Page 2 of Furthest From Perfect

My answer satisfied her enough to make her smile. “Oh, okay. How did you do?”

I scratched my temple because I could say a random grade, but I knew how she operated. She’d want proof, and I was not about to shoot myself in the foot. “I’m not sure yet. Professor Addison hasn’t uploaded our grades.”

I watched her walk over to her dresser to pick up my phone. “Hm, well, when she does, let me know your grade.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I agreed, even though I had no intention of doing that. The only math I was good at was measurements for clothes and shoes. Other than that, you were better off asking someone else. I walked deeper into their room to grab my phone from her.

“Baby, hurry up! The water’s getting cold!” I heard my father call out from the bathroom.

I gagged because I could live my entire life without hearing those kinds of things spill from his lips. I was too embarrassed to look my mom in the eyes, so after I had my phone, I practically ran out of their room and straight to mine. With the door shut behind me, I flopped belly first onto my plush bed. Because the air was thumping, I wrapped up in my cheetah print throw blanket. Reaching for my red, heart pillow, I cuddled it to rest my chin on, then went straight to Instagram. The biggest smile spread across my face when I saw an unread message at the top with his handle.

@yousohansome:

aight, you get one chance shawty

I squealed excitedly, kicking my feet back and forth. Going into Pinterest, I went to the board I’d created for him and began sending them to his inbox. This was my first opportunity to showcase my fashion expertise, and I wouldn’t take it for granted. I was determined to be a household name in the fashion industry, and this singer with no sex appeal was my gateway ticket to recognition. His voice was so melodic, I knew he would be a success in the future. It was better to hop on the bandwagon now and ride it all the way into the sunset.

Present Day

“Does this cologne make you wanna give me head?”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring both Valentine and my vibrating phone in my pocket. Without having to check the screen for confirmation, I knew who it was. I needed to wrap this up and head home in the next hour, but this man was playing in my face right now.

“Han’some, be serious. Please,” I begged with a whine.

A quick glance upward, and I was colliding with the sly smirk on his handsome face. His brown eyes bore into me with a playful yet dangerous glint that sent chills down my spine. That look had the power to pull me into the depths of his whiskey-hued complexion. Gulping down every butterfly that tried to surface, I returned my attention to the hem of his jeans. The last thing I needed was for him to see the warmth coloring my plump cheeks. He would not let it go for even a second.

“I am being serious. If you don’t want to gobble me, then it’s a problem.” Once I was satisfied with the way his jeans lay over his sneakers, I slowly stood to my full height. Noticing a wrinkle in his shirt, I ran my hand across it so that his outfit looked flawless. I fought hard to ignore every ridge I felt my hand glide over. I knew very well there was a midsection full of tight, defined muscles underneath there. “You love touching me, don’t you?”

I dropped my hand, ready to take a step backward, but his arm around my waist snatched me right back into his personal space. His chest collided with mine with a soft thud that sent an electric shock through my body. The intimate proximity of our bodies made my skin tingle, and not in a bad way.

“Han’some . . .” I warned with a hoarse voice.

“Hmm?” he hummed with the cutest smile. He wasn’t flashing his perfectly white and straight teeth at me, but it was enough for his dimples to make way. If there was one feature that I had to choose as a weakness, it would be his dimples. I squeezed my eyes shut as a defense mechanism, or else my mind would begin to wonder. The last thing I needed right now was wandering thoughts.

I tried to push against him to release me, but it only encouraged him to tighten his grip. “Why do you have to play so much?” He could sense my annoyance by my sharp tone and narrow eyes.

He chuckled with a wink. “Never playing when it comes to you, Koi Adora. I just love when you’re close to me. Is that a crime?” He pressed his lips together, waiting for a response, and with his head tilted to the side, I thought about karate chopping him in his bobbing Adam’s apple. I bet that would make him let me go, but instead, I found myself inhaling his cologne and wanting to bury my face in his wide chest.

“Yes, it is. Now, let me go so I can take some pictures and videos before you head out.”

He reached for my chin so that he could angle my head upward. He laughed when I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to look at him. “I know why you don’t want to look me in the eyes, and when you’re ready to address the elephant in the room, we can do that.”

We both knew the elephant he was referring to would be his big dick, which I could feel cozying up to my leg. He was worse than a fucking dog in heat. Even still, I wanted it . . . I wanted it so damn bad, but this was Han’some fucking Valentine. I would be a fool to get myself tangled up in the toxic web that was his life. As his stylist, I had a front row seat to everything, and nothing about his behavior said he would treat me well.

He would absolutely fuck all the good sanity out of me, but as for my heart, I knew he couldn’t take care of it. That fact was enough to give me the strength to ignore his many attempts to blur the lines between our professional ties. I was only here to keep all eyes on him, so that was all I poured my energy into.

“You so fucking pretty, Adora,” he mumbled. I ignored the flutters from hearing him refer to me by my middle name. He’d started calling me that from time to time after seeing my full name on my license a few years ago. He sighed in defeat while slowly shaking his head. His thick tongue glided across his full lips, and I couldn’t help but follow it. “The day you give me a chance, I’ma know God is real.”

My eyes roamed over his chiseled jawline that only appeared softer because of his full, thick beard. Han’some had a deep, mocha complexion, high cheekbones, and a strong, broad nose that made him easy to obsess over. One of the best things I did for him was convince him to cut his freeform locs for a clean, high fade with his coils tight on the top. That haircut turned him into a nineties fine that we all were looking for in our generation.

Since I was a tall girl, he was only about four inches taller than me, but it was enough to have to look up in his dreamy, almond-shaped eyes. Then he had this cute, black mole right on the corner of his eye, which I often found myself daydreaming about. With his addiction to the gym, his body was ripped and cut in all the right places. When it came to artists who I would let hit, he was at the top of my list.

A dazzling smile spread across his face, and he finally let me go. It took a minute to gain my bearings. The heat simmering between us was hard to dispel. Every time he touched me, it set my skin ablaze. Let’s not even speak on how erratic my heartbeat could get. It would only return to its normal tempo when I wasn’t in the same room as him. I couldn’t tell you why he had so much power over me, but he just did. There was something alluring about him, and a time or two, I almost fell into the pit of toxicity with a goofy smile on my face.

Walking over to the vanity, I grabbed the hat I’d picked out to go with his outfit for tonight. He was performing at the Blue Note Jazz Club, and I was a little bummed that I couldn’t stay. Valentine’s music merged beautifully with a live band. I knew he was going to eat down, and the videos to come wouldn’t do hearing him in person any justice.

Handing the hat to him, I folded my arms over my chest to evaluate my work. Tonight, I’d dressed him in black cargo pants, a white designer tank top, and a baby-blue, turndown-collar shirt. It was covered in white and yellow flames, so his yellow hat made it pop in the shirt. On his feet were a classic black and white pair of Converses. For jewelry, he sported his iced-out watch and Cuban chain on his neck to bring everything together well.