Jenkins Family Series 0: Best Woman for the Job by Sharon C. Cooper

Author:Sharon C. Cooper [Cooper, Sharon C.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance, 90 Minutes (44-64 Pages), Contemporary, United States, African American, Literature & Fiction
Amazon: B0080D3VPK
Publisher: Amaris Publishing
Published: 2012-04-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Three

Even though he didn’t say anything and sat rigid next to her, his steely glare, flared nostrils, and uneven breathing said it all. It was if she could feel the angry battle within him seeping through his pores. I shouldn’t have said anything.

The back of his hand glided down her cheek in a sweet caress. “Tell me what happened.”

“It’s not something I want to talk about.” Toni climbed off his lap and reclaimed her position next to him on the floor.

“That wasn’t a request,” he said flatly, not taking his eyes off of her, but moving his hand away.

She glared back and was tempted to roll her eyes at him, but his determined tone and the twitching in his jaw let her know that he was dead serious. She’d hate to be one of the people he apprehended while patrolling the streets of Cincinnati. His fierce stare alone made her want to tell him whatever he needed to know.

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I was eighteen. I started college when I was sixteen, so I was much younger than most of my classmates. Because of that, I mostly kept to myself. However, during my second year, I started participating in study groups, attended parties, and even dated a little. Nowhere near a social butterfly, but I was holding my own … trying to find my place in life.

“Anyway, it was the second semester of my second year and I went to a party off campus. My roommate had invited me. It was a friend of a friend’s party, so I really didn’t know too many people. It started off cool. I did a little dancing, met some nice people, and everything was going along well.”

Toni drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Recounting that night was harder than she thought it would be, and though Craig didn’t say anything, she did notice that he’d moved closer. As long as he didn’t touch her, she might be able to get through this. He must’ve sensed that, because he kept one hand behind her on the sofa cushion and the other balled in a fist at his side.

“After a couple of drinks, I started feeling ill,” she continued. “I thought maybe it would pass, so I found a quiet spot to hang out for a while. I even drunk some ginger ale hoping it would settle my stomach, but it didn’t seem to help. After about thirty minutes, and still not feeling well, I went in search of my roommate. Since it was close to midnight, I figured she’d be ready to leave. The house was huge and it took me at least fifteen minutes to find her, and when I did …” Her voice trailed off.

“She wasn’t ready to leave,” Craig said, his tone hard and flat.

Toni shook her head. She closed her eyes and laid her forehead against her knees, willing herself to be strong and not cry. Finally, she lifted her head and stared straight ahead.

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