Page 89 of Seasoned
“I was thinking about extending my stay so we could spend time together and do some guy stuff, you know? I want to hear about your acting and modeling plans and see if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“You don’t have to do anything. Patrick and Mom are already helping me out.”
Patrick was his stepfather, the man who took over raising him and his sisters when Tyson and his mother divorced.
“I want to do my part.”
“No need. I’m good.” His voice was deadpan. Emotionless.
Tyson sighed internally and changed tactic. “Got any plans this week, other than us going to the beach?”
“I’m going out with Jaclyn this weekend again.”
Tyson rubbed a hand over his bald head. “You really like her a lot?”
“I like her enough. Why?” Kendrick’s eyes narrowed.
Tyson shrugged. “She’s quite a bit older than you, and I’m wondering where you think this relationship is going, especially once you move to New York.”
“So you’re worried about my relationship?” his son asked with quite a bit of skepticism.
“That might be hard to believe, but I am.”
“Just say you want to fuck her, Tyson.”
The accusation exploded in the room, taking him by surprise. The use of his first name no longer fazed him. Kendrick did it just to aggravate him, to make it clear that he didn’t think of him as a father. As if taking his mother’s maiden name at eighteen didn’t make the point enough. The shit hurt like hell.
Tyson dropped his foot to the floor, readying for the tough conversation to come. “What makes you think I want to do that?”
“Because I saw the way you looked at her, and now you’re dancing around the issue. I like her. She likes me. Apparently, you missed your chance ten years ago.”
“Jackie is a professional woman, and you expect her to wait around while you work for peanuts in New York, trying to make it big? Plus, this is a young relationship. You’re not being realistic.”
“Jaclyn and I are gonna talk and figure everything out.”
“You know as well as I do this relationship isn’t going anywhere.”
“Says who? You?” Kendrick lifted his head at a haughty angle. “I’m right, aren’t I? You probably had a thing for her and she never gave you the time of day. How ironic that she’s nowmywoman.”
Kendrick couldn’t be more wrong. Tyson’s tongue knew every inch of her skin. He’d tasted the sweet nectar of her mouth, inhaled the musky perfume between her thighs, and buried himself between those same thighs as he pumped himself into heaven.
“Have you slept with her?” Tyson asked.
“Planning on it.” He was almost gloating at this point.
Tyson released the tension in his shoulders. “Listen to me, son. I have a proposition for you. We both know you’re not in love with her, so let me help you out in New York. I’ll set you up in an apartment if you walk away from her now.”
Kendrick stared him. “Bribing me. Huh. You really want her bad, don’t you? You…” His eyes widened and he shot to his feet. “Hold up! Did something happen between you and Jaclyn? Did you…?”
Tyson rose slowly to his feet. This was not the way he’d wanted to divulge that he’d had a prior relationship with her. In fact, he’d hoped he could keep that a secret while at the same time helping Kendrick.
“Listen—”
“You slept with my girlfriend?” Kendrick demanded, his entire body tense and his face darkening with jealous anger.
“She wasn’t your girlfriend back then.”
“Were either of you going to tell me?” Kendrick asked.
