I knew I was vulnerable even with a bat behind my desk. There were no witnesses in the office. If Hank really had the energy, he might be able to pin me down. And I couldn’t afford a security system for surveillance.
“Seriously, think about it. Hank can’t touch you as long as you’re living with me or Calloway. And he can’t touch you at work either if you’re at Humanitarians United. It’s the best solution to get Hank to leave you alone.”
I knew he was right—and that was saying something.
“You’ll think about it?” he pressed. “Because I’m not gonna let this go until you make a decision—a smart one.”
“Yes,” I whispered. “I’ll think about it.”
4
Calloway
The second I walked through the door, pain crashed down on my body.
She wasn’t there.
I missed having her at my house every day, smelling dinner the second I walked inside. I usually spotted her before she noticed me, standing at the counter with her back turned to me. Her ass was firmer than a nectarine, and it looked amazing in the denim jeans she always wore. Sometimes, she hummed under her breath, not even aware she was doing it.
But now I walked into an empty house.
I set my satchel on the entry table then flicked on a couple lights. My body collapsed on the couch, and I stared at the blank TV screen, listening to the silence. Traffic and people were completely blocked out. With my small backyard, it didn’t feel like I was living in the city at all.
I pulled out my phone and texted her, my fingers hitting the screen harder than I meant to. My desperation was getting the best of me, and my hands ached to touch her. My sleeping pattern had been completely thrown off because she wasn’t beside me every night. When I arranged for her to move in with Christopher, I thought it was the best idea. But now, I regretted the decision. I want you. It was the first thing that came to mind. Despite how intense the statement was, it was exactly how I felt—in as few words as possible.
Then come and get me. Her sassy voice could be heard when I read the sentence. Her green eyes would be lit up in flames, beautiful and hypnotizing. I pictured her standing in just a black thong, ready to crawl on the bed with her ass in the air.
Careful, Vanilla. You know I’ll do it.
I’m making dinner with Christopher. I can come by later, unless you want to join us.
If I went over there now, I wouldn’t get any sex. Christopher would want to talk about sports and women, and I’d barely get a few words in with Rome. But the idea of sitting around and waiting for her seemed terrible.
I’d miss her the whole time.
I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.
See you then, Sexy.
Christopher opened the door. “Hey, man.” He shook my hand firmly before he invited me inside. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. What’s new with you?”
“Just work and your sister.” Rome was my favorite hobby, one that I never got tired of. I turned to see her standing in the kitchen, her face lit up with a smile just for me. I wanted to go to her immediately, but Christopher continued talking.
“So, you’re rich, but you run a nonprofit,” he said. “Where does your money come from?”
It was a nosy question, but I knew he was only asking because he was a financial advisor. He was merely curious. “I own a lot of real estate in prime locations in the city. Mostly commercial buildings and condominiums. My personal salary is an accumulation of all those things.”
“What about depreciation?”
The last thing I wanted to do was talk about business. “I’m gonna say hello to my lady. But we can continue this conversation when I’m finished.” I patted him on the shoulder so my brush-off wouldn’t seem too rude.
He nodded his head slowly then winked. “I understand you, man.”
I closed the gap between us, slowly getting closer to Rome until I could finally smell her. The smile she gave me was enough to make me soften. My exterior didn’t feel quite as hard. Normally, I felt like solid metal. But her flames were so scorching, she made me melt. “There’s my woman.” My arms circled her waist, and I kissed her softly on the mouth, not giving a damn if Christopher was looking. The second her lips were pressed to mine, I felt euphoric. She tasted like heaven, so sweet and ethereal. My hands tightened on her waist, and I continued the kiss longer than I should have—but I couldn’t help it.
She was the one to break away first, biting her bottom lip like she wished the kiss could continue. She averted her gaze immediately, like she was embarrassed by the affection she’d just displayed in front of her brother. “Hope you’re hungry.”