Betrayed by Love by Marilyn Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

shy and you were going out with Mark Howard.”
    I shrugged. “Well, you snooze, you lose.”
    “Would you have gone out with him if he had asked you?”
    “I don’t know,” I admitted. In high school I’d been more open to dating across racial lines than I later became.
    “If you met each other again and he asked you out, would you go?”
    What would he look like now? He’d almost certainly be bulkier and would probably be on the hunky side. “What brings on these questions about Tommy?” I sat up, frowning. “Have you seen him?”
    “No. I was just wondering if you’d go out with him if he asked.”
    I lay back down, closing my eyes. “Probably not,” I said.
    “Why not?”
    “No offense, Jen, but I’m happy dating black men.”
    “So was I—until I met and fell for Jarrod.”
    But despite my lust for Jarrod, I still preferred black men. “I say to each his own. Love whoever your heart falls for, but I can’t see settling down with anyone but a tall, dark, well–hung, handsome black man.”
    “What if you meet one who is tall, well–hung, handsome, but not so black?”
    I opened my eyes and turned to look at her. “As in Caucasian?”
    “Maybe.”
    “That’s not going to happen, Jen.” I closed my eyes, willing her to drop the subject.
    She did, surprising me.
    We dozed for awhile, then I started dinner while she spent half an hour on the phone talking to the twins.
    When Jarrod came home, we had dinner and drinks on the patio.
    The drinks mellowed me. I watched Jen and Jarrod slow dance twice before he asked me to dance to a faster tune.
    I agreed. Of course he couldn’t really dance, but no one was perfect.
    I had another drink and then went to bed. Thankfully I slept soundly all night.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
    By dinner on Wednesday night, I was at the point of reconsidering my decision to return to L.A. early when I came down to dinner and found a fourth place set. An exquisite lace cloth graced the table, along with beautiful candles and sparkling crystal.
    Jen, dressed in a simple, but chic, low–cut black dress, looked stunning. She looked up from lighting candles to smile at me. “Lin, you look great.”
    I glanced down at the mauve colored, two–piece silk dress I wore. The bodice cupped my breasts while the loose skirt twirled around my calves as I moved in my three–inch black heels. The dress had what I considered a slimming effect. I pivoted. “You like?”
    “Yes.” She nodded toward the door where I still stood. “Jarrod has a drink waiting for you in the living room.”
    I glanced at the fourth place setting. Recalling our conversation about Tommy Conner, I hesitated. It might be interesting to see what kind of man he’d become. “Who’s joining us?”
    “Grant.”
    I frowned; almost disappointed it wasn’t Tommy Conner. “Grant? Grant who?”
    “Jarrod’s cousin. The one you have to meet.”
    The one I had no desire to meet. Great. “I’m not interested in a blind date, Jen. You know that.”
    “It’s not a date, blind or otherwise.”
    “Isn’t it?” I challenged. I’ve never had a problem landing my own dates and got annoyed when people felt the need to play matchmaker on my behalf.
    “He’s here for dinner—period.” She finished lighting the candles before she crossed the room to link an arm through mine. “He’s just here because he loves Jarrod’s cooking.”
    I squinted at her. “Really?”
    “Okay, that’s not the only reason he’s here, but this is not a date—unless, of course, you want it to be.”
    “I don’t.”
    “Don’t you? Aren’t you even a little tired of that ‘friends with benefits’ nonsense?”
    “No, or I’d do something about it.”
    “Oh, come on, Lin. There comes a time in every woman’s life when she wants to know a man wants a serious relationship with her that goes beyond sex.”
    “When I reach that point, I’ll do something about it,” I told her again. “I