His Jaguar Tattoo

Let's Take A Dip

The sound of the door flying open and banging against the wall startled Zuri awake. She flew up out of bed, eyes widened in panic, until she spotted Drew standing in the doorway. A triumphant grin was plastered across his face. With a tingle of curiosity, she realized he was soaked in sweat and dressed in gym clothes.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" he cheered.

"Go away," she grumbled, turning back into her pillow.

His quick footsteps sounded against the tile flooring as he crossed the room. The mattress gave under his weight and he said, "I went to the grocery store this morning to gather everything you need. Now, you have to wake up and make me breakfast."

"Don't you know how to scramble your own eggs?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do. But I didn't bring you here to sleep in bed all day. I brought you here to cook for me."

"And be your slave," Zuri muttered, sitting up again. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head. "How did you survive before me without a woman to boss around?"

An impish smirk eased onto his lips. "And what makes you think I didn't have a woman to boss around?"

"Oh, right." She shoved the covers off her legs and leapt up from the bed, eager to put distance between them. "I forget you had dozens of lovers at your beck and call."

"Yes. Anyway, don't take too long. I'm ravenous and my impatience worsens when I'm hungry," Drew told her. "I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready."

"Okay."

Once he'd left, Zuri used the bathroom, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed out her soft, clean hair. Then she hurried downstairs before the devil came back up to find her. Drew raised his eyebrows at her from over the newspaper in his hands when she strode into the kitchen.

"What would you like this morning, Your Highness?" she quipped.

"A plate of bacon and eggs without a side of your sarcasm," he shot back.

Zuri smiled to herself. He seemed to be in a good mood this morning. Maybe she should encourage him to work out more often. The kitchen was soon full of the aroma of brewing coffee, sizzling bacon, and frying eggs. Interestingly enough, balancing all of the tasks gave her a deep sense of accomplishment. Naturally, Drew had ruin it.

"So, I called your school this morning," he told her.

"My school?"

"Yes. The college where you were enrolled?"

She sighed. "Why'd you call them?"

"To excuse you for the absences." He took a sip from his glass of orange juice. "And to tell them you wouldn't be returning."

"What?"

Drew set the newspaper aside to give her his full attention. "Zuri, we discussed this. You aren't going back to school. It's unreasonable and I'm not allowing it."

"How is it unreasonable?" she demanded, knowing she should check her tone yet too angry to care. "I still haven't been able to wrap my head around that."

"Because I say it is. Even if I did allow you to leave this house on a regular basis, I would not let you travel four hours a day just to attend class. That would waste time and gas."

"I could always stay there for the week and come back on weekends," she said, knowing the very idea was preposterous.

"If you think I would even remotely consider that, you are far more delusional than I thought."

She glared at him before returning to the breakfast food at hand. The only thing to make this morning worse would be to burn the food.

"Zuri, I would like you to see this from my perspective," he reasoned in that charming velvet voice that she detested. "I'm protecting you and being considerate by cutting off your ties with that college. You will profit much more from being my wife."

This time she managed to hold back the sarcasm. If she didn't watch her tongue, he would start threatening her grandmother again. Zuri put all of the food on one large plate and brought it to Drew. When she left to retrieve his mug of coffee, he spoke up again.

"You expect me to eat all of this?" he asked.

"Yes." It took everything within her not to slam the coffee mug on the table. "You ruined my appetite."

Then she stormed upstairs to her room before she unloaded every thought on her mind. Because that would surely grant her death wish.

After fifteen minutes or so, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Zuri didn't bother giving him permission to enter. Not that he even asked. Within seconds, Drew had reached the bathroom door. He watched while she put the finishing touches on her mascara.

"Putting on makeup?" His eyebrows were raised.

Not for you, she thought bitterly.

"I want to look pretty for the trees," she remarked, screwing the top back onto the cylindrical tool. "I'm going to spend some time outside today."

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Her gaze was a bit too pointed when she looked up at him. "Don't you have work today?"

"Yes. I still feel obliged to spend time with my fiancèe."

"Well, don't bother. Go to work and scare people out of their homes or whatever it is you do."

Drew's eyes hardened in a blink. He blocked her path with his arm when she tried to exit the bathroom. "I have had enough of this attitude. Keep your resentment to yourself. My life doesn't need the added stress of your ungratefulness."

"Your life? My life—" Zuri stopped herself. Her hands balled into fists. Swallowing her pride, she forced the opposite of what she wanted to say out of her lips. "Okay, Drew."

"Now, let me ask you again. Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," she lied through clenched teeth.

He smiled. "Perfect."

When they stepped through the backdoor, a cool breeze moved around them. A pool of crystal blue water stirred in the middle of the open space, surrounded by white textured tiles. A row of lounge chairs lined either side of the swimming area and a diving board was mounted at the farthest end.

"Do you like to swim?" he inquired.

"No."

"So what do you plan to do out by the pool?"

"Sunbathe."

Another smile stretched across his mouth. "Excellent. Pick your chair and I'll pick mine."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she obeyed. It was going to be a long day if this was how it went.