Tempting the Artist by Sharon C. Cooper Read Free Book Online Page A

you’re right. What CJ
does or who she does it with is none of my business.” Peyton
stormed passed Jada.
    “ That went well …or not.”
Christina dropped down on the corner of the bed and shook her head.
Just once, it would be nice for them to get together without
someone getting mad or getting their feelings hurt. Normally it was
Martina getting on someone’s nerve, but lately, Peyton seemed to be
taking her unhappiness out on everyone.
    “ Me and my big mouth. I
should’ve minded my own business and let you handle your sister.”
Jada walked farther into the room and sat next to Christina. “I
just can’t stand to hear her giving you a hard time about Luke,
especially since I know he’s a good guy.”
    Yeah, he was a good guy, Christina
thought. Until she let him walk out of her life. If she could just
get a do over, she would do things differently.
    “ Don’t worry about it. I’m
not sure what her problem is these days.”
    “ I know.” Jada crossed her
leg and leaned back on her elbows. “Toni told me that she’s been a
pain at work too. What she needs is a warm body to curl up with and
maybe expend some of that pent up anger doing the horizontal
tango.”
    Christina threw back her head and
laughed. “Oh, so you get some on the regular now and think that’s
the answer to all problems?”
    “ Hey, I’m just sayin’.”
They giggled and slapped high five.
    It had been awhile since Christina had
done anything horizontal, but she had to admit. A couple of rounds
of some good lovin’ always made everything feel right in the
world.
    “ I’m glad you’re back,” she
said to Jada. “See what you’ve been missing around here. You go off
and get married and miss out on all the fun.”
    After marrying Zack, Jada had quit her
job as a sheet metal worker. No one was really surprised. Jada was
allergic to manual labor.
    Christina glanced over her shoulder at
Jada and smiled. “You look good … happy. Marriage is agreeing with
you.”
    Jada sat forward and held
her small hand out, the cluster of diamonds on her ring finger
sparkling. “Marriage is unbelievable.” She lowered her hand. “You
know I get on Zack’s nerve, but that man has to be the sweetest
person that ever walked the face of the earth. He puts up with my
nonsense, but he’s like a boulder when he doesn’t want to do
something or doesn’t approve of something. Even my pouts can’t move
him. And I can pout.” Jada pursed her lips
and folded her arms. Her lips curled into a pout, and they both
laughed . Christina knew all too well how
Jada used to get what she wanted from whomever she wanted.
Including Zack.
    The family had been shocked
to find out the couple had eloped to Las Vegas, especially since
Jada had always talked about having a wedding fit for a princess.
When Christina had asked why she forewent a wedding, Jada told her
that she didn’t need all the hoopla that went with a large wedding
when she had the man of her dreams. Her once self-centered cousin
was a different person, proving that falling in love could change
anyone. Now, she was married, volunteering
at non-profit organizations and taking college classes in
fashion.
    “ So have you talked to him
since he’s been in Cincinnati?” Jada asked, cutting into
Christina’s thoughts.
    Christina knew the him was Luke. Jada was
the only one of her cousins who knew Luke fairly well since he and
Zack were good friends. But since her cousin had been traveling
over the last few months, they hadn’t had a chance to discuss the
break up in detail.
    “ I saw him.”
    “ What? And you didn’t tell
me?”
    “ Nothing to tell. I saw him
the other night when I was walking home.” She filled her cousin in
on the encounter and included how he turned her down when she
invited him into her place. “I don’t know what I expected. That
last night in New York, he was pretty mad.”
    “ I don’t blame
him.”
    “ What? How can you say
that?” Christina knew she could have and