When It Rains... (14 page)

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Authors: Angie Daniels

BOOK: When It Rains...
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Darrius laughed openly at her expression until her face softened. “How about tomorrow night?”
She grinned. “Tomorrow's good.”
 
 
Straining his ears, Jay heard enough bits of the conversationto confirm that the two were indeed dating. Only seconds ago, he had entered through the salon and stood behind the makeshift door that separated the two suites. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop. Hearing Honey's voice, he assumed it was business, and had decided to wait. It only took a matter of seconds for him to realize he'd been wrong. That shit had nothing to do with business.
Watching them standing so close together was pissinghim the fuck off. A slight frown marred his features as he looked the man up and down through the crack in the door. He didn't like the way his hand rested on Honey's shoulder either. Observing them, Jay rememberedhow easy it used to be for him and her to carry on a friendly conversation, and even flirt with one another as she was doing with the stranger. That closeness was lost. Now there was only tension between them. A bolt of jealousy sliced into him.
Feeling the overwhelming need to storm into the room to stake his claim, Jay shifted to his right leg and resisted the urge. Time was running short, and if he planned to make Honey his, he'd have to act fast. It was time for her to realize there was more going on betweenthem than could be denied.
Jay cleared his dry throat and the two turned toward him, wearing identical stunned expressions. Honey moved away from the man as if she were caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing.
With hands deep in his pockets, Jay moved forward. “I'm sorry, did I interrupt somethin'?” His apology didn't quite reach his eyes as they slid from the stranger to Honey's flushed face.
Even before Honey turned around, she was aware of his presence at the door; the hairs at the nape of her neck had suddenly stood up. She hated her traitorous body when Jay was near. He wasn't even touching her, but by simply looking at her, his gorgeous eyes kindled a flutter at the pit of her belly. Darrius's touch did nothing,but when Jay was near, every vein in her body came to life.
Shaking her head, Honey quickly recovered and threw him a less-than-welcoming look. “Yes ... Yes, you
are
interrupting us,” she said. “Will you excuse us a moment?”
“No problemo,”
Jay said, flashing a mouthful of perfectlywhite teeth. But instead of leaving them alone he stood nearby, rocking back and forth on his heels, staringat them like he was ready to fuck somebody up.
Glancing briefly over at Jay, and realizing he had no intention of leaving, Honey turned her gaze to Darrius and raised her brow as if to say
I'm sorry
.
Darrius nodded knowingly. “Handle your business. I need to get back to work myself.” He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “I'll give you a call tonight.” After acknowledging Jay with a stiff nod, Darrius strolled to the front of the building. Jay's muscles tensed as he fought for control when what he wanted to do was grab the cocky son of a bitch around his neck and choke the shit out of him.
Not wanting to make Jay aware that his rude behaviorhad affected her, Honey stepped past him and walked toward her office. When she heard his footsteps,she paused halfway down the hall to glare at him over her shoulder. “Can I help you with something?”
“I thought I'd get started tomorrow.”
“Check with my brother and make sure you won't be in his way.” Without another word, she turned and walked into her office.
Following Honey, Jay breathed deeply, taking in the familiar female fragrance. Even dressed in faded blue jeans and a green sweater, she still managed to look damn good. As far as he could tell she wasn't wearing any makeup ... but with flawless honey-beige skin, why would she? Her hair had been gathered loosely at the back of her head, then twisted and secured with a comb. She was seated at her desk now, head tilted down, and he warmed as he stared at the curls that had escaped and lay against her neck.
“So, you're datin' that cat?”
Her eyes immediately snapped to him. “Yes ... not that it's any of your business.”
His brown-eyed gaze held hers for several seconds while he moved to take a seat on the end of her desk. “He doesn't seem like your type.”
Honey thought she saw a sign of jealousy, but his expression changed before she could be sure. Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she asked, “And what
is
my type?”
“Well, not the stuffed-suit type. He looks like he works at a bank.”
Honey smirked, amused at his behavior but also relieved.He
was
jealous. “Your claws are showin', Jay.”
“Hey.” He raised his hands and shrugged. “I'm just tryin' to be a good friend.”
“How? By being rude?” Arms folded beneath her breasts, she waited for an apology.
“Okay, please forgive me. But was I right?”
“About what?”
“About him being a banker?”
“No, you're wrong.” She watched his jaw drop a fraction. “He's a stockbroker.”
His triumphant smirk gone now, Jay scratched his bearded face and said, “That's even worse.”
Her lips twisted to one side. “I'm not about to have this conversation with you.”
“Why not?”
“ 'Cause I'm not,” she answered coolly, annoyed by his questions.
Jay was pissed, but he hid it well. Getting her to revealher feelings about the stranger was like prying open a lion's mouth. She left him no other choice but to ruffle her feathers a little bit.
“Actually,” he said, then hesitated briefly, “you should tell me all about him, just in case I need to rescueyou again.”
She gaped at him. “Excuse me?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Don't tell me you forgot about the doctor.”
Oh, how could she have forgotten? She grinned despiteher best effort not to. “I could have handled him myself. I do know Tae Kwon Do.”
His lips curved into a lopsided grin. “Is that what you were doing?” He paused to give a harsh laugh. “That shit looked more like Tae
Bo
.”
She couldn't resist a chuckle. Last Fourth of July, she'd had a date with a resident physician who simply refused to take no for an answer. By the close of the evening, she'd planted a knee hard between his legs, causing him to buckle only momentarily before he lunged at her. Luckily, Jay had been lurking in the bushes. She pressed her lips together. Those had been the good old days. That is ... before Jay ruined everythingby kissing her.
Still daydreaming, she didn't see Jay round her desk. Before she had a chance to object, he dropped both hands to her shoulders and began massaging them.
“You're tense.”
She nodded. She hadn't realized how tense she was until she felt his warm, gentle caress. Her mind flooded with memories of the two sitting in her living room with Jay commencing an evening massage.
Jay leaned in close and whispered, “You need to be with a real man, one who's got his woman's back. Not those wimps you've been dating.” His hot breath against her ear caused goose bumps to rise on her arms.
Honey tried to fight the need to respond; however, his fingers commenced a slow assault of her senses while his male fragrance wrapped around her like a nylon rope. She felt weak. Helpless. Her eyelids flutteredclosed and she moaned. It felt good to be touched by him again. For the moment, she forgot her vow to keep her guard up, to stay away from him, and allowed herself to enjoy the heat radiating from his hands.
“What you need is
me
,” he whispered against her ear.
His cocky words snapped her back to reality. Swivelingaround in her chair, she disengaged his hands. “What I need is for you to get the fuck out of my office.”
Jay stepped back and looked at her with an intensity in his gaze that caused the same fluttering feeling insideher. Suddenly, she felt as if the room were closing in on her. She'd always found her office small, but now, with Jay invading her space, the room seemed almost claustrophobic.
Admonishing herself for the desire stirring at her core, she took a stabilizing breath and regained her senses. She didn't want Jay to misconstrue her reaction to his touch. As soon as she could trust her voice, she said, “I have work to do.”
Jay grinned while shaking his head. Honey tried to act tough, but he knew there was a soft and vulnerable side to her. He'd already seen it. Leaning over, he cupped her chin in the palm of his hand. “When are you gonna quit resisting me and give a brotha a chance?”
The arrogant arch of his forehead as well as the knowing smile on his face told her he was thinking about that night they had almost shared. Although her coochie throbbed, she rolled her eyes. A burst of fire radiated from his palm; however, she pushed aside all emotion and moved away from his reach. “In your dreams. Now ... would you please leave?”
She managed to sound as if she wasn't at all disturbedby his words, when in fact she felt like she was about to lose control. It was a shame she couldn't lie across her desk, spread her legs, and invite him in. Honey could tell he wasn't all that upset at her rejection,and it irritated her that she couldn't shake his confidence.If she was able to deny her feelings, why the fuck couldn't he do the same? “Is working together gonna be a problem?” she asked.
He plastered on an unruffled expression to hide his frustration and said, “No problem,” but paused when he met her brief gaze. He watched her lips part with a sigh. The same lips that kept him awake night after night. “No problem at all.” He then stepped out, closingthe door behind him.
She closed her eyes after Jay left and allowed her head to fall against the back of the chair. She needed to stand strong, but there was nothing she could do about the warm, sensual current running through her veins. The man made her toes curl, but she had to find a way to keep up the pretense that she felt nothing for him except friendship. It wasn't going to be easy. Why couldn't any other male have the same effect on her? The more time she spent with Jay, the more she wanted. Why the hell couldn't she just tell him that she didn't need his help, that she'd found someone else to do the work? With a sigh, Honey reached over and logged on to her computer.
She was looking forward to her date with Darrius, even though they would never be anything more than friends.
But Jay didn't need to know that.
Jay was ready to put his fist through a fuckin' wall. The thought of someone else being with Honey, with his dick buried between her legs, bothered him. It was one thing to be led to believe that she wasn't interested in a relationship. It was another thing to know that the stupid-ass rule only applied to him.
Then there were the times when she made him feel as if he had imagined it all. Her lips. The warmth of her skin. The night they almost shared together. Even on days like today when he could feel her body relaxing beneath his fingertips. All those things reassured him it wasn't a dream. So why was she fighting the inevitable?
His cell phone vibrated at his hip, eliminating any further deliberation. Looking down, he saw that it was Kendra calling him from the clinic.
“I hope the hell you hadn't forgotten about my doctor'sappointment.”
Guilt washed over him. He
had
forgotten. “No, I haven't,” he lied. “Want me to pick you up?”
“That would be wonderful,” she replied with glee. “I have one more patient to see, then I'll be ready to go.”
“I'll see you shortly.” He snapped the phone shut and tossed it on the passenger's seat, then reached into his coat pocket for a cigarette. Luckily, his schedule was clear for the rest of the day.
Leave it to Kendra to help him keep his priorities in order.
 
 

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