Take Me - A Bad Boy Steals a Bride Romance

by Layla Valentine

  The cold air around her had changed. Lost in her own thoughts, Jada didn’t register it right away. Now that she was approaching the delicate porch of the small house, it was warm all around her. The house was a pale green with white trim and a white door. Jada walked up the wooden steps, hearing them creak beneath her feet. Her red shoes were vibrant on the white stairs. Jada loved those shoes, wore them every chance she got. She felt so fiery, so alive and sexy in them, confident enough to entertain her desires.

  Jada felt her skin tingle as she walked up to the door and put her hand on the old brass knob. She loved the house. It was so quaint and charming, and tonight she loved it more than anything. He was waiting for her inside; she knew it. She would walk inside, take off her coat, hang it on the rack, and he would be waiting for her.

  Her coat still swinging on the rack, Jada started to unbutton her blouse. The silk was real and felt amazing against her skin. The vibrant red color matched her shoes, and the small crystal buttons gleamed in the soft candlelight. He always remembered the candles, never forgot them, and she loved it. They were so warming against the cold autumn air.

  Jada tugged up her shirt, pulling it out from her black pencil skirt. Her flesh tingled as the warm air tickled her. She dropped the silk blouse to the floor and reached to her back for the zipper on the skirt. The zipper always stuck, but as she pulled on it now, it opened easily. She shimmied out of the black wool fabric and let it land at her feet. As Jada stepped out of the skirt, she juggled with the idea of leaving her stockings on. The garter around her hips was underneath the straps of her panties.

  Jada reached an arm around her back and groped for the clasp of her bra. The red silk shone brightly against her tanned skin. She found the clasp easily and sprung it free with one hand. Jada threw it behind her as she rounded the corner to her bedroom. She felt on fire as she drew closer to where she knew he was lying.

  The long hall seemed to stretch as Jada walked to her door. When she finally reached it, she lifted a hand to push the door open. It weighed so much, and the effort to open it left her breathing hard. Her room was filled with candles, the warm glow heating the air. The soft red of the walls was romantic and inviting. The bed was immense, and there, against the satin fabric, his tan skin glowed.

  He was amazing, tan skin pulled taut over his well-developed muscles. He was taller than her, taking up the entire length of the bed. His long legs lay gently open to the sides, and a section of the beautiful satin sheets was pulled up between them, resting just below his hip bones. Underneath her sheets, his skin was bare. Smooth, round biceps flexed as he pulled the sheet close. His strong thighs tightened as he became aware of her presence.

  Jada’s eyes scanned up across his body. His abdominal muscles were so strong, it was like they were carved from marble. Every muscle on his body stood out as the light from the candles jumped across his skin. Jada pictured it pressed against her own, and what a lovely sight it was. Every inch of him was a perfect golden bronze, as if no part of him was ignorant of the sun’s rays.

  His broad shoulders were next for her to feast upon. He was strong, his frame so large that it was a wonder he fit through her tiny doorway. So commanding; his presence alone made Jada want to give in to any desire he professed.

  But his face, though protective and fierce, was kind. His deep blue eyes were wells she could have fallen into. His thick black hair was short and messy, his strong jawline covered lightly with stubble. His bangs, shaggy around his face, hung devilishly in his eyes. His features were cut from the same marble as the rest of him, and in his eyes, Jada could see the desire building.

  He lifted his head and his eyes found hers. Jada might have melted, if it weren’t for the piercing desire to touch him. The cocked grin he wore only egged her on. That smile was only for her, a perfect reflection of the pleasure to come. He lifted his arm and gestured for Jada to come to him, his huge forearms flexing as he moved his wrist. She happily obliged, but not too quickly.

  As Jada walked forward, his gaze dropped to her breasts, which rose and fell as she breathed hard. The room’s heat was enveloping her, and his scent was intoxicating. Rich and spicy, it was a penetrating drug that made her skin hum and her body ache for him. She edged closer, until they were almost touching, watching his hands drift toward her breasts. Her heart pounded and she felt her body prepare itself for him. Dizzied by the ache, Jada didn’t see as he thrust himself up on his knees and let the sheet fall.

  He stood there, firm and proud before her. Jada tried to focus on his eyes, but her gaze slowly fell. His muscles were tighter even than before, his skin glowing in the light. His hips stood at her waist, his muscles were taut, flexing, holding his weight and yet ever ready to move forward.

  Jada’s body warmed. His proud form stood just out of reach, and she saw the desire in his blue stare. The tension between them built to unbearable levels, and Jada could barely steady herself in her heels. He took her weight, then, and lifted her onto the massive bed.

  His skin felt soft and warm against her own, and Jada breathed hard. Her own curls hung long and smelled of lavender shampoo. He breathed deeply and sighed in pleasure.

  “I’m glad you like it.” Jada’s voice was foreign, deep and husky with desire.

  His fingers felt like hot rods wrapped in smooth skin as they swept back and forth across Jada’s soft skin. The connection between them was fiery, intense, and somehow still sweet.

  As she let out a deep breath, he pulled her to him. He was powerful with desire, and their bodies connected in a moment of joyful union. Jada felt ecstatic as his mouth came down to her neck. He lifted Jada’s chin with his hand and pulled her lips to his. His lips were soft and hot against hers, and she loved the feeling of his wet tongue between her lips.

  He looked down at her, his eyes like dark swimming pools swallowing her up, and then he lowered his head, dark hair falling into his eyes. As Jada watched him move, she felt her heart pull at her in a welcome need for this wonderful man.

  Their loving union was building further, and together they crashed over the rocky shore, breathing in the foam, the ocean, and sensual bliss.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next few days went by without incident, excitement, or a barrage of emails. Back at the office, Jada referred to the boss solely as Jackson, but in her head, she always laughed and thought about his real name. Jada’s team developed the project for their big client successfully, and the presentation went really well. A couple days before the ceremony, Jada got an email letting her know the fitting was arranged for that afternoon, that she’d been excused from her afternoon duties, and she should say that she simply had a doctor’s appointment. The remarkable thing about the email was that it was signed simply “Edmund.”

  Jada smiled at the monitor and nearly giggled. It was totally pathetic, she knew. Sure, the staff lunches had continued, and he’d been really sweet looking after her the other night, but it all seemed too fragile to last. She just wasn’t ready to believe anything nice about him yet.

  Soon enough, it was dress-fitting time, and Jada gathered up her briefcase and went to the parking garage. Matheson hadn’t said anything, thank God, and she checked the email again to confirm the address.

  On her drive to the bridal store, Jada wondered why Edmund hadn’t come with her. He always arranged these little trips as a pair. Why was this run just for her?

  That was when the tradition popped into her head: it was bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding. In the car, her heart thundered. Why would Edmund care about bad luck? It wasn’t as if the relationship were in danger. They weren’t in a relationship. Thinking about it wasn’t helping her nerves, however, so Jada attempted to just focus on driving.

  Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the boutique bridal salon known for being best in all of San Francisco. The exterior looked small, but it was dazzling inside. Jada was again greeted with champagne, and there was even more cake, which she did not partake in. The wh
ole place was shades of white, the dresses, the walls, the floors, the furniture. The only color that stood out in was the silver of the shiny fixtures and the green of the flower bouquets.

  An impeccably dressed older woman walked up to Jada and greeted her. “Hello, darling! You must be Jada. Lovely to meet you. I’m Tish and I’ll be your consultant today. We’ve closed off the entire store, and Mr. Hays says that money is no option, so the sky’s the limit! Now, what are you looking for? Silk, ball gown, mermaid, sequins, Vera, Pnina? Tell me, tell me your dreams.”

  The woman walked Jada to a long rack of dresses. There was every poufy style imaginable, and some that sparkled so brightly that Jada wanted to shield her eyes.

  “Well, I’m actually a pretty simple girl. Nothing too big or flouncy. I like elegance and ease.” She tried to be as honest as she could without saying that she was not excited about this and that she was in fact nauseated from the stress.

  “Ahh, I see. Perfect.”

  After about an hour of looking at nothing but fluffy, huge ball gowns, Jada was finally ready to be more direct.

  “What I like is silk, a straight line to the floor, and no sequins or jewels. Does that help?” She was getting frustrated, and it was starting to show.

  “Hmm,” Tish, self-proclaimed dress consultant extraordinaire, searched the room with her eyes. She landed on a collection of dresses near the rear corner. As Jada followed her over, she saw the lines of the dresses were much more to her liking. They were simple, classic, and involved absolutely no tulle or crinoline.

  “This is a newer designer for most people: Jenny Packham. Let me look at you again.” She grabbed Jada’s shoulders and spun her around, gazing at her form critically. “You’re a good shape for this, slender, but enough in the bust to fill out the line. Look.”

  Tish held out a gown that rolled in waves of ivory silk. Jada’s eyes were glued to the beautiful form and the exaggerated sweetheart neckline. She loved it.

  “Oh, yeah. This is gorgeous.”

  The bridal consultant smiled directly at Jada for the first time that afternoon and clapped at having finally pleased her client. Jada was led to the fitting room, and Tish passed her the gown so that she could change. The size was right even off the rack, with only the hem being a bit long. There was no mirror in the fitting space, so Jada had to step into the center of the room and up onto a small pedestal to see herself in the huge, three-section mirror set up on the far wall.

  When she stepped onto the pedestal and slowly looked up, Jada hardly recognized herself. The ivory silk draped over her skin like a glove and hugged her in all the right places. The sweetheart neckline exposed her chest and gave just the right hint at the cleavage beneath. At her feet, silk waves pooled around her and created a medium-sized train. What she hadn’t seen on the rack was the daring slit which showed her right leg up to her thigh. The allure it created was undeniable, and Jada could only stare at the gorgeous stranger staring back at her in the mirror.

  Tish walked over, a silent question in her eyes.

  “This is the one.”

  The women both smiled, and it was a done deal. Jada had chosen her wedding gown. In a flurry of toasts, measurements, veil options, and shoes, Jada’s fitting ended in a dizzying whirl. She only wished her mother would have been there. Jada sighed a little, but before Tish could grow concerned, she put her happy face back on, confirmed the billing name on the account, and assured the woman that whatever Edmund had said was correct.

  She had decided to go without a veil. She had never liked them anyway, and the dress left little room for extravagant undergarments, so Jada agreed she would not wear a bra and that a thong was the only option. She hated thongs, but when she looked at her butt in the mirror, her own undies creating lumps in the fabric, she went along with it.

  The session wrapped up and Jada got back in her car in a haze. Before she could start the engine, her cell rang. It was Edmund.

  “How did it go?” He sounded excited.

  “How’d you know I was finished?”

  “I saw the charge on my account.”

  “Stalker much. But it went fine. I found something I liked.”

  “Yeah?” The concern in his voice was odd.

  “Yes. It’s beautiful.” Jada took a deep breath. “I was about to go home.”

  “I figured. That’s actually why I called. I have something to go over with you back at the office. Could you swing by?”

  “Can I park in the special garage?” Jada teased.

  “Sure.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

  “All right. I guess I can make that work.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jada hung up and drove back to the office, this time turning into the private garage at the back and walking to Edmund’s private elevator. When the doors opened at his top-floor suite, Jada saw that the main space had been cleared and her boss was waiting at the side, near a stereo that definitely hadn’t been there before.

  “What’s all this?”

  “I thought we’d practice our dance.” He pushed play and music filled the space. Walking to the center of the room, he bowed and held out his hand for her to join him on the impromptu dance floor.

  “Don’t you remember what we talked about? Buffet table?”

  Edmund only clucked and walked closer to Jada. “Hence the practice for the first dance. Don’t worry; I’ll lead.”

  As Jada let herself get pulled in and the music of the waltz hummed around them, she sighed in defeat. “You’re the one who should be worried. I hope you don’t like your toes.”

  But there was no more talking. Mr. Jackson P. Hays, CEO and chairman of the board, simply took Jada’s hand and led her around the room in a whirling display of perfectly executed steps. He was really good, more so than she would have ever expected, and his arm on her back pulled her in close. Jada smelled his cologne, and the only word her brain would come up with to describe it was “yummy.” At first, her steps threatened to falter as her partner murmured out gentle instructions. Each time, however, his strong arms took her weight and kept her afloat.

  “You’re very good at this.” Jada’s voice was just above a whisper.

  “Thank you. You’re learning quickly.”

  Jada’s face got warm, and she was convinced she was blushing. The temperature in the room seemed to have shot up like a million degrees, but instead of requesting air or moving further out, Jada leaned into the embrace.

  There was no sound except for the quiet music and gentle shuffle of their steps. Edmund continued to give instructions and count out beats for her. After a few turns about the room, Jada realized he was teaching her a specific dance. She did her best to remember the steps, and after some time she picked the dance up and the instructions were no longer needed. Without words, the intensity in the room was magnified.

  Jada had felt her heartbeat quicken when she had learned she had to dance, but even once she felt more comfortable with the steps, her heart continued to thunder inside its cage. They were just so close, the two of them moving in intricate circles across the office floor. Was she simply nervous about dancing? That had to be it. Or else she was—no, she couldn’t possibly be aroused. But as the thought surfaced in her mind, her body took the initiative and responded in kind.

  It was totally inappropriate. They had agreed that this was to be strictly a business arrangement, and though her boss was certainly handsome and some level of attraction was reasonable, fantasizing about his lips making their way down her neck was certainly not.

  But she couldn’t move, couldn’t pull away or stop, or think for that matter. She just let this beautiful man lead her around his office in a slow waltz while she gazed, hazy-eyed, into his baby blues.

  As they completed another take of their routine, their steps slowed. He’d ended each round with a deep dip and guided Jada back up to his face successfully each time, but this was so much longer a hold. Inexorably, Edmund pulled her back up to meet him in a standing
position. His face was so close to hers, so very close. Jada saw the pink in his lips and the light stubble on his face. The moment seemed to stretch out and thicken, making the air heavy and wet. Slowly, Edmund moved his face closer to hers. Was he really going to kiss her? Would she mind?

  As the distance shrank to nothing, however, he seemed to remember himself and pulled away abruptly. Suddenly, she was standing on her own and the warm blanket of his arms was gone, replaced by the far less inviting air. Jada was momentarily breathless. This was definitely Jackson, and he was now facing away from her, his shoulders drawn tight.

  “What’s wrong?” She attempted to make her voice stern, but it sounded small to her ears.

  “Nothing. You did well. Rehearsal is over though. You can go home. I’ll see you at the ceremony.” He didn’t turn around as he addressed her.

  “I don’t—”

  “Really, it’s fine.” He looked over his shoulder, and his smile was shaky and uncertain. “Go. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  “Fine.”

  Jada stormed out, went through the elevators doors, and down to her car. She made the drive home in no time and was still fuming as she slammed her apartment door closed behind her. Walking straight to her bedroom, she threw her shoes into the closet, threw her purse somewhere on the floor, and threw herself right onto the bed.

  What the hell is with him?! Ugh!

  She pulled her shirt over her head and yanked the pants she was wearing off her legs as she fell backward. Her pajamas were on the floor, but she was too angry and frustrated to get them. Instead, she climbed under her blankets and shut the light off.

  Sleep never came easy when Jada was angry, and she spent a long time tossing and turning.