“Can you promise me you’ll delete it?”
The urgency in her voice had Asao’s eyes on her. “It’s done. We don’t get down like that, Mari. I would never purposely put you in a situation that would fuck with your integrity or your brand. Dom wouldn’t either. He deleted that shit the minute he realized what it was.”
“But he talked to you about it. Niles knows.”
His eyes narrowed, taking her in. There was something deeper than she expressed, which had his protective nature on alert. Cobra wasn’t shit for sure but there had never been rumors or whispers of anything past him using sex as a bargaining tool for fame. Samari had already shut down implications that she’d traveled that road and Kolby backed up her truth, but he still asked, just in case there was something he had missed.
“You will never get judgment from me about things from your past, Mari. You need to tell me something?”
“What, no?” She tensed and he caught it, studying her for a minute longer before he nodded, pressing pause on the conversation but placing the details in a space he would revisit later. Samari’s energy was off and he needed to feel the pull she had over him. He had no idea how she controlled his free will so easily, but her vibe had become one of his favorite things, only second to her voice.
“You see how the city is fucking with you?” Asao asked.
The light was back in her eyes and that loosened the anger that had found its way to his chest at the thought of someone doing her dirty. “You been on Beauty’s page?”
“Yeah, those comments are wild. They’re showing you love. How you feel about that?”
She smiled, damn near making her eyes close from how high her cheeks lifted, and Asao almost fucking laughed. “I feel good. I didn’t know what to expect. It’s been a while.”
“You thought that would matter?” He had his eyes on her longer than safe considering he was darting in and out of traffic but Samari had him so wrapped up in everything about her that Asao no longer had control. He was addicted to her smile, her voice, her presence… Shit, he was just fucking addicted.
“I didn’t think anything because you didn’t give me a chance to.”
He chuckled at the lack of notice he’d provided prior to the interview with Beauty. It took no time at all for Asao to learn Samari was confident when it came to her music. Her ego surfaced with little effort. The problem was when she let herself believe that this shit was happening, she pulled back, because the fear of having it snatched away again would follow.
“I’ll get you out of that. You can’t be my rider if your confidence is lacking.” Her eyes rolled.
“Who said I wanna beyouranything?”
“I’m a perceptive ass muthafucker. I know all and see all.”
Samari blushed from the way he always spoke with a confidence that didn’t allow her to question or second guess anything he told her.
“Where are we going?”
“To spend my money.”
“On you?”
“On us?” he clarified, knowing she was about to give him pushback.
“I don’t need anything.”
“This isn’t about what you need. We’re chillin’ today and I’m in the mood to spend money. You gonna tell me I can’t?”
“You can do whatever you want, doesn’t mean I have to be a part of it.” She shrugged and Asao nodded.
“You mean what you told Beauty about doing things your way this time?”
She frowned, curious to know if he’d listened to the entire interview, but didn’t ask. “Yes, why?”
“You can’t be on some new shit still embracing your old.”
He drove them to The Shops at Crescent Falls. When he elected to bypass valet parking, she teased him as they made their way to the entrance. “You’re in the mood to spend your money but you’re not going to start out here.” She pointed to the valet stand as they passed it. Asao nudged her forward so they could enter the rotating glass doors together. The two were so close that his chest was at her back.
“Hell nah. You know them muthafuckers hire anybody to park your shit.”
“Parking a car isn’t that complicated.”
