Page 46 of Enough

Marcus put on a full-blown smile. “I can be.”

Claudia gave a rueful grin with a shake of her head.

“The least you could do is tell me how your repairs went. If all else fails, I know a mechanic who could get it done for you at a reasonable price.”

Claudia laughed. “Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you?”

“What can I say, I try.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Marcus, I think. See yah.”

Claudia crawled into the back of her Uber and closed the door. Marcus waved her off and she waved back. She gave out directions to the driver, and he pulled away. When Claudia’s phone rang, she checked the screen to see Samiyah’s face.

“Hey, I’m on my way home, what’s up?”

“Pack a bag and meet me at my place in one hour.”

Claudia pursed her lips. “You know I can’t just jump up and leave all willy nilly!”

Samiyah chuckled. “I’ve got it covered. Mom’s being taken care of. Just pack a bag like I said, no more questions or concerns. I wouldn’t tell you to if I didn’t have everything under control.”

Claudia wondered what her friend was up to. “See you in an hour,” Claudia said.

There was a limousine parked in front of Samiyah and Jonas’ three-story brick stucco house. Grabbing her bag and exiting her Uber, Claudia strolled passed the limo when the door opened. Her heart lurched upon seeing Jaden’s long, athletic frame pull out to stand before her. He was dressed in a comfortable short sleeve button down that kissed the undertones in his chest. The blue jeans he wore hung just slightly off his hips, and suddenly, Claudia was jealous of the denim material.

Her eyes roamed back to his cinnamon smooth skin, strong jawline, sexy lips and honey brown eyes that held a twinkle of mischief.

“Good evening, chérie.”

His dark voice sent a wave of goosebumps threading down her skin. He took an uncalculated step toward her and cuffed her hand in his.

“Follow me.”

And she did. God help her, she would follow this man to the moon and back. Sliding inside the limo, Claudia kept her eyes on him as he moved in beside her and tapped the partition. The limo pulled away from the curb and Jaden reached for her hand, sliding his fingers inside hers.

Claudia cleared her throat and found her voice. “I was supposed to meet Samiyah at her house.”

Jaden pulled her hand to his lips, the soft moistness of them making her shiver. “You were meeting me,” he said. “Since I’ve been unable to reach you, I thought maybe you would respond better if Samiyah called.” His voice was smooth and inviting.

“So, you set me up?”

Jaden pierced her with a feral gaze. “Whatever it takes.”

Claudia’s heart leaped, and she frantically searched for the power window’s button to let in some air.

“Where are we going?”

“Wherever you want to.”

“Just like that?”

He inclined his head. “Why are you sitting over there, are you afraid to be near me, Claudia?”

Hell yes, she was, but instead of voicing that expression, she only swallowed and offered him a small smile.

“Of course not.” She scooted next to him, and he placed a comfortable arm around her.

“Much better.”

---