“You don’t trust me?”
“No,” she said quick as hell, making him laugh. His mouth was on hers again.
“Get some sleep. We’ve got somewhere to be later.”
It was four in the morning and her body was exhausted from not sleeping well while he was gone. So instead of arguing, she absorbed the comfort of Asao’s body wrapped around hers and drifted.
21
Asao lovedthe feel of Samari tucked against his side, but he hated the reason she was attempting to hide under his arm. Tonight they had to be out in public and she was anxious about the potential whispers and stares from people who thought they had the right to present an opinion on her life.
He would be checking disrespect, regardless of who it came from, so Samari wouldn’t have to worry. The dinner they were attending was private, but the location was public, which meant the potential for those outside of her circle to have access. But he would be her shield, protecting her peace.
He guided Samari through a private entrance onto the renovated, antiquated elevator that delivered them to the roof. The sky was dark but the string lights and black silk strategically placed around the perimeter created a romantic vibe.
“What’s this?”
“Bella House.”
She nodded, fully aware of where they were. However, she was confused about why they were there. When a stylist showed up at the beach house to dress them, Samari began asking questions, but Asao didn’t provide details other than for her to pick a dress.
Samari had been easily distracted by the selection that arrived so she agreed and allowed the three women who took over the bedroom to fuss over her without giving them any pushback. Dress and her hair and makeup were flawlessly done. Her shoulder length hair was straightened and styled in spiral curls. The shaved side had grown out just a little, so it was brushed and moisturized to enhance the texture.
When she stepped out of the bedroom in a black satin dress with an exaggerated scoop neck that gathered just above the curve of her breasts, held in place by spaghetti straps that allowed the back to drop so low that too much movement from Samari would expose her ass, Asao provided enough visual praise to confirm what she was feeling.
She looked damn good…
His hands and mouth were on her immediately but she only allowed him so much access to prevent him from ruining the glam team’s hard work. He was dressed in black on black—jeans, henley, and retro Nigel Sylvester 1s. They were a clash of styles that shouldn’t have worked but the two of them together blended with ease. They matched each other’s fly but contrasted each other’s vibe which made them even more endearing. Soft and sexy paired with rugged and arrogant.
“Whyare we at Bella House?” Samari asked, attempting to curb the anxiety of potentially being in the line of fire from those judging her life without just cause. Asao placed his hand at the small of her back, allowing the roughness of his fingers to skim over the smooth warmth of her exposed skin, turning Samari just in time to catch the smile of her best friend as she approached. Sheree was dressed similarly in all black but her dress was strapless, hugging her body so beautifully that a smile blossomed on Samari’s face too.
When Sheree reached the couple and threw her arms around her girl, Samari relaxed. She glanced over Sheree’s shoulder to find Cantor dressed in black slacks, a button up, and suit jacket, watching his wife like a man in love.
“What’s this, Ree?”
Sheree’s eyes moved to Asao. “You didn’t tell her.”
He smirked and shook his head before his appreciative gaze shifted to Samari. “Nah, didn’t want her trying to talk me out of it. Happy anniversary.”
Samari’s eyes narrowed then her face paled. “Shit, it’s your anniversary. This is your party. I forgot your anniversary.”
Sheree hugged her girl again, this time delivering more love from how loving the embrace was. “It’s been a crazy week, and technically, you knew the date, not the plan. We threw everything together at the last minute.”
“But still…”
“Nope…” Sheree shook her head. “Not doing that tonight. I married that fine ass man and we’re celebrating. That’s the only energy I want tonight, and because you love me, you’re going to follow the rules.”
Samari playfully rolled her eyes and nodded. “I do love you, Ree. So I’m on script tonight. Happy anniversary.”
“Thank you. Now come see my mom before she curses me out.”
Samari smiled, happy to see her surrogate mother. What hers lacked she found in Deena Lewis. The women looped arms and were moving across the rooftop, pausing for Samari to hug Cantor and tell him happy anniversary. Together for five and married for three, she loved the way he loved Sheree and prayed she would have that one day. After a quick glance over her shoulder where she found a set of dark eyes protectively following her every move, she felt safe assuming Asao was the reason she would whatever her heart desired.
“How’s she doing?” Cantor asked after he made his way to Asao. It took a minute for him to hand Cantor his attention because he was caught up with the beautiful woman who had him ready to kill on her behalf and love her without parameters. The smile on her face settled something in his chest.
“Better.”
“I’m assuming you’re working on all that stuff that went down.”
