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Though I wasn’t sure it’d have the same effect on him, I wanted to try to give him back a bit of what he gave me. “It’s the same for me with the both of you.”
“Good.”
From that point forward, Banks and I shifted our conversation. He talked with me about his family, and I’d shared more with him about my mom, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. I even told him about Tabitha, too.
I enjoyed getting to know him better, and I loved how engaged and interested he seemed to be whenever I was speaking about the people who were important to me.
It was nice, easily the best conversation I’d had in months. But eventually, it had to end.
“It’s getting late, and Rhys will be up before you know it,” Banks finally said.
“Yeah, I’m a bit wiped out from today, but I enjoyed talking with you tonight. It was so nice, I didn’t even finish my coffee,” I told him as I leaned forward to lift it off the coffee table before standing up.
As I moved to round the table, my foot hit the edge of it, and I clutched the mug in my hands. The remainder of the coffee spilled down the front of my shirt. This had to be a joke.
“Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?” Banks was immediately attempting to assess me, concern littering his features.
“You mean, other than being completely humiliated right now?” I asked before shaking my head with a laugh. “Nope. I’m physically fine.”
Banks relaxed, smiled, and jerked his headin the opposite direction. “Come on. I’ll get you a clean shirt to wear to bed.”
I licked my lips and allowed my chin to fall slightly in acknowledgment, but I was nervous. Was he going to give me one of Violet’s shirts? I didn’t think I could handle that.
We made it upstairs, and at the entrance to the guest bedroom, Banks declared, “I’ll be right back.”
I stood there, unmoving, watching as he walked toward his bedroom and waiting for him to return. When he came back, he held out a shirt and said, “This is one of mine, but it should do the trick.”
As relieved as I was that he hadn’t handed me one of Violet’s shirts, there was another part of me wondering if I could put another man’s T-shirt on. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“I don’t think so.”
His eyes roamed over my face for a long time. This felt like one of the more intimate moments I’d had with him. I mean, we were standing this close together just outside of the guest bedroom after he’d given me one of his shirts to wear to bed. What would happen next? Would he just turn around and walk away? Would he give me a hug before heading to his room? Or, given the way he was searching my face, was it possible he’d do something completely crazy and kiss me? And if he did that, would I kiss him back?
Following a brief stretch of silence, one filled with far too many nerve-wracking thoughts, he said softly, “Goodnight, Lamise.”
I let out a small sigh of relief. Offering a friendly and appreciative smile in return, I whispered my response. “Goodnight, Banks.”
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Banks turned and walked back to his room. The moment he disappeared behind the door, I entered the guest bedroom, took a look around, and pulled off my wet, coffee-stained shirt. Then I slipped Banks’s shirt over my head, climbed into bed, and shut out the light.
I was exhausted from all that had happened from the minute I woke up, so it was no surprise I fell asleep quickly. Though, it could have also been because I had the scent of Banks wrapped around me, pulling me under.
SIXTEEN
Banks
I wasn’t prepared for it.
I’d woken up earlier than usual on Saturday morning, and within minutes, I found myself descending the stairs.
There was something moving through my body, refusing to be ignored. It felt like excitement and anticipation. Though there wasn’t one specific event I was particularly enthusiastic about, I was well aware the feelings were the result of her being here.
Lamise.
Nothing about her had been anything like I’d expected, and with every moment I spent with her, I was growing more and more fond of her.
Fond wasn’t even the correct word for it. I knew it. It was just that I couldn’t seem to bring myself to say the right word—attracted.
