Long and Hard: A Bad Boy Box Set

by Lulu Pratt

  I nod and throw back the rest of my drink in one swallow. Damn it, I should have ordered a double.

  “Woo-hoo!” yells Sugar. “That’s the spirit, you tossed that back in one gulp. Somebody’s ready to party!”

  I glance around the room and notice each one of my colleagues is surrounded by one or more women and they are all beautiful, but my mind is on Jade, not on partying with Honey and Sugar.

  “Excuse me, ladies,” I say, quickly making my way to the bar for another drink before searching for a quiet place to make a phone call.

  I’ll leave a message if she doesn’t answer this time. Luckily, she does answer and my heart skips two beats.

  “Hi handsome, sorry I missed your call earlier,” she says. “I was at the doctor’s office with Jacob.”

  I take a seat in the corner of the small room I found and put my drink down on the table. “All okay?”

  “He’s fine,” she says. “He has a little ear infection, but he’ll be okay. The doctor gave him some drops and he’s resting now. What’s all that noise in the background? Are you out right now?”

  I sigh heavily and take a sip of my drink. “Yeah, the guys convinced me to come out, but I had to sneak away to call you. Nothing holds my attention like you do.”

  “Aww,” she says. “You’re so sweet.”

  “Speaking of sweet,” I say. “I wish I had more of you to taste. Every time I close my eyes I see the look on your face when you came and I can hear you moaning just as clearly as the night it happened.”

  She laughs and drops her voice. “You’re trying to get me in trouble.”

  “I sure as hell am,” I say. “When is the next time you can come out with me and get in a little trouble?”

  “Um,” she pauses.

  I hear paper shuffling in the background and I wait with bated breath for her answer.

  “I’m not really sure, especially with Jacob not feeling well, but I’ll let you know as soon as I know.”

  “Deal,” I say.

  “What do you think about me planning the date next time?” she asks.

  “Hmm. What do you have in mind?”

  She pauses for a moment before responding. “I don’t know just yet, but I promise you’ll enjoy it.”

  “Okay,” I say. “Just so we’re clear, you can plan the date, but I’m the one paying for it, and we’ll let Ed drive.”

  She laughs a little and shuffles more papers in the background. “You know you don’t have to pay for every date, but I see chivalry is alive and well when it comes to you.”

  “Absolutely. I wouldn’t dream of you paying for anything when you’re with me,” I say, taking a large gulp of my drink. “I’d give anything for you.”

  There’s a pause on the line following a small gasp, as if she’s contemplating what I just said. I hope it wasn’t too forward, because it’s the truth.

  “I’m going to hold you to that, Mr. Jordan. Be a good boy tonight and I’m sure I’ll have a nice treat for you the next time we’re together. I’m hoping I see you sooner rather than later,” she says. “But at least now we have something to look forward to. Right, Mr. Jordan?”

  There’s that “Mr. Jordan” again.

  “You’re calling me that on purpose,” I say.

  She giggles into the phone. “I sure am, but like I said, don’t worry, we’ll see each other very soon.”

  I force the erection threatening to hold me hostage down.

  “We sure will, beautiful, even if I have to set up my telescopes to make it happen,” I say.

  We laugh together for a moment before ending the call. I put my phone back in my pocket and walk into the private room with a renewed sense of purpose. The guys have loosened up even more. Some of them are dancing with different women and Joe has two ladies sitting on his lap.

  He peers out at me from between their breasts, which are positioned on either side of his face, and gives me a thumbs up.

  To them, this is the life. Countless women, money and attention. But Jade, my blue-eyed beauty, is more than enough for me. She’s a welcome distraction to my hectic world.

  I get another drink and find a seat off to the side, out of the way. I’m thankful Ed drove here instead of me. With the number of drinks I’m consuming and the high of knowing I’ll be seeing Jade soon, there’s no way I would have been able to drive home.

  I nurse my drink while watching my friends have a good time, all while daydreaming about my last evening with Jade as the countdown to our upcoming date begins.

  Chapter 15

  JADE

  I’M PRACTICALLY ON pins and needles waiting on Asher to pick me up for our date. He planned the first few dates and now the tables have turned. I decide to plan a more relaxed date that I hope he enjoys. I didn’t want to do anything too over the top. I trade in my fitted dresses and high heels for a T-shirt, jeans and flats.

  Having never seen Asher in anything less than business casual, I texted him earlier just to be sure he understood the dress code. Tonight is about comfort and having a good time. Jacob had me tied up for a few days dealing with his ear infection, so I’m relieved to finally get a day off again for a bit of time to myself.

  Since I’m dressed so casual, I decide to go a little heavier on my eyeshadow, giving myself a deep dark smoky eye. After a last glimpse in the full-length mirrors in my closet, I smooth down the fly-away strands of hair before grabbing my purse and practically skipping out the door, down the hall to the elevator.

  I shuffle from one foot to the other, urging the elevator to get to the lobby faster. I finally reach the first level and there’s Asher, leaning against the wall just as handsome as ever. His dark hair is slicked back and I see he has taken my instructions to heart, wearing jeans and a well-fitted button-down shirt as requested.

  “You look handsome,” I say.

  “Thank you,” he says.

  I wrap my arms around him and tilt my head up for a kiss.

  “How do you feel to be in something other than work or gym clothes?” I ask.

  “You think you’ve got me all figured out?” he asks with a smile.

  I shake my head and kiss him again. “Not quite, but I’m working on it.”

  He laughs and rubs his thumb over my cheek. “What did you do to your eyes?” he asks.

  “What do you mean? Does it look bad?” I ask, pulling away to try to check the mirror closest to us.

  He pulls me back and gives me a tight hug. “Of course it doesn’t look bad. You’re always a vision of beauty. In fact, I love how it looks. I just noticed it was different.”

  “Oh,” I say. “You scared me for a second.”

  He takes me by the hand and escorts me to the car. “Babe, you could color your face with a Sharpie and I’ll still think you’re beautiful.”

  I smile and give his hand a squeeze, a little taken aback by his term of endearment. “Well, I hope it never comes to that, but thank you for the compliment.”

  I slide into the backseat first, with Asher right behind me. Ed closes the door behind us before getting into the driver’s seat.

  “Where to, Ms. Sinclair?” he asks.

  “We’re going to The Grove, if you please, Ed,” I say, looking over to Asher for his reaction.

  “Roger that, ma’am,” says Ed before hitting the button to close the partition.

  Asher pulls me close and raises an eyebrow at me. “A date at the movie theatre? That’s funny,” he says.

  “How so?” I ask.

  He interlocks our fingers and places a gentle kiss on the back of my hand. “Because it’s unexpected. I’m not sure what I thought you’d do, but now that I think about it, a date to the movies definitely seems like a ‘Jade’ thing to do. It’s fun and not too fussy. I’m really happy you thought of it, because I haven’t been to a movie theatre in years.”

  I smile and lean against his chest. “Well, I’m glad I can be the one to break the cycle. I think you’ll really like this movie.”

  �
�Is it a chick flick filled with a lot of crying and kissing?” he asks, playfully poking me in the side.

  “No,” I say, trying to hold in my laughter, dodging his poking fingers. “It’s a movie I think you’ll enjoy. It’s a comedy about a rich guy who loses everything and has to take on several odd jobs to survive.”

  “Oh,” he says. “That sounds more like a horror film to me.”

  We pull up at the theatre and make it inside just as the previews start.

  I love going out to the fancy restaurants, drinking Champagne and eating lobster, but I’ll take twenty dates just like this one any day.

  I spend more time watching Asher than I do watching the movie. He catches me a few times and rewards me with a kiss.

  He feels so… right. This man with the world at his fingertips is on a date with me.

  I hate to admit it but early on, I did take it upon myself to Google Asher. I was shocked to find out I had another billionaire in my midst. I saw several pictures of him with very high-profile models here and there, but the look on his face right now wasn’t present in any of those pictures. Right now, he looks… happy.

  I think quite highly of myself, but on occasion I think about our differences and wonder if Asher is too far out of my league. I’ve seen firsthand how men in his position tend to treat women, although that hasn’t been my experience with Asher, and I hope it never is.

  I pray he wants me for the right reasons, and not because he’s looking for a kept pet to take out on occasion when he’s bored. Watching Magdalene live that type of life is enough of a deterrent for me. No amount of money will make me comfortable being somebody’s plaything.

  Sometimes, late at night I sit up and wonder what Asher thinks of me. I’d hate for him to think I’m a gold digger out to get his money, because that’s just as bad as him thinking of me as an object.

  “Hey,” he says, waving a hand in front of my face. “Earth to Jade. Are you okay?”

  I blink a few times and notices the theatre is emptying. The closing credits are scrolling by on the screen and the lights have come back on.

  “Sorry, I space out and get lost in my own head sometimes. Did you enjoy the movie?”

  He drapes his arm over my shoulder as we leave the theater. “I loved it,” he says. “I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. You picked well.”

  We climb into the backseat once again, heading to our next destination, which I’ve whispered in Ed’s ear. Vanilla Beans and More is one of the best ice cream shops in all California. It’s one of my guilty pleasures I get to enjoy when I’m out and about during my grocery shopping trips.

  I step right up to the counter, ready to order the mega desserts of all desserts. I’ve wanted to order it since the first day I walked into the shop, but it’s too big to have alone. Since it was my turn to plan the date, I knew this had to be one of the stops for the evening.

  “One chocolate double fudge brownie sundae, with double pralines, and extra whipped cream,” I say.

  Asher takes out his wallet to pay for our dessert.

  “Not so fast there, Mr. Jordan. This is my treat.”

  This dessert costs almost as much as a full entrée, but I want to prove to him that I value his company and his wallet can gather some dust.

  He wraps his arm around my waist. “If you insist, Ms. Sinclair. However, you’re trying to give both of us a stomachache.”

  “Absolutely,” I say, a wide grin spreading across my face. I grab the two giant spoons from the cashier and find us a booth in the corner while we wait on our sundae.

  Asher sits on the opposite side of the booth and reaches out to take my hands.

  “I am having a wonderful evening. I hope you’re ready for part two,” he says.

  “Oh my, there’s a part two?” I ask. “I thought I was the one planning this date.”

  He rubs his thumb over my knuckles and gives me that devastating, panty-melting smile of his.

  “Don’t be too mad with me,” he says. “Doing things for you and seeing you smile makes me happier than words can explain. I wanted to add something a little extra to our evening that’s just for you.”

  I lean over the table and kiss him. “Thank you, I appreciate your willingness to give, but please don’t think you have to do anything extra for me.”

  The server brings over the sundae and I promptly plunge my spoon into the heap of sweetness. The massive dessert takes up most of the small table, and I’m ready to dig right in. I’ve read hundreds of reviews about this sundae and I’m anxious to find out if it lives up to the hype.

  Asher looks the sugary confection up and down before staring over the top of it at me. “There’s no way we’ll be able to finish this thing,” he says.

  I grab my spoon and smile. “That sounds like a challenge to me.”

  We dig and commence to destroying the sundae, but after about half an hour, I realize the dessert is winning. I slouch in defeat and put my spoon on the table.

  “Give up?” asks Asher, spooning another large bite into his mouth.

  I nod my head and sigh. “I’ve wanted that thing for so long and I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach.”

  Asher drops his spoon on the table and reaches for my hand. “Babe, your eyes were bigger than both our stomachs. I think that dessert is meant for at least four people, but since you’re waving the white flag, let’s move on to the second part of our date.”

  We walk out of the shop hand in hand. I’m looking forward to whatever Asher has up his sleeve, but if the date ended right now, I wouldn’t be disappointed at all.

  I’m falling for this man.

  I love how I feel when I’m with Asher. I’m both calm and giddy at the same time, but is it too soon? I constantly find myself second guessing the pace of our relationship and how I feel about it.

  We get into the Rolls-Royce and I settle in next to him.

  “Even though there’s so much more to look forward to, I want you to know the date you planned was perfect. You make an old man feel young again,” he says.

  I intertwine my fingers with his and stroke the back of his hand with my free one. “There’s nothing old about you, but I’m glad you know how to have fun.”

  He looks down at me with a mischievous smile. “Baby, the fun is just getting started.”

  Chapter 16

  ASHER

  I TAKE JADE’S hand and slowly guide her out of the elevator. She tried to protest against the blindfold, but somehow I managed to get my way. I want to be able to be in the right position so I can see her face when everything is revealed.

  “Just a few more steps,” I say.

  Even though I’m holding her hand and leading the way, she still uses her free hand to flail around.

  “You don’t trust me to get you inside in one piece?”

  She smiles and continues to blindly reach out in front of her. “I trust you completely, but I just want to be sure.”

  After opening the door, I help her inside before getting in position to see her reaction.

  “All right,” I say. “You can take off your blindfold now.”

  She takes off the mask and covers her open mouth with both hands. Walking forward cautiously, she looks down, dropping her hands as she smiles at the rose petals coating the floor.

  “Asher, this is beautiful,” she whispers.

  “Let’s go, these petals lead to the next surprise.”

  We follow the trail to the kitchen and I watch as her face comes to life all over again. There’s ingredients spread out over the counter and the private chef I hired stands in front of the stove smiling.

  “Welcome, I’m Chef Bradley, and I’m going to prepare dinner for you tonight. I have a bottle of red wine resting for the two of you, and if you’ll have a seat, I’ll pour a couple of glasses and get started on the meal.”

  Jade turns around and wraps her arms around me. “Nothing can top this surprise.”

  “Nothing at all?” I ask.

  “You
have no idea what this means to me. I love cooking more than anything,” she gasps, her eyes glistening brighter than ever.

  The chef steps forward and hands us each a piece of thick cardstock detailing our meal for the evening.

  “Well, madam, you are in luck. I have several delicious courses planned for tonight,” says Chef Bradley.

  Jade looks down at the paper and smiles. The excitement is all over her face, and I love knowing I’m the reason for her joy.

  “Can I help?” she asks. “I know you’re the chef for tonight, but I’d really love to help if I may.”

  Chef Bradley smiles and shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t see why not. In fact, both of you can help and we can make this a couples cooking class. I teach couples all the time. All we need to do is divide the work and get started.”

  I nervously take the apron handed to me and slip it over my head to protect my clothes. Cooking isn’t my thing at all. The closest I get to the stove is walking by to put my dirty dishes in the sink, and even that’s a rarity, being that my maid usually handles that as well. But for Jade, I’ll do anything. Listening intently, I follow both Chef Bradley’s orders as they call out to me, often in unison.

  “Jade, how long have you been interested in cooking?” I ask.

  She hands me several vegetables to cut into tiny pieces, seemingly the only task they find me qualified to complete, and even then, I see both of them re-chopping my work into finer chunks once I finish.

  “I’ve loved food and cooking since I was a child. I spend most of my days experimenting in the kitchen. That’s one of the better perks of working for Magdalene. I get the chance to buy whatever ingredients I want and play with different recipes.”

  I nod, trying to focus on the vegetables. I’m sure a fingertip in the salad would not be appreciated. Besides, the last thing I want to discuss is Magdalene or what I know about her. It’s still unsettling knowing Jade works for her.

  Jade quickly finishes making the dressing for the salad as well as a pale-yellow sauce for the salmon. She walks over and picks up a knife next to me.

  “That apron fits you nicely, but it looks like you could use a little help,” she says.