“Touché.”
“Why you say that anyway?”
“Because you keep callin’ me Precious even though I told you not to.”
“Can’t help it. You are precious.” He gazed into her eyes for so long she couldn’t help but look away.
“How do you know though? How do you know I’m worth keeping safe?” She hated the vulnerability seeping through her tone, but she was curious to know what he saw in her.
He took his time thinking about her question before he responded. “I think it’s because I recognized right away that you been living to survive. I know what that looks like because that’s how I lived up until I got released from prison. The day I inhaled free air again, I told myself I wasn’t gonna do that no more. It was time to live for real, not for survival.”
Cashmere thought about what he said. He wasn’t wrong. She had only really lived to survive. Even after becoming filthy rich, she was always up and dreaming up the next hustle, the next bank roll, the next shipment . . . She never wanted to be without again, so she became obsessed with making sure she wouldn’t. It left no room for living for peace or for fun. It left no room for a break. Exhaustion constantly tugged at her, but nobody ever seemed to notice. Nobody besides this man sitting beside her who she’d only known a few days.
“Why does that make me worth protecting?”
Savio shrugged. “I figured if I was the one to keep you safe, then it would be one less thing off ya plate. You could use that energy toward something else. If that’s my one good deed with this second chance I get, then that’s good enough for me. Trust me, you’re worth it.”
He stood up and walked over to the oven as she stared after him. Cashmere had never had someone see her so clearly before. Not only did he see her, but he also wanted to help her with nothing in return. She didn’t know what to do with that.
Lost in thought, Cashmere watched him sprinkle cheese onto the tortillas before he put them back into the oven.
“What are you doing to live? Not for survival, I mean,” Cashmere asked, genuinely curious to know how someone even went about that.
Savio peered at her. “I haven’t figured it out yet, but I’m starting with appreciating the small things. Fresh air, a good gym session, laughing with Twizz, meeting new people.”
His eyes seemed to look through her when he spoke that last part.
Cashmere looked away. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“If you keep your word on that, then it means I’m doin’ my job right.” Silence fell between them, and Cashmere allowed her mind to wander for a couple of minutes before his words pulledher away from her thoughts. “Do you always wear diamonds to bed?”
He fingered the necklace around her neck. His thumb grazed her collarbone, and she gasped. Playing it off, she cleared her throat and shrugged. “Only when I’m really tired and forget to take them off.”
She fingered the necklace, loving the coolness of the gems against her fingertips. Jewels were her addiction. Not only were they her favorite thing to steal and distribute, but they were also her favorite thing to own. She had a whole section in her closet just for jewelry, and she constantly added to it. Within the next year or so, she would need a room just for her jewelry.
He hummed a response before he got up again and pulled the food out of the oven. Savio cut the tortillas and then put the triangles all on one plate before sliding it over to Cashmere.
“My favorite childhood snack.” He sat next to her and grabbed a triangle.
She peered down at the plate. “An open-faced quesadilla?”
“Just eat it.” He chuckled before he took a bite, almost finishing the triangle completely.
Hesitantly, Cashmere picked up a triangle of tortilla and cheese, surprised by how crispy it was. She took a tentative bite. Her brows rose in surprise. “This is good.”
“You ain’t have no trust in me.” He nudged her arm.
“I didn’t, I won’t lie. I mean, who hasn’t had a tortilla with cheese in the microwave? I thought that’s what you were on.”
Savio shook his head. “Nah. Has to be done in the oven. It does something to the tortilla that makes it a hit, for real.”
Cashmere nodded and reached for another piece of Savio’s favorite childhood snack.
They ate in silence until the plate was empty. Cashmere stood to put the plate in the dishwasher. When she finished, she turned to Savio. “Thanks for sharing a midnight snack with me.”
Savio stood and yawned. He walked up on her and did his signature move, trapping her between the counter and his hard body.
“Any time, Precious. You need some help gettin’ back to sleep?”
