Page 7 of Mr. Right Now
Jayana rolled her eyes at the mention of her ex. Since their breakup, he’d called almost weekly begging for a reconciliation, but she wasn’t biting. “Not since the week before I moved, and I made sure not to mention it. He wanted to know why I hadn’t called him. I asked him why he thought I would since we’d broken up over three months ago. And it wasn’t like we parted on good terms.”
Karina paused with her glass halfway to her mouth and she shook her head. “That fool is seriously not playing with a full deck. I’m so glad you kicked his crazy behind to the curb.”
“Me, too.” Crazy didn’t begin to describe Calvin. The first couple of months in their relationship had been fine, but he increasingly seemed to unravel right before her eyes and his emotional immaturity became more and more pronounced. She’d tried to talk to him, suggest he see a therapist—someone other than her—and be patient. However, his stark denial that he had a problem had forced her to end things to protect her own wellbeing.
“The new guy you’re dating sounds like he’s the complete opposite.”
She frowned. “I’m not dating anyone. Who are you talking about?”
“You know, your boss.” Karina scooped some spinach dip onto a slice of the baguette and took a bite.
“Girl, we aren’t dating. As a matter of fact, Dante said nothing could happen between us.” She finished chewing a lobster bite that nearly melted in her mouth before continuing. “I mean, we’re still attracted to each other, but….” She shrugged. His sister’s words came back to her.I love him and he deserves to be happy.Had something transpired in his past that kept him from pursuing relationships? Part of her wanted to seek out Erika to clarify, but the other part said she should leave it alone. Yet, after the kiss they shared in his office last night, she was even more curious.
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall to see how that turns out. If you two didn’t have to see each other every day, I could see it fizzling out. Being front and center forty hours a week is going to make that a little challenging.”
“Challenging doesn’t begin to describe it,” Jayana murmured.
Karina narrowed her gaze. “What are you not telling me?”
She told her friend about their first conversation on Monday, the heated looks and ended with last night’s kiss. “It’s like he’s conflicted and can’t decide what he wants to do. His sister said something that makes me think whatever is going on with him is tied to his past. Even she picked up on the vibes between us and came right out and asked me about it.”
“Hold up. His sister works there?”
“Yep and is a straight trip.” Jayana took a sip of her drink, then told Karina about the rest of the conversation.
“You know, she sounds a little like you. You’ve never had a problem saying what’s on your mind.”
She thought about it for a moment. Erika did strike her as a person who, like her, got right to the heart of a matter. In Jayana’s mind, it left little room for misunderstandings. “You’re probably right. She’s cool people, though.”
“Back to Dante. Do you like him?”
Jayana shrugged. “So far. He seems like a really good guy, and you should see him with the kids. Most people who run these kind of non-profits stay in their offices. Not Dante. He talks to them, plays basketball, helps them on the computer.”
Karina lifted her glass in a mock toast. “And he’s fine and can bring it in the bedroom.”
She smiled. “The icing on the cake.” After being with him, her definition of “great” sex completely changed. The brother had touched, kissed and licked every part of her body, and the sex was off-the-charts amazing. His kisses had nearly melted her on the spot. Even now, she could almost feel the slow, sensual way his tongue curled around hers. Reining in her thoughts, she took a huge gulp of the sangria, hoping to cool off.
“What do you plan to do?”
“There’s not a lot I can do if he’s not on board. I did tell him to let me know when he’s ready to accept that there was something growing between us.”
“Again, straight-to-the-point,” Karina said with a chuckle. “Maybe, he’ll come around.”
“Maybe, maybe not. When we met, I was cool with just the one time because I thought I’d never see him again. Now, I don’t know if I want to have that kind of relationship with him, knowing we have to see each other every day. Does that make sense?”
“It makes perfect sense. You and I always talked about finding that one and having the kind of relationship our parents do. There’s nothing wrong with holding out for what you want. I sure am.”
Jayana agreed, but had no idea whether that man would be Dante.
CHAPTER3
Dante arrived at his parent’s home early Sunday afternoon. He’d promised to help with the meal preparations. Rather than another big party like she’d had for her thirtieth birthday last year, Erika had requested a family dinner instead. He let himself inside and found his mother in the kitchen humming along to an up tempo jazz song. Leaning in the doorway, he watched her for a moment before making his presence known.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. “Hey, Mom.”
She startled and brought a hand to her chest. “Dante. Boy, you almost gave me a heart attack sneaking up on me like that.” She swatted him on the arm.
Grinning, he said, “Sorry. You were so into your music, you obviously didn’t hear the door opening.” He took her hand, swung her out and moved in time with the beat. She loved music and dancing, and he could recall many times when she and his dad would spontaneously dance anytime of the day or night. He’d wanted to have the same thing, but now didn’t hold out hope. An image of Jayana’s smiling face surfaced in his mind along with her bold statement. That he was attracted to everything about her was a given, but he still didn’t know if he could let down his guard enough to allow anyone near his heart again.
