then, I was already in Charlotte, and they live back in New Jersey. We talk on the phone occasionally, and sometimes I visit at holidays, but that’s all I can stand.”
“Tae, don’t you need them at a time like this?” She was surprised to hear sympathy in his tone, and possibly worry.
“You wouldn’t understand.” Her phone dinged and buzzed, and she pulled it from her purse to check the display. A text message had come in from Zerita an hour ago, which she hadn’t heard, saying her friend would be flying back home tomorrow. The latest message came from Janita. She showed it to Jax. “Read this.”
He read out loud. “Hey, sis. Can you send me a new iPhone or buy one online to deliver here to me? I dropped mine in the street and didn’t have insurance. The iPhone 5c is great.”
Jax looked at her like he couldn’t believe what he had just read. Tae nabbed her phone from his hand and proceeded to delete the message. “That’s why I don’t speak to her often. No, hey, how are you doing? Are you dead or alive? Just buy me a six hundred dollar phone because you got it like that.”
Jax rubbed his neck. “Doesn’t she have a husband?”
“Yup.” Tae headed toward the cereal aisle. Jax redirected her away from Frosted Flakes when she got there. “She does have a husband, but he doesn’t make a lot of money. Last I heard she thought he had a mistress, as if a man at the lower part of middle class could have a ‘mistress.’” She stabbed the air making quotes, her anger rising.
The next words she intended to utter were swept away when he drew her into his arms and kissed her lips. Tae pushed at Jax’s chest and freed her mouth. She panted, trying to calm her racing pulse. “We’re in public.”
His voice dropped low and deep. “Want to continue it in private?”
“No.” She pulled free of his hold, and he let her go without a struggle. “We can’t continue where we left off at the hotel, Jax.”
“Why? Because you want to save yourself for Daniel?”
She pressed her lips together and turned away from him. Snatching a box of her favorite snack from the shelf, she shoved the cart. Jax caught her hand and pulled her to a stop.
“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
She looked away from his eyes. “Maybe you should drop me home and forget this plan.”
“Let me make it up to you. You’re still hungry, and you have to eat. Real food .”
“Jax.”
“Tae, I’m going to be around. The sooner you accept it, the better. I don’t have to share your bed. I would never force my way there unless you invited me, but I’m going to support you, as a friend.”
She glanced at him. Was he saying he wanted to sleep with her again? Sure there were sparks between them, but they had complicated their lives enough with sex. No, she would not give in to physical needs again, definitely not with Jax.
“You still don’t know how to cook.”
He took control of the cart and kissed her cheek. The sensations that arrowed through her system were no less intense than when their lips locked. “We’ll bumble through together.”
Chapter Ten
“Octavia, what are you doing carrying those bags?”
“Tae, let me get those for you.”
Tae stopped dead in her tracks outside her apartment building. She looked first right to see Daniel heading toward her and then left to find Jax. What the hell were they both doing here? Did they plan it? She licked her lips and shifted the bags she held from one hand to the other but made no more moves as they approached. The answer to her questions were soon provided when Jax glared at Daniel over Tae’s head.
“Why are you here?” Jax snapped. “Don’t you have a wife?”
Daniel reddened. “I could ask the same of you.”
“I don’t have a wife.”
“No, but what happened between you and Tae was a mistake, a moment of weakness that won’t be repeated.”
Jax’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what she told you?”
“Boys, for real?” Tae interjected.
“Tae, don’t you need them at a time like this?” She was surprised to hear sympathy in his tone, and possibly worry.
“You wouldn’t understand.” Her phone dinged and buzzed, and she pulled it from her purse to check the display. A text message had come in from Zerita an hour ago, which she hadn’t heard, saying her friend would be flying back home tomorrow. The latest message came from Janita. She showed it to Jax. “Read this.”
He read out loud. “Hey, sis. Can you send me a new iPhone or buy one online to deliver here to me? I dropped mine in the street and didn’t have insurance. The iPhone 5c is great.”
Jax looked at her like he couldn’t believe what he had just read. Tae nabbed her phone from his hand and proceeded to delete the message. “That’s why I don’t speak to her often. No, hey, how are you doing? Are you dead or alive? Just buy me a six hundred dollar phone because you got it like that.”
Jax rubbed his neck. “Doesn’t she have a husband?”
“Yup.” Tae headed toward the cereal aisle. Jax redirected her away from Frosted Flakes when she got there. “She does have a husband, but he doesn’t make a lot of money. Last I heard she thought he had a mistress, as if a man at the lower part of middle class could have a ‘mistress.’” She stabbed the air making quotes, her anger rising.
The next words she intended to utter were swept away when he drew her into his arms and kissed her lips. Tae pushed at Jax’s chest and freed her mouth. She panted, trying to calm her racing pulse. “We’re in public.”
His voice dropped low and deep. “Want to continue it in private?”
“No.” She pulled free of his hold, and he let her go without a struggle. “We can’t continue where we left off at the hotel, Jax.”
“Why? Because you want to save yourself for Daniel?”
She pressed her lips together and turned away from him. Snatching a box of her favorite snack from the shelf, she shoved the cart. Jax caught her hand and pulled her to a stop.
“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
She looked away from his eyes. “Maybe you should drop me home and forget this plan.”
“Let me make it up to you. You’re still hungry, and you have to eat. Real food .”
“Jax.”
“Tae, I’m going to be around. The sooner you accept it, the better. I don’t have to share your bed. I would never force my way there unless you invited me, but I’m going to support you, as a friend.”
She glanced at him. Was he saying he wanted to sleep with her again? Sure there were sparks between them, but they had complicated their lives enough with sex. No, she would not give in to physical needs again, definitely not with Jax.
“You still don’t know how to cook.”
He took control of the cart and kissed her cheek. The sensations that arrowed through her system were no less intense than when their lips locked. “We’ll bumble through together.”
Chapter Ten
“Octavia, what are you doing carrying those bags?”
“Tae, let me get those for you.”
Tae stopped dead in her tracks outside her apartment building. She looked first right to see Daniel heading toward her and then left to find Jax. What the hell were they both doing here? Did they plan it? She licked her lips and shifted the bags she held from one hand to the other but made no more moves as they approached. The answer to her questions were soon provided when Jax glared at Daniel over Tae’s head.
“Why are you here?” Jax snapped. “Don’t you have a wife?”
Daniel reddened. “I could ask the same of you.”
“I don’t have a wife.”
“No, but what happened between you and Tae was a mistake, a moment of weakness that won’t be repeated.”
Jax’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what she told you?”
“Boys, for real?” Tae interjected.
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