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Niko had come to the realization that he was in love with Kizzie McCall. He hadn’t realized it until after she had gone, but it had explained so much. He, who was never lonely on the weekends, had begun to find that all of the women he approached were lacking. None of them appealed to him. Niko tried to remember the last woman he’d had sex with but couldn’t even bring the image of her face to mind, much less recall her name.
He hadn’t known the problem. Instead, he’d thrown himself into his work. He’d soon found himself at the shop seven days a week. They were closed on Sundays, but Niko still went in, citing that he was trying to ensure all projects were up to date.
He hadn’t shared this information with Kizzie. Instead, he’d listened to all her dating horror stories. He’d found himself growing angry with each new story without knowing why.
Was it a newfound jealousy? Was it because he wanted to be the one taking Kizzie out on a date? To be the one kissing her soft lips? Hearing about other men, where they had taken her and how they kissed her had Niko seeing red. They both drew the line at sex stories.
Well, Kizzie had established that rule years ago after she’d learned of the amount of women he went through. One morning, she had let herself into his condo as two women he had partied with were preparing to leave. It was the last time she had let herself into his home unannounced. Niko winced, remembering their state of undress when they’d stumbled upon Kizzie in the kitchen making coffee.
Niko would never apologize for having a healthy sexual appetite and the drive to have fun. There was no harm in fun if both parties were adults and had the same goal in mind. But something had changed inside him. He hadn’t liked the hurt expression in her eyes. After that, he’d shielded her away from the women he slept with.
Niko finally arrived at the front of the line. Kizzie had yet to recognize him. The other cashier waved to him, but he shook his head. He nodded to Kizzie and put his finger to his lips. He sent the server a wink, eliciting a shy smile from the young girl.
“Can I help you?” Kizzie asked. Her gaze finally landed on him. She froze in place before her lips broke into a wide grin. She took a step back from the counter, racing around toward him. “Niko!”
He barked a hefty laugh as her smaller frame slammed into him. He automatically wrapped her up into a tight hug. It had been six long months since he had held her in his arms. Kizzie’s arms slid around him and squeezed as if her life depended on it.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she murmured. She leaned her head back, meeting his gaze.
The memory of her beauty didn’t do the real thing justice. If Niko didn’t know better, he would say she had grown even more beautiful.
“What are you talking about? You knew I was coming,” he replied. Niko ignored the curious stares of the customers in line behind them. He had flown across the country to see her and didn’t care if they grew disgruntled. He dared someone to say something to him. They wouldn’t like his response.
“You weren’t supposed to arrive until later. How did you sneak into town?” Kizzie asked. She wore a wide grin while her arms tightened around him.
Niko was captivated by her smile. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her at that moment.
“There was an earlier flight available, so I took that one,” he admitted.
Kizzie glanced around him at the people in line, then looked over at the young lady who was taking a customer’s order.
“Sarah, would you be okay if I left a little early?” Kizzie asked. She pulled away from Niko but entwined their fingers together.
Holding Kizzie’s hand came as naturally as breathing. She was always a touchy-feely person, and it was something Niko had to get used to.
“You can go. I can handle this line, and if I can’t, I’ll call for Dwayne to come help me,” Sarah said. A sly smile appeared on her face. “Have fun, and I’ll see you later.”
“I need to go home and shower before we go anywhere. I’m smelling like barbecue.” Kizzie spun back to him. She had a flushed look on her face, and her eyes were bright with excitement.
This was what he’d missed. Even when he had a shitty day, he could count on Kizzie’s energy to lift his spirits.
Niko pulled her to him and bent his head down to nuzzle the crook of her neck. He inhaled and took in the scent of smoke and hickory along with the faint hint of her floral perfume. She stiffened slightly before leaning into him.
“Smells good to me,” he murmured. He lifted his head and met her gaze. He’d never been so bold before to cross a line like this, but he didn’t care. He’d come to Cleveland for one reason.
To claim his woman.
three
“What is smelling so good?” Niko asked.
He followed behind her as they entered her home. Kizzie’s thoughts were currently scrambled. She couldn’t stop thinking about Niko sniffing her neck. For the entire drive, she’d kept replaying it over and over in her mind. If he hadn’t been holding her up, she would have melted to the floor in a puddle.
“I took the liberty of grabbing us something to eat before we left.” Kizzie shut the door and locked it. She leaned back against it, holding the bag with the to-go containers she had packed.
Get it together, girl.
She didn’t know what the move had meant, but she welcomed it. While in the car, Niko had filled her in on the happenings at the shop, his brother, and a few things he had remodeled around his house. It was funny to her that the things she had told him needed to be updated, he’d waited until she had left to actually do them.
