Page 5 of Love's Instant Replay
“Tuh, no gender is safe in that family. His grandmama will be practically standing at the end of his bed at thirteen instructing him on how to deep stroke the pussy he’s sliding into,” Tracy says.
Disconnecting my gaze from the door, I look at Tracy, who smirks before shrugging and resuming her place beside me behind the counter.
“Jesus, fix it!” Shaking my head, I wipe the counter as if the woman had left something on it. I don’t want other customers to pick up.
“They sure don—Oh my God!” Tracy begins before her tone heightens, causing me to look at the door again.
“Oh my goodness. It’s so pretty. Ain’t it pretty, Daddy?” A little girl with smooth mahogany skin, hair full of braids with clear beads, and wearing a gray short set is walking into the entrance accompanied by a man with the same skin tone.
Neither of them has acknowledged me or Tracy behind the counter due to the girl’s wide eyes roaming around the bookstore.
“We’ve hit the jackpot, bestie,” Tracy whispers.
At the same time, the man’s gaze connects with mine, and time stands still upon seeing his mesmerizing hazel eyes. Tingles spread over my body, and my tongue unconsciously swipes over my dry lips. Heat runs up and down my back, and I fight the urge to shift from left to right. The intensity of his gaze has everything fading into the background leaving me struggling to breathe easily.
“Welcome to Echoes of Kyelle.” Tracy’s greeting sounds distant and foreign to my ears as my eyes take in the man moving toward the counter.
“We-welcome to Echoes of Kyelle. My name is K-Kyelle,” I squeak before feeling a nudge from Tracy, forcing me to disconnect from the entrapment of the man’s eyes. “Huh?”
“I said that already. Are you okay?” Tracy asks.
“Hi. I’m Mica, and this is my daddy. He’s a football player. Can you guess who he is?” The little girl introduces herself and her father, preventing me from answering Tracy.
Fine!
My mind echoes a name as Tracy begins speaking to confirm my inner declaration.
“Yes, ma’am. This is Columbus Bobcats’ own . . . Kaeden Evans,” Tracy gushes.
“Yep. That’s my daddy,” Mica confirms.
My eyes rake over Kaeden as my lips become stuck, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. Kaeden is just slightly over six feet, and his body is giving heaven made. Up close, the gold specks in Kaeden’s eyes seem to sparkle despite the intense stare down between us. Kaeden is ruggedly handsome with a low-cut Caesar waved up like nobody’s business. He has a nicely cut full beard and a body that God himself designed. Kaeden Evans is beyond fine, and my pearl is weeping like a newborn kitten searching for milk.
“Daddy! Uh, Daddy,” Mica shouts, shaking Kaeden and me out of our trance.
“Yes, Cupcake.” The deep yet husky baritone of Kaeden’s voice causes me to shift slightly when my pearl squeezes involuntarily.
“Ask about my books, please,” Mica pleads.
“I got you, Cupcake.” Kaeden smiles at his daughter, and my heart sputters as my heart rate increases when his eyes return tome. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Kyelle. As my daughter has already said, I’m Kaeden. You have a nice place here.”
“Daddy,” Mica whines, but my focus is solely on her father who doesn’t break eye contact with me while addressing his antsy daughter.
“Alright. Hold tight, Cupcake. Sorry about that, Ms. Kyelle. It seems that my baby is looking for a book byKatrina Anderson. She has one but has been searching for another one. She has been begging me to bring her to your place because her friends are raving about it.” My eyes are watching Kaeden’s lips move as visions of him talking me through pushing in and out of me invade my mind.
Silence enters the room, and I can hear the cadence of my heart beating in my chest for countless seconds. A smirk upturns Kaeden’s lips before he speaks again.
“Do you have it, Ms. Kyelle?”
Baby, I have whatever you want as long as you’re calling me Ms. Kyelle, just like that.
“Kyelle!” Tracy’s voice cuts into my mind, and my eyes blink before I turn toward her. “Did you hear the title?”
“Um—I’m sorry. Can you tell me the title again?” I ask Kaeden, moving the mouse around to bring up the computer to return to a semblance of a business mindset.
Get your shit together, Kyelle. Damn. Drooling in front of not only this man but his daughter is diabolical.
“Anytime. It’sMy Melanin is Magicby Katrina Anderson. It’s a few years old, but most big-name bookstores don’t carry it. I’m hoping you do since you’re one of us,” Kaeden tells me, showcasing his pearly white teeth as I begin typing in the information.
