Hey Rosebuds,

I’ve been in the lab working on something cute and fun to end the summer season. Ali and Soleil are sooo freaking cute and I can’t wait to share them with you all. In the meantime, check out their first “meet cute” in the sample below.

ALI

After ordering a cup of water, I turned to face the crowd. The two-room club had to be over capacity. People were shoulder to shoulder dancing to Tootsie’s set. I smiled at the joy on everyone’s face as they chanted to a Buju Banton and Beres Hammond song. 

My gaze halted when I spotted a leggy brownskin woman winding her hips. The lights in the club lowered and a single red light in the center of the room flashed. The music stopped and DJ Tootsie did a vibe check that had everyone shouting their praises. “Ring The Alarm” by Tenor Saw came on, and the room erupted with cheers. 

I consumed my water while taking in the woman from earlier. She wore cutoff denim shorts that stopped at the cuff of her ass and a baby tee with beads accentuating her waist. Her hair was in small twists that were in a bun with a few hanging in the back. Gold hoop earrings hung from her ears and gloss coated her lips. She was fine as hell, thick with long legs and moved her hips with a sensuality that had me mesmerized. Our gazes met. The red light bounced over her features. A smile curved her lips, and she reached out for me. Like a moth to a flame, I made my way to her.

Heat spread throughout my chest when she grabbed my hand then turned to press her body against mine. The instant our bodies met; we moved as one. I rested my chin on her shoulder, settling into our rhythm. She smelled like cocoa butter and vanilla. I ran my hand down her arm, then across her stomach. The pads of my fingertips grazed her waist beads before settling on her waistline. Her skin was soft and warm. I melted into her as Sister Nancy serenaded us. I heard everyone around us praising the DJ, but I was too enthralled in with the beauty in my arms to engage. She worked her hips against me with one hand raking down my face. 

“What’s your name, gorgeous?”

She turned to face me. A grin appeared on her face, sending warmth through me.
“You don’t need to know my name. Let’s just enjoy this dance.” Her lips brushed against my ear, and I inhaled a deep breath. 

I nodded while using my free hand to draw her closer. Being face to face with her was dangerous. We’d danced to several songs now. The room was sweltering at this point. Sweat trickled down my temple and my heart raced a mile a minute. The tightness in my groin was unrelenting as she wined her pelvis against mine. 

My right thigh settled between her legs as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Our bodies rolled into each other’s. My hand rested on her waist, just above her ass. Our breathes were hot and heavy as we kept up with DJ Tootsie’s sensual dancehall set. Every song was more torrid than before. Mad Cobra’s “Flex” came on and fire flickered in her eyes. I took a swig of my water while never missing a beat.

I met her energy, lowering myself so we were eye to eye. She pressed her forehead against mine. I focused on her lips. She hadn’t stopped smiling since facing me. I became keenly aware of her scent and the softness of her skin. Her smile was radiant, pulling me deeper into her orbit. When her tongue swiped her bottom lip, I bit mine, fighting the urge to kiss her. This woman was lust personified. I inhaled a deep breath as DJ Tootsie transitioned to the next song.

I closed my eyes as the next song came on. A groan bubbled in my throat at the feeling of her lips against mine. Her pecks were soft and cautious. I kissed her back, hoping to assuage her hesitancy. When her tongue slipped through the seams of my lips, I kissed her harder. The flavor of rum punch lingered on her lips. She angled her head to left and I went to the right. Her kiss was just as intoxicating and affecting shots of rum. My heart thudded against my chest, and dick stiffened against my shorts.

Who was this woman? 

How did she have such a hold on me from just a dance? 

She wouldn’t tell me her name, so I already knew getting her number was out of the question. 

The energy in the room shifted. Screams and hasty movements brought us back to reality. I opened my eyes and saw a crowd of people fighting on the opposite side of the club. The group grew in size as people tried to deescalate the situation. I looked to the booth to find my brother waving for my attention. He pointed toward the exit next to him and I nodded. The woman I danced with was pulled in the opposite direction by her friends. I reached for her hand. 

“Wait. Let me walk with you.”

My words fell on deaf ears as the screams from the fight and DJ Tootsie’s pleads for peace overtook. Security intervening did nothing as the crowd became more unruly. In the split second that I looked at the fight, the woman and her friends disappeared. I shook my head then jogged toward the exit, my brother had taken just moments before. In the alley, people convened to discuss what lead to the brawl. At the center of the crowd was my brother who saw everything from the booth. 

“The guy in the black shirt yanked the woman in the red dress by the arm. Her friends jumped in pushing the guy. He fought off the women and slapped one. I don’t know if it was an accident or on purpose. But all hell broke loose after that,” Oakley said while shaking his head. Everyone listened with wide eyes. 

“Was that her boyfriend?” one woman asked.

“I hope not,” her friend replied.

I stood beside Oakley. “You ready to go?”

Fights at parties made me uneasy because you never knew what the aftermath would lead to, and I wasn’t interested in seeing how everything played out. Besides, we needed to be at the production office early. On my way out the club, I checked my phone and saw Troy had sent a meeting invite. 

“I’m waiting for Tootsie to let me know she made it out okay.”

I nodded then scanned the crowd of people hoping to see the woman from earlier. Pushing through the pockets of people, I walked to the end of the alley to the main road. Droves of people lined the sidewalk and cars passed by blasting music. I ran my hand over my face and looked the other way. I licked my bottom lip and sighed as the taste of rum punch danced on my taste buds. 

Fuck, man. 

It was wild how that one encounter with her had me tripping like this. When I accepted the fact that she was gone, I met my brother in the alley. My shoulders dropped as I pushed out a grunt. With slow regretful steps, I joined the crowd from earlier, feeling like Wayne Wonder had in his song, “The Saddest Day of My Life.”

Ali Everett is on a mission to uphold his family’s legacy while creating his own lane within the family business. When presented with an opportunity to prove himself, he accepts the challenge prepared for whatever obstacles came along the way. When things seem that can’t get any better, he mets the alluring Soleil Baptiste. She single-handedly ignites the fire he longed for in his life.

After ending a year-long situationship, Soleil Baptiste is on a journey of self-discovery. She hopes the summertime is filled with the excitement she lacks in life. Ali Everett enters her world and turns it upside down, forcing her question whether or not he is too good to be true.

As they grow closer, they discover how deeply their pasts are connected, prompting them to confront their ghosts sooner than they anticipated. A dose of serendipity, a summer bucket list, and an inexplicable attraction combine to create a whirlwind romance for Ali Everett and Soleil Baptiste. Are Ali and Soleil capable of enduring the heat of their complicated pasts or will their time together be merely a summer fling?