Page 23 of The Aries Alliance (BLP Signs of Love #14)
Afterhours
When my doorbell rang, my heart skipped a beat. War said he was bringing takeout, but my needy body wanted his body more than Asian noodles.
Don’t get caught up, girl. He’s not your man. Just a phenomenal lover and strategist. Two of my growing list of weaknesses.
I brushed my hand over my locs, twirling the tips between my fingers to calm down. I lit several vanilla-scented candles around the house for what I assumed would be a laid-back dinner.
This was my sanctuary, a place for War and me to strategize in comfort. He was a friend with benefits who was willing to assist me in a time of need. Nothing more.
Yeah, right.
When my doorbell rang, I jumped, rubbing my palms on the hem of my caftan. I took several big breaths on my way to the entrance, where the outline of War’s massive frame loomed through the frosted door pane. When I opened the door, my modesty flew outside with the spring breeze.
The cool air chilled my skin as my caftan gaped open, drawing War’s eyes down to my chest. Although the smell of delicious Chinese food met my nose, I was ready to toss that brown bag in the bushes.
War’s big, beautiful, naked chest almost slapped me in the face. With a firm body that was officially my new addiction, he was a picture-perfect pillar of chocolate temptation, hovering over me like he was ready to arrest my coochie for leaking too much.
You can cuff me right now, Officer War.
“Come in.” I caught myself and pulled my caftan tightly to act like I had some sense.
I stepped back, allowing War to enter my home. When he crossed the threshold, his in-your-face scent reminded me of the men’s cologne department at Macy’s. My eyes landed on the faint fire tattoo on his forearm that I licked like a lollipop when I was up under him.
War flashed his symmetrical teeth as he moved around my kitchen like he lived there.
Each time he complimented me, a part of me heated up, forcing me to pick up my heart-shaped silicone pan protector to fan myself and cool down.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the smooth skin on his torso, which glistened as if he had just moisturized it with a thin layer of body oil.
“I’m going to cover you whether you want me to or not.” War’s words were what finally broke the dam of emotions in me.
I couldn’t believe how perfect he was, coming to me without asking for anything in return. I had been waiting for this kind of restoration, never imagining it would come from Warrick Redmond.
As I released the tears that were in me, War brushed his hands over my cheeks, forcing me to meet his hazel eyes.
“What is it?”
His closeness touched the corner of my soul.
Lots of words filled my head as I tried to pull myself together. I closed my eyes to make sense of everything, wanting to take a chance at expressing what I felt without a filter.
“I’ve been taught to hold my feelings in and not be so expressive.
People said that vulnerability made me weak and overemotional.
I always filtered my real feelings because I never wanted to let others down.
You”—I pointed around me—“all of this makes me realize I want softness and care. I don’t want to be strong for everybody twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. ”
“And that’s okay.”
I bit the tip of my fingernail.
“You’ve seen multiple sides of my personality. Do you expect me to remain polite and agreeable all the time?” I spoke the words quickly before I could censor myself, awaiting his response with bated breath.
When War leaned closer, his heady scent filled my nose again.
“You’ve spent too much time constraining yourself for people who don’t appreciate who you are. I like when you’re honest, even brutally so. I’m not fragile. If who you are is direct and bold, I’m fine with that. I can handle your fire and empathize with you as you throw that heat.”
I couldn’t help but blush as he continued.
“It has to be difficult hiding who you were created to be. One of the gifts I want to give you as a friend is for you to be one hundred percent yourself. I accept you for who you are, no matter how much the world pushes against that or tries to change you. You can always be free around me, Scarlett.”
“You sure about that?”
“Always.”
I exhaled the breath I didn’t know I held in.
“Then I want you to do the same. Deal?” I held my pinky out.
War received it with his.
“Deal.” He pulled me toward him, and I smiled, showing all my teeth.
When he licked his lips, I raised myself on my toes.
“If you start this, I’m gonna finish it.” War bent down to peck my lips.
“You better.” I smiled, feeling as light as a bird.
As we parted and began our dinner prep, I stole quick glances at War.
I pulled out plates and flatware, wondering what was going through his head about what I shared with him.
Each time he caught me looking at him, he smiled, stopping what he was doing to embrace and kiss me like a porcelain doll.
I’d wrap myself in him, resting my hands on his bare back and absorbing his strength.
I finally sat in the high chair at my kitchen counter, watching War as he removed the paper cartons of food and plates from the bag.
“They forgot the soy sauce. Do you have any?”
“Up there.” I pointed to the cabinet.
My eyes wandered to War’s torso as he raised his arm and searched for the condiment. When he frowned and didn’t pull out anything, I asked, “Do you want me to get it?”
“No. Just sit there and look pretty.” He winked at me, drawing my attention to his long lashes beneath mischievous eyes.
Instead of squirming, I received his admiration.
He moved several bottles and finally found the soy sauce and placed it on the counter, then walked to my kitchen sink to wash his hands. As he dried them with a paper towel, he looked me up and down again.
War plated our food before pouring glasses of water and red wine for each of us at the table I had set. We finally blessed the food and settled into the wooden seats of my high-top kitchen counter to eat.
“Bon appétit.” We said the words simultaneously, lifting our glasses to toast.
After several minutes, I met War’s eyes.
“You good?” I twirled noodles on my fork.
War studied my face, answering once he swallowed his food. He wiped the corners of his mouth with his paper napkin.
“Yes, just enjoying watching you as much as I like this meal.”
I blushed at War’s words. From the fragrant aroma of the food to the unconscious flexing of his biceps, all of my senses woke up in his presence. I cleared my throat to refocus.
“You move in and out of your Warrick and War personas with such ease.”
“Do I now?” War’s pretty eyes lingered on my breasts before he swallowed his forkful of broccoli.
“You know you do.” I patted my hair, which I placed in a loose, high ponytail, unable to take my eyes off War’s chest.
Like a muscular god with the grace of a male ballerina and the big dick energy of a mafia boss, he distracted and aroused me.
“It’s hot in here.” I lifted my hands to fan myself.
The front of my caftan gaped again, exposing parts of my inner breast and areola. Although I had been taught better than to go braless around company, I felt liberated around War.
He lifted a forkful of noodles to his mouth, tracking my movements like a lion sizing up his prey. His eyes rested on my nipples, which hardened under his intense gaze. When I caught him staring, he bestowed a charming smile on me and studied my face.
“Before I interrupted you, what were your plans for the rest of the night?”
Since War and I stopped playing games with each other a while ago, I answered truthfully.
“Reading, journaling, and oiling my body to relieve tension.” I kept my face neutral, despite my suggestive words.
“I see now.”
“What do you see?”
“That you needed me to come over here and feed you food and this dick.” He placed his fork on the edge of his plate and rose from his seat.
My body stilled as he took a couple of big steps toward me. When he lowered his hands to my waist, I bit my bottom lip to hold back a moan. He turned my chair around before kissing the tip of my earlobe.
Although I wanted exactly what War offered, my mouth gaped at his words. He reached inside my caftan and squeezed my ribcage, making my heart skip several beats. When I sucked in my breath, he released me and lifted his hands.
“If you want it, of course. My primary reason for reaching out was to check on you after today.”
War’s casual, no-pressure kindness made me want to nestle up under him like a puppy and enjoy his covering, even if it didn’t end in sex.
“Of course I want to climb you like a tree and hike my leg up like a dog in heat, but finish eating.” I nodded toward his plate.
War’s deep belly laugh had me chuckling right along with him. He stepped back and sat down, returning his attention to his plate, where he low-key pouted before forking broccoli and cabbage with his utensil, then placing it in his mouth.
“I also want to talk to you about what happened at work,” I said.
“Okay, but before we do that, I have a confession.” He spoke the words with such seriousness I worried for a moment.
“What is it?”
Was our utopian bubble about to burst?
The question barely left my mouth without my heart skipping a beat. Catastrophizing situations was part of my trauma too.
“I am kind, but . . . I already knew I was going to feed you this dick tonight. I just brought food so you’d have the strength to take it like a big girl.”
I chuckled, delighted that War never hid his desire for me.
Despite our flirty words and quick smiles, however, my stomach quivered about what would happen between us.
We already had sex, so I didn’t have a problem stripping and jumping War’s bones.
It was our newfound tenderness that had me on edge.
He obviously cared about me outside the bedroom, further blurring the lines between us.
As much as I wanted to surrender to War, work taught me to be cautious with my heart and my feelings.
I wasn’t sure what to do with that. To shake myself from being anxious, I met his energy head-on.
“Remind me to give you a big tip then.”
War reached for my hand and kissed it.
“No, ma’am. I’m the one who’s giving you the biggest of tips.” He bit his lip and then licked his full lips.
I fanned my face with my hand again.
“You’re so nasty, and I can’t wait.”