Worth the Wait

chapter 19


Jared was satisfied Tasha was getting over her allergic reaction when he left her at seven the next morning. The rash was fading and she’d stopped sneezing shortly before ten. He didn’t like the way she casually popped Benadryl that morning, but couldn’t blame her too much since she hadn’t taken any more the night before.

He didn’t know why he cared so much; it must be because of what he’d said the night before. He did like her. He usually didn’t know a woman long enough to like her before they slept together. It put him in an odd position. He didn’t want to care, but couldn’t help it.

He’d lied through his teeth when he said they would end things next week. He wasn’t close to being tired of sleeping with her, and he planned to continue this arrangement for as long as possible. He just hoped he didn’t hurt her too much when it ended, because it would end one day.

Jared had three training sessions set for the morning that he eagerly went through. Afterwards he met with Sam at the production facility and went over the operations for the week. Things were running smoothly as usual and he once again complemented Sam on his hard work before going to meet Malcolm. He wasn’t in the mood to discuss his mother’s engagement party, but Malcolm insisted since he was leaving town for a conference tomorrow.

With a groan, Jared parked his car on Main Street before getting out and entering Malcolm’s office building.

When he stepped off onto Malcolm’s floor, he was immediately grateful he didn’t work in “corporate America.” The sight of the men in button up shirts and slacks and the women in pantyhose made him shudder. He didn’t feel the least bit out of place in his t-shirt and workout shorts.

He smiled at the front desk receptionist, who nodded and said it was okay for him to go down the hall. He greeted some of his brother’s co-workers before entering Malcolm’s office.

Malcolm sat at his desk reading something, dressed in a shirt, tie, and slacks. Malcolm’s straight-laced appearance was one of the things Kenyatta loved about him. He thought it made his brother look even more like the choirboy he always accused him of being.

“What’s up, bruh,” Jared said as he came into the office and sat in the chair across from Malcolm’s desk.

Malcolm looked up and frowned. “What happened to you last night? Devin and I thought you were meeting us for drinks.”

Jared flinched. He’d completely forgotten about meeting them. “My bad, man. Something came up.”

“Something or someone?” Malcolm asked with a raised brow.

Jared hated when he looked like that. It was the same look their dad had used when he’d been scolding them. “Someone, if you must know. You know how I do,” he said with a grin.

“Is that someone Tasha Smith?”

The grin dropped from his face. “How did you find out?”

“Kenyatta figured it out the other day.” He lowered his voice. “That’s the virgin you took out of town.”

Jared shrugged. “And so what?”

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “So what? She’s the sister of my fiancée’s best friend. If you f*ck around with her then I’m going to suffer.”

“Please. You’re overreacting,” Jared said.

“Kenyatta and Angie spent two hours on the phone the other night talking about how my no good brother is going to break this poor girl’s heart. Believe me, I will suffer.”

Jared frowned and sat up in the chair. “I’m not going to break Tasha’s heart. We have an understanding.”

“Virgins don’t know the meaning of understanding,” Malcolm said sarcastically.

Jared held up a finger and smiled. “Number one, she’s no longer a virgin.” He lifted another finger. “Number two, she gets me. She knows who I am and I know who she is. What we got is working.”

Malcolm studied him. “How long will it work?”

Jared shrugged. “Until one of us gets caught up.”

“Meaning until Tasha falls in love with you.”

“I’ll stop it before it gets there,” Jared said, but he didn’t meet Malcolm’s eyes. What would it be like for Tasha to say she loved him? He’d probably freak out before the words were out of her mouth, but it would be different to be loved by a nice woman. Tasha wouldn’t say it for clothes, money, or connections. If she said it she would mean it.

“You don’t look convinced,” Malcolm said.

He met Malcolm’s gaze head on. “Look, you tell Kenyatta and Angie to mind their own damn business. Tasha is thirty years old and can make her own decisions.”

“And I’d usually agree with you, but I know Tasha. She’s a nice girl. Jared, you’re used to playing around with women who are used to the game. You shouldn’t be messing around with a good girl.”

He scowled. “What, just because I’ve been around I don’t deserve to have her care about me?”

Comprehension flashed Malcolm’s eyes. “You want her to care about you.”

Jared scoffed. “Whatever.”

“Whatever, hell. You do. I can see it in your eyes. You want this girl to fall for you. Jared, that’s wrong.”

Jared jumped up from the chair and paced back and forth. “Look, I didn’t come here for a lecture on my sex life. Tasha is happy, I’m happy, and what we’re doing is working.” He walked toward the door. “Pick out whatever you want for Ma and Mr. Carter, I don’t give a damn anyway.” He stormed out of the office.

His brother wouldn’t chase him down the hall. It would make a scene at his job, and Malcolm hated being the object of rumors. Jared didn’t care what Malcolm, Kenyatta, or Angie thought. It would be nice to have Tasha care about him. He hated when she acted as if he wasn’t good enough for her to marry. It may be true, but that didn’t make it any less annoying every time she said he wasn’t what she wanted. But he wasn’t deliberately trying to make her fall in love with him.

Sure, he treated her better than any other woman he’d slept with. And yeah, he continued to blur the lines of their relationship in an effort to shake her up a bit. She was always so damn calm about their situation. Always insisting she leave after they had sex, making him wish she would stay. She didn’t want people to know about them, and acted as if he were another co-worker when he showed up for mentoring at the Center. Even when he was deliberately abrasive, she never complained or cried. He was used to women crying and acting as if he’d broken their hearts, when in reality he’d only broken their dreams of uniting with his money. She didn’t want anything from him and dammit, he wanted her to want something from him.

Outside, he stopped at his car. What did he want her to ask for? Not marriage. He didn’t trust women enough to marry one. But it wouldn’t hurt for her to want to be with him.

He smiled. He’d never considered having a long-term lover. It would be hard to convince her to put off marriage. But it would only be for a few months, until they grew tired of the arrangement. If he applied a little pressure, showed her what it would be like, then it should be easier to convince her. She liked what they had going just as much as he, and the sex was amazing.

Whistling, Jared got in his car and headed for the Rec Commission. It was time to turn up the heat and convince Tasha there was no need to rush and find a husband when she had a perfectly good lover at her service.