Page 45 of Jack

"You said Zach is keeping secrets. Whydid you say that?"

"Oh." Shaking her head with alaugh, she pulled the throw rug over her legs and sipped the wine."He goes off at nights and does not say where he's off to. Hehas someone, I just know it. Usually, he would tell me what's goingon, but he doesn't."Shesighed. "It's my fault really. This thing with Jason and JackHadley has driven a wedge between us and one I don't know how tofix."

"You never told me what went on whenyou went to his place."

"No, I didn't." Sliding her gazeaway, she stared into her glass and felt the despair flooding heragain. It had been two nights since her life had turned upside down.She had gone to the corporate office one woman-whole and in controlof her faculties and had left a completely different person.

She still looked the same when she lookedin the mirror, but inside she was a different person. Her nights wererestless and when she closed her eyes, she could still feel himinside her. His mouth on hers. She still had the marks to show forthat night. And she could not get him out of her mind.

"Zuri?"

"Yes?"

"Honey, are you okay?"

Jazmine's concerned frown had her closingher eyes briefly.

"Something happened when I went to hisoffice."

"Like what?"

Gulping wine, she put away the glass andtugged at the throw covering her lower body. "You have topromise to keep this to yourself."

"Now, I am intrigued."

"We-I-" Leaning her head back,she took several deep breaths before facing her friend squarely. "Wehad sex."

The shock on Jazmine's face almost had herlaughing. Almost.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"Please don't make me repeat it."Lifting a hand, she rubbed the tension at the back of her neck."Saying it out loud makes it real and I have been trying toforget, trying to pretend that it never happened."

"You had sex with Jack Hadley."

"Yes."

"Oh my God." Putting away herwineglass, Jazmine scooted to the edge of her chair. "How wasit?"

Zuri stared at her friend for a second,before bursting out laughing. "I really needed that."

Jazmine grinned at her. "Happy tooblige. So, how was it?"

"We-God!" She rubbed her handsover her face. "Like being baptized in fire. We went at eachother like animals. One minute I was shouting at him and the nextminute, he was hauling me in his arms. Before I knew what washappening, he was ripping at my clothes. He destroyed my veryexpensive underwear, and I destroyed his shirt. We-" She gulped."It was... intense."

The silence that followed her descriptionechoed around the room.

"Say something."

"I'm still trying to come to gripswith the ripping of clothing and animal mating." Jazmine rubbedher hands together. "And I am having a hard time seeing JackHadley in that light. But then again, I saw the way he stormed out ofthe bar and knew that there was something between the two of you. Hashe called?"

"No." She shook her head. "AndI don't expect him to." She would never admit to her bestfriend, how much that was killing her. "It was a onetime thing."

"You don't believe that."

"A man like Jack Hadley has his pickof women and I am not one of them. I don't want to be. I don't evenlike him. He's a jerk of the worst kind. It was just sex and we'vegotten it out of our systems. I am just going to have to stay out ofhis way." Picking up the wine, she took another sip to ease herdry throat. She hated lying to herself and was doing exactly that. Aslong as she lived, she was never going to forget what they did in hisoffice.

And she would never forget him. The acheinside her heart was making her weak.

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