by Reana Malori
Yeah, that bitch Sarah had done a number on him.
Looking over at the television, he turned it to a channel that had a reality cooking show. If his mind wouldn’t shut off, then he’d just numb it up with mindless television until he passed out. He’d gotten by on less sleep before. Tomorrow would be no different.
CHAPTER NINE
Lisa stared out the window of her office. Tuesday had dawned bright and early. Four days now since she’d heard from Jackson. No calls, no text. Nothing. So many times, she’d picked up the phone to call him. To make sure he was okay. Stopping herself each time, she was committed to seeing this through and not bending first.
Kara had called her this morning and told her that Austin had spoken with Jackson last night. That he was back in northern Virginia for the rest of the week. That amped up her stress levels even higher. Why hadn’t he called her? Before he left, he’d promised that he would be in touch. It didn’t matter that she’d told him not to. When had he ever listened to her before?
Biting on her bottom lip, she heard someone knock on her door and turned around just as the door opened. Her breath was knocked out of her as Jackson strolled in. Wearing jeans, a Henley, and work boots, he looked good enough to eat.
Her legs almost carried her across the room to him, but she stopped. Just barely. Raising her eyebrows at the man walking toward her, she greeted him.
“Jackson.”
She watched as he closed the door in her assistant’s face. Shaking her head at him, she couldn’t help smiling at his antics. The man just did not care who he offended. “Well, that wasn’t very nice.”
“I didn’t need her to follow me in here,” he responded.
Striding over to her, he pulled her into his arms. Once she was close to him, his scent overwhelmed her and she sighed. She’d missed him so much it hurt. Why was she being so stubborn? It was clear that she missed him. That she needed him.
“I missed you, sweetness,” he whispered. Holding her for a few more seconds. Pulling back, he placed one hand under her chin and lifted her head. “No kiss?” he asked.
Her lids lowered in supplication, her body already anticipating what they could be doing. She smiled up at him, “Well, I am at work…”
“That’s never stopped us before,” he replied. Nodding over her shoulder, he smirked. “If I recall correctly, we christened that desk over there about a year ago. And that chair over there about six months ago.”
“Jackson, cut it out,” she interrupted, standing up on her toes and pressing her lips to his.
What was supposed to be a short kiss suddenly turned into something more when he opened his mouth and his tongue snaked out, sliding against her lips. A moan escaped as he pulled her up against him, deepening the kiss into something much more sensual.
His hardened cock pressed up against her and she could feel her body respond. Her panties became wet as she pressed her body against his, her arms making their way around his shoulders, her hands cradling his head. She’d missed him this weekend.
Finally breaking the kiss, he looked down at her with heat in his eyes. Grabbing hold of her face in his calloused palms, he placed small kisses on her eyes, her cheeks and her lips.
“I missed you, Lisa. I didn’t like being away from you. Can we please be done with all this fighting and bickering?” he asked. Actually, more like pleaded. “I haven’t slept well all weekend. All I do is yell at everybody. If I didn’t have these next few days off, my commander would probably have forced me to go away.”
“I haven’t slept well, either,” she admitted. “Last week was just…I don’t know. With everything that happened with you and Austin. Then the doubts started swirling through my mind.”
“Come on, baby, you gotta let me off the hook here. I’m working on it. Just give me a bit of time.”
Sighing, she looked at him closely. Really looked at him. There were dark circles under his eyes. She’d never seen him look so tired, not even when he returned from being away. “Let’s just work on who we are today. I know what you’re asking me and I’m not saying no. But what I want hasn’t changed.”
“Does that mean I don’t have to sleep alone for the next week?” he asked with a smile. Resting his forehead on hers, he inhaled. “I just need you beside me. Even if we don’t do anything…which I really want to do…I need you with me.”
Lisa smiled. She wanted the same thing. Her willpower would have to be on point. Not that she didn’t want to make love to Jackson, because she did. But until they got themselves situated, being with him like that might not be best for either of them.
Staring at him as he stood in front of her, she felt her commitment wavering.
Sleep next to Jackson and not make love to him? Lord, give her strength.
* * * * *
Two days later, Lisa was on her way out of the office.
Some of her team was headed for happy hour and karaoke and she’d promised to stop by for a few minutes. Distracted by her phone, she collided with a firm body and almost fell over from the impact. A strong hand reached out to her, grabbing her just before she completely lost her balance and toppled over.
“Oh wow, thanks so much,” she said as she looked up into Daniel’s smiling face.
His handsome face beamed at her. “Hey, stranger. Thought you were a goner for a second there.”
“Well, you definitely saved my life. That’s what I get for having my face in my phone when I should have been watching where I was going,” she replied. Moving over to the side, they got out of the way of the other people on the sidewalk.
Turning to face her, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Fancy meeting you here. Where were you headed off to in such a hurry?”
“Nowhere, really. Well, actually, a few coworkers were meeting for happy hour and I was heading over for a drink. What about you?” she asked.
“Trying to find something to eat for the night. I still have a few hours of work, but I needed to take a break.”
Making a split-second decision, Lisa didn’t even think before making a suggestion. “Why don’t you come with me? I think you know a few of the people that’ll be there. You can catch up with them, grab something to eat, and we can hang out.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude,” he replied.
“Boy, you better come on. It’ll be good. I know we wanted to catch dinner some night soon, so this is as good a night as any.”
“Well, this isn’t quite the type of dinner I had in mind,” he mumbled.
“I know, but now that my week is up, I think this is the best I can do,” she answered with a sideways glance.
His gaze took her in and then suddenly he smiled. “Oh, I see. It’s like that, huh?”
Giving him a slight smile, she laughed in return, “Yeah, it is.”
“Guess I was too late again,” he grumbled as they stood facing each other.
“You know it’s all good. I’m still glad you came back into town. We’re friends, no matter what. Right?”
“Yeah, of course. And I’m too hungry to turn down your invitation.”
Pointing in the direction they needed to go, she grabbed his arm. “Come on.”
They began strolling down the street to the restaurant and karaoke bar that her colleagues loved so much. It was like falling back into old habits.
Daniel was like that comfy pair of sweatpants that she put on whenever she needed to just relax. They always fit just right, even on her fat days.
It was too bad that they’d never had a chance to explore what was between them. Now that she was with Jackson, there was no possibility of that now. But it did make her wonder. If she’d paid attention to Daniel before and picked up on the signs that he was interested, would they have worked?
“So, how’s your project going? Making progress?” she asked.
“Yeah, but it’s a killer. I’m working on a marketing plan for a company that has no idea what they want.”
“Oh, don’t I know the feeling. Sometimes I w
ant to grab my clients by the shoulders. ‘Just tell me what you want,’” she yelled out, mimicking shaking someone.
“If I can lead them where I need them to go, I may be able to finish up sooner than I thought.”
“That’s good, right?” she questioned.
“Maybe. I know I’d wanted more time here. To catch up with old friends,” he said as he looked over at her.
Shaking her head at him, she hoped he wasn’t going to continue to press the issue. Lisa didn’t want them to go out like that. “Daniel—”
“No pressure, right? It’s okay. I was afraid to approach you all those years back. Had no idea what to say. We were friends and I didn’t want to ruin that. Seems like I’ve lost my chance.” Regret filled his voice, but there was nothing she could do about that. “I guess you made a decision about that guy you were ‘sorta’ seeing.”
Looking over at him, she hesitated for just a second. Which gave her pause. Things were going so good with Jackson. Then again, if she was happy, why even consider what Daniel was saying? She was taken. Or at least she hoped she was.
“It’s complicated,” she responded with a sad smile.
He nodded as she finished speaking. “Isn’t it always?” Looking over to the left, he turned to her with a smile. “Is this the place?”
Surprised that she’d almost passed the restaurant, she stopped. “Yes, this is it. Come on inside. I’m hungry and they have the best drinks.” Grabbing his hand, she steered them both inside the noisy establishment.
A few minutes later, they were settling down at a table, looking at menus. When the waitress came by, she’d ordered an Amaretto Sour and he a Manhattan, neat. After they’d both received their drinks and placed their orders, she cheered and laughed as Martha from Accounting belted out “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” up on the stage.
“So,” Daniel began. “Tell me about this guy you’re seeing. I have to say, he’s a very lucky man.”
Shrugging her shoulders, she looked over at Daniel. She wasn’t sure how much to share with him about her relationship. “Not much to tell about him, really. We’ve known each other for a couple of years. Met each other through our best friends.”
It was a new feeling to talk about Jackson as her boyfriend. Not that he’d want that label, but there wasn’t any other way to describe him to someone who didn’t understand their situation.
“Are you guys serious?” While his tone was light, he still seemed to be probing.
Another good question. “Define serious.”
“Hmmm, I don’t know. Are you on the verge of moving in together and getting a joint bank account?”
Were they? No, Jackson would probably run screaming in the other direction if she even suggested it. “No, not that serious,” she replied while taking a sip of her drink. “But serious enough.”
“Was that him standing outside your door at the office the other day?” he asked with a sly look.
Ahhh, so he had noticed Jackson standing outside of her door that day. “That’s him.”
Nodding his head, he stared at her for a moment, “Impressive.”
“What’s that mean?” she asked with a laugh.
“No, seriously. The look on his face that day said so many things. Most of all, that he could chew a box of nails into dust the moment he saw me leave your office.” Taking a sip of his drink, he paused as the waitress brought their food. “I figured whatever you’d had going on before that day would have changed.”
“Yeah, you could say something like that,” she mumbled.
Done with talking about Jackson with another man, friendly though he may be, she changed the subject. “So, which song should we sing?”
“Sing?” he choked out. “I don’t sing.”
“You do tonight,” she said with a laugh. “And I know just the song.”
* * * * *
Lisa arrived home around eight o’clock, more than an hour later than she’d planned.
Pulling up to her townhouse, she was still humming the words to “Say a Little Prayer For You.” She’d had so much fun up on that stage with Daniel. After the awkwardness from the beginning of the night faded away, they’d fallen back into their normal camaraderie. It was as if he’d never left.
“Where were you?” Jackson’s voice broke through the darkness surrounding her.
Jumping almost a foot in the air, she squeaked as her heart jumped into her throat.
“Jackson! What the hell?” she yelled out. “You scared the hell outta me,” she gasped, catching her breath. Going around him, she unlocked the door so that they could get out of the cold.
“I was waiting for you. I thought I’d surprise you,” he retorted as they walked inside. “Where were you, Lisa?” he pressed.
Taking off her jacket and slipping off her shoes, she was hesitant to say anything. He was in a mood and she just knew he would misunderstand.
“I was out at happy hour,” she finally responded. “Are you hungry?” she asked, walking into the kitchen.
“At happy hour? I called your office at five-thirty and you’d already left,” he challenged her.
“That sounds about right,” she agreed while grabbing a glass from the cabinet and pouring herself some wine. Reaching into the refrigerator, she pulled out a beer for Jackson and offered it to him.
“No, I’m good.”
Making a nonchalant motion, she placed the bottle on the counter. Jackson’s frustration was uncalled for. She’d had too much fun tonight, while also coming to some difficult decisions about the man standing in front of her. He needed to trust her.
“So, you’ve been at happy hour since five-thirty? Lisa, you knew I was coming over.” He crossed his arms over his chest and she couldn’t help but stare at his bulging muscles. It was better than letting his jealousy get her riled up.
“Baby, I’m home now. It was no big thing. A few people from work were going and asked that I join them. I was only going for a drink, but then we got to singing and everyone was happy to see Daniel again. Time just got away from me,” she finished, looking up at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to have you waiting on me.”
She could see his pulse quickening at his temple. His nostrils flared wide and his lips thinned out. “Is this the same Daniel that was at your office last week?” he questioned.
“Yes,” she answered truthfully.
“You had me waiting for over an hour for you while you were out with another man?”
“I wasn’t out with another man, Jackson. It was a group of us from work that went out for drinks, which I told you about this morning. When I left work, I happened to see Daniel walking. I invited him to come along.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because he’s my friend.” Walking into the living room, she turned and noticed him standing in the same spot as before. “You’re over-thinking this.”
“Am I?” he asked, grabbing the beer from her. Not taking a drink, he placed it down on the coffee table. “Lisa, what are you trying to do to us?”
Taken aback by his accusation, she also set her glass down as well. “I’m not doing anything to us. If anything, I’m trying to help you see that I want more from you than what I’m getting.”
“And your way to do that is to tell me about another man?”
“I’m not telling you about another man. I’m being honest with you about what I did tonight. This is not an attempt to make you jealous. This is my way of showing you that I have nothing to hide. That I want you to know what’s going on with me.”
Lisa stared at him in disbelief. His accusations hurt her more than she cared to admit. Sure, they were trying to navigate their changing relationship, but she never thought having her every move questioned would be a part of it.
“Jackson, look at me,” she implored as he continued to face away from her. As he turned to face her, she saw the agony and hurt displayed on his face for all the world to see.
“I’m not sure I can go through this again, Lisa.” H
is broken voice cut through the silence.
Stopping in her tracks, she put both hands down by her side. “What does that mean?”
“It means, I think we got too close. I can’t worry about what’s going on with you when I’m not here. My life, and my team’s lives, depend on me being on top of my game at all times. If I’m worried about you and what’s going on at home, I could get someone killed.”
She was shocked at the flat tone of his voice. It was as if he were reciting a memorized speech.
“Jackson, are you saying what I think you are? All because I went out to happy hour with friends? Because there happened to be a male from my past in the same room?” Huffing loudly, she began to pace the room. “Do you know he asked me out to dinner? Did I tell you that?” she asked. Lisa noticed how still Jackson had gone as she continued to speak.
“No. You must have forgotten to tell me that,” he replied in a clipped tone.
“Well, he did. That day in my office, he asked me out and I told him I had to think about it,” she admitted.
“You had to think about it? Wow,” he exhaled sharply. “How could you, Lisa?”
The agony in his voice almost made her stop. But, he had to hear all of this. Whatever was happening between them had to be resolved tonight.
“I’m leaving,” he announced.
Lisa was pissed. It was now her turn to make demands. Raising her voice, she called out, “No. You’re gonna stay here and listen, Jackson. You’ve accused me of so many things, most of all, of not being committed to you and what we have. Even though we’ve never given this a name.”
Jackson’s voice was gritty and raw. “We talked about that, Lisa. You know what happened and now here we are. You’re hanging out with some guy who wants to be more than just friends, and I’m standing here looking like a damn fool. Again.”
Her words weren’t getting through to him. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. “I’ve never ever betrayed you. You are the only man I want and you damn well know it. Comparing me to another woman stops now.”
He scoffed and began pacing the room. “Bullshit, Lisa. I’ve told you how much I need you. The nights I wanted to be here with you and nowhere else. When I would drive hours, late at night, just to be with you as you slept at night. How can you say that you don’t know what this is?” His palm slammed against his chest in frustration.
