Page 22 of Bending The Rules

Jason and Joseph exchanged a look, and Joseph grinned.

“Okay. Well maybe you just need a closer look then. Hey, Toni!”

He’d called out her name before I could react, and started waving her over. She and I hadn’t been in the same space since our conversation in the storage room at the bookstore – a conversation that had led to her being in my arms. Close enough to kiss her, if I’d wanted to.

I’d wanted to.

But I didn’t know where the hell the desire had come from.

“Well isn’t this just a table full of handsome?” Toni said as she approached my side of the table. Jason and Joseph were across from me, so Toni stood in the empty space at my side. “Forgive me if I’m a little ripe, guys. Just finished a run, so I stopped in here to grab something before I go back to the hotel.”

She actually smelled good as hell, but I wasn’t about to say that out loud. Even fresh from a workout, she was putting off some pheromones, and had my dick swelling again.

“Running, huh?” Jason asked. “Is that how you built that ass from the ground up? Cause you didn’t have that before.”

“Don’t make me kick your ass Jason, I’ve done it before,” Toni shot back, and I looked up at her as she narrowed her eyes at my little brother.

Jason grinned. “You’d physically fight a man with a disability, Toni? I’m disappointed in you!”

Toni sucked her teeth, then put her hands down on the table, facing off with Jason. I tried, and failed, not to look, but the curve of her ass wasrightthere. Taunting me.

Look at me, Justin. Smack me. Bite me.

“Fuck my life,” I muttered to nobody except myself as I forced my gaze up to the ceiling.

“Lil’ nigga,” Toni said to Jason. “Ain’t a goddamned thing wrong with you. I don’t want to hear about your leg, either. Don’t start any shit you can’t handle, bruh.”

“Oh,shit,” Jason said, laughing. “I see you’ve still got that little tough girl thing down, underneath the CEO status.”

“Always,” Toni shot back. “You ready for the signing?” she asked, then put a hand on my shoulder, which brought my gaze down from the ceiling. She’d stood up straight, and turned in my direction, so when I lowered my eyes to look right in front of me…

My gaze landed right on the soft mound at the juncture of her thighs, and got stuck. I could practically feel the heat from between her thighs on my face, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear the heady scent of her arousal was invading my senses. Just two – maybe three – small steps and I could have my nose buriedright there, and be a very happy man.

“Justin, did you hear what I asked you?” she said, and I looked up, meeting her eyes.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry, can you repeat it for me?”

“The signing,” she said, tipping her head to the side. “I asked if you were ready for it.”

I blinked. “Oh! Uh… yeah, I guess. As ready as I can be to have a bunch of people treating me like a celebrity.”

“Well,” Toni started, laughing, “You kind ofare. You realize that, right?”

I shrugged. “Again,I guess.I’m just Justin, man.”

“Not to your readers. You’rebestselling author Justin Wright. You’re special tothem.”

“Yeah, Mr. Bestseller,” Joseph chuckled. “Stop trying to play modest.”

Toni nodded. “Yeah, no room for that anymore, sorry. In six days, the bookstore is going to be packed out for you. Ready or not.” Behind us, the cashier yelled out an order number, and Toni glanced down at the ticket in her hand. “Speaking of ready, that’s me. I’ll see you boys later, okay?”

She gave us a little wave, then turned to walk away. Not even a second later, she stumbled backward as a server rushed past the table, holding a tray full of food up over his head. For a moment, she lost her balance, then caught herself by grabbing the empty chair to my side.

But not before I caught a face full of her ass.

“Oh, damn! I’m sorry,” she said, turning around to face me. “I didn’t mean to bump you like that. I was trying not to cause a collision, and ended up doing it anyway.”

I chuckled, waving a hand to brush her off. “Apology not needed. You’re good baby girl.”

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