29. Van #2
“I want to make sure I heard you right.”
“Don’t piss me off.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“You standing there looking like you got something to say.”
I rubbed a hand over my face before she could accuse me of smiling. “Lee, what do you want from me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You do. You just don’t want to say it.”
She turned away from me. “You came over here to argue, you can leave.”
“I’m not arguing.”
“You been arguing since I opened the door.”
“Because you blocked me over some shit I didn’t even know I did.”
“You didn’t do anything.”
“Then stop treating me like I did.”
Lee turned back around. “Fine. You didn’t do anything. Happy?”
“No.”
“What else you want me to say?”
“The truth would be nice.”
She gave me a short laugh. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah.”
Lee looked at me for a long time. “I like you.”
I didn’t move. I’d known she liked me, or at least I thought I did. Hearing her finally say it plain was different.
“I like you a lot,” she added.
I took one step toward her before I could stop myself, and Lee immediately held up her hand.
“Don’t.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“You moving.”
“I took one step.”
“One too many.”
I almost smiled, but the look she gave me told me not to push it.
“I like you,” she continued, “and that’s exactly why I keep telling you no.”
“That doesn’t make sense either.”
“It makes perfect sense to me.”
“How?”
She motioned toward herself. “Look at my life.”
“I have.”
“I’m pregnant by my ex. The same ex who thinks because we’re having a baby, we supposed to somehow end up together. He got another baby mama, three kids between us now, and apparently a fiancée. I’m still trying to rebuild my life after prison.” Lee shook her head. “You don’t need all this.”
“There you go.”
“There I go what?”
“Deciding for me.”
“I’m being realistic.”
“No. You’re telling me what I need like I asked you.”
“Van.”
“If I decide I don’t want to deal with something, I’ll tell you.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand enough.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I understand I’m standing in your living room at damn near midnight because you blocked me after finding out I was on a date.”
Lee folded her arms tighter. “Don’t sound so happy about it.”
“I’m not happy you’re upset.” I looked at her. “But I’m damn sure not mad you’re jealous.”
“I never said jealous.”
“You don’t have to.”
She rolled her eyes. “You getting on my nerves again.”
“Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because at least you’re talking to me.”
That finally got a smile out of her. Small, but I saw it.
“Don’t,” she warned.
“What?”
“Whatever you thinking.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You don’t have to.”
I was close enough now that she had to tilt her head a little to look up at me. Neither one of us said anything for a few seconds, and my eyes dropped to her mouth before I could help it.
“Van.”
“Tell me to leave.”
She should’ve. Hell, maybe I should’ve left without making her say it, but Lee stayed right where she was.
I lifted my hand slowly and touched the side of her face, giving her plenty of time to move away. When she didn’t, I leaned down and kissed her.
She grabbed the front of my shirt and kissed me back. That was all I needed. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, and whatever argument we had been having disappeared somewhere between one kiss and the next.
This wasn’t like the one under the mistletoe with half my coworkers standing around watching us. It wasn’t like that first kiss at her shop either, when both of us had been trying to figure out what the hell we were doing. There wasn’t an excuse this time. We wanted to kiss each other. That was it.
Lee’s hands slid higher against my chest while I kissed her deeper, and when my mouth moved down along her neck, she sucked in a breath.
“Van.”
I kissed the same spot again. “Hmm?”
“Don’t kiss me like that.”
I lifted my head. “Why?”
She looked at me like she was deciding whether she wanted to answer.
“Because these hormones already got me horny as hell, and you not helping.”
I lifted my eyebrows. That was not information she needed to give me while I was already hard.
“Wipe that look off your face,” she warned.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You thinking too loud.”
I laughed, then looked at her again. “I can help.”
Lee stared at me. “I’m not fucking you while I’m pregnant with another man’s baby.”
“Who said anything about fucking?”
Her eyes narrowed.
I leaned closer until my mouth brushed hers. “I said I can help.”
She kissed me again, and I let her set the pace. I wasn’t about to rush her after everything she had just said. Every time she pulled me closer, I followed, and when she slowed down, so did I.
We made it halfway down the hall before Holly came trotting behind us.
Lee looked over her shoulder. “No ma’am.”
I laughed.
She turned toward me. “Don’t laugh. Go get her.”
“Why do I have to get her?”
“Because you bought her.”
“That’s not how ownership works.”
“Tonight it is.”
I shook my head, picked Holly up, and carried her back to the gated area near the kitchen. When I got back to Lee’s bedroom, she was standing near the bed looking like she had spent the thirty seconds I was gone reconsidering every decision that had brought us here.
I stopped in the doorway. “You good?”
Lee looked at me and held her hand out. I crossed the room, took it, and kissed her again.