Like always, Deke’s fingers came to my chin, and he tipped my head back up so I could look at him. “I dropped everything and drove here when you didn’t answer the first two calls. I know it sounds desperate as fuck, but I needed to know you were okay. I needed to see it for myself.”
“Well ...” I threw my hands up quickly and let them fall so hard they slapped my outer thighs. “I’m okay, Deke. You didn’t have to drive all this way just to check on me.”
“I know I didn’t. Iwantedto.”
My eyes softened, and my heart sped up. “Why?”
“I don’t think you realize it yet, but I care about you, Davina. You have me doing things I don’t usually do just so I can see a smile on your face.”
I couldn’t help smiling at that. “Well, it’s very thoughtful, Deke. Thank you.” I grabbed his hand that was still touching my chin and laced my fingers with his. “Come on. Let’s go to my office.”
I led the way and didn’t let go of his hand until we walked into the office. But it was at that moment I realized I only had one lamp on, leaving the room dimly lit. The warm white light created a calming, romantic ambience.
My wax melt burner was lit up in one of the corners, allowing a warm pear scent to fill the room, and it didn’t help that outside all those windows was one of the most beautiful city views to behold.
“Davina’s domain,” Deke said as he walked deeper into the office.
I laughed. “You could call it that.”
He looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows, soaking in the skyline. He was like a god with those sculpted arms revealed and his head tipped just so.
When he stood a foot away from the window, I met up with him and absorbed the view too. His head turned, and he put on a cute grin as he reached for my temple. He tugged on my unruly curl.
“That piece of hair is the bane of my existence.”
“I think it’s cute,” he said. His phone rang, and he dropped his eyes, sighing as he fished it out of his pocket. “It’s Arnold.”
“Oh?”
“I’m supposed to be meeting him tomorrow so we can fly to LA for some dunk contest. He’s probably calling about that and all this BOBBLE shit.”
“Tomorrow?”I asked, though my voice came out higher than usual. “Well, what the hell are you doing here, Deke? You should be home preparing for it.”
“You’re right. Plus, I signed a contract, so if I don’t show, they’ll probably sue the fuck out of me.” He laughed dryly.
I blinked at him, stunned. “Deke, please tell me you’re joking.”
“I’m not.” He laughed for real this time, slipping the phone into his pocket as I shook my head. “I’ll make it back in time. Don’t worry about that right now.” He closed the gap between us and gripped my waist. “The woman I heard earlier. That was your husband’s mom?”
“Yeah.” I smashed my lips.
“I just wanted to make sure. We don’t have to talk about it.”
“You heard everything,” I muttered with a shake of my head. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. I’ve never had a good relationship with her. She saw all that BOBBLE stuff and—”
“Davina,” Deke said, voice soft. “We don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.”
I nodded. Good, because I didn’t want to.
He turned me so my back was facing the window, and as he moved forward, I moved backward.
“What are you doing?” I laughed as he lowered his head.
“Just wanna kiss you,” he murmured on my lips. “Make you forget all about it.”
I felt a flutter in my belly as my back hit the cool glass. “So do it,” I challenged.
“Is that all you want me to do?”