He was taking a right when he said, “Yo.” Pause, “Yeah. She’s here.” Pause then, “Red.” Pause, “Later.”
He flipped his phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket.
But me…
I had stopped breathing.
Red.
He was reporting in.
Knight wanted to know which dress I was wearing.
I twisted my neck and looked back at the girls.
They had big eyes and still wore their huge smiles.
They knew what I knew.
I giggled.
They giggled too.
Hulk muttered, “Shit.”
I giggled harder.
They giggled harder too.
Hulk drove us to Slade.
I was standing in our VIP section holding a martini glass with the dregs of my lemon drop in my hand when the three friends I was talking to of the twenty-five I invited that night looked beyond me.
But I knew.
It was late, I’d been there hours. It had to be well past midnight. I’d had four lemon drops.
And finally he was there.
I turned my head and saw an aubergine shirt and black suit jacket then my eyes tipped up in time to see Knight’s head dip down right before his lips skimmed the skin of my bare shoulder.
That tingle came back but it slid up to my scalp and down to the small of my back, radiating out across my waist, hips and bottom.
God, lovely.
He lifted his head barely an inch but his eyes came to mine.
“Hey,” I whispered and I could, even in the loud club, he was that close.
“It fits,” he whispered back.
“Yeah,” I confirmed the obvious. The dress fit perfectly. Like it was made for me.
His eyes shifted over my shoulder and unfortunately he straightened but I felt the heat of his body hit my back as he got close.
“Ladies,” he greeted, his smooth voice pitched loud to be heard over the music.
I looked from Knight to them to see my girls were all staring in various degrees of shock and wonder.
“Knight,” my voice was pitched higher too and I indicated them in turn with their names, “this is Monica, Helen and Christie.”
He tipped his chin up.
Monica swallowed.
Helen peeped, “Hey.”
Christie flashed a quick wave and her lips moved but no sound came out.
I stifled a giggle.
“Right, you’re hot, my girl’s dress is scorching and I’m in the VIP section drinking free so, just FYI, you’ve elevated yourself above that dickface douchebag of a brother. Now I get he’s your brother and our skin isn’t the same, neither is our blood but I’m sister to Anya and Sandrine so I think you also get me.”
This was Viv perpetrating a sneak attack from the side and to make certain her important message was received over the music, she was shouting at Knight.
His head had turned to her. My heart had stopped beating. And Christie, Helen and Monica wisely affected a hasty retreat.
“I get you,” Knight replied.
“And there may be some universe where my girl Anya wears cheap shoes and saves for a fucking cell phone but this one isn’t it. Therefore she’s been living a travesty. I’m glad you’re sorting that shit out,” she went on, again loudly.
I felt Knight’s arm slide around my waist as I watched his lips twitch but he did not reply.
I, however, did.
“Viv, now’s a good time to shut up.”
“Men understand direct communication. It’s bitches who speak in code,” she returned.
Knight’s arm got tight, pulling my side into his.
I liked this, it felt nice. I wanted to enjoy it.
But since my friend was crawling up my nose being as she could be, direct, protective and crazy, instead of doing that, I retorted to Viv, “Right, well you communicated pretty directly. Now shut… up.”
“He bought you that dress, those shoes so he’s way into you in a way nothing I can do would make him less into you,” Vivica shot back.
“Let’s not test that, shall we?” I suggested loudly.
“As entertaining as this is,” Knight broke in, “if you wouldn’t mind, I wanna steal her a second.”
“Be my guest,” Vivica agreed magnanimously, sweeping her arm out and everything.
The good news was, Knight immediately moved me to a darkish corner where there was privacy, a booth seat lining the wall and no one around and the no one I wanted to be around at that moment was freaking Viv. The other good news was, Sandrine was tipsy and therefore on the dance floor dancing by herself which was her way. This wouldn’t last long since one, two, five or twelve guys would join her eventually. But it meant she wasn’t there so she could not also embarrass me. And the last good news was that Knight was there. Finally.
And there was no bad news.
We got to the corner, Knight shifted me in a way I knew he wanted me to plant my bottom in the seat so I did. He moved in beside me, close beside me, slid an arm along the back of the booth seat but his eyes went across the platform, locked on something and he jerked up his chin.
I followed his eyes and saw the cocktail waitress rushing our way.
Then I felt my glass sliding out of my hand. I looked down to see it was now in Knight’s then I followed it to watch him hand it off to the cocktail waitress.
“Anya gets San Pellegrino the rest of the night starting now,” he ordered, she nodded and dashed away.
I looked at Knight.
“What? Why? I have a VIP card. Kathleen dropped it off for me. I’ve never been a VIP. I need to live it up.”
“Babe, you’re mine. Anytime you’re in Slade you’re a VIP and drink free.”
Oh.
Cool.
“Really?” I asked.
He stared at me then shook his head and one side of his mouth curved up.
I guessed that was my answer since he said nothing further and although his head shake was negative my guess was his answer was positive.
Since he didn’t say anything, I did.
“Why water, Knight? I’m not drunk. I’m not even tipsy.”
“And you’re not gonna get that way. I’ll fuck you drunk, baby, but not the first time.”
My breath left me in a hard whoosh.
Knight kept talking. “So water, the rest of the night. You get me?”
I nodded.
His eyes moved over my face.
Then he asked, “You got anything for me?”
I stared. Then I panicked.
He gave me a driver, a VIP section and four free drinks (as well as unlimited San Pellegrino not to mention the dress I was wearing, etc.). Was I supposed to bring a thank you gift?
“Uh…” I mumbled then stopped.
“Anya, I haven’t seen you since Tuesday.”
This was true.
“I know,” I somewhat yelled over the music.
“And you got nothin’ for me?”
“Um…” I began, stopped then bit my lip.
His twitched, he dipped his face close and ordered, “Baby, fuckin’ kiss me.”
Oh.
God.
Oh God!
I’d never kissed him and he’d only kissed me once. And when he did, I didn’t really kiss him back I just went along for the ride.
Oh God.
God!
Well, fuck it. If I sucked it would only mean my world coming to an end.
No pressure.
Damn.
I lifted a hand to his neck, tipped my face back, held his eyes and pressed my lips to his.
Then I closed my eyes as I smelled his cologne.
God. Amazing.
I ran my tongue along the crease of his lips.
Then suddenly his arm was locked around me, my torso was tight to his, my body twisted so I was angled across his and partially in his lap and his other hand drove into my hair as his tongue thrust into my mouth and he kissed me.