Page 9 of Love's Instant Replay
Warmth spreads across my chest when Kaeden’s smile widens as his hazel eyes dance in merriment.
“Mhm. Indeed. Here’s the princess’s reading materials, kind sir. Although, if I had to guess, I’d suspect that Ms. Mica ain’t got nothing on her daddy’s skills at telling a story.”
Kaeden nods while subtly licking his lips as a panty-melting expression forms in his eyes, causing me to clench my thighs tight.
“Flattery will get you everywhere you want and desire to be with me, Ms. Kyelle. But you better be careful, or I’m liable to be in here weekly requesting books.”
Damn.
“As long as the visits accompany that smile, . . . who am I to stop you?”
“Is this something you say to all men or just us single fathers?”
Placing my index finger on my chin, I give him a pointed look allowing a second or two of silence to surround us.
“Hm. Depends. Do all single dads bring this much charm?”
“Only the ones hoping to get permission to exchange non-business messages along with these books.”
My eyebrow hikes, and a playful smile creeps onto my lips as I internally ponder the thought of engaging in text exchanges with this man.
“Now that depends on whether I can convince you to sign up for our loyalty program.”
“Oh yeah? How does it work?”
What’s crazy is that I have yet to create any loyalty program, but passing up an opportunity to engage with Kaeden in this moment seems foolish.
“I think something like, buy five books and maybe, just maybe I’ll return your non-business messages.”
A low chuckle escapes Kaeden’s mouth as he pulls his wallet from his back pocket and sets it on the counter.
“That’s lightweight for a giant. You’re gonna have to come better than that, my baby.”
A dollop of moisture fills my panties from the low octave and husky timbre in Kaeden’s words.
“Hey, Kaeden. I see you’re back for those books,” Tracy says, coming from the back room before I can respond.
“What’s up, Ms.—” Kaeden trails off, unsure of what to call Tracy before she fills in the blank.
“Tracy. I’m good. But I’m a huge football fan, so I think you should invite me and my bestie to see you in action.”
“Oh, for real.” Kaeden’s gaze slides from Tracy to me, and butterflies begin swarming in my stomach from the intensity in his eyes.
“Don’t listen t?—”
“Oh, you don’t want to come see me play?” My mouth dries instantly when Kaeden’s eyes shift toward me, shining with desire as his brows hike in question.
The double meaning of his statement isn’t lost upon me from the mischievous glimmer in his eyes, leaving me momentarily speechless.
Lord, this man doesn’t know if I’m in a relationship or not and he seems to be hellbent on coming on strong. This is uh interesting and a little surprising because I should be disgusted but blame it on I don’t know who, but I’m still attracted to him. So for now, I’m gonna just go with it and see where it leads me.
“My bestie has never been to a professional football anything so?—”
“Let me fix that shit then. Come see me play on Saturday. My team is having a friends and family shindig for that practice. Having you in the stands representing me will make me put in my best efforts,” Kaeden says, cutting off Tracy’s words.
Time stands still as Kaeden and I get lost in a stare-down where he’s communicating more than my need to accept his invitation to attend his practice. The longer our eyes war, the more my juices begin to flow, which causes me to unconsciously shift my weight as a low moan escapes before I’m able to stop it.
“Mhm. All I need is yes, and I’ll make sure you have everything you want,” Kaeden says huskily.
