Page 82 of The Sweetest Devotion

“God, I still can’t believe you’re marryingthat,” Stephanie whispered in my ear, slight jealousy in her tone.

We stepped out onto the balcony area, the music faint out in the night. Couples and groups were seated at tables and the first empty table we came to was next to a group of men. They were smoking cigarettes, causing Stephanie to wave her hand and wrinkle her nose as we sat down.

Cigarettes.

Keith.

“Hey, can I have one of those?” I tapped the man closest to me and asked for a cigarette, throwing caution to the wind. They were terrible, but the tobacco would only serve as a reminder, to keep me grounded, to let me know there was another man I was sleeping with to escape from it all out there.

The man, a blond, was all too eager to slip me a cigarette and light me up. He and his friends were all clad in suits, wore big white teeth smiles, and had proper haircuts and fancy watches. Accountants. Brokers. Pencil pushers. I could smell it on them after so much time in the Hills.

“Thanks.” I turned back around and committed to sitting out on the balcony with the intrusive twosome to get away from Cain.

Elyse and Stephanie were sipping on drinks and I’d forgotten my water inside.

I wasn’t going back for it.

“So, what’s he like?” Stephanie wanted to know as she gestured with her head back toward the table Cain was at. “You know, in bed? Tell me you’re ridin’ that like he stole something.”

The thought made me gag.

One look inside and I caught Cain talking to Vino and Beans, busy, distracted.

“We’re waiting,” I said as I came back to the girls.

Elyse frowned. “For what?”

I took a drag from my cigarette and blew out a stream of smoke.Gross. “I just haven’t been ready.”

Stephanie shook her head. “Shout out to your willpower.”

“You know,” Elyse began, appearing thoughtful as she took a glance over at Cain’s table. “He sorta reminds me of Mister.”

I furrowed my brows as Stephanie blatantly snorted, nearly spitting out some of her cocktail. “Oh, shut the fuck up.”

“What?” Elyse looked at the two of us helplessly. “He does! Sexy, mysterious, powerful—there’s something about him.”

I took another pull from my cigarette and considered this. The idea that Cain was reminiscent of the male lead in the steamy and eroticMistertrilogy, Isaiah Keller. A successful Black businessman who sets his eyes on an ingénue who disrupts life as he knows it. The books,Mister,MisterUndone, andMister in Love, were mega bestsellers. Although, I hadn’t read any, not being much of a reader. Jadyn had read all three and gushed over Isaiah’s character, citing that although she didn’t like alpha males usually, there was something about the domineering and hypnotic Isaiah that hooked her on the books.

Domineering definitely fit Cain through and through.

The thought of reading brought me back to Keith’s house, and that romance he’d been reading.Night Changes. I should’ve read more, and that bookwasinteresting. I kinda wanted to lay up under him and get his take on the book.

Thinking of him only drove me to grab my phone and snap a quick selfie, cigarette in mouth, and send it to him.

Me

Look what bad habit I’ve picked up

Auto Repair

I can think of another habit that’s better for you…

I read between the lines and couldn’t believe how much I was into the act of getting on my knees for this man. I sent him a tongue emoji to play along.

Auto Repair

Put it out

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