He tweaked my chin, sending shards of fire through my body. “Okay… Your shower is waiting. Dinner will be ready soon.”
He smirked. “Good lookin’ out.”
As he walked away, our eyes locked and held. Neither of us said a thing. However, the tide was rising between us, and I wouldn’t be able to withstand the waves.
While lying in bed that night, I opened my journal and wrote a small prayer for Synder and his family. They were heavy on my heart. So much so that I spent the next few minutes texting most of my family. Telling them that I loved them wasn’t out of the norm. Still, I wanted them to know that they were on my mind. That was how my family and I moved.
CHAPTER 16
SYNDER
Sienna’sholidayspiritseepedinto me. So much so that we were in line to get Whimsy’s pictures taken with Santa and his elves. Personally, this wasn’t my type of shit. However, Whimsy and Sienna were geeked as hell.
We were in the middle of the mall, dodging fans felt like I was on the football field. Security was locked in, though. This was the first time I noticed Sienna’s security detail. They moved well with mine, which I was glad for. I already had my eyes on a few niggas who ogled Sienna a little too long. Since meeting her, my territorial instincts multiplied by a thousand. I didn’t want anyone to look at her, touch her, or breathe her way. At myearliest convenience, I was tattooing my name on her body; just in case she got shit confused. She would never get the chance to forget about me.
Several screaming kids preceded Whimsy having their picture taken. When it was Whimsy’s turn, she pulled Sienna along with her. Sienna took it in stride and sat next to Santa. I didn’t miss the way his raggedy ass eyed my woman. Whimsy hopped in Sienna’s lap and beamed brightly for the camera. Shit, the picture was so fire, that I had to capture my own with my cell phone. Immediately, I made the picture my screensaver.
Once they were done, we set out to do some shopping. Holiday season was crazy in Atlanta. Stores were packed from wall to wall and majority of the people packed inside the establishments didn’t have the patience Job exhibited. There were more than a few side-eyes, glares, eye-rolling, and heavy sighing whenever someone bumped into someone else. Still, I grilled anyone who even thought to look at Sienna crazy.
“I really don’t need any of this stuff,” she mentioned while we stood in line to checkout. We were in our fourth store, and by now, Whimsy was over it. I had to give her some cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites to calm her little ass down.
“Why not?” I asked.
“You practically fill my closet every other day,” she stated. I knew how much that shit irked her, but I wasn’t letting up. Spoiling her felt like I was spoiling myself. “By the way, no more new jewelry. Where the hell am I supposed to wear all that stuff?”
I chuckled. “We’ll find plenty of shit to do. I have three holiday parties comin’ up and plenty of holiday type shit we have to attend.”
“We?”
Grinning, I confirmed, “We. You don’t want me lookin’ all lonely in my photo ops, do you?”
She giggled. “You could never be lonely. Not with all the women who throw themselves at you.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” I replied.
She frowned.
“There’s this one, though. I’m ready to risk everything for her. She’s insanely passionate about Christmas. Her eyes light up when she talks about her family. I can count on her to tell me the truth even when that shit slaps the fuck outta me.”
She smacked her teeth, then laughed.
“She listens to me when I need to vent, and she sets the temperature just right when she starts the shower for me. She’s crazy about her family, her boutique, my daughter… And I’m waiting for her to be as crazy about me as I am about her.”
Sienna blushed as she chewed on her bottom lip. That shit was so fucking sexy. If we were alone, I would’ve stolen a kiss. We weren’t alone, though. There were cameras every-fucking-where, and I couldn’t risk going there on such a public level. Not without her permission, of course. Paying for whatever she picked up made her upset. I could take her being bothered by me showering her with whatever I chose to; she had to get used to it. This play was simpler than the others. All I had to do was show her me. I had to show her that I’d bend for her. Even if that meant standing in line for some fucking Santa Claus pictures.
Later that evening, after dinner, we were in the living room wrapping some of Whimsy’s presents together when several notifications had our phones singing in unison.
She chuckled and shook her head. It was only a matter of time before our day out caused mayhem. Sienna’s silence drew my gaze to her. She stared at her phone screen with her face set in a deep frown.
“What’s up?” I questioned. When she didn’t respond, I took her phone. It was a photo of us waiting in line for Santa. Itwas shared by Aaron Perdue an NFL wide receiver. The caption caused my blood to boil.
@therealaaron Been mindin' me & mine, but you niggas some clown ass muhfuckas. Had the nanny bent ova my balcony last Christmas. She ain't nun special.
He followed the post with another post, picturing him with his son and Sienna. Unlike the picture she took with Whimsy at the mall, she didn’t look happy at all in this picture. She got up from the floor and headed toward the hallway. I jumped up to follow her.
“Sienna,” I called to her back.
“Not right now,” she said.
