Page 49 of James

“Yes, Sasha.”

“Either your nipples are pierced, or they are just really happy to see me.”

He bursts out in laughter.

***

James

She’s not answering her phone, and no one's seen her. And I’ve called everyone. Jye is safe at Sasha’s mother’s house, but she's nowhere to be found. Ryder is out of town so she’s not with him, otherwise that would be the first place I think she would have run to. I sit down on our bed and place my face in my palms. I need to fix this, and stat. The past is not going to repeat itself, I’m not going to let Sasha leave me without hearing me out first.

I rock up at Chase’s house to make sure Layla isn’t hiding her. Chase chuckles when I search all the rooms but I wouldn’t put it past Layla. I realise coming here was a mistake when Layla starts demanding answers and wearing that ‘worried’ face of hers.

I head back home, feeling slightly defeated. Is she okay? I know Chase is an expert ‘stalker’ as I like to call it, but I don’t wanna go all caveman on her. I usually save that for the bedroom. I leave the front light on, in case she decides to come home. I want tomorrow to come so I can sign the papers and get rid of Nancy once and for all. Then I can go and claim my woman.

***

Chapter Twenty

Sasha

“Why do men always cook breakfast shirtless? Is it because they like to live on the wild side or something?” I lower my voice in a ridiculous attempt to sound masculine. “Look at me I'm a man! I’m too manly to put on a shirt to avoid oil splashes!” I say sarcastically. Saxon shakes his head at me, and flips the bacon over.

“I hope you’re cooking a lot,” I say as I peer over his shoulder at the frying pan.

“I am, don’t worry. Sit down, Sasha,” he mock scolds me.

“Fine,” I say, ungracefully plopping down on the breakfast bar stool.

“How did you sleep?” he asks as he cracks an egg.

“Fine,” I say.

“I could hear you crying,” he says softly.

“That’s not very gentlemanly of you to mention that,” I point out.

“I’m not doing it to be mean, I just wanted to know if you uh, wanted to talk about it,” he mentions casually, with a slight shrug like it doesn’t bother him either way.

“Are you always this kind to weeping women,” I evade.

“Not always. Well, I mean, I’m trying to be a better person. Plus, you’re Ryder’s baby cousin. So you’re like family to me, too,” he says. He walks over and places a plate in front of me. Bacon, eggs, mushrooms, sausages and chilli sauce.

“Someone needs to husband you, stat,” I say, giving him a beaming smile.

“There it is,” he says.

“What”” I ask around a mouth of bacon.

“A smile,” he says as he sits next to me, taking a bite of his own food.

I moan around another bite and look over at Saxon. Tattoos, piercings, spiky brown hair - even first thing in the morning, the man is attractive I’m not gonna lie.

“What’s your story, Sax?” I ask him. I heard he used to date Lexi, or something like that.

“No story,” he says, eyeing me under his thick dark lashes.

“How’s Kidd?” I ask him.

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