Page 237 of Kentrell

His face went blank. Completely unreadable. The back of his jaw flexed the way it always did when he was trying not to smile or curse—or both.

A lesser woman would’ve been terrified at the way he stared me down.

But me?

I lifted my brow and met him glare for glare, smiling like the little menace I fully intended to be.

“Yeah, a’ight… I like it.” The words dropped out of his mouth like they physically hurt him.

The second they did, we both cracked up laughing.

“I knew it!” I squealed, clapping like I’d just won a prize on a game show.

“Yeah, whatever,” he grumbled, sucking his teeth as he waved me off like I wasn’t the highlight of his entire day.

“Nah, what’d you tell me earlier?” I teased, hopping on the stool. “Don’t get mad at me for telling you the truth… right?”

I was paraphrasing, but judging by how fast that slow, smug smile spread across his face… I hit the nerve I wanted.

“Yeah, yeah…” he muttered, still trying to act unfazed. “Zoe… quit tryna be like me.”

“I’m Zoe LaShay Davis. I love being me.” I grinned proudly, tossing my hair over my shoulder like I hadn’t just worked the last nerve he had left.

Before I could blink, he came around the island, scooped me clean out of my seat, and tossed me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

“Kentrell! Stop!” I howled, kicking my legs as he took off running down the hall like somebody’s overgrown child.

He didn’t stop until we got to his bedroom—his scent and his warmth surrounding me the second we crossed the threshold.

Then… with no warning… he tossed me onto the middle of the bed like a rag doll.

I landed with a bounce and a breathless laugh, already knowing…

Game on.

He climbed onto the bed, covering me in one smooth motion, his weight pressing me into the mattress in a way that made me feel… safe. Wanted.

His lips found mine, slow and sure, locking onto me like he had all night and nothing but time.

There was no rush. No frantic heat just for the sake of it. This… this was warmth that spread like sunlight crawling across bare skin after a long storm.

He kissed me like I was sacred. Like I was something he studied… something he’d mastered… something he was still hungry for.

And I kissed him back like I’d waited all day for this exact moment—because I had.

I moaned against his mouth as his hands cupped my face, his thumbs brushing soft, lazy strokes under my jaw. Tilting me just right… deepening the kiss until I tasted him fully. Until my body melted under his like butter on hot bread.

When we finally broke apart, both of us breathless, I kept my forehead pressed to his, unwilling to let the distance grow.

“Mmm… I missed you,” I whispered, biting my bottom lip, my eyes still glued to his.

“Shit… that’s why I rushed back,” he said, his voice low and thick with everything he wasn’t saying.

And that was enough.

That was him telling me he missed me too.

My heart leapt, and almost on instinct, I launched myself into him, toppling us both over with a giggle that turned into something needier, hungrier.

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