“Super long ago, old man,” Kenna teased.
Damien walked up to her, that swagger still in each and every one of his steps. Sweat poured off him, but Kenna found that so insanely attractive.
“You’re gonna eat those words, wifey,” Damien promised.
Kenna grinned. “Check the ball. First one to get a point wins, and then the party is over.”
They’d played enough one on one by now that Kenna knew a little something about playing the game. He had taught her well over the years.
Damien lifted his brow. “In a rush?”
He knew. She knew he knew. They had the ability by now to read each other’s minds, and she knew Damien immediately understood why Kenna wanted to get this over with quickly.
“Absolutely.” She grinned up at him, showing all her teeth.
His low hum made her nipples harden. “Let me make quick work of this then.”
Kenna could have let him win easily, but she liked challenging herself in this way. That had been her motto for a long time now. Anything that challenged her: going to themovies, going to high school events, large crowds… those were the things she lived for. She no longer allowed herself to be shadowed by her past.
She glanced at Skylar and Alanzo. They hadn’t stopped bickering once they were older. In fact, it only got worse, but they loved each other fiercely. Oftentimes, when she watched them, she saw glimpses of her and Rashad. Instead of making her sad, her heart warmed.
Her moment of reflection threw her off her game because after they checked the ball, Damien immediately shot the ball… and sunk it. Of course he did.
Kenna giggled as she heard Skylar and Alanzo’s disappointed groans from the sidelines.
“You’re better than that, Mama K.”
“Come on, Titi. He already has a big head.”
She waved them off with a grin. Maybe making it easy for him was okay after all because from the sidelines she heard Skylar grumbling about needing to get home to her fiancé, anyway, and Alanzo admitted he had some packing left to do before he left for college in a few days. He was going to Damien’s alma mater to play ball, and they were all hopeful that he would follow in his uncle’s footsteps. Kenna looked back at Annalise and knew she wouldn’t be far behind Alanzo and Skylar.
“Guess you really don’t miss, huh?” Kenna asked as she sauntered up to her husband, placing her hand on his solid chest.
“Never.”
“Never?” She raised a knowing brow. They’d played too many games together for him to lie on his handles like that.
He grinned as he looked down at her. “Sometimes never.”
She giggled. “That don’t even make sense.”
Damien laughed with her and then stared into her eyes for a moment before he licked his lips sexily and said, “You know, this basketball shit was never what I trained for my entire career.”
Kenna tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
He brushed her hair away from her face. “The game taught me to take my shot, even when unsure what the outcome would be. That translated into my day to day life in a big way. It made me relentless when going after everything I wanted. When going afteryou.”
“What are you saying, Mr. Blaze?” she flirted. He always knew how to make her feel all buttery inside.
Like he always did over the years, he leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly before replying. “I’m saying I love you. I’m saying I’m happy as hell you’re the woman God placed in my life. I’m saying that out of all the shots I took in my life, taking my shot at you wasThe Only Shot That Mattered.”
The End
