Page 34 of His to Have
I tugged at the end of her braids, tilting her face toward mine.I wanted to address one issue at a time. Our history, while always pleasant, was still complicated, and her feelings were valid.
All of them.
She was quiet, but I could feel the tension radiating through her body. Her shoulders were tense, and breathing was heavy. When she spoke again, her voice was softer but still carried that edge.
“No, you don’t have to do that.” She paused. “That’s not even what I’m really mad about.”
“I know,” I replied softly, realizing that we’d moved on to the root of her anger.
She pulled away slightly, turning her entire body to face me. “That’s it? Just ‘I know’?”
“What else do you want me to say, Amore?” I shifted closer so I could see her profile better. “That I’m sorry for protecting you? That I regret making sure you’re safe?”
This conversation was much more layered than Isabella. Yanna being angry was about me, my decisions to keep the arrangement from her, and my actions. All things I would do again if it meant keeping her safe, and letting her be happy an enjoy life.
“I want you to acknowledge that keeping me in the dark was wrong. I want you to be sorry for lying to me. Is that too much to ask?”
“It’s not. You should have heard it from me first. I am sorry about that.”
She studied my face for a long moment, searching for something — maybe sincerity, maybe more fight.
“Are you though?”
“Sincerely. About a lot of things. Like getting you caught up in whatever this is.” I paused, needing her to understand exactly what I was saying. “I’m sorry you are hurting because of me. That your shop was targeted… because of me. That you had to find out about us the way you did.”
“But you’re not sorry about the arrangement itself.” She accurately mused.
“No.”
I wasn’t going to lie to her, not now, not ever. “Not that we are going to be married, or that you’re here with me. Am I sorry about how it happened? Yes, but not that it’s happening.”
We fell into silence afterwards, that wasn’t so comfortable. My honesty may have been jarring, but it was true. Her shouldersslumped, and her head leaned back on my chest. When I thought she’d pull away, she didn’t, even when I knew part of her wanted to.
“I guess, thank you for being honest,” she said quietly.
I nodded, then gently tugged at two of her braids, making her give me her eyes.”I won’t lie to you.”
I placed my lips on hers, softly. They tasted like cherries and the best kind of sin. When she sighed contently against my mouth, and then clenched her thighs, I had to pull away.
The musky scent of her need enveloped us. Further proving that physical attraction had never been an issue between us.
“So, I heard you hired the wedding planner.”. I picked up the carving knife again, sliding back into my work.
I needed to focus on something other than her pussy crying out for me. I would not cross that line until she invited it.
She sighed, but it wasn’t one of annoyance. “Lidia came highly recommended, according to your family.”
“Is that who you want?” I glanced up at the TV noticing it had moved on to this weeks sports highlights. The New York Knicks had won their game, making me smile.
She shrugged, indifferently. “It’s not like I know any wedding planners in New York. I’m just going with whoever your family thinks is best.”
“But you can hire who ever, Amore. Even someone you’re connected with in Atlanta.”
“I know.” Her lips pouted slightly. “I thought about it, but figured someone who was familiar with thefamilywould be better. You know, someone who understands the... expectations.”
She paused, her fingers tracing absent patterns on her exposed leg . “Plus, I didn’t want your mom to feel like I was dismissing her recommendations. She’s been nothing but welcoming to me.”
I nodded in understanding allowing us to fall into a comfortable silence. The only sounds filling the room was the gentle scrape of my knife against the wood and the low murmur of the sportscaster on the television. I could feel her breathing slow, her body growing heavier against mine as exhaustion finally begin to catch up with her.
