The Negotiation

by Sandi Lynn

  “Having a night out?” he asked.

  “Yes. You too?” I looked over at the black-haired woman who was looking at her phone.

  “Yes.” He gave a nod.

  “Jackson, you already know Katie. This is her boyfriend, Alex, our friend, Elizabeth, and this is my date, Keith.” I smiled as I placed my hand on his shoulder. Everyone, this is Jackson Caine.”

  He smiled as pleasantries were exchanged and then he lightly bit down on his bottom lip as he glared at me for a moment.

  “And your date’s name?” I asked as I cocked my head.

  “Samantha.”

  Looking over at her, I gave her a small wave. She shifted in her seat as a smile crossed her face.

  “Enjoy your dinner,” Jackson spoke as he took his seat across from Samantha.

  “You too.”

  Turning to Keith, I noticed Elizabeth was glaring at me.

  “Sorry. I had no choice. Long story.”

  “Why did you do that?” Katie whispered.

  “I don’t really know. It just slipped out.”

  Once I finished eating, I excused myself and headed to the ladies’ room. After washing my hands, I opened the door to find Jackson standing up against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

  “Waiting to use the ladies’ room?” I asked.

  “No. Come with me.” He grabbed my hand, led me down the hall and out the exit door that led to an alley.

  “What are you doing?”

  He pushed me up against the brick wall, but not before taking hold of my wrists and pinning my arms above my head. His mouth smashed into mine with such force it literally took my breath away. Using his free hand, he discreetly slipped it up my dress, pushed my panties to the side, and dipped in two fingers. My body reacted in the proper way as the wetness poured from me. Moans rumbled in the back of my throat as his lips pressed against mine and his fingers manipulated me until I orgasmed.

  Pulling away from me, he placed his hands on my hips and smiled.

  “I thought maybe you would enjoy that.”

  “I did,” I spoke breathlessly as I stared into his mesmerizing eyes.

  “Go back to your date and enjoy the rest of your evening.” He winked as he walked back inside the restaurant.

  I waited a few minutes so it didn’t look suspicious. Taking my seat, I couldn’t even bring myself to look over Jackson’s way.

  “What took you so long?” Katie asked. “Did you fall in or something?”

  “No. I’m just having some stomach issues. I think I’m going to head home.”

  “Okay. We’re ready to go anyway.”

  When Alex asked the waitress for the check, she told us that it had already been taken care of by an anonymous person who was just paying it forward. I knew damn well Jackson paid for our meal. Before walking out, I glanced over at him, who was engaged in a conversation with Samantha.

  “It was nice to see you again,” I softly spoke as the adrenaline was still coursing through my body.

  “The pleasure was all mine.” He smiled.

  Taking in a deep breath, I walked outside, said goodbye to my friends, and hailed a cab home. The minute I walked through the door, I changed into my pajamas, poured myself a glass of wine, and took it over to the couch. Sitting down, I brought my knees up to my chest and let out a long sigh. I couldn’t stop thinking about Jackson and what happened earlier. It took a lot of nerve to do what he did to me while his date was waiting for him at the table. It was a total dick move on his part and maybe he really wasn’t the man I thought he was.

  As I climbed into bed, my phone rang and Katie’s picture appeared.

  “Shouldn’t you be celebrating Alex’s birthday in bed instead of calling me?”

  “He’s in the bathroom,” she whispered. “So, what do you think? Is he into her or not?”

  “No, sweetie. He’s not. I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. If anything, he couldn’t take his eyes off you the entire night.”

  “Really?” she asked with excitement.

  “Yes. Now stop trying to sabotage your relationship. I’m the only one who can do that.”

  “Thanks, Emily. I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Chapter 12

  Jackson

  “Thank you for dinner, Jackson,” Samantha spoke as she climbed out of the limo. “Jules is going to be so surprised. It’s going to be a great party.”

  “You’re welcome, and thank you for helping me plan it.”

  “No problem. Talk to you soon.” She smiled as she shut the door.

  Jules was certainly going to be surprised since our birthday had already come and gone.

  On my way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Emily and how beautiful she looked at dinner. My mind raced with thoughts of her. Maybe because we had just spent the night and part of that morning together. She was an un-complicated and very strong woman. Not only did I find that attractive about her, it was also a major turn on. Her views on relationships were like mine and I had never known anyone like that before. That was probably why I found sex with her to be the best I ever had. Everything about her was incredible, and I knew there was no way she’d want anything more from me, just like I didn’t want anything more from her.

  The next morning, the elevator came up and Jules stepped out.

  “Good morning.” She smiled as she walked over and kissed my cheek.

  “Good morning. Coffee?” I asked.

  “I’d love some. I just got off a twenty-four-hour shift.”

  Taking a mug down from the cabinet, I poured some strong coffee into it and handed it to her as she took a seat at the island.

  “Was the ER busy?”

  She laughed. “When isn’t it busy? It was one accident after another, and I lost a patient.”

  “Aw, Jules, I’m sorry.” I took a seat and hooked my arm around her.

  “It’s part of the job.”

  “So what brings you by?” I asked.

  “Nothing. I just felt like some brother bonding time. I talked to Mom yesterday in between patients. Apparently, she and Stuart haven’t been getting along lately.”

  “And you’re surprised?” I smirked. “I mean, come on, she’s not an easy woman to live with, and it has been five years since their marriage. It’s about that time.”

  “I have something to tell you.” She laid her head on my shoulder.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Carter asked me to marry him last night.”

  “Wow. At the hospital? In between shifts?” I laughed.

  A light giggle escaped her as she lifted her head and looked at me.

  “Up on the rooftop while we were having dinner.”

  “How romantic.” I smirked.

  “It was and he totally caught me off guard.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I said I had to think about it.”

  “That must have been a blow to his ego.”

  “He understood. He knows how we grew up and he said that he doesn’t need an answer now.”

  “He’s a good man, Jules.”

  “I know he is, but marriage changes people and I don’t want him or us to change.”

  “True. If you really don’t want to get married, then don’t. If he can’t understand that, then maybe he isn’t the guy for you.”

  “I love him, Jackson, but marriage scares the hell out of me.”

  “I know it does and it should.” I kissed the side of her head. “Can’t the two of you just continue living together without the piece of paper? He knows everything about you and he knows how you feel about marriage. Listen, do whatever your heart tells you. Don’t listen to what’s going on inside your head. If you love him that much, which I know you do, then marry the guy.”

  “Coming from a man who refuses to get into a relationship.” She smirked.

  “True.” I grinned. “Marriage and relationships aren’t for me, but for you, it seems to work. S
o just follow your heart.”

  “Thanks, Jackson.” She kissed my cheek. “I’m going to go home and get some sleep. Carter has another couple of hours until his shift ends.”

  I wasn’t surprised that Carter asked Jules to marry him. He was so in love with her and it was something you could see every time they were together. I decided to stay in and do some work from home. As I was sitting in my office, looking up some properties, I received a text message from Carter asking if I was home.

  “Hey, man. Are you by any chance home?”

  “Yeah. I’m just doing some work. What’s up?”

  “I need to talk to you. Would you mind if I stopped by?”

  “Not at all. Come on over. Just take the elevator up.”

  About thirty minutes later, I heard the elevator ding, so I got up from my chair and headed to the kitchen.

  “I brought us a pizza.” Carter smiled as he set it on the counter.

  “Great. I’ll grab a couple of beers.”

  After handing him a beer, I took down a couple of plates and brought the pizza to the table where we both sat down and grabbed a slice.

  “What did you want to talk about?” I asked, even though I was certain it was about his proposal to Jules.

  “I asked Jules to marry me last night.”

  “Oh?” I pretended that I didn’t know. “What did she say?”

  “She said she’d have to get back to me.”

  “Are you really surprised by that?”

  “Not really. It just seemed like the perfect moment. Maybe I should have waited. I’m just so worried that she’s going to say no.” He took a sip of his beer.

  “Don’t give up on her just yet. I know she loves you and if she can push aside all the shit we grew up seeing, then I’m sure she’ll say yes.”

  “I really do not like your parents at the moment.” He grinned.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I can understand that. They certainly have their issues, which were passed down to me and Jules.”

  “You know, Jackson, not every relationship is like that. My parents have been happily married for thirty years. People can get married and stay together.”

  “I’m sure some can.”

  “You don’t believe that if Jules and I got married, we’d be together forever?”

  “I don’t know, Carter. You and Jules have an amazing relationship. Do you really need a piece of paper to solidify that?”

  “Yes. Actually, I do. I want to make her my wife. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life introducing her as my girlfriend.”

  “I really wish I could understand where you’re coming from, but I can’t. My parents didn’t paint this amazing picture of how wonderful and fulfilling marriage is. They only showed us that if things get bad or tough, you get out.”

  “I understand that, but see, my parents did paint the perfect picture of how it can be when two people are deeply in love, and that’s what I want with Jules.”

  “And you think having a grand party with a ton of people and declaring your love in front of them is going to make any difference?”

  “I do.” He finished off a second slice of pizza.

  I felt bad for the guy because he wholeheartedly believed that he and Jules would be together forever. Who the hell knew; maybe they would be. I just didn’t want him to pressure my sister into something she was unsure of.

  “What do I do, Jackson?”

  “Do you love my sister?” I asked with seriousness.

  “More than anything in the whole world. I’d die for her.”

  “Then you’ll wait for her answer. And if she tells you no, you won’t let it change anything about your relationship.”

  “I couldn’t anyway. If she says no, then I’ll respect her decision.”

  “You’re a good man, Carter, and just to let you know, I got your back.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

  After finishing off a large pizza and two beers later, he left to go home to his girlfriend and I went back to doing some work in my office. Thoughts of Emily crept through my mind and I found myself wanting to take her out again. But I’d wait a few days until popping into her shop to ask her.

  Chapter 13

  Emily

  One Week Later

  Evelyn and I were in the back, looking over the rack of clothes she had designed, when Katie came in with a wide grin across her face.

  “Excuse me, Miss Wade. There is a gentleman here to see you.”

  “Who?”

  “I do believe his name is Mr. Jackson Caine.” She spoke in a fake southern accent.

  A flip in my belly caught me off guard as I stood there for a moment. Following her out of the backroom, I smiled when I saw him standing in front of the counter, dark blue designer suit and all.

  “Hello there, Mr. Caine. What can I do for you?”

  “Hello, Emily. It’s good to see you again.” The smile on his face widened.

  “Good to see you too.”

  He placed his arm on the counter and slightly leaned over it so his face was inches from mine.

  “I was thinking that maybe we could have dinner tonight.”

  “Is that so?” I smiled.

  “Yes. Very so. What do you say?”

  “I’d like that. What time?”

  “What time works for you?” he asked.

  “Six thirty?”

  “Six thirty it is.”

  “Where would you like to meet?” I asked.

  “425 West 50th Street, Penthouse A.”

  “We’re having dinner in a penthouse?”

  “Not just any penthouse. My penthouse.” He smirked. “Just take the elevator all the way up to the top. I’ll make sure it’s unlocked.”

  “Alright. I’ll see you at six thirty.”

  “I’ll be waiting.” He tapped his fist on the counter and began to walk away.

  “You could have just called and asked me. You didn’t have to come here.”

  He stopped and turned around.

  “And become man drama? No thanks.” He winked as he walked out the door.

  Evelyn emerged from the back and stood next to Katie as they both watched Jackson leave the shop.

  “He’s so dreamy.” Katie stared straight ahead.

  “He sure is,” Evelyn replied.

  “Another date. That’s great.” Katie smiled as she glanced over at me. “I’m thinking he might be the one.”

  Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a piece of chocolate from under the counter and popped it in my mouth.

  “There is no ‘the one,’ dear friend. He’s a nice guy and fun to hang with. That’s it.”

  “You’re so having sex with him tonight,” Evelyn spoke.

  Biting down on my bottom lip at the thought, I couldn’t deny it.

  “I sure am.” I grinned and we all laughed like a bunch of teenagers.

  As I was leaving the shop around four thirty, my phone dinged with a text message from Jackson.

  “By the way, dinner might run a little late, so you may want to pack a small overnight bag in case it’s too late to go home.”

  I smiled as I typed my reply.

  “I was already going to.”

  ****

  As the cab driver pulled up to 425 West 50th Street, I reached in my wallet, handed him some cash, and climbed out with my purse and small bag. When I approached the door, a hot young guy who I presumed was the doorman held the door open for me.

  “Thank you.”

  “May I ask who you’re here to see?”

  “Jackson Caine. He’s expecting me. He told me just to take the elevator up to the top.” I smiled.

  “Ah yes, Mr. Caine did say he was expecting you, Emily. You are Emily, correct?”

  “Yes.” I grinned. “I’m Emily. Wouldn’t that have been awkward if I wasn’t?” I winked.

  “Very awkward.” He smiled. “Enjoy your evening.”

  When the elevator doors opened, I stepped into a small hallway, which
forced me to turn right into the kitchen.

  “Hello,” I spoke to the older man standing at the island.

  “Good evening, miss.”

  “Is Jackson here?”

  “He told me to tell you that if he wasn’t down when you arrived, he would be shortly.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled.

  Looking around, I found that his kitchen was amazing. White cabinets filled the walls with a light gray granite backsplash and matching countertops. The floor was also a light gray Italian marble that fit the décor to perfection, as well as the high-end stainless steel appliances.

  “Welcome to my home.” Jackson smiled as he stepped into the kitchen and took my bag from me.

  “Your kitchen is amazing and I’m very jealous of your double oven.”

  He let out a light chuckle. “Why?”

  “Because I think they’re cool and I always wanted one.”

  “If you behave, maybe I’ll let you use it.” He winked. “Follow me and I’ll give you a tour of the place. Maybe I have something else you can be jealous of.” He grinned.

  He looked sexy as all fuck in his tan-colored khaki pants and dark blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. My lower half could barely contain the excitement.

  “Here’s the living and dining area. And my office, bathroom, and a guest bedroom are down that hallway over to your left.”

  “Very nice,” I spoke as I looked over the space with beige walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, dark solid oak wood floors, and neutral-colored furniture made up of beiges and red.

  Following him up the stairs, we stepped into another living area with a wet bar, more floor-to-ceiling windows, and French double doors that led out to a huge terrace.

  “Wow. What a view,” I spoke as I stared out into the breathtaking view of Manhattan.

  “I love it out there on warm nights. It’s very relaxing and a great way to unwind after a long day of work.”

  “I bet. I think I’m jealous of your terrace.” I laughed.

  “And this is the room of all rooms.” He smirked as we stepped into his over-sized bedroom.

  “I like it.” I bit down on my bottom lip as he set my bag down on his king-sized bed that was covered in a satin and ribbed-frame-patterned dark gray comforter with matching shams and decorative pillows.