Chapter 13
Tiana exhaled a long breath as she sat down in front of her computer.
Her last student just left after her final class, and she was going to try and catch up on some paperwork.
The day had been filled with people trying to get tea on her and Niko’s “relationship” and her ex being in town.
Those were the two topics that everyone wanted to discuss.
It had taken up valuable time, and she hadn’t been able to call a locksmith.
Or maybe she had, and that was just an excuse.
Maybe this was the equivalent of “if he wanted to, he would.” If she’d wanted to call a locksmith, she would have.
When she wasn’t warding off gossip swarming around her with an invisible polite-M-Y-O-B fly swatter, her mind kept playing back the conversation she’d had with Niko about being a foster parent.
She’d never met a man who said he was interested in fostering.
It was something she’d always wanted to do when she was in a place in her life where it was viable.
She assumed it wouldn’t be until she was in her forties.
She’d stressed herself out to the point of having panic attacks thinking about how she’d explain to a partner that it was something she felt she had to do.
Niko made it sound so simple, like it was the most logical thing in the world to do. “There are amazing kids in the system, and they need families and people that love them just as much as anyone else. Maybe even more.”
Forcing herself to put Niko, and his perfect views, perfect body, and perfect kisses, out of her mind, she pulled up her online sales.
Today was a good day. Karina shouting her out the night before during the Christmas tree lighting had gone semi-viral because she and Ryan hadn’t performed together in so long.
It had been shared a ton on social media and her online sales for holiday merch had skyrocketed.
She had sold out of her Namaste for the Holidays hoodie and her I’ll be Om Sweet Om for Christmas tees.
She could use it too, because she’d received a message from Dr. Best asking if she could come in the following afternoon to go over some test results.
If he needed to see her in person, that meant his medication was changing or worse.
There was a surgery that Dr. Best had tried to get approved, but due to Pops’ age, Medicare did not deem him a viable candidate, but Dr. Best felt he needed it and that he was a viable candidate.
Tiana had gotten two other opinions, and they’d both agreed with Dr. Best, but even with their recommendations, the surgery was still declined.
So that meant Tiana would need to come up with the money.
She tried not to panic. All she could control was the present. And having a breakdown was not going to help Pops.
She’d just closed her screen when there was a knock on the door.
She jumped, and her heart lodged in her throat.
Brock. She hadn’t heard anything about the flowers.
He wasn’t one to send a ‘gift’ and not follow up.
She’d checked to make sure he hadn’t stopped by Golden Years.
So far, so good. But that meant there was a good chance he could be just outside the door.
When she stood, she felt herself trembling.
Her entire body was on high alert as she walked around the counter.
Tiana’s breath snagged in her throat as she approached the lobby, every muscle in her body strung tight.
The knock had sounded gentle, not forceful, but she knew too well how easily a wolf could slip on sheep’s clothing.
For a moment she considered ducking into the back storeroom, but she’d promised herself she would not let Brock dictate anything in her life, not ever again.
She squared her shoulders, wiped sweat from her palms onto her leggings, and advanced on the door, feigning a sense of peace she didn’t feel.
The light from the street lamps slanted through the front windows, dust motes swirling like tiny confetti in the golden glow.
Tiana’s heart hammered so loudly she was certain whoever stood outside could hear it.
She slowed as she rounded the corner, the thump of her pulse echoing in her ears.
The glass door, which was still foggy from the humidity inside, obscured the features of the figure outside.
Was it Brock? His frame was tall and broad enough.
But as she drew nearer, the shadow on the other side of the door resolved into something that made her pulse stutter for an entirely different reason.
It was Niko, hands buried in the deep pockets of his parka, the one she’d worn the night before, a gray beanie pulled low over his forehead, and a charcoal scarf bundled tight around his neck.
He rocked back on his heels, breath fogging the glass as he glanced up at the sign above the door.
All the tension in Tiana’s body dissipated at once, replaced by a surge of warmth so powerful she had to steady herself on the reception desk.
A rush of tingling energy leapt from her scalp to her fingers, and she grinned before she could stop herself.
For once, the universe had delivered the right person to her doorstep.
She unlocked the bolt and swung it open.
The blast of cold mountain air made her shiver, but Niko’s smile—quick, crooked, and edging on bad-boy—made her feel like she was standing in front of a radiant space heater.
When he walked into a room, the atmosphere shifted.
The scent of cedar, fresh detergent, and musk that was uniquely Niko filled the space, as did his essence.
They stood there for a moment, in silence, both staring into each other’s eyes, and all Tiana could think about was how overwhelming to her senses Niko was.
He smelled so good. Looked so good. And she knew his lips and his arms would feel so good.
The air grew thick with the thrum of something electric between them.
“So,” Niko said, voice low, “how was your day?”
"Good. It was good. I had a ton of online sales, it had to be from Karina mentioning the studio.”
Niko nodded as he looked around, assessing the space. It unnerved her.
“Do you stream your classes for memberships?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I want to look into that, though. It’s in my three-year plan. I’m just really not technically savvy.”
“Luckily for you, your boyfriend’s twin is a technical genius.”
“Oh, yeah, AJ. Please don’t bother AJ, I’m sure he’s—”
“Bored. Yes, he is. He is very bored. He can’t take on any contracts until after the new year, when he’s officially out of the Air Force, so he’s basically just biding his time.
That’s one of the reasons he’s had time to work on Poppy’s house.
I went to see Lauren today to find out if there were any properties for us to flip. ”
“To flip?” she repeated.
“In college we flipped houses.”
“You did?” For some reason, she could not see the twins doing that work.
Not because they weren’t physically capable.
Both had bodies that rivaled Michael B. Jordan in Creed.
It was just that AJ was a cybersecurity specialist who she’d heard worked in the military for the CIA, and Niko didn’t seem like the hard labor type.
But then again, she barely knew the man.
“It was my backup plan if baseball didn’t pan out.”
“Did you…are you going to flip a house while you’re here?
” Tiana wasn’t sure why that thought made her happy.
Maybe it was because part of her thought that at any minute he was going to leave.
That despite him saying he was going to stick around, she felt like he was going to get a better offer and be gone.
Can you say abandonment issues?
“Lauren showed me a commercial property that was interesting.”
“Commercial?” Tiana repeated. When he said flipping, she’d assumed he meant residential.
Niko patted his hand against the wall. “This building actually.”
“This building?”
“Apparently the owner is having some financial issues.”
Was he? That would explain the rent hike.
“Who is the owner?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve only ever communicated through Lauren, who is acting as the property manager.”
Was Niko going to buy her building? If he did, would he flip it? Would he kick out the tenants? Her mind was racing with a million questions when her phone buzzed and she pulled it out. It was a message from Jenna.
Jenna: Where are you?!
“Oh shit!” Tiana cursed.
She quickly texted her friend back.
Tiana: Coming
“What?” Niko asked. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s, um, I have to go.” Tiana rushed around the counter and grabbed her coat, scarf, gloves, and tote. She couldn’t believe she’d totally blanked on her commitment.
“Okay. Where are we going?”
“Oh, you don’t…I have…” She headed to the door. “I’m part of a team for Quiz Night at JT’s bar.”
“Great, let’s go.”
“You want to go to Quiz Night at JT’s Bar?”
“I want to spend the evening hanging out with my girlfriend, who is on a quiz team at JTs.”
Tiana smiled and sighed. “No one is here. You don’t have to keep saying that.”
“Saying what?” he asked in faux ignorance.
“Saying my girlfriend and your boyfriend.”
“Why wouldn’t I say that?” His brow furrowed in mock confusion.
“Because I’m not—” She stopped herself when she realized what she was about to blurt out.
His smile widened, and the deep dimple that appeared on his right cheek caused her knees to go so weak. He stepped closer to her, leaned his head down, and his lips brushed the cusp of her ear as he whispered, “Damn, almost caught you slippin’.”
With that, he held the door open, and they walked out.
As he helped her into his SUV, she couldn’t help the smile that was pulling at her lips at the disappointment that she hadn’t said she wasn’t really his girlfriend, so it hadn’t given him the opportunity to execute a consequence kiss.
If she were being honest with herself, if he was disappointed, he wasn’t the only one.