Chapter 3
“Hello. We need a book that will teach my baby how to be the best mother in the world. I’m so excited that she is finally having my first grandchild.”
“Um—Um-uh—”
“Don’t worry, the father is also fourteen, so Jessa is gonna be just fine.”
My eyes flicker as I attempt to process the young girl standing before me with a protruding stomach and a clueless mother. My mind is scrambling with less than professional thoughts as silence ensues.
“Hey, sweet face, let me help you. There is a boatload of books available. Right this way,” Tracy singsongs in the voice she uses when her professionalism is needed.
“Thank you. I’m not sure why I didn’t just walk up and down the aisles until I found what I needed instead of bothering you all.” The mom’s voice fades the further away Tracy leads the pair from where I’m standing rooted to the spot I’m in behind the counter.
Thank goodness for Tracy, my assistant and best friend since we were wee high to a grasshopper, or I might have lost a customer.
As the owner of Echoes of Kyelle, I must always stay in business mode, and seeing a child in what looks to be the third trimester of pregnancy has me ready to slap somebody.
While her mother doesn’t have to act or pretend to be ashamed, I didn’t expect her to be as giddy as she was.
It’s almost like she begged her daughter to—
“Thank you so much. We’ll take all of these and get out your hair.
I need to get Jessa off her feet before they swell.
We’ve been running around all day, and I know they’ll be looking like hooves if she doesn’t sit down soon.
My word,” the pregnant girl’s mother gushes in a high-pitched tone that grates my nerves.
“Mammie, you’re embarrassing me. Hush now,” the girl says in a whiny tone, and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes.
Wordlessly, I ring up their items in record time so they can exit my place of business expeditiously. The heat filling my neck and tingles in my left hand let me know that my ability to keep it cute is waning.
“Have a nice day,” I say, plastering on a fake smile as the mother grabs the bag before looping her arm with her child’s as they make their exit.
My eyes are stuck as my head unconsciously shakes, and my chest tightens with a dull ache from the sight before me.
“Chile, the caucacity of it all is mind-boggling for me. Did that Lucy Goosey tramp seem overly cheery about her young ass—”
“My heart breaks for that child and the unborn baby who I pray is a boy so teen pregnancy can be broken at birth.” My eyes haven’t moved from the door despite no longer being able to see the two customers.
“Tuh, no gender is safe in that family. His grandmama will be practically standing at the end of his bed at thirteen instructing him on how to deep stroke the pussy he’s sliding into,” Tracy says.
Disconnecting my gaze from the door, I look at Tracy, who smirks before shrugging and resuming her place beside me behind the counter.
“Jesus, fix it!” Shaking my head, I wipe the counter as if the woman had left something on it. I don’t want other customers to pick up.
“They sure don—Oh my God!” Tracy begins before her tone heightens, causing me to look at the door again.
“Oh my goodness. It’s so pretty. Ain’t it pretty, Daddy?” A little girl with smooth mahogany skin, hair full of braids with clear beads, and wearing a gray short set is walking into the entrance accompanied by a man with the same skin tone.
Neither of them has acknowledged me or Tracy behind the counter due to the girl’s wide eyes roaming around the bookstore.
“We’ve hit the jackpot, bestie,” Tracy whispers.
At the same time, the man’s gaze connects with mine, and time stands still upon seeing his mesmerizing hazel eyes.
Tingles spread over my body, and my tongue unconsciously swipes over my dry lips.
Heat runs up and down my back, and I fight the urge to shift from left to right.
The intensity of his gaze has everything fading into the background leaving me struggling to breathe easily.
“Welcome to Echoes of Kyelle.” Tracy’s greeting sounds distant and foreign to my ears as my eyes take in the man moving toward the counter.
“We-welcome to Echoes of Kyelle. My name is K-Kyelle,” I squeak before feeling a nudge from Tracy, forcing me to disconnect from the entrapment of the man’s eyes. “Huh?”
“I said that already. Are you okay?” Tracy asks.
“Hi. I’m Mica, and this is my daddy. He’s a football player. Can you guess who he is?” The little girl introduces herself and her father, preventing me from answering Tracy.
Fine!
My mind echoes a name as Tracy begins speaking to confirm my inner declaration.
“Yes, ma’am. This is Columbus Bobcats’ own . . . Kaeden Evans,” Tracy gushes.
“Yep. That’s my daddy,” Mica confirms.
My eyes rake over Kaeden as my lips become stuck, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
Kaeden is just slightly over six feet, and his body is giving heaven made.
Up close, the gold specks in Kaeden’s eyes seem to sparkle despite the intense stare down between us.
Kaeden is ruggedly handsome with a low-cut Caesar waved up like nobody’s business.
He has a nicely cut full beard and a body that God himself designed.
Kaeden Evans is beyond fine, and my pearl is weeping like a newborn kitten searching for milk.
“Daddy! Uh, Daddy,” Mica shouts, shaking Kaeden and me out of our trance.
“Yes, Cupcake.” The deep yet husky baritone of Kaeden’s voice causes me to shift slightly when my pearl squeezes involuntarily.
“Ask about my books, please,” Mica pleads.
“I got you, Cupcake.” Kaeden smiles at his daughter, and my heart sputters as my heart rate increases when his eyes return to me. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Kyelle. As my daughter has already said, I’m Kaeden. You have a nice place here.”
“Daddy,” Mica whines, but my focus is solely on her father who doesn’t break eye contact with me while addressing his antsy daughter.
“Alright. Hold tight, Cupcake. Sorry about that, Ms. Kyelle. It seems that my baby is looking for a book by Katrina Anderson. She has one but has been searching for another one. She has been begging me to bring her to your place because her friends are raving about it.” My eyes are watching Kaeden’s lips move as visions of him talking me through pushing in and out of me invade my mind.
Silence enters the room, and I can hear the cadence of my heart beating in my chest for countless seconds. A smirk upturns Kaeden’s lips before he speaks again.
“Do you have it, Ms. Kyelle?”
Baby, I have whatever you want as long as you’re calling me Ms. Kyelle, just like that.
“Kyelle!” Tracy’s voice cuts into my mind, and my eyes blink before I turn toward her. “Did you hear the title?”
“Um—I’m sorry. Can you tell me the title again?” I ask Kaeden, moving the mouse around to bring up the computer to return to a semblance of a business mindset.
Get your shit together, Kyelle. Damn. Drooling in front of not only this man but his daughter is diabolical.
“Anytime. It’s My Melanin is Magic by Katrina Anderson. It’s a few years old, but most big-name bookstores don’t carry it. I’m hoping you do since you’re one of us,” Kaeden tells me, showcasing his pearly white teeth as I begin typing in the information.
“Oh, shoot. I don’t have it. But I will order it and a few others I’m sure Ms. Mica would love. If you can give me your phone number, I’ll send you a message once they’re here, and you can come back to pick them up. Or send someone if you—”
“No worries. I’ll pick them up personally. Grab your phone and I’ll give you my number,” Kaeden says.
My heart rate and pulse increases upon hearing Kaeden’s request, because I hadn’t meant to imply that we exchange personal numbers. I was gonna send the message from the bookstore’s business line.
“Here’s your phone, Ms. Kyelle,” Tracy says in a syrupy tone, extending my phone toward me, catching me off guard because I hadn’t been aware of her moving.
“Perfect. Let me know when you’re ready for the number,” Kaeden says, smiling, which causes warmth to stretch across my chest.
With shaky fingers, I unlock my phone and bring up a new contact before my gaze returns to Kaeden’s awaiting eyes. “Re-ready.”
“Alright, it’s 380-203-8282,” Kaeden recites without hesitation as my fingers shakily glide over the keys to store his number. “Send me a quick message so I won’t ignore the unsaved number later.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I type a quick message and hit send.
Me:
This is Kyelle. The owner of Echoes of Kyelle.
“I got you, Ms. Kyelle. We’re gonna head out, but you have my number.
I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you.
” With that, Kaeden slowly backs away from the counter before his eyes disconnect from mine to look at his daughter.
“Alright, Cupcake. Now that we have that taken care of, I think we’re ready to head to the crib. ”
“Me too. I need a nap, Daddy.” Mica co-signs before waving at me and Tracy as she places her hand inside Kaeden’s while heading toward the exit.
As my eyes follow the two people walking toward the front door this time, my chest tightens and releases with every step Kaeden takes away from me.
My bottom lip is between my teeth, and my body begins to chill, causing me to run my hands up and down my arms. Just before walking through the door, Kaeden turns to look over his shoulder, increasing my heart rate again.
“Nice meeting you, Ms. Kyelle. See you soon.” With that, he leads his daughter out of the bookstore as I release my arms, and my body helplessly falls forward on the counter.
“Damn. That was the sexiest fucking exchange I’ve witnessed in a long time. Are you cool, bestie?” Tracy asks, rubbing my back.
All I have the strength to do is shake my head as my entire exchange with Kaeden plays on repeat. My body is hypersensitive, and the urge to run to my office to release the buildup in my lower region begins to take shape in my mind.
“I have never seen you so tongue-tied, girl. I was a little starstruck, but oddly, I didn’t have to be because that man only had eyes for you. It was like me and his daughter weren’t standing here like two fools while y’all eye fucked each other. You got me wanting to go home and jump on Curtis.”
A bubble of laughter escapes my mouth at hearing Tracy’s last statement, which gives me enough energy to push up from the counter to look at her. “Girl, if you don’t get you a real man and stop humping the half-man, half dick, I’m gonna report you.”
Like me, Tracy is single, but I’m a vibrator girlie where my bestie goes hard for the sex toys she purchases.
Two months ago, she dragged me to the sex store so she could buy the lower half of the male anatomy.
She tried to get me to buy one, too, but something about riding that fake thing had me dry heaving.
I ain’t that desperate for an orgasm. But after encountering Kaeden Evans, I’m pretty sure I’ll be getting off with my vibrator within an hour of arriving home this evening.
Just remembering Kaeden’s voice can have me detonating on the ride home. My God, that was a sexy man.