“But, to answer your question,” he said, setting his glass down. “I like to keep special places to myself. This is the first time I’m sharing. I’ve never brought a woman here.”
“When you first invited me to Vegas, I asked myself why me. I may as well ask you instead.”
“Something about you that day at the gas station. Being independent and trying to make the best out of a situation is a turn on. You know how men can speak to some women, and they immediately say, ‘I got a man!’” We both laughed at his impression of an attitude. “You weren’t like that. And you, notknowing who I was, piqued my interest. I’m definitely feeling you.”
“I’m feeling you too, Kier. But?—”
“But your ex and your best friend were foul. Now you are probably questioning my genuineness?”
I let out a small breath. “I like you a lot more than I expected myself to. So, it’s not that I’m questioning your sincerity. I just want to make sure you’re not a rebound or make sure you know you’re not a rebound.”
Kier watched me for a moment before answering. “You said it yourself you had one foot out the door before the drama with your birthday. If your heart wasn’t in the relationship then, it was only a matter of time before it made room for someone else.”
“I guess you’re right.”
I looked out toward the ocean while his words took hold in my mind. Kier Stone actually listened when I spoke. And somehow that made every conversation between us feel a little more real than I originally intended. The rest of the night passed easily. We talked until the air turned cooler, sharing stories that didn’t feel important until I realized hours had gone by without me wanting to leave.
The next morning, Kier and I had breakfast on his patio. A private chef had prepared an assortment of fresh seafood delicate smoked salmon, buttery lobster, and perfectly seared scallops alongside light pastries and fruit. Afterwards, we both got dressed and took a drive. An hour or so later, we pulled behind a row of buildings along the strip, far from the front entrances where people usually came and went. Kier stepped out first, then helped me out of his car. Next, he motioned for me to follow him through a narrow side walkway that led to an unmarked door. The door was locked until Kier walked up, tapped once, then it opened.
“Mr. Stone, we’ve been expecting you.”
Butterflies filled my stomach when I noticed we were on Rodeo Drive. “Kier, what is this?”
“Hey Margaret, this is Sibley. She’ll be shopping for a few items today.”
“Follow me, Ms. Sibley.”
Following behind the attendant, I turned back to Kier. “I don’t need anything,” I whispered.
“Needing and deserving are two different things. Consider it a late birthday gift.”
“You are something else, but you ain’t gotta tell me but once.”
“And that’s how it should be.” He assured me.
I smiled, then the associate offered champagne. Kier declined without asking me first and requested water, like I had done so many times before. That small detail hit me harder than the price tags. I didn’t realize he picked up on me not drinking as much around him until now. I walked through racks quietly, touching fabric. The expensive pieces cost more than my first car. Kier stayed a few steps behind me, watching me, not the clothes. When I lingered too long near one display, he stepped closer.
“There you go again,” he said.
“What?”
“Hesitating.”
“Ugh, I promise I’m trying not to. I’m just not used to this.”
“A nigga not asking you to be used to it today. I’m asking you not to fight it. Let us vibe without you being in your head. If you want everything in this muthafucka, it’s yours, Si.”
The associate brought a few pieces to a fitting area. I disappeared behind the curtain and changed, then stepped out and immediately wanted to step back in. I wasn’t uncomfortable in the clothes, I was uncomfortable in the implication. Kier stood, walked closer, and adjusted the strap on my shoulder slowly. His touch wasn’t sexual, but it wasn’t casual either.
“Turn around,” he said.
My body responded before my pride could argue, immediately following his request. He watched me, calm and lustful. I swallowed, trying to gather myself. Kier circled me then turned me toward the mirror. My eyes widened in surprise. The man had good taste, because I was wearing the hell out of this dress. But still, I pulled the price tag and sighed. He leaned in closer.
“If you choose this dress, you choose it without guilt.”
“Okay.”
Kier took a seat in the chair outside the dressing room. For the next hour or so, I tried on several pieces. Silks that fluttered when I moved, a jacket that sharpened my posture the second it rested on my shoulders, and skirts that accentuated the thickness of my thighs. Every time I stepped out, Kier would look up slowly, taking his time, allowing his eyes to roam over my frame,committing it to his memory.
