Page 158 of Invisible Bars
Naji gave me the slowest, deadest side-eye.
“You’re not making this any better. I didn’t apply for Earth!”she snapped suddenly, her head giving a quick tic to the right as she flinched at her own words.
I smirked and nodded once. “Yeah… I’m with you when you’re right on that last part.”
“Ugh—God! Ignore that!”
I bit back a grin, then let a low chuckle slip.
“Aight. My bad, though.”
Naji rolled her eyes, but her shoulders eased a little, and she smoothed her palms over her thighs.
“Are… are you sure it’ll just be your parents and your sister?”
“Yeah… usually, it’s just us four. Unless she got something planned that she didn’t tell me,” I replied.
Knowing Giselle? That wouldn’t surprise me.
She was dramatic as hell and lived for an audience… but I hated surprises. And with Naji already on edge, that dinner couldn’t afford to go sideways.
Naji exhaled. “Okay... cool.”
Except it wasn’t cool.
When we pulled up, there was a car in the driveway I didn’t recognize—which meant somebody extra was inside. I almost told my driver to back the hell out—no questions asked. But maybe, justmaybe, they’d gotten a new car or something.
Still, I knew better.
My gut was already tight. My mood shifted before I even stepped out.
Something wasn’t right.
If that night played out how I started to suspect, there were about to be fireworks—and not the pretty kind.
I helped Naji out of the car, steadying her hand. She glanced up at the massive house like she was preparing to walk into court instead of dinner.
As she shifted to balance herself, my hand slipped—accidentally brushing her ass. Her breath hitched… mine did too. Our eyes met. And that look? It wasn’t confusion; it was curiosity.
Maybe even permission.
My fingers twitched with instinct.
Naji’s ass was round, and felt soft, warm… and way too damn tempting. I wanted to grip it… just for a second. Not rough, just enough to feel her press into my palm. But I stopped myself—barely.
For a moment, neither of us said a word. It was the kind of moment that made a man forget timing, boundaries, and just made him want toact. I didn’t want to move my hand; I wanted topull her close, whisper something reckless, and let her feel what she was doing to me.
Then, like always, Naji broke it with a mumble.
“Here goes no-no-nothing,” she muttered, trying to smooth her dress and nerves at the same time, pushing through what I knew was a tic.
Or something,I almost said again, but swallowed it.
Just as I raised my hand to knock, the heavy wooden door swung open abruptly, as if inviting trouble rather than guests.
“Imanio! Hello!” Dolores—my mama’s longtime maid—greeted me with an energetic wave.
She stood there, framed in the doorway, like a gatekeeper to hell.
