Posted up near the deck like royalty at their throne. James was bare-chested and casual in jorts with a red bandanna hanging out his back pocket, a fitted Braves cap, gold Cuban links draping his neck, and his gold grill shining, sipping on a beer like the heat didn’t faze him. Calla, beside him, legs crossed, fitted in a light stone-washed denim cropped bra top with matching shorts and a Kangol bucket hat on her bone straight hair. The big diamond hoop earrings sparkled in the sunlight, and her makeup screamed “around the way” girl as she sat sipping from a glass of something brown like she had all the patience in the world.
But they weren’t alone.
I was familiar with Caleb’s wife, Layanna, and she was sitting with several other people I’d never met, lounging nearby, both of them laughing at something another gorgeous woman was saying. Fine ass Maverick was leaning against the rail, tattooed arms crossed, while Knox stood next to him, chain glinting, the two of them lookinglike trouble wrapped in temptation, and then there was a muscular nigga with locs, tossing a football lazily from hand to hand, his smile the kind that made people feel welcome and warned you not to get too comfortable.
I assumed this was the circle of people Calla and James were close to, and I was walking straight into it.
Lena squeezed my hand. “Oh, they’re all here. Girl, this about to be good.”
As if the universe wanted to test my nerves, James' gaze lifted right then, landing square on me. He froze mid-sip, lips still on the bottle, eyes raking over me from head to toe. My skin prickled under it, heat blooming in my chest.
Calla followed his line of sight, and when her eyes found me, her lips curved slow and dangerous, like she’d been expecting this moment all along.
Every head in that circle turned, one by one, until it felt like the whole backyard was watching us strut in.
Lena leaned closer, whispering in my ear as she smiled wide like she lived for this kind of attention. “Well damn, Amiyah. Looks like you just became the main event.”
The closer we got, the louder my pulse got in my ears. My chain belt jingled with every step, my thighs brushing, and I hated the way I was hyper-aware of how my body moved under their eyes, or maybe I loved it, I couldn’t be sure just yet, but I was leaning more towards loving it.
“Lena!” Calil’s voice boomed over the music. He jogged down from the deck in a crisp white tee, gold rope bouncing against his chest. He scooped her up like she was the only woman in the yard, spinning her once before setting her down. “Knew you’d pull up—but you didn’t tell me you and your plus one was coming through to be showstoppers tonight, it’s good to see you again, Amiyah,”He spoke, pulling her in for a hug.”
Lena laughed, tossing her hair back. “She was invited before I was, so I think I’m the plus-one, but don’t be mad we know how to make an entrance.”
“That y’all do,” Calil grinned before slinging an arm around her shoulders and turning to the group on the deck. “Everybody, let me make it official. Lena’s gorgeous ass finally made it before all the food was gone, and she brought her sexy ass best friend, Amiyah.”
He gestured at me, and suddenly every face in the Carter/Black circle was on me.
“Amiyah and James work together; she’s his PM on the big project with the city,” Calil added, his tone easy, like he was stating the weather.
I smiled politely, trying not to show how much my stomach twisted at James' name being dropped like that.
Calil pointed around the circle as he made introductions. “This is Caleb, and his wife, Yanna.” Caleb lifted his beer in greeting, and Yanna gave me a warm smile, her long braids catching the light.
“Over there, that’s Dana and her husband, Ahmir.” Dana raised her cup, grinning, while Ahmir gave me a friendly nod, his arm draped easily around her waist.
“And of course you know Ajaih, Maverick, and Knox.”
“Don’t look so wound up, relax, Miyah,” Ajaih said with a smirk when my eyebrows lifted a little. Maverick squeezed her hand, Knox just leaned back, eyes filled with mischief, like he lived for the reaction.
James stood up, bringing his beer with him, sipping it slow, watching me like I was the only one in the yard, as he pulled me into a hug, his hands all over me.
“Amiyah,” he said, his voice low, gravelly. The way hesaid my name felt like a toast.
“James,” I managed, my voice a little softer than I intended.
Calla made her way to me, her glass cradled in her hand. Her eyes swept over me like a slow caress. “You wore that on purpose, didn’t you?”
I blinked, caught. “Excuse me?”
She sipped, smirking. “That outfit. You knew exactly what it would do, knew it would get you dragged to an empty bedroom and ate,” she whispered, her hand on my throat.
Caleb and Yanna looked on, peeping exactly what was happening with sheepish grins on their faces.
Yanna whistled low. “Mmm, she’s not wrong, sis. You fine as hell.”
“Period,” Dana chimed in, raising her cup. “Body is bodying.”
I laughed nervously, cheeks blazing. “Thank you.”
