Temptation Read online

  Kyla nodded.

  “That whole thing was kind of strange. It was so obvious that you and Jefferson wanted to be alone, but she seemed determined to break that up.”

  “Umm.” Kyla thought back to the night of the party and remembered when Jasmine had kissed Jefferson. She’d had a bad feeling then.

  “And then, there were those times when she wanted to stay with you guys. That was strange too. But to tell you the truth, Kyla, I thought it was stranger that you let her stay. Sometimes you’re a little too nice for your own good.”

  “That’s not fair, Alexis. If you were in trouble, I would have let you stay with us.”

  “Yeah, and I would’ve stayed for a few days, but I wouldn’t have kept running back to your house, like Jasmine did. There was just something weird about the whole thing. I don’t think I would’ve let some woman stay at my house like that.”

  “You would’ve if you thought that woman was your friend.” The friends sat in silence for a few moments. “Do you think they’ve been sleeping together all this time?” Kyla asked softly.

  “No, Kyla. Definitely not.”

  “Well, obviously, there was something missing for him.” She lowered her head in her hands. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t even think. My head is so loaded with visions of them together.”

  Alexis rubbed Kyla’s back. “The first thing you have to do is talk to Jefferson.”

  “I can’t . . .”

  “Nothing can be worked out until you talk to him and find out what happened.”

  “So what do you propose, Alexis? That I walk into the clinic and ask Jefferson for a play-by-play account of what happened? I don’t need to know. What I saw was more than enough. And, it wouldn’t matter anyway. It’s over between us. I’m never going back.”

  “Never going back? Kyla, what are you saying?”

  She stood, moving to the balcony windows, and crossed her arms in front of her as her eyes teared. “I’m going to divorce Jefferson.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “Kyla, you haven’t even talked to him. And this is not just about you. What about Nicole? You’ve got to think about your entire family.”

  “That’s what I’m doing. Nicole is the most important person to me, but I can’t live with Jefferson just because he’s her father. Especially if he’s in love with someone else.”

  “Jefferson doesn’t love Jasmine! He loves you.”

  “I don’t know how you can say that. There is no way he could have been in bed with her if he loved me.”

  “That would be true if we lived in some fantasy world. But that’s not the way it is. There is no doubt in my mind that Jefferson loves you totally.”

  “Well, I choose not to accept the way he shows his love.”

  Alexis sighed. “You’re probably really tired. Do you want to lie down for a while?”

  “No, but, I have a big favor to ask you. I have to give Jefferson a few days to pack his things. Would you mind if I stayed with you until he moves out?”

  Alexis kept her voice steady. “Of course. You can stay here as long as you need to. But are you really going to ask Jefferson to move out without knowing what happened?”

  “My husband had sex with one of my best friends. What else is there to know?”

  “Kyla, people have been able to work out marriages after adultery. This has happened to thousands of women.”

  “I don’t care who it’s happened to. It’s never happened to me!” Kyla exclaimed, her voice rising an octave.

  “Calm down. You know I’m only trying to help.”

  “Alexis, the way you can help me now is to let me stay here a few days. I’ll give you money for food and everything.”

  “Oh, please. My business is doing well enough to feed us both for a few days,” Alexis said, trying to make the conversation lighter. Narrowing her eyes, Alexis turned away so that Kyla wouldn’t be able to see her face. “So, where do you think Jefferson is right now?”

  “I don’t know . . . I guess he’s at the clinic.”

  “Then you know what you should do? Go home. This would be a perfect time for you to run over and get some fresh clothes.”

  Kyla looked at her watch. It was almost three. She could get in the house, get a few things before Jefferson ever came home.

  “May I use your phone?” Kyla asked. With each number she dialed, Kyla’s heart pounded harder. What if Jefferson were home? The phone rang six times before the answering machine picked up.

  “That’s a good idea, Alex,” Kyla said as she picked up her purse from the table. “I’ll be right back.”

  Alexis hugged her friend. “Everything is going to be all right.”

  “I know.” Kyla took a deep breath. “I’m going to pull myself together, get control of this whole thing. Thank you, Alex. I am so grateful . . . I don’t know what I would do or where I would go . . .”

  “Girl, stop it. This is what real best friends are for. Now hurry back. I want to tell you what’s been going on with me and Brian,” Alexis said trying to get her friend to focus on something else. But when Kyla barely nodded, Alexis could feel her friend’s pain.

  Alexis closed the door and glanced at the brass clock on her wall. Three o’clock exactly. She picked up the phone, dialed the number and as soon as it was answered spoke quickly and boldly. “Shannon. This is Alexis Ward. Put me through to Dr. Blake. I don’t care if he’s performing surgery on the President of the United States. Tell him to get on the phone now!”

  Twelve

  * * *

  Jasmine edged her car against the curb, turned off the ignition and glanced at the clock. Three-fifteen. Perfect. She peered through the window, making sure she had a clear view of the Blakes’ front door. Jefferson wasn’t home yet; she had been calling all day. But that was a good sign—he wasn’t sitting home pining away for Kyla.

  She knew she had to see him tonight. There was no telling when Kyla would be back. Her mother was probably talking Kyla into returning at this very moment. But by the time Kyla finally did return, it would be over. She would have Jefferson totally in her possession by then.

  She leaned back in her seat and allowed the tension to ebb from her body. All had gone well; from the meal to her outfit, she held all the keys that would lead her to Jefferson. She smoothed her hand over the red tank dress she’d chosen. Sleeveless, short, simple.

  She flipped down the sun visor and reached to get her makeup kit from her purse. A smile filled her face. Perfect makeup, perfect hair, she was the perfect woman for Jefferson.

  She arranged the casserole dish on the passenger seat, wrapping the dish-warmer securely around it. Even if it cooled, she’d heat the chicken and rice once she got inside. Jefferson wouldn’t mind. He would just be glad to have a woman who really knew how to take care of him.

  This was the hard part now—just waiting. Not knowing what time he’d come home. But, she didn’t care how long it took; she’d be here for him when he arrived.

  Her head turned towards a loud screech—a little girl being chased by a boy. The street was filled with children enjoying these first days of summer. While the children annoyed her, she was grateful for the distraction. Jefferson wouldn’t notice her car when he drove up and she’d be able to surprise him. They’d sit down together, eat, have a serious talk . . . by the end of the night, Jefferson would be hers, again. “Come home, Jefferson. Come home and see what’s waiting for you,” she murmured.

  She looked down the block as a car approached. “No!” she exclaimed, as it got closer. “No! No!” she panted as she watched the cream-colored car slow to a crawl and finally turn into the Blakes’ driveway. She watched as Kyla sat immobile, as if trying to decide what to do.

  “What are you doing back so soon?” Jasmine hissed as she thought about the plans she had for the evening.

  Minutes passed. Jasmine scooted down in her seat but kept her eyes glued to the Blakes’ driveway. When Kyla didn’t move, Jasmine slowly sat up. She ca
lmed her breathing and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. “Okay, Jasmine. Think. Think!” she said to herself, trying desperately to figure out how to revise her plan. Her fingers tapped more rapidly. She knew if Kyla got anywhere near Jefferson, she would wipe Jasmine right from his mind. Poof! That simply, her chance at happiness would be gone forever!

  As she sat there, a new plan formed in her mind. “Okay,” she continued her conversation with herself. “I’ll just walk over to her and tell her that Jefferson and I had a date. We’re going out to dinner.”

  Jasmine bit her lip, then continued. “I’ll tell her I’m sorry for what happened, but that this was all inevitable. I’ll tell her that Jefferson and I are in love and that he was planning on getting a divorce anyway.”

  Her hands trembled as she opened her door and stepped out. She moved slowly towards the Lexus, then stopped suddenly as Kyla drove into the garage and closed the door behind her.

  “Shoot!” Jasmine shouted. Now, she would have to walk up to the front door. But that might not work. If Kyla saw her standing outside, she would never open the door. Returning to her car, she banged back against the seat and closed her eyes, trying to calm the pounding in her chest. She had known that Kyla would come back home at some point, but what was she doing back so soon? Maybe she had only come to get some clothes. That had to be it! She was not here to stay. That’s why she’d come when she knew Jefferson wouldn’t be there, Jasmine reasoned.

  Still, Jefferson might come home early, see Kyla, and who knew what would happen then. She glanced at the clock again. She couldn’t be rash; whatever she decided to do, had to be well planned and something that would keep Kyla away from Jefferson permanently.

  With a half-smile, she slowly nodded her head. She knew just what she would tell Kyla to make sure she never came back again. Yes, she would give Kyla just a few more minutes and if she wasn’t out of the house by then, Jasmine would make sure that Kyla would regret this day for the rest of her life.

  Kyla opened the door and stepped inside. She moved past the stacks of food lined on the shelves in the pantry and into the kitchen, raised her hand to her mouth in an instant of agony.

  In the family room, she noticed a blanket sprawled along the couch. All of the leather pillows were propped at one end. Her heart ached. She could tell Jefferson had slept here last night.

  She lifted the blanket to her face and closed her eyes. Inhaling its scent, she could feel Jefferson against her, his arms wrapped around her, protecting her. She could feel the years of their marriage. Maybe she should just see him, just talk to him . . .

  She shook her head and threw the blanket on the floor. She would not allow her emotions to override her good sense. She could never trust Jefferson again.

  When she moved into the living room, she stopped. The stairs loomed before her. The stairs that had led to her discovery. She started up, grasping the brass handrail for balance. She tried to clear her thoughts, but her mind betrayed her with each tread. Each vivid image increased the hurt, the pain, the ache. She shook her head, rebuking the thoughts that invaded and willing her mind to focus on the task at hand.

  “Maybe I should have asked Alexis to do this,” she thought. “Or maybe I should have had her come with me.”

  At the top of the stairs, the bedroom was in front of her and she couldn’t move. She noticed the bags she had dropped yesterday and picked them up, then walked across the hallway into Nicole’s room. She pulled the outfits from the bag and began carefully hanging them in the closet. As she worked, she couldn’t keep the questions from her mind. What would Nicole’s life be like now?

  Finishing, Kyla looked around the room and sighed. She went to one of the bookcases that lined the walls and picked up a book. As she fingered the pages, she eyed the yellow room. Minutes passed as she wondered about the future of her family.

  “As God is my witness, Nicole, I will protect you through all of this.” She wiped away the tears that had fallen onto the book.

  With unsteady steps, she went to her bedroom and stood at the door. The bed was made, though not very well. Everything else was in perfect order. No sign at all of what had happened here; Jefferson’s futile attempt to wipe it away. But no matter what he did, yesterday was now part of their history.

  She remained still, her eyes glued to the bed. In that bed, their marriage and their entire lives had been changed.

  She moved quickly to her closet, pulling underwear, clothes, shoes, and stuffed each piece into her weekend bag. It would only be a few days, she didn’t need much. As she turned off the closet light, she glanced around the bedroom. Tears burned as her eyes roamed her favorite room. Almost every piece of furniture in the master suite had been specially designed to provide a retreat for her and Jefferson. So many wonderful times had been spent here. And, everything had ended here.

  The ringing phone startled her and she stared at the machine. Had Jefferson somehow found out that she was here? With hesitant steps, she moved forward and turned up the volume of the answering machine. She heard the beep, then listened to the message.

  “Hello, Kyla and Jefferson. This is Pastor. Kyla, please give me a call. It’s important. Thanks, and have a blessed day, you two.” It wasn’t until the machine beeped indicating the end of the message, that she allowed herself to breathe.

  At least it wasn’t Jefferson. Noticing there were six other messages, Kyla rewound the machine and pressed the button for the first message to play.

  “Jefferson, this is Jasmine. I’ve been trying to reach you. I want to get together tonight so that we can have the talk you wanted and . . .”

  With a shaky hand, she turned off the machine in the middle of the message and held back a sob. All doubts were now gone. She and Jefferson were finished. She walked into the hallway and started down the steps. “How am I supposed to do this?” she cried. But even as the question left her lips, she already knew the answer. The Lord would get her through.

  Jefferson sped up the hill. Never had he been as glad as he was at this very moment that he lived so close to the clinic. He knew Kyla would still be home; Alexis had timed her call perfectly, with just enough time to tell him exactly what she thought of him. Shannon had knocked on his office door, announcing that he had an emergency call and even though he was with a patient, he had excused himself and taken the call at Shannon’s desk, knowing that it had to be something pertaining to Kyla.

  “Jefferson, this is Alexis.”

  And at that moment, Jefferson knew Kyla was safe. “How’s Kyla? Where is she?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’m going to tell you. Not because of you. But for Kyla. Because no matter how much of a jerk you are, I think you two still belong together. But Jefferson, how could you?”

  He had closed his eyes and leaned onto Shannon’s desk. The headache that had started yesterday worsened with each syllable of contempt he heard in Alexis’ voice.

  “Alexis, please. I just want to see Kyla. Just tell me where she is.”

  “She’s on her way home. Don’t worry, she just left me. It’ll take her ten minutes at least. So you have more than enough time to talk to me.”

  “Alex, whatever you’re thinking, you’re right. There is nothing you can say to me that I haven’t said to myself. But I’ve got to go. I’ve got to see Kyla.” He’d hung up the phone eager to finish with his patient.

  Now, as he turned his car at the bottom of the street, he wondered if Kyla would ever be able to forgive him.Well, getting her forgiveness would become his job. He would tell her that no matter how many years it took, he would earn her love, her trust, her forgiveness.

  The garage door opened and he sighed with relief. She was still here! As he pulled inside his stomach twisted with anxiety, but at least Kyla was home. He had barely turned off the Range Rover before he was out of the car and inside the house.

  Jasmine couldn’t believe it! She was just about to go inside and had to rush back to her car when Jefferson drove up. In his haste, h
e hadn’t noticed her.

  She slammed her fist against the steering wheel, then sat back so hard, the casserole dish in the seat wobbled. But, she was not about to give up.

  Again, she got out of the car and almost ran to the front door. She tried to peek through the windows, but the curtains were drawn. As she raised her hand to knock, she stopped suddenly. Jefferson might get mad, she thought. She tried once again to peer through the window, then turned away. Back in her car, she sat straight up, her eyes posted on the house. She would wait, but not for long. She had every intention of winning this battle.

  Kyla came down the stairs slowly, with the bag on her shoulder. It was as if her life were coming to an end.

  She dropped her bag on top of the blanket and went to the fireplace. The pictures on the mantel stared back at her, and she picked up one of her and Jefferson. They’d been on a picnic that day, a year before Nicole was born. They were so happy. They were always happy. So, why had Jefferson turned to another woman? What was wrong with their marriage? Why hadn’t he told her he was unhappy?

  She picked up her bag, then moved through the kitchen into the pantry. There was no way she could stay a minute longer.

  “Kyla!” Jefferson exclaimed. “Thank God you’re all right.”

  Jefferson watched his wife back away from him and his heart dropped. The fear that crossed her face matched the pain in his heart. “Kyla, please. I need to talk to you,” he begged.

  Her mouth opened wide, but words would not escape.

  Jefferson stepped toward her, moving tentatively until he had backed Kyla against the center island in the kitchen. They stood close, their breathing taking on matching rhythms. Slowly, she lifted her head and locked her eyes on his face, searching for answers.

  He lifted his arms. He knew that if he could touch her . . . if he could touch her they would be able to put this all behind them. He lowered his arms onto her shoulders.