2
Hottie Alert
Nadia
“G
irl, I’m loving this house.” Brandy poured us both a glass of wine and sat down at my dining table.
When we were young we did everything together—from Girl Scouts in elementary school to pledging for Delta Sigma Theta in college.
We remained two peas in a pod most of our lives. Therefore, when I divorced my husband last year. It made sense to leave D.C. and move down to Paradise where she lived. It took me some time to find a rental house I could afford on my budget, but it finally happened.
No regrets.
The boys remained quiet upstairs. I was glad I hooked up there PS5. Their gaming always gave Brandy and me peace.
Brandy handed me my glass of wine. “I’m so happy you’re in my city.”
“Me too.” I dragged a chair over to the table and plopped myself into it.
It had been a long day of moving. Tons of boxes surrounded us.
“We are going to set Paradise on fire.” She tapped her glass against mine. “Are you ready?”
“Girl, I was born ready.”
“First thing on the turn-up-to-do list is Divorce Party.”
“I still can’t believe the divorce is final.”
“Believe it.” Brandy snapped. “When Michael dragged his ass on signing, I was close to personally going up there and shooting him and that heifer in the head. I still might do it.”
“You can’t shoot people.”
“Why not?”
“I spent so much money on furniture and this move. I don’t have bail.”
“Okay. Then, we’ll wait until you have bail.”
“That’s fair.” I high-fived her.
“Let a sister know, when you have bail and I’m on that fool’s doorstep with my Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380.” She snapped three times. “These bitches better ask about me.”
“Oh God. You and that damn gun. And you don’t even have one bullet.”
“After we save up bail, we’ll get bullets.” She drank some of her wine. “I can’t believe Michael followed you down here.”
“He wanted to be close to his kids.”
“But then he brought that heifer with him.”
“He’s apparently in love with Cindy and wants to start a family.” I waved the whole situation away. “Girl, I don’t care. I’m glad he’s moved on and not in my face.”
“He still should have kept his black ass in D.C.”
I laughed.
Someone knocked on the door.
I jumped. “That better not be another stripper gram.”
Brandy held her hands up in the air. “A sister sends one stripper gram to your job and now you’re always suspicious.”
I laughed. “You’re lucky I didn’t get fired that day.”
“You should have. Then, you would’ve been writing bestsellers back then.”
“Okay. I’ll give you that.” I set my glass down and headed over to the front. “Let me see who this is.”
“Hold up.” She dove her hand into her bag. “Let me get my gun.”
“If you don’t put that damn empty thing away.”
“I’m just saying.”
“It’s a good neighborhood, Brandy.”
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t come to the door with a gun. You’re a single woman living alone with kids.”
“Stop scaring me.” I stopped at the door.
The person knocked again.
“Coming.” I unlocked the top and turned the knob. When I opened the door, my body tensed in shock. My voice disappeared.
A delicious man towered over me, taking up most of the doorway.
Handsome as a movie star, he must’ve been over six feet five. Chiseled jaw. Clean, sharp-edged cheeks. Green eyes. His whole body swelled with muscle. Although he had an attractive face, that wasn’t what caught my attention. Dark wings decorated his bare, muscular chest. Chiseled abs layered his front.
This girl really did send a stripper gram.
I waited.
He didn’t start dancing. His green eyes were piercing. Dark. Brooding. But with a hint of kindness.
I blinked. “Hello?”
His voice was a lusty delight lathered in hot promise. “Hello. I’m your next door neighbor, Zain.”
He extended his big hand my way.
“Oh. I’m Nadia.”
His large grip swallowed my fingers.
“Nice to meet you.” He hit me with a sexy smile. “By the way, is this yours?”
I blushed and almost said yes, not knowing what the hell he was talking about.
He gestured to my Ganesha statue on the ground next to his feet. “I figured you left it outside as a mistake.”
I hadn’t even realized it was there. “Oh. . .yeah. That’s mine. Thanks.”
“Where does it go?”
“In my meditation room.” I bent down to grab it. “I’ll take it.”
He had it before me. “It’s too heavy.”
“That’s fine. Keep it by the door. I’ll deal with it later.”
“My mother raised a proper gentleman. I can’t let you move this.”
Although he was sexy, I had no plans of letting some huge stranger into my house.
Just as I was about to firmly tell him to put the box down by the door, Brandy yelled over my shoulder, “It’s this way. Past the kitchen. Last room on the right.”
I turned and glared at her.
She shrugged. “All those muscles were made to move things.”
I frowned. “This is Brandy. As you can see, she’s super shy.”