Free His Sexy Bad Habit by Cheris Hodges

borrow your kitchen.”
    “You told that man you were cooking dinner for him? I thought you liked him.”
    “That’s why I’m bringing the food to you,” Serena said as she pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store.
    “I think I’m starting to see why you were so eager to invest in a restaurant,” Jade said. “But if I’m cooking, you are on diaper duty.”
    “Ugh, you can’t do that to me.”
    “You need my help and I don’t have a nanny, so yes, I can.”
    Serena laughed then hung up on her friend. She dashed inside the supermarket and quickly picked up the ingredients for her “signaturedish,” chicken and broccoli, which was actually Jade’s concoction.
    Serena did a lot of things in the kitchen, but cooking wasn’t one of them. There had been a time when Serena wanted to cook and be domesticated. She’d purchased cookbooks and had been ready to play the dutiful wife.
    But her dream of wedded bliss had come to a screeching halt when Emerson stood her up at the altar. No word of what had caused him to change his mind or anything. Serena stopped in the produce section and picked up a bunch of broccoli as she shook away the memories of her past. All she had to worry about was the present and that included Antonio Billups.
    But what about your future?
she heard Jade ask.
You can’t keep hiding behind what happened in Los Angeles.
    “Get out of my head,” she mumbled as she directed her cart to the dried foods aisle. She needed rice and seasonings, then she could head over to Jade’s and spend some time with Jaden while his mother cooked. She liked kids well enough, but she never saw herself as a mother.
    Serena was certain her motherly genes had never developed. The best part about hanging out with other people’s children was the joy of returning them to their parents. It never failed though, whenever she held a baby, he or she either threw up on her or peed on her shoes. That’s why she didn’t want to spend a lot of time with Jaden. Being around that little boy always meant a trip to the cleaners.
    Once she had all her groceries and had cleared the self-checkout line, she picked up some iced lattes at Starbucks for her and Jade, remembering to make her friend’s drink a decaf since she was still nursing her son.
    As she pulled into Jade and James’s driveway, Serena thought about how quickly those two had become husband and wife and how happy they were. Jade deserved it after what she’d been through with her ex.
    Don’t you deserve happiness, too? How long are you going to hide behind relationships that go nowhere because you’re afraid?
Serena thought.
Maybe I should go into this thing with Antonio not expecting it to end.
    Serena shook her head as she got out of the car and grabbed her groceries. It was too soon to start thinking like that. She had to get Jade’s happily ever after voice out of her head. She’d tried love once and that was enough.
    “Knock, knock,” Serena said as she opened the front door.
    “In the den,” Jade called out. Serena walked in and dropped the bags off in the kitchen, then headed for the den where Jade and Jaden were sitting on the floor playing with blocks.
    Jade looked up and pointed at Serena. “Look Jaden, it’s your godmommy Serena.”
    The little boy cooed and drool dripped down his chin. “Are you going to get that?” Serena asked.
    Jade stood up, then lifted her son into her arms. “That’s just sugar. It’s not going to makeyou melt, Evilene.” She placed Jaden in Serena’s arms. Smiling, Serena kissed her godson then wiped his wet chin with the bottom of his shirt.
    Jade shook her head as she headed into the kitchen with Serena on her heels.
    “So,” Serena said as she took a seat on a bar stool while Jaden attempted to pull her hoop earring. “Where’s James?”
    “He’s in Huntersville looking at some property,” she said. “The real estate market is crazy, but James and Maurice are planning to invest some money in a