“I might let you and your little crew take the jet. I’ll be out there later, though.”
“Dayyy,” she whined. “You know the cameras won’t flick the same if I walk in by myself.”
“I’ma be there,” he said unconvincingly. “I got business to handle before I come out, though. I’ll put my card on file with the company stylist. Get yourself right so you’re ready. I got to talk to Demi. See where his head at. See if he fucking with it. I doubt it, but we’ll see. If Charlie performs, I doubt he’ll send her alone.”
Kiara wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to hug him. “Thank you, Day,” she sang it so sweetly he knew the wrong nigga would have fallen for the trap of the faux worship. She didn’t love him. She loved his caliber. There was a difference. He tapped her on the ass, and she stood in confusion. His decision was made. He wasn’t hitting anything tonight.
“You’re not staying?” she asked.
“Another time,” he said. “I’ma get up with you, my baby.”
Day knew it would take some convincing to get Demi to agree to the Dynasty Brunch, but it was necessary for both Kiara Da’vi and Charlie’s projects to thrive. Their family had taken a devastating hit, but the business couldn’t go unmanned. Even if Day had to captain the ship alone until Demi came back to work, the show had to go on. They had poured too much into their company to neglect it when they had two burgeoning stars on the horizon. He thought about asking Stassi to plan the LA event, but he had a feeling that Kiara Da’vi would buck against that. He had heard her subtle shade while referring to Stassi, and Day didn’t feel like running interference between the two women. Kiara wasn’t one to play her position. She was only interested in the top spot, and if Stassi felt like a threat, Kiara wouldn’t play nice. He would throw the job to someone else, maybe even see if Lauren wanted to distract herself with the task, just to make sure he didn’t put two trains on the same track. He knew that Lauren would need a watchful eye on her for a while. Keeping her close would be a good idea. His only other concern was figuring out a way to detach his name from Kiara Da’vi’s without kicking a hornet’s nest. The subtle power she had tried to assert by mentioning Duke’s ownership didn’t sit well with him. He had a feeling if things didn’t go her way, she would become a problem. He was trying to get to know Stassi, but he couldn’t do that by playing the same old games he was accustomed to. Kiara Da’vi was the same old game, and women like Stassi wouldn’t give him a pass. She would expect him to be all the way in or all the way out. Day wasn’t sure if he could commit to someone so seriously, but he had to admit that Stassi had done what no other woman had been able to—keep his attention. Even now, after a day of heartbreak and after an offer most men wouldn’t reject, he just wanted to ring Stassi’s line. If he was honest, she was the only reason he was leaving without taking Kiara Da’vi to bed, and it bothered him a little that Stassihad him so preoccupied. A woman had never been a distraction to him, but Stassi, with her generous spirit, her infectious smile, her stubborn nature, and unreasonable boundaries, had him looking forward to jumping through hoops.
Lauren’s heart was beating. She felt it. She heard it as it thundered in her ears, but she had no idea how it was still working. She had been sitting in her car for hours. She had rushed to her car after Demi had left because she hadn’t wanted to be alone. She couldn’t remember where she had planned to go. She wasn’t even sure if she had a plan. She had just needed someone, but as soon as she had closed her car door, the privacy and solace that the lonely car provided was perfect to let out her screams. She sat there, shivering and bawling. So much snow had fallen that her windshield was covered. The only evidence that she was even inside was the barely-there footprints in the snow. That’s how he had found her. She was sure of it.
“Lauren! Lauren, what you doing out here? Come on. I got you.”
She wrapped her cold hands around his neck as he hoisted her from the car.
“You’re freezing,” he stated as he carried her inside.
She didn’t realize how cold she was until the heat of her home hit her skin. She didn’t realize how lonely she was either until he sat down with her in his lap. Nyair felt like God himself. He felt like an altar she could pray at. He felt like a pillow she could rest her head on, and she curled up in his lap as he rubbed warmth back into her body.
“What were you trying to do, huh?” he asked. “What if I hadn’t come over here?”
She would take his scolding as long as he kept holding her. She closed her eyes and sniffled as he held her tightly.
“Today was hard,” he said.
She nodded, and she wasn’t sure if her frozen tears were thawing or if new ones were coming down her cheeks. Either way, he was ready, wiping them away.
“Tomorrow will be hard, and maybe the day after that, and the one after that.”
She choked on a sob.
“And I’m sorry for that, Lauren. I truly am. I wish there was something I could say or do to make it easier,” he said. “But this is the body part of it. The flesh. The part that makes it hard to understand. The spirit isn’t worried because the spirit doesn’t die, but the part of you that needs proof that your son is still with you. The part that’s grieving the body hurts. You got to have a little faith, beautiful. You got to feel Him even when you can’t see him because that’s where DJ is. He’s with God. He’s not hurting. He’s safe. He’s also here. You can’t see him, but you can feel him if you let go of this grief. This grief will kill you, Lo. You hear me?”
She nodded. This man was such a motherfucking man. He placed his hand on the side of her face, and Lauren gripped his collar for dear life as she gritted her teeth.
“I hate this, Nyair. Why did this have to happen tomybaby?” she whispered.
“I don’t know,” Nyair answered. “But I’m right here.”
She nodded, and she panted like she was desperate for a bit of his air. His breath smelled sweet. “Ny, just make it better,” she whispered.
“I don’t know how,” he said in a low tone that held so much regret. “If I knew how...”
“You know how,” she pleaded. “Just make me feel better.”
“You’re a problem for me, Lauren Sky,” he said, pulling his face back so that he could look her in the eyes.
“And you’re an answer for me.”
Lauren kissed Nyair, hesitantly because she expected him to stop her. She felt his entire body tense. Every muscle contracted as she paused to stare at his lips.
“I get addicted to shit like this,” he said as she placed another timid peck on his lips.
“I want you to,” she said in an airy breath that was full of intimidation and curiosity. He fisted the back of her hair, and she kissed him deeper, swallowing his entire tongue as her moans filled the air. She needed this so badly she could feel her body screaming for him. The clothes were in the way. She unbuttoned his shirt, pulled the wife beater beneath it over his head, and then stood between his legs. He ran his hand up her leg and then leaned in to kiss the softest part of her thigh as she frantically pulled the dress over her head. She stood there, in her panties and bra, vulnerable, trembling as he planted soft pecks on her body. He was still seated on the couch, and he was taking his time. She could feel his breath on her center as he came close, and when his finger pulled the edge of her panties to the side, she siphoned in air through pursed lips. He licked her with a flat tongue, placing his entire mouth over her pussy lips before sucking on them like they were dipped in honey. His hands gripped her ass, and he sat back on the couch as he pulled her toward him. Head resting on the cushions, he relaxed and pulled her right on top of his face. He ate Lauren from her clit to her crack as she held onto the back of the couch for dear life.
