Hinged, Grown and Sexy

6. Tasting

"Hey, Darnell." We all greeted with a laugh.

Darnell was Hyacinthe's long-time best friend from high school. The only reason he wasn't the Man of Honor was because Justice asked him to be a groomsman before Hyacinthe got the chance.

Well, I actually like to think I was the best choice. He was a close second.

"The guys are outside, we'll be out soon." Hyacinthe gestured for the side door, likely to give Olivia some privacy.

"Actually, Divine was just about to head out there with some cold water." Olivia interjected, pushing a few bottles of cold water from the fridge into my hands before shoving me toward the door.

"I was?"

"She was." Hyacinthe agrees with a wink before putting Olivia to work.

I was actually begging every deity who would listen that my friend wouldn't destroy that masterpiece of a kitchen.

"They're up to something." Darnell said lowly as we headed outside.

"No shit." I muttered back, only to be answered with a laugh.

But I could barely hear it over the blood rushing in my ears as nerves got the better of me as I got closer to Eli. I don't know what was making me act like this.

I was a beautiful, successful woman. I could seduce a man with my eyes closed and both hands tied behind my back.

But this man... he's always had this strange tug on my body that made me wild with untold emotion. Suddenly, I was softer and shyer than I've ever been.

I'd always been called difficult. Hard to keep up with, even harder to understand.

I've never been shy. I always told it like it was and never held back. Never wanted to.

But Eli...

Even in college he'd been able to roll with the punches.

"Wassup, D9." He drawled lowly, the first to notice my presence.

Already my stomach was in knots, but my college nickname on those full lips was making my clit pulse in anticipation.

"Hey, y'all." I waved with the bottles in hand. "Just brought some water since y'all are out here in the heat."

"Thanks, D." Justice grabbed his bottle first, leaving Eli and me at the grill while he went to talk to Darnell.

"You look beautiful." Eli complimented as soon as his friend was out of earshot.

The way he held eye contact was hypnotizing and erotic in the best ways. My skin felt alive under his gaze, and I wondered if those brown eyes would darken if I undressed for him.

"You don't look so bad yourself. We were actually just talking about how fine y'all looked." I blurted.

You would think that I would've learned to control my tongue after being a lawyer for the past few years, but clearly, I was used to being unfiltered in a casual setting.

Eli didn't seem to mind, though as he raised his eyebrow and a smile slowly curled his lips to show a hint of pearly whites.

Confident in his stride, he closed the distance between us before leaning down to speak close to my ear.

"I like that mouth of yours, and it looks even sweeter when you're talking bout me." Each word sent soft brushes of his breath across my neck and shoulder, causing a small shiver across my body.

Damn, this man was fine, but he just had to have a way with words too? My vagina don't stand a chance.

Which is exactly why I take a step back from the warmth of his body.