Southern Admirer (Southern Loving Book 2) (14 page)

“No! Don’t make us feel like bad people! I’m your
mother and you robbed me the joy of being there for you emotionally with the
birth of your first born,” Dena cried.

“Now you shut up and listen! You little naïve
girl. You call yourself a grown woman but you can’t see when you’re being used
for what’s between your legs,” Benjamin growled. “Where do you stay at? With
him right? News flash, Jazzy, Shane will not marry you because you guys don’t
share the same skin color.”

Shane advanced, sending out a jab that connected
with the side of Benjamin’s jaw. “What you said is out of line.”

His adversary touched the warm red liquid that ran
down his lips. “Motherfucker,” Benjamin yelled throwing out a punch of his own.

Jasmine watched as the guys fought and bystanders
tried to pull them apart. She cringed as she heard every groan and lick that
landed on Shane and her brother. Both men looked different; it was scary. How
did they get to this point? They’d known each other for ten years and were like
brothers to each other. Both men wore battle scars proudly as they huffed and
puffed in their corners being held back by family and friends. Tears pricked
her eyes as she saw Shane’s bloody knuckles.

She didn’t recognize the people surrounding her.
Walking away from the brawl she took Shay from Melody McBride. Jasmine didn’t
bother looking behind her; she needed to get away from everyone including
Shane.

***

As Jasmine packed a suitcase for her and the baby,
she couldn’t help but think about the drastic turn of events that had taken place.
When she woke up this morning, she didn’t think her family could hate her or
question her judgments. This was why she kept her pregnancy a secret for nine
months.

Tears ran down Jasmine’s face as she gathered
their essential belongings into two suitcases and a carry-on bag. She would go
back to her house in Colorado. How could they do this to her? Couldn’t they be
happy that she had a beautiful, healthy child?

Sliding to the hardwood floor, she leaned against
the bed and sobbed. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. She
wasn’t sure how long she sat there and cried or when Shane came home.

“Jasmine! Are you okay?” he asked. She heard the
concern evident in his voice, and saw the black eye he was sporting. Jasmine
reached up and touched his lips that had dried blood in the corner and a gash
on the side of his face. She leapt into his arms and cried harder while he
rubbed her back soothingly.

When the tears calmed, he nuzzled the side of her
face. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t think we would have received that
response,” she cried. “Our indiscretions have caused so much confusion around
us. My family will never forgive us.”

Shane eyed the luggage on the bed. “You were
leaving me.”

Drying her eyes, she stood up and peeked over at
Shay sitting in her baby swing. “What I’m supposed to do?” She cleared her
voice and zipped up the suitcase. “Today was evidence that this was a bad
idea.”

Shane staggered onto the bed; he was exhausted and
a bloody mess. “They’re trying to fill you with doubt about me…I don’t care
what they say, Jasmine. They don’t know the truth about us…we can deny it all
day long, but we both know there is something between us besides Shay.”

Jasmine had looked into Shane’s shimmering eyes
before she walked into the bathroom to fetch the first aid kit. Kneeling down
in front of him she opened the wound and sighed. “We’re a mess.”

Shane grimaced as the antiseptic was applied to
the cut. Reaching up he stilled her hand. “What Benjamin said back there is not
true.”

“Which part?” She removed her hand and continued
to clean the gash on his eyebrow. Jasmine noticed how Shane’s jaw twitched.
“You don’t have to answer it.”

“You have to listen to me and not form your own
conclusion,” he pleaded, taking both of her hands into his. “I will not
entertain the notion that I’m a racist because I’m not…Benjamin knows that my
grandfather was a bigot. Shit, Randolph Fuller was probably burning crosses
back in the day, his whole purpose in living was to be racist. Eat it, teach it,
sleep it and live it. My mother didn’t share that view with my grandfather and
uncles. I can tell you that I haven’t seen that part of my family for some
years.”

Jasmine noticed the contrast of her brown skin
against his white skin “We never talked about race… we have a biracial
daughter. Our daughter is white, black and Native American. Half of the
American population is mixed with something…Jazzy, don’t make this about race.”

“For weeks we’ve been held up in this house in our
own little world. Face it, just because there is a black president doesn’t mean
that racism is gone.” She applied a Band-Aid to the cut and closed the box.
“You don’t know how it feels to be stared down when you’re in the store because
the clerk thinks you going to steal something.”

Shane massaged his temple. “Why are we still
talking about race?”

“So, we should just ignore it because you will
never marry me or any black woman because of the color of our skin?” She was
getting flustered. “I think you just proved that no matter what profession one
might hold, they’re still ignorant regarding race.”

“Says the woman with a Native American mom and
black father.”

“Yes! And guess what? My mom’s family didn’t
approve of her marrying a non-Apache man. They still don’t want anything to do
with her and her off-spring. Shit, the only reason why my grandfather on my dad
side likes my mom is because she is a minority.”

“I think we should take a step back from this
conversation. We’re still hyped up from today’s earlier events.”

Jasmine stood up and walked to the dresser and
pulled out her day planner. “When is it a good time to talk about? Let me know
so I can pencil it in.”

Shane could feel a headache coming on and the
conversation with Jasmine wasn’t making it go away. “Jazzy, what’s your
problem? Is it what Benjamin said that is eating at you?”

She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. “I
wouldn’t marry you, Shane Johnathan McBride.” Jasmine stalked passed him and
right out the room.

That’s what you say
, he thought. Shane saw
the look in her eyes, he could tell that she wanted to cry but was holding it
in. Gazing his daughter who was the exact shade you would get with a black
mother and white father- a toasted golden color.

Picking Shay up from the baby swing, he cradled
her in his arms. Holding her close to his chest, he inhaled the baby scent that
he couldn’t get enough of. “I will always protect you and most importantly, I
will teach you to be secure in your own skin.”

***

Jasmine sat on the porch swing enjoying the light
evening breeze. Groaning, she picked her cell phone and checked it for the
twelfth time, there were no missed calls from any of her family members. What
did she honestly expect? She kept her pregnancy a secret from the people who
loved her and waited until her child was almost a month old before she told
them.

For years, Shane was always the man she considered
out of her reach and here they were now, parents to a beautiful daughter. She
peeked over at the drop dead gorgeous cowboy. Most people saw his looks but
never paid enough attention to his great sense of humor and wittiness. Jazzy
always thought Shane was perfect.

“You shouldn’t scrunch your face up like that.”

Putting her feet out, Jasmine stopped the swing abruptly
and looked at Shane standing there holding two bowls of ice cream. “Whatever,”
she mumbled.

“Seriously, my momma used to say if you continued
to make those faces, your face is gonna get stuck.” He mocked her facial
expression. “You’ll be walking around like this, ain’t no man going to want you
but me.”

She chuckled. “You don’t want me per Benjamin; I’m
not the pick of the litter.”

Sitting down on the swing, he handed her a bowl of
ice cream. “It’s rocky road, no pun intended.”

Jasmine couldn’t help but laugh, digging in with
fervor. “I really needed this but I’m going to hate myself tomorrow morning.”

“Jazzy, you do know you’re perfect the way you
are, right?” He noticed how her body relaxed when she ate a spoonful of creamy
dessert. “And your skin color doesn’t bother me.”

“Gotcha,” she replied with a mouthful of ice
cream.

“I don’t give two fucks that you’re black! I won’t
care if you were purple, green, or polka dot, I would still be smitten with
you.”

Before she knew it she was hitting the bottom of
her cold bowl. “Truth or dare?”

Shane took another bite before handing his
semi-full bowl of ice cream to Jasmine to polish off. “How old are we again?”

“Truth or dare never gets old, no matter how old
you get,” she smirked.

So here he was sitting with a woman, he’d known
since she was knee high to a pig’s eye. Jasmine was so engrossed in her treat
that she didn’t even notice the drizzling of cream at the corner of her mouth.
“Truth.”

“Man, I thought you were going to say dare,” she
said with a snap of her fingers. “Have you ever dated a black woman?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Shane reached over and wiped away the sweet
confection from her lips. “This is truth and dare, I’m pretty sure your turn
just ended.”

Jasmine placed the spoon back into the bowl.
“Touché, I pick truth.”

 “Have you dated outside of your race?”

“I think we should have some wine or something
stronger for all these questions.” Jasmine practically ran into the house and
searched the kitchen for Shane’s expensive liquor.

“Answer the question. St. Clair.” Shane plucked
the liquor bottle out of Jasmine’s hands. “This is a public service
announcement, did you forget that you are still breastfeeding.”

“I have those test strips for the breast milk, and
I already pumped enough milk.” When Shane was satisfied with the answer, he
went to the cabinet. Fetching two glasses, he poured them both a glass of
whiskey.

“My mom’s side of the family doesn’t like the fact
she didn’t marry an Apache, my father side didn’t care who the hell my dad
married as long as they were a minority.” Jasmine took a swig of the beverage
and gasped as the warm liquid burned her throat. “I never dated outside my
race.”

Shane’s chest puffed out proudly with a smile
etched on his face. “So, I broke your white man virginity?”

Jasmine held up one finger. “You’re only allowed
one question, it’s my turn now.”

“Fine.” Shane chugged down his alcohol and gasped.
“Whoa!”

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he replied.

“What is your guilty pleasure?” Jasmine inhaled
sharply as Shane braced both of his hands on side of the kitchen counter.
“What…what…are you doing?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, remember only one question.” He
reminded her pushing a strand of hair off her forehead. “Truth or dare?”

Jasmine was feeling herself at the moment. “Dare,”
she said boldly.

“Hmm…kiss me.” His voice was husky and sensual.

There was nowhere for her to move; she was trapped
between Shane and the counter. Jasmine licked her lips and chuckled nervously.
“I can’t believe you.”

Shane pressed a kiss to her lips and slid his
hands up her arms. “Why, doll? We kissed plenty of times before.” He nuzzled
her neck causing sizzling sensations to travel up and down her spine. “I think
you love when I kiss you and vice versa.”

Jasmine’s body practically melted in Shane’s arms.
She could feel every inch of him through her skirt. “This is torture.”

“Say that again,” he mumbled against her breasts.

“Shane! You are not listening.”

He looked up at her face. “Silence has never been
your best quality.”

Was that an insult? With Shane pushing up her
dress and nuzzling her breasts the small affront he made didn’t matter anymore.
Jasmine arched her back and pushed against him. He lifted his head and smiled
knowingly at her. Overwhelmed by lust, she grabbed Shane’s hair, pressing her
lips against his forcefully. His mouth opened, pushing her tongue into it,
reveling in the intimacy, and enjoying the feeling of his response.

She broke away to take a breath, within seconds
Shane captured her lips, tugging and caressing them with his while hands were
slowly disrobing her. When he finally released her mouth, Jasmine’s heart was
racing, Shane’s touches and kisses were making her lose her mind.

“Shane…”

Those words that escaped her pretty lips were the
answer that Shane needed before he sank deep inside of her.

“I love this,” she murmured over and over again,
as he continued to press deeply into her. Jazzy spiraled out of control as his
skilled hands and lips worked all over her body. Shane’s groans became louder
as he gripped her tighter as he lost control.

***

Shane sat next to Jasmine on the kitchen floor
demolishing a pint of chocolate ice cream. Most guys in his shoes would think
this was the life, to have a beautiful woman and new baby girl. When Sarah died
he always said that he was never going to date or get married again, now here
he was with Jasmine.