healing-hearts (23 page)

Yasmine set the picture back in its place.

Thinking back to Raquel, Yasmine was almost positive that he preferred the arrangement he had with the other woman. She wasn’t a fool. Jason and Raquel were in a sexual relationship—no strings attached.
What man wouldn’t want that?

She wondered how long it would take him to go back to the other woman physically, or if he had ever stopped. They hadn’t seen much of each other since they had gotten married a few months ago. Of course, most of that was because she had chosen it to be that way, especially after the wedding night.

Yasmine was extremely nervous at the prospect of the coming arrangement of Jason having to move in, thinking that in those close quarters it may happen again.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Mr. Coleman had a few questions.” Jason walked back into the office.

“No problem. By the way, Raquel came by.” Yasmine couldn’t help it; she had to put it out there.

Appearing unconcerned, Jason stood calmly in front of her, “Really? What did she want?”

You
. Yasmine opted not to say that, refusing to appear petty. “I guess to congratulate us.”

Yasmine was impressed, not even a flicker went across his face at the mention of his lover.
He
’
s
good
, Yasmine thought to herself.

“Great.” He changed the conversation. “So we agree it’s best that I move in, correct?”

Raquel’s entrance hadn’t allowed her the opportunity to think of a plausible reason why he couldn’t move in. “If you think it’s necessary.”

“I do. Since we’re already going to be together, how is Saturday for you?”

“Saturday for what?”

“Me to move my things over.”

“Things?” Yasmine questioned. “I figured a suitcase, maybe two. Things sound like...a household.”

Chuckling, Jason shook his head at her words. “I’m only talking about a couple of suitcases and maybe a box filled with my family pictures and things.”

“
Por que não?
.” She purposely mumbled in Portuguese, because she couldn’t conceive a reason for him not to move his
things
.

“Good, I’m going to take that as an affirmative response. If you give me a second, I’ll close down my computer and lock away the files that are on my desk. Then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Go?” Yasmine was beginning to feel as if she were a conversational idiot.

“Shopping for the kids.” He declared.

“I thought we were going to do that on the weekend?” she asked.

“You know what they say, no need to put off until tomorrow. Besides, I’ve shopped with my sister at least once for her kids and it always take more than one day.”

Yasmine witnessed the sparkle enter his green eyes as he smiled at her. She held a tight reign on her body, refusing to allow it to get out of control.

As she listened to the melodic sound of his humming as he completed his task, Yasmine had no doubt it was going to be a tormenting night. It would take everything in her power not to react to being around him as they shopped.
Lord, let the stores close early tonight.

Ding. Dong.

Jason stood at Yasmine’s door early Saturday morning. He had just left her less than seven hours ago, with little sleep in between the visits. They had been out shopping most of the night, had grabbed Chinese takeout and had come back to her house to put the kids rooms together; baby doll theme for Jessica and Joshua had sports. Today, the children’s beds and dressers would arrive. Yasmine had a fit when she had found out he had already bought the beds, the day when he had gone to the place, but had them on hold waiting on her final approval. She had liked them, but she had been upset. She told him that she was financially able to take care of the twins and stopped short from calling them hers, when she noticed the look he had given her.

Jason didn’t want to process that look, nor did he want to think about it now as he stood in front of what would be his residence for possibly a year. Neither did he want to hear the voice in his head saying he was getting in too deep and it was going to be hard for him to walk away from the kids.

The door opened.

Yasmine stood there in a worn robe, bunny slippers, a granny style long nightgown and her hair askew from sleep.

The voice declared it would be hard to leave her, too.

“I guess it’s time I get a key.” He entered the house pulling two suitcases behind him.

She placed her hand over her mouth stifling a yawn. “Wow, are you always up this early?”

“Most of the time.” He placed the suitcases next to the stairs leading to the upper level where the rooms were located and headed back outside.

“It’s only seven o’clock.” She looked at her wristwatch. “This time of day on Saturday is still considered the middle of the night for me.”

Jason heard Yasmine talk at his back as he walked to his car located in the driveway.

Grabbing the two boxes out of his car, he re-entered the house to find Yasmine gone from the living room. Jason set the boxes down, closed the front door and carried the two suitcases up to her room. They had not technically confirmed he was going to room with her, but neither did they verbalize an alternative plan.

The door was slightly ajar. Jason slowly pushed it fully open and entered. He could see Yasmine curled up under the covers, possibly already back to sleep or at least in a position to will herself to return to dreamland.

Jason didn’t want to disturb her so he just set the suitcases down and turned to leave.

“You can have the tall chest of drawers, it’s already emptied and the right side of the closet is yours. If you need more room than that, there’s a spare closet in the playroom.”

The playroom was actually more like a large closet, with a window. Yasmine had told him it had been a study for her father. It had been empty until they had filled it with toys, a tiny tike’s clubhouse and slide.

“Thank you.” He turned back toward the bed, where Yasmine now sat up with her head balanced on her forearms and raised knees.

Jason smiled to himself, even in Yasmine’s annoyed ragged state there was a sleep-sexy look about her. Her lips still puffy from the night, giving them a pouty look and her eyes only half open held a seductive charm.

“Will it disturb you if I unpack?”

“You’ve already disturbed me, Jason.”

Jason noticed something flickering in her eyes at that statement, but he decided not to process what it may have meant.

Jason watched as she flung the covers back and revealed to him once again the old-fashioned night apparel, with its high collar, long sleeves and tiny row of buttons down the front that didn’t stop until they reached the hem at her feet.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get up with the kids Saturday mornings if need be and you can sleep in until nine-thirty.”

“I usually do it until ten, but I’ll compromise.” She smiled as she got out of bed, opened up a set of drawers located in the mirrored dresser and pulled out some clothes, then padded out of the room and down the hall. “I’ll even be the one to get up with them on Sunday’s before church.” She called back down the hall.

“Deal,” Jason yelled and proceeded to fill his designated drawers.

~ML~

“You have a lovely family.”

Jason turned from nailing up the final picture on the wall in the living room to see Yasmine standing at the bottom of the stairs staring at the pictures he had just put up.

After her shower she had put on a plain brown, short sleeve cotton v-neck shirt and dark denim skirt that fell mid-thigh, and open-toed brown sandals. She had tamed the bed-tousled hair, but wore no make-up. She looked fresh and Saturday morning comfortable. That’s what he liked about her, she didn’t try to impress with a glamour image. She dressed simple; which held its own appeal and affect.

“Yeah, they’re all right.” Jason teased.

He had only brought over five pictures to add to her collection, one of his entire immediate family together, one of he and his brother, he and his sister, and another picture from their reception; which he had placed dead center on the mantle. He also had framed a picture that had been in the collection from the Neptune festival that had been snapped with them standing together unaware, laughing at something. That one he had placed on an end table. But compared to her one family picture it was evident that she and her family weren’t as close as his were.

Jason watched as Yasmine walked over and picked up their wedding album from the center of the coffee table, where he had moved it.

“You’re really setting the stage,” she remarked.

“I can’t help it, when I do something I tend to go all out.” Jason offered her a smile from across the room.

Placing the book back, she asked, “Are you hungry?”

“Oh, yeah, you must have heard my stomach growling from upstairs.”

“Then how about wheat germ, fruit, and yogurt?” She graced him with a large grin, when she entered the kitchen.

“If I have to eat it, my counselor, I will, but I won’t like it.” Jason countered.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to...I’m making tofu eggs.”

“Yuck.” He couldn’t even pretend to like it.

~ML~

Jason and Yasmine made breakfast bagels with light cream cheese, turkey bacon with scrambled eggs whites. Jason was impressed how easily Yasmine incorporated the healthy suggestions she had given him into her own life. She only used lemon pepper to season the eggs, pan spray instead of the heaping amounts of butter that he normally would have used. He was also glad to see that although she was a health nut, she opted for light instead of fat free. He hated that stuff.

When he had jokingly asked her what she did with the yolks, she’d told him something about using them with mayonnaise to condition her hair.

He couldn’t hide the look of disgust that crossed his features at the thought of putting something that was basically salad dressing in his hair, but he did enjoy the sound of Yasmine’s laugh at his expression.

“It’s just one of women’s secret beauty tips. If you let me condition your hair with it you’d love it.” Her lips curled up on the ends and humor lit up her eyes.

He rubbed the top of his head, fingering the longer strands of his short hair. “No thanks, I’ll pass. How about these dishes, care to help me get them cleaned up?”

“You got it.”

Yasmine turned on the radio to the local station and they began to put the kitchen back in order.

Jason was treasuring the moment he was having with Yasmine, as she stood unencumbered in her own environment. He noticed her humming and bobbing her head to the different songs that came across the airwaves. He occasionally joined her in a song or two.

They began washing dishes. He scrubbed them while she dried. She was standing so close that they sporadically bumped elbows or brushed fingers in the rinse water. Jason was using everything in his arsenal to keep his mind focused on the mundane task and not concentrate on how good her bath soap smelled, mingling with her natural fragrance.

“This is one of my favorite songs, I don’t actually get to hear it enough being hovelled in my office all the time.” Jason commented about a Shakira and
Beyoncé
song that came across the radio, trying to distract himself. He began to sing the lyrics aloud.

“Oh,
brotha
...” Yasmine was saying.

“What? You ought to be glad you got me when you did, otherwise Miss Hips Don’t Lie or Miss Crazy in Love would’ve been my future wife. I had it all planned out.”

“
Riiight
. In your dreams, buddy. I have a better chance at marrying Boris Kodjoe.”

“Don’t believe me? One day Shakira’s going to hear my lyrical style and beg me to accompany her in a duet of
love
.” Jason began to sing again, this time using a spoon as a microphone.

He watched as Yasmine laughed at him, then stepped back away from the sink and began to perform what only could be described as the silliest dance he had ever seen. He was speechless at how fast her movements turned him on as he watched the dramatic playful sway of her hips as she mimicked the two artists.

Jason stopped singing and moved toward her slowly.

Yasmine was breathless and beautiful from dancing and laughing.

He didn’t stop his progression until he stood in front of her; he recognized the moment when what was on his mind became clear to her. He noticed her pupils constrict and her eyes begin to darken. Neither of them closed the gap. They continued to stare at each other as the atmosphere around them became charged.

Standing this close he could smell her, the fresh scent of her bath wash. Some sort of passionate nectar that caused his manhood to tighten and swell.

Yasmine began to take hesitant steps backwards.

That didn’t avert him from his goal. He was a man on the prowl, stalking his sexual mate, the one whose pheromones called to him—tempting him beyond thought or reason.