Page 54 of Session 33

“Come here, Angel,” he said out of nowhere.

There was something different in his tone—something commanding. I hesitated, my heart started racing. I turned to look at him and saw the same command in his eyes. The way his chest rose and fell with controlled breaths made me think he was stopping himself from coming to me. He wasn’t asking. He was telling me.

I knew curiosity killed cats, but I was curious. I swallowed hard and took a step toward him. Before I could fully make my way to him, he reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me against him. His other hand slid to the back of my neck, holding me inplace. My breath caught in my throat as I stared up at him, our faces inches apart.

Within seconds, he lifted me like I weighed nothing and had me on the conference table, my skirt bunched up around my thighs, legs spread, his body pressed between them. His hands traced lines of heat across my skin. His touch was rough, almost desperate, and it made my heart race faster than it had in months. It felt good—too good. I was losing myself in it. His fingers slipped under my panties, making me arch against him.

But then reality hit me, cold and brutal, like a slap in the face. I pulled back, breathless and trembling, my mind scrambling to catch up with my body.

"I can't do this," I gasped, pushing at his chest but not really wanting him to stop. "I don't cheat."

He froze, his forehead resting against mine, our breaths mingling in the space between us, hot and heavy. For a moment, he didn’t move, didn’t say a word, just held me there on the brink of something dangerous.

“Angel, please,” he finally murmured, his voice thick with pleading. It made my skin prickle.

But I shook my head. “No, I can’t.” I pushed harder this time, managing to slip off the table, but my legs were weak, unsteady. “You have a girlfriend... or something. I’m not that person. I don’t cheat.”

He looked at me like I was speaking another language, confusion etched across his face. “What the fuck are you talking about? There’s no one else, Angel. It’s just you. It’s always been you.”

The way he cursed made my nipples hard. I blinked, trying to process his words while being so turned on at the same time—the thumping between my thighs was distracting. “But... whenwe had dinner, when I was pregnant, you were on the phone, calling someone baby...”

He sighed, stepping back, running a hand through his hair. “That was the night I ended it. I broke up with her, Angel. It’s just you.”

My heart stumbled, tripping over itself. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He gave me a sad smile, his hands dropping to his sides. “I didn’t think I had to. I thought it was obvious. I’ve spent nearly every day with you since you had Ekon. I thought you understood and were on the same page.”

I swallowed hard.

“I knew you weren’t ready,” he continued, his voice softer but gravelly. “You were dealing with the fallout from Ekon’s father. You needed time to heal, to figure things out, and I respected that. But now...”

He reached for my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine, sending a fresh wave of heat through my body. “Now, all you have to do is tell me if it’s the right time for us.”

I didn’t have the words. Didn’t know how to untangle the mess of emotions inside of me. So, instead of trying to explain, I kissed him—soft, barely there. Then I pulled away, shaking my head. “I need to think,” I said.

He let me go, his hand slipping from mine, but his eyes stayed on me. I had to force myself to walk away and leave the conference room.

Chapter fourty four

Later that evening, I was still reeling from what had happened in the conference room with Solomon. I hadn’t been able to shake the way his hands felt on me, the way his voice had dipped low when he said my name, the way I almost lost myself in him before I managed to pull back. I was glad my son had given me a reprieve and had been sleeping since I’d picked him up from Naomi.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

Cassius was here to pick up his son for the weekend.

I opened the door, and there he was, standing there with that familiar cocky smirk that never quite reached his eyes. His eyes traveled behind me, and I could tell he was expecting someone else—probably Solomon.

“Where’s Mr. Rico Suave?” Cassius asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Cassius, don’t start,” I said, already tired of his attitude.

He threw his hands up, like he was surrendering. “My bad.”

I stepped aside, offering him a seat. He looked around the room, probably noticing the changes I’d made since we broke up. It was subtle, but everything felt more like me now—calmer, more grounded.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, I finally gathered the courage to ask what had been on my mind for a while. “Cassius... did you treat me the way you did because of me, or was it because of you?”

He frowned, clearly not expecting that question. “Why ask me stupid shit like that, Angel? It was all me, and you know it. I’ve been spinning since my parents passed. Naomi and Jonas have been telling me to get help for a long time now. It took losing you and having a child to even consider it.”

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