Fun With Rick and Jade (23 page)

“Can’t.” She eased off his lap, making him groan again from the parting.

“Stay for dinner,” he nearly pleaded. “I’ll order something or make something. We can finally watch that movie I owe you.”

Jade wiggled into her panties and stepped into her dress.

Rick sighed and dressed too. He zipped her up when she turned her back to him and held her hair up. “Do you have plans? A date or something?”

Fabricating a date would be cruel. “Nope.”

“Then why? Stay. Or come back. Later. Tomorrow.”

“This was self-indulgent,” she said.

“Please don’t start that ‘I’m a mother not a person’ bullshit.” He planted his hands on his hips. “You’re a woman.”

“Don’t start, Rick.”

“Mothers have sex,” he said. “That’s all I’m saying. Women need
me
time and
us
time and playtime. They need soak-in-a-bubble-bath-with-a-tall-glass-of-wine time. They need girls’-night-out time. It’s nothing to feel guilty about.”

She finger-combed his hair. “I’m going to freshen up and check on Coral.”

He nodded, clearly sullen about her decision to leave. Perhaps admitting to a fake date later would be an act of charity.

Jade washed her hands, straightened her dress, and fixed her makeup as best she could. Tiptoeing into his bedroom, she found Coral lying centered on his bed with her thumb in her mouth. Asleep. Jade stepped softly, touching a photo on the wall, inspecting an open book on his bedside table and breathing in the scent of cedar from his closet.

She stopped in front of his dresser, noting his wallet and keys on a tray along with the ring he’d given her. Tried to give her. Jade glanced toward the door. She heard him puttering around in the kitchen. She picked up the ring she’d refused to take before. She slipped the gold engagement ring onto her finger until it butted up against the gold band she still wore. She told herself she wore it to ward off unwanted attention from men. She wondered why Rick still wore his.

Jade held her hand up to admire the ring. It was a little tight.

“That ring was made for your finger,” Rick said from where he stood in the doorway.

Jade tugged at the ring. “I’m sorry. I was snooping. I shouldn’t have.” The damn thing wouldn’t come off.

“Why don’t you wear it for a few days and get back to me?”

Jade scoffed. “I don’t think loving a ring is a basis for a lasting marriage.”
Like I’d know anything about a lasting marriage
. Colleen McShane could teach her something about love and forgiveness, since Jade had taught her something about pain and betrayal.

“So you do love the ring?”

She pulled hard and the ring came off, but not without leaving a sting and a red mark. “Of course I do.”

“Why?” He stepped a little closer. “It’s secondhand, small, and completely unimpressive.”

“It’s an antique,” she objected. “It’s classic and timeless and understated. It has history and character.”

“Is that what girls these days look for in a ring?” he asked. “History and character?”

“Okay,” she growled, “I love it because you gave it to me. Tried to give it to me. Happy now? Satisfied?” She placed it on the tray next to his keys.

“Then why won’t you wear it?” Rick waved his hands wildly, but kept his tone quiet. “Why are you insisting on this divorce? Why won’t you give us a shot? A week. A month. What have you got to lose?”

My heart. Your heart. Coral’s heart
. Jade stepped closer. She grabbed a fistful of his T-shirt. “I’m doing this for you, Rick. You deserve better. My career as a hooker will haunt you.”

“Escort,” he corrected her.

“Whatever.” She released his shirt.

“Your past bothers you way more than it bothers me.” He raked his fingers through his hair. His tell. Rick lied.

“Today. My past bothers me more than it bothers you—today.” She knew with some certainty he’d wake up one day soon, his ego and manhood eaten away with questions and doubts. “I’ve got to go.”

“I’ll get Coral,” he offered. “You get the diaper bag. Her bottle is in the fridge.”

Like the nice guy Jade knew Rick to be, he carried a cranky Coral to the car, securing her in the car seat with a parting kiss to her forehead.

He grasped Jade’s forearms and kissed her forehead, too. “Call me if you need me.”

She nodded.

“I mean it,” he said. “Today. Tomorrow. Next week. Next month.”

“I know you mean it.” Jade ducked into her car to escape his hold on her.

“Hey, Bob.” Rick thrust out his hand. “Thanks for doing this.”

Bob shook his outstretched hand and patted Rick’s arm in one of those you-poor-dumb- bastard, when-will-you-ever-learn ways. “No problem, bro. I put you in the conference room.” Bob pointed in the direction. His office was fairly small. He met most of his clients at the jail or the courthouse.

When they reached the door, Rick stepped aside, “You first.”

“Wuss,” Bob muttered under his breath.

Rick followed him into the small, unimposing room. A round table sat in the middle with six chairs. A water cooler with paper cups rested near the door. Jade sat on the edge of the table, one stiletto-clad foot firmly on the floor. Her other leg dangled, swaying.

Jade looked up from examining her manicure. She paused before saying, “What the fuck, Bob?”

“Before you rip me a new one,” he protested, “Candy made me do it.”

She bolted up to standing. “You’re my lawyer not Candy’s.”

“Technically, you’ve never paid me any money,” he pointed out.

Stepping into the line of fire, Rick said, “I wanted to see you one more time before….” He swallowed a lump caught in his throat. He’d rehearsed what he’d say, but much of it escaped him now. “I need to make sure this is what you really want. And I won’t believe it until I see you sign the divorce papers with my own eyes. For closure.”

“I! I! I!” she mocked him. “
I
want.
I
need. You’re such a typical man, Rick. Everything is about you.” She held out her hand. “Someone give me a pen so we can get this man some closure.”

Bob pulled a pen from his shirt pocket.

“Thanks, Bob,” Rick muttered. “Could you have been any more Johnny-on-the-spot with that pen?”

Bob shrugged.

Jade snatched the ink pen and leaned over the divorce papers. She leafed through the document, signing and initialing where indicated. Reaching the last page, she scribbled her name with no results. She pitched the pen across the room. “Can someone get me a pen that works, please?”

“Bob, could you leave us alone for a minute?”

Narrowing her eyes at them both, she pointed between them. “Don’t you dare, Bob.”

“I…uh…don’t know, Rick. Last time I left her alone in a conference room with a guy, it didn’t go over so well. But okay.” Bob backed away toward the outer office, closing the door behind him.

Rick fished another pen from his jacket pocket and handed it over.

“Thanks.” She added her loop-de-loop signature to the document with zero hesitation. Jade offered him the pen. “Your turn.” She slid the document toward him and plopped down in a chair.

Rick sat hunched over the paperwork, taking his time, actually reading what he signed. He kept hoping she’d start a dialogue. She didn’t. In the end, he did sign it. He figured she wouldn’t calm down or talk rationally to him until he did. Jade liked to have things her way.

He slid the decree to the middle of the table. “Can we talk now?”

“So help me, Rick, if you signed Mickey Mouse to that document, you will live to regret it.”

“Sorry. I would have if I’d thought of it.”

Taking a deep breath, she then let it out slowly as if a huge weight had been lifted from her. He hated the thought of being a huge weight she wanted to be rid of. He also knew she coveted that engagement ring something fierce. The way she made love with him spoke volumes about affection and feelings. He couldn’t be wrong about that. He’d made her laugh and cry. Candy confirmed the crying part. Jade had feelings. Lots of them. For him.

“Talk away.” She waved her hand at him, no evidence of feelings for him or anyone else.

“How’s the job?”

“Fine,” she snapped, probably not happy Candy was filling him in on her life.

“Coral?”

“Great.”

“I’m still crazy for you,” he said, “and that kid. Time has not changed that.” He tossed the pen on the table. “Signing this piece of paper hasn’t changed how I feel.”

“Let’s see if this changes anything.” She tugged and wiggled the band around her finger. It wouldn’t budge. She twisted the ring, eventually resorting to sucking on her ring finger. “Damn it,” she said under her breath. One more firm pull and it popped off. She placed it on the table. “How do you feel now?”

“Deliriously in love.” He poked his finger in his pocket, dragging the engagement ring out. Rick placed it on the table next to her wedding band.

“Why are you being so pigheaded?” she ground out between clenched teeth.

“Me?” He scoffed. Rick shook his head. “Let’s go at this from a different angle.” He didn’t want to play his ace in the hole so soon or at all, but she wasn’t being reasonable. He yanked his wallet from his back pocket.

“You better not whip out a condom,” she warned him. “Although sturdy, this conference table is not your kitchen table, buddy.”

He pulled a check from the billfold and slid it across the table. “I got the investment from Dave Honeycutt. I think Trudy was behind the decision.”

She leaned in and peeked at the check. “That’s a lot of zeros.” Jade squared her shoulders, sitting back again, showing little emotion. “Congratulations.”

“I owe it all to you.”

“Feel free to send me a gift basket,” she said pleasantly.

He tapped the check. “I got the money and according to Bob, we can undo that pre-nup we signed. I’ll get you a bigger ring if you’d like. A bigger apartment or a condo. Maybe a little house with a yard for Coral.” Her chest rose and fell heavily. Mad as hell, if he had to guess. “A new wedding?” he added, not sure what would entice her to seal the deal. “Honeymoon? A dog?”

She gnashed her teeth, her eyes narrowing to little slits. “What are you suggesting? That I marry you for money?”

“You said—”

“I know what I said.” She slapped her palm on the table. “Don’t tell me what I said. If I want an apartment or a condo or a damn house, I’ll get it myself. Do you think I can’t take care of myself?”

“Come on, Jade. We make a good team.” He fiddled with the rings on the table. “In bed. Out of bed. We
are
good together. I couldn’t love that kid more if she was my own and you know it.”

“You married me because Bob pressured you.” Tears pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. “You needed a temporary wife. You don’t need me anymore.”

“That’s not true.” He hadn’t had to marry her. Bob didn’t have that much influence over him. Part of him wanted to marry her. For a week or a month or a year, whatever she’d give him. “None of it.”

“What about when some john walks up and says something ugly about your wife and child?” she asked. “Then what, Rick?”

“You know I got a mean right hook,” he replied.

The corner of her mouth quivered, fighting the beginnings of a smile. “You going to punch everyone who insults me?”

“Yep.”

“You pretty much insinuated I’m a whore who would only marry you for richer, but not poorer.” She sounded hurt by the implication; although pretty much what she’d led him to believe.

Not that Rick did believe.

“Actually, you came right out and said it when I tried to give you the ring.” At the time, he’d been hurt by the insinuation. “The way I see it, I couldn’t have gotten the investment without you. We’re partners. In everything, Jade.”

Her eyebrows rose in question. “Even diapers?”

“You’re the controlling partner in the diaper department.” Rick picked up the rings, holding them out to her.

She hesitated briefly before offering him her finger and he slid them on. They went on easier than the band had come off. “You get to rip up the divorce papers.”

“With pleasure.” She held the document up and tore it in half.

“Let’s go get Coral and go home,” he suggested, rising. “I’ve missed the hell out of you two.”

“Why do I have a feeling that means your crappy apartment?”

“This is the
for poorer
part of the for richer or poorer,” he said. “But it won’t last long. Promise.”

“I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you—” She shoved him lightly. A sly grin tugged at her lips. “Lock the door and let’s test this conference table since Bob’s probably billing by the hour.”

Left for dead in an enchanted forest, Kelli was raised by wolves, which explains her thick coat of fur and keen night vision. As an adolescent, she was exiled from the pack due to her love of well-done steak smothered in ketchup (her penchant for blackened beef has also caused her ejection from several fine eateries). On her own, she roamed the streets, eating from dumpsters and sleeping in abandoned dog houses. Cold, starving and destitute, Kelli turned to the oldest profession—writing. Since her fall from grace, she has penned several smutty stories for which she has received many accolades. And despite her limited vocabulary, inability to punctuate properly and her well-documented spelling disability, Kelli has collected an assortment of awards (some of them for her writing). But what she wants most in the world is to return to the enchanted forest and her pack. As soon as she figures out north from south and east from west, she will do just that. Until then, happy reading.

You can visit with Kelli at:

www.kelliscottbooks.blogspot.com

Rub Me the Right Way

Heather Bowen is an uptight, stressed out insomniac in desperate need of a massage or a shrink or an orgasm to cure what ails her.

On doctor’s orders, she starts with a massage to work out her knotty/naughty kinks. At the hands of a talented massage therapist, Heather gets a full body rub down. And more. Next stop—a psychiatrist to get at the root of her anxiety and sleeplessness. But is she ready for Dr. Simon’s controversial treatment?