8. Gia Rose #3
His eyes held mine, and the look that passed between us wasn’t subtle. The grin tugging at the corner of his mouth told me he’d already figured out exactly what was running through my head.
“Damn… What’s up?”
I laughed and played dumb. “What?”
“You been looking at me all day.”
The accusation was ridiculous.
Mostly because it was true.
My eyes rolled automatically.
“You so full of yourself.”
Pryce started walking toward me with the kind of confidence that came from a man who already knew where this was headed.
“Maybe…”
My heart immediately betrayed me, picking up speed with every step he took.
“Definitely.”
His grin only widened.
“I’m still here though.”
I shook my head, fighting another smile.
I hated when he did that. Hated how easily he could make me laugh while flirting with me at the same time.
The man was annoying as hell.
Unfortunately, he was fine as hell too.
By the time he stopped in front of me, my smile had softened. The mood between us had shifted without either of us saying another word.
His hands settled on my hips before gently pulling me closer until only a few inches separated us.
Neither one of us spoke and we didn’t have to.
Years together had taught us how to read each other without saying a word. I felt it in the way his eyes searched my face, in the slow brush of his thumb against my side, and in the way my hands instinctively came to rest against his chest.
Nothing about the moment felt rushed.
Pryce lowered his head first, brushing his lips softly against mine. The kiss was slow and unhurried, almost like he was giving me every chance to pull away if I wanted to, but I never did.
Instead, I kissed him back just as slowly.
The kiss deepened, lingering just a little longer.
The quiet sound that escaped Pryce mouth against my lips sent a chill through me, and I felt his hands tighten around my waist. There was nothing demanding or possessive about the way he touched me. He simply held me close enough to let me know exactly where his heart was.
Truthfully, mine wasn’t much different.
The last few weeks had been filled with stress, guilt, and carrying everybody else’s emotions on my shoulders. All I wanted in that moment was a break from my own thoughts, and Pryce had always known how to give me that.
Nothing about the way he loved me had ever been rushed or too much. Even after all these years, he still looked at me like he was trying to memorize every detail, and he still kissed me like he had all the time in the world.
When he rested his forehead against mine, neither one of us said a word, and the silence between us felt intimate, the kind of comfort that only came from years of loving each other.
“You been carrying a lot.” His voice was low and soft as he said that.
I closed my eyes.
“So have you.”
“Maybe.”
A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. Only Pryce could admit something while pretending he hadn’t.
A second later, his lips found mine again. This kiss lasted a little longer, but it wasn’t driven by passion as much as reassurance. It was about slowing down, being present, and giving ourselves permission to breathe after weeks of living in survival mode.
When we finally pulled apart, I stayed exactly where I was—in his arms.
The place I’d always felt safest.
For the rest of the night, we left the outside world where it belonged. The drama, the secrets, the guilt—we shut all of it out for a little while.
It was exactly what I needed.
Hours later, we ended up in bed with me curled against Pryce’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear. My mind finally slowed down, allowing me to appreciate the peace surrounding us.
Pryce’s arm tightened around me.
“You sleep?” He asked me.
“No.”
“Good.”
I lightly chuckled. “Why?”
“‘Cause I ain’t.”
I shook my head because the man was impossible.
We settled back into the silence, neither one of us feeling the need to say anything else. His fingers traced slow circles against my arm while I listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing. For the first time in what felt like forever, my mind wasn’t racing in a hundred different directions.
Then my phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Neither one of us paid it much attention at first. We both figured whoever it was could wait.
A few seconds later, it buzzed again.
This time, I reached over and picked it up.
The second the screen lit up, every ounce of peace I’d managed to find disappeared.
It was Maddox.
I stared at his name longer than I probably should have. Days had passed without a single word from him, and after everything that had happened, I’d convinced myself he wasn’t going to reach out again.
Beside me, Pryce shifted slightly.
“What is it?”
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat before unlocking my phone. My thumb hovered over the message for a second, almost like I was afraid of what I’d find on the other side.
Finally, I opened it.
Four words…
That was all…
HIM: How’s Nylah doing?
I read the message once…
…then again.
My heart started beating a little faster as a dozen different thoughts collided inside my head. After days of silence, Maddox Creed had finally reached out.