Page 44 of Perfect Rhythm

NYX

“What the hell are you doing here?” Skye shot up from her seat. “Are you following me?”

Mecca didn’t answer.

Eyes red and twitching, he locked in on Ocean. “So what’s good? You fucking my old bitch now?”

Shade stepped in fast. “Yo, Mecca, Chill. We talked about this shit earlier. Let it go.”

Ocean stood up slow, his grin cocky and dangerous. “Nah, nigga. But if I was hitting that, you wouldn’t even have to ask. You’d feel that shit in your chest every time she moaned my name, hoe ass nigga.”

“Alright, alright. Chill.” Shade slid between them. “This isn’t the time or the place. Mecca, get whatever you came here to get and leave.”

“Why the fuck would I leave? I’m the reason Skye even knows about this spot. If having me here is such a problem, y’all leave.”

“Gladly.” Skye grabbed her coat and strutted toward the door.

“I’m not going no motherfucking where,” Ocean growled, his gaze still trained on Mecca.

“Please, Ocean,” Skye pleaded. “Let’s just go. He’s not worth the energy.”

“Oh, so you leaving with this nigga?” Mecca questioned.

“That’s none of your concern.”

“The fuck it ain’t.” Mecca stepped toward her, but Ocean cut him off, blocking his path like a wall.

“Make another move, and I swear on everything I love, they’ll be scraping what’s left of you off the fucking pavement.”

The air went still.

Shade looked stuck, unsure whether to step in again, or let it play out.

That temper ran in their blood. But Ocean’s? His felt colder. Deadlier.

“You know what? Fine,” Mecca said, staring at Skye. “If this is how you want to play it, go ahead.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” she asked.

“You know what the fuck it means.”

“No, I don’t, and at this point, I don’t even care.” She reached for Ocean’s arm. “Let’s just go.”

“I’ll move when this nigga moves.”

Ocean wasn’t playing, and I loved every second of it.

Finally realizing what was good for him, Mecca swallowed whatever pride he had left, cleared his throat, and walked off.

I stood still, my breath lodged in my throat, wondering if this would finally be the end of things.

Once Mecca made it to a table on the other side of the restaurant, Ocean slid his hand into Skye’s and pulled her out of the building.

I didn’t want to romanticize the situation since I was fully aware of the kind of man Ocean was with women, but his actions were very reminiscent of the kind of shit you see in the movies.

We followed them outside, and I leaned toward Shade. “Does he act like this with every new woman he meets?”

“Shit, I’ve never seen him act like this for any woman other than Jassi. But, he also doesn’t have much patience when it comes to seeing a man disrespect a woman.”

“I’m sorry, what? Isn’t this the same guy that fucks on any woman with a pretty face, and several at the same time?”

“Yeah, but that’s just sex. He would never do anything close to what Mecca has done to Skye. Just like me, he’s honest about what it is and what it isn’t.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Just like you, huh?”

“Yep, just like me.”

He licked his lips, and my insides tingled. I wanted to kiss him.

“Don’t stare at me like that, Nyx.”

“Why not?”

“Because I know what that look means, and we’re on some other shit now.”

I took a deep breath, his cologne consuming my space. A memory flashed through my mind of the day he slammed me against the massage table and shoved his dick in me from behind. “You know, I think about us all the time.”

“Yeah, so do I.”

“What do you think about?” I stepped forward, desperate to hear something similar to the flashback that had just replayed in my head.

He kissed my forehead. “Nothing that I’m willing to repeat in this parking lot.”

“It’s that nasty, huh?”

“Yep, that nasty ,” he replied with a smirk.

“You sure you don’t want to share just a little bit?”

“I’m positive.”

Ocean strolled over to us, his hands in his pockets. “I’m going to take Skye home.”

Shade’s eyebrow lifted. “Oh, really?”

“Relax, it’s nothing like that. I just want to make sure she gets home without any problems.” He smirked. “Besides, it looks like you two need some alone time.”

“No, we definitely don’t,” I chimed in. “I’m going to take my ass home before I talk myself into doing the opposite of what I’m supposed to be doing.” I took another look at Skye. “Are you sure you’re cool with him taking you home?”

Ocean jerked his head back. “Damn, Nyx, you act like I’m a serial killer or some shit.”

I giggled. “I’m not saying that at all. I’m just trying to make sure my girl is good.”

“I’m fine,” Skye said as she walked over and pulled me into a hug. She leaned into my ear. “After the way this man just stood up for me, I think I deserve to have a little fun tonight.”

I kept the expression on my face neutral. “Okay. As long as you know what you’re getting yourself into. Ocean isn’t the type you need to be falling in love with.”

“Trust me, I already know, and this isn’t that.”

“Alright...well...have fun.”

“Oh, I plan to.”

Laughing, I shook my head as she grabbed Ocean’s arm and followed him to his car.

“They’re definitely about to fuck,” Shade muttered.

“Yep, it looks that way.”

“I don’t know how that nigga does it, but he does it every single time.”

I shrugged. “I can’t lie, seeing the way he stood up and protected her, that shit was pretty sexy.”

Shade frowned. “Oh, so you’re getting all hot over my brother now?”

“No, not at all. I’m just stating the obvious. Seeing a man having your back when he barely knows you is good shit, and with everything Skye has been through, I know she’s glad to see it.”

“Yeah, I bet. O is charming as hell, and he’s going to stand up for what’s right. I’m just glad that he didn’t blow that niggas brains out.”

My eyes widened. “Ocean had a gun?”

“Hell yeah! He doesn’t walk around with security like I do. His ass is the security.”

We laughed.

“Damn, you two need to chill. Y’all been doing the most all night.”

“Whatever. We’re just trying to handle shit.”

“Mmhmm, I hear you,” I said as he opened my car door.

“Call me when you make it home.”

“I will.”

“As soon as you make it home, Nyx. Don’t make me?—”

“I will,” I shot back, knowing what would happen if I didn’t.

I paused. Maybe I shouldn’t call him .

As if he’d read my mind, he sighed. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll send Trace this time around.”

“Oh, wow, it’s like that?”

“Yep. I’m staying true to my word, and I don’t want to put you in a situation where you can’t do the same.”

I hated how sincere he sounded. It made it that much harder to walk away.

But that was what I asked for.

“Goodnight, Shade.”

“Goodnight, beautiful.” He closed my door and stepped back to watch me drive off.

The level of horny I felt was too much to process. But I was going to handle it as soon as I made it home.

I had no fucking choice.