AllFreeNovel
Share Us
TJ nodded, wiping his mouth with the napkin on the table. “I’m gonna go up and finish the reading assignment that’s due tomorrow. Thanks for coming over and playing the game with me.” TJ extended his hand to Bently who didn’t miss a beat as he slapped his palm against her brother’s, pulling it back before bumping his fist.
“Thanks for dinner, sis.” TJ leaned in and gave her a side hug.
“You’re welcome.”
The creak of the stairs was the only sound as TJ made his way up to his bedroom.
“That was honestly the best meal I think I’ve ever eaten. Mia’s tamales come in a close second.” Bently chuckled.
“How is she doing?”
“Good. Keeping Andre on his toes. They’re getting married in the spring.” Bently smiled.
So, he’d be the only bachelor left in his group of friends.
“Do you play video games often?” she asked.
Bently shrugged. “Never really had time to play much of anything.” He frowned as if he regretted the small confession. He shifted and tipped the beer bottle to his full lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
“Thank you for hanging out with TJ. He doesn’t have any grown men around him, and it means a lot that you take time for him. He doesn’t get much opportunity to play either.” She sipped her red wine.
He shrugged as if it wasn’t one of the greatest kindnesses anyone had ever shown them. “He’s a fun guy to hang out with. He’s pretty good at ball too. Why doesn’t he play for the school team? He’s like, scholarship good.”
She licked her lips and set her glass down. “He’s got some academic scholarships. He says he isn’t interested, that he’d rather double up on work and get the whole thing over with so he can start college early. He was a year behind when we got him enrolled in school again after his guardianship was transferred to me. He buckled down and surged ahead. That’s TJ for you. He’s focused and a hard worker. He tries to play it down, but he’s really smart and driven.”
“I can see that.” Bently nodded, watching her with rapt attention.
“Sometimes I wonder if I did something wrong. That maybe I put too much pressure on him, or he fed off my overachiever energy.”
Bently reached out his hand, his warm palm eclipsing hers. “I think that boy is so amazing because of everything you’ve done for him. Despite . . . everything . . . you got out. You changed both of your life courses for the better. There’s nothing to regret about that.”
She swallowed. He may not know everything about her past, but he’d hit the nail on the head. He saw her.
His finger traced the skin of her wrist, sending tantalizing swirls of arousal spinning through her. He abruptly pulled his hand away, ending the contact. He stood and walked over to the sink.
“You don’t have to do those.” She got up.
He turned back to her, switching on the water. “You cooked, I clean. Now put your feet up and tell me about that book you were reading.”
Her eyebrows rose. “My book?”
He nodded, squirting soap onto a sponge. “You seemed to be lost in another world while you read it. A million different expressions danced across that beautiful face as you turned the pages.”
“You were watching me read?”
“Hard to look away. Why do you think I lost so badly to your brother?” He chuckled.
Heat spread in her chest and rose to her cheeks. She was flattered and confused and awed by this man.
“What was it about?” he asked, elbows deep scrubbing her dishes.
Was it possible to combust internally? Sparks and shimmers, like warm rays of sunshine, blossomed beneath her rib cage.
He’d given her something so much more than a physical release tonight. He’d offered her what she craved most—connection. Even if he didn’t want it, how was she supposed to stop giving this man her heart?
Chapter 18
Bently
