Star of His Heart - Brenda Jackson [70]
When he gave her a sensuous look that spoke volumes and guaranteed earth-shaking passion, she quickly said, “Besides that.”
Ashton laughed. “Getting bored?”
Netherland reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her. She smiled up at him. “No, just getting to the point where I can walk again.”
Rome glanced across the table at Jada. “Thanks for dinner. You really didn’t have to go to the trouble.”
“It wasn’t any trouble, Rome. It was something I wanted to do and with this being your last night in Houston I wanted to make it special.”
“Just being able to spend time with you makes it special, Jada.”
She smiled at his compliment. “Thanks, Rome.”
Rome watched her struggle to eat and knew that, like him, she didn’t have much of an appetite. He was really going to miss her. A part of him wanted to cross the room, pick her up in his arms and take her into the bedroom and make love to her just to show her how much he cared. But he knew he had to stick with his plan of moving slow with her. She needed sweetness and comfort. Friendship. She needed for them to share a relationship that wasn’t just physical.
“I checked in with my superiors at Camp Pendleton today,” he said when silence surrounded the table. “I can get another leave in two weeks. That’s a whole week earlier than what I had figured on.”
Her smile widened. “I’ll look forward to seeing you again, Rome.” She took another bite of her food before adding, “And I thought about your invitation to come visit you in California. I think I’d really like that.”
A huge smile shone on Rome’s face. “I’d like that, too.”
Anthony Roberts’s eyes grew cold as he looked at the man who faced him on the other side of the glass booth. “You’re stalling, Billy. What news do you have for me? And I want to hear all of it.”
Billy tried not to tremble with the look and the harsh words Tony was giving him. After all, there was a thick piece of glass separating them, and guards were posted all around. There was nothing Tony could do but stew at the news he was about to deliver. “Jada found somebody else, man. A soldier boy.”
A hard, furious look came into Tony’s eyes, making him appear very dangerous even while he sat behind prison walls. “Are you sure?”
Billy swallowed. Maybe he should not have said anything.
When tense moments passed and Billy didn’t answer, Tony raised his voice and with a vicious curse, he rammed his fist on the counter in front of him. “Answer me, Billy. Are you sure?”
Before Billy could respond, one of the prison guards came over. “What’s going on here?” he asked.
“Somebody in the family died,” Tony said curtly to the guard in way of explanation so the man could move on and get out of his business. The guard glanced at Tony and then at Billy before moving on.
Tony lowered his voice but the anger was still there when he asked Billy for the third time, “Are you sure?”
Billy leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, I’m sure. In fact, I’m positive. I’ve been watching her for the past few weeks just like you told me to do. The guy’s been hanging around a lot and has been staying at her place real late at night.”
Billy crossed his arms over his chest. A part of him was glad Jada had found somebody else. Tony had never treated her with any type of dignity and respect anyhow. It served him right. But the look in Tony’s eyes made him shiver. There was a crazed look in them.
“Jada made a mistake, Billy. A costly mistake. Nobody two-times Anthony Roberts and gets away with it. Nobody. And she’s gonna pay. Boy, is she gonna pay.”
The next day Tony had another visitor, one he had summoned. It was one of the guys he used to hang around with when he had his freedom. Lamar Stokes was someone who would do just about anything for a price.
“Look, man, I want everything laid out just like I’m asking. I need to blow this place as soon as I can. I got personal business to take care of. You hook me up right, and I’ll throw another thousand in for old times’ sake.”
Lamar looked hard at Tony.