My heart thundered at his words. I never thought Konflict was capable of so much tenderness. I realized he was finally giving me what I’d always dreamed of. And I felt like I couldn’t handle it. It was too much... it was too deep. And I was terrified I’d be wrong.Again.
“Is that okay?” he asked. “If it’s not, I’ll make love to you right now, but I know you’ll beat yourself up later for giving in whilethings are still a mess in your head. I can wait, baby. You can wait too. Just let me prove these aren’t empty words. Let me show you who Konflict really is, the man who’s had a crush on you since he was twelve. Will you let me?”
I nodded, unable to speak because my throat was too tight.
“Good. I’ll walk you to your room. You’re going to sleep like a baby tonight then tomorrow we’ll have our first date. I want to seduce you, Serenity, until you have no choice but to love me, again.”
He stood up, lifting me with him. My legs stayed wrapped around his waist, my face buried in his neck. Wordlessly, he carried me to my room, setting me on my feet at the door.
“Wait a few minutes, I’ll be right back,” he said, leaving me at the doorway to my room.
I watched him walk away and disappear into his own room. A few minutes later, he came back with a bag in his hand.
“I didn’t have time to put these in your bathroom before I came to get you. I bought them a little late. These are what you use for your hair, right?” he asked, looking concerned.
I was honestly shocked when I peeked inside and saw a whole set of hair care products for my afro. A detangler, hydrating cream, a hair mask, a mini heating cap, a wide-tooth brush that looked just like mine, hair ties, thread, even a satin bonnet for sleeping. I was so stunned I couldn’t say a word.
“Did I forget something?” he asked.
“No… I don’t think so. I think you got everything. You… you bought all this yourself?”
“Uh, yeah. One of the maids at the Korven estate helped me find the right stuff. And I know you do your hair routine before bed, so I got what you’d need. Can I come inside and help with your hair?”
Oh my God. Could he get any more adorable? Because, hello? Who was this man and where had he been all this time?
I nodded, and we went into my room together. He was so into it, actually focused on my whole moisturizing routine. When I started to detangle, he asked if he could do it. I handed him the brush, and carefully, he worked through each section. In the mirror, I could see how concentrated he was, like he was solving a math problem.
“I’m obsessed with your hair,” he said as he brushed it gently. “I love when you wear it out in an afro, with a few flowers in it.”
“You noticed?” I asked, surprised he’d remembered that detail.
He looked up at me in the mirror. “Of course I notice every little thing about you. Baby, when you’re in the same room as me, you’re all I see. I track every move you make like you’ve got me under some kind of spell or some shit. Hell, I’m pretty sure you’ve got some voodoo on me. When you sleep, I even try to count your eyelashes.”
“Oh my God. You’re such a creep.”
“Yeah… but I’m your creep, eh?”
I smiled softly. “Okay, I think you’ve brushed this side enough. I’m going to use some thread to tie it up. This style keeps it from breaking,” I said, trying to take my hair back.
He tapped my hand. “Show me how to do it.”
“It’s a little technical, especially if you’ve never done it before.”
“Serenity, does it take a PhD to tie hair with thread? I’m an engineer, after all. Respect my skills, woman!”
I laughed, because God, he was actually funny. I showed him what to do, and he did it. After a few minutes, he’d brushed and styled my whole head.
“And voilà,” he said, clearly proud of his work. “Not too bad for my first time, eh?”
“It’s actually good,” I admitted.
“Well, tomorrow I’ll do better.”
“So you’re really planning to do my hair again tomorrow?”
“And the day after, and every other night. You got a problemwith me taking care of my woman’s hair?”
“No,” I replied, amused, butterflies going wild in my stomach. “Didn’t think you were the type for this.”
