Page 88 of Rose
Ahzii stirred beside him, eyes fluttering open, her body still draped in the sheets. She blinked in confusion, the sound of his voice andherphone pulling her into wakefulness.
“Nigga, I’ll slap yo big ass. That isnotwhat I said,” Sarai fired back without missing a beat.
“That’s what the fuck it sounded like.” Savior’s reply was low and final, his tone laced with heat and ice all at once.
Ahzii sat up, sleep still clinging to her lashes, watching him sit at the edge of the bed—her phone in one hand like it belonged to him.
Savior sat shirtless, grey sweats hanging low on his hips, a durag tied over his waves. Ahzii blinked through her sleepy haze, her eyes trailing over his sculpted body as he were going back and forth with Sarai. She knew she shouldn’t admire him like this… but damn, she couldn’t help it.
“Where is Ahzii, and why doyouhave her phone? I have an appointment with her,” Sarai’s voice snapped through the speaker.
“Oh shit.” Ahzii jolted upright, realizing what she forgot. “Her tattoo appointment.”
Savior didn’t even glance her way. He kept his eyes on the phone, hand already reaching back to gently press her thigh—putting her feet in his lap, stopping her from getting up.
“Your appointment’s not for another hour, Gold. I know my baby’s schedule,” he said flatly, thumb pressing into the arch of her foot like he had all morning. “Stop calling my wife and interrupting our time.”
“Savior—give me my phone.” Ahzii tried to snatch it, but he pulled it just out of reach and switched feet like it was nothing, thumb working a new rhythm across her skin.
“How the fuck do you know—” Sarai started, then paused. “You know what? Nevermind. I called her to talk about her date with Kiyan, but clearly your crazy ass popped up and kidnapped her.”
“She wasn’t on no fucking date.” Savior’s voice was calm but thatedgewas back. “And I can’t kidnap something that already belongs to me.”
Ahzii rolled her eyes, reaching again—denied again.
Sarai snorted. “Between you and Sin, y’all both need full-time therapists. Tell my girl to call me when she escapes your possessive ass. I’ll see her at the shop. Oh—and brother?”
“What, person who is uninvited to the wedding?” Savior said dryly, barely blinking.
Ahzii side-eyed him as Sarai burst out laughing. “You’re insane.”
“I love seeing this side of you,” Sarai added softly. “You reallydohave a heart.”
“And yet you tried to pushmyheart into another man’s arms,” Savior muttered. “You and your matchmaking gonna have the population declining.”
“Whatever, nigga. Love you. Tell my sister-in-law I love her too. Bye!” Sarai laughed before hanging up.
“She is unhinged too,” Ahzii muttered, shaking her head, still wiping sleep from her eyes.
“Every Carter is, baby.” He leaned back, still massaging her feet with ease. “And soon you will be too—once I change that last name.”
Ahzii chuckled, but her stomach flipped. That flutter wasn’t supposed to happen.
“We need to talk…” she said, her tone shifting.
Savior handed her the phone back and switched to using both hands, his fingers working deep into the arches of her feet like he wasn’t fazed.
“Yeah, we do. Because why you ain’t tell me you had these beautiful ass feet?” he murmured. “I’m over here fighting the urge to put these bitches in my mouth.”
That made her laugh harder than she expected. “Please don’t tell me you got a foot fetish?”
“I got ayoufetish,” he said without blinking. “I crave all of you.”
She rolled her eyes, but her heart stuttered—traitorous and soft. “And that’s not a good thing,” she whispered.
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t argue. Just kept massaging like her words didn’t scratch the surface.
“What’s on your mind, Allure?” he asked quietly, letting her know he heard her—he just wasn’t taking the bait.
