I sigh as I stand up and brush off my pants. “I just wish y’all were here, that’s all.”
I make my way out of the cemetery, and as I do I notice two cardinals perched on a tree branch above me.
Cardinals are a message from your lost loved ones. At least, that’s what Chi Chi always told me. When I first met Tanya, right after she held a gun to my head, I could see a cardinal right outside her living room window. Maybe that’s what made me trust her so quickly.
Seeing two of them together now is a relief I didn’t realize I needed.
Smiling, I take one last look at Chi Chi’s tombstone and carry on.
My eyes are starting to cross from looking at this calendar.
This is the part I hate about running a business. Paperwork.
I’m looking at the list of commissions I’ve taken on and planning my schedule accordingly. I never like to keep someone waiting for work they’ve paid for, so I want to make sure I’m staying on top of everything. Once Dani and I rip the Band-Aid off this scavenger hunt, I don’t know when I’ll be back here long enough to work on these.
It’s worth it to spend more time in Dani’s presence, though. I’m determined to bring those walls crashing down, even if all she’ll ever allow us to be is acquaintances.
What I’m trying to figure out is where those walls came from in the first place. Who caused her so much pain that she had no choice but to retreat behind a wall of perfection? I hope it wasn’t me. I’m not much of a praying man, but I’ll pray to whoever I can to ensure that’s not the case. And if Iamresponsible for her walls, I’ll pray to that same deity to allow me the chance to fix it.
I could ask Rome or Arnold. Who knows the kind of intel they’ve gotten during pillow talk, but that idea doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t want to know about Dani’s hurts from a third party. I want them from her. I want her to open her wounds to me and trust I’ll accept them. Love them. Heal them.
Needing a distraction from the woman who invades my every thought, I turn back to finish my schedule, then move on to double- check the gallery’s operating expenses. My hand is itching for a paintbrush right now, something to release this pent-up energy, but this stuff has to get done.
“It feels almost wrong seeing you behind a desk.”
The dulcet tones of that voice float across my office like a siren song.
I never thought I’d see the day when Dani would visit me here. The last time she was here was the end of us. Now, she’s casually leaning against my doorjamb like she belongs. Like she wants to belong. That’s probably wishful thinking on my part.
She looks gorgeous as always in a brown halter top, cream wide-leg pants, and brown boots. Her gold jewelry pops against her skin.
“Sorry, Bailey let me come back,” she rushes to say. She must have misunderstood my look of surprised joy for confused annoyance.
Jumping to stand, I say, “No, no. You’re always welcome. I was just surprised. I assumed we would meet at BMA.” I gesture for her to step farther into the office, careful to keep my eyes on hers and not the gentle sway of her hips as she does.
“I let Nisha borrow my car, so I had her drop me off. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to ride together.” As if seeking permission, she looks at the chair across from my desk and then back to me. She never needs permission to make herself comfortable in my space, but I nod.
Dani crosses her right leg over her left, sitting with that perfect posture of hers. I shouldn’t move. I should sit down on my side of the desk and leave her to hers. I swear I mean to do just that, but I can’t resist the urge to be close to her. My feet carry me to her side where I perch on the edge of the desk, close enough to let the sensual scent of her perfume drift up to my nose.
Her body is racked with tension, but it’s not the same kind of tension I felt from her after she cried on my shoulder at Tanya’s house. This is more like nervous energy. Making her nervous seems to be a new favorite hobby of mine.
“Sounds good. So, how are you? How’s Myomari?” I needle her.
She tries to play off the twitch of her neck, but I catch it. “I’m fine and I assumeOmari’s fine.” She makes a point to emphasize Omari’s name without themyin front of it. I know what his name is, I just don’t give a fuck.
“You assume? I’d think you’d know how the person you’re dating is doing.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “God, you’re nosy. Omari and I aren’t dating. We have a specific arrangement.”
“Oh really?” I lean forward a bit, taking pleasure in the way her breath hitches at the movement. “And what’s that arrangement? You know I’m nosy and all.”
She blows out a harsh breath, probably regretting even coming here today, but I fully intend to enjoy this. “We see each other when a need arises, okay?”
“A need,” I whisper. Does he fulfill her needs the way she deserves? Does he satisfy her every craving?
“If you ask me what kind of needs, I swear I’ll punch you right in your titty.”
That catches me off guard. “‘Titty’ is crazy.”
