Chapter 7 #2
“We were together, but our relationship wasn’t authentic. Routine turned into a relationship. I had love for her, but her presence or absence never made me feel the way a man should when he’s in love. I’m a loyal nigga by nature, so I never stepped out on her. I also never stepped up.”
“Then why did you pick me? You already proved you don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust anyone I don’t know.”
“Then get to know me.”
“I know you. You’re ambitious, you’re a lover, though you pretend to be a hardbody. You’re smart as hell, but you’re also impulsive. Your sense of humor makes me find humor in things I wouldn’t usually believe are funny. Your past dictates how you move, but your faith keeps you resilient.”
Wide eyed, I stared at Neptune like he told me things about myself I didn’t know.
“Don’t look so surprised. When a man wants to do something, he does, and when a man wants to learn something or someone, he studies,” he explained.
“Even fifty years from now, there will still be new things to learn about you. I just want to make sure you’re around to teach me.
” He glanced at me. “I came up here because I missed you. I had a long day, and all I could think about was being with you. Your hair turned out pretty.”
“Thanks. I had to do something with myself. Work has been kicking my ass, and I am exhausted with trying to speak with Junior about my potions as you call ’em.”
“Sounds like you’re overextending yourself to help someone else make money when you could make millions for yourself.”
“That’s an idea, but I don’t want to be in the streets alone. I want to do this with my family.”
I sat back and asked no more questions when Neptune got on the freeway.
Every few seconds, I glanced at him, admiring how good my driver looked in a khaki button-down and black jeans.
He exchanged his gold chains for diamonds, and a fitted hat protected his low cut.
Less than twenty minutes ago, I was setting boundaries, and now, all I could think about was being under his skin again.
My lusting was the reason I kept my distance.
When I was around him, I wanted him inside of me.
“Why you keep looking at me?” he asked without taking his eyes off the road.
“Just thinking.” He bobbed his head, ushering my thoughts from my lips. “Is the job you do now your end goal?”
“The plan has always been for me to take my father’s place in the family business once he retires. When I get old, my son will do the same.”
A proud tone carried Neptune’s statement. Even at twenty-seven, I hadn’t decided if I wanted kids, but I enjoyed hearing Neptune speak of his future.
“Family business,” I muttered. “Just be sure to offer your daughter the same luxuries as your son.”
“My daughter won’t have to work, but if she chooses to, her options are endless. The same goes for her mama.”
The air in the car got thin when Neptune stopped in the middle of the road then pressed his voluptuous lips against mine.
Instead of grabbing my neck, he stroked the side of my face.
A moan pushed from my throat, and my digits slipped up his face until they became lost in his facial hair.
From slow, deliberate pecks to a tongue kiss, Neptune and I carried on like we weren’t halting traffic.
Honk! Honk!
My eyes sprang open. I smiled against Neptune’s lips when he stuck his hand out the window and flipped off the driver behind us.
“Kitty, I don’t know what we’re doing, but I like it. I like you. I like having you in my presence, but I won’t pretend like I don’t like you on my dick too.”
My cheeks grew hot. “The cars are honking.”
“Is that more important than what I’m saying to you?”
I shook my head.
“Exactly. Fuck them. They can wait.” He reached for my hand, then slipped his fingers between mine.
“You really want this problem, Kitty? I love hard. I don’t like to share, and I like my space as much as I like attention.
My lifestyle is unpredictable, and the casino can get hectic. You think you ready for all that?”
“If that’s what comes with loving you, I’m not afraid. I come with shit that you’ll have to deal with too.”
Our lips collided again, birthing more disruption from annoyed drivers waiting for us to move.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel like I only wanted one thing from you, Kitty, but I can’t do better if I don’t know where I went wrong. I don’t like being ignored, so don’t do that to me. You got me?”
“As long as you got me. When are we getting back to your part of the agreement? You said you were going to train my mind, my body, and my soul.”
“You right. We hit the boxing ring, so how does an escape room sound? That’ll work your mind.”
“It sounds like the type of trouble I want to get into, but not today. Those rooms are hot, and I don’t want to sweat out my hair.”
“All right. Tell me what I can do to make Kitty purr?”
I fluttered my lashes. “Mm. Take me on a plant date.”
“Plant date?”
“Yeah. I need a few things. I know a guy that orders exotic flowers and plants. I planned to visit his shop this weekend, but since you and your wallet showed up, I don’t mind going today.”
Neptune let up off his brakes as he nodded. “You got it. Put the address into the GPS.”
I sat back and enjoyed being a passenger princess while Neptune sped through traffic like he hadn’t caused it.
We got to Philly’s plant shop a few minutes after seven. Though the spunky man sold poisonous plants, he also sold beautiful, non-toxic arrangements that kept his shop busy. I stood near the exit until I caught Philly’s attention, and when the slender man spotted me, he waved me to a backroom.
“Hey, Kannon! It’s good to see you.” He glanced at the large man at my side. “You brought a friend with you?”
Neptune stepped forward. “I’m not her friend. I’m her nigga. Show us the good shit.”
I squeezed Neptune’s hand, hinting for him to chill, but the gesture didn’t soften his stance. I was grateful that Philly seemed more amused than offended by Neptune’s tone. Some flowers Philly sold were almost impossible to get through customs, and I couldn’t lose my plug.
“Kannon, you know the rules,” Philly stated. “Wash your hands, wear goggles, and make sure you close any box you open.”
Neptune’s head jerked back. “You make it sound like she’s about to perform surgery.”
“If you don’t handle the plants with proper care, not even surgery can save you,” I replied.
On my tippy toes, I bounced over to the prep station with Neptune on my heels.
We washed our hands with an anti-bacterial soap, then I helped the curious man find gloves that fit his large hands.
His eyes lit up when we entered one of my favorite places in the world.
The room was chilly and looked like a laboratory with clear boxes of various sizes lining the walls.
A bulb that mimicked natural light highlighted some plants and flowers while others were settled in the darkness.
When I stepped further into the room, I turned around to find Neptune about to sniff a toxic plant.
“Put that back!” I screamed before he could put the pot to his nose. “You’re like a bad-ass kid coming in here touching stuff.”
“Woman, I know how to act.”
“Barely.” I snickered.
“All right. Teach me something, Kitty Kat.”
Neptune’s request was music to my ears. The chance to welcome him into my world refueled my depleted energy. So many times, I tried to show my family things I was into, but they were dismissive. They believed guns and knives were all the weapons they needed.
We spent forty-five minutes in the private room. I explained how rosy periwinkles helped with diabetes, then I showed Neptune one of the most beautiful but deadly flowers in the world. He asked questions after every lesson and grew hyped when I helped him handle a foxglove.
“I told you the first night we met, you’ve got beauty and brains. Have you ever thought about expanding your talents and using oil from the flowers for perfume?”
“Actually, I haven’t.”
He leaned down and softly bumped his shoulder against mine. “See, you were trying to get rid of me, and I’m helping you with your brand. What else can you make out of flowers and herbs? You can start a million-dollar business, baby.”
“Tea,” I said softly. “Even today, I use willow bark and herbs to make tea. It helps ease the headache I typically get after I have a seizure. Wait.” I shook my head. “I’m talking too much.”
“Nah, you haven’t said enough. How long have you had seizures?”
“My doctor diagnosed me with epilepsy a couple of years after my mom passed. After she left me alone, I had panic attacks, and they spiraled into more.”
A silent spell and heavy energy made me glance up at Neptune. His expression was unreadable, leaving me to wonder. I wondered if Neptune thought I was a liability. I worried he would want to lock me away like other people in my life.
“Why didn’t you tell me before, Kannon?”
“I didn’t feel safe enough. I didn’t want my condition to change how you view me.”
“If I ever looked at you differently, that wouldn’t be the reason. How often do you have them?”
“They’re unpredictable. The last one was about a year ago.”
He caressed his beard and nodded, as if taking in my confession. “I appreciate you telling me. You don’t owe me shit, but you’re allowing me to know you beyond what I see on the surface. I don’t take that lightly.”
When Neptune’s phone went off for the third time since we arrived, he growled like a disturbed animal.
“Are you sure you don’t need to answer?”
“It’s nobody more important than you are right now. If it was an emergency, my cousins know how to get my attention.”
I stared at him skeptically. “Is everything all right? Is everything okay at the casino?”
“Yeah,” he answered, too fast for me to believe.
“Tell me the truth, Neptune.”
“The only thing you need to worry about is how you’re going to tell your family you love a Sinner.”
I snickered at the loaded statement. “I don’t need their approval. They dictate enough of what I do. They don’t get to choose who I love.”
Neptune’s tongue swept over his teeth. “That’s how you feel, Kitty?”
“I do, and that’s why I separated myself from you. We’ve been around each other for less than three months, but I know what’s happening. I can feel it, and I couldn’t stand to go further if I wasn’t going far with you.”
His gold grill shined when he smiled so hard that his eyes got low. “It sounds like you finally accepted your fate.”
“Gladly. Besides, something tells me I wouldn’t have been able to get away from you anyway.”
Neptune smooched at my lips. “As long as you know it. Now, let’s go pay for your new pieces so you can take me to your spot. I want to see where you mix your potions.”