Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
Checking into the El Governor Beach Resort is seamless.
The understated but very clean corner room has two windows that provide beautiful views of the beach.
It’s also full of amenities. For their short two day stay, they have everything they need: a full kitchen, stocked with a Keurig and dinnerware, a steam iron and ironing board, and a hair dryer.
After taking quick showers and changing, they rush to the restaurant and are seated with time to spare.
The restaurant closes in thirty minutes.
“Is this our thing?” she asks as she gets comfortable in their booth.
“What?” he asks.
“Arriving at restaurants right before closing.” She smirks.
“I’d like to think our thing is what we’re going to do after strategizing tonight,” he counters with a sexy but salacious ass look. His eyes narrow on her with a slight curve of his lips.
Why is he so damn sexy?
“Well, that too,” she admits, blushing slightly.
It’s been practically forever since she felt this comfortable, at ease, and dare she say giddy, around a man.
The conundrum that she’s fully accepting is that this one is a killer though.
A protective and caring killer who’s going to kill for her.
“Definitely that,” she gushes as she latches her arm around his, basking in his comforting aura.
The Brick Wall Sports Bar so don’t even sweat it.”
“I got it.”
“Hit me if you need anything.”
“Just a car to drive to the dance,” he says and Akeem hears the smirk in his tone.
“Get a license first,” Akeem says with a chuckle.
“I’m gon’ get it. You’ll see. I gotta go, Pops. My project’s due tomorrow and I gotta finish my presentation.”
“Handle that and let me know when you ask yo’ girl. I love you, son.”
“Love ya too, Pops.”
Akeem slides his phone back into his pocket then reenters the restaurant.
As he approaches their booth, he notices Sunjiya on her phone.
Their eyes lock and a second later, her cell is away from her ear on the table.
It dawns on him that she’s never been on her phone.
Aside from when they were trying to reach Honey, her phone has been dry.
She doesn’t have family, but what about friends?
The thought stays heavy on his mind as he walks in and materializes into words as soon as he rejoins her in the booth.
“Everything good?” he asks and she counters with her own question.
“I was about to ask you that. Is he okay?” she asks.
“Yeah. Quise is straight but what about you. Your call?”
“Oh. Un uhn. No. That was a telemarketer. I only answered hoping it might be Honey or something. That was nothing,” she says dismissively while adamantly shaking her head.
Before he can say anything else, the server returns with a large tray filled with their food. Gingerly, she places their food and condiments on the table along with utensils rolled in cloth napkins.
“Do you need anything else?” the server asks. Both Akeem and Sunjiya examine their food. Everything looks delicious and the steam coming off the plates indicates it’s fresh off the grill.
Pleased, they answer, “No thank you” in unison.
When the server strolls off, Sunjiya speaks before he can. “Mmm, this looks and smells too good. You want a shrimp?” she asks.
It takes him a moment to respond because truthfully he wants to talk about her dry phone, that call, or even her life in Atlanta.
They’ve been having full conversations but after running through those talks in his mind, one thing becomes very apparent.
They have been one-sided. He’s done most of the sharing.
Besides the limited intel Axton gathered on her, Akeem really doesn’t know much of her life in Atlanta.
“Nah. This is good,” he utters before saying a quick, silent prayer over his food. Not able to dismiss his thoughts, he says, “Your phone never rings. With you being away from your crib and city, I would think that shit would be blowing up.”
Her head tilts in his direction and her eyebrows are peaked. She squints then relaxes. After pursing her lips, she asks matter of factly, “Really? I hadn’t paid that any attention. Plus, you just gave my phone back.”
“True but it didn’t ring when I had it either,” he counters.
With a wry smile, she says, “Not all women stay glued to their phones. It’s not me. I’d rather participate in life than miss things because I’m caught up in a cell phone.” She hooks her arm around his then rests her head on him. “Eat. They are about to close anyway,” she encourages.
He accepts her answer for now but he’s really curious to know more about the woman he’s developing feelings for. The fact that she’s been able to capture his interest so damn fast makes him want to know more, all he can, about her.
After pecking his arm, she releases it and starts her salad.
He bites into his delicious but big as hell pulled pork sandwich.
Their conversation is choppy and lacks substance as they eat.
Their small exchanges focus on the food, their drinks, and the people in the restaurant.
The twenty-minute ride back to the hotel isn’t much better and Sunjiya resolves to ease the obvious tension the moment they are back in the room.
“The seafood scent is all over me,” she says with a titter. Then she pulls her shirt over her head and tosses it toward him. He catches it. “Come shower with me so I can get it off,” she says suggestively before heading into the bathroom.
He’s right on her heels as soon as he kicks out of his shoes.
When he enters the bathroom, the shower is running and her beautiful body is on full display.
Before stepping toward her, he takes a moment to take in every inch of her cocoa butter smooth skin.
His eyes trail from her intriguing eyes to her perfect, perky breasts down her soft belly to her sweet tasting pussy, thighs, and pretty ass feet.
Sunjiya is fucking perfection standing here looking at him with the same intensity in her eyes.
They want each other.