“Fix your face and attitude before you go back down there.”
Renae snatched away from him while mumbling, “Whatever.”
His gaze stayed on her until she made it down the steps, and he released an audible exhale. Najee wasn’t about to chase her. She was making up a narrative in her mind for no reason. He wondered if that was why she’d been acting funny. Instead of letting his thoughts consume him of a situation he thought they’d moved on from, Najee headed for the steps, tossing his empty cup in the trash can at the end of them.
Orielle had focused her attention elsewhere after he silently greeted her, but she felt his approach. She smelled it too. His Jean Paul Gautier cologne assaulted her nostrils in the most pleasurable way. He invaded her space the same way he’d invaded her thoughts since finding out he was home.
“Glad to see my invite was accepted,” Najee said, stepping to the trio.
Orielle greeted him with a gentle smile while trying to contain her rattled nerves. Her eyes damn near crossed as she tried taking all of him in. And there was a lot to indulge in. Jail had done his body undeniable good. The extra weight and muscle he gained put him at a solid 232 pounds. The black Psycho Bunny button-down stretched deliciously over broad shoulders and hard abs. The top button was undone, giving Orielle a glimpse of the thick gold rope chain glistening against his beautiful, dark skin.
When Najee smiled, she could’ve fainted. There was something so heaven-sent about a man with a gorgeous smile, as if God had just placed him before her. Orielle’s heart fluttered and nipples tingled when she caught sight of his open-facegold grills. The gleaming color against that rich complexion and white teeth was beautifully dizzying.
Najee’s thick pink tongue slid across his bottom lip, and Orielle’s mind drifted, wondering exactly how that same slick motion would feel tracing her skin. Everything about this man was inexcusably profound, and it should’ve been a crime to be so damn fine. She was standing in the middle of his welcome party from jail, so time clearly had been served for his offense.
“Glad to know I was on your mind to invite,” Orielle replied, catching herself off guard with her words.
Her quick, witty response made Najee smirk. “And you didn’t come empty-handed.”
His eyes stayed on her while she lowered her gaze to the black bag in her hand. Saleem said she didn’t have to bring a gift, but it felt right to do so. After all, it was a party. She extended it, ogling the bulging veins stretching up his hand and thick arm. There was something so unintentionally sexy about the feature, and they only enhanced Najee’s masculinity.
“Thank you,” Najee said, taking the bag, leaning in for a hug.
Grateful that it was a respectful side hug, Orielle met him halfway. “No problem. Welcome home.”
“Yes, welcome home,” Cheyla said, and Zoey did the same.
“’Preciate that. Y’all were in the car that night, right?”
The duo nodded, and Orielle took that chance to introduce them. “This is Cheyla and Zoey. I hope you don’t mind that they came with me.”
“Nah. They’re good. Y’all ate yet? There’s plenty of food and drinks,” he let them know.
Orielle had taken a shot in the car while waiting for Zoey to pull up, and it helped relax her nerves. Now that she was inside and had spoken to the person she was there for, she didn’t need another.
“Okay. We might grab a plate,” Orielle said.
“A’ight. What’s up, though, RiRi?” Najee grinned, making her smile appear. “You promised a nigga something over the phone, or was that jail talk?”
Orielle laughed. “It most definitely wasn’t. No need to sweet talk you.”
“Shit. You could’ve. I wouldn’t have minded at all.”
Her girls chuckled lowly. They weren’t trying to ear hustle, but Najee wasn’t trying to keep his voice low either. Orielle cleared her throat.
“I bet. That’s what’s in the bag, though.”
Najee pushed aside the white tissue paper and glanced inside. Since he jokingly harped on her not writing him back, she’d gotten a card and placed a handwritten letter inside it. The bottle of cologne was something extra, as she just wanted to give him that, while the gift he was most worried about was inside a small, velvet drawstring bag.
“A card, a new scent to add to my collection, and this,” he said, pulling the bag out by its strings.
The gifts everyone else brought hadn’t been touched or scanned. Orielle’s was different. Najee stood right there in the middle of his party and opened hers, letting it be known not only to her but to everyone in attendance that hers was special. Najee squinted when he pulled out a black music note attached to a gold keychain with the wordsfor your ears onlyengraved on it. He flipped it over, spotting a QR code on the other side.
“If you scan that code, you can listen to my new, unreleased music,” Orielle explained.
She didn’t know what reaction she was expecting, but the one he gave her almost made her knees go out. Najee tucked his bottom lip into his mouth, giving her a pleasing grin. His approval was evident. Not just of the gift, but of her entire being, as his eyes trailed her frame.
“That’s how you coming?” Najee asked.
