“That’s okay. We were just hanging out,” Tray said. “This is my Aunt Cree. She’s the one who knows Tristan Whitmore, and he’s on campus.”
Dominic’s eyes lit up. “For real? Do you think I could get his autograph?”
Dominic’s father shook his head. “Forgive my son’s manners. I’m Hamilton Crosby, and this is my wife, Dakota. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Oh, yeah, Aunt Cree. Ms. Dakota is the stuntwoman I was telling you about. Cool, right?”
All the adults laughed.
“Very cool,” Cree said as they greeted each other.
Conversation flowed easily, and Cree learned that Dominic’s father was part owner of Supreme Security—Atlanta. Which was the same agency her brother Zion worked for, except he was located in Chicago. Her brother often talked about Atlanta’s Finest, which was the nickname given to the security specialists at the agency in Atlanta. Like the one in Chicago, the group was made up of former military and law enforcement personnel.
A knock sounded on the open door, and everyone glanced that way. The moment Cree saw Tristan standing there, butterflies took flight in her stomach and she swooned. The man was gorgeous, and he was hers.
“Whoa! Tristan Whitmore!” Dominic said and he and Tray rushed to the door, talking a mile a minute, and Cree laughed.
Tristan didn’t miss a beat. He jumped right into conversation with the boys, as well as Dominic’s parents, and her heart swelled. Even with a celebrity status, she loved how approachable Tristan was, and she fell more in love with him every day.
So why was she still willing to keep their relationship a secret?
It’s time to quit hiding. Time to go public with their relationship. She’d figured out everything else later, but for now, she was determined to show her man how in love she was with him.
Once the conversation settled some, Cree walked toward him. He glanced over everyone’s head and looked at her, giving her a sexy smile as she got closer. But his eyes searched hers as if wondering what she was up to.
He could read her so good. She did have a little something on her mind.
“Hey, baby,” she said and kissed him sweetly, not caring who was watching. “I hope you’re ready to go because I came up with some other plans for us while we’re in town.”
Cree had no doubt he was going to enjoy what she was cooking up.
Chapter Twenty-Six
With a glass of bourbon in his hand, Tristan leaned his back against the bar and stared out at the crowd. They were at Moody Days Jazz Club which Nyla, Cree’s sister, owned, celebrating Cree’s birthday. She had rented out the place for the night, and though Tristan had expected a small gathering, there were a hundred and twenty-five people in attendance.
Tristan rarely went out to clubs or parties, but he could honestly say he was having a good time. The party was jumping. There was plenty of food, drinks and a popular DJ, who’d been flown in from New York. Cree and her sisters had done a great job party planning and decorating the place. The black, white, and silver color scheme was sophisticated and elegant, and all the guests were dressed in at least one of those same colors.
He smiled as he spotted Cree moving fluidly on the dance floor. She was a natural, even with line dancing as she personalized some of the steps while staying in sync with everyone around her. How she moved with such grace in those super high heels was a mystery, but what really made her stand out was her outfit. She looked like a goddess in the daring, off-white jumpsuit that showed way more skin than Tristan preferred. The front of the garment crisscrossed over her breasts, leaving part of her torso and stomach bare, and her back was exposed.
The outfit was hot, and so was she.
“You haven’t taken your eyes off her since I got here,” Bethany, who was wearing all black, said over the music as she approached him, carrying a glass of wine.
“She makes it hard to look away,” he said of Cree and wrapped his arm around Bethany’s shoulders, drawing her close. “Having a good time?”
“I am. It’s a nice party, and Cree’s siblings are cool.”
“They are, and I’m glad you and Quincy were able to make it.”
“Yeah, me too.”
The day after he and Cree returned from Atlanta, he and Bethany had met for lunch at her request. Tristan couldn’t remember the last time he had spent time with his sister without arguing about something. Yet that day, they’d had a good conversation. She had apologized to him for her behavior over the last few months, promising she wasn’t as bratty as she’d been acting.
Like him, she was pivoting, trying to figure out her next steps and what else she wanted to do with her life. He understood the headache that came with that, especially when you weren’t quite sure what you wanted to do.
During that conversation, he had also found out she had moved out of the condo in Philly. She had also found her own place in Chicago that she was moving into shortly before Thanksgiving. Which was good timing since his parents had found a new home, and Tristan had accepted an offer on the family house.
But what really shocked Tristan was when Bethany had asked to officially meet Cree so she could apologize to her. The three of them had dinner together, which went well, and Cree had invited her and Quincy to her birthday party.
