Page 15 of A Player’s Prayer (Mills Brothers #3)

“Are we going swimming?” Kodi inquired lowly from the passenger side when we pulled up to Lake Monroe. “I’m not with that today, Adrian.”

The ride to the lake was quick and quiet. We sat in a comfortable silence the entire way, and I was okay with that because deep down, I was nervous as hell. This was the first date I’d ever been on, and I wanted it to be perfect.

“Bring your ass on, Kodi.” She giggled lowly as I grabbed her out of the car. “Don’t make me throw your ass in that water for that mouth of yours.”

Snatching from me, she grinned before she took off running.

It threw me off for a minute since I wasn’t expecting it.

She didn’t know a nigga was a star running back in high school, so I took off behind her, catching her quickly.

Here we were, grown as fuck, running and laughing like some little-ass kids.

“Wait!” she squealed as I grabbed her from behind, holding her up in the air. “I can’t breathe! Put me down!” She squirmed as I tickled her little thick ass. “Stop! Adrian, I’m going to pee?—!”

Her words and movements stopped once I toted her over to where we would be having today’s picnic. Near the edge of the lake sat a beautiful, enclosed tent filled with flowers, balloons, her favorite baby shower foods, and her favorite drink, Strawberry Kiwi Faygo.

“You did this for me?” She whipped her head from side to side once we were inside. “How did you know what I like?”

“A man is going to always find a way.” I winked, taking her hand and helping her take her seat on the pallet. “I just want you to know I’m serious when I say I’m interested in wanting to know everything about you.”

Bowing our heads, we said grace before she fixed us both plates.

With my legs stretched out on each side of her, I watched her as she did her thing.

She was so graceful and intentional with each action she made.

She had me captivated without even trying, and all she was doing was sorting through finger foods.

“Tell me about you.” She smiled as she bit into the ham sandwich. I noticed that every time she bit into her food, she would hum and do a little shimmy. “Who is Adrian Mills? Not Wild, because I’ve met that foolish-ass nigga.”

“Man… gone,” I chuckled, waving her off.

“I’m not that bad.” She stopped mid-chew, raising her brow.

“Okay, I am, but I’m a cool-ass nigga.” I winked.

“Believe it or not, Kodi… God and family are the most important things to me. Without Him, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Life has a way of breaking you down and turning the ones you love most against you.

I’ve never experienced anything like that with family.

Nothing but love and happiness to and from them. ”

“From what I hear, you guys are good people.” I paused eating, waiting for her to continue. “I asked Amelia about you.” She shrugged bashfully. “I needed to know about the man who had a box truck pulling up to my house. She said you and your family are well-known here.”

“Yeah…” I nodded and sipped the thick-ass soda she loved.

That shit was nasty as hell, but I didn’t bring anything else, so I was going to have to deal.

“My people founded the town, and we take pride in helping the city and people in it as much as we can. This lake…” I gestured around us.

“Was named after my great-great-grandmother, Monroe. There’s not a place you can go in this town that doesn’t have our name attached to it.

It’s only right we care for it as well as those that dwell in it. ”

I took note as I began telling her about my childhood and how I became a sneakerhead that she was genuinely invested in the things I had to say. That was a first for me. Most women would have had their hand in their pussy or my dick out by now.

“I think that is so dope!” She smiled at me as she popped a meatball in her mouth. “I would have never guessed you were an educated philanthropist when you opened your mouth.”

I chuckled as I threw a grape at her. “Tell me about you, Miss Jenkins. What brings you to Milly Grove?”

“Your little file on me didn’t tell you?” She joked. Little did she know, I really did have a file on her. “It gave you my address, sizes, favorite foods?—”

“Dakota…”

“Okay, okay.” She giggled sweetly. “ As you know , I’m from Central Florida, but attended college at Albany State for nursing school.

I’m an only child whose mother died during childbirth, with a father who is in prison doing time on a drug charge.

” She laughed weakly. “My upbringing wasn’t as pleasant as yours, but it wasn’t horrible.

My dad did the best he could behind bars, while I was being raised by his mother.

Nana died during my sophomore year at Albany, so it’s just me out here. ”

“Damn, baby girl.” I pulled her toward me, wrapping my arms around her. “Just know your new best friend, Adrian, is here, and you’re not alone anymore.” I felt compelled to kiss her temple, so I did. “I’m here any time you need me.”

“Um, I have a best friend already.” She gazed up at me with misty eyes. I could see she was hurting but wanted to make light of the situation. “As you can see, I have my hands full with her.”

“The only thing that’s going to be full is her asshole with my foot,” I grumbled, causing her to elbow me. “For real, that girl got some shit with her. I know she’s your friend, but you need to watch her. The water is tainted there—trust me.”

Saying nothing, she nodded and allowed me to hold her.

The breeze out here was nice today, and I did well by picking this place for our first date.

I ran it by my mother, and she offered to make lunch for me and help set it up.

I knew I was going to hear about this shit from my brothers later, but holding Kodi right now was worth the shit talking.

“What are we doing?” she broke her silence and asked. “What do you want from me, Adrian?”

For some reason, my heart thumped rapidly at her question. Usually, when a broad asks me that, it’s because they want a relationship. That’s not what I’m looking for with Dakota, but I know I want her around.

“I just want to kick it with you,” I answered honestly as she brought her eyes to mine. “I want to go out to eat with you, have movie dates, and get to know you more. I just want to vibe with you… you know, be friends and shit.”

“So, you don’t want to fuck me?” She raised her brow and asked, “No sex?”

“I’m going to be honest— I’ll fuck the shit out of you right now if you want me to.” We shared a laugh, but I was deadass serious. “That’s not all I see when I look at you, though. To be clear, I do want to fuck you… just not before we establish the friendship shit.”

Shifting in my arms, she turned and faced me. With my elbows on my knees, I stared into her eyes and waited for whatever she had to say.

“This friendship will be chaotic, and will probably stress me out, but I don’t mind.

” Her smile was so bright that it put the sun above to shame.

“I don’t mind kicking it with you, but I don’t like drama, Adrian.

I know it may seem like I’m rowdy and like to fight, but I’d rather not.

I have a career, and I don’t want to lose it. ”

“I apologize?—”

“And I accept it.” She placed her hand on my shoulder. “I know that you have a woman somewhere who doesn’t play about you. I get it but let them know this isn’t that. I don’t want to beat someone’s ass about a man that I don’t even want. Please make sure you reiterate that to them.”

“Oh, like you need to tell that nigga, Bear, the same?” Her eyes turned to slits. “Yeah, let that nigga know I’ll beat his ass out of both shoes if he plays with me on any day.”

Sitting back on her heels, she bellowed loudly as she resumed eating her fruit. She eyed me as she lifted her drink for a toast. “Cheers to a friendship full of chaos. I know it’s about to be a wild time with you.”

Rolling my eyes, I clinked my drink against hers and took a sip.

Since she wanted something to giggle about, I gripped her neck gently before bringing her face to mine.

Searching her eyes for distress, I didn’t find any, so I proceeded.

I placed soft kisses on her lips, and I felt her relax underneath me.

Taking a chance, I pried her lips apart and slid my tongue inside.

I don’t know if it was the fruit or her, but she tasted so fucking sweet to me.

“Adrian,” she panted quietly, placing her arms on my shoulder, pushing me back slightly. “What was that?”

“Nothing, best friend.” I chuckled, wiping her bottom lip with my thumb. “Just sealing the deal with a kiss.”

Smirking at her confusion, she blinked a few times before placing her back on my chest again and admiring the lake’s ambiance.

Once she was content, the smile I was sporting moments prior dropped.

Feeling her in my arms and my dick busting through my boxers from a simple kiss was telling me this friendship was going to be harder than I thought.

I made my intentions clear, and we were both grown.

I didn’t ask her about the Bear nigga because Kodi doesn’t give me hoe vibes.

If that nigga meant anything to her, she wouldn’t be here with me.

Did I want to add Kodi to my rotation? Hell yeah, but not at the expense of running her off.

She is the first woman to want to be friends with me with nothing in return.

She doesn’t want the notoriety that came with being attached to me, and she didn’t want my money unless I willingly gave it to her.

That shit is what made me want to kick it with her even more.

Maybe for once, I could be Adrian Mills and not Wild. Something told me Kodi wouldn’t expect anything less.