ashanti gloried in pushing the limits, she kissed his hand one more time and then settled into her chair. “Alright. I’ll wait until we get inside then.”

Ashanti barely allowed him to bring in the groceries before she pounced on him. Luke dropped the bags he was holding and caught her soundly, enjoying the feel of her soft body against him.

The seconds stretched as they stared at each other. Luke marveled at how happy he was. His fingers gently brushed her dark brown skin that glowed beneath his touch.

Ashanti’s skin loved the sunlight and, to be honest, Luke loved her skin. What was wrong with his parents that they couldn’t see how stunning she was?

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