by A. C. Arthur
“Ma’am, we have to get going. I’m on a pretty tight timeline and I need to get you to the designated location,” the sexy driver said.
Jenise looked up at him slowly as if she weren’t really understanding his words because she was too busy trying to wrap her mind around all of this. “Where’s the destination?” she asked him.
“My instructions were to pick you up and drive. Not talk,” he said.
Jenise frowned at that. “Well, you’ve been talking to my secretary.”
When Gwen chuckled and the driver looked chastised enough, Jenise decided she would simply go with the flow. It was probably just dinner to thank her for getting the charges dismissed, she thought, recalling the text message she’d received from him just moments ago. Yes, that’s what this was, a simple thank you dinner. It wasn’t what she had planned for the evening, but she could go along with it.
“Fine,” she told him. “Let’s go. Gwen, be sure to check the answering machine before you leave because I’m certain you weren’t taking any calls while he was here.”
Gwen didn’t even feign innocence, but instead picked up that phone to punch in the code to retrieve the voice mail with a brilliant smile on her face as she nodded goodbye to the sexy driver. Jenise shook her head. “Goodnight, Gwen.”
“Goodnight, Jenise,” Gwen said, even though that tone was certainly directed at the driver who had just bumped into the glass door because he’d been staring back at Gwen, also smiling.
With a shake of her head and a pep in her step, Jenise followed the driver out to the elevator, where once inside, she lifted the bouquet up to her nose and inhaled deeply. They were colorful and fragrant and absolutely gorgeous. They were also the first flowers she’d ever received from a man.
#
Jenise stepped onto the private jet.
Yes, a private jet.
She’d never been on a private jet before and wow, she could not believe she was on one now.
Her steps were muted as she walked across the plush ivory colored carpet. To her left was a leather couch in a shade that made her think of freshly churned butter. To her right, were two deep cushioned white leather chairs with swivel bottoms, and a marble-top table in between. Further ahead was another swivel chair and a wrap-around leather couch positioned right across from a large screened television. If she would have continued to walk forward she would have entered another room, but his voice stopped her.
“Did you like the flowers?”
Jenise turned, her purse slipping off her shoulder and almost hitting the floor she’d moved so fast. “Yes. Yes, I did,” she replied.
The driver had already taken the flowers and her briefcase, along with a black duffle bag from the trunk of the shiny black Lincoln Town car they’d traveled in and brought them onto the plane. She wasn’t sure where he’d put them, but she had watched him bring them inside as he’d boarded ahead of her.
“Good. I wasn’t sure what type of flowers you liked but when I told the florist about your love of Christmas, she said she had the perfect idea. She’ll be happy to hear they went over well,” Savian said.
He looked almost too large for this space. This was no small jet and there was clearly no expense spared in the décor, but Savian, he was definitely the eye-piece here. Dressed in all black—slacks, button front shirt and leather jacket—his skin tone looked almost golden, eyes a simmering pool of green-gray mix, hair as dark as his clothes. Even fully dressed his muscled physique was obvious, the strength and swagger he exuded totally breathtaking.
“You didn’t have to do any of this,” Jenise told him. “I just did my job.”
He gave a little nod as he removed his jacket, laying it on one of the swivel chairs and walked toward her. He reached to take her purse—which she was now holding tightly in front of her—and sat that on the marble table.
“I wanted to do this for you,” he replied. “And you just wait, there’s more.”
Jenise wasn’t certain what ‘more’ entailed, but for the moment she was content with the brilliant smile Savian had given her and the warmth that spread instantly throughout her body when he’d taken her by the hand and led her to the wrap-around couch where they took their seats.
The driver, who Savian introduced as Pierce was also the pilot. His bright white teeth had gleamed against his darker skin tone as he’d extended a hand to Jenise and she shook it. “Just sit back and relax, Ms. Langley. We’ll have a smooth ride and we’ll be there in no time,” he said to her before disappearing into another room on the jet.
“Where will we be in no time?” she asked Savian.
“It’s a surprise,” had been his immediate response as he reached for a remote control and turned the television on.
“I don’t like surprises,” she said, with more of a pout than she’d intended.
“Come on,” he said, giving her a playful nudge with his elbow. “Just relax and go with the flow.”
Jenise could not believe that Savian was saying those words to her. In the months that she’d known him she’d never seen this man truly relaxed. His mind always seemed full of something that may or may not have been pleasurable. Truth be told, she hadn’t thought he was capable of doing something this spontaneous. The flowers, the driver, the jet, it all seemed so out of character for Savian. Still, Jenise could do as he asked, mostly because she loved how it felt to be sitting here with him in this private space, alone. It seemed as if this were their private space and at this moment she didn’t feel like there was anyone, or any issue, here between them. That is, except for Burl Ives as he appeared in the form of a vest-wearing snowman on the large television screen.
“You want to watch Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer?” she looked over to him and asked.
“Yeah,” he replied with a nod. “Rudolph and I have a lot in common. We’ve always been on the outside looking in.”
His words broke her heart and Jenise acted on instinct when she reached over and laced her fingers with his.
“Rudolph has always been my favorite of the reindeer. He’s unique and he saves Christmas. The ultimate hero,” she said as she snuggled closer to him.
“I don’t know about all that, but his shiny nose is kind of cool,” Savian replied in a light tone.
They watched Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman and ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. Jenise was in the perfect mood at that point because she loved watching the old cartoons from her childhood, almost as much as she loved sitting with Savian sharing commentary about said cartoons. Savian had admitted that he’d also watched these cartoons when he was little, although he never shared how much he enjoyed them with anyone in his family. Jenise didn’t know why Savian was so reserved and had wondered a time or two if there had been some incident from his past that made him this way. If that were true, he was more like her than she’d ever imagined.
Today, however, Jenise felt as if Savian had opened up and shared little things, like how he thought Frosty had the best friends in the world because they didn’t leave him when he needed them most. That sentiment had melted her heart, just like being in that greenhouse had quickly melted Frosty. So there was nothing else that could have made this moment better—well, a piping hot bowl of her beef stew since she hadn’t eaten anything since the cheese and crackers she’d indulged in for lunch, at least five hours earlier, would do the trick.
“We’re here,” Savian announced and nodded toward the small circular windows along the wall of the jet.
Jenise sat forward on the couch so that she could see out as well. They appeared to be landing.
“Where is here?” she asked realizing with a start that she actually had no idea where she was.
She’d climbed into that car without knowing where Pierce was taking her. When they’d arrived at the airport, she’d begun to wonder. The jet had taken her breath away, along with the man that joined her for the ride. But to be perfectly honest, she’d been so engrossed in the holiday movies and the man once again, that she hadn�
��t stopped to think that the jet was actually in the air.
“Here,” Savian said while rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand, “is where the magic begins.”
#
Savian held her hand while they rode in back of the limousine. He hadn’t been able to stop touching her since he’d seen her standing aboard the jet, looking around as if she were in absolute awe. When she’d turned her gaze on him that awe had turned to simple delight, reaching inside him with a flood of light that filled every dark crevice of his soul. It had been an amazing few minutes as he’d stood there looking at her.
The dress she wore was black and very form-fitting, accentuating every divine curve of her body. Her scarf was a whimsical choice, filled with light gray and black swirls and shocking red elephants. It was bold and distinct and matched her personality perfectly. The boots, however, were the best part of the outfit. They were long, stretching up her legs to rest just above her knee and Savian found himself wanting to trace his hand up that length and further to see what he could find.
At that moment he was glad he’d had the forethought to make a stop at the mall this afternoon. There’d been a flurry of activities for him after he’d received that faxed copy of the dismissal. A myriad of emotions had coursed through him as well. There was obvious relief, touched with a bit of wonder and amazement that it could have happened to him in the first place. He’d worked so hard on his temper over the years and had felt that he’d finally reached a safe place in his life. Giovanni Morelli had pushed him back to a place where he had not wanted to go and that act alone had almost cost him his freedom.
That was over now. He had been cleared of the murder charges and now they were looking for Jaydon to see exactly how she fit into this situation. There wasn’t a whole lot Savian could do about the search at the moment and he’d accepted that fact, mainly because there’d been something else on his mind. On Sunday night when he’d left Jenise’s house and went straight to Parker’s, he’d realized something. He liked the thought of having a woman standing beside him the way Adriana had immediately come to stand beside his brother. She’d made him think of Jenise, of how she’d taken his case the night he’d showed up at her apartment without any questions. While they’d already had sex at least a half dozen times by that point, watching the way she supported him on an entirely different level had begun to amaze him. It wasn’t something he’d planned, nor would have ever predicted. Even now, he wasn’t sure where it was leading.
What he’d known for certain this afternoon was that he’d wanted to do something special for her. He wanted to thank her for helping him and to give her what he’d known she wanted—a bit of Christmas magic. So the planning and the phone calls and yes, the dreaded shopping, had begun.
“Here,” he said leaning across the seat and pulling a bag towards them. “You’re going to need this.”
She’d been looking out the windows, a bit quieter than he’d expected her to be once she realized they were in New York. Yet, she smiled when he handed her the bag.
“You’re really outdoing yourself today, Savian,” she said before digging a hand into the bag.
The coat was black—which he thought had been a great call considering her ensemble—three quartered wool with three huge black buttons and a wide belt. The clerk said it would look great on her and Savian had trusted those words. The smile that quickly spread across her face said she thought so as well.
“Did you think of everything?” she asked as she moved around, putting the coat on.
“I tried,” he said with a shrug just as the car was coming to a stop.
When the door opened, their new driver helped Jenise out and Savian followed. He took her hand once more and led her into Del Frisco’s Grille. After giving the host his name they were walked past the amazing bar and wood burning oven to the private area he’d reserved for them.
“Dinner in New York,” Jenise said after removing her coat and taking a seat. “I love this idea!”
Savian could only smile because she had no clue what else he had in store for her tonight. “I think you’re going to love the food as well. I had the opportunity to dine here a few years ago and I’ve never forgotten the service or the taste.”
“Were you here with a woman?” she asked and the look on her face said the question shocked her as much as it did him.
The waiter arrived then and they ordered—cheesesteak eggrolls with sweet and spicy chili sauce, a steakhouse salad for her, and the shaved prime steak sandwich for him. They both ordered the signature sweet Hawaiian pineapple infused vodka cocktail. Savian took a swallow from the glass of water that had been put in front of them before the waiter had taken their order and then he sat back in his seat and looked at her.
“No. I did not bring a woman here,” he replied to her question. “As you probably guessed I don’t do the dating scene in the traditional sense.”
She took a sip of her water as well, as if they both needed some type of libation—no matter how subtle—to have this conversation.
“I think you could probably say the same for me,” she said with a tentative smile.
“I was born into this family, with this name, I didn’t chose it,” Savian admitted and felt just a bit of relief at finally saying that aloud.
“It’s a good family,” Jenise replied. “Your parents are so loving and supportive and so are your siblings. It was amazing watching all of you together on Thanksgiving.”
Savian agreed. The Donovans were an amazing bunch. “I was totally shocked to see you walk into that dining room. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“I don’t know,” she answered with a shrug. “Adriana stopped by my office earlier that week and invited me. I declined at first, but for a pretty, wispy woman, she’s quite pushy.”
Jenise smiled and Savian did too, agreeing about Adriana.
“She can be deceiving upon first glance,” he said. “She has more spunk than one would anticipate.”
“For the record,” she told him, “I haven’t taken a guy home to meet my family in years, so I know how awkward that must have made you feel.”
He was quiet a moment as he realized that he knew absolutely nothing about Jenise’s past relationships. He hadn’t thought he wanted to at first. Now, he thought seriously, he did.
“I’ve never taken anyone home to meet my family. I’ve never had a girlfriend or a desire to make that type of connection.”
There, he’d said it and now he would sit back and see how that made her feel.
“Well, aren’t we a pair,” was her reply as she chuckled and took another sip from her water.
Their cocktails arrived and Jenise abandoned the water to now sip from the fruity drink instead. The quick light in her eyes as she swallowed and took a second sip told him she liked it. He liked that. He also liked how pretty she looked with her hair curled at the top and silky smooth on the sides.
In the next few minutes their appetizers arrived and they began the usual dinner chit-chat.
“These are fantastic,” she said after her first bite of the cheesesteak eggrolls. “I’m usually not into spicy sauces, but this is really good. Either that or I’m really hungry.”
Savian chuckled. “No. I think they’re very good too.” Just as he thought she was the most honest and downright attractive woman he’d ever met.
While he’d never wanted a girlfriend that did not make Savian a stranger to women. Only, the women that he’d been with had never laughed as easily as Jenise. They never looked as naturally pretty as she did when she was doing something as simple as putting an eggroll into her mouth. He didn’t know why this was the first time he’d noticed all that and to tell the truth he was still trying to figure out what it meant.
Their entrees were quickly devoured as they both admitted to not eating since early afternoon.
“My mom would have a fit if she heard me admit that. She swears that skipping meals slows the metabolism,” Jenise said.
Savian nodded. “She’s right, but unfortunately it cannot be helped some times.”
“I know, business has been building at a steady pace. I’m really thinking about hiring an associate in the new year,” she told him as she cut through her salad.
“You should. The whole idea is to grow the firm, to get the Langley Law name spread across the U.S. You can’t do that on your own.”
“Wow,” she said looking over at him. “I don’t think you and I have ever talked about our work before.”
“We haven’t,” Savian admitted. “It must be that magic I keep telling you about.”
She laughed out loud then, covering her mouth momentarily when she thought it may have been too loud. It wasn’t, Savian thought. It was just right.
“I can’t believe I’m selling you on that magic. That is so cool,” she remarked.
“Yes,” Savian added before the last swallow of his cocktail. “That is so cool.”
She was so cool and so enticing and addictive. There was a tightness in his chest at that moment and he cleared his throat in an attempt to play it off. She was doing something to him, but it wasn’t really magic, he swore. It couldn’t be.
Chapter 10
“Oh my. Oh my. My goodness, Savian. It’s beautiful!” Jenise exclaimed when the lights on the tree at Rockefeller Center were illuminated.
The temperature had dropped since they’d first arrived in the city and now as the breeze blew, Jenise shivered. As a native of Chicago this air should have been easy to deal with, but she had to admit she’d quickly become accustomed to the warmer climate in Miami. Snuggling into her coat, her smile brightened as Savian slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“Maybe we should have watched from the terrace,” he told her, but she immediately shook her head.
“No, this is it right here. This is the magic of Christmas. Can’t you feel it in the air?”
“I feel a very chilly breeze in the air,” was his quick response.
She playfully nudged him as holiday music played and people crowded around. “It’s everywhere, the tree is just the biggest symbol. But look around at their faces. Everyone is smiling because they feel the magic too. I love it, love it, love it!” she exclaimed and clapped her hands together.
