Page 2 of The Heart of a Capricorn (BLP Signs of Love #19)

Not in a million years did I think I would ever run into Lyric Hampton again, and in Vegas of all places. I had been to my sister’s job before, but I had never really gone inside the building.

Ciara and I had grown up together, and our people were best friends.

Her parents were my godparents, and vice versa.

I was proud of her for opening an all-female tech company, and the fact that they were all black made it even better.

Ciara did a lot for the community, and I tried to help out whenever I could.

I shouldn’t have been surprised that Lyric worked there, because I remember how into computers she was when we were in college.

I always knew she would go into that field since her major was computer science, but I still never would have guessed she worked at Tech Angels.

Ciara didn’t know that I knew Lyric, and I wanted to keep it that way for the moment.

I was curious about her, though. I wondered how she had been over the years.

Was she seeing anyone? I knew she wasn’t married because I didn’t see a ring on her finger, and I damn sure looked.

I caught a few of the ladies watching me, but I paid them no mind. Lyric always had a commanding appearance, and it was good to see that hadn’t changed. She always talked about going into the tech world and dominating it, and I knew she was if she worked with my sister.

The last time we saw each other, she had come to my dorm room to talk, but it never happened.

Lyric had this pull about her that sucked me in every time I was around her.

It was hard keeping my hands and my dick to myself.

I called her bluff because she came wearing a dress and no panties.

She knew what that would do to me, and I fell right into her trap.

Once I felt how wet she was, I had her face down on my small ass bed.

When we were done, I got in the shower, and by the time I came out, Lyric was gone.

She didn’t even leave a note. I never saw her again after that, because I graduated a few weeks later.

I didn’t know how we didn’t run into each other over the years, but I hardly stayed home.

I was a federal air marshal, so I was on assignments all the time.

When I was home, I stayed inside most of the time.

If I weren’t going to check on my aunt and uncle, nobody would see me.

The only people who saw me were the delivery drivers.

I didn’t have many friends except my best friend, Terrance, and my sister.

My aunt Janet and my uncle Elliot took me in when I was seven, after my parents decided they didn’t want to be parents anymore.

My aunt and uncle were the only parents I knew, and I referred to them as such.

I didn’t have a relationship with my biological parents, and I didn’t want one.

I didn’t even know where they lived these days.

My aunt and my mom were sisters, but I don’t think they talked to each other.

I remembered being dropped off at their house and never being picked up.

Over the years, I resented my donors, but I appreciated my aunt and uncle for taking me in. I didn’t know where I would have been if they had made me go into the system.

Lyric and I had never had deep conversations, so we never had talks about our families. I guess that was why she didn’t know that Ciara and I knew each other.

I couldn’t get her out of my head since I saw her.

She had always been thick, and it seemed as though she had gotten thicker.

And she was still so damn fine. I knew she was in Vegas for business, but I hoped she set aside a little play time, because I would love to catch up with her.

We didn’t fully get our chance in college, but I wasn’t going to let her slip through my fingers this time.

My thoughts of Lyric were interrupted when my phone rang. I knew it was nobody other than Terrance. We made plans to meet at the hotel’s bar, and I was running behind.

“Yo.” I picked up the phone on the second ring.

“Tank, man. What the hell is taking you so long? You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago,” Terrance griped.

I chuckled and put the phone on speaker. My uncle Elliot started calling me Tank when I was younger because I was bigger than most of the kids in my class. The name stuck, so Terrance and the people at work called me that as well.

“I’m almost ready, man. You acting like you can’t be by yourself or something,” I teased.

“Yeah, aight. It’s a lot of women in here. Might have to find one to take back to the room tonight.”

I could hear the smile in his voice and shook my head. We were in the devil’s playground, and he was single. Terrance and I worked together, so I knew he needed this break just as much as I did.

“I feel you on that.” I hoped it would be Lyric for me. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

I let the phone hang up while I put my watch on. I double-checked my appearance and was pleased. I ran my hand over my low hair and rubbed my beard. I looked and felt good and was ready to see what the night brought in.

Ten minutes later, I was in the bar and headed to where Terrance was talking to some chick. He caught me walking toward him and subtly shook his head, so I made a detour to the bar to get a drink. I wasn’t trying to impose on what he had going on.

I quickly glanced around the room and spotted some of the ladies Ciara introduced me to, but I didn’t see Lyric.

Nobody else was ordering drinks, so it only took a minute to get mine, and by the time I did, Terrance was done talking to the chick.

“I see what you mean,” I said to him as I sat on the empty stool next to him.

I glanced around the room again, and it was some nice-looking ladies in there.

“I told you. Looks like someone is coming our way.”

I looked up and spotted one of the ladies from earlier walking toward our table. She had a big ass smile on her face.

“Hi, Chauncey, right?”

“Yeah. My bad. Remind me of your name again.” There were nine different women in that room, but the only one I could remember was Lyric.

“Addison, but everyone calls me Addie.” She stuck her hand out, and I shook it.

“Nice to meet you again, Addie. This is my boy Terrance.”

Addie spoke to Terrance but turned her attention back to me.

“I didn’t know you and Ciara were related. I worked at the company for a while but never saw you before.”

“Right. I travel a lot.”

Addie was a pretty decent looking chick. She had long hair, but I wasn’t sure if it was hers or not. The dress she wore looked painted on, but too short in my opinion.

“Oh, that’s cool. What do you do?”

“I’m an air marshal.”

Her eyes blew up like a balloon as she moved closer to me.

“Wow. So that means you get to carry a gun?” She dragged one of her red painted nails over my bicep.

“I do. At all times.” I winked at her.

She giggled. “I’m sure it’s big.”

By this time, she was damn near in my lap. I played along with it because I was single, and she had my attention for a minute, at least until I who I wanted came around.

“Very. How long are you here for?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I wasn’t trying to mess with the first chick that flirted with me.

“A while. Maybe at least three months, depending on how fast we get this job done.”

“What do you do besides work?” I leaned forward a little.

Terrance had gotten up and walked off somewhere.

Knowing him, he found someone else to talk to.

We never stayed around when the other talked to a potential.

Terrance and I had been friends for years and knew how the other one worked.

He knew of Lyric but didn’t know her name or what she looked like.

Addie smirked as her green eyes sparkled. “A little bit of everything.”

I really didn’t care what she did; I was just making conversation. Her response gave me the impression that she didn’t do much of anything.

“Chauncey, what are you doing here?” I heard from the side of me.

Addie didn’t look too pleased when Ciara walked up. I stood to greet Ciara, even though I’d seen her earlier in the day.

“Just getting to know my new friend here.”

Ciara said something to Addie, but I didn’t hear it, because when I looked to my left, I spotted Lyric at a table alone.

Immediately, I stood from the stool, damn near knocking it over. My heart raced, and I couldn’t focus on anything but making my way to Lyric.

“Where are you going?” Addie asked, but I paid her no mind.

I couldn’t even tell Ciara that I would call her later. I had tunnel vision, and the only person in my view was Lyric.