Page 88 of Right Side of Paradise
“How’s Rico?” she slid in casually.
“He’s fine,” I said, clearing my throat.
All my misplaced jealousy over seeing them together at the Juneteenth festival was long gone, but in its wake was a silly little twinge of embarrassment about how I let my petty feelings get the best of me.
My mother and grandmother had raised me to never look at another woman and see competition. I knew better. But my logic had a habit of falling to the wayside when Rico was concerned.
I followed Lyric back to the front of the stall.
She looked like she wanted to say more but stopped to fix the man waiting for her with a glare. As quickly as the scathing look formed on her face, she masked it with a customer service smile and turned to her attendant. “Poppy, could you help him while I get Harlow squared away?”
Poppy, the petite sales attendant, gulped as her eyes grew cartoonishly round. “I already offered. He said he wanted to wait on you.”
Lyric narrowed her pretty caramel eyes. “Mr. Kane, take Poppy’s help or stop loitering around my stall. You’re gonna scare away customers.”
Simeon Kane lit up under her attention, and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as my eyes darted between the two. “Come on, Lyric. I think we’re on a first-name basis by now.”
“Do you want to buy something?” Lyric folded her arms across her chest.
“Yeah.” The subtle curve of his full lips told me he was up to no good, but I couldn’t look away.
“Fine. What?”
“Your lunch. And dinner.”
“I’m not hungry and I don’t want to eat with you.” Lyric kissed her teeth when his smile just broadened.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re a hoe and I’m not looking to be anybody’s distraction until they get bored.”
Simeon splayed his large hand over his heart and tilted his head, sending his locs cascading over one shoulder. “I’m offended.”
“Not enough if you’re still standing here.”
Poppy and I stifled our laughs at the same time, but Simeon still looked unfazed.
And as flippant and cold as her tone was, Lyric’s whole demeanor was melting. That’s when I knew she was as good as gone.
Rico showed up and paid for my stuff before I could watch the rest of their banter unfold, but my nosy ass was already trying to figure out a way to circle back before we left.
But with one sentence, Rico chased away my nosiness when he murmured in my ear.
“Let’s go home, I wasn’t finished with you this morning.”
The swift kiss he stamped below my ear made me forget we had family at this market. Because I glanced up at him with an expectant pout.
His smile was as teasing as his next string of words. “As much as you want me to kiss you right now, I won’t until you tell your mother about us.” He ducked off into an unoccupied stall and his hand found a snug home around the base of my neck. “Unless you want to explain to sweet Ms. Yvie why you’re so desperate for me when you say you’re dealing with somebody else.”
“I’m gonna tell her,” I promised, watching the muscles along his jaw tick. He didn’t look upset, just playfully mischievous and I was starting to believe that was worse.
Rico’s eyes darkened, his smile turning tempting. “I believe you, baby.” He let go of me. “Until then, I think I wanna watch you come on Christian’s dick while me and Soul take turns filling your mouth.”
It was a shame how weak my knees got when he tugged slightly at the new chain around my waist.
“Then I’ll make us lunch and tell you how god damn pretty you are when you let us use you.”
He knew me so well. All three of them had unlocked a dormant desire within me. I didn’t question how it happened, I just knew they made me feel safe enough to embrace it. I loved being used by them. There weren’t a lot of feelings that topped watching all three of my men come apart for me.
