Free Sweet Little Lies by Michele Grant Page A

dressed in the morning without taking a little pause for the cause. This would explain the huge smiles on both our faces as we made our way down the street.
    “Hey, Carey!” I called out, and when she looked up I waved. She waved back and then her mouth fell open. Not subtle at all. I could not blame her. Steven looked amazing. He could look good in a hotel towel. Hell, he
did
look good in a hotel towel. But today, with the dreads hanging free and his mouth curved up in a smile and the eye-twinkle going on, he was especially easy on the eyes. Not to mention the cargo shorts and navy tee showing off the bedroom physique. He was oozing the sexy today; we’d received enough admiring looks from the females on our way here for me to know he had that thing going on.
    “Hey, girl!” she called back, finally closing her mouth.
    We walked around the railing and she stood up. “Carey Jaymes, Steven Williams.”
    “So this is Young Steven.” She was cheesing so hard, I was afraid she could chip a tooth. They shook hands enthusiastically and she took her time letting go.
    I sent her a side-eye she completely ignored.“Yes. I believe that’s what I just said.This is Steven.”
    He nudged me. “Be nice, Ti-Ti. Pleasure to meet you, Carey. I love your hair. It’s beautiful.”
    “Yours, too.”
    “Mutual natural hair care love,” I teased.
    “You should let yours grow out natural,” Carey said.
    “You really should.Then you wouldn’t be as spastic about it getting wet in the shower,” Steven said.
    “Do tell?” Carey said, giving me the eye.
    “Sit your nosy ass down,” I scolded, and turned to Steven. “So I’ll see you later?”
    He leaned down and whispered in my ear. “As much as you want as soon as you want me.”
    I actually had to reach back and put my hand on the table for support. Good Lord, the things he made me feel.“I was just going to have you meet me at the hotel later on.”
    Carey said, “But why doesn’t he meet us back here in an hour and a half? We can all hang out.”
    “Unless you have other stuff you need to do today?” I asked, giving him an out if he wanted it.
    “What did I just say?” He hit me with the look.
    I inhaled a deep, shaky breath. “So ninety minutes, right back here.”
    He dropped a kiss on my open mouth, so full of promise it was all I could do not to drag him back to the hotel right then and there. He stepped back and let go of my hand. “See you then.” He smiled down at Carey. “I’ll look forward to talking to you some more.” He lifted one hand in a wave and headed down the street.
    I sank into the chair and we both watched him walk away, going as far as leaning out over the rail to keep him in sight.
    “Um-um-um, he looks just as good going as he did coming. Day-um!” Carey said.
    “Amen.” I nodded, still watching.
    At the end of the block he turned back around and caught me looking. He grinned before pointing at me. “Okay, I see you.”Then he disappeared around the corner.
    “Christina!” Carey called out and I blinked.
    “Hmm?” I righted myself in the chair and focused in on what she was saying.
    “Obviously, it was a bit more than dinner.”
    “Girl…” I didn’t even know where to start.
    “Hold on, hold that thought.” She lifted her hand for the waiter. “Can we get two pomegranate mojitos and an appetizer platter? Thanks.” She turned back to me.“Okay, spill.”
    “I don’t even know where to start,” I admitted out loud.
    “Why don’t you start with how you ended up naked with Young Steven?”
    “Who said anything about naked?”
    “So now I’m stupid? You shower with your clothes on? Did I not just see the look he gave you, the juicy kiss? Steam is still rising off your hot ass.”
    I sighed. “What can I tell you? These things sometimes happen.”
    “Not to you—not in years. Are you rebounding?”
    “Probably.”
    “Does he know you’re in major rebound mode?”
    “Oh! I forgot that you don’t know the