Page 31 of Solace in Seven
“Just let a nigga taste it,” I whispered, brushing my lips against her neck.
She quickly darted out of my grasp. “If I miss my best friend’s proposal because I was gettin’ some dick, she’ll never let me live that shit down!”
My eyes zeroed in on her honey-colored face. “You can’t get me hooked on somethin’ and then take it from me. Especially not lookin’ as good as you do right now.”
Her cheeks lit up, reddening by the second as she giggled. “Astempting as you are right now, we gotta go! And remember, nobody knows about this you and me shit, and I want to keep it that way!”
“If you think I’m keeping my hands to myself all night, you’re wrong,” I stated.
She playfully pushed me away. “Hendrix!”
I sucked my teeth. “Aight, fine. You ready?”
She stepped into my space and adjusted the diamond-studded chain around my neck, centering the cross right in the middle of my chest. “There, now it’s perfect and now I’m ready.”
“Cool, let’s go.”
I followed behind her, entranced by the way her hips swayed from left to right. Being in the league came with its share of groupies and fake love, but Cassidy was different. She’d always been the realest. I knew how risky long-distance relationships were, but Cassidy was the one risk I was willing to take. I wanted her for the long term.
fourteen
. . .
Cassidy
Hendrix was seated to my right at the dinner table set for eight. Donovan had arranged for us to have a private section at the restaurant and a personal chef to cook for all of us. We ate like royalty, stuffing our faces with lobster and roasted sea scallops, and savory creole dishes like conch, goat, and oxtail.
“I’d like to make a toast,” Donovan announced, clinking the side of his glass after we’d all let our food digest for a bit.
He stood to his feet as I pulled in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds. It was one of the moments Lauryn had been waiting her whole life for, and I was so happy to be able to share it with her. Donovan was the yin to her yang. They’d been together for the past five years and had seen their shares of ups and downs, but she’d always known he was the one for her.
“I’d just like to thank all of y’all for coming all the way out to this beautiful fuckin’ island to celebrate my baby girl’s twenty-fifth birthday,” he started.
“Yeah, yeah!” Shauna cheered to my left.
“Oweeee!” I purred.
“Yassss!” Brielle cheered.
Donovan then turned his attention to Lauryn who up, until that moment, had no clue what he was about to do. The moment he stepped over to her and got down on one knee, the waterworks began to flow.
“Oh my God!” she screamed, slapping her hand over her cherry-red painted lips.
He took her hand in his. “Baby, I love you. You mean the world to me. Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wifey?” he asked, before slipping the sparkling diamond ring on her finger.
“Yes! Yes! Oh my fuckin’ g—Oh shit! I—I gotta call my mama! I—I gotta call Mark!” she exclaimed.
“Don’t worry about that, we got it all right here on live! They saw everything, boo!” Brielle hailed with her phone glued to her hand.
We all cheered virtually alongside her family as Donovan and Lauryn held each other tight and shared a sweet kiss. Once we were done showering the newly engaged couple with two rounds of congratulatory shots, Hendrix leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I’m tired of waiting. I gotta have you right now.”
“Here? Hendrix, can we save it for when we get back? I promise you the moment we get through the gate, this pussy isall yours,” I purred in his ear.
“What I tell you earlier, Cass? Now that I’ve had you, I’m not gon’ quit you. You gon’ have to give me more of that right now.”
The intimate growl of his voice against my ear made my thighs quiver. To make matters worse, his hand had slipped underneath the table and right up my dress.
I quickly caught his hand, freezing it in place.Bold ass nigga.“Yo, chill…” I cautioned.
