Page 42 of The Aries Alliance
I shook my head.
“Never, oh Harriet Tubman.”
She rolled her eyes again, but this time with a smile plastered on her face.
“Despite that, thank you for being so empathetic. It matters that someone cares for the people at work. You are refreshing and comforting, Warrick.”
I raised my brow at how Scarlett spoke my government name for the first time since we became intimate.
“Why’re you calling me Warrick again?”
She placed her fingers over my lips and tilted her head back to meet my eyes.
“Because I must get used to putting my mask on and keeping it on. I need to remember not to look at you with the admiration I now feel.”
Although she spoke the words so softly I barely heard her, my heart thumped at her compliment. I kissed each of her fingers and removed them to kiss her lips a final time.
“No matter what I say or how I treat you in front of others, hold on to this feeling and the bond that we formed here. I’m only a message away, day or night.” I said the words and meant them.
Scarlett’s eyes lingered a long time as we stood in comfortable silence. I rested in the peace of the quiet breeze and the warmth of the sun. This moment with Scarlett allowed me toreflect not only on the seriousness of our plan but the beauty of executing those plans with a fearless woman like her.
She patted my arm and squeezed my bicep.
“Thank you,” Scarlett spoke with such sincerity that I wanted to wrap her in my arms and take her home with me.
Instead, I waited as she opened her car door and started the ignition. She rolled down the window and lingered a few seconds longer.
“See you at work.” She gave me a gentle wave.
I waved back.
“See you, Scarlett.” I placed my hand over my heart as she backed out of the driveway.
“Bye, War.”
When she said my name, I grinned hard. Even when she was out of my sight, I couldn’t stop smiling.
This was one of the best weekends I’d ever had, at least with a woman. Who knew that letting my guard down would teach me so much about myself?
After Glow
The second I got home,I pulled into the driveway of my ranch home and called Val. Since it was early Saturday afternoon, I knew she’d answer if she wasn’t up under a man.
“Heffa, you good?” Her strong East Coast accent always popped when she was anxious.
“Yeah. I need to update you on my ‘meeting’ with War.” I lifted my fingers in air quotes as if she could see me.
“Did he scratch whatever Scooby Doo itch you had?”
“Not Scooby Doo, but about that . . .”
“What?” Val’s voice got extra high and pitchy.
“He scratched that itch and a few other things too.”
“What? Is that why you didn’t answer your phone last night and this morning when I hit you up?”
“Uh huh.”
