CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
JACKIE
Najee had texted Omw… almost three hours ago.
At this point, Jackie didn’t know whether to feel embarrassed, pissed off, or just straight-up played with.
Freezing rain had been slapping against the windows for hours, and thunder kept rolling every few minutes like it was talking shit.
She kept telling herself that was why he hadn’t shown up yet.
He probably got caught up at his auntie’s dinner.
Or worse, he was with that Fatima bitch.
The thought came fast and ugly, and low-key Jackie felt lame for even thinking it.
But the longer she sat there, the louder her pride got.
She had put herself out there. Apologized.
Taken the initiative and made first contact.
And now here she was, sitting home looking dumb waiting on a man.
She thought about texting him some cool shit, like never mind just to save face.
But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
That would’ve made her look even more pressed, and Jackie was already struggling with the fact that she sent the first message.
So instead, she finished the last two wine coolers and let the buzz settle low in her body.
When a cold draft swept through the living room, Jackie glanced toward the vent and knew immediately the heater had gone out again.
It wasn’t freezing, but the warmth had thinned out enough for her to notice, and it was way too late to call Juan.
Luckily upstairs still held heat, and the bathroom temperature was perfect.
And if she were being honest, she didn’t really want to sit downstairs spiraling anymore.
So she said fuck it and ran herself a bath.
Jackie ran the water hot, poured in her Fenty Skin Vanilla Flowers, then added her Saint Jane Deep Sleep bath salts.
She lit her favorite candle, Vanilla Sex by Tom Ford.
Connected her Bluetooth speaker and queued up her favorite audiobook.
A few seconds later, Jakobi Diem’s smooth, sultry voice filled the bathroom and transported her straight to Planet Ace.
Jackie lit her blunt, leaned back in the tub, and tried not to think about him.
But the more she tried to get Najee off her mind, the more he stayed there.
Jackie could feel his hands. Hear his voice.
Even visualize the way he glared at her over his glasses.
Jackie’s thighs clenched just thinking about it.
But her attraction to him, was more than just physical.
Najee was kind even when she wasn’t. And when he did have to check her?
He did it without humiliation. She didn’t have to decode his gestures or read his mind.
He stood on business. And damn if that shit didn’t turn her on.
Jackie didn’t know if it was the weed, the wine coolers, the hot water, or just him. But her body was reacting, and by the time she got out of the tub her mind was made up.
Tonight was definitely, a Derrick Rose-toy type of night.
Jackie moisturized with her favorite body butter, unwrapped her hair, and slipped into her gray, cotton, mini baby-doll sleep dress, with her favorite lace boy shorts and thigh-high socks.
She stood in the mirror for a second and took herself in.
At thirty-six years old, Jackie looked damned good.
Even after being stretched by motherhood.
Stressed by Marcus and turned every way except loose by life.
Jackie still loved the woman staring back at her.
She had survived so many versions of her body, but this by far, this was her favorite.
Her skin was skinning. Her thighs were thick and toned.
Now her sew-in? Had seen better days, but her bundles were so tea the older the hairstyle got, the better the hair looked. Jackie took her Denman brush, combed through her hair, until it fell loose around her shoulders. Then she reached to the top shelf in her closet and grabbed her favorite toy.
“D. Rose… you coming out of retirement tonight,” she said to herself. She picked up her Kindle, ready to pull up the Danger series for a little inspiration. Jackie was just about to settle in bed when a loud knock boomed through the house. Jackie froze. Because ain’t no way.
She crossed to her bedroom window and peeked outside and there it was. Najee’s Porsche truck. Parked right in front of her house. Lightning flashed across the sky at the exact same time.
The knock came again, only louder this time.
Then his voice.
“Jack! It’s me!”