Chapter 8
Some time later
I was in my office looking for a venue for a client when there was a knock at my office door. I didn’t have any clients scheduled to come by, and I knew it wasn’t Diamond, so I had no clue as to who it was.
“Come in,” I called out.
My stomach fluttered as Koda entered my office carrying a big gift basket and that sexy ass crooked smile.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” I asked as I stood from my desk.
Koda’s cologne filled the room as he strolled closer to me. He looked good as hell in an olive-green suit with a pair of green, black, and white sneakers.
When I got close to him, he put the basket down and pulled me toward his chest. He grabbed the front of my neck and pulled me closer.
He stared into my eyes before he laid his lips on mine.
With a slight tilt of my head, I opened my mouth to allow his tongue to enter.
Our tongues slowly wrestled with each other’s as his other hand roamed down to right above my butt, and my arms were around his waist. Koda kissed me so deeply that my knees got weak and I let out a low moan.
Both of our chests heaved once we separated from the kiss.
I could see the tent in Koda’s pants, and my mouth watered.
We hadn’t crossed that line yet, but I was ready for it whenever it happened.
I actually liked that he wasn’t trying to rush into sex, but I thought about it often.
Everything about Koda was sexy. The way he walked, talked, dressed, and smelled.
The tattoos that covered his body, including the one on his face, made him even sexier.
“To answer your question, I haven’t seen you in a few days, and I miss you,” he said as he nuzzled his head in the crook of my neck. “I can’t move yet because my dick is hard as a brick right now.” Koda chuckled, then kissed my neck.
“I’ve missed you too. I thought you had meetings all day.”
“I did. I still have a couple of more, but they can wait until I get there. I had to lay eyes on your pretty ass.”
He finally lifted his head and gazed into my eyes. I ran my fingers through his beard, and he briefly closed his eyes for a second.
“Ava, I just got my dick to cooperate, and here you are trying to wake him up again.”
One day while Koda and I were spending time with each other, I ran my fingers through his beard and realized that it was a turn-on for him. He also informed me it was relaxing as well.
“Sorry.” I didn’t drop my hand, though. I loved running my fingers through his beard.
We stayed that way for a moment, just breathing in each other’s scents and air.
Koda stepped back a little but kept his hands around my waist.
“I noticed you have on a little color today.” He smiled as he looked at my shirt.
“I do.”
I woke up and decided that it was time for me to stop living in the dark so much. My pants and blazer were black, but I wore a yellow shirt with it. The dark colors represented how I felt, but since Koda came into my life, I’d been happier, so it was time to add some color back to my wardrobe.
“It looks good on you.” He pecked my lips, then released me. “Let me show you what I got for you.” He grabbed the basket and held it in his arms. “It’s kind of heavy, though. I probably should have brought it to your house instead. I can put it in your car, if you want, before I leave.”
My eyes lit up as I noticed what was inside of it.
“Are those apples?”
“Yes. You never said if you had a favorite apple, so I got you multiple kinds. I also got you a big ass jar of peanut butter and a book I thought you might like.”
Water filled my eyes because this had to be the sweetest thing someone had done for me. Miles got me gifts all the time, but this gift was special because it was thoughtful. Koda remembered me saying that I ate apples and peanut butter every night, and he got some for me.
“Thank you,” I said as a tear slid down my cheek.
“Don’t cry, baby. I just wanted you to know that I think about you when you aren’t around.”
“These are happy tears. This was so sweet of you. What book did you get?”
Koda put the basket down but took the book out.
“It’s called The Loyal Wife by B. Love. I got myself a copy, too, so we can read it together.”
This man didn’t know how many points he’d just gained with me. If we were on that type of time, I would have dropped to my knees right there in my small office.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed all over his face.
“Thank you. You don’t understand how much this means to me. I can’t wait to start reading.”
Koda chuckled, then kissed my forehead. “We can read some together tonight.”
“Okay.”
He glanced at the watch on his wrist and let out a low groan.
“I don’t want to leave you, but I need to get to this meeting. I’ll call you later.” He pecked my lips. “Oh yeah, watch that nigga at the front desk. He acted like he had a problem when I said I was coming to your office.”
I rolled my eyes. “Harold is harmless. He’s been trying to talk to me since I got this space. I’m not interested.”
“I guess I’ll have to tell him myself that you are off-limits.”
I’d been renting an office in a building downtown for at least four years, and Harold tried to kick game at least once a week. Even when I was with Miles he tried, then he tried even harder once Miles died. He called himself trying to comfort me, but I truly wasn’t interested in him.
I ran my fingers through his beard and kissed him.
“Don’t worry about him.” I kissed him again.
“You know I’m licensed to carry, right? I’ll shoot his ass for real.”
I giggled, but I noticed the seriousness on Koda’s face and stopped.
“There’s no need. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home.”
“Okay.”
We shared another kiss, then I watched Koda stroll out of my office.
Koda asked me to give him a chance, and so far, he’d been doing good. I had absolutely no regrets.
I couldn’t help but keep a smile on my face for the rest of the day.
“Girl, this man came into my office with a basket of apples, peanut butter, and a book. Then had the nerve to kiss me so good my knees got weak. He wants to read the book together.” I gushed as Diamond and I walked through the mall.
“Okay, I like him. I haven’t seen you smile like this in a long time. And you have on yellow. You look fly, by the way.” Diamond smiled as she looked over my outfit.
“Things have been going well so far. I still think about Miles, but Koda is definitely making his mark.”
We walked into a clothing store because I wanted to get some shirts. The one I had on came in multiple colors, and I liked the way it fit, so I wanted more.
Diamond and I both liked to shop, so the mall was the perfect place for us to spend some time together. We both had been busy, so we hadn’t seen each other, but we still talked every day. It was different being in each other’s presence, though.
“Good. I love that for you. I’m glad you are giving yourself a chance to find happiness again. I’m proud of you.” We shared a quick hug, then went to look for the shirt I wanted.
Diamond and I spent a few hours shopping, but then we got hungry. We were on our way to the food court when we ran into one of Miles’s cousins.
“Hey, Denise,” I spoke, but the look on her face made me feel like she had beef with me. It threw me off because I had never had any problems with her before.
“Avalon.” Her top lip curled. “I guess you call yourself dating again. You know Miles wouldn’t like that. Maybe you never loved him if you could be all in the next man’s face.”
“How do you even know if I’m dating or not?” I hadn’t seen Denise in a while, so her comment was weird.
“I saw you at a restaurant looking all cozy,” she spat as her face reddened.
“Hold on, what you ain’t gonna do is talk to my cousin like that. You, me, and everyone else knows how much she loves Miles, but she’s entitled to move on.” Diamond got in her face while I stood frozen in my spot.
Denise sucked her teeth. “Whatever.” She stomped away because she knew she didn’t want any smoke with Diamond.
We went to school with Denise, and she couldn’t fight then, and that hadn’t changed.
My heart thumped in my chest as tears welled in my eyes.
“Nope, you aren’t doing that. Fuck her!” Diamond grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the restrooms. When we got there, she pushed the door open and pulled me inside.
Once the door closed, she let go of my hand and grabbed a few paper towels.
After she wet them, she passed them toward me.
“Wipe them tears. Denise is full of shit, but I know she got into your head because you already were worried about moving on.”
I wiped my face and took a few deep breaths.
“But what if she’s right. Maybe it’s too soon.”
“Cousin, don’t do this to yourself. You were literally glowing a minute ago, before her stank ass opened her mouth. Bitch mouth smelled like trout. I know regardless of what I say right now, you are going to be in your head. How about we get something to eat and I bring you home?”
I nodded my head because I was afraid if I opened my mouth again, I would cry. I wasn’t even sure why I let it get to me. It wasn’t like I was cheating on Miles. He wasn’t here, and he couldn’t come back, so why couldn’t I move on?
Diamond and I didn’t say much as she drove us to pick up some Chinese food, then to my house. The whole time, I was in my head about what Denise said.
When we arrived at my house, Diamond helped me take my bags inside.
“I’m just going to say this, and you don’t even have to respond.
Don’t let some miserable bird make you lose out on something good.
Koda seems like he makes you happy, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t be happy.
Don’t shut him out when he didn’t do anything.
” She hugged me, then kissed my cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” I walked her to the door, then locked it.
I was in my head as I ate my food, then put the stuff away I had gotten.
When it was time for my nighttime snack, I thought about Koda as I grabbed an apple from the basket.
He texted me so we could read together, but I never responded. I needed a moment to get my thoughts together.
We would have to talk soon, though, because he hired me for a job, and I intended to do it.