Page 65 of When a Soul Cries

I picked my paperwork back up. “Conversation over.”

Ulani didn’t leave. Of course she didn’t.

Instead, she came around the desk slowly, stopping between my knees. I looked up at her and already knew that look.

“Don’t start no bullshit in my office.”

She ignored me. Her hands went to my belt.

“Ulani.”

She held my eyes as she lowered herself to her knees.

I should’ve stopped her right there. Hell, I had plenty of time to. I watched her undo my belt, watched her reach for the button of my pants, and still didn’t move.

“You know this ain’t changing shit, right?”

She gave me that little smile like she didn’t believe me and kept going.

I leaned my head back against the chair and let out a slow breath.

Fuck.

I wasn’t about to lie to myself and pretend I didn’t know exactly what I was allowing. Ulani knew what she was doing. Always had. That was one thing I couldn’t take from her.

So for a few reckless minutes, I let her have her way.

When she finally stood, that satisfied little smile on her face told me she thought she’d accomplished a hell of a lot more than she actually had. She smoothed her clothes and stepped toward me like everything between us had suddenly been fixed.

“See?” she started. “I knew you still—”

“Whoa.” I held up my hand. “Don’t do that.”

Her smile disappeared. “Do what?”

“Turn what just happened into some relationship shit.”

“Rome, we just—”

“You did that bullshit on your own. I ain’t ask you for shit.” I fixed my clothes and reached for the paperwork on my desk, dismissing her with a shrug. “But thank you.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Very.”

“So that’s it?”

“That was it before you walked in here.”

Her face hardened. “Then why did you let me?”

I looked at her. “Because I made a bad decision for a few minutes. Doesn’t mean I forgot what you did.”

The anger slipped just enough for hurt to show underneath.

“You really don’t give a fuck about me anymore.”

“I gave a fuck about you when it mattered.”