“Or you could have been doing the polite thing.” His voice was deep and vibrating with sexual tension.
“I can be polite, but I can also be intentional. Right now, I’m being intentional.”
“That’s fine, as long as you’re sure.”
I cleared my throat and released a nervous giggle. “I may need to clarify that I’m not trying to have sex, I just . . .”
“You just what?”
“I’m not ready to leave your presence. I want to spend more time with you, Harlem. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m more than okay with that because I want to be with you too. We don’t have to have sex; it will come in time. Right now, I’m comfortable with being in your presence, holding you, and just talking if that’s what you need.”
“Thank you,” I replied sweetly. I ended the call without saying goodbye, and when he jerked my car door open as I reached for it with my hand, I was surprised.
I hadn’t paid much attention while we were talking. I’d been staring at my nails, biting back a smile, and flirting my ass off. He extended his hand and helped me out of the car.
“May I see your keys?”
“Why?”
“Just want to make sure that it’s safe for you to enter.”
“Who do you think has been doing that all along?”
“I’m here now, so it doesn’t matter who did or didn’t do it before.”
I gave him my keys, and he led me past my tiny garden in the front, up to the porch, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. I punched the security code to shut off the system, and then he told me to stay there.
Harlem did a quick search of my two bedroom and one and a half bath Craftsman style cottage. After he finished, I gave him a quick tour of the lanai, the waterfall, and the firepit in the backyard.
“It’s very relaxing and soothing in here,” he stated, looking around at my home decorated in gray, sage, white, and various shades of yellows.
“Thank you. I’m going to change, and then I’ll be back to get us something to drink.”
“I need to run and grab something from the car.”
“Okay. Let yourself back in.”
I headed to my room and changed into a kimono and furry slippers with kitten heels. By the time that I returned, he had taken a seat in the living room, and I moved to prepare our drinks.
“I noticed that you have a second bedroom that’s not quite a bedroom.”
“It’s my office space. It’s where I worked when my business was just online.”
I handed him a drink, and I sat on the couch beside him.
“Here, I got this for you. That’s what took me so long to show up at the party today. I got to the jewelry store, and my guy wasn’t there, and I had to wait for him to show up.” Heheld out a small bag, and when I stared at him, he shook it and commanded, “Take it.”
I opened the bag, and I was speechless to see a David Yurman mini heart amulet with my birthstone, a ruby, inside.
“Now you have your very own superpower to fix all that’s broken and always have the sun shining in your life.”
My face and body grew warm at his thoughtfulness. The way that he looked out for me and gave me beautiful things like this when we hadn’t known each other for long, was such a turn-on for me. While I wasn’t materialistic, I did love good gifts. That was why it was so difficult for me to accept Carl’s treatment of me.
My eyes teared up. I looked into Harlem’s eyes, and his face fell at the look on mine.
“What’s wrong, Baby?”
