“It’s a penthouse. It’s amazing. I swear,” he said in defense.
“But it’s at work. You can’t live at work. It’s weird. Plus, the best part of coming home after a long day is knowing that you’re nowhere near the office and you can rock it bra-free. Well, okay, not the bra thing for you, but you get my point.”
Edmund laughed with his whole body, and Jada silently added that to a list of things she was going to keep him doing for as long as he let her.
“All right, all right. I’m a bit of a workaholic. What can I say? At least I’m becoming aware of the error of my ways. There are some other places I’ve been keeping an eye on, but the idea of purchasing a home always seemed silly because I’m just one guy.”
“Well, maybe that won’t always be the case.” Jada let the comment hang between them for a while. She wasn’t really suggesting anything, but it was sort of nice to think that it was a possibility.
The continued to talk for a while, and the day went on, relaxed and happy. Eventually, they ordered pizza from her favorite local place, and thankfully both of them liked meat lovers. Edmund commented on how long it had been since he’d ordered a pizza, and Jada gaped at him in shock.
“I’ve definitely got my work cut out with you. You can’t go that long without pizza; it’s not healthy. And dive-bar burgers; you have to have one at least once a month.”
“So I’m assuming this means I have to go to a dive bar once a month.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, come on, they’re amazing. Each one is a different flavor of the community, and you never have to look nice. There’s even one downtown that plays nothing but Johnny Cash. I mean, what’s not to love?”
Edmund gave another bodily laugh and pulled Jada in for a huge kiss. They laughed and tussled around on the couch until they were both too tired to move. Jada curled up next to him on the floor, which was now covered in couch cushions and pillows.
“I so don’t want to go back to work tomorrow.”
“Don’t think about that.” Edmund stroked her cheek.
“Too late.” Jada sighed. “Tell me about the places you’ve looked at.”
Edmund sat up against the couch and detailed a home on the ocean that was easily in the millions of dollars. It had every luxury amenity you could ever want: wet bars, a gourmet kitchen, a movie theater, master and guest suites, an outdoor dining area, a pool, a lounge, a gentleman’s den, an office, and a library.
“I like the sound of that. I would love my own library. I’d fill it with so many books. Science, history, novels from every corner of the globe. Sci-fi, fantasy—just nothing about money.”
They both laughed, and the conversation went on naturally. They moved back up to the couch after a while, and, at some point, Jada leaned into Edmund’s side and started to drift off.
“And that’s why the crocodile can’t come to the office party.” Edmund’s voice was a low rumble above her ear, behind his sternum.
“Uh-huh…” She’d lost whatever he’d said before she had realized he’d spoken.
“Let’s get you to bed.” Edmund was talking again. Then there were arms under her legs and the altitude was changing. He’d picked her up, and the gentle rocking movements of him walking to her room calmed and lulled her further into sleep. Jada was placed in her bed and the covers were pulled out from under her legs and then placed on top of her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll have a bit to go over before the Qaresman contingent comes in on the 16th.”
Jada had regained a bit of consciousness when she was laid down, and she felt Edmund turn to leave. “Don’t go. Just lay with me.”
He hesitated for a moment. “I’ll have to leave early to get back to the office.”
Jada murmured an understanding.
“Okay. I’ll stay.”
He lay down next to her, and Jada was able to curl into his side and feel the warmth of his body through his shirt. Not sure if he could hear her, Jada thanked him anyway. She fell fast asleep within moments.
Sometime around four o’clock in the morning, Edmund woke her to say he had to go and left out her front door while she stayed in bed. The alarm on her phone sounded from her bag across the room roughly two hours later. It was a brand-new day, and Jada had to face the office.
Chapter Sixteen
It was a few days after the wedding, though Jada’s sense of time was all confused thanks to tremendous jet-lag. For all she knew, years had passed. The day spent with Edmund had been amazing, and the sex spoke for itself. Jada was in a much lighter mood than normal, and it was hard to hide when supposedly just returning from seeing her family.
“How’d the trip go?” Chelsea asked. She wanted to know all about Jada’s travels first thing in the morning, and she wouldn’t leave Jada’s office without a thorough breakdown of events. She had always been a bit on the snoopy side.
“Yeah, it was really great. My dad’s doing better, and they found a donor.” Not a complete lie. Jada’s mom had called on her drive to work, and she had confirmed that a donor had been found. They just needed to finance the surgery. Hopefully, that would be taken care of after Jada went and spoke to Edmund.
“Oh, that’s great. Glad to hear he’ll be all right.”
“Thanks, Chelsea. I actually have to give a project update to the head honcho now so, I’ll talk to you later?” Jada stood up from her desk, hoping to make her need to go a bit more obvious.
“Oh, totally. Good luck!” With that, the perky, morning miracle sprinted off to pester other members of the team.
Jada made her way to the elevator, nodding and saying hello to a few people as she passed them. No one seemed to care that she’d been gone, and it wasn’t like the employees were familiar with the CEO’s schedule, so they didn’t put two and two together, thank God.
Once she reached the elevator, Jada pressed the familiar button for the top floor and rode up in silence. In her head, she was going over what she wanted to say. She needed the money Edmund had promised for her father, and she needed it now. It wasn’t that she was being pushy; there was a life on the line and this could save him. She just hoped he agreed.
At the top floor, Jada watched the elevator doors open and braced herself for Evelyn, assistant bitch. Surprised to see that Evelyn wasn’t at her desk, Jada secretly hoped she had the day off, or better yet, the month. As Jada rounded the corner, however, her hopes were dashed. Evelyn was there, all right, and she was hugging someone.
One heart-wrenching moment later, Jada saw that the man Evelyn had her arms around was Edmund. The look on Evelyn’s face was too predatory for Jada’s liking, and Evelyn kept one of her hands on his while he smiled. They looked genuinely close, and Jada’s heart sank. Her pulse echoed and her breath shot in and out in bursts. The rising panic was almost too much, and Jada desperately fought to calm herself down. She couldn’t just leap to conclusions. After a moment, the pair broke apart from each other, and Edmund headed back into his office.
Jada swallowed down her growing anger and sadness and walked up to Evelyn’s desk. As she spoke, she tried to steady her voice. “Hello. I’m here to see Ed—Jackson.”
“He’s busy.” Evelyn spared Jada only the briefest of glances and then went back to filing her nails.
“I have something important to discuss with him,” Jada’s voice wasn’t as stern as she’d hoped.
“I’m sure you do, but he doesn’t want to talk to you. Don’t you know that your ‘arrangement’ is done? He doesn’t need you anymore. He’s got something real to keep him entertained.”
The cut Evelyn had slashed across Jada’s chest burned like fire. The words incited a greater rage, and Jada began to fume.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jada was desperately trying to keep her voice down.
“He isn’t going with you. He’s mine. You saw us together.” Evelyn’s voice was an acid whip across Jada’s face.
Try as she might, there was no stopping the parade of thoughts now. They sw
am up from black depths of cynicism and self-hatred. They were worse than Evelyn’s words. How could you have fallen for his crap? All that mushy love stuff. You’re pathetic. You knew these two were up to something when you first saw her. Why else would this idiot have a job? You’re a fool. He was just using you for the deal.
Without uttering another word, Jada ran off toward the elevator. She was going to be sick. As soon as her feet were enclosed in the moving space, she fell to her knees and heaved. Her eyes watered and then began to pour as the barrage of thoughts pummeled her relentlessly. The elevator was carrying her down to the garage, and as the grungy respite was revealed, Jada flung herself into her car and went straight home.
Chapter Seventeen
Jada’s purse caught in the door as she escaped into the privacy of her apartment, and she threw the thing across the room. Her cell phone skidded out as it hit the floor. The entire ride home, Jada had sobbed uncontrollably. She felt like a complete idiot for falling for Jackson’s ploy. She’d slept with him, for Christ’s sake. Jada hated crying, hated the weakness, the vulnerability, the fact that it did nothing, and yet she sobbed until her throat was raw and her eyes dried up.
Shivering in the growing darkness of her apartment, Jada watched as rain clouds filled the sky outside her window. They poured sheets of water down upon the earth, crying for her now that she was out of tears. The sky was a deep gray, and lighting streaked across it in cracks of rage and fire. The screen on Jada’s cell phone lit up, and from her place on the couch she could just read the screen. Jackson was calling.
The phone rang time and time again, but she refused to answer. She was either going to hear more bullshit from Jackson’s mouth, or he was going to tell her he had never had any intention of paying for her “services.” That thought sent a fresh wave of pain through her, and she managed to squeeze out a few more tears as the rain streamed down her windows.
She wasn’t sure how long that went on. Jada just stared out at the rain while she drowned in her own self-pity and idiocy. After what felt like hours, a knock at the door broke her depressed silence, and she was forced to get up and see who it was. Through the peephole in her door, Jada saw Jackson’s face behind a bouquet of irises, and in that moment anger finally managed to overcome her sadness.
Jada threw open the door. “You son of a bitch! You really think I’m simple enough to be appeased with a fucking bouquet?!”
Jada grabbed at the flowers and threw them into a puddle just outside her door. Jackson’s face showed shock and confusion, but he’d already proven how good an actor he was.
“No! You can shove it! You may have been able to buy my hand in marriage, Jackson Hays, but there’s no way you can buy my forgiveness! I’m done being your idiot partner in this ridiculous scheme! You can have Evelyn! She’s just the type for you!”
Jada was shaking all over, from the rain, from the cold, from the broken heart that was filling her chest up with pieces of shrapnel. The pain was almost too much, and she just couldn’t look at his face anymore. She went to slam the door, but Jackson stopped her.
“What are you talking about?” He held his hand against her door, the rain now soaking through his coat and clothes.
Jada couldn’t deal with this. Since Jackson wouldn’t let her close the door, she pushed past him and walked away into the rain. The water burrowed through her clothes, and in seconds she was soaked to the bone. She didn’t care. She could drown in it for all she was concerned.
“Jada, wait!” Jackson ran up to her and spun her around to face him. “What are you talking about? Evelyn’s just my assistant, and a crappy one at that.”
“Whatever, Jackson. You can’t lie to me anymore. Evelyn told me everything. She told me you two have been sleeping together and how you don’t need me anymore. Tell me, did she mind that you had to sleep with me to ensure you got that deal? Or was that her idea?”
“What the hell, Jada? I would never sleep with her. What’s gotten into you?”
“Forget it. I’m out of here.” Jada pulled her arm out of his grip and tried to run farther away into the powerful storm.
“Goddamn it, Jada! Listen to me! That crazy bitch has had a thing for me for years. I never thought anything of it because, well, because I didn’t think of much before I met you. I wasn’t coming here to buy your forgiveness; Evelyn told me the Qaresman business license was approved. The billion-dollar deal can be finalized now. I brought the flowers to thank you for your part, not to apologize.”
The rain streamed down around them, forcing them to shout to be heard. In the quiet now, Jada felt confused and frustrated.
“How can I believe you?” Jada was cold, and the rain just continued pounding down on her.
“Wait.” Jackson pulled out his phone, shielding it with his coat. He dialed a number and held up the phone to his ear.
“Evelyn, you’re fired, as of immediately. Clear out your desk. Security will escort you out.” Jackson looked Jada dead in the eye. “And if you ever come near my girlfriend again, I’ll have you arrested.”
Jackson hung up. He placed another quick call, apparently to security to tell them to escort Evelyn out of the building.
With that done, he put the phone back in his pocket. “Please, Jada, you have to believe me. I can’t stand to be without you. I…I love you.”
Jada stood frozen as thunder shook the streets. Cars zoomed by, and somewhere in the distance a dog barked. She looked at Jackson, standing soaked in the rain just like her, and met his eyes. She couldn’t find the deceit she was looking for. She just found desperation, desperation for her.
“I love you too.”
Edmund smiled, then, and Jada jumped into his arms, certain that he was telling the truth. In the rain, she wasn’t sure if she was crying, but it didn’t matter. He pulled her to him, and their mouths embraced as securely as their bodies. The rain seemed to warm, and they were swimming in the torrent together. Lifted in his arms, Edmund carried Jada back to her apartment and shut the door behind them with a slam.
Their passionate kisses played on, Jada’s hair slapping around them because it was so wet. Edmund pulled back slightly to lean on the door and kick off his shoes, but still he held Jada in his arms and showed no sign of putting her down. While she held on with one hand, she used the other the pull off one shoe and then the other.
They landed on the floor with a loud thump. Jada and Edmund’s kisses fired up their chilled bodies, and Edmund playfully pinned Jada against the wall, using his arms to pull off his sopping coat and shirt.
Edmund’s bare chest gleamed in the soft light of her apartment, his skin icy thanks to the rain. Jada’s fingers explored the shapes of his muscles, and he pushed her back against the wall to kiss her deeper and deeper. He tasted of rain and spices, and his tongue danced in her mouth, creating a rhythm like they’d had during their waltz.
The wall they were against was no longer working, and Edmund quickly turned and tossed Jada against one across the way, closer to the bedroom. They would make their way there eventually. The pictures on the wall shook with the abrupt force, and one of them crashed to the ground. Jada couldn’t have cared less. She only moved to squeezed Edmund with her legs and pull his face in for roaring kisses of strength and possession. Edmund returned them in kind.
The shirt Jada wore was soaked through, and the thin fabric left little to the imagination. Edmund looked down at her and growled, and the masculine sound cut straight to her core. With Edmund holding her up, Jada worked her arms through the shirt, tearing the wet thing from her skin. The move revealed her lace bra, and Edmund ducked his head down to kiss and nibble at her goose-fleshed breasts.
Soon he was walking again, and his hand was at the clasp of her bra. He managed to open it with one hand and tossed the flimsy garment aside. Their chests met as they continued to worship each other’s mouths, a love neither of them was prepared for coloring their passion.
Edmund’s steps led them to Jada’s bedroom, and the sp
ace was dark thanks to the shadowy storm clouds filling the sky. Booms of thunder echoed in the quiet home as Edmund brought Jada roughly to the bed. Her landing knocked a lamp to the ground, and the bulb shattered on impact. With their mouths interlocking, Jada reached for the buckle of Edmund’s pants as he reached for the button of her own.
Jada proved a bit quicker, and as Edmund stepped back to remove his pants, Jada slid off the end table, shucking her own pants off, on top of the broken lamp.
Naked before each other, Edmund climbed onto the bed, pulling Jada into his lap. There, she hovered as they kissed and caressed each other into a passionate, drunken haze. When neither of them could take a moment more of anticipation, Jada lowered herself to Edmund, causing them both to gasp in pleasure.
They found their rhythm naturally and let blurry-eyed joy overcome them. Their skin was now warm from the exertion, and their hair was slowly drying in puffy waves of dark bangs and darker curls. Slowing their movements, they adjusted the frenzy of their kisses to a slow but powerful pull and release.
Edmund pushed a stray curl behind Jada’s ear as he looked up at her, and they gazed at each other as they moved in a blissful dance. His blue eyes were all Jada could see. His face was the entire universe. A few days had passed, and Edmund had allowed the stubble to return to his chin. Jada smoothed a finger over it and smiled gently. Edmund opened his face up to the happiness and held nothing back from her. Burying himself in her damp curls and bosom, he smiled, and Jada felt a warm wetness form on his cheek.
He looked up at her, their movement rocking them both back and forth, stoking that internal fire as it continued to build and build. His face was genuine, real, and Jada let herself cry the tears of joy the rain had wiped away. They pulled closer, the pressure building, and kissed their smiling lips together.
Fake It For Me - A Fake Wife Billionaire Romance Page 49
