Samiah would argue to the death that she didn’t need his validation. Owning her abilities, believing in herself when others didn’t—it was her thing. It was at the very heart of her identity.

But she couldn’t ignore the effect his words had on her. She just didn’t know what to do with it. Or how to respond without admitting that, deep down, his acknowledgment of her skills fed a part of her that was hungry for that kind of affirmation.

Instead, Samiah called upon a reliable standby. Humor.

With a sly grin, she said, “You’re trying to sweet-talk your way into my pants, aren’t you?”

His dimples became even more pronounced. “I’m forever trying to sweet-talk my way into your pants.” He kissed her on the nose. “But I meant every word. And if you need any help with the designs or figuring out the specs, I’m here.”

The trepidation she’d been fighting off meandered along her nerve endings, but before she could voice any objection, he added, “Although I understand if you want to do this on your own. You’ve taken it this far, you deserve to have all the glory when this app hits big.”

Gratitude engulfed her, amassing like a thick cloud within her chest and causing her throat to ache.

“Thank you,” Samiah said. “I appreciate the offer, but you’re right, I want to do this myself. It’s my baby. I want to be the one to bring it into the world.”

“And when you do, it will be amazing.”

He leaned forward again, this time kissing her on the lips.

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Samiah angled her head back against the sofa’s sloped arm and inhaled a satisfying breath, filling her lungs with HEPA-filtered air, redolent with the pine-scented solution the cleaning service had used to polish her hardwood floors this morning. The moment she and Daniel returned from indulging in croissants and coffee at the café a couple of blocks over, she’d kicked her shoes off and immediately placed her feet in his lap, the move automatic.

At odd moments a reminder would pop into her head that this was not her normal. She’d become so comfortable with the routine they’d established these last few weeks, it took effort to remember a time when dating wasn’t this easy. Daniel had a way about him that made everything feel relaxed and uncomplicated. And natural. Something about this felt so natural.

It also made her anxious to move beyond foot rubs. Their decision to take things slowly had been supplanted by her need to have those strong fingers massaging something other than her feet.

Eventually.