Here is your Sample Sunday! This one is from my upcoming release, In Love, I Trust. In Love, I Trust appears in the Rose Hill series, a collaboration with ShanicexLola. She also has a sample from her story live on her website. Be sure to check it out too!
*Please note: In Love, I Trust is still unpublished, so the text below is still subject to change.
SERENITY
I couldn’t contain my smile. Couldn’t contain my giddiness or my excitement, either.
He was here!
I took a breath to calm my excited heart and to toughen my veneer. Because Trey didn’t need to know I was feeling everything when I saw him.
Joy, nervousness, anxiety.
Arousal?
I was so not ready for this.
The moment we stepped out of Bellyful, I turned to face him. “Are you kidding me?”
He was tall.
Handsome.
Fine.
Here!
“Wow,” he exhaled, then licked his lips, biting his bottom lip for only a second.
I tried to ball my lips to keep from smiling back, but dammit, I couldn’t.
His brown eyes did a slow scan from my hair down to the rest of my body, then back up to my eyes again.
I looked a mess.
I’d been working hard and gaining weight. I wanted to wear something I knew would complement and accentuate my size.
Plus, I was working. I barely gave a damn what I wore during my bistro business hours. The picture in my head of what I would’ve looked like on Sunday when we met up was nothing like what Trey saw that Friday afternoon.
“You’re so beautiful, baby.”
I could burst. If it were anatomically possible for me to burst from all the emotions I was feeling at one time in that moment, I would’ve burst.
“So are you.” My eyes collapsed closed, and I opened them again to him. He was smiling with all his teeth.
“I mean handsome,” I clarified. “You’re handsome.”
He’s gorgeous.
“But of course, you knew that already.”
I knew this already. He has enough photos online for me to conclude that. We’d spoken via FaceTime enough times for me to know that, too.
But in person, he was eliciting feelings that made me want to do more than talk to him on the sidewalk outside of my bistro.
He ran a hand down his mouth and gestured behind himself. “Your restaurant is incredible. Food looks and smells amazing. I can tell your spot is a staple around here.”
I blushed, shyly glancing away.
“You’re incredible,” he added low. “It’s our first FaceTime all over again because I’m honestly struggling to find the words.”
I dropped my attention to my sneakers. “I’m flattered.”
“I’m enamored,” he countered.
I lifted my eyes to his.
People moved around us, exiting, and entering Bellyful, greeting me along the way.
“Well, look, I don’t wanna hold you.” He peeked down at his wristwatch. “I have a meeting a mile from here I can’t be late for, and this looks like your busy time of day.”
Trey stepped closer to me, and I anchored my head back to maintain eye contact.
“I wanna have dinner with you tonight.”
There go those damn butterflies again.
“You pop up here a day early and you’re telling me you wanna do dinner?” I smirked. “What makes you think I don’t already have plans?”
“Oh, I know you got plans.” He stepped closer, taking my chin in his hand. “You have plans to have dinner with me.”
Trey ran his thumb along my chin and I closed my eyes to his touch.
Made no sense to pretend his hand on me wasn’t having an effect. A mind-blowing effect that was so consuming, so enthralling, I could feel the hairs standing up on my arms. Just us standing close was making me feel so good. Nothing else mattered at that moment.
“I hate myself for waiting this long to meet up with you,” he whispered.
“Same,” I whispered back.
I had no guard up standing there with Trey. I couldn’t maintain it even if I tried. Staring in his eyes, communicating with him through more than words.
The shit was magical.
“What the hell were we waiting for, Serenity?”
I wanted to kiss him and the lean in his posture in my direction showed he was reading my desires clearly.
“Okay, Serenity!” I heard to my left. When I peeked that way, I noticed one of my regulars carrying a takeout bag bearing Bellyful’s logo while smiling big. “I see you, sis.”
I burst into laughter, and Trey did the same. We immediately created space between us. For a moment, we forgot where we were. I know I did.
“I’ll text you in a few,” he promised, taking my hand. “Answer when I do.”
He lifted the back of my hand to his lips to kiss and a chill ran down my spine with so much ease, I had no choice but to give into its invisible force. I shivered uncontrollably in front of him in reaction.
“Mmm,” he moaned low, biting his bottom lip.
“Shut up.” I gently pulled my hand free. “It’s cold out here.”
“Yup.” He smirked. “It’s freezing in this sixty-seven degrees and sunny weather.”
I kissed my teeth at his sarcasm.
He made his way around me and I turned to watch him walk away.
“Answer when I text you, Serenity,” he instructed, turning only for a second to point my way before getting into his silver Mercedes. “No games tonight.”
END OF SAMPLE
In Love, I Trust will be available this Friday, October 20th. Click here to read ShanicexLola’s Sample Sunday for her story Love at First Clash!