A single move more from him sent them both over the edge. Jada exploded with the energy of a thousand champagne bottles popping at once. The lightning of their first kiss returned a million-fold, and they rode out the furious tsunami while holding each other impossibly tight. As the giant surge receded, Edmund collapsed to his side on one of the seats.
He smiled over at her, holding his arm out to welcome her in. Jada snuggled up to him, the warmth of his skin a fire against her own steaming flesh.
And then she slept better than she ever had before.
Chapter Fifteen
Jada had no clue what time it was, but the empty cabin was lit up with a weak light from the sun. Edmund sat up next to her and examined the space. It looked like a laundry bomb had gone off, and he let out a small chuckle.
“Well, we certainly made a mess.”
“Speak for yourself. You were the one throwing clothes this way and that.” Jada returned his smile and sat up the chair to an upright position. “Don’t suppose you know where my carry-on is? I’d like to be dressed when we exit the plane.”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Edmund stood, the pale light illuminating the edges of his muscles and coloring his skin a light blue.
Jada let out a pleased noise, and he turned back to her. “Enjoying the view?”
“As a matter of fact,” she said, mimicking his tone, “I am.”
They both laughed, and Edmund patted his own ass as he went to retrieve their change of clothes. As he returned, he took his time to get dressed, and it only seemed fair that she repay the favor. Edmund’s face lit up with a smile, and once they were clothed, they cleaned up the mess of discarded wedding attire and shoved it all in a carry-on bag.
They landed shortly after and climbed into the waiting limo. Jacques smiled at them both with such true emotion that Jada was a bit embarrassed. He nodded at her, however, like he was just so thrilled his boss had finally opened up to her about how he felt and she had accepted. She wondered how long he had known about his employer’s feelings.
Inside the limo, Jada and Edmund cuddled on the seat, and she even let him open a bottle of champagne. They sipped the bubbles together, kissing and laughing like high school sweethearts.
As the limo pulled up to her apartment, Jada invited Edmund inside.
“It’s not much. Well, it’s not anything, but we still have some time before work, and I thought you might want to talk.”
Her heart pounded again, her good-for-nothing brain kicking up the thought that he could still bail at any time.
“I’d love to.” Edmund smiled and let Jacques know that they were going to hang out for a while. He even used the words “hang out.” It was quite the thing to hear, what with his penchant for formal language. Jada laughed a little to herself and grabbed the remaining bottle of champagne to bring inside.
“I’m taking this. We’re celebrating after all.”
Edmund laughed and echoed her move by grabbing the two champagne glasses. It was a good move, too; they’d be drinking the stuff out of tumblers if Jada’s kitchen had anything to say about it.
Inside, Jada threw her bags in her room and gave Edmund a tour, albeit a short one, of the entire apartment.
“See, I told you it wasn’t much. But whatcha gonna do? My boss doesn’t pay me that much.” Jada paused to see how he would take the little jab, and she happily saw that Edmund just shook his head and laughed.
“You stickler. Well I’ll just have to work on that. If you stay that is. Didn’t you mention something about painting?” Edmund sat down on her couch and got comfortable, kicking up his heels on her cheap coffee table.
“I did. I just don’t know what I’d do. It’s not like you can just get famous immediately for painting.”
“Sure, I could see that being an issue. Is there anything painting related that you could do in the meantime?” He seemed genuinely interested, which was a nice change of pace. Most people were bored to death by her painting talk.
“Well, I’ve always considered teaching art to draw in a paycheck and then saving up to start my own website or business where I could sell my paintings.”
“That sounds like an amazing idea. Why don’t you do that?”
“I didn’t have the time. I guess now I will.” Jada smiled, but it faded a bit as she let her brain churn.
“What it is?” Edmund handed her another glass of bubbly and placed a hand on her knee as she sat down next to him.
“Is it at all strange to you how we met and how we’re together now? If I can say that.” Jada took a sip of the drink and let her hand stroke Edmund’s.
“Yes, of course. I’m trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth.” He smiled and took his own sip of the expensive alcohol.
“I get that; I really do. It’s just harder when most good things in your life have come with a price. I guess I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. I mean, this all seems a bit too good to be true.”
Edmund set his glass down and moved to face her directly. He took both her hands in his. “I’ve had a lot handed to me since I became rich, and before that my brain scored me a huge scholarship. I lucked out, a lot, and I can see that more clearly now. You’ve shown me that, Jada. I haven’t used my money or power for good, to help people, and I want to change that, really. I want to help you any way I can, and I know you’re going to say you’re not the only one who needs help, and I get that. I’m new at this philanthropy thing. Help me, and I’ll do my best to help you. No money; no formal deal. I just need your help, and I’d love to return the favor.”
Jada was a little shocked. Had she really had that much of an impact on Edmund? Had time with her changed him so much? Sure, she could see herself being the person to open the door, but he must have had this in there somewhere. Not everyone would do this, even when presented with the express opportunity.
“How much have you had to drink?”
“I’m serious. Don’t you believe me?” His stare was imploring her.
“You know I do.” She smiled and they clinked their glasses together in a silent toast.
As they sat and chatted, Edmund asked Jada about everything in her life: her parents, her dad’s situation, her extended family, her friends, right down to her favorite food. There was nothing he wasn’t interested in. Jada did her best to answer everything and took her own turn asking questions about his life, how he started the company, and his side of their story. To her delight, Edmund was forthcoming with it all. He’d been crushing on her hard since the moment he saw her, apparently, and just had no idea how to communicate that.
Okay, sure, it was a bit more complex than that, but it boiled down to being terrible at small talk and non-business related conversation. It was all he ever did, after all. She learned that he’d tried to find his birth parents once, to no avail, and that he’d actually been living on the top floor of their office building—which explained why the limo was always there waiting.
“It’s a penthouse. It’s amazing. I swear,” he said in defense.
“But it’s at work. You can’t live at work. It’s weird. Plus, the best part of coming home after a long day is knowing that you’re nowhere near the office and you can rock it bra-free. Well, okay, not the bra thing for you, but you get my point.”
Edmund laughed with his whole body, and Jada silently added that to a list of things she was going to keep him doing for as long as he let her.
“All right, all right. I’m a bit of a workaholic. What can I say? At least I’m becoming aware of the error of my ways. There are some other places I’ve been keeping an eye on, but the idea of purchasing a home always seemed silly because I’m just one guy.”
“Well, maybe that won’t always be the case.” Jada let the comment hang between them for a while. She wasn’t really suggesting anything, but it was sort of nice to think that it was a possibility.
The continued to talk for a while, and the day went on, relaxed and happy. Eventually, they ordered pizza from her fa
vorite local place, and thankfully both of them liked meat lovers. Edmund commented on how long it had been since he’d ordered a pizza, and Jada gaped at him in shock.
“I’ve definitely got my work cut out with you. You can’t go that long without pizza; it’s not healthy. And dive-bar burgers; you have to have one at least once a month.”
“So I’m assuming this means I have to go to a dive bar once a month.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, come on, they’re amazing. Each one is a different flavor of the community, and you never have to look nice. There’s even one downtown that plays nothing but Johnny Cash. I mean, what’s not to love?”
Edmund gave another bodily laugh and pulled Jada in for a huge kiss. They laughed and tussled around on the couch until they were both too tired to move. Jada curled up next to him on the floor, which was now covered in couch cushions and pillows.
“I so don’t want to go back to work tomorrow.”
“Don’t think about that.” Edmund stroked her cheek.
“Too late.” Jada sighed. “Tell me about the places you’ve looked at.”
Edmund sat up against the couch and detailed a home on the ocean that was easily in the millions of dollars. It had every luxury amenity you could ever want: wet bars, a gourmet kitchen, a movie theater, master and guest suites, an outdoor dining area, a pool, a lounge, a gentleman’s den, an office, and a library.
“I like the sound of that. I would love my own library. I’d fill it with so many books. Science, history, novels from every corner of the globe. Sci-fi, fantasy—just nothing about money.”
They both laughed, and the conversation went on naturally. They moved back up to the couch after a while, and, at some point, Jada leaned into Edmund’s side and started to drift off.
“And that’s why the crocodile can’t come to the office party.” Edmund’s voice was a low rumble above her ear, behind his sternum.
“Uh-huh…” She’d lost whatever he’d said before she had realized he’d spoken.
“Let’s get you to bed.” Edmund was talking again. Then there were arms under her legs and the altitude was changing. He’d picked her up, and the gentle rocking movements of him walking to her room calmed and lulled her further into sleep. Jada was placed in her bed and the covers were pulled out from under her legs and then placed on top of her.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll have a bit to go over before the Qaresman contingent comes in on the 16th.”
Jada had regained a bit of consciousness when she was laid down, and she felt Edmund turn to leave. “Don’t go. Just lay with me.”
He hesitated for a moment. “I’ll have to leave early to get back to the office.”
Jada murmured an understanding.
“Okay. I’ll stay.”
He lay down next to her, and Jada was able to curl into his side and feel the warmth of his body through his shirt. Not sure if he could hear her, Jada thanked him anyway. She fell fast asleep within moments.
Sometime around four o’clock in the morning, Edmund woke her to say he had to go and left out her front door while she stayed in bed. The alarm on her phone sounded from her bag across the room roughly two hours later. It was a brand-new day, and Jada had to face the office.
Chapter Sixteen
It was a few days after the wedding, though Jada’s sense of time was all confused thanks to tremendous jet-lag. For all she knew, years had passed. The day spent with Edmund had been amazing, and the sex spoke for itself. Jada was in a much lighter mood than normal, and it was hard to hide when supposedly just returning from seeing her family.
“How’d the trip go?” Chelsea asked. She wanted to know all about Jada’s travels first thing in the morning, and she wouldn’t leave Jada’s office without a thorough breakdown of events. She had always been a bit on the snoopy side.
“Yeah, it was really great. My dad’s doing better, and they found a donor.” Not a complete lie. Jada’s mom had called on her drive to work, and she had confirmed that a donor had been found. They just needed to finance the surgery. Hopefully, that would be taken care of after Jada went and spoke to Edmund.
“Oh, that’s great. Glad to hear he’ll be all right.”
“Thanks, Chelsea. I actually have to give a project update to the head honcho now so, I’ll talk to you later?” Jada stood up from her desk, hoping to make her need to go a bit more obvious.
“Oh, totally. Good luck!” With that, the perky, morning miracle sprinted off to pester other members of the team.
Jada made her way to the elevator, nodding and saying hello to a few people as she passed them. No one seemed to care that she’d been gone, and it wasn’t like the employees were familiar with the CEO’s schedule, so they didn’t put two and two together, thank God.
Once she reached the elevator, Jada pressed the familiar button for the top floor and rode up in silence. In her head, she was going over what she wanted to say. She needed the money Edmund had promised for her father, and she needed it now. It wasn’t that she was being pushy; there was a life on the line and this could save him. She just hoped he agreed.
At the top floor, Jada watched the elevator doors open and braced herself for Evelyn, assistant bitch. Surprised to see that Evelyn wasn’t at her desk, Jada secretly hoped she had the day off, or better yet, the month. As Jada rounded the corner, however, her hopes were dashed. Evelyn was there, all right, and she was hugging someone.
One heart-wrenching moment later, Jada saw that the man Evelyn had her arms around was Edmund. The look on Evelyn’s face was too predatory for Jada’s liking, and Evelyn kept one of her hands on his while he smiled. They looked genuinely close, and Jada’s heart sank. Her pulse echoed and her breath shot in and out in bursts. The rising panic was almost too much, and Jada desperately fought to calm herself down. She couldn’t just leap to conclusions. After a moment, the pair broke apart from each other, and Edmund headed back into his office.
Jada swallowed down her growing anger and sadness and walked up to Evelyn’s desk. As she spoke, she tried to steady her voice. “Hello. I’m here to see Ed—Jackson.”
“He’s busy.” Evelyn spared Jada only the briefest of glances and then went back to filing her nails.
“I have something important to discuss with him,” Jada’s voice wasn’t as stern as she’d hoped.
“I’m sure you do, but he doesn’t want to talk to you. Don’t you know that your ‘arrangement’ is done? He doesn’t need you anymore. He’s got something real to keep him entertained.”
The cut Evelyn had slashed across Jada’s chest burned like fire. The words incited a greater rage, and Jada began to fume.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jada was desperately trying to keep her voice down.
“He isn’t going with you. He’s mine. You saw us together.” Evelyn’s voice was an acid whip across Jada’s face.
Try as she might, there was no stopping the parade of thoughts now. They swam up from black depths of cynicism and self-hatred. They were worse than Evelyn’s words. How could you have fallen for his crap? All that mushy love stuff. You’re pathetic. You knew these two were up to something when you first saw her. Why else would this idiot have a job? You’re a fool. He was just using you for the deal.
Without uttering another word, Jada ran off toward the elevator. She was going to be sick. As soon as her feet were enclosed in the moving space, she fell to her knees and heaved. Her eyes watered and then began to pour as the barrage of thoughts pummeled her relentlessly. The elevator was carrying her down to the garage, and as the grungy respite was revealed, Jada flung herself into her car and went straight home.
Chapter Seventeen
Jada’s purse caught in the door as she escaped into the privacy of her apartment, and she threw the thing across the room. Her cell phone skidded out as it hit the floor. The entire ride home, Jada had sobbed uncontrollably. She felt like a complete idiot for falling for Jackson’s ploy. She’d slept with him, for Christ’s sake. Jada hated cr
ying, hated the weakness, the vulnerability, the fact that it did nothing, and yet she sobbed until her throat was raw and her eyes dried up.
Shivering in the growing darkness of her apartment, Jada watched as rain clouds filled the sky outside her window. They poured sheets of water down upon the earth, crying for her now that she was out of tears. The sky was a deep gray, and lighting streaked across it in cracks of rage and fire. The screen on Jada’s cell phone lit up, and from her place on the couch she could just read the screen. Jackson was calling.
The phone rang time and time again, but she refused to answer. She was either going to hear more bullshit from Jackson’s mouth, or he was going to tell her he had never had any intention of paying for her “services.” That thought sent a fresh wave of pain through her, and she managed to squeeze out a few more tears as the rain streamed down her windows.
She wasn’t sure how long that went on. Jada just stared out at the rain while she drowned in her own self-pity and idiocy. After what felt like hours, a knock at the door broke her depressed silence, and she was forced to get up and see who it was. Through the peephole in her door, Jada saw Jackson’s face behind a bouquet of irises, and in that moment anger finally managed to overcome her sadness.
Jada threw open the door. “You son of a bitch! You really think I’m simple enough to be appeased with a fucking bouquet?!”
Jada grabbed at the flowers and threw them into a puddle just outside her door. Jackson’s face showed shock and confusion, but he’d already proven how good an actor he was.
“No! You can shove it! You may have been able to buy my hand in marriage, Jackson Hays, but there’s no way you can buy my forgiveness! I’m done being your idiot partner in this ridiculous scheme! You can have Evelyn! She’s just the type for you!”
Jada was shaking all over, from the rain, from the cold, from the broken heart that was filling her chest up with pieces of shrapnel. The pain was almost too much, and she just couldn’t look at his face anymore. She went to slam the door, but Jackson stopped her.
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