Page 196 of Taeja

Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, Taeja watched as Damon stepped back, trying to regain control of himself.

“You liked it?” she asked.

Damon nodded. “I loved it,” he said with a grin, stooping to kiss her forehead and mouth. “Next time, we’ll use ice.”

Taeja nodded as she stood and finished getting dressed. When she got done, she left Damon in the room to take a business call. She went to the bathroom, freshened up, and returned to the living room to see Zain. He was sitting on the sofa, already dressed, and squeezing a ball.

She sat beside him, and he tugged her closer by the waist. Taeja smiled as she laid her head against him. “Are you okay?”

Zain sighed. “Yeah.”

“Sure?” she asked, and he nodded. Taeja didn’t believe him. She was about to press him harder, but she refrained as Cassedi entered the living room with a pampered ZsaZsa by her side.

“Sit in the chair, Cookie.” Cassedi pointed at the sofa across from the one Zain and Taeja sat on. After ZsaZsa obeyed, Cassedi went to the kitchen.

Watching ZsaZsa, Taeja realized she looked more like Jaheim than Sakara. From her light-brown complexion to her straight nose. A phone ringing pulled her from admiring her cousin.

“Taeja, grab that phone for me, please! It’s on the dresser. My hand dem full a season,” Cassedi yelled from the kitchen.

Taeja ran to the room. She’d never been in Cassedi’s room before, and what she saw surprised her.

Cassedi had several pictures of herself and Jerry tucked between the pane and glass of the dresser. Taeja stepped closer, entranced by the pictures, while the ringing phone became a distant memory.

In all the pictures, her parents smiled brightly. When they were getting married… A throwback to college… A dinner date… And in this one Cassedi was pregnant while Jerry kneeled before her and kissed her belly.

“TAEJA?!” came Cassedi’s yell from the kitchen, ripping her back to reality.

“Me a come!” Taeja grabbed the phone and ran to the kitchen. She was unsure if she should say anything about the pictures, so she answered the call and put the phone to Cassedi’s ear before returning to sit beside Zain.

ZsaZsa was staring at Zain. It surprised Taeja when the girl hopped off the sofa and walked toward them.

Taeja smiled. “Hey, ZsaZsa.”

ZsaZsa ignored her. She was too focused on Zain. She stopped before them, then stretched her hand out.

Zain’s eyes widened as he glanced between ZsaZsa and Taeja. “What does she—”

“The ball, I think,” Taeja answered.

“Here…” Zain said, offering the ball to ZsaZsa.

ZsaZsa accepted it with a small smile and Zain yanked his hand back. Hestiffened when ZsaZsa crawled onto his lap and laid her head on his chest, focused on the ball in her hand.

“Taeja…” Zain’s hands curled into fists at his sides.

“Come here, ZsaZsa,” Taeja tried to take ZsaZsa, but she shrugged off Taeja. Taeja glanced at Zain, who looked uncomfortable. “I think she likes you.”

“Me?” Zain choked out, looking at ZsaZsa with knitted brows.

“Yes. You,” Taeja replied, glancing at Cassedi, who returned to the living room.

Cassedi smiled. “Cookie, yu find new friend?”

Too fascinated by the ball, ZsaZsa didn’t answer.

“Do you want Cassedi to take her?” Taeja asked.

“Yes,” Zain answered without missing a beat. “I mean, no. I don’t know.”

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