She swiped his hand away. "Baby, you know I like that, but first, we need to talk—"
He reeked of skunky beer. His mouth covered hers, wet and sloppy as usual. When he mumbled his way down her neck, he left an unpleasant trail of saliva. "We'll talk later."
Pushing at the soft flesh of his chest, Barbara stepped back. "Unless you want your wife to ask a million more questions," she spat angrily, "we need to talk, now." Then, she forced a smile. She didn't want to piss him off before she got what she wanted.
"What?" A stunned look of disbelief slowly crawled across his face. "Why would you do that?"
Adjusting her boobs to show him just what he might never have again, she went on, "I've been calling you since my meeting this morning and you didn't respond." She slapped her glass down on the table beside her. "Why would you agree to those changes—?"
"I didn't agree to anything," he yelled. "You're putting my marriage in jeopardy playing this kind of childish game!"
"I'm not playing games with you. You promised me, Rodney." She blinked her eyes, shocked that tears blurred her vision. Of all the stupid things. She'd begun to cry. Where was the control she needed?
"You're fucking up my career and my marriage, and you're crying?" He ran his fingers through the thinning hair on his head before pulling it free and slapping it against his leg.
"What about my career?" she demanded, hands on her hips.
He had no response.
Bastard!
She swiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't worry about my tears. Just worry about this…" She let her robe fall, and stripped the negligee from her body.
His anger disappeared as he drank in the sight of her breasts and hips. "Please." He grabbed her hand, and put it on his crotch. "I want you."
He'd give her what she wanted one way or another. What he'd promised.
Closing her eyes, she allowed him to lead her to the bed.
Jaxon's tongue slid up the length of her neck, slowly. The longer he took to reach her mouth, the more Darling craved the touch of his lips to hers. She wound her fingers into the short locks of his hair and pulled him tighter to her neck.
He sucked harder as he pushed himself deeper inside of her.
The stronger and deeper his thrusts, the more her body became his.
Jaxon raised his mouth from her neck and suddenly, his beautiful eyes were locked on hers. He dipped his head closer and closer.
It was taking forever. All she wanted was to feel his lips against hers. Something was wrong. Instead of getting closer, he'd begun to pull away. What was happening?
No!
She tightened her grip, but nothing worked.
Darling's eyes sprang open. Jolted from her sleep again, this time she was thankful. The dreams of Jaxon that'd been filling her nights were becoming too powerful to fight and too often, she woke angry that they hadn't been real. They—he—always felt so real. Her body obviously couldn't tell the difference because it responded every time. She'd taken to locking her bedroom door at night because she didn't know if she was acting out the dreams in her sleep. But, from the look of the sheets twisted around her body, she had to be participating.
Reaching beneath the covers, she untangled her satiny gown. As she ran her hands along the soft fabric, she smiled. What was she doing dressing for her dream-lover? She smoothed the covers around her, flipped the sweaty pillow to the dry side and lay back in bed. The train thundered along the tracks behind her parents' house. Its power rattled the metal case she had sitting against the wall beside her bed.
Memories of her childhood danced through her head as she listened to the strange music around her. She remembered playing in the backyard while her mother hung clothes outside. That was before her parents could afford to buy a washer and dryer. Before her mother got a good job.
They never had a ton of money, just enough to not be poor. As soon as she could leave, she did. Now she was back and this time, she had no real idea of when she would be able to leave again. She'd been gone so long it was weird to be back. She felt so different from the child who had left, but not different enough. Not different enough for Jaxon. As she sat listening to the roar of the train, she knew her ex was right. Sometimes, it's best to put some things behind you. She just never thought her ex would ever think that way about her.
The scream of the train's whistle quieted and she turned over, pulling the covers over her head. She welcomed the heavy weight of her eyelids.
But, as she wrapped her arms around her pillow and snuggled deeper, her alarm sounded, chasing away sleep and dreams of Jaxon.
Jaxon's beautiful bright smile greeted Darling as she walked into her office. "Good morning," he said.
He'd filled her nights and now, he sat watching her. She needed coffee or something to handle seeing him first thing in the a.m. "Morning." She dropped her purse on the corner of her desk and tried to control her thoughts as she sat. "Did we have an appointment?"
"No, but I thought maybe we should talk a little more about the changes."
She turned on her computer and began to click in her passwords. She welcomed the distraction, and tried her best to focus on anything other than him, and the persimmon scent filling her office. He smelled the same as he did in her dreams. How was that possible? "Okay, sure…just let me—"
"No, not now, I thought maybe lunch or dinner." He waited.
She rummaged around her desk for something. Her fingers touched the stapler before she realized that was stupid. Again, she clicked away at her keyboard. He couldn't see her. He didn't know she was typing in nothing because she couldn't focus. "Uhh, I don't know about dinner." There was no way she would be able to sit in some dimly lit restaurant staring into his eyes while eating. A few of her dreams included whipped cream and some well-placed strawberries. She would never make it through dessert.
The smile that flashed across his face told her he knew exactly why she said no to dinner. "Lunch, then."
"Lunch. Yeah—that would be okay." The freaking teenager inside her choked on her words. Why did this man keep scrambling her brain?
"Then, let's say one o'clock." He stood to leave.
The man took his sweet time leaving. Every move seemed calculated to capture her attention and she enjoyed it. "Okay," she agreed.
The moment he left, Darling flopped back in her chair. How on earth would she make it through lunch with this man? Between her dreams and reality, there was no escape. She paused before inhaling a long deep breath. He smelled so damn good!
She needed to splash a little water on her face to cool herself off.
The water from the bathroom faucet could not run cold enough to cool the images of him in her mind or the memories of his touch heating her body. No matter how many times she dipped her face into the cool water in her hands, nothing helped.
The sound of sniffles drew her attention. "Hello?" Only one of the stalls had a closed door. Obviously, whoever it was had hidden there for privacy and her presence was an intrusion.
No answer.
She walked over to the stall that had shoes visible. Gorgeous tan shoes with red trim and a four inch heel. Barbara. "Are you okay?"
Again, no answer.
She waited and finally the door opened. Barbara walked out. "Mind your own damn business."
"Barbara, I'm sorry about all this." Darling dabbed her hands against her skirt.
"Sure you are." The woman's voice held an edge of bitterness. She didn't have to say anything else. Her stiff jaw and piercing glare said it all. Barbara swiped at her tears.
Despite her words, the pain in her eyes made Darling want to soothe her. The woman could be a pain in the butt, but nobody should be hiding in the bathroom crying. Then, Darling's brain clicked into gear. Barbara's fear didn't have anything to do with her. The woman had screwed the boss, that disgusting idiot Rodney. Apparently, it hadn't done her much good and she realized she'd taken the wrong one to bed. If she had the chance, she knew Barbara would correct that mistak
e. Then, somebody else, maybe even Darling, would be the one in the bathroom crying. "I had nothing to do with any of this." She didn't know what else to say. It was the truth as far as she knew.
"Really?" Barbara dabbed at her red nose. "Why would you say that? What are you hiding?"
I slept with the boss. Just like you! "Nothing. I'm concerned—"
"Then why has Jaxon taken such a liking to you?" Barbara didn't bother to look directly at her, but instead asked her question to the mirror in front of her as she glared at Darling's reflection.
She should've just left. Trying to be nice, now the woman stared at her trying to figure out her secret. "What do you mean by that?"
Barbara spun around to face her. "Since he arrived, he seems to only have one thing on his mind. You."
"That's not true." And if it were, how would she know.
"Rodney told me that he's fixated with you." She blew her nose. "He said that it's all about you."
"That's not true. I don't think Rodney would say that." Had she or Jaxon done anything to give away what happened between them? Had they given Rodney any clues? "Everything he knows about me, he knows from Rodney."
"Listen, you little bitch." She tossed the make-up and tear soaked tissue into the trash. "If you think you can beat me at this game, think again."
Stunned by the entire conversation, Darling watched the woman storm from the bathroom. What in the hell did Barbara mean by, all about you?
CHAPTER FIVE
Table linens fluttered and restaurant patrons stared, as Darling stormed across the restaurant. But, the woman heading toward him excited Jaxon, even if she made him nervous. And today wasn't the first time. From their first night together, she intimidated him, a little. No woman had ever been as direct, or as dismissive. He drank from the glass in front of him as he flashed back on the night she had him trailing through the hotel room behind her…butt naked.
Ridiculous.
What woman would want a man that didn't have the balls to stand his ground with her?
The beautiful features of her face were blank, except her eyes. Anger clear and distinct flashed from them. "You lied to me," she accused when she reached his table.
"Lied?" he questioned. "About what?"
She slammed an envelope down in front of him. "With everything that's going on, you've left me no other option."
He picked up the envelope. He didn't need to open it because the knot in his gut told him what it held. "I haven't lied to you about anything. Ever." He ripped the letter in half. "I don't need this, and you can't quit." She could, but he wouldn't allow it. He stuffed the torn pieces into his suit pocket, and forced himself to remain calm. "Sit down."
"I have to go." She stared at his pocket, while she bit at her bottom lip. "I did what I came to do."
Whatever would or wouldn't happen between them would be determined by them. No one would fill her head with lies. "Sit down, Darling."
She hesitated, but finally she nodded her head and lowered herself into the chair. "Why did you do this to me?"
"I haven't done anything to you." He reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. "Tell me what you think you know." He slid the glass of water near her hand.
"What I know is that I saw Barbara crying in the bathroom." She lifted her glass of water and sipped. "And she told me that Rodney told her that you're '…all about me.' That what happened to her is because of me. Us. You."
"Rodney told her that?" Rodney didn't know a damn thing. Jaxon felt certain of that much. If Barbara knew anything, she'd guessed it.
"Yes." She crunched ice from her glass of water. "I need this job, but I won't screw you or screw Barbara over to keep it."
He thought for a second. "Screw? Is that what we did?" It was beginning to feel like it was a hell of a lot more. Because he didn't know how to explain anything he'd done since that night. He'd even done an online search her Darling, North Carolina and found her bio from her old job. He was sure Rodney had hired her because she was beautiful, but she was probably more qualified than Rodney to run the damn division.
"Jaxon, please. Don't."
"Don't what, Darling? I'm only asking you a question." The plea in her eyes cut right through him because he knew exactly how she felt. Shit! For now, he would walk away from it. "Okay, Darling, for now," he continued, "Rodney doesn't know anything about me, you, or why I'm here." His anger and dislike for Rodney flared as he saw the hurt in her eyes. "I've had no conversations with Rodney outside of our meetings regarding the merger of your two workgroups." He waited. "Nothing. I promise you."
"Then, why would Rodney tell her that?"
He had one guess and he was sure he was right. "Rodney and Barbara have had a relationship for years."
"I know." She twisted her mouth in distaste.
"That relationship has secured a lot of opportunities for Barbara and a lot of sex for Rodney," he continued, "Rodney's covering his ass with her."
"And using me as a scapegoat."
The anger in her voice faded, but was quickly replaced with irritation. He hoped it was directed at Rodney and not at him. He kept his gaze on her face. "Sounds like it."
"Either way, I don't want to be caught in the middle of all of this." She took one last long drink of water.
Jaxon watched as her tongue darted out and pulled one of the ice cubes between her full sensuous lips. The droplets from the ice cubes moistened her lips distracting him from his thoughts.
The sound of the cubes of ice crunching stopped, and she spoke, "I'm only interested in my work, not being a part of stupid office politics." She pushed her chair back and stood.
"I'll take care of this." Hell, he had no idea how to get Darling either out of his mind, or into his bed. But, without knowing it, Rodney was fucking up his plans.
No matter how badly she needed this job or any job, Darling wasn't going to let it, or Jaxon, hold her hostage. He may not have accepted her resignation, but she still planned to start applying for jobs as soon as she got back to her parents' house. The minute she found something—anything, she would quit, and he wouldn't be able to stop her.
She gave herself kudos for saying what she had to say and getting it off her chest. But, her growling stomach didn't agree with her decision to do it before she ate. Sitting at the counter at The Arcade, a historic landmark, the oldest restaurant in Memphis, she ran through the scene again in her mind. She wanted desperately to forget the look of disappointment in Jaxon's beautiful green eyes as she stood to walk away.
He'd ripped the letter that she'd so painfully typed into pieces without even reading it. A small part of her tingled with happiness that he tore it up, but the part of her that was pissed at Rodney, Barbara and Jaxon didn't like it one bit.
While she waited on her food, she called the only friend she had. At least the only one she still had after the divorce. The others all seemed to disappear with Steve.
With the click of the line, she asked, "Hey, what are you doing?"
"Trying to get out the door," Annette responded.
At least somebody had a life. She could live vicariously. "Where're you off to?"
"Going out with that guy I told you about the other day." There was a rustle of something in the background. "I don't even know why I'm even putting in so much effort."
"You don't sound too excited." She knew her friend was probably spinning in front of her mirror checking out her appearance. Maybe trying to determine which shoe worked better with her outfit. If nothing else, Annette was definitely fashion conscious. "Maybe you should stay home and go out on a different day when you feel more like it."
"Um, I don't know. I guess it's more about men not putting in much effort. Like this guy. Can you tell me why he prefers to text vs. talk?" Annette sighed. "He has my number why doesn't he use it?"
"Are you really asking the divorcee with no prospects about men?" It was almost too pathetic. She inhaled the plate of food placed in front of her. "You may not like the choices in front
of you, but at least you have options."
"I guess that's one way to look at it," Annette continued, "I'm about to hop on the elevator. If I lose you, I'll call you right back. But, anyway, what's up?"
"Not much." She loaded her fork with fried okra. "I thought I'd call and let you know that you were right."
"About what?" The elevator dinged softly in the background.
"Jaxon ripped up my resignation letter."
Annette laughed. "Anybody could've told you that would happen."
"What am I supposed to do? Sit around and wait for him or his lackey to fire me because I won't screw the boss?"
The woman sitting further down the counter looked up from her magazine at Darling.
"Why do you think that'll happen?" Annette asked.
Embarrassment made her lower her voice, "I don't know." She could admit she might have a few issues with men. "Isn't that how these things always go? They get tired of you and trade you in?" Her relationship with Steve had been her longest. She knew he had his ways, but she didn't think he would leave her.
"Sounds like you're talking about Steve, not Jaxon," Annette said. "Look, you need the job and until you find another one, quitting isn't an option."
How different were the two men?
No matter how much she didn't like hearing what Annette said, she was right. Quitting wasn't an option because she was too old to live with her parents. She needed her job, or another one. Her credit was crap. It would take her even longer to get back on her feet if she had to start all over again. "Well, when everything finalizes from my divorce, I'll have some money. That'll help a lot."
Why did divorcing a lying cheating jerk take so long? The judge should just say cheaters give the one cheated on everything they want. Done. Finished.
"Yeah, but you don't have it now. And right now, you have to eat."
It didn't matter how much she wanted Annette to be wrong, she was right. Even her fifteen dollar meal was a splurge she really couldn't afford, but she didn't feel like going back to work. And she didn't want to deal with her parents' curious looks and unasked questions if she came home early. They meant well, but sometimes, they still treated her like a little girl. "Eating is overrated." She loaded up another forkful of food.
Beale Street Blues Page 4
