Page 8 of The Devoted Husband

He looked over at her briefly but did a double take. Had he noticed she was crying? His brows wrinkled, and his mouth parted slightly as he peered at her face. Atlas always had a deep way of looking at her—as if he could see through her with his syrup-brown eyes.

“You were crying.”

Her eyes watered again, but she wouldn’t shed another tear over her sister. “I’m fine.”

“Is it about your sister? I didn’t think you’d be cool with coming here with us, so I was surprised when Adam told me you agreed.”

Chuckling, Sade sat back in her seat. “Imani told me we were having a ‘girls’ trip,’ and it would be just the two of us. Had I known y’all would be here, I would have said no.”

“Damn,” Atlas mumbled after a quick bark of laughter.

“Oh no. I’m sorry.” Sade sat up, gripping his arm. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just...You know how I feel about what she’s doing with your cousin. Being here makes me feel like I’m a part of it, and I don’t want to be.”

“So, it’s them that has you not wanting to be here...not me?”

“Yeah. You’re cool. I don’t really know you well enough to decide I don’t like you.”

His lips spread into a smile. “I want to make you like me, Sade.”

She mirrored his smile. “Why?”

“Have you seen you? You’re beautiful. Plus, you have character and morals. You seem sweet and softhearted. Caring. I think you might be a good person, so I want to get to know you.”

“Thank you. You seem like you might be pretty okay too. I guess we can be friends.”

“I’ll settle for that for now, but I’m trying to be more.”

Blushing, Sade looked away from his gaze.

It had been a while since a man’s charm or flirting unnerved her.

With all the men she dated, none of them made her feel the way Dante used to.

Even without them becoming a couple, he was a hard act to follow.

With Dante, Sade had always felt seen, heard, safe, and cherished.

If he made her feel that way as friends, she couldn’t imagine how he would have made her feel as her man.

“Look at you,” Atlas mumbled, turning her face back to his with her chin. His stare was intense. He wanted to watch the effects of his words. Sade wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Open, exposed, yes...turned on? Maybe a little.

“Why do you look at me like that?”

Swallowing, he shook his head slightly as he stared at her. “Like what?”

“Like . . . You’ve never seen a more beautiful thing.”

With a low chuckle, Atlas lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I haven’t.”

His confession caused their lips to gravitate toward each other.

There, they made love on the couch. He made her come more than she thought was physically possible before they moved to her room.

The entire time he was inside of her, Sade tried to convince herself this was a one-time thing.

But unfortunately, her heart was open, and her pussy was leaking, and that was a horrible, horrible combination.