Page 23 of The Sweetest Devotion

I liked the sight of him in glasses. The serious look on his handsome face. The way his muscles bulged in his arms when he folded them. The way his tattoos complemented his skin and brawn.

Keith chuckled, a husky lullaby. “You keep looking at me like that, and you’re asking for trouble.”

I’d never been a rule breaker in my life, but suddenly I was down for all delinquency. “I like trouble.”

He tilted his head, studying me with pure amusement behind his glasses. “What you so far away for?” He gestured to the side. “C’mere.”

I felt schoolgirl silly just then. Too giddy to stop myself from obeying and crossing over and standing in front of him.

His manliness permeated the air. A heavy potion drawing me in and taking no prisoners. Keith was intoxicating.

A gleam hung in his eyes as he stared down at me. “You like trouble, huh?”

“Y-Yes,” I breathed out, anticipating his next move.

His hand came down hard on my butt, sending my sex clenching, and a gasp out of my mouth.

Shit.

Why did that feel good?

What more, Keith slid something in my back pocket. “Well, if you’re ever having car trouble, here’s my card. Give me a ring or somethin’.”

Or something.

“Okay,” I said.

Keith looked at the clock on the wall and came back to me. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Oh, so there’s the gentleman side you keep hidden away,” I taunted.

This remark was rewarded with another smack to my butt.

The whole way out to the garage I contemplated saying something else wise and witty to be smacked again.

“All right, just so we’re clear, a spare is only supposed to be temporary,” Keith instructed as I climbed in behind my wheel. He hung in the window after I’d rolled it down, staring at me as he gave me the warning. “Make sure you get a new tire soon, and watch where you’re drivin’.”

I saluted him, being a pest. “Yes, sir.”

He appeared to be fighting a smile as he stood back and gave me room to leave.

I pushed the Start button and my Lexus came to life. Almost immediately I was assaulted by the loud rap sounds of 21 Savage. I shot Keith a glare, only to find him not hiding his gorgeous smile.

Nice move, Keith, nice one.

The only reason I went to my parents’ house right away was to get my cell phone. I also owed them a cursory acknowledgment that I was alive and well, but I wasn’t ready to have it out with them on my engagement.

But they lived in a gated estate and there was no going about it without speaking to them regardless. One step in the door and my mother was already waiting for me in the foyer with her arms folded and disappointment teeming loudly from her person. Everything about her appearance was in place, her hair styled and held back in a clip, her outfit crisp and designer, meaning we had company of some sort over. Not that she was otherwise a slob, but these days, she didn’t force it when all she wanted to do was be by my father’s side.

“You have some nerve.” Her tone was dry and tired. We weren’t about to argue; she’d had it with me.

I attempted to go by her to get my phone and forgo this dramatic confrontation. “Can we do this later? I do need to talk to Daddy.”

Her cold hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me back around to face her. “He’s with a specialist up there right now. So whatever it is you want can wait.”

My heart stung in my chest. This kept getting more real by the minute and I wasn’t brave enough to pretend I didn’t care. “Is he doing okay?”

My mother snorted, letting me go and shaking her head, causing her earrings to sway in her ears. “He’s not too happy with you, Kennedy. Cain?—”

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