Read Online Almost Doesn't Count by Angela Winters - Free Book Online

fall to her side. He placed the paper on the nightstand. “This is just the formal offer that makes it official.”
    â€œWell, don’t wait,” she said, relieved. She didn’t want his career to hinge on her. “Call them tomorrow and let them know.”
    â€œI’ll tell them Monday,” he said. “I got plans tomorrow. It’s my day off.”
    â€œYou’re taking a day off?” Erica was impressed. “Mr. Gotta Make That Money Seven Days a Week is taking a day off? When was the last time you did that? About a year ago?”
    â€œI actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
    â€œDo you want to do something?” She suddenly got excited. She hardly ever got a free weekend day with Terrell because he worked nonstop. Now that they were seeing each other again, she thought of all the things they could do. “Eastern Market? Brunch?”
    â€œI can’t spend my day off with you,” he said. “I actually called Nate and asked him to hang out with me tomorrow.”
    Nate and Terrell weren’t necessarily great friends. Living in the same home for a few years allowed them to form sort of a bond, and Erica told Terrell as long as he kept the hoods out of his life, Nate could hang out with him. Their relationship mostly consisted of the occasionally violent movie and video games. There had been many times when Erica and Nate had gotten into it and Terrell was there, as an older man, to keep Nate in line. Erica really missed that, especially now.
    Terrell returned to her. “You’ve been talking about him a lot lately. I can tell it’s really upsetting you.”
    Nate had been hell on wheels lately. In the past month or so, he’d been arguing with Erica nonstop over just about anything big or small. She couldn’t say a word to him without him taking it the wrong way and snapping at her. Erica had a temper and usually regretted letting it go because she only made it worse. He would go missing for days at a time and she tried not to give him a hard time about it. She knew he wasn’t a boy anymore and she should mind her own business, but any inquiry was met with a verbal attack from him. Erica was very upset and was at her wit’s end with him.
    â€œYou usually tell me that he’s grown-ass man and I should stay out of it,” she asserted.
    â€œHe is, Erica. He’s twenty and he needs to be doing his own thing and making his own mistakes.”
    â€œThe problem with that is, for a young man in DC, a mistake can cost you your freedom or your life.”
    â€œHe’s obviously going through something he’s not comfortable talking to you about.” He reached his hand up and rubbed her shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You’re kind of like a mom to him more than a sister. He’ll open up to me. Maybe I can help him out, give him a little insight. I’ve learned a thing or two in my old age.”
    Erica was incredibly touched and, admittedly, a little turned on by his taking control. She was a modern girl who liked to handle her own problems, but she missed having a man who could take things over for her every now and then.
    â€œYou would do that for me?” she asked.
    â€œI would do anything for you,” he answered back quickly. “And I care about Nate, too. But most importantly, I want you happy and I know how much you love that boy. You won’t be happy as long as he’s troubled. I want to fix that.”
    There was a voice in the back of her head that told her he was using that tone of voice, the one that always worked on her. The smooth-operator tone of voice that soothed her concerns and turned her on. She didn’t care. It was working. This gesture to help her with Nate made her miss him more now than ever.
    She didn’t hesitate before grabbing him and pulling him to her. She went straight for his lips and pressed hers against them. Just as she did, his arms