Chapter 20

Tapiwa's face was flushed, her eyes half open, and her swollen, wet lips parted. Her small, pink tongue sneaked out and licked her bottom lip slowly. Soft erotic sounds spilled out of her even as she threw her head back and arched her back.

Everything was both so clear and yet wrapped in a haze that muffled every sound and sensation. It was driving Jadon crazy. Desperate for more, as though he knew if he blinked it would all go away, he kept his eyes on her, studying every curve of her body. Every mark.

The rest of him had a mind of its own, though. Chasing for pleasure, his hips drew back, parting their bodies for precious seconds before he thrust back into her with enough force to make her breasts bounce. She cried out. He knew she had from the way her lips parted and her neck extended. But again, he barely heard it.

It was as though the sounds were traveling through a thick solid wall or a large body of water before they reached him. He couldn't understand it just as he couldn't understand why he couldn't feel her tight, hot, wet body wrapped around his hard cock.

He touched her. He watched his fingers wrap around her left, full breast and squeeze, needing to feel something real. The sensation wasn't there. It was as though he was watching the hand of another person do the action.

Frustration coursed through him. Jadon groaned and moved faster. Still, he couldn't feel her. That meant he couldn't satisfy his need and find his release. His body felt wound so tight his skin tingled and his muscles ached.

But just when he thought he would go crazy from chasing the unattainable, the sound of fists banging at his front door tore through his haze and Jadon sat up in bed so fast his head span.

Breathing hard and disoriented, Jadon closed his eyes for a moment and tried to gather himself. When he opened his eyes again, it took him a second, but then he realized he was in his bed at home. He easily recognized the art on the wall and the furnishings around the room, all of which were bathed in bright sunlight that hurt his eyes. A quick glance at the bedside digital watch told him it was eight in the morning.

Eight! Jadon's eyebrows went up to meet his hairline. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept in until eight. He also couldn't remember the last time he woke up so hard his cock literally hurt and pulsed along with the pounding in his skull. The sheets were also tangled around his legs as though he had fought with them all night. Which would have explained why his body was drenched in sweat.

Then it all came back to him. The dream, Tapiwa, the blackmail, and the bottle of Johnnie Walker he had consumed last night to help him find sleep. Well, at least the alcohol had done its job, he mused as he extracted his legs from the sheets.

Another set of banging at his front door made him pause before he realized that the knocking was what had woken him up in the first place. Groaning, he stood up and made his way to the bathroom instead of the front door.

Whoever was banging on his door got impatient and gave the solid wood a run for its money but Jadon took his time emptying his bladder and brushing his teeth. By the time he got to the door, the person on the other side had gotten vocal, effectively killing the mystery of who was at his door.

"Jadon! Seriously, man. I will break down this damn door if you don't open it right fucking now!" Kaelo shouted.

Frowning, Jadon unlocked the door and threw it open, shocked to find both Kaelo and Ezra standing on his doorstep. "Where's the fire?"

"Are you kidding?" Ezra bellowed before he shouldered his way into Jadon's house as though he owned the place and then headed straight for the kitchen carrying shopping bags in both hands.

Jadon glared at the disappearing back of his friend and then turned his focus back on Kaelo. "Explain." All Jadon could think about was his need for some strong coffee, painkillers, and some water, and not exactly in that order. He didn't have the brain power to figure out why his friends were acting like a couple of dumped chicks looking for drama.

Seemingly not in a hurry to offer an explanation, Kaelo huffed and walked into the house, forcing Jadon to step back and give him room. Once the door was shut, he folded his arms over his chest. "We haven't been able to reach you since yesterday."

"Did I miss something we had planned?" Jadon asked, still confused and trying to piece together how his day had ended after his disastrous talk with Tapiwa in his car. Not much came to mind except somehow finding his way home and then locating the Johnnie Walker he'd kept in his kitchen.

Something must have shown on his face because concern immediately wrote itself all over Kaelo's features. His friend's eyes narrowed and he dropped his arms before taking a step forward. "What happened?"

Jadon shook his head, still feeling confused. "You are the one who barged in here saying I couldn't be reached. What is going on?"

"Dude got drunk and passed out. That's what happened," Ezra said, walking back out of the kitchen holding the almost empty bottle of Johnnie Walker in his hand.

Kaelo frowned at the bottle and then Jadon. "So you turned off your phone because you wanted to drink?"

"What? I didn't turn off my phone."

Still staring at him as though he had lost his mind. Kaelo produced his phone from his jeans pocket and dialed Jadon's number before setting the speaker on loud. Almost immediately, an automated female voice came on and informed them that the subscriber called either had their phone switched off or was outside the coverage area.

An eyebrow arched in question, Kaelo cut the call and lowered his phone. "Well?"

"I don't even know where my phone is," Jadon confessed even as he looked around his foyer as though he expected it to be right there next to his discarded shoes on the floor.

Ezra whistled. "It was that kind of day?"

"Why didn't you call us?" Kaelo sounded almost hurt. "You sound like you needed a bro's night out not a drunk party of one."

"It really wasn't like that," Jadon argued even though it had been like that.

After his talk with Tapiwa, Jadon couldn't think straight. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he had slept with his brother's girlfriend and was now getting blackmailed for it. Jadon wasn't a prude by any means but knowing he had gone where his brother had been just made him feel wrong among other things.

It hadn't helped that he undeniably felt attracted to the woman despite everything. But then she had told him bluntly that all she wanted was to forget anything that ever happened between them like a nightmare forgotten at daybreak. And it angered him. He seriously needed his head checked because it all made no sense even in his own thoughts.

But did he want to share all that with his friends so early in the morning while he still felt the effect of his ill-advised supper last night? No. Puffing out a long breath of air, Jadon shook his head. He waved a dismissive hand in the air. "It was just something at work. I will sort it out." It wasn't entirely a lie.

A beat passed, and then Ezra shared a look with Kaelo and shrugged. "So long you know you can come to us if you need anything."

"Of course."

"Well. Okay," Kaelo said reluctantly as he moved past Jadon and made his way to the kitchen. "Anyway, we brought steaks, potatoes, and beer. We are watching the game here today."

Jadon followed after his friend with a snort. "Gee, thanks for letting me know."

Kaelo shot him an unimpressed look over his shoulder. "You are welcome. Now, find your phone. I doubt we are the only people looking for you."

"Yeah," Ezra chipped in as he walked over to the grocery bags and began to remove all the purchases. "I bet your brother is looking for you, too."

Pausing at the fridge where he had gone to retrieve a bottle of water, Jadon turned to stare at his friend. "Asher? What for?" His gut twisted.

Ezra grabbed a bowl from a cabinet under the island and dumped the potatoes in it before he answered. "I saw him yesterday buying a large bouquet of roses. He also had an expensive-looking gift bag. He said he was going over to woo his girlfriend. Wanted to know if I had heard from you. Apparently, he wanted some advice."

"You should have told him his brother knows nothing about wooing a woman," Kaelo teased.

"Oh, I did." Ezra laughed. "I told him he would have better luck getting some tips from a priest."

For the next five minutes, Jadon listened to his friends' banter and teasing with half an ear. His brain had shortcircuited when Ezra mentioned Asher had been on his way to woo Tapiwa with flowers and a gift. The thought made him sick to his stomach more than the fear that his brother knew about the party night.

What was wrong with him? Jadon should have been more concerned about the blackmail and the secret he didn't want to leak to the public, instead, he felt his anger flare at the image in his head of Asher presenting flowers to Tapiwa.

Tapiwa had ended things, but it was obvious Asher wasn't done trying to win her back. Jadon clenched his hands into fists at his sides. Would Asher actually succeed in his plans and get Tapiwa back? It shouldn't have been Jadon's place to care. She had been with Asher first and whatever had happened between them had been a mistake or someone's sick idea of a joke. So, in fact, there was nothing between them.

Still, Jadon couldn't shake off how possessive he felt. He didn't want Asher anywhere near Tapiwa.