Page 28 of Sweet Little Thing

She took a sip, then gave me that special smile that did things to my chest and fucking dick. When she stepped back to go inside, the smart thing to do would’ve been to let her, but I didn’t do that. Hell, I couldn’t.

“Come have coffee with me. It’s early. Portia is gone. No need for you to start working.”

Her smile beamed. If Stone came out here, he would be a bastard. He should, I’d asked him to keep me in check, because he could ignore women. Whenever he wanted one, he got his fill of her and then walked away. The dude was cold-hearted and brutal. He was disgusted with my weakness where Beulah was concerned. He’d sensed it from day one. Warned me to keep my distance. I’d tried, but the more I refused her, the more I wanted her.

“Are you enjoying the view before all your friends arrive?”

I replied, “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“Then why have the party? Is it because Stone wants to?”

Stone hated these parties. Didn’t like crowds. But he also knew why I needed them. He was behind anything that would keep me at a distance from Beulah’s physical presence.

“I like them,” I replied. “I drink, relax, and enjoy the company.”

Beulah didn’t respond to that. This would be a good moment to start talking about what she needed to do for the party, what I expected of her. That would put her back on her side of the line. The invisible line that was keeping her from being in my arms right now. The one where I remembered she was a girl who was working to take care of her sister and to pay for nursing school. She couldn’t end up naked in my bed. I flinched as the image hit me. Her hair fanned out on my sheets. Fuck I had to stop this. Not that kind of girl, Jasper. Remember that.

I cleared my thoughts. She needed me and not the kind of need that my dick was required for. I wasn’t going to allow my desire for Beulah to screw things up for her. After witnessing her with Heidi, I knew I’d do whatever was necessary to protect them both from any hurt. Which meant I wasn’t going to touch her.

“Will the caterers be the same?” she asked. I saw that her expression was serious. She was already working and figuring out tonight before I could tell her what to do. She was the best kind of employee. Except the sight of her made my cock hard.

“Yes, did you like them?” I don’t know why I asked her that. Did it matter?

She nodded and replied, “Oh yes, they were excellent. I just wanted to know what to expect.”

“Expect the same as last time—pretty much the same crowd. You handled yourself well, I recall. Do the same. All will go smoothly.”

Beulah straightened her shoulders and looked determined. The relaxed Beulah who’d walked out here to enjoy her coffee was gone. I’d led us in this direction. Her change was entirely my fault. It was a good thing. But I hated it.

“I need to go do an inventory on the bar. Make sure the alcohol is sufficient. I’ll have breakfast ready in an hour. Is that good? Or do you want it sooner?”

This would be what saved us both. God knows something needed to. Because I was real close to stalking right over that motherfucking line I had drawn.

“That will be fine. And Stone will be with me,” I told her.

I wasn’t sure if he would be, but I said it anyway, to establish another hurdle, to push Beulah back from that line, I’d maneuvered and eased her toward.

She gave me a tight smile that didn’t meet her eyes before she went back inside. Her back was straight, and her walk would have been determined, but she seemed to be slightly limping.I’d ask about that later. Right now, she needed some space, and I suppose I did too. What I wanted to do was go after her and make her laugh and smile. Smell her hair and mold her body tightly and securely against mine.

Fuck. I needed that alcohol now. I’ll go inventory the motherfucking bar.

Chapter

Twenty-One

Beulah

People were filling the backyard before six in the evening. I’d been working with the caterer since two thirty. Last time, Monique, the caterer, said the crowd was overwhelming, but this time she was ready. We’d prepped the outside. Stocked the bar. She’d even brought her own bartender. Jasper paid extra for that.

Jerry, the bartender, was in college here in Savannah. He was a little older, but this was his junior year, and bartending was his extra job. He also worked on a construction crew building the new condos in town. He’d come over five hundred miles from his home in south Alabama to go to school on a partial scholarship. He had to pay for his books, lodging, and food. His tuition was paid in full.

Jerry’s major was business, and he planned to open a chain of restaurants throughout the southeast. I knew this because Jerry was chatty. I didn’t mind. We had to do a lot of setting upoutside near the bar area. It was nice to talk while we worked. Jerry was also six-three and had a runner’s build. His almost black hair, olive complexion, and crystal blue eyes were striking. His scholarship was for track and how he managed that with his multiple jobs and classes, I had no earthly idea.

Jerry also informed me he was single. I told him he’d enjoy tonight because most of the females here would be topless by nine in the evening. And that the women Jasper had at his parties all looked like centerfolds. It was equally intimidating and surprising. Where do you go to find so many females that looked like that? Were they manufactured somewhere, then sent to attend this party? There couldn’t be that many perfect people in one city.

“Take these out,” Monique said as she handed me a tray of unrecognizable food. “You don’t have to walk around with the tray. Jasper said that was unnecessary. Place it over by the bar on the table I set up. That area will be for the food.”

I nodded because l already knew this. She’d told me the plan several times. I let her keep telling me, perhaps she thought I’d forgotten, or maybe she was overstressed. As I walked to the food area, I didn’t look for Jasper or make eye contact with anyone around me. Seeing Jasper with his chosen female for the evening wasn’t appealing to me. I didn’t want to subject myself to that, which instantly made me pathetic. At least no one was aware of the feelings I’d developed for Jasper. I could suffer and save my pride all at the very same time.

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