Page 84 of Imperfection is Beauty

When she didn’t reply, I tucked my phone back into my pocket.

Daemon had just come from outside after he tossed a bag of trash when he said, “Shit, storms getting bad outside a-fucking-gain, it wasn’t supposed to hit until later tonight.”

As I started to reach for my drink, I froze.

But not for long.

I jumped out of the recliner, ran to the front door, and was out of it, and in my SUV, as I raced the normal forty-five minutes it took to get to her place and cursed at all the people with their hazard lights flashing, going fifteen miles an hour in a forty-five.

I had my SUV rocking to a stop outside of her apartment. Slamming it in the park, I killed the engine and then raced up to her place.

I pulled my phone out and called her because I knew if I banged on her door, she would get even more scared.

Thankfully, she answered on the second ring, “He…hello?”

Sighing in relief, I said, “It’s me, I’m outside.”

It didn’t take nearly as long as the first time when she needed me during a storm.

Before I could even blink a second time, she opened the door and was in my arms before I could ask if she was all right.

And just as I stepped through her doorway, the growling started.

Best damn money, ever.

“Kalani, heel.” She whispered.

Fuck, but I missed this, and wasn’t that crazy, I just saw her this morning as I dropped her off at work, “Want me to take your mind off the storm outside?”

When she nodded her head, that's just what I did.

***

“Marcus, come on. What is all this?” She asked me as I led her up the stairs on my back with a red tie around her eyes so she couldn’t see a damn thing.

“It’s a surprise, Shortcake,” I told her as I led her to the bedroom.

“Marcus, you big goober. I don’t need anything else.” I knew she would be retracting those words.

“Okay, sitting you down on your feet, don’t you dare remove that tie.” When she nodded, I placed my hands on either side of her hips and then walked her into the closet.

Once I had her where I wanted her, I leaned down and then whispered in her ear, “You ready?”

As soon as she nodded, I undid the tie and then said, “Check it out.”

She gasped as she saw the improvements to the closet.

As she checked out the drawers in the closet and the jewelry display case, she asked, “What is all this?”

I leaned a shoulder against the wall, “Well, all this is me using a bargaining chip of sorts.

She laughed, turned to face me, and asked, “And that is?”

I shrugged, not showing how fast my heart was beating, “You get all this, but you have to agree to move in with me.”

She sighed, “Marcus, didn’t you know? Home is wherever you are.”

She almost made tears form in my eyes, almost. Damn, but my woman was good.

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