Page 9 of Perfect Rhythm

NYX

The second I stepped into my apartment, I closed the door and collapsed against it. “Seriously, Nyx? What the hell is wrong with you?” I mumbled, yanking off my boots and tossing them across the room. My pussy was soaked, my panties sticking to me like a second skin.

This is not okay. I shouldn’t want this man. I can’t want this man.

Shade was dangerous. Every fucking inch of him.

And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Every part of me was drawn to him, knowing nothing good could come from it.

But even if I wasn’t with Eli, getting involved with a man who was in the music industry was a big no for me.

There was too much drama, too many games and too many bitches.

I’d witnessed enough with Mecca and Skye.

I paused.

Why the hell am I trying to sort this shit out in my head in the first place? I’m in a relationship. None of this should even be a thought.

I inhaled deeply, my eyes dropping to my phone. No missed calls. No texts from Eli.

Damn, I guess he really didn’t give a shit.

Just as I was about to put my phone down, a text popped up.

Shade: I thought I told you to call me when you got inside.

Nyx: My bad. I forgot. I’m inside.

Shade: Try again.

Nyx: Huh?

Shade: I said try again.

I stared at the screen, completely lost. Then, it hit me. I tapped the call button.

He answered on the first ring.

“Are you happy now?” I asked, frustration bleeding into my voice.

“Yes, I am.”

“Good. Now, get off the phone and go do whatever it is that you do on nights like this. You’re probably on your way to the strip club, huh?”

“Not at all,” he said calmly. “After I get some food, I’m heading back home.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound like an eventful evening.”

“Actually, watching Annalise Keaton try to fix some shit that her ungrateful ass students fucked up is very eventful.”

My eyes lit up. “Damn, so you feel like they were ungrateful as hell too?”

“Hell yeah! I’ve watched every season of that show like fifty times, and every time I get pissed off about how hard she went for them.”

“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.

Shade let out a soft, almost growling note. One that rumbled in my chest and settled low in my stomach. “Slide your hand down slow...right where you want mine to go...”

My breath caught. He wasn’t just singing to me. He was pulling me into a fantasy. Painting a scene so vivid, I could feel the heat rise off my skin.

I lowered my fingers a little more, sliding my panties to the side. The second I gained access to my creamy center, a moan escaped my throat.

“Fuck, baby, what you over there doing?” I heard Shade whisper.

Damn, I love his voice.

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Instead, I slid another finger inside and started gliding back and forth.

I was so fucking wet. Just as wet as I was when we were on the dance floor.

I could still feel his dick beneath me. It felt amazing.

Amazingly thick. Amazingly long. God, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what it would feel like inside of me.

“Maybe one day,” I whispered.

“Maybe one day, what?” he asked.

“Maybe one day I’ll let you get what you want.”

He chuckled. “Oh, I don’t doubt that for a second.”

“Really? You speak like you know it’s a sure thing.”

“Of course it’s a sure thing. If it weren’t, you wouldn’t be thinking of me while playing with your pussy right now.”

I gasped, his words sending me to the edge, seconds away from an orgasm.

But not yet. I wanted to hold on to this feeling a little longer.

“How deep are you?” he asked.

“What?”

“How deep are your fingers?”

“I...I don’t know.”

He scoffed, a slight edge to his voice. “I can go deeper. Open the door.”

My eyes sprung open, and I sat up on the couch. “What?”

“I said open the door.”

“Oh my God, please don’t tell me you’re inside my building.”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

“Shade, I told you not to?—”

“Open the door, Nyx. I’m not going to say it again.”

I stood, hesitation thick in the air.

I knew I shouldn’t open the door. I’m with Eli.

Girl, fuck Eli.

The voice in my head was taking over. It was the reason my legs were carrying me across the room while also forcing my hand to find its way to the doorknob.

“I can hear you moving,” Shade whispered, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. “Now, turn the knob.”

“I shouldn’t, Shade. I really shouldn’t.”

But it was too late. The door was open.