It’s Friday night and the only music store in the mall, Da Hot Spot, is the place to be. Crammed with a young, rowdy crowd, the Spot pounds with a steady hip-hop beat that draws in the customers and keeps them milling in the aisles. When an employee sees two guys casing the store, she advises manager Bill Jackson to call security. But the last thing Bill wants is to cause a scene, particularly one that might incite racial tension. In the hopes of settling things quietly, he asks the alleged shoplifters to empty their pockets. Jamal Bey and his cousin Tyrece have long been regular customers at the Spot. Jamal knows Bill, but neither Tyrece nor Bill’s employees know just how well. When he’s asked, Jamal agrees to show Bill what’s in his pants ... but only in private. So the two head for the back room, where Bill discovers just how hot Jamal’s merchandise is.

Hot Merchandise

JamalWho nibbles gently on Bill’s lips, prolonging their kiss for a moment before setting his forehead against Bill’s. This close, Bill can see the sparks of gold flashing in Jamal’s honey-colored eyes and he stares into them hungrily. He wants another kiss, and another, and so much more.


But when he puckers his mouth to touch Jamal’s, the sexy black man laughs. “You a horny fucker.”


“Damn right. I’ve missed you.” Bill presses forward and claims that kiss anyway. “When’d you get back in town?”


Jamal frowns. “Din’t you get my text?”


Squeezing his knees against Jamal’s thighs, Bill says, “Last night, the one that said you’d found a ride off campus. I didn’t know you were leaving today.”


A wide grin spreads across Jamal’s face. “I wanted to surprise you.”


“I’m surprised,” Bill admits with a laugh. “I didn’t even know you were here until Angie said she thought you were shoplifting.”


“What’s that all about?” Jamal wants to know.


Chapter 4