Forever Yours (7 page)

Suddenly he turned to face her. She couldn’t miss the pain in his eyes. Could he fake that? He sighed, shaking his head, as if trying to compose his thoughts. “Dear God! Now it all makes sense. All this time trying to figure what I’d done…what caused you to run without a single word or a simple goodbye.”

“I certainly got yours,” she reminded him.

He shook his head. “That was staged.”

“Yeah. And, honey, it sure was convincing.”

“Not by me. Damn it! It was Caroline.”

“Caroline? That’s right, blame it on the wife—”

He grabbed her by her shoulders. “For Christ’s sake, Jade, shut up and listen to me—”

“Why? It was
you
I saw with that woman.”

He pursed his lips, shaking his head as he released her. Then he gave out a short derisive laugh. “That entire scene was staged by my
charming
wife. It was payback.”

“For us? You told me you had an agreement. That she didn’t care.”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t let her take Stephen to some expensive spa in Switzerland for the summer.”

“And the woman?”

“Posed as a potential client.”

Jade’s mind was getting tangled as it tried to wrap around all this information. She could hardly explain all the emotions that were swirling in her head as she grasped what he was telling her. It wouldn’t have been hard for some private investigator to discover that he and Jade met at Monte’s often. And she’d played right into Caroline’s hand. What a fool she’d been not to trust Charles!

“I knew Caroline was a devious bitch. I just didn’t think she’d go so far as to destroy…” His words trailed off in despair.

“She wouldn’t have been able to had I trusted you, Charles.”

“After your bad experience with your ex, how could you have reacted any differently?”

Tears slipped down Jade’s cheeks as she mourned all the wasted time—and for what? “Can you forgive me, Charles?”

“For running away... yes.”

She let her breath out, but nearly choked when he added, “But not for hiding my son from me.”

She understood how he felt and offered no argument. She’d been a fool.

“Jade, there are no certainties in life and I have no idea what lies ahead. All I know is that I want to see it through together—all three of us. Will you come back to New York?”

“But what about Caroline?” she asked, worried about the fallout when she found out about Preston.

“When Stephen is a little older, I intend to get a divorce.”

Charles reached over and wiped Jade’s tears. A moment later, his lips covered hers in a soft kiss.

“Oh, Charles,” she half-said, half-moaned and kissed him back with enough fervor to start a fire.

The world faded away and all she saw was Charles. His lips fought for domination over hers. She grabbed his hair, and met his challenge with her own. Their tongues joined the fray and dueled for possession of their mouths. Hands roamed over each other’s body reestablishing old claims. Things were getting out of hand until there was a sharp rap on the driver’s-side window. Breathlessly, they pulled apart.

A police officer with the biggest smirk on his face stood there. Charles rolled down the window. “Get a room,” the officer said before walking back to his cruiser.

Charles, still winded, turned back to her and asked, “Was that a
yes
?”

Jade did eventually make it to work. Charles leaned over to kiss her goodbye. Though they both knew they’d be seeing each other after her shift, that kiss turned into two and after that, she had to pry herself from Charles’s loving arms.

She spoke to the manager about her plans to leave, but promised to finish out the week. Though she’d made friends in Connecticut, her world was back in New York where Charles would be looking for a place for her and Preston to live when he returned. Strangely true, but not once since Jade kissed Charles did she stop to question whether or not she was making the right decision. To her, the great procrastinator, that, in itself, said it all.

Mary offered to stay with Preston that evening so Charles could take her out. They had several drinks at a quiet club before kissing their way into a motel room. All day at work, Jade thought about all the x-rated things she wanted to do to Charles. She recalled the ecstasy of being held tightly in his strong arms. Her blood soared with the memory of his scorching lips on hers, torturing and keeping her hot and horny all day. Jade hadn’t been so sexually aroused since that first delicious Sunday afternoon in New York with Charles. Even that drunken time with Hank couldn’t compare. Tonight, had he not suggested going to the motel, she would have. Chances were he’d looked into her eyes and heard her loud and clear.

As soon as the motel-room door closed behind them, they came together in a turbulence of passion. Jade, finally freed of all doubts, yielded to the searing need for him that had built up over all those months of absence. Her body remembered, all too well, the excitement of his touch and had yearned for him terribly.

Charles’s actions told Jade he’d missed her just as badly. His lips nearly devoured hers as his hands hastily roamed her body, driving her into a frenzy. They made their way to the bed, after colliding into walls and the few pieces of furniture in the room. He pushed her down onto it and reached under her skirt. Jade moaned at his touch. Ripping her panties off, he unzipped his slacks and entered her. Though he pumped rapidly into her, Jade’s desire had kept pace with his as they soared up that stairway to heaven. Two beats later, they came together in a cacophony of groans and moans.

Charles smiled and kissed her. Jade reached to hold his face between her hands and kissed his eyes, his cheeks and then his mouth. He kissed the hollow of her neck and she clutched him to her, suddenly fearful this was only a dream and she’d wake to see him gone.

Reinvigorated with new desire, Charles opened Jade’s blouse and kissed her neck before removing her bra. Her breasts, now freed from their restraint, begged to be touched and tasted. Charles suckled one and then the other as his hands lightly traced a path over Jade’s tender skin. She opened the zipper on her skirt and Charles slipped the garment off her. She watched as he rose from the bed and removed his clothing. When he was naked, he got back onto the bed and Jade reached out, welcoming him to her body.

Slowly his hands moved downward, skimming both sides of her body until he reached her thighs. As his hot fingers branded her flesh, passion pounded the blood through her body, she felt a surging need to have him inside her once more. Instead, Charles cradled her thighs and gently parted the wet, velvet folds of her pussy with the flat of his tongue and then began to lick her with deep, lingering strokes. He continued to lick her quivering pussy for several minutes as she gyrated her hips, mashing her bottom into him. When he gently tugged and nipped at her engorged clitoris, Jade moaned and grabbed his hair as the first wave of contractions took hold of her. Charles lifted her off the bed and buried his tongue deep inside. This time her moan was long as she was caught up in another wave of pleasure. Charles didn’t stop until she reached for him. As he rose above her, their lips met in a crushing kiss and he slipped inside her. They moved to a syncopated rhythm of love known only them. It was not only a melding of their bodies, but of their souls. When Charles climaxed, Jade was surprised to find herself coming again, as well.

Now thoroughly sated and exhausted, they cuddled in the afterglow. Breathlessly, Charles whispered, “I love you, Jade. Promise me you’ll never leave me again.”

Jade had once heard that a person’s eyes were windows to their soul. When she read what was said in Charles’s eyes, she became a true believer. As tears of gladness slipped from the corners of her smiling eyes, she replied, “I promise.”

His mouth sought hers and they sealed their vows with a kiss. Whatever the future held, Jade knew they’d face it together. And hopefully, without too much interference from Caroline.

It took Charles several weeks to locate and rent a reasonable three-bedroom apartment in Manhattan for her and Preston. The building had a doorman and was located near a small playground where nannies and other moms took their children to play. Jade wasn’t surprised to learn that the park was a strong selling point for Charles. He would have wanted to find a place out on Long Island surrounded by lots of trees and grass, but for now this would do.

Jade soon got into the habit of taking Preston there. He loved the slide and the sandbox. Watching him enjoy himself, surrounded by other children, was worth the ton of sand he brought home daily in his clothing.

Springtime in New York was a wonderful time of year. The sweet smell of nature in bloom touched by the hint of summer made it Jade’s favorite time of year. After being bundled in coats and scarves, suddenly the chatter of birds could be heard as people emerged from the cocoon of their winter clothing. Preston was blooming, as well. It would seem that things had worked out for Jade, after all.

Then there was another saying that came to mind one day a few weeks later. It was something about always expecting the unexpected—or something to that effect.

Preston and Jade were in the park enjoying the warmth of the sun. He was in his small stroller munching on a pretzel, while she was sitting on a bench reading a book on her Kindle.

A voice said, “What a beautiful baby.”

Jade looked up into the icy-cold, gray-blue eyes of a dark-haired woman without a hair out of place. She knew it was Charles’s wife from a family portrait Charles had had on his desk. Jade felt her stomach lurch, but said nothing, feeling like a fly in the shadow of a spider, waiting for her to strike.

“I heard he was into dark meat, now. However, I just had to see for myself.”

“What do you want, Caroline? It
is
Caroline, isn’t it?”

“Nothing more than to see you gone. I hate to see money that should be coming to me and my son being diverted to unimportant causes.”

“You don’t seem to be starving,” Jade said making reference to her jewelry and expensive-looking full-length leather coat. She doubted that pampered woman had ever worked a day in her life, certainly not enough to deserve the beautiful home and idyllic lifestyle Charles had provided for her.

A wicked smile formed on her face. “You think he’ll divorce me and marry you—especially now that you have a child. Well, I have news for you,
girlfriend
. He’s never going to leave me. Tsk, tsk, too bad. You had the damn kid for nothing.”

“Get out of here,” Jade said. “Go do your slumming someplace else.”

Caroline glanced at her diamond watch. “You’re in luck. I have an appointment at the spa. Ta ta.”

Jade watched her sashay away as if she owned the world. Jade really didn’t care. The only thing she desired was for that horrid woman to stay as far away from her and her son as possible. She only hoped the woman wasn’t cooking up any more trouble.

As much as she didn’t want to let her get to her, she had. Jade started to call Charles right then and tell him what Caroline had said. And she nearly did, until she realized it would only serve to upset him, which was probably what Caroline had intended all along. Instead, she’d only allowed Caroline to ruin her day. She took Preston home.

By the time Charles called that evening on his way home to Long Island, Jade had calmed down and remained quiet about her encounter with Caroline that afternoon.

The following evening Jade made dinner for Charles, who came directly from work. Luckily for his sake, her cooking skills had improved. Just knowing he was coming made her heart beat faster. Anticipation had steered her day, tempting her to skip dinner and go straight to dessert.

Like a puppy, their pajama-clad child toddled over to the door when Charles walked in.

“Da, Da!” he shrieked excitedly, clapping his hands.

After kissing her, Charles bent down and scooped Preston into his arms, hugging and kissing the top of his head.

“How’s my big boy today?”

Jade watched the two of them try to converse. Just the sight of them together brought tears to her eyes. It happened every time. Charles carried Preston into his bedroom and put him into his crib. She followed behind so they could kiss him good night together.

“We’ll soon need to get him a new bed,” Charles said.

Jade nodded.

Arm-in-arm, they went back to the kitchen. That was when Jade felt the tension in him and knew something was on his mind.

“Is everything okay, hon?” she asked.

Ignoring her question, he took off his suit jacket and hung it over a chair. He loosened his tie and took it off. Realizing Jade was still watching him, he said, “What?”

“You seem so tense tonight. I thought maybe you’d like to talk about it.”

“What do you have, human radar?”

Jade smiled as she walked over to him and put her arms around his neck. “I love you so much that perhaps I’m merely tuned in to you.”

“Is that like reading someone’s mind?”

“Nope.” Then after a moment’s thought, she asked, “Why? You have something to hide?”

“I don’t, but obviously you do.”

“What are you talking about?”

Suddenly all the playful humor was gone from the conversation, and a prickly feeling began to slip down her spine.

“Why didn’t you tell me you saw Caroline in the park the other day?”

“I take it she mentioned it.”

He nodded. “I’d have preferred to hear it from you.”

“I didn’t want to upset you. It was enough she upset me.”

“I would have—”

“What? Caused her to retaliate and hurt us more? It wasn’t worth giving her any more pleasure than she’d already gotten from her bitchy confrontation with me.”

He nodded. “You’re right. I was too furious to look at it that way.” Kissing the tip of Jade’s nose, he added, “Thank goodness one of us is smart enough to keep their cool.”

“No smarts involved. She already burned me. I won’t fall for the same thing twice.”