by Lulu Pratt
I reach into my pocket and pull out the envelope I’ve been carrying around in my pocket.
“Here, see for yourself,” I say, handing the envelope to Jade.
Her hands tremble as she takes the letter from my hand.
“So, Jacob is your son?” she finally asks.
“Right,” I say. “I can’t say for sure that Heath knows the truth, but I am Jacob’s father.”
She folds the paper back up and puts it in the envelope before handing it back to me with fresh tears in her eyes.
“Okay,” she says with a sniffle, folding her arms across her chest. “Are you finished now?”
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “You may not believe me, but you’re all I’ve thought about these last few days. I’ve been agonizing over what I would say to make things right. I should have told you everything when I asked to start over with a clean slate. I’ve made plenty of mistakes and I’ll probably make a thousand more, but you weren’t one of them, and neither was Jacob. Magdalene doesn’t have my heart, she never did, but you do, and I want to make things right with my son. I love you and I never wanted to hurt you, Jade.”
She releases an audible gasp and I’m just as shocked as she is. I said the words, “I love you” for the first time. They rolled off my tongue so effortlessly, but I meant them with every fiber of my being.
“You love me?” she asks.
I reach out to grab her hand. “Yes,” I attest. “This hasn’t been a smooth ride at all, but I don’t want to give up on us, and I don’t want you to give up on us either. I love you with my mind, body and soul, Jade Sinclair. Scout’s honor.”
Tears spring back into her eyes, but instead of wiping them away she leans over and kisses me. It’s not the hot steamy kiss we typically share, but this kiss has deep feelings behind it. It signifies two people coming together as one in an emotionally draining situation. This kiss won’t erase the heartache I’ve inflicted on Jade, but it’s a much-needed Band-Aid.
Chapter 33
JADE
DO I HOLD on to the past, or let go and forge on into the future with the man who has my heart? My brain is in an emotional fog and internally I’m at war with myself. Asher’s kiss is tender, but I can tell that he is taking his cue from me. He is waiting for me to make the first move. The last first move as I know that our relationship has crossed over into another stage.
I lay back on the bed and pull Asher to me to try to start the healing process. No man has ever made me feel the way he makes me feel, and I believe him when he says there was nothing between him and Magdalene.
Knowing he is Jacob’s father is both shocking and a relief. It was heartbreaking to think I’d never see the boy I’d grown to love so much again. Knowing I’ll have the opportunity to continue my relationship with Jacob is only an added bonus to Asher’s argument, whether he knows it or not.
Right now, my body craves a very primal but necessary release. I reach for Asher’s shirt and slowly unbutton it. My hands rake down the front of his chest until I reach his waistband.
“I missed you,” I say.
Asher looks at me and understands everything. He plants kisses along my neck and shoulder. “I’m going to make sure you never have to miss me again. My heart ached for you every moment we spent apart.”
Our lips collide again as Asher reaches for my shirt to return the favor of undressing me.
He runs his tongue along the side of my throat, and down to the top half of my breasts. His hands reach around my back before unhooking my bra. My breasts bounce free as Asher pulls me from my sleeves and bra in one fell swoop. He pushes me back on the bed and unzips my pants and I knowingly lift my hips to give him room to slip them from my legs.
“Not only have I missed you, but I missed the feel of your skin against mine,” he says, running his hands down the length of my thighs.
I sit up to reach for his pants, but he puts his hand on top of mine and shakes his head.
“No,” he says. “This is about you and only you. Just relax, baby. Let me do all the work.”
I obediently lie back on the bed and lift my hips again as Asher slips off my lace panties. He kisses me on the lips as he begins to layer kisses down my body.
“You deserve the world, and I’m going to do my damnedest to give it to you,” he says softly.
I squirm in response to his fingers gliding over my skin. He knows the move is ticklish, but he does it repeatedly. His mouth reaches my thighs and he plants tiny kisses all over them.
I run my fingers through his hair and guide his mouth right where I want him. The warmth of his breath reaches my sensitive spots before his mouth does, and I shudder at the feeling of the gentle caress. His mouth closes around my clit and my back automatically arches.
His tongue makes tiny circles as his mouth gently suctions my clit. Blood rushes to that one area and for a moment I’m lightheaded.
I moan and thrust my hips up to meet his mouth and match his rhythm, silently begging him to take me, all of me. My toes tingle first as the promise of an explosive orgasm threatens to take over my body.
Not yet, I’m not ready yet. I reluctantly push his head back and he looks up at me, eyes wide with anticipation.
“What is it? Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I say followed by a heavy sigh. “I want us to come together. I need to feel you close to me.”
“Whatever you want, baby,” Asher says before kissing my inner thigh. He reaches into his pocket and retrieves the condom before slipping out of his pants.
He positions himself over me and I wrap my arms around him. I plant my face in his neck and inhale the rugged earthy fragrance of his skin. His hips thrust forward, and my breath catches in my throat.
I release the stolen breath with a hiss as I dig my nails into his back. Nothing can top this moment, and I wish it would last forever. They say make-up sex is the best sex, and I think they’re right. Every nerve ending in my body is on fire, and each one is sending a pleasurable electric shock to the other.
My hands slide down Asher’s body and ultimately rest on his hips as I help direct his rhythm and speed, thrusting my hips to meet him.
“Right there,” I moan. “Don’t stop.”
There’s a knock at the door, but I’m too close to the edge to care right now.
“Room service!”
I completely forgot about the food I ordered when I first came in, and I certainly don’t want it right now. The knock on the door continues for a few more seconds.
“Just leave it!” yells Asher, his back curving to dig into me.
I’m glad he answered, because my brain is on a one-way street right now. I grab a fistful of his hair with one hand and hold on tighter to his hips with the other.
The wave of the orgasm sends my body into spasms, and for a split second I’m sure I know what an out-of-body experience feels like. After a few more thrusts, Asher joins me on the pleasure wave, groaning loudly in my ear as he grips my thigh hard enough to bruise.
“Shit,” he grunts. “It’s never been that intense before.”
I nod my head in agreement. Asher is right about that, it has never been that intense. Maybe our eclectic mix of emotions brought the whole experience to new heights.
Asher rolls over, wrapping his arms around me.
“I know I keep saying it, but I’m so sorry for making you feel used, and I swear I will never make you feel that way again. You mean everything to me and I’m going tell you that every single day. I love you, Jade.”
I lay there, wrapped in Asher’s arms, recalling the question I asked myself earlier.
Do I hold on to the past or do I let it go and forge on into the future with the man who has my heart?
I don’t always make the best decisions, and this could be a major mistake on my part, but as of right now, in this moment, I’m choosing my heart. I turn to face Asher and close the distance between us and seal it with a kiss.
“I love you too,” I
say.
Epilogue
JADE
IF SOMEONE were to ask me a year ago where I thought I would be now, my answer would have been curled up on the floor with Jacob playing with a pile of toys. Hell, I may have even said cooking and cleaning or doing some other job that fell under my duties as a nanny. Never in a million years did I think I would be sitting on a stage with six other graduates as my culinary mentor gives his speech about how far we’ve come.
Even more than that, I never considered I’ve have both. And standing here knowing what I have waiting for me after this ceremony is almost as exciting as what I’m achieving today.
Thankfully, I’m surrounded by a bunch of people who not only believed in my food, but also believed in me. Both Bradley and Ray have been instrumental to my growth and I certainly wouldn’t be here without the two of them.
I squirm around nervously as I look out at the crowd gathered in our honor. Rachel smiles and waves at me and I give her a small wave back. My parents are next to her, both of them beaming from ear to ear. I’ve accomplished quite a bit in my short years, but this is the moment I’m most proud of. My gaze finally lands on Asher and I lose all sense of what’s going on around me. He flashes that boyish grin of his and winks at me as Jacob squirms in his arms, clapping his tiny hands as he watches on.
Asher is the last person I would have expected to be present and accounted for, but here he is, holding his son who looks more and more like him every day. For a brief moment, I wasn’t sure where we stood in our relationship and after the whole issue with Magdalene I definitely had my doubts about staying together.
While I love Jacob, I never considered taking on the mother role. When Asher explained how I’d already been fulfilling the role, I doubted him, only to later learn he was right. I stepped into the unknown and let the chips fall where they may, and luckily, they fell in great places. We made the decision to commit to a relationship, raising his son together, and here we are, still going strong a year later.
Asher made it crystal clear to me and the world when he gave his statement to the press about me and Jacob. We were tired of being followed around, and the rumor mill didn’t help the situation, but after Asher’s statement, everything died down a bit.
“We’re going to start the second part of the ceremony, so graduates, when you hear your name, come up and receive your official white chef’s coat,” says Ray.
This is the moment I’ve been waiting for and I’m nervous beyond all reason. I quickly wipe my hands on my pants, hoping to rid myself of some of the sweat coating my palms.
I can’t shake Ray’s hand with sweaty palms.
I’m in such a good place with everything in my life. I even reconciled with Magdalene. I remember the day she called to apologize like it was yesterday. She admitted to lying about the whole thing involving Asher. She never even sought custody of Jacob, just the largest payday she could dream up. Little did she know, it was my convincing that spared her a legal battle with Asher’s lawyers, instead rewarding her with every request in exchange for full custody.
“Jade Sinclair.”
I rise to my feet and smooth away any possible wrinkles in my shirt before joining Ray at the podium. He helps me slip into the jacket and it melds to my body like a second layer of skin. The fit is perfect, and I doubt I will take it off anytime soon. This jacket makes me an official chef, with the culinary education to back up my talent.
Ray beams at me and shakes my hand as we turn to pose for photos. I’m the last graduate, so we all exit the stage and walk over to mingle with our loved ones while the room next door is being set up for our celebratory dinner. I’m really excited about that part, especially since the main course is an original recipe by yours truly.
Rachel makes it to me first and wraps her arms tightly around me. “You did it, Jade, you’re officially my personal chef!”
I lean back from the embrace and shake my head. “Good try,” I say. “There’s no way I’m going to be your personal anything. You’d talk me to death before I even get the chance to cook anything.”
She laughs and slaps my shoulder before handing me off to my parents.
“We’re so proud of you,” my dad says, enclosing me in one of his bear hugs. “I knew your constant tinkering around in the kitchen would lead to something amazing, and now here you are.”
Mom peels Dad off me so she can get her turn, and her hug is just as warm and comforting as it was when I was a little girl. Her Chanel perfume is subtle, and it brings back such fond memories of us cooking together when I was younger.
“You look like an angel,” she says. “I’m so happy we made it back in the country in time to see you graduate.”
“Me too,” I say. “I wasn’t so sure you two would make it based on all the travel delays.”
“There’s no way we were going to miss this,” says Dad.
Mom smiles and pushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “He’s right, you know. He even threatened to charter a plane and fly it himself if things didn’t start progressing.”
“Damn right,” says Dad. “Nothing was going to stand in the way of us seeing our baby girl crush another one of her goals.”
“Wow,” I say. “I’m just glad you didn’t have to dust off your pilot’s license, so you both made it here in one piece.”
I kiss Mom on the cheek and watch as she walks over with my Dad to join Rachel at the table I’ve reserved for my guests.
Last but certainly not least, Asher stands there with his hands in his pockets as Jacob lays in his stroller beside him. I know in an instant Asher’s playing with his lucky paperclip as Jacob finally crashes for his midday nap.
Asher opens his arms and welcomes me with a warm embrace.
“Nervous?” I ask. “I know you were fiddling with that paperclip in your pocket.”
He laughs and plants a soft kiss on the crown of my head. “I’d be a fool to not be nervous. This is only my third time meeting your parents in person.”
I laugh and squeeze him tightly in my arms. “You’ve talked to them dozens of times,” I giggle. “They don’t bite. Well, my mom doesn’t. I can’t speak for my dad.”
Asher chuckles again before leaning down to give me a kiss. His lips are just as soft and smooth as the first time we kissed. “I’m positive your dad will bite if necessary. It’s clear to me that you get your looks from your mom and that fiery attitude from your dad.”
I sigh and wrap my arm around his as we make our way to the table, the nanny we’ve hired following close behind with the stroller carrying Jacob. “I can’t argue with you there, but Dad is ten times worse than me.”
We stop at a narrow end table as I grab a menu for Asher. “Everything is so good, but I’m especially proud of the recipe I created for the main course.”
“You should be,” he boasts. “You should definitely be proud of everything you’ve accomplished over this last year. You set a goal, and then you knocked it out of the water. I love watching you do what you enjoy the most.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” I say, turning to face him.
It’s true, Asher has been a major part of my support team over the last year. He offered to take care of everything so I could focus solely on school, and that act of kindness has been a major help. While I couldn’t accept the offer outright, insisting on continuing my care for Jacob, I certainly couldn’t have made my dream come true without my full-time nanny, who puts me to shame with her extensive experience. She’s allowed me to focus on my schooling while enjoying my evenings with both of my men.
“Nonsense,” says Asher. “I’ve spent enough time with you to know how strong, smart and resilient you are. Since I’ve met you, I’ve watched you excel at everything you put your mind to. Your cooking skills were already there long before we met, so you most certainly could have done it without me.”
I smile and kiss him again. “You’re not giving yourself enough credit,” I say. “All of those late-nights with
Jacob mean the world to me. Plus, I basically made you my live-in guinea pig, forcing you to try all my new recipes.”
Asher rolls his eyes and hands me a glass of Champagne off the tray of the passing waiter. “Yes, Jade, raising our son and tasting your delicious creations was so hard on me,” he responds with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
We laugh and I take a sip of the Champagne. It’s delicious, and I make a mental note to ask Ray where he got it from.
He definitely rolled out the red carpet for our graduation. Everything is so beautiful and all-round picture perfect.
“I know I keep saying it, but I can’t get over how proud I am of you,” says Asher.
“Aww, thanks babe. I forgot to tell you that Bradley picked me to be his mentee. Monday is my first day officially working as a chef.”
“See,” says Asher. “That’s exactly what I mean. Every time I blink, you do something amazing. Who would have ever thought our dinner date would lead here?”
I set my Champagne flute on the table and wrap my arms around Asher’s waist. “I never would have thought that night would ultimately lead me here, but I’m glad it did. So, either way it goes, I owe you big time, Mr. Jordan.”
Asher kisses my forehead and steps back from my embrace. “There’s that ‘Mr. Jordan’ thing again,” he says.
I giggle and fold my arms across my chest. “You know why I say it. I can’t help myself.”
“I know you can’t, but let’s try something a little different. Do you know what sounds better than hearing Mr. Jordan?”
“No, what?”
I suddenly wonder if he is playing with his paperclip. Why would he be nervous?
“Mrs. Jordan,” he says. Asher takes another step back, reaches into his pocket to retrieve a tiny blue box, and drops down on one knee.
