Page 13 of Smoke

We shared a small embrace before I headed for the door. The last thing I needed was another man.

Currently

Sharina made an absolutely beautiful bride.

We were at the reception, and sis was shaking everything her mama gave her on the dance floor. The reception had been delayed by about twenty minutes as we waited for them to arrive. Just from the looks they’d given each other and the kiss they shared at the altar, it was very clear why they were late.

I loved that for them, though. I thought it was a beautiful thing to be insanely attracted to your mate. Growing up with my parents, I was used to an overflow of love being displayed. My daddy didn’t care where he was; he was going to kiss and touch on my mama. I could see Shar and Maceo growing old and still being that way.

The Dillingers were a funny clan. They cracked jokes all throughout the ceremony, and I was in stitches laughing at them. Nobody seemed to mind that it disrupted the flow of the ceremony, leading me to believe that this was a usual occurrence among them. I teared up a little at the couple’s vows. It was clear the love Shar and Maceo shared was genuine.

I gathered that they had some trials and tribulations, but they pulled through stronger than ever. Listening to that man profess his love to his wife was some of the most beautiful words I’d ever heard. It took me back to the years I spent with Korri’s dad. He’d given me the same kind of love, and though I’d onlybeen with one person since then, no other love had compared to his.

“Why are you sitting over here all by yourself?”

I blinked myself out of my thoughts and looked up to see Devin standing over me. God, this man was handsome as hell. He was a bigger man than I was used to, but not in a bad way. Those muscles were solid and defined, and he filled out his suit very well. The little moment we had before I came to wait for the processional was… sweet.

His touch was electrifying. I could imagine many women fell victim to his good looks. I could almost bet money that he could charm the panties off any woman he wanted.

“I’m just enjoying my food and watching your new sister in-law cut up.”

“She really ain’t new. They’ve been married for like six months.”

“Oh, wow! I didn’t know that. It was still a beautiful ceremony.”

“It was a’ight.” He chuckled as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “You good over here, though? You need anything?”

“I’m okay. Me and baby Juri are about to go grab something from this dessert table, though. I’ve been eyeing those cheesecake bites.”

“They’re fire. My grams made them. I can grab it for you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that?—”

“It ain’t shit. I was about to head over there, anyway. You want anything else?”

“One of those red velvet cupcakes. Oooo! A strawberry one too. And one of those cookies.”

He grinned at me. “Did the baby give you a sweet tooth, or is that all you?”

“It’s both.”

He shook his head. “I’ll be right back.”

He left the table, leaving me to look after him. He was a lot nicer than I expected him to be. His face didn’t give friendly vibes. Those bushy eyebrows and semi-scowl were kind of intimidating. But when he smiled… his smile was beautiful. I found myself growing a little warm each time he smiled at me.

“You gotta get it together, girl,” I told myself. “That man does not want you.”

I had no business even looking at another man right now. How much of a desperate bitch would I be called to be dating while pregnant? I’d certainly be called trifling for sleeping with one man while I was pregnant by another. So yeah, my best bet was to focus on the main reason I sought this man out in the first place. Still… he was a fine black man. There was no denying that.

“Here you go,” Devin said, placing the plate of dessert in front of me, along with a bottle of water.

I did my happy dance as I looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re fucking adorable,” he said, shaking his head. “My niece does that same happy dance shit anytime a plate is in front of her.”

“Food is an aphrodisiac. It makes me happy. There isn’t much that makes me happy these days, so let me have that.”

“Come on now. We said you were gonna have a good day. Don’t fuck up the vibe by getting in a negative head space. You’re kid free. You’re in good company. It’s a party, love. Get up and shake your ass or something.”

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