Page 82 of Addicted

One of them was dark-skinned with locs and a serious face. He stepped forward and extended his hand.

“I’m Antoine,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”

I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too.”

The third man, who had a stocky build and a goatee, nodded at me. “Deacon.”

“Indie,” I said.

Then the woman stepped forward with a warm smile. She was pretty with brown skin, long braids, and a curvy figure.

“I’m Tierra,” she said. “Deacon’s wife. Girl, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Stone don’t never bring nobody around, so you must be special.”

I smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Aurora and I started chatting it up with Tierra while the men sparked a blunt and started smoking, talking amongst themselves.

“So how long have you and Stone been together?” Tierra asked.

I hesitated, not sure how to answer that. “It’s, uh... complicated,” I said.

Tierra laughed. “Girl, I feel you. These men out here always making shit complicated.”

Aurora leaned in and whispered to me, “Kenzo is fine as hell.”

I glanced over and saw Kenzo looking in our direction. When his eyes met Aurora’s, he smirked. Oh shit. This was about to be interesting.

After a while, Ishmael finally came outside like I’d asked him to.

He spoke to everyone, hugged Aurora, shook hands with the men and gave a polite nod to Tierra.

Then he made himself a plate of food, piling on ribs, mac and cheese, and cornbread, and sat down at one of the outdoor tables to eat.

I watched him, smiling. He looked comfortable here. Happy, even.

After he finished eating, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.

“I’m about to go back to my room,” he said, walking over to me. “Y’all have fun.”

“Alright, baby,” I said. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” he said, then disappeared back into the house.

I was enjoying myself. The vibe was good, the food was amazing, and I was so glad Aurora was here.

Plus, Aurora was spending the night in one of the many guest rooms, so I’d get to spend even more time with her tomorrow.

I glanced over and saw that Kenzo had pulled Aurora to the side. They were standing near the pool, talking and laughing. Kenzo was leaning in close, clearly flirting, and Aurora was eating it the fuck up.

I smirked.

Good for her.

Then I felt arms wrap around me from behind. I knew immediately it was Stone.

He pulled me back against his chest and started kissing my neck repeatedly. They were soft, slow kisses that made my skin tingle.

“You having a good time?” he murmured againstmy ear.