Breathless: In Love With an Alpha Billionaire (Breathless 1)

"Yes Lawd, he is so fine. He makes this sister speak in tongues."

Tasha shook her head. She knew I was gone. "Girl, I think you're going to need more than that coochie intervention. We may have to do an exorcism to get Jacob out of your system."

"Whatever." I waved at her. “It’s not like that.”

"Destiny, you should have told me about him as soon as you met him. I could have been checking him out to make sure he's on the up and up. Now, you’re all in your feelings and it may be too late."

"I didn’t want to start a new relationship playing games. I want to be able to trust my man."

"That's all fine and well, but the truth shall set you free from all binds. Just like tonight, you have no clue as to what he is doing or who he is doing it with, while you are sitting here with your cousin that you’ve been neglecting for years."

"You're right," I admitted. “On both issues.”

"I know you’ll always love me,” Tasha gushed. “I just don’t want you to get caught up with this rich guy," she added in a serious tone.

"I don't want to get caught up either. I have so much going for myself right now. Being drawn back into a relationship where I’m doing the most is the last thing I need. And, being head over heels for a man that puts work, and whatever else, before me and my kids is like going back to Montie."

"Yes, and you know how that story ends. You need to stay grounded. The last time we talked, you said you rededicated yourself to church. Use your faith to keep you on the right track."

"Yeah." I sat frozen.

I wished I could say my infatuation with Jacob hadn’t altered my newfound spiritual walk. I wanted to say my faith kept me pure. Aside from the one sin of reliving my fantasy of falling into Jacob’s bed at the drop of a hat, I had been walking the straight and narrow.

I wanted to say many things that I couldn’t, because they simply were not true. I spent the past four Sunday mornings lying in bed, seduced by Jacob’s voice. He'd offered to fly me to Florida on his private jet, but I managed to keep the distance between us, afraid of falling deeper in love with him.

Tasha tapped her fingers on the table. With a half-smile, she said, "Okay Destiny, you need to get all of this off your mind for a while. Let’s go dancing. Then tomorrow, when we’re not sipping on the devil’s water, we’ll have a heart to heart about if Jacob is healthy for you."

"That sounds good, except I'll pass on dancing." I shook my head. I loved to dance around in private, but I could not dance a lick.

“Come on, Destiny. Let your hair down and let’s have some fun.”

"What are you trying to prove by getting me on the dance floor, anyway? Don’t you think my pride has been damaged enough for one day?" I laughed and she joined in with my laughter.

The hotel's deejay, who had been playing what sounded like elevator music all night, put on Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies”, and Tasha began gyrating in her chair, grooving to the beat.

"Oh, honey, it’s true you have no rhythm, but that’s not what dancing is about. It’s about your body becoming a piece of fluid artwork and losing yourself in the music. It doesn’t matter how you look doing it, as long as you feel good doing it."

"I don't know about that," I said and took another swig of my drink.

"I promise, if you go out with me, you will feel better in the morning." Tasha flipped her long, straight hair over her slim shoulders. “You can even praise dance, if that will make you feel better about it.”

I giggled and tossed back the rest of my drink. "You are too much, Tasha. That would be blasphemy."

"Yeah, but honey, if we can't have fun in this life, what's the use in living it?" she asked.

Looking at her gyrate and groove in her chair made me remember why I loved Tasha so much. She was the most carefree person one could ever meet. She had a way of making people feel like their problems could be talked, drank, danced, or bible-quoted away.

"You do know you are committable to a mental hospital, right?" I told her with a wave of my hand.

As my hand waved in the air, I examined my empty ring finger with mixed emotions. I was no longer Montie's wife. The budding relationship I thought Jacob and I had now was questionable, at best. I felt single and alone.

"Shoot, after a good dance partner puts his moves on you, you may be committable to a mental hospital, too. It may help you forget all about what’s his name?"

"Jacob," I said, imagining the way his handsome face contorted as he eased inside of me the first time. Forever imprinted in my mind was the image of the pleasure in his hazel green eyes. I couldn't shake him if I wanted to. The thought of him had me buzzed in all the right places. "It is Jacob, and honey the way that man flows through my veins, I doubt I will forget him anytime soon."

"Just hopeless," she said, grabbing her purse. "Come on, let’s go."

"Okay," I relented. I dropped a tip on the table and we walked to the car. When we got to the car, Tasha stopped by the driver's door without unlocking it.