“What?” he asked, a little chuckle in his tone because she looked so earnest right now.
“It’s something my grandmother used to say,” she told him with a little smile. “She wasn’t for you, so having her out of your life was actually a good thing.”
“Yeah,” he said. “It took me a while to come to that conclusion and to realize I needed a fresh start. That’s how I ended up here in London. And that’s why I only wanted one night with you.”
There was that understanding look again. The way her eyes widened only slightly, then she relaxed, her head giving a slight nod.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted anything the way I want you, Willow. That shit scared the hell out of me and at first, I thought I could just keep showing up at Encore and just watch you. That was going to be enough. I even decided to buy that club, almost meeting the owner at his ridiculously high price for it just so I could ensure you never stopped singing there.”
Now the look on her face shifted to shock and confusion. “What?”
He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “Yeah. I know, I’m doing a lot of creep shit where you’re concerned.” He chuckled. “I told you I don’t know what you’re doing to me. I sent that invitation because just watching you on that stage was no longer an option. I wanted to touch you, to taste you.”
“Slay,” she whispered his name in that way she did when he was inside her and he wanted to pull her into his arms. But he wasn’t finished. “I’ve been drawn to you from the start and I thought it was just sexual desire at first, but then when I saw you at the club with Titus…I just wanted to fuck him up for even thinking he could touch you.”
She tightened her hand in his as he’d been talking and now, she gave it a little jerk. “So, youarejealous?”
He laughed. “A’ight, I guess I can get jealous. But that’s how I know this thing between us is so much more than I thought. I’ve had one-night stands before, lots of them. I’ve wanted women solely for sex, got my fill and went on my way. So, I know how all that feels. This.” He moved his free hand between them. “What we’ve got going is more.”
She lifted her free hand and pressed her fingers between her breasts as she nodded. “Right here,” she said. “There’s something more right here.”
When he brought his gaze back up to meet hers, he nodded too. “Yeah, right there.” Because that’s exactly where he felt her. In the center of his chest, expanding until it felt like she was consuming him.
“I thought it was just lust too,” she said. “I mean, I felt that physical tug between us from those nights in the club too. I sort of pushed it aside because getting my singing career off the ground has got to be my priority. It’s what I’ve been working so long and hard for and then Michaela called me about the invitation you sent her and that Titus was also going to be there. I was soaring with the possibilities.”
Slay could hear the excitement in her voice, saw the light flash in her eyes as she spoke about her career.
“But the moment you touched me, you filled me so completely,” she continued. “Like, I didn’t forget about my goals, but I couldn’t focus solely on that because you were there now. I knew there was something more the moment you kissed me. It took me a little while to settle on the fact that it might be something worth exploring,” she said, her eyes searching his for a response.
Like she was asking him if what she was saying matched his thoughts. Relief washed over him in deafening waves and before he could stop himself, Slay had released her hand and was up and out of that chair. He dropped down onto the couch beside her, cupping her face in his hands to turn her toward him.
“Yes,” he replied. “That’s exactly what I wanted to ask you tonight. If you thought this thing between us was worth exploring because I do, baby. I definitely do.”
Her smile was quick and full and had the pressure in his chest increasing as she nodded vehemently. She leaned in to kiss him and he wanted his lips on her, desperately. He wanted to scoop her up and carry her into his bedroom, slip inside her and stay there all night. But there was something else.
“Wait,” he said easing his face back from hers. “I’ve got another invitation for you.”
She sighed. “Another one, Slay? But I’m already here and I already said I want to explore something more. What could you possibly be inviting me to do now?”
“To sing,” he said, his grin of excitement spreading over his face. “This time for a friend of mine named Niko DeLaurentis. We went to college together and he’s a cool dude, real and serious about his craft as a music producer. He started his own label, 40A Records about five years ago. I sent him the link to your YouTube channel the other day and he hit me back immediately asking for an introduction.”
Now she was grabbing his wrists, clenching them tightly as her eyes grew brighter. “What? Are you serious?”
“Yeah, baby,” Slay said. “I’m serious. I want you to bring in the new year with me here, in my bed and in my arms. And then, on the third I want you on my friend Ridge’s private family jet to the US for a meeting with Niko and his team. You should call your agent and give her all the details to meet us there. But I want this for you, Willow. I believe in you, baby.”
Her answer came in a loud screech, followed by an exuberant, “Yes! Yes! Yes! To all of the things you just said.Allof them, Slay.”
And by all she meant they’d get started with the “in his bed” part because her arms went around his neck and he pulled her close. He touched his lips to hers before slipping his tongue inside her mouth for a kiss that left them both panting and grinning as that feeling in the center of their chest continued to blossom.
