Betting On Love

by Hodges, Cheris

  CHAPTER 13

  James and Amber sat near the wide window in the front of the restaurant. “So you’re serious?” Amber asked, with a wide smile on her face.

  “Yes, the sale is back on, and you’re going to get your commission,” James said as he reached for his glass of water.

  Amber clapped her hands, trying to keep her composure. “This is great,” she said. “That money is going to come in real handy. But I have to ask you. What’s the deal with you and those women? It’s like you all know each other or something.”

  James took a sip of water, then set the glass beside his napkin. “We do. Actually I met them in Las Vegas and ... It’s a long story,” he said.

  “Oh,” Amber said, understanding that she needed to leave it alone.

  James turned and looked out the window and saw Alicia, Serena, Jade, and Kandace walking up the sidewalk. I’ll be damned, he thought.

  Amber noticed his glance and turned to take a peek out of the window. “So, which one of them do you like?” she asked. “I’m thinking the one in the middle.”

  James looked and saw that she had pointed out Jade, who was tossing her hair back. He couldn’t help but think how soft Jade’s hair had felt against his cheek when they’d lain together in bed. Jade had a lot of soft places on her, starting with her hair, then her lips, and every inch of skin on her body felt like silk. But he had to wonder about her heart. Was she just as cold as Serena and Alicia? Had she let the situation with Stephen change who she was?

  “Am I right?” Amber asked her silent boss.

  James nodded, despite himself. “Her name is Jade Christian,” he said.

  “And I’m guessing she is the one you were supposed to have lunch with.”

  “Yeah, but I’m beginning to have second thoughts about her,” he said in a whisper.

  “What?” Amber asked as she leaned into James so that she could hear him more clearly.

  Serena tapped Jade on the shoulder repeatedly. “Would you look at that?” she said, nodding toward the front window of the restaurant. “It’s James and his assistant about to kiss.”

  Jade looked at the window and her jaw dropped. That son of a ... I guess I was wrong about you, James.

  “We don’t have to eat here,” Alicia said as she noticed the pained look on Jade’s face.

  “No, we’re going to eat here, and I’m going to give him a piece of my mind,” Jade snapped. “You know he had the nerve to try and call me out, and all the while he’s been sleeping with his assistant.”

  “I hate to say I told you so,” Serena said. “But I told you that he was going to be a different man in Charlotte than who you met in Vegas. That’s just how men are. On vacation they are one way but—”

  “Please shut up!” Kandace said. “They were just talking. Damn! Jade, don’t let Serena and her bitterness make you jump to conclusions. That’s his assistant. They are probably having a business meeting. And if you’re going to go up in this restaurant and act a fool, let me know and I will go someplace else for lunch.”

  “Me too,” Alicia said.

  Jade looked back in the window and saw James looking at her. Did she see a longing in his eyes? How could that be when she’d seen him kissing that girl? Or had they kissed?

  “Can we go in?” Serena said. “Standing on this sidewalk isn’t going to—”

  “All right,” Jade said, turning her back to James. “Let’s eat and get the hell out of here.”

  Kandace tapped Jade on the shoulder. “Don’t forget, you have a meeting with James at two. So, get yourself together and head to his office and get our property.”

  “And when do we get to tell Stephen that his dream of owning a restaurant in Charlotte is over?” Alicia asked as they waited for the host to seat them.

  “Let me handle that,” Jade said. “That’s the least I can do to that bastard.”

  “Can you record it?” Serena asked. “I want to see his face when he finds out that he’s been played.”

  Jade glanced over at James’s table. Why is he looking over here?

  “Jade,” Serena said.

  “What?” Jade mumbled.

  Serena noticed her friend’s stare and shook her head. “Get over it, girl. You have bigger fish to fry.”

  The host led the women to a table that gave Jade a perfect view of James and his “date.” She should’ve known something was going on with him and his comely assistant. But how cliché was that for the boss to be sleeping with the secretary?

  “Should I go over there and say something to him?” Jade said, more to herself than to her friends.

  “Yes,” Alicia and Kandace said in unison.

  “No,” Serena replied. “He’s not your man. You two had a fling in Vegas. Let it go.”

  What if I don’t want to? Jade thought as she looked at him. James locked eyes with her, and Jade knew she was going to have to go over and say something to him. Rising to her feet, she headed to his table without saying a word to her friends.

  James watched Jade as she walked over to his table. He hoped there wasn’t going to be a scene, and he willed himself to keep his attitude in check. Amber looked up and saw Jade coming their way.

  “I’m going to powder my nose,” she said seconds before Jade arrived at the table.

  “You didn’t have to drive your girlfriend away,” Jade said once she reached the table.

  “Amber is my employee,” James said.

  “So you kiss all your employees?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  Jade leaned into his ear. “I saw you and Amber.”

  James raised his right eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

  She pointed to the window. “Right there.”

  James shook his head. “You must be having hallucinations, because Amber and I did not kiss. We were simply talking.”

  “Sure you were,” she said. “You know what? You had the nerve to talk about me and what I was doing, but you’re just as—”

  “Jade, really,” he interrupted. “You’re going to do this in the middle of this restaurant? Aren’t you coming by my office later? Can’t we just talk then about what you think you saw?”

  Placing her hands on her hips, she backed away from James. “Fine. I’ll see you at two.”

  As Amber returned to the table, she noticed that James didn’t look too happy. “Is everything all right?” she asked.

  “Fine.”

  Before they could say anything else, a blond waitress came over to take their orders. James smiled as Amber ordered a grilled chicken Caesar salad.

  “You have something against steaks?” he asked after he ordered the rib eye steak lunch special.

  “I don’t eat red meat,” she said. “But everyone talks about this place, so I figured I might as well try it out. And since lunch is on you, how could I say no?”

  James laughed, but he couldn’t help thinking about how he and Jade had shared steak dinners that night in Vegas. The dinner had been great, but dessert had been even better.

  “James,” Amber said, breaking into his thoughts.

  “Yes?”

  “Have you called Roderick and told him that the deal is back on? Where is your mind?” Amber asked.

  James stole a quick glance at Jade and her friends. There was no question as to where his mind was.

  “Well?” Serena said when Jade sat down. “What did he have to say for himself ?”

  Kandace shook her head. “Serena, can we please get through lunch without you telling us about the evils of men?”

  Serena rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “You know, you all can say what you want about love and falling for this man or that man. But in the last twelve months, all of you have been crying over some dude.”

  “And you haven’t, because super Serena doesn’t allow anyone to get close to her,” Jade said.

  “Ladies,” Alicia said, “this is not the place to have this kin
d of discussion. People are looking at us as if we’re the stars of Sex and the City.”

  Jade and Serena looked around the restaurant and saw that a few patrons were staring at them and soaking up every word they were saying. One of the older women sitting closest to their table shot Jade and her friends a condescending look and shook her head.

  “You’re right,” Jade said. “We’re making asses of ourselves right now, and that old lady over there looks as if she’s going to have the manager kick us out of here.”

  Serena cut into her grilled chicken. “All I’m saying is the next time any of you come crying to me about some guy, I’m going to remind you all of this.”

  Kandace and Jade looked at each other and laughed. “You know,” Kandace said, “this reminds me of college.”

  “Please,” Alicia said.

  “It does not,” Serena said. “At least in college, you were expected to make mistakes. We’re adults and—”

  “Excuse me, ladies,” the waiter said as he walked over to their table. “Does anyone need a refill?”

  “We’re fine,” Alicia said, with a smile. The waiter nodded and walked away.

  The women finished their meal in silence, until Jade noticed James and Amber leaving. She could’ve sworn she saw him put his hand on the small of Amber’s back. “Just look at that,” she mumbled.

  “You’re just getting on my nerves now,” Alicia said. “Obviously, you like this guy. Stop acting like Serena and go talk to him.”

  “I’m going to talk to him at two and give him the check for the restaurant,” Jade said, with a bit of an attitude.

  “We’re not talking about talking business with the man,” Kandace said.

  Serena snorted. “If you were smart, you’d limit it to just business.”

  Jade ran her fingers through her hair and looked down at her steak. The last time she’d had a steak was the first time she and James met. How had everything just blown up like this? When they left Vegas, they were supposed to be on their way to starting something special, something real. He had to realize that this thing with Stephen was strictly business and that it had nothing to do with them. But what was the deal with him and the assistant?

  After lunch Alicia, Serena, and Kandace headed back to Atlanta, leaving Jade to handle James alone. Paying for the property wasn’t the problem; Jade just didn’t know if she was going to be able to get through to him. She had to explain to him that she wasn’t in love with Stephen and she just wanted her money back. And maybe a pound of flesh for her heart being broken for all of Atlanta to see.

  Jade slid into her car, glanced down at her watch, and saw that it was 1:30. Just what was she going to do for the next half an hour? She decided to drive by the restaurant she and her girls were about to purchase. She was looking forward to owning something, even if she didn’t have a clue about running a restaurant.

  As she pulled up to the building, she was surprised to see Stephen and a woman standing in front of it. They looked as if they were arguing, and Jade couldn’t help but smile. She brought her car to a stop and exited it. She approached the duo without being seen.

  Stephen was visibly livid. “What do you mean someone outbid me on this property?”

  Jade looked at him and drank in the features that used to drive her crazy. His skin was still the color of creamy caramel, and his sparkling gray eyes still looked as if they could see through her soul.

  As he waved his hands in the air, she thought about how those big hands used to massage her shoulders as she sat at the desk in his office, balancing the books. At the time his touch had been something that she craved. But sex between the two of them had been as exciting as watching paint dry. Stephen had had to be on top. And despite the size and warmth of his hands, foreplay had been a foreign concept to him. Stephen always did what made him happy and satisfied his needs.

  Jade approached the duo, but neither of them noticed her walking toward them.

  “This was the perfect location,” Stephen raged at the woman, who, Jade assumed, was his Realtor. “I don’t understand how you didn’t know that someone else was interested in it.”

  “The new buyer came out of nowhere,” the woman said. “They purchased the land and the restaurant for a price higher than you could afford.”

  Stephen glared at her and shook his head. “You should’ve been on the job.”

  Jade cleared her throat, alerting Stephen that she was there. He turned around and locked eyes with her.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Just came to check out my investment,” Jade said, with a sly smile on her face.

  “Investment?” he quizzed.

  “Yes, this will be my restaurant and land. If I were a nastier person, I’d have you arrested for trespassing,” Jade snarled.

  Stephen narrowed his eyes into little slits that reminded Jade of a snake. “How could you do this to me? You know how much time and money I have invested in this Charlotte expansion.”

  “I only know and care about the fifty thousand dollars you stole from me,” Jade snapped.

  Stephen waved his hand dismissively. “Are you still on that? You invested in my restaurant on your own. You weren’t under duress when you gave me that money.”

  “No,” Jade said, stepping closer to Stephen and pointing her finger in his face. “I invested in your restaurant because I thought we were going to be married. I was trying to support you and be there for you.”

  “Did I ever give you a ring?” he returned.

  Jade glared at him. “You bastard.”

  “So, I’m going to have to scout some new locations, but I will open up a Chez Marcel in Charlotte, and whatever little restaurant you plan to open here will fail. You don’t know the first thing about running a restaurant.”

  “And neither do you!” Jade exclaimed. She fought the urge to slap him. “Get off my future property.”

  Stephen shook his head. “Your mistake, babe. When it all blows up in your face, call me and I may bail you out.”

  Jade clenched her jaw. “Hell will freeze over first. No one needs you, Stephen. Well, maybe your overinflated fiancée, but I don’t.”

  Stephen and the Realtor headed to his car, and Jade stood in front of the restaurant. She closed her eyes and envisioned a crowd of people waiting to get in.

  I’d better go give James this check, she thought as she turned and headed for her car.

  CHAPTER 14

  James tried to focus on his work. But every five minutes he was looking at the clock to see if it was two o’clock yet. He wanted to hear what Jade had to say, but more importantly, he couldn’t wait to see her again. Even though he was pissed with her, he couldn’t deny that he still had it bad for Jade. He couldn’t deny how sexy she had looked in her business suit or how the gray pencil skirt had held her curvy hips the way he wanted to hold her against him.

  Shaking his head, he turned back to his computer and the e-mail he’d been writing for the last fifteen minutes. He looked at his watch; it was about two seconds closer to two o’clock than it had been when he looked the last time.

  Amber tapped on his cracked door. “James, Jade is here to see you,” she said.

  “Send her in,” James said, then wiped his sweaty palms on his slacks. Seconds later Jade walked in the door, and his breathing went shallow.

  “Here’s the payment for the property,” she declared without saying hello.

  James took the check from her hand and nodded for her to sit down. “We need to talk,” he said.

  “I thought you had your say already, James,” Jade said as she sat in the chair across from his desk.

  “Maybe I came across too harsh. That wasn’t my intent. It’s just I was surprised to see you and your crew in my conference room this morning. Then, when I found out that Stephen was trying to purchase the same property, it ...”

  “Caused you to act like an asshole instead of a businessman,” Jade pointed out, finishing his sentence for him.

/>   “If that’s what you think. But what I realized is that what you and your friends do with your money is your business.”

  Jade nodded. “And I guess whatever you do with your assistant is your business,” she said.

  James smirked. “Are you seriously on that again? First of all, Amber is fresh out of college and way too young for me. Secondly, she’s my employee, and I have too much respect for my company to try and do something with her, and finally, there’s too much work to be done here for me to be distracting my assistant.” He rose to his feet.

  “I saw you kiss her,” Jade said, standing up and facing him.

  “That was just your imagination,” James said, stepping closer to her. “Or maybe you wanted a reason to be pissed off at me.”

  Jade wanted to step away from him, and at the same time she wanted him to wrap his arms around her and kiss her as if the world was going to come to an end. For what seemed like an eternity, neither of them moved; it didn’t even seem as if they took a breath. But in one swift movement, James lifted Jade into his arms and brought his lips down on top of hers. She hungrily sought out his tongue and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  James brushed some of the papers on his desk to the floor, then laid Jade across the wooden desktop. She reached for the waistband of his slacks as he unbuttoned his shirt. The demi bra she wore barely contained her perky breasts, and when James slipped his hands underneath the lacy garment, she moaned with anticipation. His fingers brushed across her erect nipples as she stroked his erection.

  “Is the door locked?” she asked.

  James shrugged. He didn’t care if the door was open or not, but he pulled away from her and locked it. “Happy?” he asked as he kicked out of his slacks.

  Jade dropped her silky panties, along with her skirt, on the floor. “Why don’t you come over here and make me happy?” she said, with a smirk on her face.

  James crossed over to her and smiled as he took her into his arms. “Even though I was pissed with you, I wanted to do this the moment you walked into the building.”