He carried Marcus into the house and helped settle him into bed. After spending an hour trying to convinceMercedes’s dumb ass to press charges, which she refused to do, he asked Honey to walk with him to his car.
She looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry we had to end our evenin’ on a sour note.”
“Don’t worry about it. I had a wonderful time tonightwith the both of you. I hope we can do it again.”
She looked down at her hands shyly. “I would like that very much.”
“Does this mean we can go out on our first official date?”
“Are you asking me out?” she said softly.
He couldn’t even stand next to her without wanting her. “Yeah, I’m askin’ you out.”
“Then I accept.” Her face lit up with a beautiful smile.
He grinned, pleased at the progress he’d made. “I’ll drop your car off in the morning.”
Gazing up at his handsome face, she shook her head. “You don’t have to. I can get one of my brothers to do it.”
“I want to do it.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before she said, “Thanks.”
A cold wind was whipping around them, and the smell of snow was in the air. She didn’t object when Jay slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“You don’t have to thank me. I’ve always been there for you.” Facing her, he ran a hand across her cheek, intensifying her shivers.
“I owe you one,” she said as her teeth chattered.
He cocked a teasing smile. “Can you pay a brotha now?”
His voice was husky, causing something to lurch inside her. She knew what he wanted. She could read it in his eyes. Jay wanted to kiss her. He was waiting for a signal, a word, something, but she would have to initiateit. No pressure, just waiting for her to make the choice. At that moment, she wanted nothing more. Maybe it was because tonight he was her hero. “Yeah, I can,” she answered in a shaky voice. She found herself leaning eagerly toward him until their faces were only inches apart.
The second their lips touched, she was lost. It awakenedunforgotten memories of their first and only kiss. She had meant to make it brief, but suddenly she was doing more than permitting; she was participating. Her lips parted easily and he deepened the kiss, thrusting with his tongue in slow strokes. It was everything she remembered. Her arms found their way around his neck while his closed around her small waist, crushing her breasts against his hard chest. Confusion assailed her senses. What started out as a tender kiss deepened hungrily.Desire surged through her and she felt her nipplesharden. Her hands slid down his neck, across his powerful shoulders, and then against his solid chest.
And then Jay ended the kiss.
They were quiet for a while, only the wind breakingthe silence as he clutched her tight against him. He had dreamed of this day ... a second chance at getting things right. Too much unnecessary time had passed. Time that needed to be made up.
Holding her away from him, his eyes lingered on her face a few seconds longer, then he left, leaving Honey feeling dazed and disoriented.
Kendra slammed the phone down onto the receiver and released a string of profanity. This was getting ridiculous. She’d been calling his cell phone for over an hour, and Jay still hadn’t bothered to return her call. Who the hell did he think he was? Had he forgotten that she was carrying his child? Okay, so maybe she didn’t really need anything, but how the hell would he know unless he bothered to call and find out? What if it was an emergency? She could have fallen, or gone into labor. She had every right to know where he was at all times. She needed to be able to reach him.
Pushing herself out of the chair, she moved into the kitchen and removed a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator. She poured a glass and drank it angrily; then, taking several deep breaths, she tried to calm the anger that was raging in her. She hated feeling fuckin’ helpless. As long as she was pregnant, she couldn’t have the upper hand. She took another deep breath and reminded herself there wasn’t shit to get upset about. Everything was going to work in her favor.
She placed the glass in the dishwasher and returned to the living room, where she sank into her favorite chair. Tapping her index finger on the arm of the chair, she wondered where Jay was. She was horny as hell and could use a good long fuck. She had tricked his ass into her bed once and she could find a way to do it again.
After contemplating the possibilities, she rememberedhe had mentioned something about being in love. Could Jay be spending time with some other bitch? Naw. He wouldn’t dare. But she didn’t feel as confident as she did before. She pursed her lips. There was only one way to find out.
Natalia.
Nine
Despite the snow that had accumulated during the night, sunlight streamed into the room. With a groan, Honey rolled away from the window and tried to fall back to sleep. She couldn’t. Her mind was racing with thoughts of Jay.
Sleep hadn’t come easy. She’d had a fitful night, tossing and turning for hours with images of Jay dancingin her dreams. The attraction she had for him was scary. Every time she saw him, the pull was stronger. He made her feel things she’d never fuckin’ experiencedbefore.
Last night she had pulled out her vibrator and tried to break that bitch in half. She put in a brand-new set of batteries, then lay on her back and spread her legs. Slowly she eased it in and out of her coochie with one hand while she fondled her nipples with the other. With her eyes closed and Jay’s sexy ass on the brain, it wasn’t long before she had come. Just thinking about it, she was tempted to pull that bitch out again.
Honey took a deep breath and rolled onto her back. She wasn’t herself around Jay, and felt herself weakeningwith every encounter. After all the hype of wanting to be just friends, she had blown that shit with just one kiss.
How had Jay known there was no way she could deny herself another kiss? The kiss had left her melting.He had aroused a deep longing inside her. Only this time, he made certain she couldn’t blame him. She did the initiating. The scary part was that she didn’t regretit. But she could never let it happen again.
“Auntie,” Marcus whined, “I don’t feel good.” Wearing footed pajamas, he came into the room rubbinghis eyes.
Swinging her legs onto the carpeted floor, Honey sat up. “Come here, sweetheart.” He moved into her outstretchedarms and she raised a palm to his forehead. “You’re burnin’ up,” she said, worried. “Does anything hurt?”
He nodded. “My head hurts.”
Honey rose. Curling her fingers around his tiny hand, she padded barefoot across the hall to the guest room. “Mercedes, Mercedes,” she called softly, trying not to wake Lil’ Dee. “Wake up!”
Mercedes opened her eyes and spoke in a groggy voice. “What?”
“Feel Marcus’s forehead.”
Mercedes shifted on the bed and raised a palm to his forehead. “He has a fever.” Seeing the tears glisteningon his thick lashes, she gave him a sympathetic smile. “How do you feel, big boy?”
“Not good.” His chocolate eyes shed warm tears onto her arm.
Looking up at Honey she said, “He probably has that flu bug that’s going around.”
Honey nodded in agreement. “My poor baby,” she cooed. “Are you sleepy?”
He nodded as he began to cry. “I want my mommy!” he wailed.
“I know,” Honey said as she hugged him close to her chest. “I’m gonna call your mama, but first Auntie needs to make you feel better.”
Mercedes scrambled out of bed. “I have some Children’sTylenol in my bag.” She moved to the closet and pulled out a red duffel bag. “Here.” She handed the bottle to Honey.
“Thanks.” She quickly read the directions on the side of the bottle, then poured the liquid into the tiny measuring cup. “Open wide, sweetheart.” Marcus, althoughfretful, cooperated. “Good boy.” Handing the bottleback to Mercedes, she scooped his fevered body into her arms. “I’m putting you back to bed and callin’ your mother.”
&
nbsp; “What are you thinking?” Chad asked.
Propping his feet on the end of his desk, Jay answered,“There might be some truth to what Jocelyn said about her husband.”
“Oh my! We’re on a first-name basis already.” A teasing smile touched Chad’s lips.
“Fuck you,” Jay shot back.
Chad chuckled. He’d just returned from a weeklong investigation in Milwaukee, but had anticipated the two meeting while he was away. “Did you find her attractive?”
“Yeah,” Jay answered without hesitation. “But I’ll leave her to you.”
Chad quirked a brow. “I thought maybe the two of you would have hit it off.”
Jay was silent for a brief moment before answering. “My plate is full right now. I’m about to become a daddy.”
Chad’s eyes grew wide. “What did you say?”
Occasionally scratching his head, Jay told him. By the time he was done, Chad was doubled over with laughter. “I guess you don’t have time for Jocelyn.”
“Don’t get me wrong, she’s sexy as hell, but it’s strictly business. However, she seems more your type.”
“Not hardly,” he scowled.
Jay was unconvinced. “She’s beautiful, smart, and warm. What’s there not to like?”
Chad shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Maybe it’s because she ain’t interested in you.”
“Funny.” But in spite of his light answer, Chad wasn’t sure what it was. He would never admit that in the short time he’d spent with her, Jocelyn had aroused something in him that he’d never experienced in the presence of another woman. Not only did he want to drag her ass into a corner and fuck the shit out of her, but he could see giving her his last name. He had thought by passingthe case on to his partner, Jay would scoop her ass up for himself, freeing him of the need to do so. But that didn’t happen. “So, getting back to your dinner, what makes you so sure she’s tellin’ the truth?”
Jay tapped a finger against his temple. “Instinct. I have a strong feeling about this. Dory’s calling the hotel now, trying to find out if her husband was a guest.”
“You think he staged his death?”
Jay shrugged. “It’s possible. I’m gonna fly one of our operatives, probably Paul, to his hometown tomorrow,just to get us a little more background information.”
Just then Dory stepped into the room, drawing their gazes. “Guess what I found out?”
Jay sank back against his seat. “What?”
“You know how good I am at getting information,” she boasted.
“We know,” they agreed in unison.
“Well, I just happened to talk to a sista who’d worked that afternoon. According to her, James Price wasn’t registered in any of the rooms. However, all three conference rooms were booked that day.”
“How’d you find that out?” Chad asked.
“Hmmph. It’s a girl thang.” Chest stuck out like a proud peacock, she strutted into the room and perched her hip on the end of Jay’s desk.
“Women,” Chad mumbled.
“Talk to the hand.” She emphasized the meaning with an open palm pointed at his face. Chad and Dory constantly maintained a love-hate relationship. Turning to face Jay, she said, “Anyway, there was a desktop publishing workshop. The Missouri Kidney Program was holding a quarterly board meeting ...” Counting off on her fingers, she continued, “... And last but not least, a symposium on oral hygiene.”
Jay’s brow rose. “You’ve got to be kidding?”
“Nope.” A proud grin lifted the corners of her lips. “Did I do good?”
“You did damn good!” He reached across his desk to give her a high five.
Not following, Chad glanced from one to the other. “Can the two of you clue me in on what’s goin’ on?”
Dory pursed her lips. “I thought you interviewed this woman for an hour?”
“I did.”
“He also took several pages of notes,” Jay piped in. “I guess he was distracted by a great pair of legs.”
Chad shrugged; no point in denying it. “It appears I wasn’t the only one to notice,” he said to Jay.
Dory rolled her eyes. She didn’t approve of Chad’s doggish ways, and never made her feelings a secret. “Well, if you had been paying attention to what she was sayin’ instead of how good she looked, you would have remembered that Dr. James Price was a dentist.”
By the time Honey carried Marcus up to his room, he was sound asleep. As he was already in his pajamas, she laid him beneath the cool cotton sheets and pulled the top sheet up under his chin to tuck him in. After turning on his night-light so he wouldn’t be afraid, she found herself leaning against the door watching her nephew sleeping peacefully, without a worry in the world. After twenty-four hours, his fever had finally broken that morning.
Tequila stuck her head in the door. “Is he asleep?” she whispered.
Nodding, Honey stepped out of the room before responding.“He fell asleep after two episodes of Scooby Doo.” Following Tequila down the stairs, she added, “He seems to be doin’ better.”
“A lot better,” she agreed. “Yesterday, he could barely hold his head up.” The two moved into the kitchen.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Tequila offered.
In no rush to return to the brisk cold, she answered, “A cup would be great.” Honey pulled up a chair at the oak kitchen table.
Tequila reached for a canister on the counter. “I’m gonna take off tomorrow and stay home with him. I think another twenty-four hours, he’ll be good as new.” She moved to the table carrying two small plates. At the center of the table was a carrot cake. She sliced two pieces and placed them on the saucers.
“Mmm, thanks.” Honey had never appreciated carrotcake until the first time she’d tasted Tequila’s. Made with homemade cream cheese icing, the cake melted in your mouth.
While Tequila reached for two mugs from the shelf, Honey’s eyes traveled around the small, cozy kitchen that was decorated in hunter green from the canisters all the way to the cushions on the seats.
“Mama Love called three times to check on Marcus,”Tequila said.
“How’s she enjoying Vegas?”
“I think she and George are havin’ a blast. I’m so happy for her.”
“So am I.”
Tequila carefully placed a ceramic mug filled with the steaming brew in front of her, then took a seat to her right.
“Thanks, you’re the perfect little housewife,” Honey teased.
“Girl, puhleeze. You sound like yo’ brother.” Reachingfor the sugar dish, she added two spoonsful to her coffee. Before bringing the mug to her lips she asked, “Who was that fine man in your office?”
In her frantic state, Honey had hoped Tequila hadn’t noticed. So much for wishful thinking. Honey concealeda smile as Jay came to the surface in her mind. “A friend.”
Tequila didn’t miss the hint of color now tinting Honey’s pale cheeks. “Are you sure he’s just a friend?”
Tequila was one of the best listeners Honey had ever met, and she often found herself opening up to her over a cup of coffee. But this was one time she couldn’t. “I’m sure,” she answered, and took another careful sip.
The back door opened and Shaquil stepped in, along with a short, bald-headed man wearing a quarter-lengthjacket that barely stretched over his big-ass stomach.
“Hey, sis,” Shaquil said before turning to his wife. “How’s Marcus?”
“Much better. He’s sound asleep.”
“I’m gonna run up and check on him.” He dashed out of the room and up the stairs.
Honey felt the man’s eyes on her. How rude. “Hello,” she greeted him with a tight-lipped smile.
Tequila stepped forward to do the introduction. “Ray, this is my sister-in-law, Honey.”
Ray’s admiring gaze swept over her black tunic and stirrups that hung perfectly on her petite frame. “And she looks every bit as sweet as the name,” he murmuredbefore claiming her hand a
nd turning it, palm up, to his lips. When he smiled, his beady eyes crinkled.“How ya doing?”
She didn’t like the way this man was looking at her as if she were the flavor of the month. She gave him anotherweak smile. “Fine.”
Shaquil reentered the room just as Ray released her hand. “Hey, man, you need to watch out for that one. She’s a heartbreaker.”
Here we go again. Fuming silently, she looked to Tequila for help. Tequila gave her one of those girl-you-know-how-your-brother-iskinds of looks.
“All I need is dinner in your company, and I’d be the happiest man in the world.”
“Oh, brother,” she mumbled. The last thing she needed was Ray’s interest in her. She could just imagine his short stubby fingers reaching for her knee under the table.
“Hey, that might not be a bad idea, Ray,” Shaquil said. “How about joining my family for dinner this Sunday? My sister could use a date.”
Turning her head, Honey stared at him with wide eyes and mumbled, “No, you didn’t?”
Tequila gave a sympathetic sigh. “I think he did.”
Ray was all smiles. “I would love to be a guest at your table. That is, if you’re gonna be there?” His eyes twinkled in devilment.
“No,” Honey snorted, draining the last of her coffee.“I have a date.”
Tequila lowered her lashes to hide the amusement in her eyes.
Shaquil gave Ray an I-told-you-so look.
“Too bad,” he said, looking disappointed. “Maybe next time. Well, I need to get on home. I have an early day tomorrow at the morgue.”
Oh, hell naw!
Shaquil thought that shit was funny and was still laughing long after Ray had left. Tequila excused herselfto call and check on her grandmother, who was home and doing much better.
“You want somethin’ to drink?” Shaquil asked.
“Yeah, a rum and Coke would be nice.”
He signaled for her to follow him into the family room, where he kept a fully stocked bar.
When It Rains... Page 17
