Page 46 of Sweetest Temptation
“Samir. You need to stay away from him. You don’t know what type of man you are dealing with.”
“That’s supposed to concern you… Why?”
He scoffed, pacing a little. “It’s not about concern. I just don’t want you getting caught up with somebody who’s using you.”
“Using me? Oh, that’s rich of you, Jerome.” I let the sarcasm drip from my voice. “You cheated on me, multiple times at that, and you worried about me beingused?”
“Those women meant nothing to me. Nova, I know I fucked up by having a baby on you, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love you.”
“Nigga, please. You didn’t love me. You're only sorry that all your lies caught up to you!” He was pissing me off, trying to justify his infidelities. “Jerome,” I said calmly, stepping closer so he could see the steel in my eyes. “You lost the right to question anything I do the minute you decided to make me look stupid and acted like I wasn’t enough. You don’t get to act like you care now. Not when you didn’t back then.”
He stared at me, searching for something. Perhaps regret or weakness, but I didn’t flinch. I’d said what I said.
“You’ve changed…” he finally stated after our stare-off.
“Good. That was the point.”
I turned my back on him and climbed into my truck, refusing to give him the satisfaction of another glance. Whatever he thought was left between us was buried right where he left it. I plugged the delivery address into my GPS and made my way to my destination, refusing to give Jerome another nanosecond of my time or thoughts.
It took me a little over thirty-five minutes before I pulled up to a massive house, or more like an estate. The place looked like something straight out of a magazine. High iron gates trimmed in gold, a long winding driveway lined with tall palm trees, and a fountain in the center so big it could’ve doubled as a swimmingpool. The lawn was manicured to perfection, not a single blade of grass out of place. I slowed down just to take it all in, because whoever lived here clearly hadmoney-money.
I pressed the button on the intercom, my eyes scanning the property. The house itself was breathtaking—three stories of glass and white stone, sunlight bouncing off every window as if it was showing off its elegance. There were balconies with sleek black railings, and the kind of landscaping that screamed, “I pay people to make this look effortless.”
No one answered the intercom, but before I could press it again, the tall, golden gates creaked open on its own. I hesitated, glancing around, but curiosity got the best of me.
“Okayyy, automatic gates. Fancy,” I muttered, shifting my truck into drive.
I eased through the opening and drove up the winding driveway. The closer I got, the bigger the house looked, stretching wide across the hill like it owned the whole block. When I reached the top, I parked, took a deep breath, and grabbed the boxes of cookies from the back.
The faint scent of jasmine hung in the air as I walked up the marble steps, my nerves starting to buzz. Something in my gut told me I should’ve turned this order down. I rang the doorbell anyway because I’d made the cookies and was already here. There was no purpose in trying to make this delivery more than what it was.
A few seconds later, the heavy door swung open, and there he was.Samir.
My heart dropped straight to my stomach. He leaned against the doorframe, a smug grin spreading across his lips. “Right on time,” he said, his voice deep and smooth like he’d been waiting on me all day.
That’s when it clicked. The two hundred chocolate chip cookies. The random, last-minute order. The “private client”address with no name attached. Oh, he was slick. This wasn’t just some delivery. This was a fucking setup—his setup.
I blinked, speechless for a second, heat rising in my chest. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered under my breath, staring up at him.
He laughed, his eyes tracing my face like he was savoring every reaction. “What can I say? I wanted to see you. You were dodging me and my calls.”
“So you ordered two hundred cookies just to trick me into showing up?” I shifted the box in my hands, trying to ignore the way his cologne wrapped around me like a memory I didn’t ask to relive.
He shrugged, with that damn smirk never leaving his face. “I had to do what I had to do. You had me out here like I was trying to find Waldo and shit.”
“You really need help, Samir.”
“Maybe, but at least I’m real,” he said, stepping closer, taking the boxes out of my hand. “Come in.” He stepped back so I could enter, but my feet stayed planted.
“No. I’m leaving.” I spun on my heels, ready to leave him standing there with his smug grin and his ridiculous cookie order. Before I could take a step, he gently grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
“Aye! What’s really good, Nova baby? Why do you keep running from me, man? You act like a nigga did you dirty.”
I swallowed hard, refusing to meet his eyes. “Maybe because the last man I let in proved why I shouldn’t have. Look, Samir… What went down between us was fun, but it stops here. You got what you wanted, now we can just keep it professional.”
He exhaled, the cocky tone fading from his voice. “I ain’t him, Zanova. I’m not here to play you. I told you, I don’t chase pussy. I can get that without even trying. I just want you to stop fighting me so damn hard.”
“I…”
