Chapter 1
“I am not into white men,” Cayla mumbled under her breath. She was finding it more difficult to convince herself over the last couple of months, but not dating white men had always been her way. Cayla didn’t have anything against white men (she was extremely happy that her sister found Nick); they just never appealed to her. She just felt that they didn’t have anything in common. She’d often found them to be goofy and terrible dancers. She loved black men and just never pictured herself not being with a black man. Cayla did make allowances and have dated some Hispanic men, but even they had been more on the African side. Like Laz Alonso. Oh the things she would do to him. White men have never been on her radar. “And never will,” she mumbled to herself as she grabbed a champagne flute.
Well, that is what her brain said. Her eyes, however, were currently tracking Dex Sinclair’s lithe body gliding across the dance floor in a well-executed waltz with some random woman. Big deal, she thought. Aren’t the rich trained to do ballroom dances? His ability to pull off the waltz didn’t debunk her previous thoughts.
She pulled her eyes away from him to take in the lovely ballroom. Kalilah had told her about the ballroom and its beauty, but seeing it decorated for her sister’s wedding far surpassed Cayla’s already grand expectations. She repeated her new mantra (I’m not into white men) as she continued to look. The two-story ballroom was decorated with classic colors. They’d chosen black, champagne, and white for the wedding colors. Nick’s mom and her team used elegant, black Chiavari chairs adorned with champagne chiffon bows that ran vertically instead of the traditional horizontal. Nick told her that he was so impressed with all the white flowers that his mom used for the gala that he’d wanted the same for the wedding. Cayla understood his request. The white flowers that were housed in white vases and decorated with champagne and black silk bows were on top of tables covered in black linen. Champagne and black chiffon decorated the banister and hand rails of the grand stairs that lead to the ceremony area.
She sighed. Hopefully, she would marry one day. Cayla wanted forever, but after surviving the hectic schedule required to get Kalilah to this point, she wasn’t sure if an affair this grand was for her. Granted, most people took a year to plan their weddings; however, Kalilah was intent on being different. Even though Nick proposed in late September, Cayla was currently standing in the ballroom on December 31st waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin.
That’s right, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Kalilah wanted to get married the first of January, but she’d also wanted her guests to participate in the countdown to midnight. Cayla told her it wasn’t possible, and Kalilah’s winked at her, her brown eyes filled with the mischief that usually got them in trouble when they were younger, and said, “Watch.”
Her dear sister took the idea of reverse happy hour and ran with it. Kalilah, being Kalilah, came up with the reverse wedding. The reception was in full swing, and she and Nick would do their vows after the reception at 12:30 AM. Kalilah would change after the countdown. Either way, Cayla made a mental note to slow down the happy hour frequency.
Not that it mattered now, Cayla glared at the back of Dex’s head as he swept Kalilah into his arms to dance a lively merengue. Why did he get to find out about Kalilah’s pregnancy first? Cayla threw a proper bitch fit when she found out. She was her sister, a born ally and confidant, and she had to find out after the new guy. Kalilah and Dex’s bond bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
“Sickening, aren’t they?” Nick whispered after appearing on her right.
He sipped his champagne then flashed his dimples with a beautiful smile. She blushed a little. Okay, Nick was an exception. She was fine admitting it to herself because he was unattainable. Cayla was still having difficulties reconciling that her sister’s incredibly attractive soon-to-be husband was the same nerdy, nervous guy she interrogated almost a year ago. His poise and confidence made him seem almost...regal. She also loved how he’d effortlessly slipped into his new style. His navy slacks and white and navy patterned shirt looked like they were made specifically for him. He accented his outfit with brown Kenneth Cole dress boots and a matching belt. Like the rest of the wedding party, he would need to change for the ceremony.
He raised the plate in his left hand and offered her an hors d'oeuvre. Cayla’s stomach decided to remind her that she had yet to approach the food table. She plucked one of the snacks off his plate and popped it in her mouth. Her taste buds exploded. Dex may aggravate her in every way, bu
t she could not deny his culinary talents.
“How do they not irritate you?” Cayla asked after grabbing another hors d'oeuvre off his plate.
Nick looked in their direction and smiled contently.
“I love them both. And I know their bond is genuine. Dex likes to bother me, but I know there’s an extra person out there who has her back.” He nudged her with his arm. The merengue song faded into a salsa number. “You don’t have to do it alone.” Cayla smiled at him when he winked. Nick leaned in and whispered, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I have a contingency plan. If they become too annoying, we’ll be best friends to show them how it feels.”
Cayla laughed, and Nick gave a passing server his empty plate and glass. Dex had just finished expertly gliding Natalia around the dance floor in a well-executed salsa; he then disappeared into the crowd. Okay, maybe Dex had a little rhythm.
Nick grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s practice.”
Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” started to play, and Nick wrapped Cayla in his arms, his firm body guiding her across the dance floor. Kalilah was right; he does smell good. They talked about the upcoming ceremony and how he couldn’t wait to start their three-week-long island honeymoon. They couldn’t decide which island to visit, so they were set to spend a week at each of their top three locations, starting with Bora-Bora. Cayla thought three weeks of relaxing on the beach sounded like a dream.
The song was ending, and Nick looked at something behind her then back to her. “Thank you for the dance.” He kissed her on the cheek and half-bowed before retreating.
A warm hand touched her back, and her body knew exactly who was behind her. The smooth beat of Sade’s “Kiss of Life” poured from the speakers.
“My turn.”
The breath of Dex’s sexy voice was a warm caress on her ear. Cayla repressed a shudder. Get your shit together! She mentally chastised herself. He pulled her into his arms before she could respond. She ignored the zing of desire that shot through her. Her body swooned, and her mind screamed. Cayla called forward the supreme focus she used to get herself out of college early with dual degrees and focused on keeping her breathing steady. They’d never been this close to each other. Her instinct had told her on Nick’s birthday that she should remain a safe distance from Dex at all times. She had been successful, until today.