Page 70 of Kentrell

His nostrils flared, and this time… he didn’t smile. Didn’t smirk.

Just locked eyes with me like we’d officially crossed into something neither one of us could come back from.

I didn’t blink. I didn’t pull away.

Because if this was the fire we built?

Then damn it… might as well let it burn.

SEVEN

KENTRELL

Cruising down Lake Shore Drive,I had half a mind to turn on Ontario, slide through to Riverside Plaza, and pop up on Zoe.

True to her word, she booked full panels for both of us with her primary doc, and I played along—even when she asked me to send over my results. What she didn’t expect was for my shit to already be on file. I’d been tested, everything came back clean. She looked damn near shocked. But with the type of parents I had, I learned early not to gamble with my life over some pussy. I ain’t stupid—I strap up and I stay checked up. Ain’t no nut worth a death sentence.

It was just nice knowing her pussy wasn’t gon’ bring me nothin’ but the kind of pleasure I’d been craving since the first time I saw her in that black dress.

It was Wednesday. Two days after we had lunch—and ended up spending therestof the day together.

Something I’d never done in my life.

And we’d been talking and texting ever since.

Another thing I didn’t do.

My private line? That was for my brothers and the guys. And they didn’t hit me every day. We all had shit going on. If somebody needed to be found, we knew where to pop up without asking.

But with Zoe?

I found myself checking my phone.

Waiting.

Just to see if she’d call... or hit me back.

She was pulling out some new version of me I wasn’t trying to meet.

And this shit was happeningtoo fast.

I couldn’t fight it.

“Fuck,” I muttered, jaw clenched as I gripped the steering wheel tighter.

I fought every urge in me to make that turn... until I passed the Museum of Science and Industry.

That's when I made up my mind.

I needed to get the fuck out of downtown.

At least for a couple hours.

I knewexactlywho could talk me out of this tender bullshit.

Just as I settled into that decision, my phone chirped. I lifted it without thinking, eyes flicking to the screen.

Zoe.

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