“Hanna called.” She lets me go and waves out toward the woman across the room. “She told me what happened then asked if I would help her pick you some stuff up.”
I lock eyes with Hanna and smile softly. “Thank you.”
“I’m so sorry, Dakota,” she says, and I look at the pink, black, white, and classic brown bags littering the floor. “Braxton asked me to pick you some stuff up, and I might have gone a little overboard. But who could blame me? It’s not often a woman is allowed to shop without a budget.” I hear the smile in her voice, but my eyes lock on the man who did this, the man who is constantly doing things to show me that he wants to take care of me. Maybe he’s right, maybe I need to put away my pride and allow him to take care of me. I also need him to understand that I do appreciate everything he’s done.
I pull my eyes off his and take Samantha and Hanna’s hands. “Thank you both for doing this. I really appreciate it.”
“It was fun.” Samantha laughs.
“A lot of fun,” Hanna agrees. “And really, we were just glad we could help.”
“Do you girls mind helping me get all this stuff put away?” Alisha asks, gathering up a handful of bags, and both the girls follow her lead and head toward Braxton’s room carrying everything with them.
“Can I talk to you a second?” I ask Braxton, and he pushes off the couch and follows me around the corner, back into the laundry room. I stand back, holding the door open, and after he enters, I shut it.
He walks to the opposite side of the room from me and crosses his arms over his chest. “Don’t be pissed I bought you stuff.”
“Shut up.” I throw myself against him and press up on my tiptoes so I can cover his mouth with mine. I kiss him with everything I have and hope he understands just how much what he did means. As usual, he takes over. He lifts me off the ground, turning to press my back to the wall and thrusting his tongue into my mouth as I cling to him.
“You’re welcome.” He rips his mouth from mine, and I smile. “Clean out a couple drawers and move whatever you need to in order to make room for your shit in my closet and bathroom.”
“Braxton—”
“Don’t argue with me, Dakota,” he cuts me off before I can tell him that’s not necessary and that I will be going back to my place as soon as I can. “Just do it.”
“All right,” I give in when I see how determined he is. “Besides, I don’t think anyone needs a drawer for ties that all look the same.”
“You don’t like my ties?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m just saying they all look the same, black, gray, or navy. I think you should add some color. How do you feel about pink?”
“No.”
“No, you don’t like pink, or no, you won’t wear a pink tie?”
“Both,” he says, and I grin. “What’s that grin about?”
“Nothing.” I kiss him then attempt to wiggle out of his hold. I let my head fall back in exasperation when he doesn’t let me go. “I have stuff to do,” I remind him.
He studies me for a moment then drops me to my feet but doesn’t release me completely. “I’ll be in the living room if there is anything you want me to help you try on.”
I laugh and pat his chest. “I’ll make sure to let you know if I need your help.”
I catch him adjusting himself as I leave, and then I head into his room and make room for myself in his closet, trying to figure out how I’m going to tell him that I won’t be staying with him.
Dressed and ready for dinner in the body-hugging, long-sleeved black dress Hanna and Samantha picked up for me, I place my purse on the bed so I can pack it with the stuff I’ll need tonight and tomorrow morning. I haven’t had the courage to tell Braxton I will be going home with Jamie, and I didn’t tell Jamie, since he left after letting me know he’d meet us at the restaurant. I’m hoping that if I spring the news on him at the last minute with my brother present, he will be more accepting of the change of plans.
I put my panties, a bra, and clothes for tomorrow in my bag then go to the bathroom to grab most of the toiletries Alisha put away earlier. With my hands full, I walk to the bed and drop the items. It’s going to take some work to make everything fit. As I’m attempting to play Tetris with the items, the bedroom door opens and I toss the end of the blanket over my purse.
“Hey,” I squeak, taking a seat and trying to look as casual as possible as Braxton closes the door. The black dress shirt and gray slacks look as good on him as his jeans and T-shirt from earlier did. “I’m just about ready.”
“What are you doing?” He eyes me then the bed, and I lean back to hide the lump behind me and lift my leg to touch my ankle.
“Just stretching.” I drop my foot and raise my arms over my head. “I always stretch when I know I’m going to be wearing heels.” Wow, I sound like an idiot.
“And what is it you are trying to hide behind your back?” He takes a step toward me, and I lean back farther.
“I’m not hiding anything. Why would I be hiding something?” I ask, and just then my brand new bottle of conditioner rolls onto the floor, stopping at his feet. He bends and picks it up then flips it over in his hand to read the label. “Oh… I wonder how that got in here.” I reach up to take it from him, but when I do, he tosses the blanket back, exposing my bag.
“Are you planning on going somewhere?”
“Yes, we’re going to dinner, remember?” I cringe as he pulls the things from my bag. “You never know when you might need a change of clothes.” I bite my nail, and he rolls his eyes at me while grabbing hold of my wrist.
“You’re a horrible liar.”
“You would know, since you’re the best,” I snip, but he doesn’t react to my comment.
“My mother just mentioned to me that you might have misinterpreted what she said to you earlier.”
“What she said earlier?” I attempt to play stupid, and he glares at me.
“About her and dad being worried, Dakota.”
“Oh that,” I say as I start repacking my bag. “They have a reason to be worried, and there are no hard feelings on my part.” I frown as he takes the things out of my purse, but I otherwise don’t react. I just put them back in without looking at him while saying, “After thinking about it, I know me being here might put you in danger, and I don’t want that, so I’m going to go home with Jamie after dinner.”
“So you’re going to go stay with Jamie and put him in danger?” He picks up my purse and tosses it toward the headboard.
I look up at him as my nose scrunches in annoyance, because I didn’t think about that. “I’m going to stay in a hotel.”
“You’re going to stay in a hotel.”
“That’s what I just said.”
“So you’re going to tell Jamie and my parents, who are all worried about your safety, that you’re going to get a hotel, alone.”
“Your parents will be happy you’re not in danger, and Jamie will be okay once I explain to him why I’m going to stay in a hotel.”
“My parents will be happy when they know I’m not in danger?”