Which made me pause again, because now I was wondering if I had completely misread the vibe between her and James.
The long looks. The private smiles.
Maybe she was looking at me.
“Is that right?” I asked, letting my voice dip just a bit, testing the waters.
She glanced at me with a grin that told me she wasn’t oblivious to the shift.
“Mmhm. I’ve got a good sense for people. Especially theones who pretend not to want what they want.”
That hung in the air like smoke—sweet, slow, and hot at the edges.
I turned toward the window, pretending to watch the road, but the corner of my mouth lifted into a smile I didn’t bother hiding.
This was going to be an interesting day.
Maybe very interesting, and I wasn’t sure yet how good or bad that was.
This was my first time on an active construction site, and the sound of backup alarms, heavy equipment, and the occasional shout of a foreman over the clatter was new to my ears. Dust and diesel hung thick in the air, heat radiating off the gravel and steel, was a beautiful reminder of the successful payoff we’d earned at BlackSphere when we decided to branch out into infrastructure technology. We’d brought in some of the best developers and Civil Engineers to kick off a new branch.
Cadence Samuels was right when she told us we should have PPE with us, since we were likely to walk the site after the meeting. We slipped on our safety boots, vests, and hard hats as I began to walk the alignment beside Amiyah, James walking ahead, and our teams trailing behind us, taking notes and snapping photos. Her shoulder brushed against mine more than once. Too close to be a coincidence, sending a jolt straight through me every time.
She moved with quiet authority, pointing out equipment staging, tapping her tablet, and asking thoughtful questions about sensor placement, as if she already had a grasp of my technology. The way she spoke, sharp but playful, had me watching her mouth more than the words.
At one point, she bent to inspect a settlement marker staked into the ground, noting it wasn’t automated and should be removed and replaced with our tech. Her curls spilled forward. I knew the contrast of her gorgeous skin against the deep richness of mine would feel like the finest silk. Her perfect smile and the shirt pulling across her curves that I was now jealous of made me realize I was gawking, so much so that I had to turn my head just to breathe. I could vividly see myself lying my head on her plush stomach while I played with her pussy.
She glanced up, a smirk tugging at her lips. “You checking my math… or my form?”
I froze for half a second, caught, but she didn’t wait for an answer. She just stood, dusted her palms, and winked like she knew damn well what she was doing to me.
The chemistry between us crackled. Still, I couldn’t ignore the way she and James worked together, the shorthand, the easy flow of communication. He didn’t have to say much; she anticipated it. He trusted her judgment, gave her room to call shots, and she delivered with a kind of loyalty you couldn’t buy. They moved like two halves of the same machine.
If you’d only ever experienced James professionally, you’d think nothing of their relationship. Still, I’d brought him to his knees and looked his desires straight in the face, I knew beneath the professionalism there was an unanswered wanton between them. In this moment, it hit me that I wasn’t jealous or scared of losing him to Amiyah; I was jealous that I wasn’t a part of the ticking time bomb of passion and pleasure that was sure to detonate between them.
What confused me more than anything was that Iwanted to be. I’d never been with a woman before. Never even thought about it past the occasional curiosity and watching lesbian porn. But this one? This woman with dimples, tattoos, and a walk that kept stealing my breath? She had me wondering things I shouldn’t be wondering in the middle of a job site. Like how her lips might taste. How she’d look on her knees next to James, with a matching collar around her neck. Whether her softness would melt or fight against me. Would she break for me or fight to maintain control if she met The Black Dahlia?
When the walkdown wrapped, our teams were saying their goodbyes as they headed back to their respective offices, and I caught both of their attention. “You two hungry? There’s a spot about ten minutes from here that I’ve heard nothing but good things about, my treat.”
Amiyah perked up instantly, dimples deepening, the jiggle of her breasts making me lick my lips. “Food? Always.”
James chuckled, shaking his head. “I’d love to, but I’ve got another meeting downtown in an hour.” He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and thumbed out a couple of crisp bills, handing them to Amiyah like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Go eat. You two will be working closely on this project, so might as well get familiar,” he said, his deep voice laced with a calm authority that left no room for debate. Then his gaze slid to mine, lingering just long enough to remind me that he saw me. “Don’t let her talk you into something wild, Calla.”
Amiyah laughed, pocketing the cash, and looked at me with that same sly glint in her eyes. “No promises.”
And just like that, James headed off, leaving me standingwith a woman who radiated temptation and danger in equal measure.
Lunch suddenly felt like the riskiest part of the day.
But I wasn’t about to back down.
Not when the tension between us promised something far more interesting than food.
The soul food diner sat just off the highway, new and sleek with black-framed windows and a glowing neon sign that read “Soul & Spoon.” Inside, the air smelled like fried chicken, smoked turkey, and buttered cornbread. Wide booths, upholstered in deep emerald velvet, lined the walls, pendant lights casting a soft, gold glow. The place was polished, modern, the kind of spot that felt both stylish and homegrown.
Amiyah pushed the door open for me, her hand brushing the small of my back as I stepped inside. A light touch, barely there, but it lingered.
