Cole got out of the car with their food and walked around to open her door. He reached into the backseat to grab her overnight bag. All Jade could think about was why on earth was he doing this for her? Why did he want her in his life? There was nothing she could offer him that would remotely measure up to all of his wealth and the life he must be living now. She was becoming more and more apprehensive about this situation.
He reached out to grab her hand; mainly because Jade hadn’t been very steady on her feet, but also because he still couldn’t believe she was real. Cricket was actually at his home. Cole knew if she had any other choice she wouldn’t be, but was still thankful everything worked out the way it had. “Are you ready to go inside?”
She stared at his hand. A million thoughts ran through her head. All of which led back to her inner voice telling her she was making the biggest mistake of her life. Well, not quite the biggest. That honor went to Kevin and their marriage. Jade continued to hesitate. Was this really her only option? Or, in some twisted way, did she want to be here with Cole. Jade didn’t know, but in the end she put her hand in his. Tentative eyes looked up into his. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” The moment his hand closed around hers the tingle she knew was hidden just under the surface went up her arm. If she were honest, that feeling was what she was the most afraid of.
Chapter 7
Cole showed Jade to her room. For some odd reason, he was nervous. When he had it decorated, somewhere in the back of his mind he’d thought of her. Slowly, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. “If you don’t like this room, there are four others you can choose from. I just thought you might be more comfortable here.”
Jade looked around. To start, it was almost the size of the two-bedroom unit she shared with Katrina! It was like a mini apartment. On one side, the room boasted a four poster king sized bed, cherry wood, with tons of pillows covering it. She turned to him. “Think there are enough pillows on the bed?”
Cole was still holding his breath not sure if she liked the room or not. He smiled slightly. “If I remember correctly, you always seemed to take over a bed and hog all of the pillows. Figured this way, you’d have enough of your own.”
She was somewhat surprised. “You remembered that?”
“I don’t think I’ve forgotten too much. I’m sure if I have you’ll remind me.”
Jade continued to admire the room. She turned around in a circle trying to take it all in. He was right, it seemed he hadn’t forgotten much. She couldn’t have dreamed up a room better than this. Yellow had always been a favorite color of hers, and sure enough, different shades of yellow were everywhere. Cole put her bag on one of several wing-backed chairs. He decided to take control of the mini tour. He pointed to his right. “There are a couple of tv’s in here. There’s one over there in the living room area. And then, there is one right here.” He picked up a remote from the stand next to her bed. When he pressed a button on it, a television rose up out of a decorative box that sat at the foot of the bed.
“Wow. That’s cool. I’ve only ever seen one like this on television.” A slight frown appeared on her face. “There are a lot of windows in here.”
“Right. The sunlight is incredible in the morning on this side of the house. However, I installed privacy windows. You can see out clearly, but anyone who manages to get on the property can’t see in. If the windows bother you, press this button on the remote. It opens and closes the window shades.”
Jade nodded. She would definitely use that.
Cole continued on with the tour. “Let me show you the bathroom.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him. “This is your bathroom.”
Jade spoke more to herself than to him. “It looks like a spa in here. I could escape from everything.”
“There is also a walk-in closet on the side.”
Sarcastically joking to herself Jade put her hand over her stomach. “All that’s missing is a television over the tub.”
“Do you want one? I can have someone install it tomorrow.”
“God no. I was just kidding, Cole.”
“I only want you to be comfortable while you’re here.” He hesitated. “Do you like it? The room I mean.”
Jade loved it. How could she not? But, she refused to let him think material things could make up for the greatest disappointment of her life. She answered coolly. “It’s…nice. This or the streets. So, I can’t complain.” Jade stifled an imaginary yawn. “Cole, I’m pretty wiped. Think I could take a nap?”
Feeling somewhat disappointed, Cole understood rebuilding their relationship was going to take some time. “Sure. I’ll put your dinner away. Maybe when you wake up, you’ll want to eat a little something.”
She wouldn’t look directly at him but focused on something behind his head. “Thanks.”
Cole started walking out of the room, then turned back around. “Call me if you need anything…anything at all.”
Jade nodded.
He walked out and closed the door behind him. Briefly, he leaned on the door thinking, Cricket just needs a little time. Eventually, he hoped they would get back to where they were.
*****
Cole was downstairs in his office hunched over his desk reviewing paperwork. He couldn’t concentrate to save his life. Frustrated, he leaned back in his chair and looked up. Jade’s room was directly above his office. She was as skittish as a cat. Kevin had not just stolen the only person in this world that he knew without a shadow of a doubt loved him for him, but he’d taken a bit of her soul. He could not describe the anger he felt about it. He wasn’t a vindictive person, but at this moment he wanted to crush him. He wanted to hear him squeal. It was too bad there wasn’t much he could do, at least not right now. Cole had found out that Kevin was already locked up. He’d better thank his lucky stars because those bars were the only things keeping Kevin safe from him. Cole made a vow; Kevin would pay for the pain he’d caused.
His cell vibrated. Cole picked it up and saw Elise’s name on the screen. There was a moment where he started not to answer but decided to get this conversation over and done. “Elise.”
“Cole. I thought you were going to call me back?”
“Right. Time got away from me.”
“Is she there?”
He sighed and wiped his hands across his face. “Yes, Jade is here.”
“You do realize she hasn’t even been living with you but for a few hours and you’re already blowing me off.”
“Elise, you are being ridiculous. What do you think is going to happen?”
“Do you really want me to answer that? You pulled this girl off the street and brought her into your home! There is a thing called being generous, but this is too much. I don’t understand it or how you can just ignore my feelings.”
Cole wasn’t ready to give her their backstory just yet. “Elise this really isn’t about you. It’s about helping a friend in need.”
He could hear her frustration and thought she might scream. “Apparently not! What don’t you understand about her being a stranger? What do you even know about her? I’m not talking about who she was umpteen years ago. I mean now. Furthermore, how do you think it makes me feel knowing we’ve been together for the last year, and I can’t even leave an overnight bag at your house? Yet, you’ve moved this woman into your home.”
Cole closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Elise, I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you. That was never my intention. This is just something that I’ve got to do. Jade needs me.”
“And, I don’t? This is ridiculous. You’re being a fool. I’ve got to go.” Pissed Elise hung up without giving him a chance to respond. Cole didn’t know how to make it up to her, but there was also no way he could let Jade think he’d abandon her—again.
*****
Two hours later, Jade startled awake in a room bathed in darkness. She looked toward the windows and noticed they were still open to the night sky. Quickly, she rolled over and grabbed the remote to close the drape
ries. Privacy window or not, she just didn’t like them open. The peace a clear night like this would have once given her was no longer appealing. Being in Cole’s house and in a strange bed left her feeling uptight. She sighed. “Maybe a hot bath might help.”
Jade crawled down off of the bed, grabbed her bag with her robe, and went into the bathroom hoping a tub of soothing hot water would calm her nerves. It didn’t take very long for the whirlpool to fill up. Jade dipped her toe into heaven. It was absolutely perfect. She flipped a switch to turn on the jets then immersed herself underneath the bubbles. Jade reclined back into the water, and just for a moment, all of her problems melted away. She wasn’t sure how long she was lying there before falling asleep.
There was a light tap on the door. “Jade? Are you in here?”
Her eyes snapped open. Luckily the bubbles covered her naked body. “Cole! What are you doing in here?” He had already opened the door and was entering the room. When he realized Jade was in the bath, something about the bit of her flesh that swelled above the water captured him. He couldn’t pull his eyes away or mask the flash of heat in them when he looked down at her. The fire in his eyes took the words out of her mouth. There were times when Jade would have given her soul for him to see her in this way; as a sexual being - a woman.
Her words came out huskily. “I’m taking a bath.”
His lazy smile was almost her undoing. “I can see that.” His voice was so low that she’d almost missed it. “You’re beautiful.”
Still unable to tear her eyes away from his, she responded breathlessly. “Thank you.” This is what she didn’t want, to expose her real feelings, but it was too late. Jade hadn’t been under his roof for a full twenty-four hours and already she could no longer hide behind her anger, not when he was looking at her with such longing. She wondered if it would matter if he knew how she felt. If he knew that she was aware of him sexually and that she had never thought of him as a brother. The look he was giving her right now made it seem as though he shared the same feelings.
It was the hunger in his eyes and the heat in his voice that made her bold, fearless even. As sexily as she knew how, Jade moved her arms across the top of the water shifting the bubbles away from her body so that he had a clear view. “I’m not sure how you can tell from way over there. Why don’t you join me?” Jade was shocked at her own forwardness. Never in a million years would she say something like that, but with Cole all of her inhibitions fell away. She may never get this chance again, and Jade was going to take it.
As graceful as a cat, Cole walked towards her while rolling up his sleeves, never breaking eye contact. Kneeling down on the floor next to the bathtub he dipped his hands into the water. He moved them back and forth creating little ripples and waves. “I need to make sure everything is just right before I come in to play.”
Jade trembled as his hands dipped underwater to make contact with her leg. Her body was already warm from the water, but his touch set her on fire. Cole’s fingers were feather light as they traveled along the softness of her inner thigh. Her mouth went dry. The tips of his fingers made her body tingle all over, but when they brushed across her silken core, Jade thought she would instantaneously combust. She closed her eyes and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. Sensory overload was an understatement.
Cole leaned over the bath as he allowed his lips to hover over hers. She could feel his breath as he spoke. “I could get used to that look of pleasure on your face.” Gently, ever so gently, he pressed his lips to hers. Her arms were dripping wet, but she still wrapped them around his neck as they engaged in one of the most erotic kisses she’d ever experienced. Slowly, Cole’s tongue traced the outline of her lips before sliding down the seam of her mouth. He made love to her mouth the way she hoped he would make love to her body. When he inserted one of his fingers inside of her, Jade arched up into his hand. It had been so long since she’d been touched there. She moaned. He moaned. The water swished over the side of the tub onto his shirt and slacks. When he pushed the second finger inside, all Jade could do was hold on tight to his broad shoulders. She rotated her hips as he thrust deeper and deeper into her core. Her head fell backward which allowed him to drag his lips down the side of her neck.
Cole continued to push skillfully inside as he used his other hand to remove his shirt. He felt her start to spasm around his fingers. The water sloshed around even more as he picked up speed. Jade kept up the same rhythm while pressing her body into his. Words were impossible to form so all she could do was moan. She was so close. One thrust, two, three, and finally her body burst into pieces. Cole kissed her hard on the lips.
He growled into her ear. “We’re not finished. We’ve waited too long for this.” Quickly, he removed the rest of his clothing as Jade leaned back attempting to catch her breath. She barely had time to admire the ripped muscles of his hard body before he joined her in the water. Although Jade had just come down from the best orgasm of her life, she was still eager, desperate even to feel Cole inside of her. She spread her thighs apart as he positioned himself at her opening—
The sound of knocking on a door invaded her senses. It kept getting closer and closer. Finally, Jade’s eyes popped open. The water had turned cool, and Cole was nowhere to be found. She was alone, alone and dreaming about him. Her body didn’t know that it was a dream. “Oh God,” she whispered. She heard his voice on the other side of the outer door.
“Jade are you okay in there?”
It took a moment for her to find her voice. “I’m…I'm all right.”
Worry was evident in his voice. “Are you sure?”
Jade quickly got out of the bath and threw on her terrycloth robe. She did her best to even out her breathing before coming to the door. She took a deep breath and cracked it just a little allowing her to look into his concerned eyes.
The frown on his face deepened. “I wanted to check in on you before I turned in for the night and considering you didn’t have dinner…” He trailed off. “It took a while for you to come to the door. Your face is flushed. Are you sure you’re okay?”
She felt that her face probably turned an even deeper shade of crimson. To say she was embarrassed was putting it lightly. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I must have fallen asleep in the bath.”
His face relaxed, and Cole seemed to accept her explanation. “You didn’t actually eat anything today. Are you sure you don’t want something?”
There was no way she could eat anything, and it had nothing to do with her getting over an illness. “I’m okay, really, just still pretty tired. All I want to do is go back to sleep.”
He nodded. “Okay. Well, let me know if you need anything. I don’t care what time it is.” He paused as if he was unsure. “And, Jade, I’m glad you’re here.”
“Thanks for letting me stay for a little while.” Jade attempted a smile but wasn’t sure if she were successful or not. She closed the door and leaned back on it. At the moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to catch her bearings were the only things she could do. Jade brought her hand to her stomach. “So, now I’m daydreaming about this man. I’ve got to put a stop to this. This is bad. This is really, really bad. It’s well past time to launch Operation Crush the Crush. Cole is and has always been off-limits.”
Chapter 8
Jade’s shift was over, and she could finally get off of her feet. Today had been exhausting. She couldn’t wait to take another hot soak in the whirlpool bath, preferably without the wet dream to go along with it. That was going to be her first order of business when she got home. That bathroom suite was, at least, one good thing about living with Cole.
On Jade’s way out of the door, Brenda called out. “Hey! Wait for me. It’s dark, so we should probably walk together. I think we’re parked next to one another.”
“I didn’t know you were getting off at the same time as me. I would have waited.”
Brenda caught up to Jade. “I wasn’t supposed to leave until closing, but I switched with
Natalie. Things have been so crazy that you and I haven’t really had a chance to talk. You’ve only been back to work a few days. How are you feeling?”
Jade and Brenda ambled slowly towards their cars. “Physically? I'm all right just working on getting my energy up. Emotionally I’m drained.”
“It can’t possibly be that bad living with your incredibly wealthy and super-gorgeous ex-boyfriend?”
“First, he’s not an ex. Second, I can’t wait to get my own place. If there was any other option, I would have taken it.”
Brenda was skeptical. “Whoa. Are you sure he’s not a boyfriend because you definitely sound like a pissed off ex-girlfriend?”
Jade rolled her eyes. “God, no. I can’t even imagine.” She’d been telling that lie for more than seventeen years.
Apparently, from the look on Brenda’s face, she didn’t believe her. “What’d he do?”
Jade shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “He did what all men do. They make promises, lie, and treat you like crap. Then, turn around and act all amazing like the pain they caused didn’t even happen.”
“C’mon Jade. All men are not like that. I was married to the most wonderful man, God rest his soul. And you’re too young to be this cynical.”
“I might be young, but I’ve been through a lot. The only person you can truly depend on in life is yourself. Had I followed that rule to begin with I wouldn’t be living with Cole now.”
The anguish on Jade’s face was real, and Brenda wished there was more she could do. “If I weren’t living with my sister, we could have become roomies. And, you know Natalie still lives at home with her parents.”
Half-heartedly Jade smiled. “Thanks. It’s no problem. I feel embarrassed that I’m even complaining considering everything you’re going through. How is your sister?”
Brenda’s face softened. “She started a new round of chemo this week. All we can do is pray and keep our fingers crossed.”
“Well, I’ll certainly keep you guys in my thoughts.” They continued to chat even when they arrived at their cars. “I also need to pray that this rust bucket starts up!”
The Right Side of My Pillow Page 5
