Page 61 of Sweetest Temptation
My condo felt different without him popping up on me. We would just chill, watch movies, and talk about everything under the sun. It wasn’t just about sex between us, although I wasn’t complaining about that because that man’s sex game was stupendous! It was the way he made the space feel alive, like his energy lingered even after he left. The couch felt too big, the silence too heavy, in his absence.
I’d catch myself glancing at the door around the same time he’d usually show up, half expecting that familiar knock and that teasing grin on his handsome face when I opened it. I missed the way he’d kick off his shoes like he owned the place and pull me into his arms like he missed me as much as I did him.
What are we doing?I asked myself that question so many times over the past week, and every time, I came up empty.
But when I asked Samir, his cocky ass would just smirk and say, “We doing us, baby. Stop overthinking shit.”
Like it was that simple. Like feelings weren’t involved.
Samir had this way of brushing things off, making everything sound easy when it was anything but. I’d roll my eyes, tell him I wasn’t built for confusion, and he’d laugh that deep, warm laugh that somehow made me forget what I was even thinking about.
But when the laughter faded, I was right back in my head, replaying everything. The great sex, the late-night talks, the way he looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world—I was psychoanalyzing my life. The things he said when he thought I was asleep didn’t help. We didn’t feel casual. We didn’t feel temporary. There was no pressure.
So why did it scare me so damn much?
He got back in town this morning and had to meet his family to help decorate for his niece's birthday party today. We only talked for a brief moment, but that wasn’t enough. Hearing his voice after a week apart just made me want to see him even more.
And that proved I needed clarity. Going with the flow wasn’t working for me. I planned on having a real conversation with him. There would be no flirting, no dodging, and no sweet-talking me out of understanding what was occurring between us. I was more than just feeling Samir; I was falling, and the scary part was that I didn’t know if he was falling with me. Before my heart got all tangled up in something I couldn’t untangle later, I needed to know whatwewere doing. If I were just something to fill his time, I needed to know now before it was too late to pull back.
I turned down Maple Avenue, heading toward the new shop to check on the construction. The electrician had called thatmorning, promising he’d be there finishing the wiring, so I expected to walk into chaos—tools everywhere, dust in the air, and maybe a few guys still dragging their feet.
But when I pulled up, I felt something was off. I parked and climbed out of the car, squinting through the glass window, and froze. I quickly pulled out my keys to unlock the door. I pushed it open slowly, and the faint chime of a bell I didn’t install rang through the air as I stepped inside. My heels clicked against the newly tiled floors that were clean and polished to perfection.
My eyes went wide as I took in everything. The glass display cases, positioned perfectly, shone under the soft glow of new pendant lights in the ceiling. Tables and chairs were arranged neatly along the front windows, and the walls were painted the exact shade of blush cream Samir helped me pick out a week ago. Even the scent was different. It smelled sweet and warm like sugar and vanilla had already claimed the place as home.
My heart jumped at how perfect the bakery looked. I spun slowly, taking everything in.
“What in the world…” I whispered, my voice barely audible. The space was exactly how I imagined it, but I hadn’t signed off on half this stuff yet. “How?” I asked myself.
Just then, the door behind me opened again, the soft ding of the bell breaking through my shock. I turned, and Samir stepped through the doorway, casual as ever with that familiar grin tugging at his lips.
“Surprise, Nova baby,” he said, voice low and smooth.
For a second, I couldn’t even move. My mouth parted, but nothing came out. “Samir…” I finally inhaled. “What… How did you?—?”
“What I look like seeing my woman stress about something, and I don’t fix it?” He leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, eyes glinting with that mix of pride and mischief that always got to me.
Hearing him call me his woman made my heart flutter. My stomach did that stupid flip, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks before I even had the chance to play it cool.
“Yourwoman?” I asked, arching a brow, needing clarification. I was also a little afraid of what his answer would be.
He pushed off the doorframe and started walking toward me with that smooth swagger that always made my pulse skip. “Yeah,” he said simply, eyes never leaving mine. “You heard me.Mywoman. Unless you tryna tell me differently.”
“I just didn’t know we were putting labels on it,” I lied. I wanted to know—I needed to know. The quiet relief I felt was an answered prayer.
“Zanova, I don’t need to put a label on something I already know. You been mine since the first time I met you in that bar. We just needed…timeto get our heads together.” He pulled me into his chest, his cologne creeping up my nose. “So, Ms. Zanova Pierce… Will you be my girlfriend?”
For a second, I forgot how to breathe. Hearing him ask, and not tease or assume was different. I tilted my head back to look up at him, his dark eyes searching mine like he already knew the answer but still needed to hear it.
“Are you serious right now?” I asked softly, trying to keep my voice steady, even though my heart was racing.
“Dead serious. You think I’m about to let somebody else slide in that good pussy after I don’ felt it raw? Hell nah, baby. I’m tryna build with you, love you, and eventually marry you.”
“What if I say no?” I pursed my lips.
“You don’t have a choice, love. I ain’t going nowhere. And neither are you. Don’t think all I can do is get up to your condo without being announced. Keep playing. I’ll break in your spot while you sleep and hide under your bed every night. Don’t play with me. I’m certified in real life.”
I threw my head and laughed at his crazy ass. But I believed him. I wrapped my arms around Samir’s neck, and his hands gripped my ass in response.
