Page 140 of Taeja

Taeja glanced at the clock. “You’re not working today?”

“I am,” Zain replied. “These are for Damon.”

“Are you sure he’s here?”

“He never skips breakfast. Unlike you.”

Taeja paused moving a forkful to her mouth. “Mi hear dat!”

“I wanted you to hear it.” Zain looked over his shoulder at her. “And make sure you eat everything.”

“Yes,Dad.”

“Daddy.”

She froze, her clit throbbing as dirty thoughts filled her mind. “I thought you didn’t like nicknames?”

“I’ll make an exception this time.”

She rolled her eyes and continued eating. “Whatever, Zain. Hurry up and leave so yu can stop pest mi.”

Zain snickered, quickly finishing the pancakes. He plated them, put some whipped cream on top, then stuck the plate in the microwave. He grabbed his key while telling her bye, then walked toward the door.

Taeja cleared her throat. “AHEM!”

Zain paused, looking over his shoulder. “Are my dry pancakes choking you?”

She laughed. “No. Come here.” She tapped her forehead. “You’re forgetting something.”

Zain walked over, and she leaned her forehead forward in eager anticipation. Much to her surprise, Zain lifted her chin and kissed her lips. He pulled away and licked his lips. “Damn, I can cook.”

Taeja rolled her eyes. “Bye, Zain. Drive safe.”

He nodded, then left.

Now bored out of her mind, Taeja quickly finished eating. She washed the plates, then took Damon’s food out of the microwave. Seeing what Zain wrote on it, Taeja burst out laughing. “Tha man deh torment ino,” she laughed while making a cup of coffee, then headed to Damon’s tech room. Balancing the tray in one hand, she used the other to knock on the door.

There was no answer.

She knocked again. “Damon?”

Again, there was no answer.

“Maybe he’s somewhere else.” She frowned, turning to walk away when the door opened. Her brows flew to her hairline and her mouth dropped. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing,” Damon said, looking toward the food. “Is that for me?”

Taeja nodded, a weight resting on her shoulders as she looked at him. Damon looked like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed — from his waves not being as smooth as they usually were, to the five o’clock shadow making him look older, and the bags underneath his eyes.

Damon reached for the tray, and Taeja carefully placed it in his hand. He looked at the words, shook his head, then walked back into the room. He didn’t close the door, so Taeja figured he wanted her to follow him.

She entered and gently closed the door behind herself. She followed him to the desk in the corner of the room — far away from his expensive equipment. Watching him eat, Taeja played with her fingers. “Damon.”

“After I’m done eating.”

“Okay…” She sighed and went to sit at a computer desk. Nothing was amiss, and the monitors were off. It made it hard for her to decipher what he was doing here this early in the morning.

Taeja was uneasy being in this tense, uncomfortable silence with Damon. She glanced at him every so often, but he didn’t look at her. Not even once.

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