“I’m sorry.”
Jada looked up at him, shocked by the words.
“I really am,” he said. “I’m sorry to have put you through so much. I had no idea about the problems with your father, and you’re right. I was just focused on the deal. It meant more to me than anything at the time. But when I saw you”—he searched for words—“I was just floored. You are so beautiful, and what’s more, you took none of my shit; you don’t take shit from anyone. It was remarkable. No one ever talks to me the way you do; no one ever challenges me like you do. I was so used to just going along the way you’re supposed to when you’re well off, but you wouldn’t have it, Jada. You never let Jacques open the door for you; you said to give him the night off. You were upset when you heard the cakes were going to be thrown out, so I couldn’t bring myself to allow that to happen. You got me to give everyone at work free lunch, and I even turned down clients who were less than ethical because I didn’t want you to think poorly of me if I did business with them.
“Since I’ve met you, all I want to do is make you happy, to show you that I’m not obsessed with money—and that’s why I told you about the orphanage. I just couldn’t hide it from you. You make me open up like no one I know. And I…I set up those appointments and fittings because I wanted to spend time with you. I wanted to get to know you, but I’m not very good at that. I’ve never cared like this before. I taught you this…”
Jackson scooped Jada up in his arms, and with a simple pull and the right arm position, they fell into the dance they had practiced for so long.
Jada couldn’t think, let alone speak, and she just let herself be held in Jackson’s firm embrace. He led her over the sand, both of them barefoot, walking the steps of their dance to no music except the soft waves and the pounding of their hearts. The waltz played out like they were in some sort of movie, and the sun began to set beyond the water, coloring them in shades of orange and red.
Jada’s pulse was fast, and Jackson’s grip on her waist tightened. He was all restrained muscles and coiled tension as they circled the beach in their coordinated steps. Jada looked up into his eyes, and the yellow of the sun made them teal. This man wasn’t the CEO who was interested solely in a deal. This was the face she’d drawn, so composed but for the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. It was the boy who’d so wanted to feel like he belonged suddenly realizing that had nothing to do with money and everything to do with the person he held in his arms, dancing a simple waltz set to the sounds of gently crashing waves upon a foreign shore.
The end of the dance was approaching, and Jada felt Jackson slow as he had in the office all those nights ago. Their steps became so deliberate, and the concentrated effort on both their parts was palpable. He guided her closer to his chest as he positioned her for the long dip that signaled the end of their routine. She allowed herself to be led in, hoping so much for a soft landing to fall upon. For it was clear now more than ever: she was falling, and falling hard, for this complicated man who had changed so much in such a short time.
Jackson’s arms guided her back, leaning her across his hold in a beautiful, long dip that held them both in the quiet grasp of the dying sun. The light warmed her skin, as did the handsome face that wouldn’t look away from her, and Jada let a small smile break across her face. Slowly, he lifted her back up, and as he did, she met his chest completely, pressed against him like she might disappear at any moment. Cinderella running home at midnight.
A tiny part of Jada waited for Jackson to pull away and become the cold statue of before. But as their dance came to a close, Jackson took his hand from her waist, then the other from her hand, and took her face between them. He didn’t pull away.
“I taught you this because I wanted to feel you close to me. I wanted to move with you as partners, as equals.” He brushed a stray curl from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “But I didn’t want to break my promise to you. I said this would be simply business, and when…when I felt like it wasn’t, I knew I was moments from breaking that promise. But I can’t hold back anymore.
“I do love that you’re loud and brash and real. I do love that you tried so hard to get me to understand the struggles around me, and I’m working on it. I remember everything you’ve told me, and I’ll keep working to learn more about you every day. And I can’t let this all end and watch you walk away. I can’t not touch you, be with you, for real. I want this too much.”
Jada’s brain was useless and her heart too hopeful.
“Jackson.”
He smiled. “Please, call me Edmund.”
With that, he leaned down and let his warm lips touch hers. The lighting strike that ran through her was a shockwave in a store of glass. Everything was shattered in an instant. Nothing would ever be the same. Not now, not after Jada had felt the perfect grace that was this beautiful man kissing her.
Her arms flew around his shoulders, and he pulled her tighter against him. The setting sun around them had been one of the most splendid things she’d ever experienced, but it was left in the dust by the feel of Edmund’s warm lips caressing her to life. For it was clear to her now that until this moment, she’d never lived, never taken a full breath of life, and she’d never go back to the existence she’d known. She’d never be without this man ever again.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and with the shadows came a chill to the air that made the two of them pause. For a long while they simply looked at each other, but Edmund knew he had to break the silence or Jada would likely freeze to death in her slip of a dress.
“Let’s get you to the plane. You’re so cold.” He put a strong arm around her as he started to walk them down the beach and toward the still waiting limo.
“I don’t know if I’m ready to go back.” She looked at him, still shocked by all that had happened.
“I know what you mean. But we’ll have the plane ride to talk and figure things out.”
“Okay.”
They walked together in silence. As they approached the car, Jada now wearing the jacket Edmund had left on a post near the beach, the driver stepped out of the limo and ushered them inside.
The limo ride was again quiet but for an entirely different reason. Jada and Edmund sat cuddled up to each other, letting the warmth of the car and probably some other things build up inside them. In the privacy of the limo, a few more kisses took place, and the pull between them intensified. The passion they felt for each other was beginning to make Jada’s heart pound in her head again, and it was near impossible to just sit next to him.
As the limo pulled up to the private jet, they were forced to pull their lips from one another’s. No easy task. Their things had been gathered up and put in their luggage somehow. Again, their passports were scanned before they boarded, but this time Edmund joined Jada at the rear of the jet.
The pilot chimed on and welcomed them. He hoped they’d had a successful visit and told them that for the night flight home, the interior cabins lights would be turned off, allowing them to sleep. As Jada leaned back her chair and watched the interior of the cabin go to nearly black, she had a feeling not much sleep was going to go on. As if on cue, Edmund leaned his chair back fully, creating a sort of bed from the two chairs.
He turned to her in the dark and pulled her face to his. Their lips met once again, and the pace quickly increased as Jackson’s hands worked his coat from her shoulders. The cabin of the plane was not nearly as cold as it had been outside, and Edmund took the jacket from her and tossed it to the chairs across from them. Their kisses soon turned frenzied, and Edmund was reaching for Jada’s hips in no time, pulling her into him.
Breaking lip contact for a moment, Jackson spoke. “I can’t hold back anymore. I’ve been thinking about you, about this, for too long.”
As images of her dream resurfaced in her mind, Jada too was overthrown by desire.
“Yes.”
As the word left Jada’s mouth, Edmund pulled her in for more kisses. He lifted himself up, a
knee on the cushion of each chair, and pulled Jada to lie beneath him. The center where the chairs met wasn’t as cushioned as the other areas, but it seemed a small price to pay to have Edmund all over her, tasting her in the dark. His lips moved from her lips and dropped lower. She let out a little gasp as he pushed away the fabric that was holding the dress on her shoulder.
His warm lips found the delicate skin beneath her collarbone and began to kiss their way toward her breasts. The passion between them made Jada’s heart thunder and her excitement pulse. She’d never dreamed of being this close to such a beautiful man, let alone while on a plane. As Edmund continued his exploration, Jada stopped being able to think clearly. His mouth and tongue were talented explorers, and Jada quietly moaned her enjoyment.
Edmund responded in kind as Jada pulled his head close and raked her nails gently down his back. When he broke contact, Jada was shocked by the cool air that was suddenly thrust upon her. The top half of her dress was down around her waist, and Edmund stared down at her in the low, low light, admiring the view.
Moving automatically, Jada reached up and started to unbutton Edmund’s shirt. With the fabric opened and his tie thrown aside, she slid his sleeves down his shoulders and revealed the extremely muscular torso underneath. It was quite the sight to see, even in the near darkness. Starved for kisses, Edmund dove back down to her and let his mouth passionately massage hers.
His chest was warm against her, and the air around them began to heat up. Within moments they were naked in the plane’s reclining seats, and Jada was struck with a brief flash of panic.
“Are you all right? We can stop.” Edmund’s whispered words soothed her and reminded her that the man she was with wasn’t the arrogant CEO of earlier.
“I’m fine. Come here.” She pulled him down and let the frenzy of kisses resume and drive their joint passion back up to wild levels.
As Edmund leaned into and met her hips with his own, Jada arched in a sensual wave. The words “pure ecstasy” fell short of describing the amazing feelings he was able to give her. She was drunk on the liquor of this new dance. No experience she’d ever had was like this. He fit into her perfectly, and the pull between them encompassed not only their physical bodies but their minds and souls as well. As amazing as the dream had been, it was nothing compared to this.
They were dancing waves on the shore that met and broke and met again, their forms coming together in an ancient ritual of give and take. With each bounding wave, Jada felt herself split apart and come back together again, and the dark of the plane only seemed to heighten the sensations. Together they held on and rode out the cresting swells of passion, gripping each other tightly as one another’s only anchor in this amazing storm of flesh and blood and soul.
When Jada didn’t think she could take any more, they both seemed to feel the building pressure inside themselves reach a peak. Edmund slowed his movements only to be fiercer and more determined with them. The great welling up inside her made Jada’s mind expand with sensation and lust. At the top of the roller coaster, they opened their eyes to look at each other. There was a joy and vulnerability and something so much more in Edmund’s eyes. Jada took his face in her hands and kissed him gently.
A single move more from him sent them both over the edge. Jada exploded with the energy of a thousand champagne bottles popping at once. The lightning of their first kiss returned a million-fold, and they rode out the furious tsunami while holding each other impossibly tight. As the giant surge receded, Edmund collapsed to his side on one of the seats.
He smiled over at her, holding his arm out to welcome her in. Jada snuggled up to him, the warmth of his skin a fire against her own steaming flesh.
And then she slept better than she ever had before.
Chapter Fifteen
Jada had no clue what time it was, but the empty cabin was lit up with a weak light from the sun. Edmund sat up next to her and examined the space. It looked like a laundry bomb had gone off, and he let out a small chuckle.
“Well, we certainly made a mess.”
“Speak for yourself. You were the one throwing clothes this way and that.” Jada returned his smile and sat up the chair to an upright position. “Don’t suppose you know where my carry-on is? I’d like to be dressed when we exit the plane.”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Edmund stood, the pale light illuminating the edges of his muscles and coloring his skin a light blue.
Jada let out a pleased noise, and he turned back to her. “Enjoying the view?”
“As a matter of fact,” she said, mimicking his tone, “I am.”
They both laughed, and Edmund patted his own ass as he went to retrieve their change of clothes. As he returned, he took his time to get dressed, and it only seemed fair that she repay the favor. Edmund’s face lit up with a smile, and once they were clothed, they cleaned up the mess of discarded wedding attire and shoved it all in a carry-on bag.
They landed shortly after and climbed into the waiting limo. Jacques smiled at them both with such true emotion that Jada was a bit embarrassed. He nodded at her, however, like he was just so thrilled his boss had finally opened up to her about how he felt and she had accepted. She wondered how long he had known about his employer’s feelings.
Inside the limo, Jada and Edmund cuddled on the seat, and she even let him open a bottle of champagne. They sipped the bubbles together, kissing and laughing like high school sweethearts.
As the limo pulled up to her apartment, Jada invited Edmund inside.
“It’s not much. Well, it’s not anything, but we still have some time before work, and I thought you might want to talk.”
Her heart pounded again, her good-for-nothing brain kicking up the thought that he could still bail at any time.
“I’d love to.” Edmund smiled and let Jacques know that they were going to hang out for a while. He even used the words “hang out.” It was quite the thing to hear, what with his penchant for formal language. Jada laughed a little to herself and grabbed the remaining bottle of champagne to bring inside.
“I’m taking this. We’re celebrating after all.”
Edmund laughed and echoed her move by grabbing the two champagne glasses. It was a good move, too; they’d be drinking the stuff out of tumblers if Jada’s kitchen had anything to say about it.
Inside, Jada threw her bags in her room and gave Edmund a tour, albeit a short one, of the entire apartment.
“See, I told you it wasn’t much. But whatcha gonna do? My boss doesn’t pay me that much.” Jada paused to see how he would take the little jab, and she happily saw that Edmund just shook his head and laughed.
“You stickler. Well I’ll just have to work on that. If you stay that is. Didn’t you mention something about painting?” Edmund sat down on her couch and got comfortable, kicking up his heels on her cheap coffee table.
“I did. I just don’t know what I’d do. It’s not like you can just get famous immediately for painting.”
“Sure, I could see that being an issue. Is there anything painting related that you could do in the meantime?” He seemed genuinely interested, which was a nice change of pace. Most people were bored to death by her painting talk.
“Well, I’ve always considered teaching art to draw in a paycheck and then saving up to start my own website or business where I could sell my paintings.”
“That sounds like an amazing idea. Why don’t you do that?”
“I didn’t have the time. I guess now I will.” Jada smiled, but it faded a bit as she let her brain churn.
“What it is?” Edmund handed her another glass of bubbly and placed a hand on her knee as she sat down next to him.
“Is it at all strange to you how we met and how we’re together now? If I can say that.” Jada took a sip of the drink and let her hand stroke Edmund’s.
“Yes, of course. I’m trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth.” He smiled and took his own sip of the expensive alcohol.
“I get that; I
really do. It’s just harder when most good things in your life have come with a price. I guess I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. I mean, this all seems a bit too good to be true.”
Edmund set his glass down and moved to face her directly. He took both her hands in his. “I’ve had a lot handed to me since I became rich, and before that my brain scored me a huge scholarship. I lucked out, a lot, and I can see that more clearly now. You’ve shown me that, Jada. I haven’t used my money or power for good, to help people, and I want to change that, really. I want to help you any way I can, and I know you’re going to say you’re not the only one who needs help, and I get that. I’m new at this philanthropy thing. Help me, and I’ll do my best to help you. No money; no formal deal. I just need your help, and I’d love to return the favor.”
Jada was a little shocked. Had she really had that much of an impact on Edmund? Had time with her changed him so much? Sure, she could see herself being the person to open the door, but he must have had this in there somewhere. Not everyone would do this, even when presented with the express opportunity.
“How much have you had to drink?”
“I’m serious. Don’t you believe me?” His stare was imploring her.
“You know I do.” She smiled and they clinked their glasses together in a silent toast.
As they sat and chatted, Edmund asked Jada about everything in her life: her parents, her dad’s situation, her extended family, her friends, right down to her favorite food. There was nothing he wasn’t interested in. Jada did her best to answer everything and took her own turn asking questions about his life, how he started the company, and his side of their story. To her delight, Edmund was forthcoming with it all. He’d been crushing on her hard since the moment he saw her, apparently, and just had no idea how to communicate that.
Okay, sure, it was a bit more complex than that, but it boiled down to being terrible at small talk and non-business related conversation. It was all he ever did, after all. She learned that he’d tried to find his birth parents once, to no avail, and that he’d actually been living on the top floor of their office building—which explained why the limo was always there waiting.
Fake It For Me - A Fake Wife Billionaire Romance Page 48
