Page 55 of Saint

His eyes bored into mine, then he looked at Soraya and said in a voice that I could have sworn was laced with uncertainty, “Well, I know I’m not your father. And seeing as I’m in your life. And seeing as I plan to be in it for a fuck of a long time. Would you allow me the honor of taking you?”

Soraya’s whole face lit up, then she nodded so fast I was afraid she was going to topple over.

***

That night, after I helped Soraya get ready, there was a knock on the front door.

I grinned, then moved toward it.

Once I had it open, there Saint stood.

He wanted to treat this like a real date.

To show Soraya what she should expect, no, in Saint’s words, demand.

His beard had been trimmed.

His hair had been slicked back.

The leather band I had gotten for him when I thought about him at the market a few days ago.

A black shirt that was partially buttoned showed off his tattoos, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Black trousers and his black motorcycle boots.

Man, but did this man do things to me.

If he wasn’t here to pick up Soraya, and she wasn’t here, I would climb this man like a monkey.

However, the best part about the whole look?

That was the deep red suspenders he had on that matched perfectly to Soraya’s deep red dress she was wearing tonight for the father-daughter dance they were having at the school.

I winked at him and said, “She’s almost ready. Please, come in.”

He came in and then winked at me.

I looked up at him and said with my whole heart, “I love you, Benjamin.”

He looked down, then back into my eyes, leaned down, and kissed me in a way I knew he was pouring every ounce of feeling he felt for me into that one kiss.

A kiss so powerful that I swayed backward when he moved away from me.

Then that was the moment that Soraya came down the stairs, and I watched as my big man smiled, his eyes got misty, which caused mine to do the same.

He walked over to her and dropped to one knee, then he pulled something out of his pocket and held it up for her to see.

When I saw it was a gold bracelet, my breath stalled in my lungs at his words, “When a man picks you up for a date, he better bring you flowers.”

She nodded.

Taking in his words with a serious look, I knew she would remember for the rest of her life.

“But this is something from me to you. Told you that I love your heart. And this is my symbol for you that will never change.”

Inscribed on the heart is,Princess,I love you – Saint.

I didn’t even try to stop the tears that trailed down my cheeks.