Page 30 of And It’s Still You

“How long were you going to stand there watching me?”

“I could stare at yo’ pretty ass all day and never look away. What you in here doing?”

“Going over some numbers, but my eyes are beginning to cross. I need to get out and get some fresh air.”

“I figured you did, so I planned something for us.”

I set the paper down I was looking at and tilted my head to the side. “What did you plan, Shea?”

“Something you’ve always wanted to do, but we never got a chance to.”

“Like?”

“Think ’bout the bucket list you used to have. What was number five on it?”

“Wait, you remember that?”

Shea walked around the desk and stood in front of me with his hands buried in his pockets. “When it comes to you and Ocean, I remember everything. Question is, do you remember?”

“Of course, I do. It’s my bucket list, but I gotta dig a little deeper to remember.”

I placed my hands in Shea’s outstretched ones and melted into his body when he pulled me into it. My arms tightly wrapped around his neck. For the past week, I’d been falling asleep in his arms every night, and it was the perfect place for me to be. I still fit just right in them, confirming that his hold was made for me.

Our moment was interrupted by my phone ringing. I glanced down and frowned upon seeing Neil’s name on my screen. Shea’s body stiffened against mine, then he stepped back. I swiftly shook my head.

“You know I’d never have anything going on with him.” I defended myself and silenced my phone. “He’s annoying and can’t catch onto the fact that I don’t want him.”

“Do you need me to handle him?”

“I don’t. He’s harmless.”

“Until he’s not. How long has he been pursuing you?”

“For years.”

“And you’ve denied him every time?”

“Yes.”

Shea slowly bobbed his head. “Noted. Like I said, he’s harmless until he’s not. A persistent man can turn into a dangerous one, Moya. He might seem cool on the outside, but on the inside, he might not be taking the rejection well. If he keeps pressing, let me know so he can fuck around and find out.”

Neil had terrible timing. He called again, and Shea encouraged me to answer it. I did and placed it on speakerphone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Moya. I’ve been trying to get in touch with you, but you haven’t been responding.”

Before I could reply, Shea expressed, “That means yo’ ass doesn’t know how to take a fuckin’ hint, huh? If she isn’t answering, what makes you think it’s cool to keep bugging her?”

“Moya, who is that?”

“Ask the man who’s talking to you. Don’t direct anything else to her.”

Was it bad that I was turned on? Seeing Shea get riled up always made my pussy thump. There was something about how he could be so calm and authoritative in the same breath. I believed that was one reason Onyx had pushed JMG on him. Shea was a different breed. Everyone who was close to him knew it.

“Say, man.” Neil chuckled. “I don’t want any problems. I was just checking in with a co-worker, that’s all. No need in getting all hostile.”

“Oh, you’d know if I was getting hostile. All you need to know is that she’s good where she’s at. Let me find out you don’t know boundaries and I gotta show them to you, Neil.”