Just before I reached the door, Jax caught my left hand with his right. Just my hand, but it sent a shiver through my entire body. I should have pulled away, but I didn’t.
“Perla…” he said as he looked down into my eyes, standing only inches away from me now. The sound of my name on his lips had yet another undesired effect on my nervous system. Before I could respond, he planted two pliant, sinfully soft lips to mine.
It wasn’t a hard or rushed kiss, but the kind a woman dreams about or reads about in really good love-making scenes of romance novels. His hand still held mine in his own but he made no attempt to move his body closer, and my pad of paper and pen in the other hand dropped unnoticed to the floor.
Before I knew what I was doing, I heard a SMACK, and I realized that I had slapped him, in full force, across the face.
This effectively broke the kiss, and then I was off. I bolted out of the door, past Norma who looked up at me with a curious glance but said not a word. Unwilling to stand there waiting for the elevator, I found the door to the stairwell. From there, I hurried down several flights of stairs in my stiletto heels before exiting to a floor to catch the elevator back down the rest of the way.
Was this man serious? The gorgeous bastard had me tied up in knots, completely frazzled, as I tried to pull myself together before the elevator dropped me off on the seventeenth floor, just as my lunch break ended. Nobody was the wiser, and I intended to keep it that way.
For now.
JAX
That was unexpected.
I had somehow pictured things going much differently, I thought to myself, as I rubbed the side of my face. I definitely hadn’t seen the slap coming, especially when I had felt how her body had responded when my lips pressed to hers.
I couldn’t contain a chuckle as I closed my office door and went to pour myself a splash of cognac. I didn’t normally drink during the day unless I had meetings with big investors, but the day’s most recent events called for a drink, I reasoned.
This woman was maddening.
She was proving to be much more challenging than I had anticipated, but if there was one thing I could take on, it was a challenge.
The moment I had laid eyes on her angelic face, the threads of gold in her soft, light-green eyes, and the luscious curves of her decadent body, I knew I wanted her in my bed and those full, pouty lips wrapped around my cock.
All I had was her name, but that was all I needed to find her again. I had Holden, my Head of Security and most trusted confidante, run it through the building personnel files to discover where she worked.
Sure, she was a risk. There was always the possibility of women developing feelings and making things complicated. If there were two things I didn’t deal with, they were feelings and complicated.
Correction, I was exceptionally skilled at handling complicated. In business, I hadn’t gotten where I was today, taking my father’s multi-million dollar company and tripling profits within the five years since I had taken over when the old man retired, without being able to dominate through complications. In business, I was master of complicated.
Even in my personal life, I could handle complicated. Growing up with Walter Maddox as a father should be listed in the dictionary as the very definition of complicated. Walter was 55 years old when he married my mother, a 19-year-old trophy wife who had become pregnant with me shortly after they began their courtship. Now, he was living out his days in one of his retirement homes, sipping mai-tais on a beach, living it up Hugh Hefner style, while my mother continued to run a philanthropic branch of the company here in Dallas.
When Walter had handed his company over to me five years ago, he was eighty years old. I was only twenty-five at the time, and it went without saying that he didn’t agree with some of the directions I’d taken the company in the past five years since. It was a good thing I was as stubborn as my old man and did what I wanted anyway.
Yes, I had enough complicated to deal with between my work and family life. Adding to that in my sex life was not something I cared to do. Sex was what I did to escape my complicated life, and I planned to keep it that way.
What I avoided at all costs was feelings. Feelings were for the weak, and I had no room for weakness in my life. I built the Maddox Empire into what it was today by making sound decisions. Feelings had no place in good business decisions.
I enjoyed my work, and likewise, I thoroughly enjoyed my play. Keeping emotions out of both were how I kept them running smoothly.
Perla certainly was presenting me with a complication now. I had felt the chills rise on her skin, seen her cheeks blush when I pressed my hands up her leg. I could only imagine what her face would look like in the throes of ecstasy.
It was surprising how thrilling it had been when she had slapped me across the face. I hadn’t seen that coming. I had to hand it to her, I liked her zeal.
I would have to step up my game, I thought.
PERLA
Once I returned to my desk, breathless, I sat in my chair. My attention was immediately drawn to the rose I had absentmindedly tossed to the side earlier that morning.
What I had initially perceived as a symbol of camaraderie, a token of welcoming and acceptance, now represented something dark and illicit. My heart began pounding at the mere sight of the dark-red, tightly bound bud.
I could still feel the heat his kiss had left on my lips, and my fingers reached up to trace them in an effort to discreetly douse the fire.
What a self-entitled bastard. Who did he think he was, coming on to me like that? He knew nothing of me or who I was, and it occurred to me that he didn’t care. It did not matter to him who I was; just the shell of me in his bed would do.
Well, Perla Fae was not just some man’s toy to play with, and I sure as hell was no fool. His money and status did not impress me in the slightest, thank you very much. I was sure he was used to women falling at his feet, begging for any little morsel of attention he might deign to throw their way, but not me.
I wasn’t sure what angered me more, the man’s unwelcome advances, or the way my body had responded, even still, long after the moment had gone and his hands had taken leave from my flesh.
* * *
That night as I stood at the kitchen counter helping Jada with dinner, my thoughts wandered to Jax Maddox. I absentmindedly chopped carrots, red onions, and radishes to go in the side salad as I replayed the memory of his hand caressing my thigh.
Jada steamed some seasoned tilapia fillets and had brown rice boiling on the stove. “You’re awfully quiet this evening, Perly-girl. Anything on your mind?” she asked.
“Just work stuff. Nothing crazy.” I considered it a white lie. I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t ready to tell anyone, even Jada, about what had happened with Jax Maddox that day, but NDA aside, I decided it was best to keep it to myself for the moment.
I just needed time to sort the whole thing out. Mostly, why it kept encroaching on my thoughts if all I wanted to do was just forget the whole thing happened and move on.
Working out that night after dinner didn’t do much to help clear my thoughts, but it did help me feel less tense and stressed. Afterwards, I showered and climbed in bed.
Lying in the quiet darkness, my thoughts involuntarily turned to Jax once again. Undeniably, he was a powerhouse. Not to mention, he was one gorgeous son-of-a-bitch. I knew nearly nothing about him, other than the fact that he owned the building I now worked in, among some other business ventures.
I did know one other thing at that point. The man knew how to touch a woman in a way that set every nerve-ending in her body on fire. I recalled the sensations I had felt as his hand had pressed firmly on the bare skin of my leg, making its expedition north to more secluded regions.
Not to mention that kiss. My God. Again, I pressed my fingers to my lips, remembering the feel of his lips as they pressed softly, yet boldly, to mine. I felt that familiar tightening sensation in my core as I relived those moments and the conflicting emot
ions I felt when I had initially experienced them.
The fantasy of entertaining his request was hot, sure. Even I could admit that. After all, I was a hot-blooded woman who enjoyed sex as much as the next girl. Who was I trying to kid? I really enjoyed sex.
But in reality, after all I had been through, I had a responsibility to protect my heart. How vulnerable was I really willing to allow myself to be?
FOUR
Eight Years Ago
“Jada-Lou, should we go horseback riding or play tennis during our recreation time this afternoon?”
Jada nodded, sitting on the edge of the bottom bunk as she slipped on her tennis shoes. “Horseback riding sounds fun. Have you seen my sunscreen?”
I rummaged through the suitcase lying beside me on the top bunk. I found the tube of sunscreen and hung over the edge to hand it to her. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Are you ready? I’m starving.”
I jumped down, and Jada and I left the cabin, heading over to the mess hall to eat lunch. Once there, we went through the line to get our food trays and sat at a table with some other campers we had met the day before.
As Jada made small talk, I pulled out my camp guide that contained a list of daily activities to see what all I wanted us to sign up for. It was our third summer at Camp Redwinds, and since I was sixteen this year, I knew it would probably be my last. I wanted to make the most of it.
Jada still had a couple of years to go, since she was only fourteen, so she wasn’t as concerned about packing every moment of the day with some type of activity like I was.
Since my head was down, scouring the guide, Jada saw the camp director, Mrs. Frasier, approaching before I did.
“Perla, Jada, can I see you girls in the front office for a minute, please?” She was a heavy-set woman who usually had an annoying grin plastered to her face. It was unusual that she looked so serious.
I looked at Jada, then back to Mrs. Frasier, before nodding in agreement. We stood, unsure of whether we had inadvertently done something to be in trouble for, and followed her out.
Jada looked to me questioningly as we followed Mrs. Frasier to an office. I shrugged, indicating my own uncertainty at what was going on as well.
When we entered the office, Jada and I were both surprised to see Uncle Dante sitting in a chair, and a police officer standing stiffly nearby. Uncle Dante stood as we entered the door, eyes red, and a grim expression on his face.
“Uncle Dante? What are you doing here? What’s wrong?” I could feel the dread pooling in the pit of my stomach.
“Girls…” His head bowed as his eyes squeezed tightly shut, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He shook his head, unable to speak. Now we were really worried. This was bad, whatever it was.
The police officer stepped forward and spoke next. “What your uncle is trying to say is, and there’s no easy way to say this… I’m afraid your parents are dead.”
The world began to spin around me.
No!
This couldn’t be real. This had to be a nightmare.
Jada began screaming and fell to her knees. Uncle Dante bent down to hug her, and he rocked her, stroking the back of her hair in an effort to calm her down. Her deafening sobs were muffled by his shoulder.
I continued standing silently in place. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. This just couldn’t be real. It couldn’t.
“I’ll have Jenny go grab their things from the cabin,” I heard Mrs. Frasier say as she left the room to give us privacy.
The tears began to flow, and I somehow gathered the strength to speak. I could only manage one word. “How?”
Uncle Dante was unable to answer, so the officer bore the burden once again. “It was a home invasion. We aren’t sure about a lot of the details yet, but it’s being investigated as a homicide.”
My face crumbled as I went into hysterics. I collapsed to the floor. Not my mommy! My daddy! Oh God, no!
* * *
I sat at the edge of my bed, trying to muster the strength to walk downstairs and face the people who were here to mourn the death of my parents.
I knew it was expected of me, but here was the last place I wanted to be. Though, if I had been asked where I had wanted to be, I would not have known the answer.
My room was nearly bare now, a reflection of how I felt on the inside. In the past few days since we were given the news, most of our personal belongings had been moved to Uncle Dante’s where Jada and I would be living from then on. It was just as well, since being in this house, what used to be our home, had turned into a painful reminder of our parents’ demise.
Heaving a heavy sigh, I stood and walked across the hallway to get Jada, and together we descended the stairs to the first floor. My heart was heavy, and I knew I didn’t have it in me to listen to strangers giving Jada and me their condolences, but apparently we weren’t given the choice. We would just have to put all of those years of etiquette training to use and get through the evening.
As we approached the den, I could hear muted voices that quietly carried into the hallway we stood in. It seemed as though whoever was speaking had been trying not to be heard by anyone other than who they spoke directly to.
“I can’t believe how well they’ve cleaned this place up. I heard there was blood everywhere,” said a woman.
“Yes, well, I heard that Martin really must have put up a fight, judging from the condition things were found in. Such a shame. Can you imagine?” This time it was a man’s voice.
“What do you suppose the intruder was looking for?” asked the woman.
“Isn’t that the million-dollar question? It was no secret that the Faes were filthy rich, as you can see. Just look around. Who knows, though? It could have been random, but word among friends is, it seemed like the intruder had something specific in mind that he was after. All that went missing was some jewelry,” the man stated.
“He?” the woman asked.
“Or she, I suppose, but I don’t see a woman being capable of the gore that happened here that night. Poor Martin and Esther.”
Hearing the conversation tore me apart. It felt like being punched in the rib-cage where my ribs had already been broken, reopening and pouring salt into my wounds, kicking me while I was down. It still didn’t feel real that it was my parents these people were talking about.
Judging by the pained look on Jada’s face, I knew it was ripping her apart as well. Unable to take hearing another word, I took Jada by the hand, and we climbed the stairs back up to the solace of our empty bedrooms.
The world would just have to wait for us a while longer. I thought it at least owed us that.
FIVE
Charity
“Hi, I need a cashier’s check in the amount of five hundred dollars, please,” I told the teller as I approached and handed her my identification. I looked around as though I were afraid of being caught doing something underhanded. It was the right thing to do, paying Jax back, but I never felt good about having to use this money. It’s just how things were.
The teller eyed my identification card, and then pulled up my account information as she began entering the numbers to print the check for me.
“Yes, ma’am, and how would you like to pay for this today? Will that be coming directly from your account?” she asked.
“Yes, please,” I mumbled.
Once she passed the finished product across the counter to me, I took a pen and filled in Jax Maddox’s name in the recipient line before stuffing it in an envelope and into my purse. I hurried out the door to get back and deliver it while I still had time on my lunch break.
Speed-walking back into Maddox Tower, I headed straight up to the fifty-second floor. Norma Johnson greeted me with polite indifference when I exited the elevator and approached her desk.
“Would you mind giving this to Mr. Maddox at his earliest convenience?” I asked as I handed her the sealed envelope.
Norma looked puzzled as she eyed the paper, but I d
idn’t intend to wait around for her to ask any questions. I turned to head back the way I had come, but just as I spun around, I found myself face to face with Jax himself, nearly running straight into the wall of his chest.
“Oh!” I cried out in surprise.
“We really must find a better way to meet, Ms. Fae. We can’t keep running into each other like this.” He gave a most charming and mischievous smile, one side of his mouth turning up at the corner in a way I had noticed him do before.
“Sorry, I was just leaving.” I tried to move around him, but he held out an arm to usher me inside his office. Before he followed, he took the envelope from Norma, eyeing it curiously.
“I really have to get back to work. My lunch hour is nearly over,” I said in a further attempt at escape.
“I won’t keep you long, just a moment of your time.” He didn’t appear willing to accept no for an answer.
I couldn’t contain a sigh of defeat as I reluctantly turned to lead the way through his door that he closed behind us. Once inside, Jax moved to stand behind his desk as he opened the envelope he held to see the check inside. I stood a good distance in front of the desk, unwilling to sit, as I didn’t plan on staying long. I was thankful for the barrier and distance between us. I held my hands in front of me, fidgeting from my discomfort.
“Ms. Fae, would you mind explaining why my name is on the top of a cashier’s check in the amount of five hundred dollars?” He held up the piece of paper in front of him. The irritation was evident in his voice, in addition to his wide-eyed disbelief.
I quietly answered as I looked down at the points of the toes on my stiletto heels, unable to make eye contact with him. “That should cover the expenses for the clothing and food you so generously supplied to me the other day,” I explained.
“I thought I had made it clear that I was not open to accepting repayment for those,” he replied.
Tragedy and Desire: An Adult Romance Page 4
