Jade

by Jill Marie Landis

  More roughly than he intended, Jason pulled his body across hers. He was hot and heavy with need, she was pliant and welcoming. He took his hands off Jade and braced them on either side of her. “Tell me again,” he growled low in his throat, “now.”

  Her voice was breathless, her tone urgent. “I love you.”

  “Again.”

  She opened her eyes and stared into his. “I love you.” Her words were louder, stronger. Then she gasped, “Don’t make me wait, Jason. Please don’t make me wait.”

  With eager hands she reached out and cradled his face between her palms. She pulled him up and held him captive while she kissed him deeply, and reveled in the taste and smell of him. Jade gently bit his lower lip, sucked it between her teeth, and then plunged her tongue into his mouth.

  When the kiss ended, he raised his head and stared into her eyes. “You want me again?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re sure.”

  “Yes! Oh, yes, Jason, yes!”

  Jason moaned, raised himself between her open thighs, and drove into her. Jade’s eyes flew open wide. She called out his name and grasped his hips, pushing until he filled her. He crushed her in his embrace as her fingers traced a frantic pattern on his hips, thighs, and buttocks, driving him wild. He withdrew his hardened shaft and then plunged over and over again until she writhed beneath him. He knew when she climaxed, felt the walls of the moist sheath that encased him convulse wildly, heard her cry of release, and let his seed burst forth inside her.

  Jade felt the white-hot, liquid heat of his climax and another release of her own began even as the first had yet to fade entirely. She shuddered and clung to him, afraid to let go, afraid that if she did she would spiral out of control and lose herself forever. When she was in charge of her senses again, when the searing fire that had raged inside her began to abate, she decided that dying of ecstasy would not be such a terrible fate.

  She listened to the sound of their commingled, ragged breathing. Jason’s weight was heavy, but not unbearable. She ran her hands over his rib cage, felt the smooth, rippling muscles beneath his taut flesh, and counted herself the luckiest of women.

  When he was in command of his senses again, Jason rolled to his side and took her with him. He buried his face in her hair and smiled a secret smile of contentment when he felt Jade reach down and draw the covers over them both.

  IT WAS AN HOUR later when Jade awoke to find Jason seated in a comfortable rocking chair near the bed, strumming his guitar. He smiled when he saw that she was awake.

  She smiled when she saw that he was nude.

  “Do you think we should dress at all today, or just wait until tomorrow?” he asked.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a naked guitar player before.”

  “I don’t think you’ve ever seen a naked man before,” he said.

  She blushed prettily. “You’re right.” Then, to change the subject, she added, “Sing a song for me.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I love you too much,” he told her.

  “Then sing me a love song.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so. You’re sure to leave me forever if I do.”

  “It can’t be that bad—”

  “Cash and Lupe made me promise never to sing. That’s how bad it is.” He set the guitar down next to the rocker. He walked over to the bed and slipped in beside Jade. “I’m counting this as our honeymoon,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her tempting lips.

  She kissed him back. “I thought you said we would honeymoon in New Mexico.”

  “That will be our second honeymoon. This is our first.”

  When someone tapped at the door of the suite, Jade instinctively pulled the covers up beneath her chin. Jason looked down at her and shrugged. “Looks like the honeymoon is over.”

  Lupe called out from beyond the locked door. “Hijo?”

  “What does that mean, anyway?” Jade whispered.

  “Son,” Jason explained in a whisper. “She’s always called me son.” Then he called out to his aunt, “Si, Lupita. Que pasa?”

  “The detective is here to see you. Should I have him wait or tell him you are not well?”

  Jason looked to Jade to decide. “Your choice,” he said.

  She sighed. The brief respite had been glorious, but the world was waiting outside the door. There was much to do before they left the city. “I suppose it’s inevitable. Besides, we have to get up sometime.”

  “If you insist.” He threw back the covers and called out to Lupe. “Tell him we’ll be right down.” Jason glanced around at the candles Jade had placed on every piece of furniture in the room. “There are wax drippings everywhere.”

  “Do you think the new owner will mind?” she asked.

  “Not if he has a good housekeeper.”

  Jade climbed out of bed and began pulling on the silk trousers Jason had so expertly removed earlier. “Are you taking anything from the house back with you?” She paused to tie her hair in a knot and then slipped on her Mandarin jacket.

  “You.”

  “How about that rocking chair Matt delivered yesterday?” The night before, while they had been at the adobe, Matt had left the rocker with Cash and Lupe.

  J.T. looked at the worn arms of the chair and at its lopsided seat cushion. He thought of the empty place it once occupied in Peoney Flannagan’s parlor. She had asked Matt to give it to Jason with a note of thanks for the generous trust fund he had established for her.

  “Is it special to you?” Jade asked.

  He almost denied it, then stopped. He thought of what loving Jade had taught him—that there really were two sides to every story. He looked at the rocker again and said softly, “Yeah. It’s special to me. It was my father’s.” Then he shrugged on his shirt and looked over his shoulder at her. “Is there anything you want to take with us?”

  “No. Not really. I want to start out with things we acquire together. No more ties to the past for me, Chinese or Californian.”

  He finished buttoning his shirt and crossed the room to take her in his arms again. “Exactly what I was thinking.” He looked around the room and said, “My father never intended this house to be a home.”

  “Maybe it will be one for the new owners.”

  “Maybe.” Jason kissed her forehead and then released her. “I hope so.”

  “You go on down,” she urged. “I’ll blow out the candles and then follow you.”

  WHEN JADE ARRIVED downstairs, Jon Chang was seated on the drawing room settee between Cash and Lupita. Cash wanted to learn every detail of the capture of Emery Lennox from the lieutenant’s viewpoint, while Lupe focused her attention on offering him more of the sweets she had baked that morning.

  He stood up when Jade entered the room. She greeted him warmly and then took a seat near Jason by the fire.

  She looked across at her husband and smiled at the rakish appearance the cut near his forehead gave him. Then she turned her attention to the detective.

  “The captain has pleaded guilty to kidnapping, both yours, Mrs. Harrington, and Li Po’s. Your written testimony is all we need to hold him now. You are free to leave for New Mexico.”

  “Thank you,” Jade replied, nodding. She could not help but feel saddened by Emery Lennox’s fate, even though she knew he had caused his own downfall. “And Li Po?”

  “The poor man,” Lupe interjected. The story of the wizard had intrigued her since her arrival. Jade and Jason had explained the entire affair to Cash and Lupe after they returned from the adobe.

  “Li Po will be buried with all the honor he would have been given in his village. The allied tongs have agreed to it.”

  Cash frowned and grumbled aloud. “What’s honorable about an old man who sold
his own granddaughter to that lecher?”

  Jon Chang appeared unruffled as he answered quietly, “In China, a woman has very little worth. In families with too many daughters, the girls are often sold in order to feed the others. It is not frowned upon.”

  “Damned sick if you ask me,” Cash mumbled.

  Jade tried to direct the conversation elsewhere. “How is Tao? He was in love with Quan Yen, you know.”

  Jason looked surprised. “Really?”

  “Really,” she said.

  “Tao is well. Anxious to get to work again.”

  “We’ll miss him,” Jade said.

  “I hate to think I ever suspected him of poisoning you,” Jason said with a shake of his head. “I guess because Quan Yen seemed so young and helpless that it never occurred to me that she might be the guilty one.”

  “If she’d had her way, I’d be dead now,” Jade said with a shiver.

  Lupe crossed herself. “Don’t speak of it, hija.”

  Jade’s eyes smarted with tears, and she smiled when she heard the woman use the endearment.

  Chang shook his head. “I wish you would have told me of your concern regarding Tao Ling. I could have relieved you of your worry.” He smiled one of his rare smiles. “Not only is he my cousin, but he often works for me. I’m sure now that you’ve witnessed his prowess, you know why.”

  “He’s a detective?” Jason was stunned.

  “Unofficially. So you see, you were never in any danger.” Jon Chang stood and straightened his jacket. “Excuse me, please. I have brought you something.” His long queue swayed behind him as he walked to the foyer and then returned with a small wooden chest.

  Jade recognized it immediately as the one that had been buried with Li Po. The detective opened it and held it out for Jade’s inspection. Inside, carefully cleaned and folded, was Li Po’s crimson robe, his odd, tall hat, and his shoes. She reached into the chest and unfolded the robe to study the intricate patterns on it.

  Dragons leapt and intertwined with tigers. Crescent moons, stars, sun symbols, and Chinese astrological signs were painted around the embroidered animal figures. She recognized many of the symbols as those painted on the crates. Although the symbols were archaic, the silk was obviously new. It was the finest piece of handiwork Jade had ever seen.

  “The tongs realize you were an unwilling pawn in all of this,” Chang explained, “and they know of the work you have done to help establish the Chinese museum. They wanted you to have the robe for the collection. Li Po will be buried in new finery.”

  Jade bowed. “Will you thank them for me and tell them that I will present the robe and other contents of the chest to Mrs. Stanford, who has agreed to preside over the museum foundation? This piece is exquisite.”

  She accepted the robe, but did not tell him that she had reservations about putting the piece on display. Each time she looked at it she experienced an eerie feeling she could not put into words. Unable to forget that she had dreamed of this exact robe long before she saw it, Jade was determined to instruct Mrs. Stanford to store the chest in the museum, but never to display the contents.

  “How are the plans for the museum progressing?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Wonderfully,” she said, carefully refolding the robe as she spoke. “Mrs. Stanford hopes to acquire a building near Little China so that both races might visit the museum. After all, the pieces are Chinese, they should be viewed by the Chinese as well as the Americans of San Francisco.”

  Jon Chang nodded. “Perhaps it is enough that the Americans see the antiquities and know that there is more to ‘John Chinaman’ than pigtails and yellow skin.”

  “We can only hope,” she said.

  Jason realized the lieutenant was ready to leave and so he stood and extended his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Chang, for your help.”

  “Good luck to you on your journey and in your new home,” Chang told him. “Please come to see me whenever you return to the city. Perhaps there will be another case you can help me solve.”

  “Does that include me?” Jade teased.

  Chang bowed. “Most especially.”

  “You can bet I’m not coming back,” Cash said. All eyes turned his way. “The wife spends too damn much money shoppin’ here. Too many stores.”

  Jason and Jade left the Youngers playfully sparring in the drawing room as they walked the detective to the door. When he was gone, Jade slipped her arms around her husband’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

  “Weren’t we in the middle of our honeymoon?” she asked with a gleam in her eye.

  Jason faked a heavy sigh. “Let me grab a handful of cookies to keep up my strength and we’ll go back upstairs.” He draped an arm across her shoulders and started toward the kitchen. “You know what, Jade?”

  “What, Jason?”

  “They told me I was wealthy when I inherited my father’s money—but I never felt as rich as I do now that I have you.”

  She stopped him by placing her hand lightly on his arm. Her pulse quickened as she thought of all the love he had to give and all he could still teach her about the art of making love. “Do you have to have those cookies?” she whispered.

  “I think I can hold out until dinner.”

  Jason swept her into his arms and started up the stairs.

  Present day, 21st Century:.

  SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

  ARCHAEOLOGISTS, CHEMISTS, METAPHYSICIANS ARGUE OVER SIGNIFICANCE OF LATEST DISCOVERY BENEATH THE CITY

  AP WIRE SERVICE

  SAN FRANCISCO—An archaeological dig on a construction site downtown has revealed a treasure-trove of Chinese artifacts believed to have been part of a collection housed in the basement of a museum on the site before the 1906 earthquake and fire destroyed the building.

  A strict interpretation of the California Environmental Quality Act forces developers in certain areas of the city to see that archival research is completed, and if warranted, archaeological excavation must take place before permits are issued.

  More than thirty pieces, some dating from as far back as the Sung Dynasty, were excavated from the site.

  Among pieces of ceramics, lacquerware, bronze, and jade was a small chest containing a crimson silk robe that has become the object of heated dispute.

  According to Harold Scrimpton, an expert on Chinese antiquities from the University of Stanford, the robe is of great significance because the symbols embroidered on the piece predate the Shang-Yin Dynasty—one of the earliest in Chinese history—and yet the robe shows no signs of age or decay. “Even if it was made in 1906, the year the museum burned down, there is still no explanation as to why it is still in perfect condition,” Scrimpton said. To add to the mystery, local metaphysicians claim the symbols on the robe are of a highly mystical nature. Chu Kwon Loo, self-proclaimed mystic and leader of the Masters of the Visions of Light Ashram, claims that the symbols were often used in ancient alchemical practices. Working with scientists from MIT, Loo has translated the symbols into chemical formulas, which he alleges will produce a gold-based life-extending elixir.

  Although expert chemists remain skeptical, they have agreed to test the formula.

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  About the Author

  JILL MARIE LANDIS’S novels have earned distinguished awards and slots on such national bestseller lists as the New York Times and the USA Today Top 50. She is a seven-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award in Single Title Historical and Contemporary Romance as well as a Golden Heart and RITA Award winner.

  Jill Marie resides in Hawaii with her husband. When she’s not writing or sitting on the beach reading, she enjoys visiting with family and friends, raising orchids, working in her garden, occasionally quilting, but most of all dancing the hula.