When his gaze locked with mine, his eyes twinkled with mischief. “You know my taste, Avi.”
I shook my head, unable to suppress a blush. “You’re always so damn vague.”
He was always discreet and secretive, as most hustlers were. Mia and I never knew in detail what his hustle was, and he preferred it that way, but being from our neighborhood, she and I could guess.
He chuckled softly as his hand lingered on my arm. He leaned against the railing beside me. “And yet you still put up with me.”
I glanced at Mia, who was watching our exchange with amusement, before turning back to Mythic. “Every day, I wonder why I do.”
He flashed me a playful grin, his touch lingering a moment longer than necessary. “Avi, you know you’ll always put up with me.”
I despised the way he looked at me. He was, at least, still attracted to me. When it was just him and me, he never hid the adoration in his gaze, which he often locked on me. But it was simply lust because, despite having the body of a Roman god, he had a thing for short, big girls. His current girlfriend, Lelani, and I were neck and neck on the scale.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
He chuckled as his fingers trailed down my back. “You know you always got my back like a car seat, Avi.” Looking up into his eyes, my heart ached with bittersweet longing. Our playful teasing and lingering touches took me back to a time when thingsbetween us had been effortless, fiery, and simple. I’d spent so long fighting this and resisting him, but standing here now, every breath and heartbeat screamed the truth that our chemistry wasn’t just undeniable; it was inevitable.
CHAPTER 2
MYTHIC GREY
ISAT INVIPwith my eyes locked on Aviana, watching the way she moved on the dance floor, how she smiled, and the way her curvaceous body swayed with the music as she danced with Mia. I was taking in every little detail like I couldn’t get enough.
I was infatuated.
My mind was wrapped up in thoughts of her when I saw Damar making his way toward me. For a second, I froze, wondering if he’d noticed the way I was practically devouring his wife with my eyes.
I tensed up, ready for whatever.
“Mythic, what’s good, man?” He greeted me like everything was cool.
I relaxed just a little, nodding back. “What’s up?”
He hesitated for a second before taking a seat next to me on the back of the couch. “I need a favor. I heard Jeremy’s been hanging with the 111 Boyz. You know how wild those dudes are. They ain’t nothing but trouble, but I can’t get through to him. I was hoping you could talk to him. He looks up to you, respects you, you know? Maybe he’ll listen to you.”
I nodded slowly, telling him, “I’ll handle it.” But all I could think about was how much I’d rather take his wife from him than have some heart-to-heart with his kid.
Damar relaxed, nodding with relief. “I appreciate it, man. For real.”
We shook up before he walked away. I waited until he entered the stairway before my gaze slid back to Aviana. He had no idea what was really going on in my head. While he worried about his son running with the wrong crowd, I was plotting on what mattered to me most—his wife.
She was my obsession, the one who got away, the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on. I had broken her heart once, and though she had found refuge in the arms of another, I knew that I could give her a better life than Damar ever could. I had more money, more power, more influence. I could offer her the world on a silver platter, if only she would let me. But Aviana was in love with Damar, and I couldn’t bear to take away her happiness, even if that meant longing for her from afar and playing some weak role as her best friend.
I kept staring at Aviana, unable to pull my eyes away. The way she moved, how she lit up the room, was like nobody else even existed. She had that effect on me, and it was hard for me to hide it. As I smiled to myself, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. My girlfriend, Lelani Dupree, was making her way over. Hopefully, she hadn’t caught me stalking Aviana with my eyes, but I wasn’t about to explain myself. She’d never had my heart. She was just a satisfactory runner-up.
I glanced up as Lelani walked toward me. After two years together, she still had the power to captivate me with her beauty. She was everything I could ever want—big-boned, curvaceous, with model-like features and skin like rich chocolate.
But as much as I was attracted to Lelani, there was always a part of me that belonged to Aviana.
I tried to make myself content with every woman I’d crossed paths with since losing the love of my life thirteen years ago. Lelani had been the most serious relationship since Aviana. I had finally come to the realization that I would never have Aviana again, that it was time to move on—to find a queen to take the throne of my kingdom. I had been trying to convince myself that Lelani was enough since meeting her. She was loyal, devoted, and beautiful. But deep down, I knew that my heart still belonged to Aviana, and no amount of wealth or power could change that.
I noticed immediately how her steps were slower and cautious, like she was trying to keep her balance. Her usually bright eyes were dull and tired-looking. As she got closer, I caught the strained look on her face and the slight crease between her eyebrows that always showed up when she wasn’t feeling right.
I reached for her waist gently, pulling her closer to study her face. “Your head hurtin’ again?”
As she nodded slowly, her eyes closed briefly like even the simple movement caused her pain.
These headaches had become constant lately. They were unforgiving and sometimes made her dizzy and nauseous. I had been nervous that she was pregnant, but tests had confirmed that she wasn’t.
