“Wish me luck that he likes me.”
“Ssskt.” She kisses her teeth. “You don’t need luck for that. He hit the jackpot.”
“Thanks, boo. Better go before I’m late.”
I end the call and slip the phone inside my purse. Stalling a moment longer, my fingers drift to the opal moon pendant at my chest, where milky-white patches scatter across my brown skin.The same as those on my face, hands, and all over my body. I spent years trying to hide that I have vitiligo. Not anymore.
Still, meeting someone new can stir those old insecurities. The necklace I gifted myself is a reminder that the moon isn’t one solid color either, yet it lights up the whole damn sky.
I step from behind the wall and strut in. Shoulders back. Black cocktail dress cut low, curves hugged tight.
He notices me instantly, his phone forgotten as he rises. Not quite a giant, but easily over six feet.
“Luna. It’s a pleasure.”
His voice is everything I thought it would be and more. The cadence is Trevor Noah—but deeper. Sexier. More Aldis Hodge after midnight.
“You’re stunning,” he says.
“Thank you,” I manage without drooling. “So are you.”
He smiles then. Not too much, not too little. A flash. White. Hypnotic. He offers his hand. It wraps warmly around mine like an open invitation.
Lot’s warning to be careful whispers in my head, but just in this simple touch with his hot, brown gaze locked on mine…
Careful doesn’t stand a chance.
Chapter Two
DK
Ican’t believe my luck. Which is wild, considering only minutes ago I was about to bail. An online catalogue of people looking for a discreet hookup. An NDA. Fake names. What the hell was I doing?
Despite the lightweight jacket I chose for July, and the bar’s AC blasting, I started to overheat—second-guessing this whole thing. I popped another button at my collar and called my brother, Neo. He went into sell mode.
This is the perfect arrangement. You both know what’s up. Nothing deep. Just what you need. Trust me on that.
It wasn’t a matter of trusting him. It was trusting myself. Even a one-night deal required being present and in the right headspace. I wasn’t sure I was. But I couldn’t just ghost her. My plan was to wait for Luna to arrive, offer a sincere apology, and bow out.
Except now, with her standing here, leaving is the last thing on my mind. I knew from her photo she was beautiful, yet itdid little to prepare me for the living, breathing version. She’s probably five-seven, but those lethal heels bring her to my chin.
I take her in, needing to put context to why my exit strategy suddenly derailed. Big, dark eyes sparkling with curiosity and interest. A mass of ebony coils brushing against softly rounded shoulders. Full, glossy lips that look like they’ve been dipped in burgundy wine, and a smile that feels like stepping into an ocean breeze.
Then there are her abundant curves wrapped in a fitted black dress, the neckline plunging to reveal lush swells of cleavage that have me saying a prayer. Lastly, her espresso brown skin, shimmering beneath the quiet light, is stroked with creamy-white patches that add to the whole picture.
In a word, Luna is drop-dead gorgeous. Okay, three words. But it’s more than just beauty. She has this… presence. A gravitational pull that draws every eye in the room and knocks the air clean out of me.
That’s when I realize I’m still holding her hand. Still staring, too. I let go—reluctantly—and slide out a chair for her, reminding my lungs to do their job.
“Thank you,” she says, her voice like the low hum of a cello.
I’m good at clocking details, and Luna is giving me plenty of material.
“What can I get you to drink?” I settle in across from her and offer the cocktail menu.
“I won’t be needing that. They make the best chocolate martinis here. It even comes with a truffle.”
“You’re a chocolate fan.”
