You Don’t Need Permission…

I struggled with whether to even post a sneak peek or not. I didn’t want to give any of the story away. However, I was able to find a moment that would show you just how much Kingsley loved Treasure.

This story is so beautiful. Just make sure you read the trigger warnings for this book. There’s a lot going on. 😢 The book is also available for preorder. It will be available for download 9/4!

Preorder 🔗: https://bit.ly/HopeThisMakesYouLoveMe

Enjoy the excerpt!

I lifted my head, and he gently swiped my tears away. When I looked around, I noticed everyone’s eyes were on me. They didn’t seem to be worried. It was like everyone trusted Kingsley to take care of me. Why didn’t I?

I slightly pulled away from him and wiped my face, then wiped my hands on my pants. Kingsley stared at me until I asked, “You wanna go to the back patio?”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.”

I closed my eyes briefly, then nodded and stood. He quickly stood right after me and followed me outside. Before I could sit, he grabbed the swing to make sure it didn’t move. I smiled at him as he sat next to me. I grabbed his hand and held it between mine in silence, fighting my heart. It wanted to tell him how much I loved him, but my mind was saying to be afraid of what could happen if I did.

Finally, after taking a deep breath, I lifted my eyes to his, and said, “I miss you. I want you with me. My mama made me see how much you care for me, despite me constantly trying to push you away. She said that you wanted to be here to help me through what I’m dealing with.”

“She’s absolutely right.”

I nodded and gave him a tight smile. “If you can handle my ups and downs, then I want you to be with me, Kingsley . . . finally.”

“Let me gain clarity, baby. You want me in your space as a friend, right?”

I shook my head. “No. I want you here as mine. I want to be yours. It will just—”

“I don’t care about anything else. This was a big step for you. I’m so happy that you took the risk, baby. Come here.”

I leaned into his open arms, relishing just how good it felt.

“Treasure, I swear, this is the happiest day of my life. I know I’m young, but I promise I will be everything you need me to be.”

I lifted my head and stared at him. “All I want for you to be is you.”

Bringing my hand to his face, I gently pulled him to me when I slid my hand to the back of his neck and pecked his lips. I hadn’t felt lips on mine in a long time. He’d kissed me before, and I nearly had a panic attack. I didn’t know why. Those fuckers didn’t kiss me. That action shouldn’t have provoked that sort of response from me.

When I pulled away, Kingsley’s eyes remained closed, and he tucked his bottom lip into his mouth. He opened his eyes and smiled at me. “Damn. I’ve been dreaming about this moment for so long.”

“Kingsley, it’s been over two years. I think you’ve more than proven just how down for me you really are. I want to get back to where we were headed before they fucked my head up, thinking PJ was dead. I told Cousin Philly he was on my damn hit list for that.”

When I smirked, Kingsley chuckled.

“Damn. Can I hug you again?”

I closed my eyes and prayed I would never regret what I was about to say. “You don’t need permission to hug me.”

He smiled and pulled me to him, hugging me. This felt much better than I ever thought it would, and I could only pray that it continued to feel this way. My mama was right. I needed him. I just hoped that he needed me enough to endure whatever came with that.