Southern Love

by Synithia Williams

  She turned and studied him in the dim light from the moon shining in through the windows. The light cast a silver glow against his tan skin and created shadows, which highlighted his muscular frame. The bed sheets were tangled in his feet, exposing his body for her to study. He’d pulled them over her before she’d fallen asleep. Her eyes paused between his legs. Even unaroused his size was impressive. She reached out to touch him but stopped herself. No need to start that up again. Despite how much she’d enjoyed the day locked in a room with him, her body ached. Especially between her legs. She did want him again, but didn’t think she could handle it.

  She’d avoided saying anything about how right things felt between them, and he hadn’t shut down on her emotionally again. It was true, though, albeit foolish, that she did feel that way. As soon as he touched her, her shyness evaporated and she forgot he wasn’t her type. She only wanted him to touch her again, and that was scary. All afternoon his hands had been on her — both during and after sex. Even now, in sleep, his hand was on her waist. It would be easy to become flattered and think she was special, but he could be this way with all of his lovers.

  You’re getting caught up and reading too much into this, her mind warned. Jared is a ladies’ man. That’s why you asked him to do this. Don’t become a statistic. It was a good thing she’d only agreed to a weekend. If she routinely slept with Jared, she’d forget what she truly wanted in a man and see more to their relationship than there was.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her why she’d woken up. She would love a slice of pizza, but quickly dismissed that thought. It was too late to eat anything heavy. She hadn’t brought any snacks, but he mentioned packing some of his protein bars in his bag earlier.

  Tasha carefully slid out of the bed. There was enough light for her to make her way across the room. Her feet barely made a sound as she softly padded across the hardwood floors. She slowly unzipped his bag only to gasp after opening it. There were over a dozen condoms in the bag. He must have planned nothing but sex all weekend. She was amazed and annoyed by his cockiness.

  She pushed the condoms aside and dug around until she found the bars. Her mouth watered as she pulled it out. Finally food.

  “What are you doing?” The frigid tone of Jared voice startled her.

  She turned to see him sitting on the bed glaring at her. She held up the bar. “I was hungry, so I got a protein bar out of your bag.”

  He continued to eye her with mistrust until her stomach growled loudly. He finally relaxed and a small smile played on his lips. “I guess I did forget to feed you.”

  Upset by his anger Tasha sat on the floor and frowned. “Why did you get so upset? You looked ready to kick me out.”

  He ran his hand over his face before lying down on his back. She thought he wasn’t going to answer her but then he turned on his side and faced her. “I don’t trust too many women.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Why?” Her stomach growled again and she opened the bar and took a bite.

  “Because you can’t trust women. They all want something. Money, sex, attention. Even the ones you think might be cool end up trying to take all they can get,” he said matter-of-factly.

  Tasha swallowed hard before replying. “Damn, who broke your heart?”

  Jared chuckled. “No one. I never let anyone close enough to break my heart.”

  “So you’ve never been in love?”

  “Hell no! And I don’t plan to be. My view of women has been pretty accurate. They want my money or they want to have sex. I’m more than happy to sleep with them, though only a few are worth spending money on.” His shoulder lifted in a depreciating shrug. “So far it’s been a win-win situation.”

  Tasha finished her bar in silence. His view of women was another reason she couldn’t get too caught up in this. She felt stupid for even entertaining the thought that things felt right with him. It was wrong. There wasn’t another way to describe it. To Jared all women were sex objects he couldn’t trust. No wonder he’d treated her like the rest after she’d asked him to take her virginity. She’d come to him for sex and in his world, that’s what women wanted.

  He watched her while she ate. He hadn’t offered an explanation for his feelings, or tried to back pedal and make his opinion less harsh.

  “I guess I’m no different really,” she finally said. “I came to you for sex, then asked you to treat me like a friend. I shouldn’t have done that. What we’re doing isn’t different from what you do with other women.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “I thought that, until you said you admire my work. You’re the first woman, outside of my PR agent Cassandra, to truly appreciate all that I’ve accomplished.”

  “I meant what I said. After this weekend, I’ll still be a fan of your brand and your work. And I promise I won’t ask for sex anymore.”

  He flinched. “Don’t promise that, because I refuse to promise not to ask you.”

  She shook her head. “I told you, after this we’re through.”

  He sat up and Tasha almost forgot to listen to him as his abs flexed with the movement. “You’re no longer a virgin, and there’s no need to be celibate. No reason not to have a lover until you find your perfect husband.”

  The absurdity of that took her mind off his body. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I can’t date a man while sleeping with someone else.”

  He snorted and looked as if he wanted to argue but shook his head and smiled instead. “You’re almost refreshing.” He leaned back against the headboard, distracting her once again by flexing his pecs. “Since you plan to cut off the good thing we’ve started here come Monday, let’s not waste the weekend. Grab a condom and get over here.”

  Tasha laughed. “You mean one of the dozens you have in here?”

  He shrugged innocently. “What’s the problem? I have a big sexual appetite so I grabbed every condom in my drawer. Don’t you think it’ll be fun to see how many we can use?”

  “I don’t know if my body can handle it. I’m sore as it is.”

  He winked. “Don’t worry, I’ll go slow this time.”

  She watched as his erection slowly grew to life. Despite her soreness, desire gathered wetly between her legs. “You’re going to kill me.”

  He licked his lips and smiled. “What a beautiful way to die.”

  With a half groan and a laugh she grabbed a handful of condoms and came to bed. He eyed the stash in her hand and grinned. “That’s my girl.”

  CHAPTER 14

  The next morning Jared got up at six and left Tasha sleeping in bed while he worked out in the condominium’s gym. He was still exhausted from the day, and night, before but didn’t want to miss another workout. When he returned two hours later, she was still where he’d left her. He smiled and admired her smooth caramel skin exposed by the sheet. Desire caused his dick to stiffen, letting him know he was up for another type of workout.

  She turned him on more than he’d expected. She wasn’t the first woman he’d slept with multiple times in one day, but never four times in less than twenty-four hours. That was a record even for him. He couldn’t get enough of her, and he could feel it. His erection was sore, like a muscle he’d overused. It didn’t stop him from wanting her again, but if he was feeling the effects of their continuous sexcapades, then so was she. It hadn’t escaped his notice when she winced slightly as he slid into her warm body shortly before four. He only wanted her to experience pleasure when they were together, not pain. Pain would make it harder for him to convince her to continue sleeping with him after the weekend. Having Tasha as a routine sexual partner wouldn’t be too bad.

  He’d let her sleep in before starting their day. Since it was her birthday, he was prepared to do whatever she wanted and had even planned a few surprises for her. Jared walked over to the bed and leaned down to kiss her shoulder. He squeezed
her round butt cheek not covered by the sheet. She sighed and whispered his name in her sleep. A satisfied smile curved his lips before he kissed her shoulder again and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

  Afterwards, he came back into the room and reached into his bag for clothes. Tasha was still asleep. She would be hungry when she woke up. There wasn’t any food in his fridge, so he decided to run to the store for weekend essentials. Sliding on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, Jared looked through the nightstand for a pad to leave a note when the piercing sound of his cell phone ringing broke the silence. Tasha frowned in her sleep and turned over. He dropped the pad and looked around for his phone. Another ring came from under the bed, causing Tasha to stir again. He fell to his knees and reached under the bed. When he felt the cool plastic exterior of the phone he quickly pulled it out and answered the call.

  “Hello?” he said quietly.

  “Hi, Jared, it’s your mother.”

  He froze. His mother hadn’t called him directly in years. They always spoke through Malcolm, at his request.

  “Were you looking for Malcolm?”

  “No, I wanted to talk to you.”

  Jared took a deep breath and looked at Tasha. Her breathing was deep and steady as she slept. He quietly backed out of the bedroom and shut the door.

  “Why do you want to talk to me? There isn’t anything we have to say,” he said.

  “There’s a lot to say, but you refuse to talk to me. It’s been fifteen years since your father died. Why are you still holding this against me?”

  His mother’s voice was pleading, but Jared didn’t care. He’d stopped caring the day his dad died. “You’re the reason he died and we both know that.”

  “No, you think that. You jumped to conclusions and haven’t talked to me since. You’re thirty-three now, Jared, not eighteen. It’s time to act like an adult and face this.”

  Jared clenched his jaw to keep from lashing out. “You know what? I don’t have time for this. If you need something just tell Malcolm. I’ll help him get it.”

  “The only thing I need is for my son to talk to me.”

  “Yeah, well, you and Mr. Carter killed that when you killed my dad.”

  “Stop saying that,” she snapped. “Your dad had a heart attack.”

  “After finding you in the arms of another man.”

  “That’s not what happened. At the time, I didn’t think I could tell you what really happened. If I’d have known you would have refused to come around me for the next fifteen years I would have explained.”

  “I don’t need the sleazy details. Now, unless you have a point, I’m ending this call. Call Malcolm, he still thinks you’re a good mother.”

  Jared didn’t care if his words were harsh. He’d stopped caring after he’d watched his father fall to the floor in agony after seeing his mother in Mr. Carter’s arms.

  “Jared, I’m calling you because I’m getting married. I wanted you to hear it from me.” Her voice sounded tired.

  Jared laughed bitterly. “Who did you trick?”

  “I’m marrying Mr. Carter.”

  He froze. The only sound was his heart beating loudly in his chest. He couldn’t breathe and fell heavily on the couch. He tried to take in air as his stomach rolled in disgust. “How could you do that?”

  “We need to talk, Jared. You have to understand what happened that day.” Concern laced her voice but Jared barely noticed as rage filled him.

  “I … I can’t talk to you anymore,” he said and ended the call.

  He squeezed the phone in his hands and covered his face. But the pain was too great; he couldn’t sit still. He jumped from the couch and threw the phone with a curse. It hit the wall and fell to the floor in two pieces. He paced back and forth, rubbing his hands over his face frantically. The vision of Mr. Carter holding his mother and his father falling to the floor gripping his chest played over and over in his head. He stopped pacing and reached back to slam his fist into the wall.

  “Jared!”

  His arm stopped mid swing. He turned to Tasha standing in the door to the bedroom with the sheet around her. Damn, she was beautiful, her hair tousled and her lips swollen from the night before. He wanted to hate her for looking so beautiful, so innocent, when he knew she wasn’t. She was just another deceitful woman. One who would be useful and take his mind off of the conversation with his mother.

  Three quick strides had him across the room. He wrapped his arms around her waist, sweeping her up against his chest. He didn’t want to think about his mother’s betrayal. It was typical of a woman, and right now, he needed to forget his pain between Tasha’s legs.

  He dropped her on the bed and reached for one of the condoms on the nightstand. In a flash, Tasha scrambled to the other side of the bed and held up her hand. Anger and desire coursed through him as he watched her try to cover her naked body. Her eyes were hard as she looked at him.

  “You’re not going to screw me in order to forget your problems. That isn’t how this works. I heard enough of your conversation to know that you’re hurting, but you’re not going to take it out on me.”

  “I don’t hurt,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Bullshit, Jared. You think your mom and some Carter guy killed your dad, and whatever she said on the other end of the phone set you off.”

  “Eavesdropping?”

  “It’s not eavesdropping when you’re yelling in the next room.” The anger left her and concern filled her eyes. “Jared, why don’t you go to the police if you think she had something to do with it? Why are you walking around with this?”

  “Why do you give a damn?” he bit out.

  “Because.” She paused. Her eyebrows furled before she held up her hand. “Because I just do, all right?”

  He gazed at her and the tension slowly left his body. Tasha was always trying to help someone. At the center, she was viewed as a surrogate mother, sister, or friend who was always willing to help. Another reason why he’d stayed away from her. She was too nice for him to run game on.

  “She didn’t kill my dad.” He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. “I was eighteen. My dad and I went fishing that morning. When we got back, he went in the house while I put up the gear. When I came in my dad was peeping through the door to our home office. I walked up and he looked at me, looked back at the door, and clutched his chest. He fell to the floor and I saw my mom kissing my dad’s friend, Randall Carter. They broke apart when I cried out and my mom came running up to help, but it was too late. He died of a heart attack on the way to the hospital.” His voice was flat as he finished the story. Pain filled his chest.

  He heard the rustle of the sheet as she walked around the bed to sit beside him. She reached over and put her hand on his leg and squeezed gently. Her hand was warm and smooth against his skin. It was funny that he could actually enjoy her touch in a non-sexual way. It was nice, and comforting. He almost reached over to place his hand on hers, but stopped himself.

  “I’ve never told anyone what happened that day. Not even my brother Malcolm. He was so worried about our mother after dad died, I couldn’t tell him. He’d always been closer to her than I was.”

  She brought one leg onto the bed and faced him. “Why are you telling me?”

  He sighed and rubbed his face. “Shit if I know.”

  She smiled slightly. “What did she say that upset you?”

  Jared closed his eyes as the anger came back. “She’s marrying Mr. Carter. Ain’t that a bitch? She called to tell me that.” Tasha gasped and he laughed humorlessly. “Your reaction is more fitting than mine, I guess.”

  “Why would she call with that?”

  He shrugged. “She says we need to talk. That there’s more to the story than what I saw.”

  Tasha rubbed his leg. “Mayb
e there is.”

  He pushed her hand away. “I don’t want to hear a damn thing she has to say about that day. If my dad hadn’t seen them together, he wouldn’t have had the heart attack and died. As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing more to say.”

  Tasha slapped his arm. “Stop it, Jared. Don’t push me away like I’m nothing. I know that we aren’t together, but what I gave you … what we did … was special. I’m just trying to be a friend. Don’t mistrust what I’m offering.”

  He turned to look at her. Instead of feeling his usual annoyance when a woman said what they had was special, he felt something click inside of him. Like a switch shining a light on the truth of what she said. What they’d done was pretty damn incredible. The best he’d ever had. And for her it was life changing. It couldn’t be described as anything but special.

  Warning bells rang in his head. He couldn’t be falling for her, that was impossible, but maybe he did trust her a little. Or maybe the great sex was turning his brain into mush. But she was right. What was between them wasn’t like anything he’d had with the other women he’d slept with. She wasn’t out to trap him or his money. If anything, Tasha was the most honest female he knew. Even Cassandra was shady when it came to getting hers. But not Tasha. He’d never seen her lie to anyone; she was always up front even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. But she was also compassionate, loving, and trusting. Why in the hell had she chosen him to take her virginity?

  He reached over and brushed the hair from her face. He ran his fingers through the silky curls before cupping the back of her head and pulling her forward to kiss her softly. “Thank you for listening.”

  Her eyes softened. “It’s the least I could do.”