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CHAPTER 1

Roth Lexington leaned against the banister of the upper-level balcony inside The Underground Jazz House—The Underground, for short—nursing a glass of bourbon The amber liquid had always been his drink of choice, ever since he’d taken his first sip at thirteen “It’ll make you a man,” he’d been told He was definitely ato do with it

Taking a swig, he savored the earthy notes A fire flared in his chest, but it wasn’t froht jaw, he observed the partygoers below He soaked in their laughs, their ss and handshakes for the future bride and groom

Nore and the silky sounds of jazz, but neither did much for him now And he knehy The reason stood several feet below hiuest of honor at this engagement party he’d reluctantly attended

Tressa Washington

Since the first tio in his best friend’s living roohts Danced sensual moves Provocative moves Seductive moves Moves that had forced him awake in a hot sweat on several occasions In his thirty-six years, he couldn’t recall a wo this kind of effect on him

He didn’t like it He didn’t like it at all

Stunning in a fitted off-white ju the sixty or so people in attendance Tiny curls frah she didn’t need anyshe was

Engulfed in conversation with a group of women, her lips—the ones he craved to leave kiss swelled and aching—curled into a srown to adore pierced her chocolate-brown cheeks His gaze burned a heated path along her voluptuous body, stopping briefly to appreciate her arasp perfectly

It took a real erous curves like hers And as he’d stated before, he was a man

A knot tightened in his stomach How he’d love to suckle nipples he’d teased with his thuhtening in his boxers Wearing a hard-on for the bride-to-be in theto do But dammit, he couldn’t help that Tressa turned him all the way on He wanted her so badly he ached Forbidden fruit was always so da

Loud laughter drew his attention to Tressa’s fiancé Cyrus Williaht of the man’s name put a sour taste in his mouth A cornball name for a cornball Damn he hated thathe wanted—Tressa’s warainst his

Pushing his envy aside, Roth still got a bad vibe fro people and so about Tressa’s soon-to-be husband screamed shady Roth blew out a heavy breath But Cyrus was none of his business, and neither was Tressa And if he told himself that a few more hundred times, maybe he’d actually be convinced He slid his eyes back to her

As if sensing his ogling, Tressa shifted in his direction The instant their gazes locked, a lightning bolt of desire seared through hi manner he’d becootten But that was exactly what he needed to do Forget Forget that soul-stirring gesture and the wo it

Tressa’s best friend, Vivian—his best friend Alonso’s wife—said soaze away, allowing hiot the feeling she’d regretted ending their connection just as much as he had Yeah, absurd

Alonso clapped hi at the bride could give sohed

She wasn’t a bride yet

Roth and Alonso had been friends since way back Over the years, Alonso had kept hiot him into his fair share, as well He didn’t trust many people, but he trusted Alonso with his life