CHAPTER 2 Time At The Orchard #3
Everyone else just nodded as well before switching the subject, which I appreciated.
We hung out for a few more hours before heading back to our respective houses.
Since the orchard spanned many acres of land, it was like a family compound, thanks to all the houses that surrounded the perimeter.
There was always an uncle, a cousin, or a grandparent around.
We all helped around the orchard, and our family even owned a few of the shops in town, but at the end of the day, the orchard was legally owned solely by my parents.
It was their money that built up this foundation.
It was their money that was invested in the other businesses that our family owned.
They believed in keeping everything in the family, so they made sure that we were all set.
Decades of hard work were in the soil of this land, tracing back to our family’s ancestors who were once enslaved on the plantation that once stood here.
These acres of land were important to our family, and we did all we could to honor those who came before us.
I sighed as I made my way up the stairs and into the house that I owned on the property.
While most of my time was spent in the city with Zseyah and Serenity, this was where I actually lived.
I did have an apartment not far from Zee, but I was rarely ever there.
If I wasn’t crashing in her guest bedroom, then I was here.
I loved that I lived where I worked, though.
I could sleep til the last minute and still be up in enough time to get business done.
“Oh shit!” I jumped as I walked into the front door, right as Zee jumped back. My hand goes over my chest, and I take a deep breath to still the pounding. “You scared the hell out of me, Zee.”
“Sorry! Sorry!” she giggles. “I didn’t mean to. I heard you coming up the stairs and wanted to open the door for you. Damn, you must’ve been in deep thought because you’re never jumpy.”
“Whatever, woman,” I laugh, pushing her back slightly.
I enter before closing and locking the door behind me.
When I turn back to face her, I notice that she’s dressed in her favorite blue striped sleep set of shorts and a matching tank.
My eyes take in the way it hugs her curves, and I lick my lips to stop myself from moaning.
I didn’t mean to stare, but it was hard not to when she was looking this good.
Damn…I was worse than my cousins, so who the fuck was I to judge them?
All I could think about was how soft she’d be pressed up against me as I kissed her deeply…
“Uh…Kay…Kay…Kayla!”
“Hm?” I say, snapping out of my trance to meet her eyes again. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything.
“I wanted to see if you wanted to watch a movie or something. I mean, I might fall asleep halfway through, but I just wanna spend some time with you alone. We’ve been around your people all weekend, and I miss having you to myself.
” She chuckles, and I swear, I heard angels sing.
She didn’t understand what her words did to me, but I fought off the feeling because now was not the time.
“Ye-Yeah, I’m down with that,” I assure her with a nod. “Pick out a movie and get the snacks ready. I’m gonna go take a quick shower.”
“Okay! I’ll see you in a bit.” She smiles before walking toward the kitchen.
I watched as her hips swayed and her ass bounced until she crossed the threshold.
I groaned to myself as I dragged my hands down my face.
Being in the friend zone was pure torture, but I knew it wasn’t the end of the world.
No matter how much I wanted her, how much I wanted to be with her, I was never gonna cross that line until she gave me the okay… if she ever gave it to me.
I shook the thought out of my head and made my way upstairs.
I stopped at Serenity’s room and peeked in to see her sound asleep.
So, I carefully pushed the door open and went over to place a soft kiss against her temples.
She stirred a bit, but didn’t wake. I made sure she was tucked in and then rubbed her head softly before turning to exit the room.
It only took about twenty minutes for me to shower, quickly run through my skincare routine, and throw on some comfortable clothes.
By the time I made it back downstairs, Zee was stretched out on the couch, a throw blanket wrapped around her.
There were snacks on the coffee table and a movie, ready to play on the screen.
As I slid onto the sofa beside her, I realized that she was snoring lightly.
I let out a chuckle as I pulled a pillow onto my lap and guided her until her head rested on it.
I leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead as well before pulling the blanket over her.
I let her sleep as I watched the movie in silence.
She’d been out in the sun all day, so of course she was tired.
I’m not sure when I began to drift off, but soon, I could feel myself slipping, and I soon welcomed sleep.