Saving jay, p.12
Saving Jay, page 12
part #3 of Breaking Free Series
Jay’s blue eyes were unwavering, and for those few seconds, all I heard was the beat of my awakened heart.
Pulling my hand from his, I placed it on Jay’s jaw. We watched each other as our bodies drew closer. Closing my eyes, I leaned forward, my lips anticipating his touch, and slowly pressed my mouth to his. Warm soft lips, rough stubble under my hand, the heat of his palm as it slid up my thigh, my heart thumping fast in my chest—all of it created a moment I’d never forget.
Jay
I have to take things slow. Take things slow, Jay. Take things…slow.
I moaned as I felt Jade’s warm tongue slide against mine, my hand on her leg moving up to grip her hip. My dick was already rock-hard, and we’d only kissed. I’d have to stop soon, or we’d end up going too far. As much as I wanted Jade, I wanted to be sure she was ready. I knew her heart was broken, and I’d have to be patient.
A few seconds later, I finally found the strength to break our kiss. I held the back of Jade’s head and rested my forehead against hers as we panted, sharing the same air.
“As much as it hurts me to say this, I don’t think we should rush,” I said.
I felt Jade nod, and I backed away to look at her. Her lips were wet and swollen. Her hazel eyes looked darker, and her pupils were dilated.
Shit. Why did you look?
“I don’t want you to regret anything.”
Jade nodded again as her breathing slowed. I couldn’t tell if she really agreed with me or not. The look she was giving me made me question my decision.
Closing her eyes, she sighed before looking down at her legs. “No, you’re right. We don’t need to rush.”
Lifting her chin with my fingers, I urged her to look at me. “You do understand how hard this is for me, right? It’s not because I don’t want you. I’ve never, ever wanted anyone more than I want you.”
Jade’s lips lifted into a smile. “Me, too.”
Fuck. She is not making this easy.
Just as I considered changing my mind, the phone on my desk began to ring. I was surprised to be getting a call so late. Jade and I both looked at it before I stood up.
“I’m sorry. I should probably get that.”
Jade waved her hand in front of her. “No, no. Go ahead.”
Picking up the receiver, I touched the Accept button. “Jason Clarke.”
“Mr. Clarke, I’m sorry to disturb you so late. This is Megan.”
Megan was one of my employees who had been assigned to handle a new restaurant I was opening in Florida.
“Yes, Megan. What is it?”
“A counteroffer has been made on the Miami property, and I was told we have until midnight to make a better one, or we’ll lose it.”
Checking my watch, I saw it was already ten thirty. Shit.
I looked at Jade and watched as she got up and made her way toward my windows.
“All right. Give me a moment. I’ll call you back.” I hung up before Megan could respond. “I’m sorry. It’s work,” I said to Jade.
She turned around and smiled at me. She seemed calm and happy, which was reassuring.
Coming to stand in front of me, she rested her hands on my chest as she looked into my eyes. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For giving me a reason to smile again.”
It was Friday morning, and I had another blind date tonight. I had planned on canceling after the conversation Jade and I had, but she’d sent me a text soon after she left, telling me not to.
It seemed like a waste of time to me, but I guessed I could go on one more just to please my mother. Maybe it was Jade’s way of testing me, to see if I really wanted her. Either way, I’d said I’d go.
I had been up late, working, the night before, so I hadn’t gotten much sleep. Kristine had also flown back from LA last night, so we both had a busy day ahead of us.
I walked out of my room, freshly showered and wearing only my pants, when I greeted my personal chef, “Good morning, Nathan.”
He nodded once as he sautéed peppers in a pan. “Mr. Clarke, would you like some coffee?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
Nathan would come over every Friday to restock my kitchen and cook the next week’s meals. He’d also come cook for business dinners or special occasions. He had been working for me for years, but we always kept our relationship fairly professional.
I made my way over to the dining room table to get some paperwork I’d left there last night before going to the bar and sitting across from him.
“Get some new ink?” he asked, glancing up at me, before he pulled some chicken out of the oven.
I grabbed the cup of coffee he’d poured for me. “Yeah, just a few days ago actually.”
“It looks awesome. Who’s the artist?”
“Jade Holliday.”
He stopped cooking long enough to give me a pointed look as he whistled. “Now, that is one beautiful woman.”
I grinned at him before taking a sip from my mug. I probably would have been ready to fight him if I hadn’t already known he was gay.
“I heard she opened up shop out here. I guess it wasn’t a rumor. Have you seen her on that show with David Bryson?”
I shook my head as I looked down at one of the papers in my hand. “No, not yet.”
“She should probably look into getting a bodyguard with some of the things I’ve seen on the message boards. She’s definitely got some passionate fans.”
I peered up at Nathan before responding, “Really?”
He raised his eyebrows as he stirred something in a silver bowl. “Oh, yeah. She kind of stole the spotlight for a while there. They devoted an entire episode to her last week.”
I started feeling uneasy, knowing people out there were talking about Jade. None of them knew her or what she’d been through. I felt a sudden need to see her, to protect her.
Getting up from my stool, I took my cup of coffee and walked toward my office. Sitting at my desk, I brought my computer to life and searched for Jade’s name. There were over two hundred search results—clips from the show and pictures of her and her work. I clicked on one of the video clips and watched a couple of minutes of the reality show. There was one of her talking to a client as she tattooed a picture of Catwoman on her leg. Underneath it, there were over a hundred comments from people who had watched it.
Damn, she’s fucking hot!
I’d let her tattoo me any day.
Come to papa. Damn, look at those tits.
I closed the website and stood up. I had to stop reading, or I’d end up breaking something. It was no wonder Jade felt like she had to close herself off. Anyone would after seeing shit like that.
Jade
I walked into the shop a little before ten and was greeted by Cee Cee’s smiling face.
“Good morning!”
I looked around the room and noticed it was spotless. All the surfaces had been dusted and wiped down. The floors were even shiny.
“What happened here?”
Dustin came walking out from the back with a cup of coffee in his hand. “My sister is fucking nuts. That’s what happened.”
Cee Cee rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Dustin.”
“She dragged me out here at fucking eight this morning to unlock the doors, so she could clean it. Who the fuck does that?”
I laughed as I went to drop my bag on the table in the corner.
“Someone who’s excited about her job.” She stuck her tongue out at her older brother.
“Well, I think it’s awesome. Thank you, Cee Cee.”
Dustin shook his head and went to sit on the couch.
“So, next Monday, Jay’s assistant is coming to the shop to help us organize. She’ll be downloading new programs to the computer and everything. I need both of you here, so she can train you. I also think I’ll be getting another computer, so you can each have your own to work on.”
“So, what? Are you and that Jay dude dating now?” Dustin grumbled. He leaned back into the couch cushions and sipped his coffee.
“Maybe. What’s it to you?”
He shrugged. “Nothing. It just seems weird that you’re dating a guy with the same name as you. ‘Hi, Jay. How are you?’ ‘I’m fine, J. How are you?’” he said, raising his voice into a whiny tone.
With my eyebrows raised, I looked at Dustin like he was nuts…because he kind of was. “He calls me Jade.”
He shrugged one of his shoulders. “Whatever.”
I shook my head and decided to leave it alone. He was obviously being a grouch this morning.
Grabbing my bag, I began making my way toward my office.
Cee Cee said, “Oh, you got a call from Marcus Avery this morning. He wanted to make an appointment. I told him your next opening isn’t for four months.”
I stopped mid-stride. “Marcus Avery?”
She nodded.
“Call him back and tell him I’m available any Monday he wants. He’s a celebrity, and he’s married to one of my good friends, so I’ll make an exception and work on my day off.”
“Okay, sure.”
“Thanks.”
About an hour later, my first client of the day arrived. I didn’t talk much as I worked on his tattoo. I was too distracted, thinking about Jay and the date he’d be going on tonight. I still wasn’t entirely sure I’d made the right choice by telling him to go, but I’d felt like I had to take a leap of faith. I couldn’t spend our entire relationship being suspicious of his intentions and jealous of every woman he spent time with. I used to be confident enough not to waste my time being jealous, but my self-esteem had taken a serious beating over the past few years.
“What the fuck’s wrong with Dustin?” Trix asked as he came to lean in the doorway. He had a black beanie on his head, his brown hair poking out of the front, and his black-framed nerd glasses on today.
“I dunno. I think he’s grouchy because Cee Cee woke him up early.”
“Or he’s pissed that the chick he’s been lusting after has a new boyfriend.”
Pausing to wipe the excess ink off my work, I looked up at Trix, and he had his arms crossed as he gave me an accusatory look.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Trix shook his head and rolled his eyes before walking off.
What the fuck was that?
I pressed my foot on the pedal and dipped my needles in some blue ink.
Was Trix talking about me? Does Dustin like…
Oh no.
It all started to make sense—the way Dustin would eye Jay and get quiet every time he was around, how much he’d been helping me out, him always offering to stay with me when I had to work late, all the winks and compliments.
Shit.
I’d always assumed Dustin saw me as just a friend. He flirted with everyone, so it never occurred to me that he might have a crush. I wondered if I should talk to him about it or just pretend I didn’t know.
I really don’t want to have that conversation.
A few seconds later, Cee Cee poked her head in the room. “I have Marcus on the phone. He said he’d love to make an appointment for this coming Monday. Will that work for you?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Tell him we can talk about it more when I see him tomorrow.”
I saw her eyes widen in surprise before she nodded.
“Okay.”
I guessed she was a fan of his, too.
“You must be busy these days, huh?”
I looked at the guy I was tattooing and smiled. He’d been pretty quiet for the past hour.
“Yeah, super busy. It’s been crazy.”
“So, did you open this shop with your boyfriend?”
Huh? That’s an odd question.
When I gave him a curious look, he elaborated, “That guy out front—he’s not your boyfriend?”
I grinned and shook my head before pouring some green soap on his arms and cleaning it off. “No.”
“So, you’re single then?”
Ugh.
Jay
Halfway through dinner, I found myself checking my watch and wondering what Jade was doing. It wasn’t because my date was awful. She wasn’t. She was actually quite beautiful and smart. She had indeed graduated from Yale with a degree in medicine, and she was well on her way to opening her own practice. She seemed genuine and nice, but I really had no romantic interest in her, and I thought she could tell.
“So, I’m guessing you got badgered into going on this date,” she said before taking a sip from her wine.
I peered up at her, my fork halfway to my mouth. Am I being that obvious?
She shrugged. “It’s okay. I didn’t want to go out with you either.”
I felt my shoulders relax, and I smiled. “Oh, yeah?” I took my bite.
“I’m actually gay,” she whispered across the table.
I stopped chewing as my eyebrows rose.
She started laughing and glanced at the tables around us before leaning in closer. “I still haven’t broken the news to Mom and Dad.”
I swallowed my food and cleared my throat. “Well, that takes all the awkwardness out of this date,” I said, chuckling.
“Yep,” she replied with a bright smile.
During a delicious dinner and dessert, I had a few laughs with my date. I assured her that her secret was safe with me, and we both agreed to tell our mothers that there just wasn’t a romantic connection. When we parted ways, it was almost nine thirty.
I got into my car and called Jade.
“Hello?”
I grinned when I heard her voice coming out of my speakers. “Good evening, Ms. Holliday.”
“Mr. Clarke, so nice to hear from you,” she replied in a playful tone. “How was your date?”
“Well…she was gay.”
Jade went quiet.
“You there?”
“You’re joking.”
“No, I’m not. She confessed about halfway through dinner.”
Jade burst into a fit of laughter, and I couldn’t help but laugh with her.
“I’m sorry, but that’s hilarious.”
“I think I’m officially done with these blind dates.”
“Oh, poor baby,” she said, teasing me.
“So, what are you doing?” I asked as I merged onto the highway.
“I was just about to take a shower. Why?”
“I want to see you.”
She hummed into the phone, and I licked my lips.
“You could come over.”
I grinned as I imagined Jade naked in her shower. “You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Jade
I tossed my clothes onto my bathroom floor as I rushed to get into the shower. I knew Jay and I had agreed to take things slow, but a girl had to be prepared just in case. I quickly washed my hair and made sure everything was shaved, clean, and smelling good. I got out, dripping wet, and I rushed into my room for my cocoa butter lotion. I dried myself off, wrapped my hair up in a towel, and began slathering the lotion all over my body. I was a giddy, anxious, and butterfly-infested mess. After slipping on a black thong, I tried to hide all my efforts by putting on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. I finished towel-drying my hair, brushed it, and checked myself in the mirror.
Okay. Deep breath. He’s just coming over to hang out. Nothing is going to happen.
I put my hands on my hips and looked at myself in the mirror. “I should probably put a bra on,” I said, looking down at my hard nipples as they poked through the thin material of my tank top. “Or should I?” I asked my reflection with a sly smile.
Just then, I heard my phone chime with a text from Jay.
I’m here.
I texted him back.
Okay. Come up.
I got a response a few seconds later.
Are you sure?
I smiled as I pictured him sitting in the parking lot, fighting the urge to come upstairs. I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him, and I thought it was sweet that he was trying to make sure we took things slow, like I’d asked. Instead of responding, I put on one of my zip-up hoodies, slipped my feet into a pair of flip-flops, and went to him.
When I walked outside, I scanned the parking lot and saw Jay’s Mercedes sitting under a streetlight. I started walking toward it and watched as Jay saw me before getting out. He smiled, his sexy dimples showing, as he looked at me.
“What are you so scared of, Mr. Clarke?” I asked as I got closer.
I watched as he licked his bottom lip, his blue eyes slowly making their way down my body. When I finally stopped beside his door, he closed it before stepping in front of me and into my space. My ass hit the side of his car, and my knees grew weak as he looked down at me. I could feel his dominance surrounding me, and I was shocked at how he’d taken the upper hand without speaking a word.
“I’m afraid you aren’t ready for all the things I want to do to you, Ms. Holliday,” he said, his eyes steady on mine.
I sucked in a deep breath through my nose as I tried to keep my insides from melting. Jay was too fucking sexy. I could feel that commanding presence pulsing off of him, and it was making my panties wet.
“Try me,” I whispered, my eyes searching his.
His gaze flicked down to my lips, and when he stepped closer, I could smell his expensive cologne. That undercurrent of energy radiated between us as he slid one hand around my waist, leaned down, and pressed his lips to mine.
All I felt was Jay—his hands, his body, the caress of his tongue. He had me pinned against the side of his car. He groaned as I slid my fingers into his hair, and his arm around me tightened. He was an amazing kisser, and finally giving in to the tension between us just opened the floodgates to our desire. I was ready to forget all the rules I’d put in place to protect my heart.
“Come inside,” I murmured as his lips moved down my neck.
He pressed his hips forward, and I could feel his arousal through his suit. I knew he wanted me just as much as I wanted him.
