Page 12 of Nothing Like Your Ex

A few feet down the hall, Melo stood with several members of his entourage, posing for pictures. Kwinn’s attention naturally drifted toward him. He stood in the middle of the group, occasionally shifting or leaning toward whoever stood beside him. Kwinn watched for a moment before looking away.

One of the men Endie had been talking to, one of DMacc’s and Melo’s younger brothers, walked up to Kwinn and Saiko. “What y’all getting into tonight?”

“Damn, nigga. Hello, to you too!” Saiko snapped.

The man chuckled. “My bad, my bad. No disrespect. Hello,” he greeted with a bow of his head, trying to be funny.

“If you don’t get your ass on, Roddy,” Saiko fussed, punching him in the arm.

“I wouldn’t have come over here if I knew you was gon’ be violent. You on that, too?” Roddy asked Kwinn.

“I can be. What’s up?” Kwinn questioned, smirking.

“Yeah, I ain’t fooling with y’all tonight.” Roddy laughed, leaning in to hug Saiko.

“Whatever. How long y’all in town for?” Saiko asked, her eyes trailing the people walking by.

“Shit, knowing D, he’ll probably be here for a couple days. But I just moved back a few months ago,” Roddy answered. “Y’all gon’ pull up to the club after this?”

Saiko and Kwinn looked at one another and chuckled.

“Probably not,” Kwinn answered for them.

“Why not? Ain’t like y’all old asses got anything to do anyway,” Roddy jested.

“Old!” Kwinn and Saiko both shrieked.

Cracking up, Roddy backed away from them just in case they got to swinging.

“You got us messed up lil’ boy.” Kwinn laughed.

“Right. With your young ass. Can you even get in the club?” Saiko pressed.

Roddy was well over twenty-one, but the youngest of his siblings. At least on one side of the family. With their siblings being best friends, Saiko treated him as her little brother, and he acted just like it. Kwinn listened, occasionally adding something to the conversation, but her attention was pulled away and focused on Melo walking in their direction.

Unrushed and moving like the boss he was, Melo carried himself with the same confidence he’d shown onstage. People moved around him without his asking, and every few feet, someone stopped him to say something or dap him up. He acknowledged them without losing his stride, greeting people as he passed, until his eyes settled on Kwinn. This time, she was certain he was looking at her.

A small smile touched his lips, and Kwinn smiled back, trying to steady her breathing. There was something about watching him move through a room like this that caught her attention more than it should have. The man wasn’t even performing anymore, yet somehow, all that dominant presence remained. If anything, it looked even more natural without a microphone in his hand.

For those few seconds, it felt like nobody else was in the hallway. Just him walking toward Kwinn until Saiko leaned in her direction.

“That man got a walk on him,” Saiko whispered in her ear.

Kwinn’s cheeks lifted as she silently agreed. He walks like it’s heavy, she thought, since she couldn’t say it aloud. Without hesitation, Melo walked right up to her.

“How you doing, luv?” The velvety smoothness of his voice made the simple question feel like more than a greeting, as if he really wanted to know how she was doing. His voice was much deeper than when he rapped, and it made Kwinn’s nipples tingle.

She smiled, trying to keep herself composed as she looked up at him. His hat was off, revealing those pussy-fluttering deep waves. It didn’t help that he was now up close and personal. Melo’s gorgeous, deep ebony skin, with gold gleaming off pretty-ass white teeth between thick chocolate lips, had Kwinn’s body heating.

“I’m doing fine. How are you?” Kwinn asked.

“I’m good. Blessed.” Melo nodded. “Your name is Kwinn, right?”

She nodded, looking him dead in those intense eyes.

Melo dragged a hand over his close-cut beard. “I thought that was you. I ain’t seen you in a minute.”

“I know, right,” Kwinn agreed, a small laugh escaping her. “It’s been a long time.”