Page 33 of Koda's Love

I reached for Avalon’s hand, and she let me with no hesitation. Jacoby and Diamond seemed to forget that we were standing there.

“I have something for you as a token of my appreciation,” I told her when we walked a few steps away from them.

“Really? You didn’t have to. You paid me very well.”

“True, but it’s not just for this; it’s my way of trying to fix things between us.” My thumb rubbed the inside of her hand. “We don’t have to talk right now, but I do want us to have a conversation before the night is over. I also have another gift for you upstairs.” I led Avalon to the small conference room where I hid her first gift. When I opened the door, I grabbed it and passed it to her.

“What’s this?” she asked as she peered into the basket.

“Open it and see.”

She pulled the paper off, and her eyes lit up as a smile covered her face.

“Apples.”

“Not just any apples. These came from this chick named Church out in Oregon. She has her own apple orchard and a hair care line,” I informed her.

I didn’t tell her that I had also gotten her some hair stuff from that same orchard. She would find out when she got her other gift at the end of the night.

“Thank you, Koda.” She threw herself at me, and I made sure to catch her.

I thought it would be a quick hug, but instead, she held on to me, and I loved every minute of it. She smelled so damn good like she always did.

“You’re welcome, baby. You look beautiful tonight.” I leaned back and kissed her forehead.

“Thank you. I almost thought you would have worn dress shoes, but I’m not surprised you didn’t.”

I shrugged. “Glad you know.” I held on to her for a few moments.

The party was in full swing on the other side of the door as the bass from the music knocked, but we were in our own little quiet bubble. I didn’t want to let her go, but I knew I had to for the moment. If things went the way I hoped, I would have all night to hold her.

“I think your friend might like my cousin. Is he anything like you were?”

Jacoby was my dog, but one thing I would never do was lie for him, and lying to Avalon was definitely out of the question if I wanted things to work.

“To be honest, he’s worse. Not to tell too much of his business, but he had it rough growing up, and that shit carriedinto adulthood. He’s not a bad person, but he’s never taken anyone seriously.”

She wore a sly grin, then said, “Oh, well he might have met his match. If I were you, I’d tell him to be careful. Diamond doesn’t give a damn about a man’s feelings.”

“I guess they’ll have to figure that out on their own. My only concern is this thing between us. I don’t like the space we are in, and I’m not trying to go any more days without seeing or talking to you. Can we go upstairs and talk? I don’t even care about the party anymore; you are my priority.”

She didn’t answer right away, and I didn’t rush her. If she wanted to take all night to answer, then that was fine with me. I wasn’t letting her out of my sight until we had a real conversation.

Just being in her presence was enough for me. It was crazy how much I missed her, and it hadn’t even been that long. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to tell her that I loved her, but I felt like it was close.

“Yes. Is there someone that could handle everything? I don’t want anyone to talk shit about me once I leave.”

“Everything will be handled, and if anyone say something out of pocket, then they will be dealt with.”

“Let’s go then.”

I grabbed the basket with one hand, then her hand with the other, and we left the conference room. Kairo knew how much I wanted to fix things with Avalon, and he would have no problem taking care of everything, and Karma would help him if needed. My staff was also very capable of putting the ballroom back together. I also hired cleaners that were scheduled to arrive when the party was set to be over.

The only thing on my mind was Avalon.

I spottedKoda as soon as he entered the ballroom, and I pretended I didn’t see him, but there was no way to miss him. The moment Koda stepped through the door, the atmosphere changed, at least for me. He wore a black shirt with black pants and a gold watch on his wrist. The sneakers he wore were gold and black, and I loved that he matched the theme of the party. His hair and beard looked freshly cut, and I wanted to rub my fingers through it.

I noticed other women watching him as he spoke to people, but it all seemed professional. He walked away from a few of them that got too close to him. I also saw the way he watched me when I was talking to some guy named Mark. Mark was cute and made me laugh, but he tried too hard to get my phone numbereven after I told him no. I was grateful that Diamond had come over and interrupted the conversation. From the look on Koda’s face, shit had potential to go wrong, and that wouldn’t have been a good look for either of us.