Betting On Love

by Hodges, Cheris

  Though he’d sworn off women, especially since his sister-in-law had tried to seduce him when she thought that his brother had cheated on her with the same woman who’d broken them up nine years prior, he was willing to spend his last few days in Vegas with Jade, since anything they had would be just a fling.

  James hadn’t had the best of luck when it came to the opposite sex, ofttimes finding out that the woman he’d been courting had her sights set on his famous brother or that she thought he was just too nice. Rather than deal with the fickle whims of women who wouldn’t know how to handle a good man if he were standing in their face, James just focused on his career. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun, and that was just what anything he did with Jade this weekend would be.

  Reaching across the table, he stroked Jade’s hand softly. “So, tell me something. Why are you here with your girls and not your man?”

  She slid her hand from underneath his. “Who says I have a man?”

  James leaned back in his chair, cupping his chin and peering at her. “Well, you’re an incredibly beautiful woman, and some man would have to be a fool to let you stay single for too long.”

  “Smooth. If you want to know if I have a boyfriend, why don’t you just ask? And for the record, I just got out of a situation. It was pretty ugly, hence the Vegas vacation.”

  James nodded. “Those things are always ugly.”

  “Spoken like a true heartbreaker.”

  Shaking his head, he smiled. “I don’t break hearts, nor do I play games, so gambling isn’t my idea of fun at all.”

  “Then why are you here?” She took the glass of water in her hand and brought it to her lips, but didn’t sip. James couldn’t look away from her plump lips, nor could he shake the thought of having those lips against his as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  “James,” she breathed after lowering her glass.

  Blinking, he said, “I’m sorry. You were saying?”

  “If you’re not a gambler, why did you come here?”

  “I needed a break, or at least that’s what my brother and his friends said.”

  “Break from what?”

  “Work,” he said. “According to them, that’s all I do.”

  She nodded and smiled. “You’re sure that’s all you needed to get away from? There isn’t some stalker ex-girlfriend that’s going to jump out at us, is there?”

  James laughed hollowly. His brother had the market cornered on stalking exes. Lauryn Michaels had been convicted of attempted murder and aggravated assault after she’d shot Kenya. The incident had shaken him, as well as his brother and his brother’s wife, because for a while it didn’t look as if Kenya would walk again.

  Luckily, Lauryn had been sentenced to fifteen years in prison. James had never liked her, anyway, but he hadn’t known she was as crazy as she turned out to be.

  “No, there’s no one lurking on my part. What about you?” he finally said.

  She smiled. “I wish,” she muttered. “I’ve been out west for three days, and my ex-boyfriend hasn’t even noticed. Then again, that would require the grinch’s heart to grow.”

  “Ouch. So that’s where all the anger in the casino came from.”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I just don’t understand why he felt as if he could treat me like I’m his servant and expect me to continue to take it. Now that he has his new eye candy, he thinks that I’m going to allow him to keep the money I invested in what I thought was going to be our future, as if it’s okay that he left me for a plastic and collagen-injected Barbie doll.” Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, then opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on James. “That was more information than you wanted, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. I tell you what, why don’t we talk about something safer?”

  “Like?”

  “Religion and politics,” he joked.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “I can take rejection. It’s the lies and backstabbing that I can’t deal with. Why am I rambling on? You don’t even know me.”

  “No, but I know this story,” he said, reflecting on Kenya and Maurice’s relationship. “But if you’re meant to be with him, you’ll get past this.”

  Jade folded her arms underneath her ample bosom and raised her eyebrows. “Hell will freeze over before I give him another chance.”

  “I’ve heard this before.”

  “Oh? Not from me.”

  “No, from my brother’s wife. She walked in on him having sex with another woman, and nine years later they were back together.”

  “No offense, but your sister-in-law is a fool. If a dog bites you once, he’ll do it again.”

  Before James could respond, the waitress walked over and took their orders. To his surprise, Jade ordered a hearty steak dinner with a loaded baked potato. Though she had drama and anger written all over her face, he wanted to take her into his bed and burn off every calorie of the meal.

  “So, what are you going to do about him?” James asked after the waitress had walked away.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. The smart thing to do is to just walk away, and I would if I didn’t have so much of my money tied up in his business. You know what, I don’t want to waste another moment talking about him. I came here to have a good time.”

  “Are you having a good time?”

  Her eyes sparkled as she sucked on her bottom lip, something James would’ve loved to do. “I think it’s getting much better.”

  After dinner Jade and James headed out to explore downtown Las Vegas. The upper nineties had burned the desert earlier that day, but now it was much cooler. She shivered as they walked, taking in the lights and sounds, and James draped his arm around her since he didn’t have a jacket to offer her.

  “It sure does cool off quickly here,” she remarked, falling into his embrace. “If I were at home, it would still be warm and the humidity would be unbearable.”

  “Where is home?” he asked.

  “Hotlanta.”

  “Stop. I’m originally from Atlanta.”

  “Maybe that’s why we connected,” she said. “I knew there was something I liked about you.”

  James beamed and squeezed her a little tighter. She felt so good, soft and curvy like a woman should feel. Though he could tell she spent time in a gym, she didn’t overdo it and try to become skin and bones. “Yeah, right. I bet if I lived in Atlanta, you’d pass me by on Peachtree Street without giving me a second glance.”

  Jade giggled. “Maybe, because you don’t see too many straight men walking up and down Peachtree. Where do you live now?”

  “Charlotte.”

  “Oh,” she said, then looked pensive for a moment.

  “Bad memories in Charlotte?”

  “We’re supposed to be expanding the restaurant and opening up one in Charlotte because Johnson and Wales is there.”

  “We? As in you and Mr. Cheater?”

  “Yes. But that’s not going to happen. Not with my help, anyway.”

  “What’s the name of this restaurant? When I go home, I want to make sure I don’t patronize it.”

  “Chez Marcel.”

  “Stephen Carter’s place?”

  “Oh God, you know him? Please don’t tell me you two are friends.”

  James shook his head furiously. “How did a woman like you hook up with a jackass like that?”

  Jade chewed her bottom lip. “I wonder about that myself. How do you know him?”

  James sighed and led her over to a bench. “My mother has a bakery on Auburn Avenue. She trained Stephen when he was a young pastry chef fresh out of culinary school. He couldn’t cook worth a damn, but he charmed her. Then he stole her recipes. He tried to open a bakery and failed miserably. His next act was to reinvent himself as this hip restaurateur, offering overpriced food and fake ambiance. Buppies love it, but I think he’s the biggest asshole in Atlanta.”

  Jade couldn’t help but smile. Her gamble in Vegas was actually turning out to be a winn
ing hand. “We should get him. Beat him at his own game and make him pay for what he’s done.”

  “I’m not in the revenge or restaurant business,” James said, pushing against his thighs.

  “Think about it. What are the chances that we’d meet thousands of miles away from Atlanta and have one enemy in common?”

  “Listen, Jade, I know he broke your heart, but what happens when you get the ‘revenge’ that you want? Where does that leave you?”

  “With my own restaurant and, hopefully, Stephen busing my tables.”

  “I’m not going to get involved. Sorry.”

  She stroked his arm. “Do it for your mother.”

  “That was a low blow. My mom got over it and so did I. It might not hurt for you to try it.”

  Jade released his arm. “You’re right, and I apologize for trying to drag—”

  “Me into your mess. I know. Heard it all before.” James rose to his feet, suddenly wanting to pack it up and head home. “I tell you what, why don’t we head back to the casino and call it a night?”

  “Wait,” she said. “Now, I know I projected my anger on you, but what is this that you’re giving me?”

  James turned and cast a sideways glance at Jade. “We all have baggage. I always meet women who are probably really nice but always want to play games. I’m too old for that.”

  “What did she do?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Jade placed her hand on his shoulder. “Come on. I spent the night talking about Stephen. You could at least tell me one story.”

  What the hell, he thought. It’s not like I’m going to see her again. “My sister-in-law wanted to teach my brother a lesson when she thought that he’d cheated on her again. So, she tried to seduce me, caused a big riff between me and Mo. But everything is gravy now.”

  “Your sister-in-law sounds like a handful,” Jade said, thinking that that sounded like a Serena trick.

  “I love Kenya to death, but you women get emotional and start doing insane things. You’re beautiful, and any man would be lucky to have you on his arm,” James said. “Why waste your time on one who was stupid enough to let you go?”

  “First of all, I’m not a piece of arm candy, which is what you men seem to want. You all take us to a dark place because you play with our hearts and minds,” she snapped as she stood toe-to-toe with him.

  “We don’t take. You women give it as long as he has the money, the looks, and the power. Maybe you and Stephen deserve each other.” He turned on his heels and stomped away.

  Standing on the sidewalk, Jade shook her head as she watched James stalk away. She had been so wrong about him, and to think she’d even considered sleeping with him. Besides, she was going to stick it to Stephen, and she didn’t need James Goings to help her do it. Who did he think he was, judging her because of what his sister-in-law had done? There were certainly worse things she could think of doing to Stephen, but all she wanted was to get her investment back.

  I’m not going to do this. I’m not going to ruin my vacation by thinking of Stephen or James, she thought as she headed toward the bus stop.

  CHAPTER 4

  James didn’t bother going into the room where his brother and his friends were; he wanted to be alone, so he headed to his hotel suite. Honestly, he wanted to find Jade and apologize for what he’d said to her downtown. He was judging her for what Kenya had done, and that wasn’t fair. Still, what was it with women and wanting to get revenge for a broken heart? If he’d subscribed to that kind of thinking, then he would’ve spent his life trying to get back at women that had tried to use him to get closer to Maurice.

  What was it about women and this need to hurt a man after a relationship ended? They should just move on. I mean, it isn’t as if there is a shortage of good men out there. Women just don’t know a good man when he’s looking them dead in the face, he thought bitterly.

  James had moved on after Annette Pemberton had played “Chopsticks” on his heart. They’d met right after Maurice had been drafted and James had moved to Charlotte with him. She’d seen him and Maurice talking at the draft party, which was held at the posh Westin Hotel in Uptown. Despite the fact that Lauryn had been draped on Maurice like a cheap suit, women had still thrown themselves at him. But Annette had had a better idea: to get to Maurice through his brother. She’d turned her attention to James, latching on to him while she tried her best to get into Maurice’s bed and pocket. It hadn’t taken long for James to see her game, but it also hadn’t taken long for him to grow fond of her. He’d had thoughts of revenge, of humiliating her in front of Maurice and his famous friends, but instead, he’d ignored her calls and she’d gotten the message.

  Annette hadn’t been the only woman to try and use him to get a piece of Maurice. Several women in Charlotte had tried to get close to him with the hopes of getting next to Maurice. That was why he hadn’t sought out anything serious, just a couple of encounters here and there. But casual sex left him feeling empty and like his father, the last person he wanted to be. Richard Goings had been an abusive womanizer who flaunted a string of affairs in his mother’s face when he wasn’t slapping her around.

  James wasn’t the kind of guy who believed in soul mates or love conquering all, because at some point, love caused pain. His father had hurt his mother, Maryann; Maurice had hurt Kenya; and he had countless friends who were paying alimony to women who they’d sworn to love forever. He wanted no part of that.

  If Jade wanted to play games with her ex, that meant that she’d probably end up back in his arms before it was all over. He’d done the right thing by walking away. Still, for some unknown reason, he wanted to see her again. Well, he knew the reason, but after that scene downtown, he knew there would be no lovemaking in his suite tonight. Standing up, he headed for the door, deciding that it would be better to go into the noisy casino than lie in his suite, fantasizing about a woman he didn’t even know. Heading to the casino floor, James figured he could lose a few bills at the slot machines. Picking a machine close to the baccarat room, he didn’t pay attention to the bevy of beauties walking out of the gaming area, latched on to a few old men.

  “Jade?” a woman said.

  James’s head snapped up, and he saw Jade heading in the direction of the women.

  “I’m going to the room,” Jade said. Then her eyes collided with his. The cold look that she gave him would’ve frozen the desert on a hundred-degree day.

  The three women, who looked as if they could’ve been cover girls for any magazine, let go of their companions and turned to their girlfriend. Their eyes followed hers to James.

  “Come on, girl,” another one of the women said as they turned toward the elevator.

  James knew he should just let her walk away, especially since she had the girlfriend network surrounding her. But he left his seat at the slot machine and crossed over to her.

  “Excuse me, Jade. Can we talk?” he asked.

  “Who are you?” the tallest woman asked, with her hand on her hip and attitude in her voice.

  “I think I was talking to Jade,” James replied, with a modest amount of respect in his voice.

  “James, we don’t have anything left to say to each other,” Jade snapped.

  “Then just listen,” he insisted. “I want to apologize for earlier. I didn’t mean to come off as a judgmental asshole.”

  Jade’s face softened as her girlfriends looked confused and perplexed.

  “Who is this guy?” one of them asked.

  “Serena,” Jade said, “let me handle this.”

  James held his hand out to Jade and pulled her away from her girls. “I shouldn’t have left you downtown, and what I said to you was out of line. I didn’t mean to judge you, but that’s exactly what I did.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  He ran his hand over his face and tried to smile. “May I buy you a drink to make up for the error of my ways?”

  She turned and glanced at her girlfriends, who ha
d been watching the conversation intently. “I’d better not.”

  “Do I need to buy them drinks, too?” James asked.

  “Yes,” the tallest woman said, indicating that they’d been listening to the conversation intently.

  James pointed them in the direction of the bar and let them pass.

  Jade walked slowly, allowing James to catch up with her and her friends to get out of earshot.

  “They are going to eat you alive, and I’m going to let them,” she said, with a sarcastic smile.

  “That’s mean.”

  “So was leaving me at a bus stop downtown,” she said.

  “I know that was the wrong thing to do. Anything could’ve happened to you, and I would’ve never forgiven myself for that. I’m more of a gentleman than that.”

  “A man who admits when he’s wrong? I can’t believe it.” Jade pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled at him. “Maybe I won’t let them beat you up too badly.”

  James smirked and pulled a chair out for Jade at the table where her friends had taken up residency. “Ladies,” he said, “what are we drinking?”

  “Nothing until you tell us who the heck you are,” the tallest woman said.

  Jade cleared her throat. “How rude of me. Ladies, this is James Goings. James, these are my friends.” She pointed to the tall, mouthy one. “Serena.” Then she pointed to a leggy, caramel-colored sister with raven hair. “Kandace.” And finally she pointed to the quietest woman of the trio. “Alicia.”

  James extended his hand to the women, who ignored his gesture, then sat down quickly. “Nice to meet you all,” he said.

  “So,” Serena said, “I still don’t know who you are.”

  Jade shot a warning look in her friend’s direction. “We met earlier and had a little disagreement.”

  “Then why is he here?” Alicia asked, confusion clouding her comely face.

  “Because he admitted that he was wrong, and how often have we seen a man do that?” Jade said, causing her friends to break into laughter.

  James leaned back in the chair, feeling like the butt of their joke. But from his vantage point, he was able to admire Jade silently. She seemed like a different person with her friends; she was more relaxed, and she smiled a lot more. He imagined that the four of them together were a lot of trouble.