Then, as quickly as he had started, Reggie snatched his hand away. The abrupt withdrawal had her stumbling to catch her balance.
“I . . .” A combination of fear and embarrassment tinted his face. “Damn! I’m sorry. I . . .”
“What’s wrong? I want you, Reggie. You are so damn sexy, and I want you. Don’t you want me?”
“I have a girlfriend,” he said. “Shit. I have a girlfriend. This is wrong.”
Jayla hadn’t expected the confession, and she bit her lip in consideration. Next move, next move. What to do? What to do?
Just then his cell phone went off, slicing the sexual tension like a knife. He fumbled for the device before pulling it from his pocket. After wiping Jayla’s juices off his hand, he answered, “Yeah?” He glanced back at the bar.
Jayla smacked her lips. Damn hating-ass friends. Probably jealous she had all but thrown it at him all night and not them.
“I’m coming,” he said and hung up. He looked at Jayla again and mumbled a short “Get home safe” before turning and trekking back across the parking lot.
She sighed. The regret had been more than prominent in his voice. Fine. Next time she saw Reggie, she would pull the apology card, make herself seem weak, vulnerable. That shit would probably turn him on even more than the direct approach.
Jayla had just slid behind the wheel when her own phone rang. She already knew it was Heather before she picked up. “Hello?”
“How did it go?”
“It will be in my final report,” she said, exasperation bringing on a slight headache. “If you want to discuss details prior to that, remember it must be done in person.” She sighed.
“I know. I’m sorry.” It was Heather’s turn to sigh. “I don’t know. I just... You’re right. Guess I just got a little anxious when he didn’t come home and didn’t call.”
“I’m not done yet,” Jayla said.
Pause.
“Okay, um . . .” It was too obvious she had something else to say.
“What is it?” Jayla prompted, slightly irritated. “Do you want me to stop?”
Another pause.
“No,” Heather answered finally. “No, I’m fine.”
Jayla hung up and laid her head back on the headrest. Any man can be hooked. You just need the right bait. Jayla closed her eyes at the thought. She had proven the concept true thus far. It was only a matter of time. But one thing was for sure. She was horny as hell, thanks to Reggie.
Not bothering to assess her actions, Jayla punched in a familiar number and waited while her phone rang in her ear.
“Fuck me,” she said once Chris answered. She heard him sigh.
“I can’t—”
“Come on, Chris.” She didn’t care that she was almost whining from desperate frustration. “I need you. It’ll be quick.” She took note of his brief hesitation.
“It’s over,” he said finally, his voice firm. “I told you. We’re done. I’m seeing someone.”
“That didn’t stop you before.” Jayla hadn’t meant to snap, but the rejection was eating at her. A little more than usual. She was surprised to hear the click. Damn, he was really serious. Never before had he hung up on her.
Jayla squeezed her thighs tight, moaning as her clit throbbed for attention. She used her fingers to rub between her legs. She was warm, and the coarse jeans material was rough against the supple flesh of her pussy. Fuck Reggie and Chris. She’d handle herself right in the middle of the parking lot.
Jayla fumbled with the zipper of her jeans before she stopped short, remembering the busty bartender. Her eager fingers reached in her pocket for the bar napkin. Sure enough, the woman’s phone number was legible. Jayla held the napkin between her thumb and forefinger as she considered the proposition. The woman seemed down for a no-strings-attached cut buddy for the night, and since Chris had cut her off, it wasn’t like Jayla had someone to satisfy her at the moment.
Jayla dialed the number. What the hell. She had nothing else to do.
The woman picked up on the second ring. The noise in the background was deafening, a monotonous hum of activity that had Jayla pulling the receiver away from her ear.
“This is Joi,” the woman yelled over the noise.
Jayla smirked at her own behavior. Joi. It occurred to her she was ready to fuck this woman sideways, and she hadn’t even known her name. Or cared what it was, for that matter. “It’s me,” she said. “Cherry Popper. You off yet? I need that sexy-ass tongue of yours on my pussy.” Jayla could almost hear the woman grinning at the bold statement.
“Come around back, so I can let you in.”
By the time Jayla had walked around to the back of the building, Joi was already standing outside, leaning against the door to prop it open. Jayla saw her licking her lips as she motioned her over. Anticipation had Jayla on the edges of an orgasm, and she quickened her pace, trotting over to meet the woman at the door.
Joi led her to small storage closet, and they stepped inside. The smell of cleaning supplies and dust permeated the tiny space. It was stuffy as hell in there, too, but Jayla didn’t care.
She was already snatching her jeans down as Joi shut and locked the door. With the exception of a sliver of light peeking through the crack of the door, they were enveloped in darkness, which only fueled the rising sexual tension.
Jayla grinned as a sneaky idea crossed her mind. She dialed Chris’s number and placed the phone on the floor. Since he had insisted he didn’t want her anymore and had had the nerve to hang up her on, let him get an earful of what exactly he had rejected. She waited until she heard him answer the phone before she went in.
“I need you to fuck me, Joi,” she cooed, then gave a seductive moan.
“You damn right I am. You said something about wanting this tongue on your pussy.”
“Oh, please, give it to me.”
Jayla heard the desire coating Joi’s voice as she pressed her body against hers. Joi’s nipples protruded through the thin material of her top, and Jayla found this inviting and deliciously tempting. Jayla pulled one of the woman’s titties out from the low-cut neckline and leaned over to take the nipple between her lips. The faint smell of Joi’s soft flesh was distinct as Jayla flicked her tongue around the hardened pearl. Cocoa butter, she decided. She heard Joi moan, and so she grip the back of her head as she indulged, alternating between generous sucks and feathery licks. She felt Joi’s fingers inch down her stomach to brush her pussy lips, and she moaned. Joi’s fingers were cold, but the contrasting sensation sent a tingle through Jayla’s thighs. Joi gripped Jayla’s clit between her index and middle finger, then moved her fingers back and forth to massage it until it swelled against her touch. Jayla felt her knees get weak, and she ground against Joi’s hand, urging her to keep going.
“I want you to ride my face,” Joi said, and obediently, Jayla lowered herself to a squatting position. She felt Joi position herself between her legs, her heavy breathing loud and jagged. Jayla lowered her pussy onto Joi’s lips and groaned as Joi gently spread her open and began using her tongue to massage the inside of Jayla’s walls. The stimulating sensation was enough to drive her damn near crazy as she bounced on top of Joi’s stiffened tongue, simultaneously using her thumb to stroke her clit with each upward movement. The only sound that could be heard was Joi’s appreciative moans and the lapping noise as she slurped Jayla’s abundant juices.
When Jayla felt the muscles tense in her legs, she lowered herself to her knees and leaned forward on her hands for support. Then she gyrated her hips in sync as Joi moved to sucking on her clit like a pacifier. She squeezed her eyes shut, and the tension mounted as Joi worked miracles with her tongue, swirling it around the hood before taking the inflated clit between her lips once more. Damn, she was good. Jayla felt Joi’s hands on her plump ass, nudging it faster as she licked her sugar clean and then some. When Jayla released, she bit back a scream, and the warm cum ran down her thighs to pool like a moist beard on Joi’s chin. She shivered and colla
psed, her body jerking with the orgasm.
“Uh.” Joi’s muffled groan had Jayla lifting her hips from the woman’s wet face. “Damn, you taste good, girl.”
Jayla smirked as she stood. Damn right, she knew. She needed her kitty in tip-top shape for whatever scheduled or spontaneous affair occurred. Which reminded her . . .
She scooped her phone up off the floor and saw that Chris had hung up. For some reason, that tickled her.
She found her pants scattered on the floor, and she leaned against a wall to put them on. Her pussy still tingled with the aftereffects of the orgasm, and she sighed in relaxation.
“Do I get to see you again, Cherry?” Joi asked.
Jayla rolled her eyes, grateful the darkness concealed the slightly irritated gesture. “I know where you work, Joi,” she said instead. She didn’t object when she felt Joi feeling for her face and when Joi pulled her lips against hers. Jayla tasted her own fresh juices on the bartender’s tongue as she allowed the woman one final kiss.
A combination of the oral sex and the hastily arranged boxes in the storage closet had Jayla stumbling to the exit. She didn’t bother looking back after she opened the door. She didn’t even bother thanking Joi. It was a great release and was damn sure what she needed.
As soon as she made it back to her car, she quickly dialed Chris’s number but was not surprised when his phone went straight to voicemail.
“Hey, lover,” she gushed in the phone. “Just wanted to call back and see if you enjoyed the show. I figured you needed an idea of what you were missing. You know you’ll be back sniffing at this pussy, Chris. In case you need a reminder, just remember how that woman was sucking on all this juicy pussy.” She made a kissing noise before groaning. “Yeah, I know you liked the sound of that, boo. Call me when you’re ready to play in it some more.” She hung up and fell back in her seat, laughing.
That was what his ass got. Now, with all of that out of the way, she could refocus on the task at hand.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The phone’s incessant ring snatched Jayla from some good sleep. She sat up, grumpy as hell and instantly pissed off at whoever was calling this early. She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and answered the call.
“What?” she barked.
“Girl, don’t come at me like that,” Jackie tossed back.
“Whatever, Jack. I’m sleepy.”
“Well, that’s not my problem.”
Jayla groaned and fell back into her pillows. She didn’t have time for this shit this morning. “What is it?” she asked.
“I was wondering, have you seen Jasmine?”
“What are you talking about?”
“She hasn’t come home in a few days. I’m starting to get worried. I figured she was hanging out at Keela’s, but I called over there, and she hasn’t seen her, either.”
Jayla shut her eyes against the sun spilling in through her blinds. She vaguely remembered sending Jasmine on another assignment, but of course, Jackie didn’t need to know all that.
“I talked to her yesterday,” she said. “She was fine.”
“Fine? But what the hell is she out doing?”
“Jackie, she is grown. Leave that girl alone.”
“I don’t give a damn if she is grown. She’s living in my house, and I don’t appreciate her coming home at all times of the night. Hell, when she even bothers to come.”
Jayla sighed.
“You could be a little more concerned, Jayla.” Anger had quickly elevated Jackie’s voice.
“Calm the fuck down, Jackie. Damn. I said she is grown. Stop treating her like a fucking kid.”
“Jayla, you can be a real bitch sometimes.” Click.
Jayla smacked her lips and tossed the phone on her bed. She yawned, and reconsidering Jackie’s words, she picked up the phone again and dialed Jasmine’s number. It rang twice before the call went to voicemail.
“Jazz, it’s me. Call me when you get this. Your mother is worried about you.”
She hung up, and just as quickly, the phone buzzed in her hand. Not bothering to look at the caller ID, Jayla quickly answered. “Jasmine?”
“Nope, it’s me,” Jocelyn answered. “Something wrong with Jasmine?”
Jayla sighed. “No, I just left her a message, and I thought she was calling me back.”
“Everything all right?”
“Yeah.” Jayla quickly changed the topic. “What’s up, sis?”
“I need a favor. Come baby shopping with me.”
Jayla prepped her lips to decline—she already had a no on the tip of her tongue—but instead she stifled a groan. This was her baby sister. And it wasn’t like Jocelyn had an active baby daddy to do that type of stuff with.
“Come on,” Jocelyn urged, already sensing a rejection. “It’s Saturday. We can make a whole day out of it.”
Jayla sighed. She hadn’t spent time with her in a while. “Fine,” she said.
“Cool. I’ll pick you up in an hour. Thanks, girl.”
Jayla hung up and checked to see if she had a missed call or text from Jasmine. Nothing. She tried her again and frowned when she got her voicemail. It wasn’t like her not to answer or return phone calls. Jayla punched in a quick text.
Jazz. Call me as soon as u get this.
Not completely satisfied but having exhausted all options, Jayla headed to the bathroom to start getting herself ready. It would feel good to relax a little today. It felt like she was constantly juggling men, evaluations, meetings, and money. She was successful, yet the work was strenuous. Sometimes there were just too many desperate women needing answers at one time. And she only had three holes to go around.
Jayla stepped out of the shower, beads of water trickling down her body and soaking the plush rug under her feet. Her mind immediately went to Derrick. She wondered what he was doing, then immediately cursed herself for the thought. She had tried her best not to think about him, but she couldn’t help questioning why he hadn’t tried to call since their last encounter a week ago. Part of her felt relieved, but she had to acknowledge the tug of disappointment as well. Tara hadn’t even said two words about him since the surprise double date, and it was taking everything in Jayla’s power not to bring him up.
An hour later, the doorbell rang, and Jayla swung the door open and allowed Jocelyn to waddle through. Jayla cringed when she looked down at her sister’s flip-flops and saw that her feet had swelled to the size of melons.
“Your feet look like they hurt, Joce.”
Jocelyn forced a grin. “I’ll be all right. Here.” She handed Jayla an unsealed envelope. “This was on your door.”
Jayla eyed the simple letter J someone had scribbled across the front of the envelope. She hesitated, then turned the stark white envelope over. Nothing on the other side. No indication of its source. “Did you look inside it?” she asked.
“Of course not. What is it? Who sent it?”
Jayla wanted to explain that it was from some psychopath whose man she’d fucked and sucked sideways for money. She thought of the stabbed teddy bear package and shuddered. She hadn’t received anything since, and she’d had no more vicious road encounters, so she had convinced herself the madness was over. She led the way to the kitchen.
“What is it?” Jocelyn asked again as she followed.
Jayla absently tossed the envelope on the counter. “Nothing important.” She smiled to hide her discomfort.
“Uh-huh.” Jocelyn grinned. “Since when do you have a boyfriend?”
“I don’t.”
“Then who is it from? A secret admirer?”
Jayla turned to the refrigerator. “Something like that,” she said, reaching inside for the gallon of apple juice. “Here. Drink something. And how about after the baby store, we go get a pedicure? My treat.”
* * *
“I’m thinking about Bryce if it’s a boy.” Jocelyn hadn’t stopped talking since they had arrived at the mall. Or eating, for that matter. Even now, as they rode the escalato
r, she was knocking back Whoppers by the handful. “Or maybe Brycen. What you think?”
Jayla nodded as they stepped off the escalator. “I like Bryce. I’m surprised you don’t want to keep the J thing going like Jackie.”
“Girl, I’ve always hated that idea,” Jocelyn said.
Speaking of which, Jayla snuck a glance at her phone again. No word from Jasmine. What the hell was that girl doing? she thought.
Jocelyn led the way into the baby store. Soft pastels and hushed lullaby music created an inviting and relaxing atmosphere. Cribs, dressers, and changing tables had been neatly arranged to simulate mini nurseries in varying styles. Racks of baby clothes lined the back wall, and strollers, car seats, and high chairs were on display. The place had it all.
“I saw this the other day and thought it was so cute.” Jocelyn pointed to a mahogany-brown converter crib, already decorated with a blue plaid comforter set. “And it converts into a bed, too, so seems like it’ll be a good investment.”
Jayla nodded absently. Her mind wanted to wander to the what-ifs of her own unplanned pregnancies, but instead, she fingered the price tag dangling from a rail on the crib.
“Excuse me.” The voice from behind had both ladies glancing up, and Jayla sucked in a breath. Tracy.
She immediately flashed back to the car incident after her evaluation on Marcus. Tracy and her sister had damn near been at her throat. Now her hair was shorter, and the hint of a pregnancy belly protruded underneath an I SWEAR I’M A VIRGIN maternity shirt. But still, it was definitely her. Damn. What are the odds?
“I just wanted to see where you got that dress from,” Tracy was telling Joce. “They are so hard to find.”
Jayla pretended to be heavily engrossed in the changing table, but she clearly caught the wedding rings blinking from the woman’s finger. She started to inch away from the pair as they lapsed into an erratic exchange of pregnancy stories. Neither seemed to notice as she headed toward the back of the store. The sight of the man headed her way with an armful of onesies had her stopping short. She made her way back to the ladies.
Marcus made eye contact and nearly collided with a nearby rack as he froze. Shit. Jayla remembered the black wig she wore with him, but apparently, her face was crystal. She tried to stifle the rising panic as she pivoted on her heels once more and maneuvered toward the exit. Joce stopped her.
The Appraisal Page 8
