Dark Or Cream

You can read Dark Or Cream free below.

Blurb:

A love triangle, plus size, BWWM, Black romance novel.

Kaja is stuck between two guys, and they couldn’t be more different.

It’s kind of like deciding between a strong, black coffee or a smooth, creamy latte—both are great, but which one is just right for her?

So, what’s a girl to do?

Simple: she dates both to see who truly captures her heart!

As Kaja navigates this tricky romantic terrain, she knows a choice must be made.

Will her decision bring her the happiness she’s hoping for, or will it leave a bitter taste in her mouth?

Get answers in this interracial, love triangle romance book by Esther Banks.

Prologue – Recipe for Love

Hands in oven mitts, Kaja gingerly pulled the tray of homemade biscuits from the stove and used her hip to close the oven door. She had a bowl of honey-butter whipped to warm, creamy perfection for glaze, and she laid the pan of steamy, fluffy buttermilk biscuits on the counter top. Kaja Crenshaw was a natural in the kitchen, whether she was hooking up a meal at home or at her restaurant, Cooking by Kaj, and she knew the delectable dinner she had prepared for home tonight would be mouth-watering good. After glazing the biscuits, she tugged her apron strings loose from her thick waist and wiped her hands on the cloth before tossing it to the side counter. She breezed out of her kitchen with the pan and placed it on her dining room table with the cheesy macaroni and baked chicken she had prepared. There was also wild rice casserole cooked with mushrooms and broccoli, sweet peas on the side and a tantalizing golden-crust blueberry pie.

Kaja hummed to herself and danced out of the dining room to her bedroom so she could change out of her lazy pants and into something more presentable. She had to dig in the closet for something that would fit, and she made a mental note to go shopping now that business was picking up. She had company on the way to share that delicious meal she had slaved over. Her sister, Ebony, and her brother-in-law were stopping by with their kids. The family was a regular fixture at her place because Auntie Kaj knew how to make homemade ice cream the girls, Kelly and Mishayla, liked, and she had a batch chilling in the freezer. She loved having the rowdy bunch around, almost as much as she loved cooking. Everything came second best to cooking.

Ebony was Kaja’s big sis, but also her best friend. Kaj couldn’t wait to tell her the quarterly numbers for Cooking by Kaj. Her restaurant had gotten off to a rocky start three years ago, and Kaja had struggled to keep her dream afloat in a busted economy. Their small town had few other eateries that could compete, but it was still a small town. It took forever to coax the reluctant townspeople to become regulars. Kaja offered country home cooking at value prices that couldn’t be beat. Not to mention, the taste of her food was better than everybody’s grandmama’s; everybody said so. Now, she couldn’t beat away customers with a stick. She was out of the red, in the black and slated for another successful year. That was cause for celebration.

The doorbell rang, and Kaja struggled to button her jeans. Smoothing down her t-shirt, she examined her svelte frame in the mirror. Her lips curved into a smile, and Kaja winked at herself confidently. She was a full figured-woman with a whole lot of butt and hips, and she was fine as wine, as her daddy’s old drinking buddies used to call it. She loved her size and her shape. She had a flat tummy and armloads of DD bre*sts, and Kaja knew her thick thighs and shapely legs were enough to make any man drool. Kaja slipped on her heels and strutted to the front door. It would be nice if she were entertaining a love interest, she thought absently.

“Hey, TeeTee!” Mishayla squealed, darting inside. The seven-year-old clung to Kaja’s legs.

“Don’t make me fall!” Kaj laughed and picked up the lightweight girl with hanging pigtails tipped with colorful barrettes. Ebony dressed the girls in matching outfits. Tonight the light skinned beauties wore skinny jeans and red sweaters with black suede boots. They were adorable, and Kaja sometimes envied her sister. “Ebony, girl, they’re getting so big! Hey, TeeTee’s Baby! Come gimme a hug, KayKay,” Kaja cooed. She greeted the three-year-old Kelly in her sister’s arms and gave her a resounding kiss on her chubby toddler cheek.

“It is freezing out there! Ooh, you got it smelling good up in here, sis!” said Ebony. She walked into the living room and started working off Kelly’s coat. Her husband of eight years, David, stepped in behind her. He was a tall, good-looking chocolate brown man with shoulder length dreadlocks and a constant, playful grin. He was well-built and looked fatherly with the beard he’d grown in of late. David suited her slender, petite sister. Ebony’s afro looked bigger than ever, and her over-sized earrings dangled attractively from her earlobes. In her slimming jeans and sweater, she looked like a catalog model. She turned to Kaja with a wide smile on her cute face and pulled her favorite sibling in for a tight hug.

David took one whiff of the feast and said, “Sister-in-law, I gained ten pounds after eating your Christmas dinner, now you got me back in here New Year’s Eve.”

“Hush, boy, don’t talk about weight gain around my food. That’s sacrilege,” Kaja joked. Mishayla in her arms regaled her with a story about all the things she had gotten for Christmas, and Kaja set her down to hear the animated tale. She couldn’t get enough of her sister’s kids. Then, Kaja led the family to her dining room with joyous voices vying for her attention.

“And, TeeTee, I got a baby doll on a motorcycle that I kinda like but I kinda don’t like cause it’s not a monster doll like I wanted, but it’s alright,” said Mishayla.

“Oh, really?” Kaja commented.

“I told them at work I wasn’t working another holiday. I did the last two in a row,” Ebony complained. “We’re supposed to alternate, but you know somebody always takes off at the last minute.” Ebony settled Kelly in the high chair Kaja kept in the pantry for when the kids visited. The sleepy toddler looked like she was a blink away from falling asleep. Kaja grinned at her and tickled her, trying to bring out her dimpled smile.

David chimed in, “You need to stop working at that hospital, honey. I wish you’d try working from home.”

“He’s right, Ebony. I saw an advertisement online the other day about medical transcriptionist jobs from home,” Kaja suggested.

“David knows I’d go crazy if I had to juggle work, mommy-hood and being a wife all from the same domain. I’m fine at the hospital, just venting. Enough about me, though. What about you? How’s the restaurant?” Ebony asked.