Page 23 of Perfect Rhythm
“Same!” I laughed, dropping onto the couch. “They really tried to paint her as the villain and act like she was the one who blew everything up. That shit was all their fault.”
“Exactly! But you couldn’t tell them that.” He groaned. “Damn, they were dumb as fuck.”
I laughed, enjoying the kind of back-and-forth I couldn’t get with Eli.
Whenever I tried to talk to him about my favorite shows, he barely responded. He was always buried in a script or too busy scrolling through his phone.
“I’ve enjoyed your laugh tonight,” Shade said, his voice softer than before. “You had me a little worried for a second.”
“Worried? Why?”
“At the restaurant...you just didn’t look like yourself. Your whole vibe was off—sad, even. That wasn’t the person I was used to seeing. You were always so happy on the road.”
“That’s because I was having a good time doing what I loved with the people that I loved.”
“Does that include me?”
“What?”
“One of the people that you love?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “Goodnight, Shade.”
“Just thought I would ask,” he said with a chuckle.
“Mmhmm.”
“Goodnight, Nyx. I hope I brought a better ending to your evening.”
I wasn’t sure if I should let him in on the fact that he truly had. He already seemed a little full of himself. But I didn’t feel right ending the call without him knowing that I appreciated his efforts. Especially since he seemed to be the only one that gave a damn about me tonight.
“You did,” I said.
“Good.”
The silence that followed felt warm…almost sacred. Neither of us rushed to hang up.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and all I wanted was to stay on the line and listen to the quiet rhythm of his breathing.
What the hell am I doing?
But I knew exactly what I was doing. I was savoring the moment.
My eyes closed, and suddenly, I was back on Shade’s lap. Only this time, we were the only ones in the nightclub. I could feel his body beneath mine as my hips started to grind. Then, out of nowhere, music started playing. I thought it was all in my mind, but it was Shade. He’d started singing on the other end.
It was like he knew what was going on in my head.
Shade’s voice poured through the phone like warm honey. Slow, smooth, and sinfully deep. It wasn’t just singing. It was a caress. A confession. Each word rolled off his tongue with deliberate intention, like it was undressing my mind with every note.
He hummed for a bit, then slipped into the lyrics I’d heard him whisper many times before. “Tell me what you’re wearing, baby. Or better yet, what you’re not...”
The way he lingered on the last word made my thighs clench involuntarily. But my hands, they took on a mind of their own, gliding over my stomach and stopping just above where the heat was pooling. I licked my lips, wanting to keep going, but I truly felt like I shouldn’t.
This is so wrong.
But it felt so right.
Ignoring the voice of reason, I lifted and pulled my dress above my hips. My lace thong was the only thing keeping me from where I wanted to be.
