“Hi. I was just talking to Phil.”
Kaleb reached out a hand. “Hi. I’m Kaleb, Aleena’s man. It’s nice to meet you.” He could tell the man wasn’t happy, but he shook his hand and made an excuse and left.
“Let’s go, baby.”
Her brow puckered as she watched the other man walk off. But she let Kaleb maneuver her out of the building. “Why was Phil mad at you?”
Kaleb grinned and lifted her into his vehicle. “He was mad that you were taken.”
She snorted. “You’re funny,” she told him before he shut her door.
Kaleb slid into his seat. “I’m not kidding. Has he tried to talk to you before?”
Aleena narrowed her eyes as if to think and then nodded. “Yes. If he sees me, he usually stops to talk, but he’s just being nice.”
Kaleb huffed out a laugh. “Are there any other guys that will stop to talk to you?”
Aleena’s brow creased as she nodded. “Yes.”
He tried not to show his jealousy and displeasure. “From now on, you need to tell them if they come on to you that you have a man.”
She laughed. “I don’t think they care.”
He reached for her hand when they stopped at a stoplight. “I can guarantee they care, baby. I think it best if they see us together. That way, they won’t try to question you.”
“I think you’re being ridiculous.”
He squeezed her hand. “And I know I’m not. I’m a man, and I know how they think.”
She smiled and looked out her window. “Where are we going?”
“My place. I ordered some Italian. It should be delivered soon.”
She looked back at him. “I could have made something.”
“I know. But I didn’t want you to do anything but relax. Mondays are always hard.”
“Actually, today went pretty smooth. Yours didn’t?”
He pulled into his spot under his building. “It went fine. It just seemed to drag because I couldn’t be with you.”
He lifted her out of his SUV and grabbed her hand.
“I missed you, too.”
He stopped and stared down at her. “Really?”
She nodded.
“I like to hear that, baby.”
He pulled her against his chest after they stepped onto the elevator. He set his briefcase down and cupped her face with his hands. He tilted her head back, lowered his, and then took her lips like he was starved for her.
The ding of the elevator pulled them apart. He stared down at her for a long moment before he picked up his case, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into his condo.
She walked away when he set his case down. “I should have had you take me home. I don’t have any other clothes here.”
He looked a bit sheepish. “I took care of that. I ordered a few things and had them put into our bedroom.”
She spun toward him. “Wait. What?”
“I ordered a few outfits. Some comfortable ones for the home and some for work.”
“Why would you do that?” she asked, clearly confused.
“Because I want you to feel comfortable here.”
She turned and walked away to stand in front of the window. “I’m afraid.”
He walked up behind her and clutched her shoulders. “Why, baby?”
“It’s going so fast.”
He turned her to face him. The worry in her eyes made his stomach cramp with fear. The thought of losing her was unacceptable to him. “The last thing I want to do is freak you out.”
“I’m afraid it will ruin everything between us if things happen too fast, and I don’t want that to happen.”
He pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. It’s part of my personality. If I want something bad enough, I tend to bulldoze my way to it. I’ll try to slow down. Keep telling me if I’m pushing too hard.”
He didn’t want to tell her having her wear clothes he bought her was becoming an obsession. He wanted her to depend on him for everything.
She exhaled and let him pull her into his arms. He held her tightly against his chest until the door buzzer sounded.
He took a step back. “That’s our food. Let’s eat, and we’ll talk about our next step. All right?”
****
She saw his large body and handsome face in the reflection of the window, and she had to bite back a shiver of need her body craved, but she knew she wasn’t ready for.
Aleena watched him walk off with mixed feelings. When he’d told her about the outfits, she’d been thrilled at first. She liked that he wanted to take care of her. But then a seed of doubt took over. What if she gave herself over to him, and he decided he didn’t want her? She’d never been in a relationship before and didn’t know how to handle it.
She walked into the kitchen, got some plates and forks out, and set the table while he grabbed the sack of food. They opened the cartons and took what they wanted. They ate in silence for a moment.
She set her fork down. The nervous flutter in her belly expanded, making it hard to eat. “May I ask you a question?”
He looked over at her. “Always.”
“Where exactly do you see us going?”
He leaned back and stared at her. “I see us going all the way.”
She tilted her head to the side. “What does that mean?”
He reached for her hand. “It means I see us married and having a family. Living together and eventually having babies.”
Her eyes widened, and the breath whooshed from her lungs. “Married?”
“Yes. I’m not messing around, baby. You’re what I’ve been searching for my whole life, and I’m not giving you up without a fight.”
She felt her stomach loosen, and her body soften. She hadn’t known what she was looking for until she met Kaleb, and she
