Free Dressed in Yellow: BBW Contemporary Romance by Karina Ashe Page A

of cool steel warned him. He wasn’t dealing with Aiva, his lover, he was dealing with the businesswoman, the granddaughter of one of the most notorious hit men in the community.
    “Aiva?”
    “I want you to buy my business from me.”
    He took a mental step back. Aiva, asking for help? “What brought this on?”
    “My contract with Daniel is expired. He’s not exercising the option to renew, but wants the balance paid in full immediately.” She took a deep breath. “I tried to take out a mortgage on my house- but I don’t have the credit built up yet.”
    She could have come to him. But she’d rather place herself in debt to a stranger than accept his help. Fine. If that was the way she wanted it between them, fine. He should be the one she turned to first. He should be allowed to protect and guide his woman. But she shut him out, placing a distance between them that would lead to all kinds of unhappiness in the home if he allowed it. Leon took a moment to push down memories from his childhood, waiting until he knew his voice and expression were neutral to speak.
    “I assume you’ll want to stay on as manager?” he replied, moving away from her to bring his admin on speakerphone. “Candace? Have Johnston in my office after lunch.” The man managed his small business ventures in this particular territory.
    She nodded, watching him.
    “I’ll have the paperwork drawn up by my man for this area,” Leon said. “You’ll have a check in your hand by tomorrow morning.”
    Black eyes lowered to the floor. “Thank you.”
    He shrugged. “Sure. Now...”
    “Of course. I know you’re busy.” She hesitated, hand curling in her skirt, then left without looking at him again.
    ***
    She didn’t hear from him for two days. The perfunctory texts asking if she was okay didn’t count. Aiva left her shop late Wednesday, having pretty much accepted that the burgeoning relationship was over. Somehow, her asking Leon for the loan had either offended or disappointed him. Several times she’d begun to pick up the phone to call him, to clarify exactly what was bothering him- but she wasn’t sure she really wanted the answer. Though she knew she was being a coward she almost preferred the silent breakup to communication that could only end with her feelings hurt. So when the doorbell rang after the early evening news, she glanced up from her bowl of popcorn, frowning. Aiva opened the door, stymied by a tuxedo clad Leon, who stared at her with a kind of astonished irritation on his face.
    He took her arm, pushing her into the house.
    “I had a feeling you were going to pull a stunt like this,” he said. “I should have followed my first mind and had my admin call you.”
    “Uhhh...”
    “What were you thinking, Aiva?”
    He stopped dragging her towards her bedroom, swung her around.
    Aiva just stared at him. “I thought you were mad at me.”
    His dark brow rose. “And if I was? I’m not allowed to be mad at you? Do you think being married to you is going to be a cakewalk?”
    She kind of didn’t know whether to feel relief or annoyance. Leon shook his head.
    “Aiva- there will be many times you piss me off. I already know this. If I need a day to chill out, that doesn’t mean I don’t want you. Besides, I could have just been busy.”
    She folded her arms across her chest. “What did you expect me to think?”
    He sighed. “Go on- you have about twenty minutes to get dressed. I don’t like being fashionably late.”
    Aiva took a quick shower, glad she’d already shaved and washed her hair the day before. Her hair usually smelled like flowers anyway- one of the best hazards of working in a flower shop. She put it up in a simple chignon, quickly lotioned her skin, spritzing on her favorite subtle scent, and stepped into a set of beautiful nude lingerie, lacy with exquisite black embroidery. Walking into her bedroom, she realized she didn’t really have any shoes to match the dress and resigned herself to a pair