“It fucking beats me, too. But you calm me,” I said as I ignored the scowl she gave me and entered her house.
“Yeah, well maybe you could text me first. That way I could have your favourite chair and a drink ready for you by the time you arrive,” she grumbled sarcastically, following me into her kitchen.
Facing her, I held up the bottle of rum I’d brought with me. “No need, I brought my own,” I threw back, waiting for her comeback. If there was one thing I’d learnt about Kree on my four visits to her place over the last couple of weeks it was that she was fast and liked to give as good as she got. It was probably the reason why I kept coming back—she was a breath of fucking fresh air.
Lifting her brows, she said, “So thoughtful. I’ll find you a glass before I get your chair ready, shall I?”
Moving to the cupboard where I knew she kept her glasses, I said, “Sit. I can pour my own damn drink, and besides, you look like hell, woman. Like you could do with a drink, too.”
“Just what every woman wants to hear, King.”
I poured our drinks while watching her take a seat at the table. Narrowing my eyes at her, I said, “Are you fucking eating? You look like skin and bones.”
She sat cross-legged on her seat and scooped her hair into a messy bun while hitting me with a dirty look. Everything about those moves only accentuated how thin she was. “You know, just because you gave me some money doesn’t mean you can show up here any time you want. It also doesn’t mean you should feel encouraged to comment on my weight or my looks or any part of my life.”
I screwed the cap back on the rum bottle and passed her drink over. I took a long sip of mine and eyed her over the rim of the glass. “The cash is long forgotten, Kree. My concern for you is not. Do you need more money?”
“God no!” Her eyes widened as the words flew out of her mouth. She then downed half her drink, pulling a face as it burned. “Fuck,” she muttered, staring at the drink like she was remembering something. When her eyes found mine again, she said, “I’d forgotten how fucking awful rum is.”
A smile briefly touched my lips. Kree intrigued me because she was different to most women I met. She was a mix of feisty, brave, tough and soft, as well as a contradiction of wise and naïve. And as far as I’d figured out, she wasn’t after cash, sex or help, which was unusual in my experience.
Taking a seat at the table, I stretched my legs out in front of me while almost draining my glass. When I didn’t say anything, she said, “Now that you’ve told me how I look, do you wanna know how you look?”
I shook my head. “No.” But I knew she would tell me anyway.
Placing her half-finished drink on the table, she leant forward. “You look like you just went a round with one of your worst enemies. Without the wounds, that is.” She paused for a moment. “Did you come here to talk about that, King?”
I exhaled hard and scrubbed my face. “I don’t know why the fuck I came here except like I said, you calm me, and I need some fucking calming right about now.”
She held my gaze like I imagined she would with her kids when she was about to tell them something important. “You don’t say much when you come here, but you say enough for me to know you need to talk. To be completely honest, I don’t want to be the person you talk to, because quite frankly the last thing I want to know is the shit you’ve got going on in your head. But, it’s late and I’m ready for a shower and bed, so if you need to talk, can you hurry it along?”
I stared at her for a long beat before skimming my gaze over her body. She wore tiny shorts that showed off her long tanned legs, and a tight red tank top that was glued to her tits. I hadn’t been kidding when I told her she looked like skin and bones, but even that couldn’t hide her beauty. The thing about Kree, though, was that her mind interested me more than her body.
Shifting in my seat, I rested my elbows on my knees. “I didn’t come here to talk.”
She watched me quietly for a moment before saying, “I’m not fucking you, if that’s what you’re after.”
My mouth spread out into a smile, and the tension coursing through my body eased a little. Fuck knew how she did it, but every fucking time, without fail, she managed to help me get my shit under control. Standing, I said, “If I wanted to fuck you, Kree, you’d know. And trust me, we wouldn’t still be sitting here fucking talking about it.” I lifted my chin at her. “Go take your shower. I’ll see myself out.”
I didn’t wait for her reply. I simply left the way I came in. Minus the desire to take a knife to Jen’s throat.