Chapter 13
Chapter
13
Jazmine watched as he prowled from one end
of the bed to the next, a frown marring his brow. He had swung by
later than she expected and apologized profusely. Now he was moving
around restlessly as if something was under his skin.
"You're wearing a hole in my very nice
and slightly expensive rug," she pointed out as he made another
round. "I wish you would come to bed and let me smooth out those
knots in your shoulders."
He glanced over at her, eyes roving over
the lovely picture she made in what looked like lavender lace. It was
practically transparent, with holes large enough for him to see skin.
Abandoning his restless wandering, he came
and sat on the edge of the bed. Taking one delicate hand in his, he
gazed at the contrast. He was of a darker shade than his sister,
having spent years of his life working on a construction site before
he took over the bar and found himself wondering if he was getting
too high-minded. He was berating his sister for her interest in Jack
Hadley when here he was with a white woman who had more money than he
did.
The scale was unbalanced, and he was not
sure he liked it one bit. He was not a man given to taking handouts
from anyone, especially not a woman. Jazmine had fixed the place up
and it was looking elegant and completely spiffy. His apartment above
the bar could not compare to this.
"Zach?"
Lifting his head from their joined hands,
he studied her lovely face. The sweep of raven black hair was a vivid
contrast against the ivory skin and her eyes large and very
appealing. Her lips- Shaking his head, he squeezed her fingers.
"I haven't been fair to Zoo," he
admitted quietly.
"What do you mean?"
He shrugged one shoulder. "I lit into
her about being interested in Jack Hadley and told her the guy was
out of her league." Because he was watching her closely, he saw
the sudden flaring of her eyes and the way she slid her gaze away
from his. And he knew her well enough to realize that she was hiding
something.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Why don't you take off your
clothes-"
"Why don't you tell me what is going
on."
"It's nothing," she muttered and
tried to pull her hand away.
"I am not going to stop asking until
you tell me," he warned.
With a sigh, she curled her fingers against
his and gave him a helpless look. "Zoo is my best friend."
"And I am your man. Although at this
point, I am wondering if we are fooling ourselves."
Her brow knitted. "What is that
supposed to mean?"
Letting go of her hand, he rose and
wandered over to the mantle to lean against it. "This place is
out of my price range, but you have no problem paying the lease."
"No, I don't."
Shoving his hands into the pockets of his
worn jeans, he rocked back on his heels and brooded. "I do all
right. I mean, the bar is making money. The profit margin is good and
we're in the black. That's mostly due to Zoo's clever ideas and the
way she handles the books. Before she joined up with me, it was a
mess. I don't know a thing about accounts. All I know is serving
pints and running the show out front. That, I am good at."
His eyes swept around the elegant room with
its antique furnishings. "You've made a killing during your time
of modeling, and you made wise investments." His shoulders
hunched. "I am not a wealthy man, and it occurred to me that we
rushed into this thing. I rushed you into it and it might not be what
you want."
Jazmine felt the coldness spreading through
her chest as she stared at him.
"If you're breaking up with me-"
"Goddammit! I love you," he
exploded. "But I don't deserve someone like you." He hissed
out a breath. "I have nothing to offer you, and I refuse to live
on your money."
Taking a careful breath, she lifted her
chin and gave him a cool look from wide blue eyes. "You think
I'm shallow."
"What?"
"You think I am the kind of woman who
expects to be wined and dined and draped with expensive jewelry. I
had all of that and I was so miserable, I contemplated taking my own
life. I came from nothing and built myself up to where I am now. For
the first time in my life, I am with a guy who makes me feel
treasured." Her eyes filled with tears and had him rushing to
her side. "You treat me with respect. You never once put me
down. I am in love with you and if you are so stupid that you think I
care about money or the lack of it, then you're not the man I fell in
love with."
"Baby-"
"Let me finish."
He had to hide a grin at her prim tone. "I
apologize." He inclined his head solemnly. "Go on."
Sending him a lofty look that told him she
knew what he was doing, she continued. "I want a family. I never
had one and I want one with you. I knew I told you we should keep us
a secret, but I don't want that. I want the world to know about us."
Emotions wracked his body and had him
shivering. Without a word, he drew her to him and cradled her. They
stayed that way for a long time, before he eased away and took off
his clothes.
"Baby?" he whispered as she
snuggled on his chest.
"Yes?"
"Tell me what's going on with Zoo."
Her pained sigh had him smiling. "You
thought I had forgotten."
"I was hoping you had. Your
persistence is the least attractive thing about you."
"And the most?" Tilting her head
up, he brushed his lips against hers.
"Too many to count."
*****
She examined herself in the mirror
critically. A long soak in the bath using that bath gel that Jazmine
had brought back from Italy had her skin feeling soft and dewy. The
matching cream completed the job. Her hair was loose. She had taken
the time to go and visit the salon and her curls were popping. She
had not slept well last night-damn her brother to a fiery hell! His
words had played over and over in her mind and kept her up.
The pants were black and clingy, a sort of
soft as butter wool that felt great on her skin. She had decided
against wearing panties, part of the reason, she was telling herself,
was that the cut of the material did not allow her, but the main
reason, the one she was trying to ignore was the part where she was
hoping that it would make it easier for him to get to her skin and if
she was going to make him fall in love with her, she was going to
have to seduce him.
So far, their two meetings had been like
fire and oil coming together.
Spraying on a seductive scent, she passed a
hand over her hips and stepped back. The shirt was a dusky pink
oversized, with the three top buttons open to reveal more than a hint
of skin and the thin gold necklace with the cross pendant her dad had
given her for her sixteenth birthday.
Going into the closet, she grabbed a jacket
and picked up her tote. She had packed some things for her overnight
stay. A slinky transparent nightgown, panties, essentials like travel
kit that had her toothpaste, toothbrush and other things. As well as
a change of clothing.
She was getting ready to leave when there
was a knock on her door.
An exasperated sigh escaped her when she
saw who it was.
"I don't have time-"
"You're going to meet him," he
glanced at the tote and the way she was dressed.
"Stay out of my business," she
warned angrily as she tugged on her jacket. "Just the way I am
staying out of yours."
"I am seeing Jazmine."
That gave her pause and had her staring at
him in shock. "What?"
He slid his hands into the pockets of his
jeans and hunched his shoulders. He had spent last night and this
morning making love to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his
life with and after that had thought about his sister. They had been
angry at each other for too long. It was time to heal the breach. He
did not like the fact that she was stepping out with someone like
Jack Hadley, but he had to give her the respect she deserved.
"Jazmine and I are involved. We're in
love."
She fell back a step as she stared at him.
"You kept it from me? She kept it from
me?"
"I wanted to tell you from the damn
get go, but she did not know how you'd react." He lifted his
shoulders restlessly. "I want your blessings."
"Really?" For some reason, she
was angry and felt betrayed. Here he was telling her he was in love
with her best friend, and they were sleeping together and for the
last few days he had been giving her grief. "Why would you need
it?"
"Zoo-"
"Just don't." She held up a hand.
"I don't have time for this now. I'm already running late."
"Late to a sleep over?" he tried
to smile, but did not quite manage it. "Is that a thing?"
Her eyes flashed. "You dumped this on
me when you know I am heading out. Just-" She shook her head. "I
have to go."
"Zoo-"
"I'll see you in the morning."
She swept past him, leaving him standing there in the lingering scent
of her perfume.
*****
"It's a nice neighborhood."
Suddenly she was feeling shy. On the way over, she had vacillated
from anger to frustration and then despair. And betrayal had been a
big part of it. She and Zach had always been close and over the last
few weeks had been keeping secrets from each other. She did not like
it one bit.
"It's not bad." Jack took her
jacket and hung it on the coat tree just inside the foyer. He had
been waiting for her and felt the flutter inside his stomach when he
saw her pull into the parking lot. Other than texting her the address
of the apartment building, he had not been in touch with her. And
right now, the pep talk he had given himself, last night and a few
minutes before she came, went straight out the window. Her perfume
was making him heady and all he wanted to do was tear the clothes
from her and plunge into her until he was completely lost.
The fact that he was already losing control
had him stepping way back.
"The food is here."
Zuri had not expected him to kiss her, but
the greeting, the formality and the way he was behaving had her
feeling as if she should not have come.
"Oh." She followed him into the
living room where a small table had been set. The place was sparsely
furnished, and she wondered if he had gone to the trouble of putting
in furnishings just for tonight.
The tablecloth was snowy white and so were
the napkins. A bucket was in the middle with a bottle of champagne
nestled in ice. He surprised her by pulling out the chair and waiting
until she was seated before going around to sit down.
"I had the chef prepare filet mignon.
I hope it's to your liking." He sent her a brief glance before
uncovering his plate.
Her heart skittered inside her chest as she
stared at him surreptitiously as he worked the cork out of the
bottle. He had gone for all black. A thin black silk sweater over
comfortable looking denims and boots. His hair was brushed severely
back from his forehead and there was a predatory look about him that
sent awareness trembling through her.
He looked up as he handed her the glass,
and she realized that she had not responded to his comment.
"Who doesn't like filet mignon?"
she asked airily and took a sip of icy expensive bubbly.
He made no comment to that. Taking up his
utensils, he started eating. His hands were masculine, fingers long
and she already knew how they felt on her skin. Sucking in a breath,
she took another sip of wine to steady her nerves.
"How was your day?" Before the
question was out of her mouth, she knew she had made a mistake.
The startled look he threw her was almost
laughable, if it was not so serious.
"Why?"
"Just-it doesn't matter. How is
Jason?"
"Feeling much better," he eyed
her in that unfathomable way of his as he picked up his glass. "He
has a huge crush on you."
That startled a laugh from her. "Maybe
a little one."
Jack inclined his head. "More than
that." He took a bite of his excellent beef. "You run a
bar."
Her spine stiffened at the tone of voice.
Mildly interested and disdainful or at least that was what it sounded
like to her.
"Yes, I do."
"You never wanted to do anything
else?"
Anger flashed in her eyes. "For your
information, I was an executive assistant working for an asshole who
thought he was God's gift both to the financial world and the ladies.
He was neither." She drank more champagne. "That bar has
been in our family for generations and when my dad died, I decided
that I had had enough of working for that prick and resigned. My
brother needed help and it's working out."
He gazed at her passionate face and felt
the familiar emotions taking over. Christ Almighty! What the hell was
it about her that made him so crazy with need? Hoping to divert his
attention, he concentrated on the meal for a few minutes.
He was unsettled and edgy and wanting her
was making him crazy.
"I did not mean to offend you,"
he said softly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the
emotions play over her face.
She sighed, her anger dissipating. "It's
okay. I guess I'm just a bit sensitive about it."
"What do you most enjoy about running
the bar?" he asked, steering the conversation to safer waters.
She smiled, a genuine smile that reached
her eyes. "The people. They come from all walks of life, and
each one has a story. It's never boring."
He nodded, appreciating her candor. "I
can understand that. It's a part of your heritage and you're
preserving it. That's admirable."
Her eyes softened at his words, and she
felt herself relax. "Thank you, Jack."
Sensing the tension easing, he took a sip
of his wine, savoring the taste. "So, tell me more about your
brother. He's the one who needed help with the bar, right?"
"Yes," she replied, her tone
lightening. "Zach is a great guy, but he was struggling to keep
things afloat on his own. We make a good team."
Jack found himself genuinely interested as
she spoke of her sibling, noting the affection and respect in her
voice. "Family can be a powerful motivator, I suppose." Not
that I would know, he thought bitterly, feeling the loss of that
particular feeling deeply, just now.
She nodded, her eyes sparkling. "It
certainly can. We've been through a lot together, but it's brought us
closer."
He nodded and lapsed into silence. Zuri
glanced at his bent head uncertainly, aware that the conversation had
somehow become painful for him. And she found herself wishing he
would open up to her.
"How's the meal?" His voice was
scrupulously polite as he looked up and met her eyes.
"Wonderful," she enthused, even
though she had lost her appetite.
He nodded again and went back to his meal.
"There's dessert."
She shook her head ruefully. "I am
full. Maybe later."
"Maybe. Coffee?"
"No."
"The kitchen is right through there if
you change your mind." Pushing away from the table, he rose and
put away his napkin. "I need some air." Without another
word, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her staring after
him.
Putting her napkin down, she propped her
elbows on the table and placed her chin in her palms. "Okay
girl. Just give him a few minutes and if he's not back then, go and
find him and get it out of him. If he's changed his mind about having
you here then it's something you should know right away."
*****
It was a full moon, Jack realized with
surprise as he tilted his head up and watched the bright circle of
the moon etched against the sky, with stars twinkling around its
brilliance. Drawing out a slim leather case he had brought with him,
he selected a slender cigar, before
sliding the box back into the pocket of his black jacket. Lighting
it, he drew in the nicotine deep into his lungs and held it a second
before letting it out.
He had left the woman he wanted to make
love to sitting around the table. Because he was afraid. Afraid that
he would be unable to keep his hands off her and trying to prove that
he could. All through dinner, he had been unable to taste anything.
The expensive wine had tasted bland. All he could sense was her. The
seductive scent of her assailing his nostrils, the way the overhead
lights picked out the shimmering golden highlights in the curls that
tumbled down her shoulders. He wanted to wrap his fingers in the
thick strands and feast on her mouth.
He knew it was cowardly, but he just had to
get out of there to take a breath, to settle himself and try and
figure out what the hell was going on.
He was even jealous of his own damn son. He
felt foolish and insecure. He wanted to suggest that they set up
house-the thought hit him like a ton of bricks. He was doing things
with this woman he had never done with another living person before,
and he had only just met her. It frightened the crap out of him.
Drawing on the cigar, he took it out and
was about to pitch it over the rail, when he sensed her behind him.
Even if he had not smelled her perfume, he would have known she was
there, all because he was so acutely aware of her that it was
unnerving.
Forcing himself to behave normal, he
pitched the cigar and watched it arc, the ends glowing red before
diving towards the ground. Steeling himself, he turned to face her
and felt the knot in his stomach
increasing. Her lips were too moist, a combination of her lip gloss
and the champagne.
"It's a beautiful night." She
moved towards the rail and held on, leaning forward slightly and
taking deep breaths. "These are all townhouses, aren't they?"
"Yes." He turned to lean on the
rail, trying to bring his emotions under subjection.
"Geared towards young professionals,"
she gave a sideways glance that was unconsciously provocative. Her
lips were curved slightly, white teeth glistening against peach or
was it plum? "I read about it somewhere in a financial magazine.
The area is developing. Lots of offices going up and people moving
into the area."
"We had to stop renovation because of
some unexpected red tape." He relaxed slightly and found that he
liked talking to her. "We will start back up in another few
weeks."
"It's a lovely area and with the park
right next door, it increases in value. I passed a hiking trail on my
way here."
"There will be a pool as well as a
communal gym."
"Nice."
They lapsed into silence; the only sound
was the breeze wafting through the surrounding trees. Somewhere birds
were calling out and some sort of animal burrowing in the underbrush.
From where they were standing, they could just make out the harbor,
with flurries of boats bobbing on the water.
Heaving out a breath, he turned around and
clamped a hand on her arm. She let him draw her against him. His legs
were parted so that she could come between them. Her head lifted to
look at him and something in his expression sent heat swimming
rapidly through her body.
His eyes were inscrutable, but there was a
light there that was undeniably passionate. His hands roamed over her
arms slowly. His gaze held hers for what seemed like minutes, and she
waited with bated breath for his lips to touch hers.
"I keep trying to talk myself out of
doing this."
"And?"
He chuckled harshly. "It's not
working."
"Good," she whispered and moved
into him.