Prologue
The loud hum of the engine was continuous as they sped along the empty road and Carter laughed heartily in the driver’s seat. The beat of the song from the speakers in the back of the car was one of the only things Aniyah could hear as her best friend beside her screeched at the top of her lungs, “Slow down! You’re going to get us killed!”
“Oh, come on, Chloe! Stop being such a buzzkill and live a little,” Carter yelled back at her, briefly taking his eyes off the road to turn the volume down enough for us to hear each other. “Wouldn’t want you ladies to lose your voices before it’s time now do we?” he asked with a devious smirk creeping onto his face before Chloe smacked him upside the head.
“How far are we?” Aniyah asked as Carter’s car hit a sharp turn. “Patience Ani, patience. We’ll be there in a moment. Just sit tight,” he said as the car pulled to a stop on the other side of the street of Prauge, a club we’d frequented the past year. “I thought you said we’d be trying somewhere new today?” Chloe asked smugly, knowing the answer Carter would give.
“Why try something new when nothing’s wrong with the other option?” Carter shrugged. Aniyah and Chloe gave each other amused looks. They both knew that Carter wouldn’t pull through with his promise of something new. The trio walked across the busy street as Chloe opened her flask of decanted bourbon and she took a long sip.
When the burning liquid went down her throat, she threw her head back and groaned. Aniyah shook her head with a smile and held Chloe’s hand. The music got louder as they got closer to the open door. Carter gave the bouncer a knowing look as they entered the club and started to look around.
As expected, the club was stock-full of bodies, moving to the beat of the high-tempo song blasting through the club’s speakers. Aniyah pushed her way through the crowd, reaching the bar. She ordered her drink and made eye contact with a man on the opposite side. One side of his lips quirked upward and he lifted his drink.
She smirked and focused her gaze on the high shelf in front of her. The bartender slid two drinks towards her, a bourbon and a gin and tonic. “From the gentleman across the bar,” he said politely before quickly darting to a waiting patron.
Aniyah looked up back at where the man was sitting and saw an empty seat. She scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion as she turned back to the drinks in front of her. The mysterious man slid into the seat next to her.
“Hey,” the vibrato in his voice sent a slight shiver down her spine. “Hi,” she said with a slight smirk tugging at her lips as her eyes trailed along his suit-clad body. She took a sip from her bourbon-filled cup before she asked, “Your place or mine?”
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They stumbled into her apartment, their now-swollen lips not leaving each other once. She kicked her door shut as he threw his coat off and it landed on her couch. His calloused hands caressed her body, leaving trails of warmth in their wake. She broke free to take a breath but his soft, tantalizing kisses moved down to her exposed neck.
She let out a surprised gasp and craned her head back. He pushed her against the wall and pinned her arms above her head. He stopped and he locked eyes with her. Their chests were moving in unison. She turned, sending the end table and all its contents onto the floor. Her head snapped in its direction, glaring at it for its interruption before marveling at the mess it had created.
The bowl that was filled with marbles was now empty, the marbles were now scattered across the varnished wood floor. Her vanilla-scented diffuser had broken and had spilled its oil and the candles had rolled under the couch.
“Give me a second,” she said as she bent over to begin picking up the end table’s contents off of the floor. “Let me help you,” he said as he started cleaning up with her, throwing occasional glances her way. “This probably dampened the mood, huh?” he said as they finished up.
“I should probably make you some tea or coffee before you go,” she said and walked to the kitchen. He followed suit and leaned against her counter. She suddenly realized how small her kitchen was as she could feel his heat as if he was right next to her. The tension in the room grew thick and Aniyah’s chest grew as she took deep breaths. Her hands shook as she reached for the kettle and turned it on. She could feel his eyes on her as she turned to face him and he stepped towards her.
His face drew close as he pulled her so close to him that she would have thought it impossible and their lips collided. Their kiss was like a fiery dance, a fight for dominance and a fierce display of passion as he picked her up and put her on the cold countertop. His warm fingertips left a blazing trail of goosebumps in their wake as they blindly explored the map of her body. Finally, they rested under her thighs, lifting her.
He walked over to her bedroom, never breaking physical contact with her. He threw her onto the bed and he tugged off his shirt. The moonlight almost made him look ethereal, like an angel that fell out of heaven. It made Aniyah’s heart skip a beat and her breath caught in her throat.
She zipped down her dress and it slipped off her torso. A tense second passed by as her gaze slowly moved down his tattoo-clad torso. She gulped as she felt the heat of his stare and sat up. His masculine scent enveloped her like a comforting blanket as he moved toward her. He left kisses all over her collarbone as he climbed on top of her.
This was going to be a fun night.
