Prologue
Their attraction was undeniable. Regardless of where they were on the rooftop of the hotel, their eyes seemed to always find each other. Heir kept telling herself there was no reason to feel bad. She was on her third date with Bentley, and Heir was 80 percent sure it would be their last date. While there wasn’t one particular thing she didn’t like about the man, they didn’t have enough chemistry for her to feel excited about being in his presence.
As they kept doing, her eyes scanned the rooftop, landing on the stranger she’d been silently flirting with all night. Usually loyal, Heir found it difficult to keep her eyes off him. Physically, he was more her type than Bentley with his ground nutmeg hued skin, square head, streetwear, and tattoos. Without her permission, Heir’s eyes slowly scanned his frame as she bit down on her bottom lip. When their eyes locked, he licked his lips and wagged his finger in her direction.
Trouble.
The chuckle he released as he shook his head and rubbed his palms together told Heir all she needed to know. Squeezing her thighs together, she pulled in a deep breath and swallowed hard, forcing her eyes to focus on Bentley. They may not have beenin a committed relationship, but he deserved more than half her attention because of her roaming eye.
“You ready to go?” Bentley asked, checking the time on his watch.
Figuring she needed to be far away from the sexy stranger, Heir nodded her agreement and ran her hand down the back of her neck. In the short time it took Bentley to flag down their waiter, Heir’s mystery man had made his way over to their table. He tossed a few hundred-dollar bills on the table, more than enough to cover their bill, then made his way behind Heir’s chair.
“I ’preciate you bringing my wife out for the evening,” he said to Bentley, and the sound of his crisp, Southern, deep voice made her nipples harden as chills covered her arms. “I’ma take it from here though.”
“Oh,” Heir muttered with a nervous laugh as he carefully pulled her out of the chair by her hand.
“Excuse me?” Bentley stood, but before he could say anything else, the man was lifting his hand to silence him.
“You can leave in your car, or an ambulance,” he warned, “but either way, you leaving alone.”
Bentley scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. “Do you know this man, Heir?”
Did she know facts about him?
No.
But there was a familiarity about him that shot straight to her soul.
“Nah, but she ’bout to get to know me,” the man reasoned, seemingly done with the conversation, because he casually led Heir away from the table by her hand.
The obscenities Bentley yelled toward their backs solidified the fact that he wasn’t the man for Heir. She wanted a man who knew when to deescalate situations but could alsohandle business when necessary. Bentley had basically allowed a complete stranger to take her, and while it made her more interested in the one who did the taking, it made her respect Bentley a little less.
“That’s ya man?” the stranger confirmed, pressing the 1 on the elevator. “He just let me take you. He ain’t worth you, bae.”
“Yeah.” Heir sighed, resisting the urge to look back at Bentley. “I was feeling like this would be our last date, but I wasn’t completely sure. Now I know it will be.”
“Oh it was going to be the end of whatever y’all had going on anyway. I meant it when I said you’re my wife. I guess I just expected him to put up more of a fight.”
With a soft giggle, Heir stepped onto the elevator. “How am I your wife and I don’t even know your name?”
Sucking his teeth, the stranger allowed his eyes to roam her frame as the elevator doors closed behind them. In the enclosed space, she inhaled a deep yet subtle whiff of his cologne.
“Facts can be discussed with time. The vibe that’s been brewing between us can’t be faked or forced. That’s how I know you’re going to be my wife.” He extended his hand for her to shake, and Heir looked down at it, then placed her hand inside. “My name is Marz. And yours is Heir, right?”
“Right,” she replied, smiling softly as his hand gently tightened around hers.
“Like what we breathe, or the heir to a throne?”
“The heir to a throne.”
“Only child?” Marz asked, to which Heir nodded.
“Yes. You?”
“Nah. I have three younger siblings.”
“Ooh. Oldest son and only daughter. This will be interesting.”