|
She kept
right on going, not even acknowledging him. Conflicting
emotions swarmed within her and she needed her sanctuary.
She needed a place that didn’t remind her of the roommate
with the killer kisses and smoldering eyes. Or the voice
that made her need a fresh set of panties.
Closing
the door behind her, Jem leaned against it briefly before
turning on the light and letting her room do its thing. Calm
her down.
As she
sat down at her workstation and opened up the cards that
still needed to be written upon, a loud pounding reached her
ears. “Jem, open this door or I’ll do it for you.” Chad’s
voice thundered through the wood.
“Go away,
Edward,” she sneered. “Go back to your bimbos, I don’t plan
on being your plaything.” Clenching her teeth, she focused
on the words in front of her.
BAM!
Jumping
with a screech, Jem turned and saw what was left of her
door, hanging from one hinge. Green flames flickered in his
eyes, reaching out and searing her where she sat. “We aren’t
done and you sure as hell aren’t a plaything.”
Standing
up, she stalked toward him. “Get out of my room.”
“Shut up,
Jem.” Chad had her in his arms before he finished talking,
and the second he did he was kissing her.
“We…can’t…do this,” she mumbled around his probing mouth.
“We
should have done this a long time ago, and you know it.”
Jem
couldn’t disagree. Their relationship had been changing,
getting more and more undercurrents of passion. Instead, she
gave in. all the previous thoughts of playing it safe, being
careful with her decisions vanished like a puff of smoke.
Chad
picked her up and carried her over to her bed, laying her
down upon it. His six-one frame covering her smaller one
tenderly. He could feel her body shivering beneath him.
Putting his lips against her temple, he whispered, “Do you
trust me, Jem?”
Jem
sucked on her lower lip as she wrestled with the inner
demons she had: past experiences, her disapproving sister,
her own lack of self esteem. Opening her eyes, she found
Chad watching her with the most compassionate look she had
ever seen. “Yes,” she sighed softly, “I do.”
“I…thank
you,” he muttered. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but he
didn’t want her to think it was just to get in her pants.
Chad brought one hand up to touch the side of her face. He
trailed it down the side of her neck stopping just above
where her skin was hidden by her shirt. “Your skin is
sinfully smooth. I love how it feels against mine.”
She
shuddered and kept her eyes on his face. The fact that his
face seemed sincere and so intent on watching her every
reaction astounded her. “What are you doing?”
“Exploring the most succulent woman in the world.” His lips
followed the trail his fingers just had.
Jem’s
eyes rolled back as he kissed his way along the top of her
breasts. Damn, his touch was electrifying. Her fingers dug
into the pristine white bedspread beneath her. “Chad,” she
breathed on a long sigh.
“Right
here, baby. I’m not going anywhere.” His tongue slid between
the firm breasts he had seen many men tonight lusting over.
“All mine,” he muttered arrogantly.
“What?”
“I said,
you are all mine.” Chad pushed up from her and pulled her
into a sitting position. His large hands were gentle as they
removed her shirt. He shifted as his erection swelled even
more inside his slacks at the sight of her breasts bared
before him. They were amazing. They were firm and had dark
nipples that he longed to suckle upon and find out if they
were as scrumptious as they appeared. How the hell is she
still single?
“You
too.” Jem’s husky voice snapped him out of the zone he was
in.
“Anything
you wish.” Within seconds, he had removed his shirt and
allowed Jem her own look. He held himself still while one
small hand of hers reached out and traveled across his
torso. Her fingers skipped over the ridges of his toned
abdomen.
Chad
watched her eyes as she ingested the sight before her. Her
dark orbs swirled with emotion and Chad longed to watch them
as she came. Preferably around his throbbing shaft.
“Off,”
she demanded, looping one finger under his black leather
belt.
“Yes.”
Chad immediately undid the buckle and the button but left
zipper up. Instead his flecked gaze watched her intently.
When she
licked her lips, he lost it. Chad lifted her body, sat down
and placed her on his lap. His mouth suckled on her left
nipple, drawing the pebbled nub into his mouth, rolling his
tongue across the tip.
Jem
moaned, arching her back, pressing her breast deeper into
his mouth. Her hands delved into the new haircut he sported
and pressed him closer.
At the
end of his control, Chad knew it was the time. The spicy
smell of her desire filled the room. Laving a trail of
kisses from one breast to the next, he put his hands on her
back and slid them down to the waistband of her pajama
bottoms.
He rolled
them so she was beneath him and quickly removed the two
remaining articles she wore. Chad licked his way down her
belly until he was just over the juncture of her toned
thighs. His mouth watered with anticipation.
Climbing
off the bed, Chad stripped the rest of his clothes off and
waited for her reaction. It wasn’t long in coming. Her dark
eyes grew wide as she centered on the swollen erection
jetting out for the nest of hair.
Jem
groaned. She wanted him. Buried deep within her. The tip of
his penis was wet with precum. She shifted on the bed as
another flow of longing washed through her.
Chad lay
beside her and kissed her.
Long.
Deep.
Emotionally.
His left
hand rested above the glistening sable curls. Strong fingers
moved through the hair and delved into her wet heat.
Immediately her body clamped around the two thick fingers
and coated them with the thick essence her body created. Her
husky moan of pleasure filled the room as she shook beneath
him.
Taking
his fingers from the warm haven they had just been in, Chad
replaced them with the head of his cock. He inched in slowly
to allow her to get used to his size.
“Baby,”
he groaned. “You are so wet. And so fuckin’ tight.”
“Chad!”
she gasped as her hands clenched the muscles on his
shoulders.
“Are you
okay?”
Can a
person die from pleasure?
“Yes. Don’t stop.”
“Not on
your life, baby. I’m not about to stop.” He flexed his hips
and drove home, deep within her. The only way would be if
I died right now.
There
were no more words spoken. Well, words were mumbled but as
far as conversation, it ceased to exist. For the remainder
of their night together, Chad and Jem traveled to the planes
of pleasure.
****
Jem sat
at her kitchen breakfast bar and groaned. She kept her hands
wrapped around the mug of coffee. What the hell did I do?
Her eyes drifted toward the digital readout on the
microwave, it was a little past seven. A clap of thunder
made her look to the window and shake her head. A storm. How
fitting. Torrential sheets of rain poured down.
A shadow
by her back door made her tense. When the door opened, she
relaxed as her sister barged in.
Sliding
off the stool, Jem went to the counter and fixed her sister
a cup of coffee. Placing it in front of her, Jem tried to
start the day off in a positive way. “Good morning, Cami.”
A
newspaper was slammed to the top of the bar as Camilla took
a seat. “I tried to warn you about him.”
“What are
you talking about?” Dread filled Jem. It was amplified due
to the mere fact her sister actually sounded compassionate
instead of vindictive.
Cami took
a drink of the coffee before she looked across at her
sister. “I won’t say I told you so, and you know how much
mother loves to be right.”
Jem
reached for the paper and opened it. Cami had kept it
protected from the elements for it was dry and therefore
perfectly easy for her to read the headline it was opened
to.
BLACK
SHEEP OF CHADWICK PHARMESUTICALS RESURFACES
By Phil
Buckman
Edward
Grant Chadwick apparently has resurfaced after being off the
radar for about six months, this time he is playing house
with a young African American woman, Ms. Jaleza Maxwell. We
all know he can afford to buy anything he needs, so there
must be a reason…is it possible they are starting a family?
I bet the Chadwick family isn’t too pleased about that. This
woman has been pregnant before without the benefit of
marriage. That one didn’t result in landing on easy street.
And we don’t see the kid either. Could she be pretending to
having beans in the oven just to tap into that Chadwick
fortune? An heir would be a sure way in the door. Begs the
question…what’s going on with the wild child of Robert
Chadwick. This reporter can only speculate but worry not, I
will find out.
Jem let
the offensive article to drop back to the pale lemony
colored countertop of her breakfast bar. Tears stung her
eyes and she desperately wanted to curl up in her bed and
hide. Something she couldn’t do because not only was her
sister here, but lying in her bed was the cause of this
pain.
“You
okay?” Cami asked in a rare show of concern.
“I…I
don’t know what to say. I’m not like that.” Jem didn’t know
how they knew about her pregnancy.
“Well,”
Cami said, her tone getting the edge that Jem was used to
getting from her. “I tried to warn you.”
So
much for not saying ‘I told you so.’
“Shut up, Cami. I don’t need that right now. I am not a
slut. I know you hate the fact that I was pregnant before
but I was young and dumb. I didn’t get rid of that child; I
was ready to be a mother even though he left me. But I
miscarried, okay. I lost the baby. I wanted her!” her
voice had risen to a screech.
Cami
opened her mouth to say something only to stop. Within
seconds she was dressed to head back out into the weather.
With her hand on the door, she paused and looked back at her
sister. “I’m sorry Jaleza. I’m sorry you lost your baby.”
Then she disappeared into the storm.
Jem
didn’t realize she was crying until she ran a hand down her
face and it came away wet. Her eyes fell back to the paper
that seemed to mock her very existence and snatched it up in
her fist.
She took
the stairs two at a time as she headed for her room. Opening
the door, Jem hesitated as her gaze fell upon the handsome
man sleeping soundly on her bed. He lay on his back, one arm
above his head and one hand resting against those hard abs.
the sheet was pulled up to his hips hiding his lower half
from her.
When a
sexy moan escaped his lips, Jem reached back to hurl the
paper at his chest and froze. What good is this going to
do me? Looking down at what she wore, she realized it
didn’t matter, she was leaving anyway. Placing the paper
beside him, so he would be sure to see it, Jem walked out of
her room and headed for the front door.
**
Chad woke
to the brownstone shaking from the force of thunder. “Jem?”
he asked as his green eyes opened. No answer prompted him to
sit up. He was still in her room; a satisfied masculine grin
crossed his face.
How
perfect he felt. Last night had been the culmination of six
months of increasing passion. He had wanted her for a long
time and it had been well worth the wait. Well worth it.
Even
though it was dark out courtesy of the storm, there was
enough light for him to look more intently at her room. As
his eyes scanned the walls, Chad realized what her dream
was. And he knew he wanted to help her achieve it.
Placing
his hands on the mattress to swing his legs to the floor, he
frowned as he felt a paper there. A frown that became a thin
line of anger and disgust as he read the article. “God
dammit!” he swore. “Who the fuck do they think they are?”
His eyes were green shards of death as he headed to his room
and got ready to handle this head on.
Dressed
he headed for his vehicle, knowing without checking that Jem
was gone. How had their passionate night turned into this?
The gloominess of the day was in perfect accord to his
feelings.
As he
drove through the increasing intensity of the storm, Chad
thought about what the article had said about her being
pregnant. He remembered her sister saying that as well, but
he had not pursued it, allowing her to choice of telling him
should she wish to.
Pulling
off the street into a gas station, he pulled out his cell
phone and pressed a preset number. “We need to talk,” he
said as soon as the person on the other end answered. “I’ll
come to you, where are you?” His eyes glowed with
determination. “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right there.”
Fifteen
minutes later, Chad was striding into a small out of the way
diner. As the door swung shut behind him, he noticed her
sitting in the back corner booth. Everything within him
wanted to grab her up, hold her and tell her it would all be
ok.
When she
refused to even look at him, his heart began to break.
Slipping into the seat across from her, he reached for her
hand. “Jem…I had no idea. None. Please, you have to believe
me.”
Haunted
eyes met his. “Who gave them that information? Who told
them?” Jem asked in a voice that was scratchy.
Chad
didn’t know what to say. He had told his father, but would
he truly go to the press? “I don’t know, but I will find
out.” That left one person, Brittany.
She
shrugged. “I’d like you to leave. I’ll give you back your
money, but you need to be out of my home.” Damn him for
looking so good! Jem saw below the jeans and leather
jacket she watched him walk in with and saw the man that had
loved her so thoroughly in the wee hours of the morning. The
stylish haircut, present stubble that had marked her inner
thighs, and those lips.
The floor
felt like it opened beneath him and swallowed him. Chad saw
his future fading away with her expressionless face. She was
his future, she made him want to get up in the morning and
be a better man.
Flash!
The blinding light of a camera went off in their faces.
Furious, Chad looked up to see photographers and reporters
standing there. The clicks of the cameras got louder and
louder while the questions the reporters yelled echoed in
his ears.
When one
man stuck a recorder in front of Jem asking, “Are you
angling to become a member of the Chadwick family? And what
happened to your first child?”
Chad came
unglued. “You bastard!” he seethed. “You have no right—”
Lunging from the booth, he took the offensive man to the
floor. His hands were laced around the reporter’s skinny
neck and he began to squeeze.
Jem was
shocked. For a moment she wanted to sink beneath the
floorboards and disappear from the flashes. She was
embarrassed. But as she watched the rain-soaked head of her
one-night lover snap to the side, followed by his body
surging from the booth taking the reporter to the floor, she
just reacted.
Scrambling from the booth, Jem joined the circus on the
floor. She didn’t acknowledge the other cameras that
continued to take pictures or video. “Chad. Chad! Let him
go, get off him.” Jem grabbed the sleeve of his
rain-splattered leather jacket and pulled. “You’re hurting
him,” she blurted, as the reporter’s face turned an ugly
shade of red.
Through
the haze of anger that clouded him, Chad heard her voice and
finally realized it was her fingers that were trying to pry
his off the neck of the man lying prone on the floor. “I
should kill him for daring to speak to you like that.” His
words were a low hiss.
“Please,
Chad.” Her fingers touched his chin and she turned his face
to hers. “You’re scaring me.” His eyes were so dark they
were almost black.
That’s
all it took. As if the others weren’t even there, Chad
gathered the woman on her knees beside him into his embrace.
His lips teased her temple before he tipped her face up to
meet his questing mouth. “I’m sorry. I don’t ever want you
to be scared of me.”
A tape
recorder was shoved between them. “What is going on with the
two of you? Are you a couple? Are you living together?”
“Yes,”
Chad said.
At the
same moment, Jem said, “No!”
Pushing
the hand between them away, Chad focused his attention back
on her. “No? What do you mean no?”
“What do
you mean yes?” Jem countered.
A short
burst of uncertain laughter erupted from Chad. “Baby, don’t
you know how I feel about you?” His smile was sad as he
stared into her eyes. “You mean so much to me. I don’t want
to live without you. I’ve fallen in love with you more each
day I’ve known you.”
“I…I
don’t know what to say.” Jem expected something but not
this. Not his total disregard for what the paper said, for
what the reporters said. She had expected him to ask more
questions, demand answers. But instead…he told her he loved
her.
“You
don’t have to say anything except what you feel.” I love
you would be wonderful.
The way
he gazed upon her made everything else fade into
nothingness. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth as she
tried to figure out what to say. His eyes moved from her
brown eyes down to her white teeth as they held her lip and
back up again. This time, however, they were much darker and
brimming with passion.
“You know
what that does to me,” he mumbled, oblivious to the recorder
that was nearby.
“I…I need
to go home.”
Chad
nodded. Standing up, he leaned down and scooped her up,
pressing her tight against his chest. “I love you, Jaleza.
You are…my Jem.” His lips brushed across yours as he carried
her out into the rain and their future.
The door
closed on her, “I love you, too, Chad. I love you, too.” |
