Page 69 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“Banner.”

“She’s clean as a whistle on the things that matter.Criminal record. Credit score.”

“Jesus.” I take another sip of my drink. “Is that reallynecessary?”

“I take care of my guys.” The soft curve of Banner’s mouthlevels out. “I’ve seen too many of my players get played. So newgirl shows up out of nowhere, I dig. I do the due diligence sometimes menforget when they find a nice fresh piece of ass.”

“She’s not…” I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. “It’snot like that.”

“She seems perfectly wonderful based on what I’ve learned.”

“She is.” I look up to meet her eyes. “I like her, Banner.And she’s not out of nowhere. I met her in high school.”

“I know that, too. I mean, I figured, since you played ballwith her brother at St. Cat’s.” She laughs at the narrow-eyed look I use tosearch her face. “That wasn’t a hard connection to make.”

“Well then, you know we met when we were eighteen years old,so this is more getting reacquainted.”

“Just be careful.” She holds up a hand to stem the wordspoised on my lips. “I can take care of your career, your endorsements, yourmoney, even your reputation to a degree. I can’t take care of your heart,though, and I don’t want to see you hurt.” She squeezes my hand, affection inher dark eyes. “Ever.”

I know how fortunate I am that Banner signed me straight outof college. She handles my business, but she cares.

“What’s this?” she asks, lifting some shrimp wrapped indough from the hors d’oeuvres plate.

A group enters the dining room in a chorus of laughter andraised voices. I glance up to find Kenan, Lotus, Iris, August, and Jaredapproaching.

“Ban!” Jared walks over swiftly and snatches the shrimp fromher fingers, drawing a startled yelp out of her. “You can’t have shellfish.”

A loaded silence gathers in the room as we wait for theinevitable.

“Why can’t she have shellfish?” Iris asks, drawing thequestion out.

“Yeah.” Lotus frowns. “I know you’re not allergic, so areyou…?”

Realization dawns on the cousins’ faces almost at the sametime. Kenan, August, and I all seem to find something else to look at, carefulnot to reveal that we already know. Banner’s lips partlike she’s about to explain when she seems to notice our strategically avertedgazes and studied silence.

“Jared Foster!” Hands on hips, she turns on her husband.“You told.”

“I didn’t mean to.” Jared pops the shrimp in his mouth. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I mean, it’s not a secret you can keep forlong anyway. What’s the point?”

Banner rolls her eyes, surrendering to a happy laugh andaccepting the ensuing squeals and questions from Iris and Lotus. Under thecover of all the excitement, no one notices Takira slip through the dining roomdoors.

No one except me.

I leave the group and cross over to her. My steps literallyfalter for a second when I see what she’s wearing. Or notwearing. The silvery-white halter dress ties at her nape with fragile strapsand dips low in the front, nearly to her belly button, contrasting against thegleaming curves of her shoulders and breasts, baring her arms. It clings to herhips and ass but floats around her thighs in frothy layers. When she walks alittle ahead of me, the dress is so low the small of her back is visible.

Is she even wearing underwear?

She looks fantastic. Anticipation swells inside me at thethought of introducing her to my friends. I grab Takira’s wrist and pull herclose, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “You look amazing.”

She slants an innocent look up at me. Her dress may not besubtle, but her makeup is. A smoky eye shadow and the slightest tilt of a cateye at the corners. Nude lipstick and her braids styled into an elaborate updostudded with crystals.

“I was worried you wouldn’t approve,” she says with a smallpout.

“Why not? You look gorgeous.”

“Well, I know you wanted me to wear these,” she says,shoving a ball of silk into my hand and closing my fingers around it. “And thisdress doesn’t allow for panties.”

“Shit, Kira.” I shove the panties into the pockets of myslacks.