Just Breathe Series (Trilogy Box Set)

by Martha Sweeney

  During lunch, Jade recaps our previous days’ adventures to Jared and Pop-Pop. I wince when she mentions that Joe joined us for the movie in the park. There’s a look in Jared’s eye that I catch, but he’s quick to try to hide it. Despite Jade accurately recounting what happened, I know that Jared still speculates something.

  Monday morning, Jade and I hang out down by the pool of my apartment complex. After lunch, we print photos from the past couple of days and add them to Jade’s photo book that she keeps. This is her second one that is almost filled from all of our adventures and the ones she has with the rest of her family.

  When we start to cook dinner, Jade asks to use my phone. I don’t think anything of it because when she’s asked to use it in the past, she calls Kim or Peter.

  “Hi, Joe.”

  My eyes dart to her in a panic.

  “Want to come over for dinner? Emma and I are cooking,” she informs him.

  They exchange a few comments back and forth.

  My brain argues with itself on whether or not I want him to join us.

  “Hold on, she’s right here.” Jade hands me the phone.

  “Hello,” I greet.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Joe responds. “I just wanted to make sure it’s okay if I come over before answering Jade.”

  “Yeah,” my voice tentatively verifies. “It’s okay. We’ve got plenty of food.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yes,” I repeat more confidently.

  “When should I come over?”

  “You can head over now,” I suggest. “If you’re free.”

  “Great. I’m on my way.”

  “Okay. I think Jade wants to talk to you.” I hand her the phone before I hear Joe’s response.

  They exchange a few comments and I don’t really notice what they’re saying since I’m mentally checking my appearance. For some reason, I don’t mind that he’s coming over. My body tingles.

  “See you soon,” Jade discloses. She hangs up the phone and hands it back to me.

  Full of excitement, Jade quickly grabs the stool and gets out another plate for Joe and adds it to the place setting she started for the two of us on the coffee table. Then she grabs a napkin and utensils and places them on top of the plate like the rest. Temporarily too elated to help me with the food, Jade stands by the door waiting for Joe to arrive. She waits patiently for about five minutes before sitting down on the floor with Sadie keeping her company.

  “You know sitting there waiting won’t make him get here any sooner, right?” I say, laughing.

  “Yeah,” Jade replies. “But, I don’t want to miss it when he knocks.”

  “Sadie will let you know,” I mention.

  “What do you mean?” Jade inquires.

  “Dogs have a sense, an ability aside from really good hearing,” I share.

  “So, she knows that he’s coming already,” Jade states, trying to understand.

  “Kind of,” I chuckle. “When he gets closer, she’ll hear him coming down the hall before you do.”

  “Cool,” Jade expresses. She stays seated and watches Sadie intently.

  Sadie lays with her, coaxing Jade to play, but when Jade doesn’t, Sadie walks away to get a toy. Jade gets bored of sitting by the door alone, so she joins Sadie in the living room.

  About ten minutes later, Sadie rushes to the door. Jade is quick behind her and opens it before Joe gets the chance to knock.

  “Were you waiting there the whole time?” Joe teases.

  “No,” Jade giggles, jumping into his arms. “Sadie told me you were here.”

  “Wow, really?” Joe plays along. “How did she do that?”

  “Yeah,” Jade confirms. “Sadie has super sonic hearing.”

  “Awesome,” Joe replies excitedly.

  I give myself a quick once over just to make sure I’m not completely out of place. Coming into the kitchen area, Joe and I greet each other easily. Joe offers a hug and a peck on the cheek. He assists with the final preparations, mostly taking the plates over to the coffee table per Jade’s instruction while he holds her.

  Jade’s not a picky eater, so when we sit down to play some board games, we eat homemade, organic mini pizza with egg, cheese, bacon, onion, avocado and peppers on it, a bowl of fresh fruit, homemade queso dip, spinach and artichoke dip, chips and homemade, gooey, chocolate chip cookies with a tall glass of almond milk. The entire meal was selected by Jade, of course, with only a few suggestions from me.

  Jade recounts all of the things we did the past couple of days to Joe who is eagerly and attentively listening and encouraging her to keep talking.

  “We forgot to go to the bookstore, Emma,” Jade reminds, taking a large bite of cookie in her mouth.

  “That’s right,” I say. “Do you want to go once we’re done eating?”

  “Yes,” she affirms.

  “They’re open until ten,” I mention, laughing as she stuffs her face more. “There’s no need to rush, sweetie.”

  “Okay,” Jade answers with a mouth full.

  As soon as she’s done with her cookie, Jade gulps down her glass of milk and hurries to put all the dirty dishes on the kitchen counter. Joe and I follow suit, realizing that she’s eager to get going.

  “Where’s a bookstore in Pasadena?” Joe inquires as the four of us hit the streets.

  “Down Colorado just past where the Pasadena Playhouse is on El Molino,” I inform.

  “I don’t remember seeing a Barnes and Noble or Borders there,” Joe comments.

  With a giddy smile, I answer, “There aren’t any major book chains here.”

  “Oh,” he returns.

  “Yeah,” Jade chimes in. “Were going to Broman’s.”

  Laughing, I politely correct her, “Vroman’s.”

  “That’s what I said,” Jade insists. “Vroman’s.”

  When we get to Vroman’s, Pasadena’s oldest independent bookstore, Joe holds the door open for Jade, Sadie and I to enter. He follows us up the stairs to the second floor where the children’s section is located. Jade hops through the isles and shelves happily in search for some new books — she has a gift certificate to use that I gave her for her birthday. Joe and I quietly follow her from a distance, giving her space to explore but close enough if she wants to talk or ask questions. Jade chooses several books that are of her current reading comprehension level which is that of a second grader. She’s settles on Nim’s Island, Matilda and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Thirty minutes later, we head back to my apartment.

  We jump right into playing games around the coffee table, chatting and laughing as time rolls by. Joe has a way with Jade. I shouldn’t be surprised from how he’s interacted with Jade, Rey and Jet each time he sees them.

  By nine, I get Jade into the bath while Joe and I clean up the games and the leftover dishes from our dinner. Joe remains a gentleman and doesn’t try to touch me, he doesn’t even try to kiss me, though I see it written all over his face. Once Jade is done washing, she gets her pajamas on and the three of us and Sadie pile onto my bed to watch a movie. Jade places herself right in the middle, Joe takes the spot on her left which is my side of the bed. I give him a playful glance as I walk around to the other side. Joe laughs, but doesn’t comment.

  Halfway through the movie, Jade is curled into me with her head on my belly and her legs over Joe’s. Joe moves closer and rests his head right next to mine. He glides his fingers over my left forearm that is laying over Jade’s stomach. I keep my eyes on the television and am surprised when Joe leans in and kisses me on the cheek. It takes me a moment to get past the shock to face him. The next thing I know, his lips are sweetly kissing mine. I don’t pull away. In fact, my body does the opposite of what my brain is saying by leaning further into his embrace. Before my brain gets the chance to protest and pull away, Joe’s mouth releases mine. Our eyes stay locked for several beats. For the rest of the movie, we lay quietly, always touching in one form or another.

  Joe politely announces h
is departure when the movie is over. After we get Jade tucked under the blankets, I walk him out. I willingly head out into the hallway with him this time and we ardently exchange kisses before our customary farewell.

  Kim picks Jade up Tuesday morning, leaving the rest of the day for me to take care of business. There are a lot of things I want to get done between Naturally Me and Raven Media before my trip to the facility next week with Joe and his parents.

  Maggie and Henry’s honeymoon got extended due to some business needs for Henry, but Maggie is working despite the difference in time zones.

  Joe texts in the evening trying to see if I’ll come over. Despite the fact that I want to have sex with him again, I decline his offer. As horny as I am, and as bad as I want to feel Joe’s naked body on mine, I don’t want this becoming a regular thing in my life. It scares me that I crave him as much as I do — I find little reprieve from masturbation.

  Fifty Five

  Wednesday morning, I take the train with Sadie into Hollywood and then take a cab the rest of the way to Nathaniel’s. Nathan’s hard at work in his studio, but manages to block me from seeing the dress he’s creating for me — he has it under lock and key — literally. He shows me the status of the suits for Chris, Jimmy, Allen, Jared and himself. When I inquire about a sixth one I see, he informs me that he wanted Joe to have one as well. Maggie will be wearing one of the dresses he’s already made and Henry fits into one of the suits that matches her dress.

  Jared and Pop-Pop stop by with lunch. After the four of us eat, Sadie and I go to Santa Monica with Jared and Pop-Pop while Nathan continues to work. I’m grateful for Denise and her abilities because she’s been doing a wonderful job managing the entire store while Nathan designs. We’ve already made arrangements for her to have an increase in pay, at least for the temporary added work she’s undertaking.

  When I get to Nathan’s condo, Jared and Pop-Pop jump back into some stuff for Naturally Me and I watch with pride for a few minutes before I turn my attention on Raven Media. By six-thirty, Pop-Pop, Jared and I are eating dinner since Nathan doesn’t plan on getting home until late. We decide to take a stroll on the beach, letting Sadie get a good run in before turning in for the rest of the night.

  Nathan finally graces us with his presence by eight forty-five. As Nathan shovels his plate of dinner into his mouth, I give him and Jared their photo book.

  “Presents!” Nathan blurts with a mouth full of food. “Sweetie, open them. My hands are too dirty.”

  Jared opens the first box that contains a framed picture of the entire bridal party from Maggie’s wedding. “Awww . . . thanks, Kitten,” he announces.

  “Let me see . . . let me see,” Nathan directs, waving his hand, stuffing the last bite in. “Yay!” he shouts wiping his hands clean. “Can I get another one for the shop to put on my desk?”

  “Sure,” I smile in appreciation.

  “If you’d like a photo too Pop-Pop, I have them on my iPad so you can look through them and tell me which ones. Okay?” I gladly offer.

  “Definitely sweetheart. Thank you,” he graciously accepts.

  “I want to open the other one,” Nathan declares, reaching for the larger box. He double checks his face and hands with a napkin. “Oh my God,” he proclaims, holding up the book for Jared and Pop-Pop to see.

  The three of them huddle together as Nathan carefully turns the pages one by one. They don’t say a word for the first few minutes.

  “Ian, his wife and their team did a wonderful job!” Jared exclaims.

  “I know,” I agree. “I’m going to send them a tip.”

  “There’s a lot of the three of us,” Jared announces.

  “I know. I did that on purpose. If you want other shots, you can look on the iPad. I just wanted to give you two something special that mostly has just you, Nathan and Pop-Pop in them. It’s not the same as the one I put together for Maggie and Henry or the rest of the family,” I explain.

  “Did you bring them along?” Nathan asks.

  “Yes.” I get up to get it from my room.

  Two hours later, after looking at every picture and practically making a comment about each one, Pop-Pop makes his way to bed. A third into the movie, Nathan is sound asleep and snoring on Jared’s shoulder.

  Fifty Six

  Thursday afternoon, I’m back at my apartment and I’m plugging away with more business tasks. By nighttime, approximately ten in the evening, my itch becomes a glaring distraction and masturbation is not relieving it. Joe has been texting me since my time with Jade ended, but I’ve ignored seeing him for various reasons. Now, I can no longer do that.

  After changing into fresh underwear, I brush my hair and check myself in the mirror before taking Sadie out for a quick walk. Outside of Joe’s building, just before the doorman greets me, I text Joe.

  “Free tonight?” I send.

  “For you, always,” he immediately responds. “What time?”

  “In your elevator,” I write.

  He sends a winking, kissy-face emoticon. “See you in a second, beautiful.”

  My body shakes with anticipation as the elevator rises.

  Anna greets me at the door and doesn’t seem surprised; rather, she appears more pleased to see me than anything. Anna ushers me in quickly, informing me that she has one little thing to finish up in the kitchen before she’s heading home. What a peculiar statement to make, especially with how she says it.

  Normally, she would have her own room off of the main place like she does back in New York, but Joe’s penthouse does not have living quarters for staff. Instead, she lives across the street in the apartments that can bee seen from Joe’s main balcony that looks Colorado Boulevard.

  Joe rushes to meet me just as Anna finishes letting me in. I can see the struggle to control himself in his eyes. If Anna wasn’t here, we’d both already be naked and fucking each other on the marble floor.

  As Anna heads to the kitchen, Joe is quick to follow her after telling me he’s going to check to see how much longer she’s going to be and to wait where I am. Wanting to distract myself and help pass time, I feel a little adventurous and make my way down the hall toward Joe’s room with Sadie close behind.

  Leaving Joe’s bathroom, I find Joe perched in his bedroom doorway with a sinful grin on his face.

  “I had to pee,” I report, taking a few steps toward him.

  Joe lifts a quizzical brow.

  “What?!” I play along, shrugging my shoulders.

  Joe shakes his head.

  “Anna gone?”

  “Yes,” he notifies.

  Seeing that he’s not going to make a move, I suddenly become bold. Sliding my hands down, they curl under the edge of my loose summer dress. My eyes stay fixed on Joe as I slip my lace underwear down and then toss them to him. Joe catches them effortlessly and takes a long, deep inhale before placing my panties into his pocket. I take several steps toward him — my breasts grazing his chest while my hands stay to my side. More confident, my index and middle fingers of my right hand gradually walk up the side of Joe’s leg to his belt buckle.

  The next thing I know, my mouth is exploring Joe’s and I’m between him and the bed. Frantically, our hands scurry to undo his belt and pants. Joe puts the condom on as my hands rush to unbutton his shirt. Just as I get the third button done, Joe shifts my body back and buries his cock deep inside me in one single movement. A gasp leaves my throat, not expecting the sensation and appreciating finally having him.

  Joe vigorously plows into my vagina with short, brisk, strong thrusts. My hands curl over the top of his shoulders to hold on for the ride. Joe’s hand tightens on my hip as he pushes harder into me.

  “Don’t . . . stop . . .” I command, barely able to breathe.

  “I . . . don’t want to . . .” he announces between grunts.

  “I’m . . . almost . . .” my voice pants. My back arches and my pelvis reach instinctually for a particular angle. I can feel my nails digging into his back as the org
asm floods my body. “Fuuuuuuuck . . . Joooooooooe,” I whimper my satisfaction.

  “God, Emma,” Joe groans, confirming his release.

  After several more deep, lingering thrusts, Joe and I lay panting. I can feel his arms shaking as he holds himself over me. We both groan disappointment when he pulls out. Hardly moving, Joe reaches and grabs a tissue from the nightstand, removes the condom and throws it in the trash. I roll to move out of his way to give him more room.

  “I’m not done with you yet,” Joe professes, grabbing a hold of the back of my thighs.

  I look over my shoulder, pleased to hear his intention.

  Joe bends down and nips my exposed left butt cheek with his teeth and chuckles when I yelp. Crawling up my body, Joe’s hands find the zipper to my dress and pull it down. He rolls me over and I get to a kneeling position, allowing him easier access to take it off. My hands move to unbutton the rest of Joe’s shirt as he pulls the rest of the dress over my head.

  Scooping me up by the waist after a deep kiss, Joe lowers me to the bed as he shrugs the rest of the way out of his pants. With our mouths locked, Joe and I proceed to remove his dress shirt and undershirt.

  “Fuck me,” I instruct, needing more of him.

  “I plan on it,” he wickedly confesses.

  “Now,” I insist.

  “Not yet,” he contends as his mouth ventures to my neck.

  I groan in objection until I feel his fingers slide over my sex. My hips happily rock as he circles over my clitoris. With his mouth near mine, Joe continues to kiss me as he inserts his fingers into my wet cavern. My left hand fists into his hair and my right trails down the length of his body, taking hold of his shaft. Joe massages my mounds and sticks to one spot as my moaning increases, confirming the location that will bring on my next orgasm. My thumb circles a spot along the seam of his penis, wanting to make him cum as well. Suddenly, Joe strikes the spot inside me in a slightly different way, causing my right hand to tighten around his cock and my climax to arrive. Moments into my release, I feel warm liquid drip over my hand.