know, spill it.â
A loud rapping noise interrupted them. Tony looked up. A man in a brown hat, brown shirt, and matching shorts stood at the door.
âSorry. My schedule got way off today. No one else is around. Hereâs a delivery for Kiara Eason.â
âIâll sign for it.â Tony jumped up and scribbled his signature on the electronic device that the delivery man thrust at him.
âThanks. Cool,â Tony said. He set the massive bouquet of flowers on Kiaraâs round office table. The mixed arrangement sat in a tall vase and was made up of all Kiaraâs favorites: roses, daisies, mums, and spray roses in full bloom. The fragrance filled Kiaraâs nostrils as she pressed her nose against the exotic flowers and inhaled.
âThese flowers are beautiful. That man is amazing.â
âYou gonna read the card?â
âWhat for? Rashad knows what I like.â
âI just thought youâd want to know what he said. Maybe heâs been a bad boy.â
âNah, heâs just trying to be a better husband. Iâve been hounding him lately. Thatâs what this is about.â Kiara kicked off her heels. She leaped up and down and grabbed Tony by the hand. They did a little dance and Kiara couldnât stop laughing.
âOh, he gone get some tonight.â
âHush, Tony. I just get very happy when Rashad listens to me. I told him thatâs what he needs to do. And these flowers prove all my hard work pays offâeventually.â
âIf youâre hnh phúc, Iâm hnh phúc .â
âYes, Tony. I am happy.â It was an expression Tony used all the time around the office and Kiara knew exactly what he meant.
Â
That night when Kiara got home, she was in a good mood. Rashad may have slipped up in the past, but as long as he was doing everything he could to keep Kiara happy these days, sheâd look past his minor indiscretions. So she made last-minute arrangements to drop Myles off at Mama Floraâs, who said she welcomed the company.
She rushed home and got ready for her husband.
And when Rashad trudged into the house after parking his van in the driveway, she met him at the door.
Kiara grinned and stretched out her bare leg so it was the first thing he saw when he got near the front door.
âWhatâs this?â He stared her up and down and smiled his approval. Rashad loved when Kiara wore sexy lingerie. She was dressed in all white. He could see her cleavage. Her feet were bare. Her bob looked messy and unkempt just the way he liked it.
âItâs me. And Iâm all yours, babe.â She handed him a glass of red wine, then pointed to a tray of ice-cold beer.
âThis is dope. Whatâs up with all this?â
âI want to be as good to you as you are to me.â
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âCâmon, babe. Stay with me. Please donât kill my vibe.â
âYouâre cray cray, woman.â
âThatâs not helping either, Rashad.â
He lugged a heavy toolbox into the house and lowered it onto the floor in the hallway.
âDid I get any mail?â
âBabe, forget about work. Forget about mail. Forget about hammers and pliers and paint. Tonight is all about us.â
âWhereâs little man?â
âThatâs what Iâm telling you. I found a sitter. Itâs just me and you for the next twenty-four.â
âWhoa, youâre pulling out all the stops.â
She beamed at him as she grabbed his hand and led him into the media room. The entire room was lit up by fragrant candles. The aroma of roses and vanilla permeated the air.
Bump and grind music played in the background. The water from the aquarium bubbled. Everything felt homey and very sexy. If Kiara was honest, she knew that she hadnât been the most flirtatious with her husband as much as she claimed. She actually thought that if she sexually served it up to him,