When It Rains... Read Online Free Page A

her feel the way Jay had made her feel. He had awakened desires within her soul she never knew existed,making her want things she was incapable of having.
    Honey closed her eyes and tried again to calm the battle that continued to rage inside her. Since Jay’s departure,she had resumed her frigid behavior. But this time things were different. With Jay no longer in her life, she found herself increasingly lonely. She tried to curb her loneliness by burying herself in work; thus far, she had been unsuccessful. Jay continued to fill her thoughts, and there was nothing she could do to erase them.
    Rubbing a palm across her blue knit sweater, Honey reminded herself that she couldn’t afford to indulge in useless memories. She knew no matter how much she missed Jay, there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. She had panicked that night and asked him to get the hell out of her house, all because she had been so fuckin’ afraid, afraid that if she gave in to her desires,she’d be taking the chance of his discovering her secret.
    Honey blew out a quick breath. “I don’t need this shit.” Brushing her thoughts aside, she picked up the phone and dialed the bakery to order the cake for Sasha’s baby shower.
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    Exiting the hospital’s double doors, Jay headed across the parking lot through a maze of cars until he located his gray Lexus. After stowing his large overstuffed duffel bag in the trunk, he climbed into the car and defrosted the windows before driving to the nearesthighway.
    Jay’s eyes were on the road, but his thoughts were a million miles away as he sped down the long stretch of interstate. Working the knotted muscles at the back of his neck, he leaned back and again tried to relax against the black leather seat. He found his efforts a fuckin’ waste of time as his brain replayed the events of the last several weeks.
    After Kendra’s visit, Jay intended to take a few days to think things through and then speak with her as soon as he returned from Memphis. However, what had started out as a three-day trip had somehow turned into four long weeks.
    As a private investigator, Jay had spent the last month working for a large insurance company trying to uncover a scam artist. By the time he figured out who the hell was responsible, a gun had already been pointed at his head. Had he not managed to remain calm and duck when he did, the bullet that had been fired in panic would now be lodged in his brain instead of a painting on a wall. A flesh wound on his right templewould be a constant reminder of how close he’d come to dying. Jay had spent the last three nights awakening in a cold sweat after watching his life flash before his eyes.
    The temperature in the car had finally climbed to a comfortable level, and Jay reached down to adjust the heat. Leaning against the headrest, he began to chew the inside of his lower lip as thoughts raced through his mind. Not once in his fifteen-year career had he ever come so close to death. Now he found himself wonderingif the shit was really worth it.
    Jay had entered private investigation because he thoroughly enjoyed it. A former police officer, he’d grown tired of the constraints of the law and had started his own investigation and security firm. His expertisecame to be in high demand as he solved cases that had baffled even the St. Louis Police Department. Jay had dedicated the last five years to his business. His life had been one big adventure after another. But was it worth it? The long hours, the aliases, the danger? Jay scowled. He just wasn’t so sure anymore. He kept wondering, if he had died three days ago, what impact would he have made on the world? Would he have been missed? Would he have been remembered?
    He kept coming up with the same answer. Hell naw.
    Reaching for a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket, Jay lit one and took a long drag. He had a lot to be thankful for. The Lord had spared his