“What’s up? You hungry? You need me to bring you anything?”
Kiandra shook her head. “I had some soup about an hour ago.”
I remained in the doorway. Things in the house were awkward and tense. I wasn’t used to feeling uncomfortable in my own home. Technically, it was Kiandra’s home, but I paid the mortgage every month.
“Why are you just standing there?” she slurred her words. She was fighting her sleep and losing the battle.
I didn’t answer her question. Instead, I asked one of my own. “Why do you stay with me, Kiandra?’
Her eyes widened a bit, and she sat up in bed. “Huh? Why are you asking me that?”
“You know everything that your parents say is true. You can do better than me. Maybe you getting evicted wasn’t that big of a deal, but you got shot, Ki. I just don’t understand why you aren’t with a man that’s more your speed.”
The last thing I expected was for tears to spill over her eyelids. “I don’t understand why people just won’t let me be happy. Every other day someone is telling me not to be with you. I’m kind of used to it from them, but now you’re joining in. I’m with you because I love you. Why is that so hard to understand? Do you want me to break up with you?”
My heart sank, and I moved closer to the bed. “I asked you a simple question. It wasn’t my intention to get you all worked up. I didn’t mean to upset you. Get some rest, baby.” I kissed her forehead, and Kiandra laid back down.
Suddenly, I was annoyed, and I didn’t know why. I stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on before undressing. It was ironic that I cuffed Kiandra because she was loyal. But in that very moment, I was annoyed, because she wouldn’t decide that she deserved better and leave me alone.
CHAPTER 4
BREEZY
Raisingmy cup in the air, I swayed to the beat of the rap song that was blasting through the club. Lauren asked me to go out with her to celebrate Tyler’s birthday, but I had a reason of my own to celebrate. Chad the creep had put in an offer on a $8,500,000 house, and his offer was accepted. That commission was going to be lovely. Plus, my pockets were a little heavier thanks to Lucci paying me to tutor and mentor him. It had been three days since I showed him the property that he wasn’t going to buy.
I could only assume since he was there looking at a house that his girlfriend was okay. I was genuinely glad about that, and I didn’t even know her. I wasn’t sure why I was disappointed that he was taken. Hell, that could have been me riding shotgun in his car and literally been shot with a gun. Hell no. Lucciano was eye candy for sure though. He was one light-skinned man that could absolutely positively get it. If he was single.
After dancing through four straight songs, I was hot, and my feet were screaming. I took a seat on the couch and sipped my drink. When I saw the crowd parting like the Red Sea as Lucci and a dark-skinned guy entered Tyler’s section, my kitty purred something serious. That man was too damn fine. I had never inlife found a man with a face tattoo attractive. Even though his tattoo was small, that was always one place that I felt tattoos should be off limits but nothing and I do mean nothing could take away from Lucci’s handsomeness.
I quicky looked away because even though he was cool, I didn’t want to get caught staring. Unlocking my phone, I decided to check my social media notifications. I was responding to some comments that were posted underneath the photo I posted before going out when Lauren sat beside me on the couch.
“Biitttchhhhhh,” she squealed dramatically, and I knew she was coming with some piping hot tea.
“What?” I chuckled looking over at her.
“I was talking to Tyler right, and I was eavesdropping. Why the hell did Lucci’s friend Maino ask him who you were, and Lucci told him you were off limits.”
My brows pinched together, and I drew back a bit. “Why would he tell him I’m off limits?” I was genuinely confused.
“Because he must like you!” She hissed. “You sure you and him only talked about real estate?”
“Yes,” I frowned. “It wasn’t anything like that. He wasn’t inappropriate even a little bit.” My gaze flitted in Lucci’s direction, and when I noticed that he was staring at me, my heart started beating in my throat. He nodded his head at me, and I gave him a small smile before looking away. I looked over at Lauren, and she was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “That doesn’t make sense though. He’s never tried me for one and for two, he has a girlfriend.”
Lauren’s shoulders hiked into a shrug. “Hey, I’m just telling you what I heard. Maybe if he can’t have you, he doesn’t want anyone else to have you.”
“That’s not fair,” my frown deepened. Cutting my eyes back toward Lucci and his friend, I did a quick appraisal of Maino.
He was handsome. Around six feet even, dark skin, cornrows. While he was easy on the eyes if I had to choose, I’d choose Lucci. Which was insane because Lucci was spoken for. I found myself wondering what Lucci’s girlfriend looked like. How long they’d been together. Realizing that I was in the club thinking about Lucci’s woman made me feel lame. I drained the alcohol from my cup and grabbed the bottle to pour another drink. It was supposed to be a celebration. I’d be lying, however, if I said I wasn’t curious why Lucci told his friend I was off limits. It wasn’t like I could ask because I didn’t want him to know that Lauren heard him.
Lauren went back over to where Tyler was. They were being touchy feely and acting like a couple in the honeymoon stage. He seemed like a good guy and if it was going to be a good situation for Lauren, I welcomed it. Everyone wasn’t meant to be our soulmate. Sometimes, people just came along for us to have fun with. I wasn’t sure when my fun person or soulmate would come along but while I waited, I could have fun by myself.
I was so lost in my thoughts; I didn’t notice that Lucci was headed in my direction until he was sitting down beside me. “What’s going on?”
He was so close; I could smell the mint from the gum he was chewing. I hated the way heat radiated through my body and settled in my core. The inferno traveled from my tummy to the space between my thighs. I almost wished that Lucci wouldn’t have told Maino that I was off limits. Maybe if he had tried to talk to me, I would have taken him up on the offer therefore making Lucci off limits to me because I didn’t do the homie hopping.
“Hey.” Placing my cup to my lips, I took another sip of my beverage. That was the only thing stopping me from questioning him about what Lauren heard.
“Can you see? Your eyes are low as shit.” The way his gaze was so intense it was like he was studying me. My nipples hardened, and I had to internally will myself to calm down. Lucci belonged to a very lucky person. Well, taking bullets for him wasn’t lucky. But having a fine, faithful man that was trying to walk a straight path made her lucky as hell in my opinion.
