The bottle of rum in Soul’s hand landed on the counter with a heavy thunk as he gaped at Chris.
“What? I knew somebody in this damn house was gone make us late.”
“Who’s late?” Rico asked, walking into the kitchen.
All eyes zeroed in on him, and this man had the nerve to smile like he was shy.
I shook my head, making sure my phone was charging before letting my eyes land on everybody in the room.
Tan and white was the color scheme for the night. The only deviations were Rico’s red shirt and my pink heels.
We looked good as hell. Especially Soul. His shirt was open, and all I could think about was how the indentations of his abs would feel under my hands if I sat on his lap right now…
“I’m pouring everybody a shot before we leave,” Soul said, turning to grab the glasses as Rico closed in on us around the island.
Happiness had been humming through me all day, and it intensified now that we were all standing in the same place. I tried to take a mental snapshot of this moment, knowing full well these were my last moments of sobriety before a wild ass night.
Rico kissed Christian’s complaints into oblivion, while Soul poured up two shots of tequila for everybody. I was too caught up in how damn good the moment felt to question how one shot had turned into two. I knocked the first one back with no chaser, then I blinked, and Rico was standing in front of me, a different bottle near his lips.
“Open your mouth, baby.”
The rough but quiet timbre of his voice and his hand around my throat made me fold. Again. Eyes locked on his, I let him tip my head back and opened my mouth.
He hovered over my face, his gaze dark and devious before the corners of his mouth lifted. “You let me do whatever I want to you, and I love that shit, Harlow.”
Denying the truth was pointless. The only three people who could do what they wanted to me were all in this room.
My pulse slowed and I could hear every beat of my heart as he poured tequila in his mouth then leaned over and spit it directly into mine.
His thumb caressed my neck as the liquor hit the back of my throat. I swallowed and blinked up at him. Waiting for more. Waiting for anything he wanted to give me, honestly.
But he set the bottle down behind me and crashed his lips into mine instead.
He kissed me so deeply, I almost forgot it wasn’t just the two of us in this kitchen.
Licking my kiss-swollen lips, I inhaled sharply and didn’t bother hiding my grin.
It was going to be a good ass night.
Champagne Kisses
Friday, July 11, 2025 | 12:02 a.m.
It wouldn’t be a night out for us if we didn’t end up at Paradise.
Christian’s bar was our third and final destination for the night, and now he was conveniently missing.
It was two minutes past midnight, officially the next day, and I wanted to be the first person to wish him a happy birthday.
Holding the bottle of Möet over my head, I left Rico and Soul on the patio, weaving through the tight crowd leading inside to get to his office.
When the hallway opened up enough for me to exhale without touching somebody, I lowered my arm and speed walked to his office door.
As soon as I reached for the knob, the door opened, and I had to do a double take to make sure the woman in front of me was real.
“Hey, baby,” Monica Hughes cooed, engulfing me in a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
Christian’s mom was stunning, and he looked just like her with facial hair.
