Forged of Steele Bundle (Books 1-4) - Brenda Jackson [151]
“Yes. You sound shocked. Don’t you think I’m marriage material?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “For some reason I can’t see you sitting by the fireplace with a pipe in your mouth while reading to the kiddies.”
“Get rid of the pipe and go with the scene. I love kids and want a couple of them one day, and when I do settle down and marry, I plan to give my wife and children my absolute attention.”
“Really. Then, what happened?”
“Let’s just say Cassandra and I determined we weren’t compatible after all,” he said easily. Too easily for Jocelyn’s way of thinking.
“How long were the two of you engaged?”
“Six months.”
“And how long did the two of you date before becoming engaged?”
“Almost a year.”
“Jeez, it took you that long to discover the two of you didn’t fit? You don’t come across to me as slow, Bas.”
He didn’t know whether to take her comment as a compliment or an insult. He chose the latter. “I’m not slow and there were reasons I hung in there for as long as I did.”
Jocelyn sighed softly, wondering if love had been the reason. Had he loved this Cassandra person so much that he’d been determined to make things work between them? Did he still love her? “Do you think the two of you will ever work things out and get back together?”
“Excuse my French, but hell no. There’s no way I’d consider such a thing.”
Brushing her hair back from her eyes, Jocelyn glanced over at him. He certainly didn’t sound like a man who was still in love. But then she was comparing him with Reese. Although Reese was bitter and angry with Leah, Jocelyn could still detect the deep love in his voice whenever he spoke about her sister. With Bas just now, all she heard was disgust.
“So, will you go home with me to Donovan’s party, Jocelyn?”
She wasn’t ready to give him her answer yet. “I’ll let you know. And thanks for offering to do the driving,” she added, feeling the need to change the subject.
“No problem. Just put your head back and relax. I’ll have you in Memphis before you know it.”
She smiled and tilted her seat back. “Just stay within the speed limit. I’m not sharing the cost of a ticket with you.”
Bas chuckled. “You are the last person to give someone advice about speeding.”
A small giggle slipped from Jocelyn’s lips as she closed her eyes.
The hotel Jocelyn had chosen was right in the thick of things and as soon as they dropped their overnight bags off at their respective rooms, they met downstairs in the lobby, ready to explore, enjoy and have fun.
Memphis was known for its food, entertainment and hot spots. But this particular weekend it was all about jazz. What had begun a few years ago as an outdoor concert was now a full weekend of numerous blues and jazz events.
As if it was the most natural thing to do, Bas and Jocelyn wandered the streets holding hands as they shared meals and listened to music from jazz greats as well as students from the University of Memphis music department. One concert displayed a variety of cultures with the native music of the Caribbean, the Middle East and the rich musical heritage of the African-American culture blended together in a way that was soul-stirring at its best.
With vendors on each side the streets were narrow, and more than once Bas had to pull Jocelyn closer to his side to let others pass. Each time his hand touched her waist she would gaze up into the depths of his chocolate eyes and could only smile as an unnerving degree of heat slithered down her spine. Whenever she looked at him her thoughts wandered into forbidden territory and her mind was actually whirling with possibilities of how their night would end.
She clutched the bag filled with the purchases they had made, determined not to go there. Tonight she would go to her room and Bas would go to his; it was that simple. But a warm blush crept into her cheeks when she admitted that that likely wouldn’t be the outcome at all. Something was happening to her. With very little effort Bas was doing something no other man had done—awakening her deepest desires. He was connecting to a part