Page 7 of Going for Three

“You okay?”

Slowly, I nodded. I nibbled on my lip, trying to fight how warm it made me feel to know he cared.

“What are you even doing here right now?”

He straightened his posture, standing to his full height. He reached for my chin, nudging my head back for a better view.

“I came to ask you out on a date.”

I wanted to escape the sincerity of his brown eyes because of the way it melted me on the spot.

“Are you serious right now?”

He inched closer to me, causing a spike in my heart rate. I knew he had to see it jumping in my throat. His proximity had all my senses short circuiting. Even more so, when my gaze fell to his full lips, I had to fight the urge not to close the distance between us. He was easier to resist when he was confined to a message in my inbox. In the flesh, I couldn’t deny what my eyes could clearly see.

“Why you keep thinking I’m playing with you?”

I folded my arms over my chest to hide my pebbled nipples. The gentleness in his low tone was at war with my defense mechanisms.

“Because I know your type,” I sassed with a roll of my neck. “All you ball players be on the same shit.”

He chuckled. “Girl, shut up. I don’t wanna hear that shit ‘cause I’m not a ball player.”

I quirked an eyebrow with a bewildered expression. He’d lost me with that one. “Then what are you?”

“I’m king of the court. There’s a difference, and the only way you’re going to understand that I’m different is if I show you. So, when are you available?”

I tapped my fingers along my elbow, debating on what I should do when he decided for me.

“You taking too long to respond, so I’ma tell you when to be available.”

I laughed with a shake of my head. “You know you’re not the boss of me, right?”

He rubbed his hands together like Birdman. “If I’m not, I will be.”

I scoffed. “What makes you so confident I wanna be bossed around?”

He licked his lips before stepping closer. His hand sank from my chin to clasp my neck in a firm grip. The strong contact he kept with me increased my desire while confirming his.

“Isn’t that what all women want? A man who can take charge and lead them through life? Don’t you want a covering, Charmony?” I wanted to have a witty response, but I couldn’t even remember how to think. “You look so pretty tonight. I bought every one of your products they had on the shelves.”

My mouth fell open in shock as he released me. Only then did my heart start to race again. “You did not.”

He nodded. “Oh, I did.”

I couldn’t believe him. If his intentions were to show me how serious he was, I was beginning to get the picture, and I couldn’t lie like my curiosity wasn’t getting the best of me. She was leaning more toward finding out if Kianis was truly the man they portrayed him as in the media by the second.

“And what are you planning to do with all that makeup?”

He shrugged. “Give it to you for a giveaway. I know it’s a little black girl in the mirror right now trying to recreate this look.” He brushed my hair from my face.

I reached for his hand, becoming more susceptible to his conspiring. His eyes were so sincere it felt like he was seeing through me. I couldn’t lie like there wasn’t a part of me yearning for a connection like that.

“You’re not what I expected,” I admitted.

He smirked. “Only thing the media has right about me is that I’mthatnigga.”

I tried to respond, but he brushed his lips against mine and stole my breath away.

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