Page 56 of Perfect Rhythm

NYX

“Shade! Nyx! Over here,” a blogger called out, trying to get another shot of Shade and I as we walked out of the crowded restaurant.

For us, it was just another date night. But for the world, it was the perfect opportunity to ask us a million questions about our relationship and anything else they could stick their nose into.

It had been two weeks since we’d made things official, and once the news got out, the world was obsessed.

We stopped just as we made it to Shade’s Range.

Slipping his hand around my waist, Shade stared into the flashing lights.

It wasn’t often that we entertained the chaos. But clearly, he was feeling generous tonight. So I played along, flashing a camera-ready smile.

The crowd responded instantly.

“Beautiful.”

“Amazing.”

“When’s the wedding?”

I let out a soft laugh and glanced toward the night sky. “See what happens when you give them a little taste?

Shade smirked. “Hell yeah.”

We didn’t answer the question. Instead, we turned toward each other and did what we did best…turn heads and stir chaos.

I cupped Shade’s face, running my tongue over his lips while he grabbed a handful of my ass like he had every right to.

The camera flashes popped like fireworks.

The next thing I knew, Shade bent me over in front of him and pretended to hit it from behind. I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t stop myself.

For them, it was a show. For us? Just another fun night as a couple in love.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Shade shouted, purposely turning away before anyone could get a shot of his dick poking from his jeans. “Time to get this fine ass woman home.”

“Mmhmm, I bet,” someone muttered.

Trace opened the door for us, and we slid inside.

“Damn, that was a live bunch tonight,” Shade said, loosening the collar around his neck. “You good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,”

“You sure? I know I probably went a little overboard with all the?—”

“I promise I’m fine.” I climbed onto his lap just as the car started moving out of the parking lot.

“Can y’all chill for one night?” Trace said over his shoulder. “We’ll be at the crib in ten damn minutes.”

I giggled, knowing that he was sick of our antics.

We couldn’t keep our hands off of each other. No place was off limits.

“My bad, I’ll wait.”

“You don’t have to wait on shit,” Shade snapped as he squeezed my ass and looked over my shoulder at Trace. “If she wants to fuck me right here, she can and she will. Just keep your eyes on the road like usual.”

Trace shook his head.

“Now, where were we?” Shade slid one hand into my hair and dipped the other beneath my dress.

The softness of his touch made me shiver, and a tingling sensation radiated through me as he slid my panties to the side.

My hips rotated slowly, pleased with the feeling of him gaining entry between my slick folds.

“Baby,” I panted softly, “let’s give the guys a break. I’m sure they’re tired of listening to me moan every time we get in the car.”

“I suggest they get earplugs then.” He slid his fingers deeper. “This is my pussy, and I’ll make it purr whenever and wherever I want to.”

I let out a shaky breath, pressing my forehead against his shoulder as he traced lazy circles over my clit with his thumb.

“Baby, you can’t do that,” I whispered. “You’re going to make me cum so fucking quick.”

“Cum baby. I’ll make you do it over and over again later.”

I swear this man had the key to everything about me. He knew how to make me unravel in just a matter of seconds. Then, just like that, he would put me back together and make me lose it all over again. It was a cycle that stayed on repeat, and I didn’t want it to ever change.

Desperate to give in to my desires, I rotated my hips profusely, riding his fingers with the same intensity that I would ride his dick. Did I feel bad for the audience that sat in front of us? Maybe a little. But at this point, my pleasure far outweighed their presence.

“Oh my God!” I called out. “Oh my fucking God, Shade. I’m about to cum.”

“Mmhmm,” he whispered, sliding through me harder and faster.

I felt my pussy clench around his fingers, my juices flooding down my leg.

“I told you so.”

“Huh?”

“I said…I told you so,” he murmured, lips curling into a slow smirk as his eyes stayed fixed on mine.

It took me a few more seconds to put two and two together, but when I did, I couldn’t help but smile and nod. “Okay, you got me. I’m your woman.”

“Indeed.”

“But, you said I was going to be riding your dick when you told me that.” I lowered my gaze. “Clearly, that’s not the case.”

“No worries, we’re going to fix that shit in just a minute.”

Grinning, my bottom lip slipped between my teeth as he slid his hand from beneath me.

I didn’t have to look. I could hear the soft, wet sounds of him licking his fingers clean.

“This pussy taste good as hell,” he moaned. “I can’t wait to get your ass home.”

I giggled. “Well, we’ll have to keep it down this time. You’re supposed to be giving Jassi a relaxing place to recover, not causing her more stress. She damn near kicked your door down last night.”

“Shit, that was your fault. I told your ass to scream into the pillow.”

“I tried, but then you made me toss it across the room when you decided that you wanted—no, let me rephrase that— needed to make me squirt.” I shivered at the reminder of his mouth covering my pussy.

He shrugged. “What can I say? A nigga was thirsty.”

“Whatever.” I laughed softly, starting to slide back to my seat.

Shade gripped my thigh. “Stay right here. I want to feel that pussy against my dick until we get to my crib.”

Smiling, I lowered my face to his. “You’re so nasty.”

“I know I am. Would you want me to be anything different?”

“Never.” I kissed him, then leaned back. “Are you finally going to let Jassi go back to her apartment this week? You know she’s sick of you holding her hostage.”

“I’m not holding her hostage. I just want to make sure she’s good before she leaves.”

“She’s fine, Shade. She’s been out of the hospital for almost two weeks.”

“Yeah, but once she’s back at her place, then I can’t keep an eye on her.”

“Yes, you can. You can pick up the phone and call her like a normal brother would.”

He paused, his eyes lingering on me as he tilted his head to the side. “Did Jassi put you up to this?”

“Put me up to what?” I tried to play innocent, but I knew he wasn’t buying it.

Jassi and I had gotten pretty close since she’d been staying with Shade, which meant she didn’t hesitate to tell me when he was getting under her skin.

“You’re not fooling anybody, Nyx. I know she’s been talking shit about me to you.”

“Okay, fine.” I huffed. “You’ve worked her last nerve, and she’s having me break it to you…she won’t be home when we get there tonight.”

“What?”

“She got a ride home while we were out.”

“A ride from who? It better not be Enzo’s fucking nephew. I swear I’m?—”

“Calm down, Shade. It’s not him. That shit ended before it could even begin, thanks to y’all’s little feud.”

“Well, who picked her up?”

“It was Xandie and one of her friends.”

“Oh, hell no,” he said as he pulled his phone from his pocket. I grabbed it out of his hand and hid it behind my back. “Yo, Nyx, give me my phone.”

“No.”

“I’m serious. If you don’t give me my phone?—”

“What? What are you going to do?” I said playfully.

“Your sister is fine. It’s time for her to go back home and be in her own space.

She needs that.” I lowered my mouth to his neck and kissed him softly.

“And if I’m being honest, so do we.” I could feel his fury dissolve.

“Aren’t you ready to fuck me in every room of your penthouse? ”

His dick poked my center.

“Well, since you put it that way?—”

“Mmhmm,” I whispered. “Just think, now we can be as loud as we want wherever we want as soon as we walk through the door.”

“Hell yeah.”

“I thought you would agree.”

And just like that, Jassi was free.

She could thank me later.

“Damn, I love your fine ass,” he whispered.

“I love you too, babe.”

For a moment, we just stared at each other, our eyes saying things that we’d said out loud when it was just the two of us. I didn’t think I could ever be this in love with a man. Not after what I’d gone through with Eli, and damn sure not with someone that carried Shade’s reputation.

But he’d made it clear that he knew how to love me, and that was all I ever wanted.

A vibration buzzed through my purse.

Giving Shade back his phone, I dug into my bag and pulled out mine.

An alert from FDL flashed across the screen, and I tapped it without thinking.

The second the homepage loaded, my heart dropped.

I stared at the screen in disbelief, my eyes blinking nonstop at the image that was in front of me, and the name that was in the headline.

It was Eli.

The picture showed his car mangled beyond recognition. The front end crumpled around a thick tree trunk in the woods.

I continued reading, trying to understand what happened, and trying to see if he was okay. But he was far from okay.

He was dead.

According to the article, his body had been thrown several feet away from the car and was torn apart on impact.

“Oh my God,” I gasped, showing the picture to Shade. “Have you seen this? They're saying Eli was driving while drunk and lost control of the car. He’s dead.”

Shade glanced at the screen, smirked, and casually looked back down at his phone.

I blinked, my stomach tightening at his reaction.

Granted, I knew he didn’t like Eli, but I never expected him to look pleased by his death.

“Shade?” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t look my way.

Leaning forward, he planted a soft kiss on my cheek. “Nyx, I’ll never have sympathy for a nigga that ran my sister over and left her for dead.”

My mouth fell open. “Hold on...what?”

“You heard what I said.”

“I...I did. But?—”

“Yeah, it was him,” he muttered. “And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”

I paused, my mind drifting back to the hospital and the way Ocean stopped talking when he noticed me outside with Shade.

It wasn’t just because he didn’t want me to overhear their conversation. It was because it was about Eli.

I slammed my hand against my mouth, reality settling in. “Shade, did you and Ocean?—”

Shade’s phone lit up, and he answered before I could stop him. “What’s up, O?”

“Yo, is Nyx with you?”

“Yeah, she’s right here. You’re on speaker.”

Shade angled the phone toward me.

“Hey,” Ocean said quickly. “Have you talked to Skye?”

“I did earlier. Why?”

“Because she’s not at the crib, and her fucking door is wide open.”

“What?” I hopped out of Shade’s lap. “Are you sure she’s not there?”

“I’m fucking positive,” he said. “But all her shit is still here. Her purse. Her phone. Her keys.”

A chill rushed through me as I met Shade’s eyes, voice cracking. “Call the police. Call them right fucking now!”

To be continued...