Page 179 of The Wright Man

I glared. "Be smug later, Wright." I shoved him, and he laughed low in his throat as I added, "Go stall my sister while I get decent before she puts a brick through your damn window."

He stole a quick kiss, then jumped out of bed, giving me a wink and jogging down the hallway.

I scrambled to get dressed, pulling on the oversized Bleach t-shirt he'd handed me earlier. It hit me mid-thigh, and I snatched a pair of his boxers from the drawer to complete the look. I'd just stepped one leg in when I heard the front door open—and Bella's voice inside the house.

"Hell no. I don't just trust you saying she's in there. I wanna see my sister. Move."

"Bella, wait—"

Too late.

I was mid-hop, still tugging the waistband up over my ass, when the door to the bedroom flew open.

Bella froze. I froze. We locked eyes.

Her gaze dropped to the shirt. Then the boxers. Then back to my face. Her jaw fell open. Her voice dropped an octave.

"...Bitch."

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Angelica

Bella stared at me. I stared at Bella.

Neither of us said a word.

The tension between us buzzed like a live wire in the thick silence of Maleek's bedroom. My brain spun in panicked circles, scrambling like eggs on high heat, trying to flip a decent lie before my baby sister opened her mouth and—

"Oh, I KNOW y'all ain't just finish fucking."

"Bella, we didn't—"

"Uh-uh." She raised one of her short French-tipped nails like it was a police badge and crossed her arms like she was about to interrogate me under a hanging lightbulb. "Don't lie. I'm a sexual wellness coach, remember? I can smell pheromones through walls. And yours are practically tap dancing around this room in stripper heels."

She took two slow, deliberate steps toward me, eyes narrowing as she scanned me from head to toe.

"And you," she said, tilting her head, "look like a woman who just had at least two—wait—three orgasms."

I blinked. Goddamn. She was like a horny witch detective.

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Tried again. All I could do was sputter like a car on its last drop of gas. Finally, I sighed, slumped my shoulders, and covered my face with one hand while the other rested on my hip in defeat.

"It was three," I mumbled.

Bella's whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. "I KNEW it! You horny little bunnies!"

She clasped her hands and pointed between me and the hallway like she was solving a damn murder case. Her eyes cut back to me, lingering on my damp curls and flushed skin.

"PLEASE tell me that's water in your hair," she said, deadpan.

"Ew, Bella," I muttered.

She ignored me. Of course.

From the hallway, Maleek scrubbed a hand down his face and shook his head like he regretted opening the door. "I'm gonna make coffee," he muttered, already turning toward the kitchen. "It's clearly about to be a long-ass night."

His bare feet padded down the hall, soft thuds fading into the background as Bella practically bounced over to me, practically vibrating with nosy energy.