Page 66 of The Smoke Hour

“Why?” he asked when he pulled the bottle from his lips and wiped them with the back of his hand.

“Smoke.” I placed my hands on my hips.

He laughed, walked closer to me, and pulled me into his arms. He wore nothing but a pair of basketball shorts and some slides.

When he kissed my neck and face, I couldn’t help but giggle like a kid. He showered me with so much affection and love all the time. It amazed me that I was scared to be in his presence not that long ago. Now, I never wanted to leave his side.

I woke up every morning happy to go into my shop but struggling to leave his side at the same time. I went to The Smoke Hour every day for lunch, and we ate together unless he had business. I had two part-time workers, so it made it easy for me to get away.

“Put your shirt on, baby. The girls are looking,” I whispered against his lips.

“Damn sure are,” Tamara called out from behind us.

Smoke laughed, smacked me on the ass, and then winked at my friends.

“Baby, I’m heading to the basement to watch boxing.”

“Okay, bae.”

I watched him until he disappeared. When I turned around again, I stared at my girls.

“What?” I demanded.

They both had their chins resting in their hands, staring dreamily after him.

“What?” I repeated.

“He’s so damn fine, girl,” Christina answered.

“Yeah. We told you about that dangerous, edgy dick. Shit has you doing all kinds of crazy shit,” Tamara stated.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be stalking my man,” I warned and pointed my finger at her.

“Shiiid. He got another brother?” Tamara asked.

“No. Jo-Jo’s the only one, and he’s married,” I answered.

“Mm. You sure?” Tamara challenged.

I rolled my eyes.

“Anyway, what have you two been up to?” I changed the subject.

“Same old, same old,” Christina responded.

We caught up on their lives since I hadn’t seen them in a while. Before they left, we made plans to have lunch together weekly and resume our Friday night girls’ nights at least once every other week. We also agreed that they could be nights in and didn’t always have to be at the club.

After they left, I took some pie and ice cream downstairs to Smoke, but I didn’t find him there. I headed back upstairs to the third level and found him in bed.

“You sleep, bae?”

He pulled the covers back and replied, “Nah. Just watching an MMA match. They gone?”

“Yeah. They left a few minutes ago.”

“Damn, I thought I wasn’t ever gonna get you to myself.”

“You do realize that you always have me. That’s why I had to make plans to have a weekly luncheon with them and every other week girls’ night out.”

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