Page 79 of Amor Prohibido

One, the heat.

Oh mygodit was boiling outside. The middle of summer sucked ass. All I wanted to do was slam the door closed and plop back in the chair positioned perfectly in the living room for maximum coolness.

The second shock that followed the wave of heat was a woman standing on my front doorstep with her arms folded under her boobs and her hip popped to the side. She eyed me up and down like I was rabid, and it made my hackles rise without warning.

I narrowed my eyes to shoot her with the same look she seared me with. Her foundation was caked with the heat and her choppy short blonde hair was dry and horrible. She was horrendously out of shape and smelled fuck-awful. Oh, who was I kidding? She looked good—damngood, and it made my skin crawl with insecurity. Her light makeup was perfect, and hair was fabulous and styled. Even though I could tell she was wearing a body shaper under her cute dress, her body was still shapely and toned. My superhuman nose even picked up a hint of jasmine from her perfume.

“Can I help you?” I asked after my assessment, only just keeping a sneer on lockdown.

“Is this Jason Malone’s house?” Her smile was anything but sweet and it had my attitude igniting. I felt like we’d met before, but I couldn’t place her.

“Who wants to know?”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Tell him Nat is here. He’ll see me.” She then inspected her nails like she was bored with this conversation already.

I sure as hell wasn’t.

Nat?

When her bright blue eyes met mine again, it all fell into place. This was his ex-girlfriend. There was no way it couldn’t be. Though, she seemed strangely familiar, and I didn’t like the vibe she was giving off.

I narrowed the door space. “He’s busy right now.”

Flicking a hand to indicate behind me, she snipped, “Just go check. It’s so nice to see he’s hired a maid. He was never great at helping with housework. Such a mumma’s boy.” She sighed dramatically like it was such a travesty, but I caught the venomous glint in her eyes.

That comment was intended to sting, and it did.

Game on, bitch!

I embellished the truth, clenching my teeth so hard they all but receded into my gums. “I’m hiswife.Whoareyou?”

Unexpected shock hit her face like a freight train, and I didn’t bother hiding the pleasure it gave me.

Check. Fucking. Mate.

I mentally made a gun with my thumb and fingers and blew across the top of the barrel. It was only when her open mouth snapped closed, and she raked me over with another scathing glare that my memory was jogged once again, thus providing me the missing piece of the puzzle.

This was the woman who came into my work and wanted black flowers. My blood doubled in temperature. There was no way I was letting this scheming, two-faced bombshell get the better of me. Pregnant or not, I was primed to take the bitch down.

“Are you stalking me?Don’t think I haven’t got you all figured out, you fucking psycho. Actually, don’t bother talking. Leave. He doesn’t want to see you.” I was gearing up to twist the knife half a click further when the man of the hour made his appearance.

“Babe, who’s at the door?” Jace yelled, still out of direct sight.

Neither Natalie nor I answered him. We were too busy locked in a stare-down. His voice grew louder as he headed our way. I stepped back to witness his reaction the moment he clapped eyes on our little visitor.

“J? Is everything oka—What the fuck are you doing here?”

Exactly like I expected.

He skidded to a halt, then charged at the door, all furious and hulk-like. I hadn’t ever seen him so angry; even our falling out over Monopoly paled in comparison to this. His fists were clenched by his side, face red, and all the veins between his fingertips and scalp bulged. He was about to drop a motherfucking bomb and it was a sight to behold.

“Hey, Jacey,” Nat purred and waved her French tipped fingernails at him.

Jace stepped around me, blocking my view until I nudged him impatiently to the side. I wanted a front row seat to this showdown.

“You need to leave. Now,” he growled.

She was seemingly unphased by his glacial demeanour, or just plain stupid. Her smile didn’t waver as she stood with her arms folded strategically under her boobs, so they became the centrepiece.

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