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Something came over me, and I couldn’t stop myself. I moved toward Lamise, wrapped both arms around her, andhugged her. The instant I felt her arms around me, I let out a deep sigh.
God, it felt good.
“You have no idea how special you are,” I told her. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Lamise’s arms tightened. “I feel the same way about the two of you.”
Though I didn’t want to, I eventually loosened my hold on her, looked her in the eyes, and felt the rapid beat of my heart. “I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything. My mind has been?—”
“It’s okay, Banks. I wasn’t expecting anything. Rhys and I had some time today, and we decided to do a fun project.”
She was standing so close. I wanted to wrap her in my arms again, because I liked the way it felt too much.
Shaking my head, I replied, “No. You planned this, because I don’t have construction paper anywhere in this house. Don’t diminish what you did, because you don’t want me to feel bad. I do, and I want to make it up to you. Would you allow Rhys and me to make dinner for you on Saturday night?”
“That’s not necessary,” she insisted.
I smiled at her, noting the sweet look on her face that said the opposite of what her words had. She wanted the time together as much as I did, but she was struggling to commit. I couldn’t say I didn’t understand her hesitancy. This was new territory for the both of us. “I know. But we want to.”
She thought on it for a few seconds, and eventually, she agreed, “Okay. I’d love to have dinner with the both of you on Saturday.”
I smiled at her. “Good.”
“Speaking of dinner, I did make some, and I figuredI’d just double it, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it if you got home late. I hope that’s okay,” she said.
“Talk about something being not necessary,” I muttered. “Thank you, Lamise. I appreciate you doing that.”
“You’re welcome. I should probably get going, so you can eat and get to bed. I’ll be back here in the morning.”
Was it wrong that I didn’t want her to go?
My eyes were pleading with hers when I begged, “Please be careful driving home. Again, I’m so sorry it’s so late.”
“I will be. Don’t worry about it.”
Not even three minutes later, I closed the door after Lamise pulled away. Then I walked to the kitchen and ate the delicious dinner she’d made while I stared at the project she’d done with Rhys to give to me for Valentine’s Day.
I didn’t know if it was going to be possible, but I knew I had to try to find a way to make her feel what she’d made me feel tonight.
FOURTEEN
Lamise
This was not the time to freeze.
I was already running late, since I’d gotten myself so worked up and excited last night and struggled to fall asleep.
It wasn’t really my fault, though.
I never expected Banks to ask me to join him and Rhys for dinner on Saturday. When I came up with the idea to do a Valentine’s Day project with Rhys, so Banks could have something special from his son on his first Valentine’s Day as a father, I never did it with the intention of making him feel bad or even obligated.
Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t excited about the way Banks responded. Not only had the invite to dinner made me feel happy, it was probably the immediate reaction Banks had to the project I’d done with Rhys that left me feeling so out of sorts last night.
The way he got emotional, unable to stop himself from moving close and hugging me tight. It caught me off guard,but it felt so nice, too. It was the third time he’d hugged me, but only the second time he’d done it with both arms around me.
And every time he did it, I couldn’t ignore how much I liked the way it felt. Part of me wanted to tell myself that it was merely because hugs from Banks were the first hugs from a man I’d received since Graham. Sure, my mom, my sister, and Tabitha had hugged me. But it wasn’t the same.
I’d spent entirely too much time last night thinking about how much I liked the way it felt to be in his arms, the reaction he had to the art project, and the invitation to dinner that I found it difficult to find sleep.
